Days Gone By IV - A New Home

(Just so you know - if you get the reference of the title of this post, you're my kind of people.)

YO.

Welcome to my blog. Great to see you.

This one's a beast, so...

LET'S GO.

 

 

And go we did

Okay, so seriously, what are you doing? Alright, alright. Like I said in my previous post, I didn't find out until my feet were on the ground (er, uh, in the back of a car) in Manila where I would be, and I didn't really find out until I arrived in Bontoc what I would be doing exactly. 

SO.

During my year here, my role will be fairly varied:

Firstly, I will be working with an organization called the E-CARE Foundation which stands for Episcopal Community Action for Renewal and Empowerment. E-CARE is an organization which is affiliated with (but legally separate from) the ECP (Episcopal Church in the Philippines) and was born out of the ECP's drive towards self-sufficiency.

Following in the footsteps of the ECP's successful separation from The Episcopal Church in America and their own tumultuous move towards self-reliance, E-CARE seeks to help the communities of the Philippines to move towards their own vision of not just self-sustainability and self-sufficiency, but towards their own growth and development to become the most thriving and flourishing version of themselves that they can be. E-CARE does this by first having the communities undergo the Asset-Based Community Development process, which works to flesh out what projects or livelihoods can be created out of what already exists within the community.

 

However, should the community require some support to get the ball rolling on a project that can be sustainable for the future, E-CARE will give them access to funds from what is known as the "Receivers to Givers Fund" - an idea which is routinely summed up here allegorically in the difference between the Sea of Galilee - beautiful and teeming with life for millennia - and the Dead Sea - which is mostly incapable of sustaining life. One of the primary differences between these two is that the Sea of Galilee has outlets where the water that comes in carries on to other places whereas the Dead Sea retains everything that comes into it and the lack of flow stagnates and builds up conditions that make life unsustainable. 

So in the same way, when communities access R2G funds, it is expected that they will grant back an equal amount of money for use in a project in another community. Paying it forward, essentially. I'll talk about this more in another post later, as this program has a fascinating history and, in my view, a powerful future. But, for now, that's essentially the gist. E-CARE is also working on developing advanced systems to magnify the production capabilities and efficiency of existing methods through programs such as our Natural Farming System and System of Rice Intensification.

"Okay, so what will you be doing?" I will be assisting in E-CARE's mission in a variety of ways. Primarily, I will be assisting our member communities with registering with the Department of Labor and Employment as Livelihood Organizations and Worker's Associations so that they can more effectively leverage their existing assets. Additionally, I will be organizing the larger groups into Cooperative organizations with the Cooperative Development Authority. (Side-note: the Philippine government is super into making the Cooperative model work its magic in this country. Yay co-ops!)

I will also be traveling with the Project Managers out to the communities to build relationships with them and to test out new equipment and methods to further our goals.

 

Also to take pictures while the people who build the machines make them work

Secondly, and a much more daunting effort, is to work towards Judicial reconstitution of Church land titles that were destroyed during World War II to prevent encroachment onto the lands by ne'er-do-wells (I've never had a reason to type that, so that seemed a good a time as any...) My job will be to ensure that the Churches follow the timeline and requirements (which, as you can imagine, are totally simple and straightforward...) of Judicial reconstitution and walk them through the whole legal process as far as I can in my time.

Also, singing. Lots, and lots, of singing.

When a village of warriors asks you to sing some country music, you sing some country music

So far, I am in the choir of All Saints Cathedral (the church located in Bontoc), the Shalom Beharim Choir - a choir consisting of EDNP (Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines) clergy members singing traditional Igorot songs as well as some popular and country arrangements - even a Johnny Cash medley! - all across the Diocese as well as the island of Luzon. Who would have ever thought I would need to bring my cowboy hat and boots to The Philippines?!

I had to borrow a hat. Disgraceful.

I also sing with the Brothers of Saint Andrew, I play piano and sing for the afternoon mass occasionally on Sundays and I even teach praise and worship songs to some of the youth and have begun teaching what I can on the piano as well. Also for the past two weeks and probably for the rest of the year will be playing piano and singing for the 6 am Mass on Wednesdays. Those of you who know me well know how different my even being conscious at 6 am is for me. Come to think of it - I do way more singing here than I ever did at home! Of course, part of that is that fairly often when people come together here, there is going to be some kind of singing. Which I think is pretty awesome. I wish there was more of that back in the States.

 All-Saints Cathedral, Bontoc

So back to the chronology. Within the first two weeks of my being here sadly I attended two funerals. One of a prominent church member - Erlinda Bucaycay here in Bontoc and the other being the Bishop's mother, Elisa Alawas in Masla, Tadian. 

One of the things that many of the Igorot people retained following the Christianization of the tribes was the death rituals of their ancestors. This includes wakes which can last up to, or even over a week where everyone comes together and sings songs and fellowships together - never leaving the body alone until the burial. Sometimes the person will be placed in a chair where they will remain as everyone comes to visit. That wasn't the case for either of these, but the services were beautiful and the spirit of everyone who came was good to see. Someone told me "The death of an old woman is a cause to celebrate for her life." I like that.

 

 

Did I mention I've seen plenty of animal butcherings at this point?

Seen here is some very raw bacon, and porkchops, and...you get it.

I also got to get out on my first community visits! The first was out to Sao, a barangay of Sabangan - about 45 minutes from Bontoc. The visit was to introduce the community to us and to E-CARE as well as to gauge their interest in and present them with the ABCD process. I also went out to rice fields near Sagada where we tested the new rice transplanter - a machine that could set out rows of rice more easily and efficiently. Or at least was supposed to. The machine needed a bit of tweaking, but soon it'll be ready.

 

It takes a village

  

That village

 KFC has gotten really lazy with their famous bowls...

Don't give me that look

Looking back to Sabangan from Sao

 Vegas looks a bit different than what you see in the movies

 

You say you got your bananas at the farmer's market, huh? Wow, they must be really fresh...

Intoducing the folks in Sao to E-CARE and to the ABCD process.

Not pictured is that tarp above us blowing up like a parachute a million times

Chow time. Virtually every large gathering here will include family-style eating.

And yes, those are chicken feet.

We want YOU to join E-CARE

The hanging bridge into Sao was held aloft by dubious physics and magic.

It did provide a pretty terrific view, though. 

Another of our trips out of town took us to the village of Butbut, Tinglayan, Kalinga in the heart of the home of the tribal warriors for the ordination of Grace Allin into the Diaconate. So out we went on the road again.

But first, coffee at the church in Poblacion, Tinglayan

Yeah, gravel trucks aren't making it out this far. 
This doesn't even show the crazy sharp switchback roads and tight edges getting to this point.

 Why did they all get out of the truck?

 Oh.

The community of Butbut is very far off of the main road and is about as remote as they come. It is also one of the most economically marginalized communities in Luzon. They are also among the fiercest warrior tribes in Northern Luzon. From the National Development Officer Attorney Floyd Lalwet's reflection on their community:

"...the heartland of one of the most fierce warrior tribes in Northern Luzon which, about a decade ago, entrusted to (now Bishop) Brent Harry W. Alawas, then the Development Officer of the Diocese of Northern Luzon, and The Rev. John Deane... a “prized” trophy – the finger of a man whom this tribe has taken in a violent war with another tribe - to be personally handed to the Bishop of the Diocese. The surrender of the body part to Bishop Edward Malecdan, then the EDNP Bishop, who then turned it over to the other tribal protagonist marked the beginning of a process that led to the eventual restoration of peace between the two warring tribes." 

 Quite a crowd

However these days they have put their warring ways behind them and are one of the newer members of E-CARE's continuing mission. Again from Atty. Floyd regarding their Receivers to Givers grant-back:

"Many of the staff believed that if ever the grant back will be made, it will certainly happen beyond the 3- to 5-year period and when all the cattle have been fattened or offspring born and disposed. Yet it was a most pleasant shock to the entire diocese when on 10th March 2015, the day before the Annual Convention, a group of BSA leaders brought 170,000 pesos to the Diocesan Office as partial grant-back ... The surprise came to us at the program following the ordination service when the Barangay Captain called on the BSA members to go to the stage and requested the Bishop and other representatives of the diocese and E-CARE to join them. When we all did, the BSA group handed over an envelope containing P70,000 as second grant-back in addition to what they have made at the March Convention. Again, it was a most pleasant shock!"

And so the people of Butbut proved again what can happen when empowering communities to their own self-development. If you are interested, below is a link to Attorney Floyd's full reflection regarding the community of Butbut. It is quite an inspiring read and speaks to the heart of what we are doing here at E-CARE.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/433356923522697/permalink/444038232454566/

Old school.

 

Getting ready

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Butbut for the celebration of the ordination. We held the service outside (quite a nice change) and it seemed like the entire community was there to celebrate with her. Before the service we had food and coffee, and after the service we had more food and coffee! You'll notice the food and coffee theme quite a bit if you stick around the blog for any length of time.

Bishop Alawas rockin' the shades and miter look

 

Even raw-er bacon. Sorry bro.

 "I want to help preach!"

"Fine, don't let me. I'm staying anyway."

There were many songs and tribal dances added into the celebration as well to make an all-around fantastic day. I even got in the dance with the gongs! By the time we were ready to leave, I was offered a gift of a knife by the former Chief and welcomed as an honorary member of the Butbuts. I was quite honored. 

I think we'll have plenty of food. Especially since the pig from before isn't in here yet.

 Friends

 With the newly-minted Deacon Allin

 The native dance, complete with gongs

 

I even got in on the action!

 Atty. Floyd talks E-CARE. The dog is clearly not interested.

 "This knife can be used to weave a basket...

or to remove the finger of your enemy for a trophy." 

After the food and celebrations (and, of course, more coffee) it was time to hit the road back to Bontoc! Which was because of course, after all, I had choir rehearsal to get to. 

Back on the road. Seriously, how do you even get to those?

 

Of course we stopped for more coffee on the way back. 

And a bathroom with a view

Okay folks - that's it for this time! 

Next time, I think it'll finally be time to wrap up this whole reminiscing bit and be caught up on the present! 

FINALLY!

Peace.