No Vendors Allowed

This photo is taken in one of my travels... one of the many reasons why the government should focus on education... especially in rural areas.

Endless Battle

It was 25th of January of 2007, when my friend Karina and I went to Kidapawan City (a place somewhere in North Cotabato, Philippines) for a documentary about children affected by the conflict between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). We actually traveled from different places trying to find those kids who were once a victim of the conflict in the year 2000 to 2003 with the help of the Provincial Government of North Cotabato. We went to Silik, Pikit (still in North Cotabato) in search for these children.




The road to Silik, Pikit is indeed arduous… It took us almost two hours to reach the place since the area is located at the very nook of Pikit, Cotabato. We passed by a very rough and bulky road, passed by the rice field, where one portion as pointed by our Driver, Kuya Roy, has been a battleground between the AFP and MILF last 2003. When I asked if there are still conflicts going on after 2003, he answered, "Ah, wala na, naundang na tungod sa peace process agreement." (Not anymore, it stopped because of the Peace Process Agreement). I was to ask Kuya Roy another question when a signage caught my eye, "YOU ARE ENTERING AN MILF COMMUNITY", I stared at Kuya Roy with a questioning look and he said, "Boundary ni sa MILF, diri nagpuyo ang mga pamilya sa mga MILF na sundalo"(This is an MILF boundary, the family of the MILF soldiers are residing here.) But where are the soldiers? What happened to them? Kuya Roy, wasn’t able to answer my question since we already arrived at the Silik National High School, where we are about to interview, a guy named, Sulman.


We waited for Sulman at the Principal’s Office, and while waiting, we learned that Sulman is actually one of the outstanding students of the School. And the teachers were really impressed by his attitude, "responsableng bata" (responsible kid). After a minute, I finally met Sulman. Seeing him? There was no sign of a person who has struggled during the MILF-AFP conflict. In fact, he is a picture of a person with cheerful disposition, a person with a positive perspective towards things. Who would have thought that the person we are interviewing were once a child warrior.
At a young age of ten, Sulman already knows how to use an M-16 rifle and has fought in the battlefield with the MILF soldiers against the AFP. I was intrigued with the idea that he actually fought at a very young age… when he should be enjoying his youth playing with kids his age… but it wasn’t like that for him.
In his environment, there is no room for play… for him he has to be in that battle to protect his family… and protecting his family means be in the battleground and fight for what they believed in.


And so I asked Sulman, what are they fighting for? And he simply answered, "Lupang Pangako" (Land of Promise). Somehow, I find him to be having a hard time answering… because of the fact that, it is so hard for him to go back to a certain point of his life when he was in battle and able to see fellow soldiers being killed right in front of him… indeed, a traumatic experience for a boy like him who was 10 years old at that time. And when asked, would he want to be in battle again… he firmly answered, "No, mas gusto kong mag-aral at tulungan ang pamilya ko" (No, I’d rather go to school and help my family.
Sulman came from a deprived family… and yet his disposition about things made him one of the richest people I know… and I know he’ll go a long way… for a boy like him whose right as a child were somehow violated, I admire his outlook in life… for him its time to look at the future with hope and strong determination to face life and be able to help the family. "Marami akong pangarap sa buhay… at gusto kong makatulong sa iba na nangangailangan ng tulong… sa tulad kong naranasan kung paano ang buhay sa isang lugar na laging may gyera. Simple lang ang gusto ko… ayoko maging doctor, abogado, o maging sundalo… gusto ko lang maging social worker… simple lang, dahil gusto kong tumulong…at ang pagiging social worker ang isang paraan ng pagtulong." (I have so many dreams in life… and I like to help others who needs help… those people like me who has experienced how it’s like to live in a place where there is war. All I want is simple… I don’t wanna be a doctor, lawyer, or even a soldier… I wanna be a social worker… so simple because I only want to help… and being a social worker is a simple move for being of help.
I was impressed by the character he showed me…though I was lucky to interview, a guy like him who has a positive outlook in life… there could be other child warriors out there whose outlook in life were completely changed because of the experience… a disposition that is completely different from Sulman simply because of a painful event in their lives…
I have seen how the local government units of North Cotabato was doing their part in helping these people by conducting seminars and workshops for the victims and offering scholarships to children like Sulman, in order to heal the wounds caused by the conflict between AFP and MILF. And yet based on the interviews I had… no matter, how much they work on helping these individuals who went through so much trauma … if they don’t do something in putting this conflict to an end? All the effort is useless.

January 27, 2007… a conflict between AFP and MILF erupt again, this time in Midayap, Cotabato. Right there we saw how hard life is for the Victims… the only thing these victims do is going to evacuation centers and wait ‘til the war is over… Life in the evacuation is hard; people suffer due to sanitary problem. Painful as it may seem… I saw how children got sick and eventually die because of the lack of supplies in terms of food, medicines.
Innocent children, who has no control over the situations… are the most oppressed in the conflict… we need to break the chain of the 3-year-cycle of war between MILF and AFP. Goods and other supplies are not enough… This is not just their battle… it’s ours… what should be done about it?


***
My interview with Sulman would not be possible without the help of kind people in the Province of North Cotabato.
To Gvernor Piñol and all his staff.. thank you so much... also to Sir Joey of the Children of Peace, my heartfelt gratitude sir... :)

***
To DSWD of Midsayap, to Hon. Mayor Araña , Hon. Vice Mayor Rabara, (now a mayor) thank you so much for the security and your hospitality :)

Our Brood at the Nook…

I have been traveling from one place to another in search for what is there to know about life… and how things really are… and for those times that I travel to remote areas… Learning were always brought with me on my way back home… learning that cannot just be learned in school since I actually have experienced how life is in that nook of the country.



Part of the learning I have is seeing these children. Indeed, I have seen the difference between children in the cities and children in the rural areas where electricity isn’t even available.
What actually bothered me is that, children as young as 9month old suffers because of a non-ending cycle of war between AFP and Insurgents. As early as 10 years old, a kid already manages to fire a rifle against what they thought as enemies. A 4-5 year old kid is fascinated at the sight of Military and rebel group pointing guns at each other thinking that he/she is just watching a scene from a movie. Children along with their families were put to evacuation centers for quite a time, where kids usually end up getting sick and hungry… some even died because of limited supplies of food and medicines.



We look at children as innocent human beings… helpless… who do not have the capacity to take care of themselves… they look up on adults for protection… but how? When even their parents suffer because of the never-ending conflict between the AFP and rebel groups, we know that they are our responsibility. In those cases I presented… apparently, children’s rights were violated.


Somehow, thinking about these children made me ask… whatever happened to the ceasefire agreement between the AFP and the other rebel groups? Whatever happened to the peace process? What is the government’s stand regarding this conflict? Hmmmm… continue to give relief goods to the victims? Will this suffice? After a few weeks of a conflict, people from the government would say… everything is under control… everything is being taken care of… and yet… after 3 years another conflict erupts again… Perhaps they would do the same actions, say the same things…


Here’s the thing… conflict between the AFP and rebel groups has been a 3-year-cycle for decades now… can we afford another more discord 3 years from now… and relive the trauma to those people who are directly affected by it? How many more child warriors would risk their lives to battle? War has a great effect to the victims… though healing has took place… there will always be times when they are haunted by the experience. What’s most sad about this truth is that the most affected in this dispute are children… How are we going to help them?

Redhead on: Education System in the Philippines

Two Sundays ago after our Pizza Trip at Picobello Restaurant, Coi, Fern, Sheng, Ayyi and I, headed to Mix FM Station for the ViewFinder episode where the guests happen to be our bosses. The topic was indeed interesting and real damn important – The Philippine Education System.

During the entire show, they were discussing the difference between education in the Philippines and Education abroad. A Master’s degree in the Philippines is only a College degree in other countries or even lesser… what could be so wrong in our Education System?

For one, Basic Education in the Philippines is only 8 years while in other countries their basic education allots 12 years, 6 years elementary and 6 years secondary. This could be one of the reasons on why quality education in the Philippines is poor compared to other countries. Another factor to consider is the enhancement of the way children are being taught. Please pardon me, there are a lot of good and exceptional educators in the Philippines, but there are also some who really need to adapt to new techniques for educating their students. Based on my observation, there are teachers who need to undergo training to enhance their teaching skills to help children learn better.

And I appreciate that the Department of Education (Deped) and the Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao (BEAM) found a way on how to deal with problems such as this… by enhancing the Basic Curriculum to somehow keep up with the global world… and at the same time conducting trainings for teachers to somehow apply new strategy in their teachings. As what Ian D’arcy Walsh termed as: Higher order thinking skills.

Having to work in the Institute for Indigenous Peoples Education (IIPE) somehow opened my views on quality education in the Philippines, and somehow, I figured that there is a complete difference in the way kids are being taught in city compared to the rural areas. Of course, it is all because children in rural areas don’t have the kind of resources children in the Urban has. Another thing is that, some prefer to work than to study because of wanting to eat than to learn.

Seldom do you find a kid who shows interest in school in the rural areas… most of them help their parents work in the farm to have something to eat.

A good thing though that the government and private sectors, reached out to these areas who really needs education the most. In the countryside, children find it hard to learn to speak English and learn math, for the reason that they are exposed to a different world. Thus, it is where strategic way of teaching is needed for kids to learn better and to think for themselves, and that is why it pays to have a good teacher; I guess kids are not the only one who needs to be trained but teachers too. They need to study and adjust to the enhanced curriculum by undergoing training that is needed to improve their teaching method. And based on the Enhanced Curriculum offered by BEAM and DEPED, we are finding a way to develop quality education in the Philippines.

redhead on: The National Earth Day

I was on my way to Marco Polo Hotel for the launching of the commercial I directed, when I found myself stuck in heavy traffic. Good thing though I’m an hour early, I wouldn’t have to worry about getting late. (whew).

I wondered what was the traffic about, when seldom do I encounter Traffic in Davao. Then I figured, it was all because of the National Earth Day and a parade is about to start to promote a clean and green environment

Talkin’ about a clean and green environment? How do we keep it clean? How can we do a way with global warming? What are the necessary steps to be taken?

My dad works at the DENR XI, somehow, I grew up with dad telling me about being responsible for my wastes. He tells me about waste management and the ecosystem which he actually brought a map to show me all about the ecosystem. During my younger years, he would bring me along with him for a coastal cleanup along with his officemates, to somehow make me understand the importance of taking care of my surroundings.

I am lucky that I was given that kind of exposure, somehow, I happen to bring it along with me in everywhere I go, to dispose my waste properly. Based on the scenarios I have observed over the years is that majority lack proper knowledge in dealing with the environment. Some are even careless of the effect of their improper disposal of their wastes. Not realizing that by just merely an improper waste disposal creates a chain of negative effects.

Take for one, global warming? What causes global warming? And what are the effects it gives us?

There are different kinds of people in the world, different ways of learning, different ways of teaching… perhaps; we should consider a way on how to educate people according to their status.

-rhon-

Another Case of Child Suicide

I was watching local news earlier this afternoon, after Marianette Amper, another child, a Grade three student commits suicide again. I'm just really alarmed by the way kids are taking the situation these days... SUICIDE is really not something for children... they are meant to play, study and live life the way they should.

Marianette Amper's death made a big issue in the country... and what scares me now is that, children may have a wrong interpretation about her death that they think suicide is a heroic act. Of course, investigation about her death is still ongoing. But my concern now is not about Marianette Amper's death... but the effect of the news of her death on our kids.

Its in the media... they hear about her almost everyday, and kids may have this notion that if they kill themselves, they would be heard... and that grown ups would finally pay attention to them, just in the case of marianette.

Parents, we really need to take extra attention to our kids when it comes to media... media is not always good. How do we prevent this from happening? COMMUNICATION. Listen to your kids... know how they really feel. Have quality time with them... in that way they would feel that they are loved. In disciplining... talk to them in firm but understandable manner.

Real Situation...

While everybody else were so hooked up with the non-ending ERAP's pardon... Arroyo-De Venecia over ZTE deal... my world stopped at a certain community where my eyes were opened to the real situation of ordinary people who actually needs the attention.

And so I thought... why are those people making a fuss about their leadership, when if they only look to communities in rural areas, they'd know how to evaluate themselves as leaders. They talk about how the economy has improved... and yet if you look on to these rural areas? All you see is a complete picture of POVERTY.

In my One week stay in the Saniag Community of Ampatuan, Cotabato... i figured that these people need education... they have a school building, but lack the materials for education... lack teachers... I even thought that not wearing slippers is part of their culture but truth? They just cant afford to buy even a pair of slippers.

One might say... people in the rural areas live a simple life... well how do you define simplicity? as far as I know... simple living... is having contentment in little things... but doesn't have to deprive himself of things that is necessary.

Well if those people wanted to be quoted as a GOOD LEADER, may I suggest, LOOK UNTO THE REAL SITUATION OF ORDINARY PEOPLE.