Day 22: Philippines Independence

The day started bright and early in the company of our Catigbian host families.  After a quick farewell and some pleasant exchanges, the group convened at the Catigbian municipal hall for the celebration of the Philippines 114^th Independence Day.  We got to interact with the community, meet the mayor and barangay leaders, as well as see some truly great cultural dances, one of which we got to participate in.  Shortly thereafter, we rode our trusty steed of a bus to the local demonstration farm to witness first-hand how locals harvest Kalabasa and additional fruits and vegetables.  Following that stop, we headed to an ecotourism park to indulge in a delicious Filipino lunch while also having the luxury of fishing in the mayor’s privately owned ponds.  After fishing, we furthered our education of sustainability by visiting the local vermiculture compost facility.  After another encounter with our old acquaintance the African night crawler, we shipped back to Process Bohol to rest and relax by either sleeping or reading.  With our batteries charged, we embarked on the new adventure of visiting one of Bohol’s original jewellery crafters, where some of us bought gifts and souvenirs after seeing how the jewellery was made.  From there, it was a short drive to our dinner destination, the organic Bohol Bee Farm, where we were fortunate enough to see a demonstration of edible flowers and the honey harvesting process. Some of us were brave enough to hold a bee shelf and not get stung! Dinner was very very very delicious. With some lasagna that reminded us of home and some heavenly spreads, we satiated our hunger and discussed our experience with the Process members.  As only seems fitting, we topped the day off by visiting the Bohol Bee Farm’s souvenier shop and got ice cream that boasted a variety of flavors such as: Malongay, Mango, Ube, and Chocolate. It was tasty.

--Ray and Kelly

Day 21: Let's Have a D.A.T.E

An exciting day was ahead of us. We would be charged with exploring the D.A.T.E park (Dagook Adventure Tour Experience). The park consisted of several adrenaline-pumping events: a high-wire bridge, a monkey bridge, a zip-line, and a waterfall tour. The most exciting part had to have been the monkey bridge. The monkey bridge which was a high wire strung across the gap of a river flowing through the park with just a few inches separating us from a nasty fall. Luckily we had cables that could hold up 2000lbs. We also rode the zip line which gave us a chance to view all the wonders of the park while zipping through the air. It was a great experience to see a growing adventure park become the center of tourism of Bohol. I imagine it would be like visiting a young Cedar Point and observe all of the promise of such a landmark. The one thing that I appreciated about this day was that we got a chance to learn about the environmental conservation in an awesome way. The park not only protected the flourishing nature but gave people a reason to appreciate what the Philippines has to offer through exciting adventures for all.

-- Robert and Broghan

Day 20: Pacquiao vs. Bradley

Today was our first free day in a long time. I think we all really needed it. We have been going nonstop and we are all a little tired. We decided to go to the mall for our free day. When we arrived at the mall we immediately went to Greenwich to eat pizza; and eat we did. In the true American style a few members of our group ordered and devoured entire large pizzas. We then split up into groups to do a little shopping. While wandering the mall we found a giant big screen t.v. where some of us were able to see some of the Pacquiao versus Bradley boxing match. It was a disappointment when later that day we found out that Pacquiao lost. After the mall we returned to Process to prepare for dinner. We ate dinner at the starting point of the Abatan river cruise. There also were some members of the Bohol Bee farm, and the special guest of the night, Binhan! It was Binhan's 21st  birthday. Before dinner we were able to hear the Loboc children's choir sing happy birthday to Binhan, as well as other beautiful songs, and the Abananistas. The singing was beautiful and masarap (delicious). After dinner we had cake and took a night cruise on the Abatan river. The cruise was amazing because we were able to see trees full of fireflys. Unlike any fireflys we had ever seen in the states that fly solo and light up sporadically, these fireflys clustered together in the mangrove trees and flashed synchronously. After the cruise we returned to process and are all very ready to go to sleep. We had a great free day but are definitely ready to return to our schedule as normal.

--Katie and Olivia

Day 19: See ya Cabilao

Today the GIEU said goodbye to our host families in Cabilao and took a boat back to the mainland. After we arrived back on shore we went to the Macaque reservation where we observed some monkeys up close and personal. This is the closest we have been to monkeys in our whole life. After our rendezvous with the monkeys we went to OWAC Bilar. OWAC Bilar is a facility which aims to provide clean and accessible water to its residents. The organization has made a lot of progress in the past few years. We even got a chance to visit a popular faucet. It is amazing how much this community sacrificed in order to make sure clean water in each house was available to all. It was just a few years ago that the residents had to grab their buckets and pails to get water. Now they are on their way to providing water to every person in the community.

--Ashlee and Amanda :)

Day 18: Snorkeling and more!

Waking up on our first and last full day on Caliboa Island was a different experience for each of us, with some of us feeding chickens while others helped with the rice. After having breakfast, as prepared by our host families, it was off to the Green Foot Print Lagoon via motorbike! While some of us took a quick trip on a boat through the lagoon, others enjoyed wading in the crystal clear ocean and finding shells on the small beach. Our stay there was short, but we were nonetheless invited to attend a celebration lunch prepared by the host family of Patrick and Adam. The luncheon was actually an old tradition of the people of the island, commemorating the 9th anniversary of the death of a loved one. The 9th year after death is considered to be the year in which the person's soul transcends into another realm. Therefore, this year is celebrated with a huge feast and celebration, to which the entire barangay (neighborhood) is invited. Patrick and Adam had many interesting experiences in witnessing the preparations for the feast, which continued through the entire night and involved peeling many pounds of vegetables, slaughtering a hog, chickens and a goat and sharing memories of the loved one.

After the feast concluded, we were essentially given free time to spend with our host families, hit up the sari sari stores or go to the beautiful beach that we had arrived on the day before. The most exciting event of the day was the Marine Protected Area. Here we were given a brief overview of the actions being taken to preserve the local coral reef and the interesting life forms that could be found in the area. The preparation was brief and soon enough many of us found ourselves in masks and swimming over a gorgeous ocean floor. For many of us, experiencing the wonders of the stunning ocean floor was a first that will not soon be forgotten. Blue starfish, clown fish that swam into your hands, lionfish, brain corals - these were just a few of the wonders that we were lucky enough to experience. Unfortunately enough, the sunburns will also not soon be forgotten :)

Upon leaving this area and hitching motorbike rides back to our homes, we ate dinner with our host families and prepared for another celebration at the Municipal Hall. Here, many island teen and adult groups performed dance numbers and sang, showcasing the best of Caliboa talent. In return we belted our group's go-to song: Don't Stop Believing! Admittedly, we may have forgotten a few of the words, but the congo line we created certainly made up for it! The festivities didn't last too long, due to the island's electricity curfew, but we were worn out from a long day anyway and ready pack for tomorrow's adventures!

-Rachel and Erika :)

Day 17: Arrival to Cabilao Island

With an early morning wake-up, our group packed and prepared to leave our respective host families in Maribojoc. Last breakfasts were eaten together, pictures were taken as souvenirs, and final goodbyes were said. This was the day we were all headed to the island of Cabilao. After meeting the mayor of the municipality of Loon, we boarded a boat bound for Cabilao. The ride was amazingly beautiful! Riding a small boat, we were able to experience the brilliant shades of blue as we traversed the water around us. We attempted to guess which of the islands on the horizon would be our new home for the next two nights.


Upon our arrival to our new and temporary home, we sunk our feet into the sandy shores as we were greeted by the snacks and songs of the municipality leader at the tourist center. Lunch ensued shortly afterward, and we were treated to demos of how the residents of the island craft the woven bags and baskets. Some of us were even able to cut the natural plant material into strips for weaving. The group then walked a straight, rocky road (as motorcycles zoomed past us) to our respective host families.

My (Oana's) host family was made up of my host mother (Mommy Bebie), her three daughters (Angelica, Dulce Lyn, and Candy Lyn), as well as another GIEU member, Taylor. Arriving to their home, we were each led to our own individual rooms where upon attempting to turn on the lights we found out that the electricity is only (usually) available from 6:00pm to 11:30pm every day. We were both given a tour of the house where we met Auntie (their Aunt who stopped by to help make dinner), their two pigs, as well as most of the neighbors who came out to meet us. The rest of the evening was spent getting to know the family, celebrating the birthday of two twins in the family, watching fireflies and the stars, getting laughed at for my horrendous pronunciation of Visayan words, and watching my host mother begin making a hand-made woven basket. The night ended in a surprise as Taylor discovered a very large spider (nicknamed Charles) dwelling on her room's ceiling. All in all, it was a day in which I was able to experience life in Calibao Island through the eyes of a local, rather than simply a tourist.


My (Ray's) host family consisted of my host father (Gerardo) and host brother (Junior).  After initially struggling with a slight language barrier, we settled in and dove into getting to know one another. Questions about family's, backgrounds, school, and the future were both asked and answered by both parties. I was even taught the Filipino card game called Tong-It and received a lesson in how to clean, gut, and cook a fish. After a wonderful dinner of rice, bread, and a fish that deserved a compliment to the chef, we journeyed down the main road to a friend's residence where Broghan was coincidentally staying. We were reluctantly talked into singing karaoke but had a wonderful time jamming out with both families over shared drinks. All in all, it was a great bonding time and a memorable experience of what island life is sometimes like.

Hugs! Ray and Oana

Day 16: Marchin’ around in Maribojoc

This morning we woke up to another great Filipino breakfast complete with our respective homestay families. We then briefly observed the busy municipal market that included vendors that sold fish, dry goods, clothing, and miscellaneous items. Once done browsing the market, our team then visited the Mayor Leoncio B. Evasco  office complex. There he discussed how their sustainable farming efforts, drug crackdown, and improved healthcare elevated Maribojoc's municipality status from 5^th class to 4^th class. 

Our GIEU team then toured the municipality’s organic food farm that was started in January. The farm was quite developed despite only being a few months in. Maribojoc is attempting to produce fresh fruits and vegetables not only for their area as well as surrounding ones.  

                   

Lunch was enjoyed with several council members. We discussed many topics such as politics, education, and religion. It was quite a delight to have such distinguished members of the community join and speak to us.

From there, we traveled to the Holy Cross Church. It was established in the 16^th century and is the second oldest church still standing in Bohol. This church built by the Spaniards, was comprised of coral blocks. If divers in charge of producing blocks failed to do so received 14 lashes of the whip. Holy Cross church retains several ancient artifacts: a piece of the cross that was used to crucify Jesus Christ and the remains of Saint Vincent. 

Following our trip to the church, we then went to PUNTA CRUZ, a historical location in Bohol. Punta Cruz contains a watchtower that was used as a lookout for pirates and other maritime threats. We were then entertained by a cultural show that included a traditional dance that predated Islam and Christianity. They invited us to participate in the dance with them. The dance was much more difficult that it seemed.

The night ended with a very energetic display from both GIEU and the Youth Culture group. We sang karaoke throughout the night and made memories with the locals of Punta Cruz. Vice Mayor Fructoso wished us farewell and personally made sure that we all got home safely. And thus ends the final full day in Maribojoc. 

- Bowen and Amanda