some fieldnotes

It's good to be back. I came from an almost 2-week fieldwork in the Polillos. The following texts are some of my notes, thoughts, and observations which I wrote down during our team's work there.

03.26.2006. For the first time, I was left by the 10 AM ferry bound for Polillo. I could have still made it just in time for the last trip that morning but the boat was under repair, which prompted me either to stay in Real for the night or return to Quezon City and leave early tomorrow. I opted to stay in Real.

03.28.2006. The boat travel from the town of Burdeos to Brgy. Aluyon was brief. We arrived shortly before 8 AM early for the Participatory Rapid Appraisal. Unfortunately, we only started by 7 PM because of an unexpected wake of a community member that consequently delayed the activity. When enough people gathered inside the barangay hall, we began with an orientation of the project and of the 2-day PRA activity. Some of the community members (and even barangay kagawads) who came were already drunk, which created an sensitive and uneasy atmosphere. Judging from the discussions, internal political issues and conflict between the participants were beginning to surface, which had to postpone the PRA again for tomorrow. These were the realities that conservation/development workers had to face when working with communities.

03.30.2006. The PRA activities today in Brgy. Anibawan went as planned. Participation from the community was excellent: complete attendance from the barangay council, the barangay police, and even barangay health workers; each of them even came in their formal uniform which was impressive. The weather, however, was not cooperative though since it rained incessantly that day. The team also had its first assessment for the activities conducted the previous days. A heated argument ensued from Alex's comments on the PRA process, which may have been due to the lack of leveling of expectations between the team members on the objectives of the activity.

The PRA team (from left to right): Rommel, Don, Salve, Lisa, Leah, and Alex. We were on our way back to Burdeos from Brgy. Carlagan. The rest of the project team were due to arrive the week after.

03.31.2006. Fieldwork started early today. We traversed Anibawan River by boat and got off from a jump-off point close to Mt. Maputi. I was accompanied by 2 barangay kagawads and a local forest guide. The trek through the forests was long and arduous over muddy trails and creeks while the rain still poured hard incessantly. I slipped on some loose rocks which resulted in lengthy abrasions on both arms and an inexplicable pain in my left knee. The injury happened not even halfway through the entire trek and hindered me from proceeding on my normal pace. Come to think of it, Anibawan's terrain was even nowhere close to the degree of difficulty of some of my previous hikes in Mindoro or the Sierra Madre. But there I was, whimpering due to a mishap. But I'm glad I still made it back to the poblacion albeit scathed.

During the trek, the local guide led me to a yakal tree, which he soon revealed as the nesting site of a Philippine Cockatoo. The species is endemic to the whole Philippines and was once found all throughout the country. Unfortunately, the species is now critically endangered according to IUCN categories due to its massive hunting for trade and pet collection. Although I have not been so lucky to see one in the wild, I was fortunate enough to hear the resident cockatoo's call for the first time during our brief stay.

Later today, I tasted Anibawan's renowned local lambanog made from nipa, which was exceptionally good compared to other local versions I've tasted from other parts of the country. It made it to the top of my local wine list among the ranks of the tuba of Samar Island and the tapuey of the Cordilleras.

04.01.2006. It's Happy 1.1 anniversary! I was able to call and text Rina even with faint cellular signal here in Brgy. Carlagan. My left knee was feeling much better, although I should still have it checked when I return to Quezon City.

04.02.2006. I visited Brgy. Carlagan's remaining forest patches in Mt. Lumimpad and Mt. Baliw and made it back by noon. The forests in these two sites were not as extensive but their forests sat over karst topography. Apart from their thin topsoil and sharp rocky outcrops, limestone forests exhibit different species of trees and wildlife compared to other forest types in these islands. Anthropogenic disturbance in these forests particularly from illegal tree cutting, slash and burn agriculture, and land use conversion were evident. I'd still consider these forests as important local conservation areas for its biodiversity, although their size and the drastic change in landscape by surrounding coconut and banana plantations would have to be considered in the management plan.

04.03.2006. Rest day today. Rina texted and told me good news. She was going to Hong Kong on a business trip this Saturday and Sunday to meet with their company's potential client. Truly, blessings are coming her way. :)

04.04.2006. Our next stop was Brgy. Pamatdan of Polillo, Quezon. The site was recently included in the PRA largely due to the findings of the mapping survey I conducted last August 2005. The Macnit-Lumpag forest block sat across 4 barangays, which meant that 4 different stakeholders will eventually draft a consolidated management plan for the whole block and implement its provisions in concert. Each barangay had a piece of the whole pie; each of them had a part to play. For me, this proposed local conservation area in Macnit-Lumpag seemed to be one of the most exciting and challenging (although not promising) sites for management planning. My hope is that all of them would function in unison and take on the responsibility of restoring and protecting their common asset.

04.05.2006. Unlike the previous week, the 2nd day of the PRA workshop in Brgy. Pamatdan was not a busy and grueling day for me. Normally, I'd be conducting ground validation activities across the forest landscape during day two. Having finished the survey back in August 2005 gave me enough free time to observe how our team's community development specialists conducted the other PRA tools (i.e., SWOT Analysis, Venn Diagram) in assessing the situation of the community in terms of their readiness to implement a local conservation program. I facilitated the fishery livelihood matrix the other week for the first time in my 4 years in conservation work. The tool helped me gauge how much the community members valued their resources, their source of livelihood. It also aided the participants in realizing that the depleting trend in their income came as a direct effect of dwindling resources (in this case, fisheries). I wondered what the PRA results would look like spatially: socio-economic data interpreted through maps? Hmmm...

04.06.2006. Brgy. Atulayan was the last leg of our 2-week PRA activity and was also part of the Macnit-Lumpag forest block. I facilitated the community resource mapping activity that took all day due to the level of map detail drawn by the participants. Two of my teammates, Rommel and Momon helped me in facilitating as well. We eventually used the map to pinpoint areas that would be designated for forest restoration activities such as nursery establishment and tree planting. Tomorrow, I will be on my way to Real, Quezon to acquire data from the DENR-CENRO office on the Integrated Social Forestry projects in Polillo. Afterwards, I'll be off to Quezon City to meet Rina finally.


Apart from serving as a chronicle of activities, I wrote these down so I can share even just a glimpse of what I usually do during my fieldwork. A lot of my friends and even relatives often ask me: what is it that I really do for work? They hear that I travel a lot and get to go to places and remote areas they wouldn't even have imagined they'd visit themselves. Some of my uncles have tried to persuade me to get a job elsewhere where my profession could easily let me earn handsomely and reap benefits other than health care or insurance. Not that I don't earn enough for a living because I do. But believe me, although sometimes I amaze myself and wonder how and why I can go to those far-flung rural areas, it's not just the pay. It's the nature of the work and why I choose to do it.

Up to now, I still continue to work as an engineer applying my expertise in conservation and development work in the provinces of the Philippines. I found the environment as my cause. But the compelling reason that continually drives me to do what I do is my love for my own country, the desire to help my fellow Filipinos, and allow my country to benefit from the skills and talents I've developed. From the places I've been to and the communities I've worked with, I've seen the ill-condition of the Philippines and a prevailing decadent culture. I've wanted to do service for my country in whatever way I can so I can see her rise to the greatness she was destined for. And right now, I know I can help in the environment sector by planning and finding ways on how to manage her depleting natural resources. I do not claim to be a savior of sorts; just only one who so passionately wants to do something about the Philippines' ailing condition.

[Photo credits: The PRA team (Rene Peñamante), Philippine Cockatoo (A.Palumbarit, Oxford-UPLB team), forest area (Susan Walker, Oxford-UPLB team) , resource map (Don De Alban), community mapping (Don De Alban)]