Back at the hq – had cake – lit up the cake – sang for Marvin – assessed to date.
Category Archives: Philippines
Thirst & the Need for More.
(Photo by Nicole Manzana) Left to Right: Dexter, Marcus, Emerson, & Kevin. These boys followed me all around.
It was the crack of dawn and I haven’t been able to write about my experience in Payatas. First off, I just wanted to explain what we were doing in Payatas was that we were joining Kabataan Partylist in their Medical Mission. I was informed the night before that were going to join them and I was notified to wake up at 6am. I’ve been waking up first in the group for the past week and it is just out of the eagerness of myself to be able to take in every moment and every second I breathe here in the Philippines and with the National Democratic Movement. So I initially thought that we were leaving at 7am to head to Payatas with the Medicine.
Troy from KPL (Kabtaan Partylist) told me the latest we’ll be leaving would be around 9 am. We got in our collective and decided to pick what tasks we wanted to take part in during the Medical Mission. The tasks laid out were the Medical Mission, Telling stories to the kids in the neighborhood, and the final task was to help outreach for KPL.
Payatas is an urban poor community located in Quezon city where the entire community is living next to and in the dump site. I won’t lie, for I held thoughts about what the smell would do to my health and the ever increasing list of Kasamas feeling ill. We all boarded a Jeepeny filled with Medicine and the ulam (Lunch) we would be having, along the way we picked up 3 Doctors from Sacred Heart who would be providing the Medical Check-Ups for the community. We had to stop by the Barangay Hall first before we headed to the Phase 2 (A Basketball Court). As we arrived on site, Waki our guide reminded us that we would have to speak Tagalog as our Primary language. I’ve been able to speak Tagalog more than ever during this trip and I must say it has helped me create dialogue and share stories here in the Phils. I came in thinking that I was going to be part of the Medical Mission and help check blood pressure and give out medicine as a Pharmacy tech.
I hear Faye shout my name and along with Roger of KPL I joined the outreach team that would help notify the Community about the free medical mission and be able to recruit for Kabataan Partylist and hand out an LFS Brochure as well. I was surprised on how my role changed, but I felt open minded and my attitude towards it was far from negative at all. We began to walk around the community in Payatas A and Rodger held a speaker and wireless mic as me and Faye would directly speak to the members of the community. I found it challenging that I was going to speak to random strangers, but this trip for me has been rewarding at the most when I’ve completely opened myself to the integration with the masses. I’ve never seen such outreach in my organizing life, I was at awe at how Roger was doing his outreach and even tho he held a speaker and mic, for every person he walked by he talked to them personally. Right when we got to the entrance of the dump, Roger told me that there were communities in Smokey Mountain and even tho the trash has been a little less than before, it still was filled with trash. We continued our outreach and then I met these two little kids, brother and sister. Her name was Angelique and I got to high five them and we continued on.
Rainbow Bagsak’s and…
On reflections
These komrades are the reason why we join the movement. After all of the assessments as an undergrad nothing beats ‘getting to know’ social movements, being able to actually participate in the masses, and looking up to the passion that the komrades have instilled into a pro-people’s national democracy. We are reminding ourselves to eliminate the bad liberal elements as individuals.
The little details may be overlooked when it comes to the daily activities: brave ones riding at the end of jeepney rails, cutting across taxi lines, and the epic clouds in the sky. The komrades see this everyday, and for the past week we have been seeing it as well.
The biggest challenge for many of us is often the family struggles, but I want them to know that our motive/reason is driven for them, to know why we had to move in the first place.
The positive attitudes are contagious and stories cut deep. I am beginning to discover even more reasons as to why we are here. As my first real exposure to the Philippines–minus all of the demolitions which cost countless lives–I don’t regret any of the struggles that have surpassed leading up to this day. After all of the meetings, one of which is a retreat in SF that mocked a scenario in the PI, we adapt to the food portions and sleeping conditions to now. I remember by reflection the agitation and excitement that has led to this day. After moving back to Orange County, I almost feel detached from organizing strategies that I have learned from the komrades, but of course technology allows us to remain to build. I don’t feel settled as we feed off each other’s energy all throughout the EDs, quick responses, and beyond.
The youth motivate me to keep studying because once you think you’ve taken an education discussion, their new perspective allows us to learn differently which advances our own movement. When we learn it in Tagalog, the phonetics are mysterious enough for us to dissect, and when we do we obtain a higher learning. I feel challenged in my own homeland where our language has been a constant barrier. But once we break it, I feel closer to our own history and practice.
Today’s Medical Mission
If we didn’t show up today the barangays would have had the hardest time accessing adequate healthcare from our own government. This is why the Kabataan Party List organizes in the most impoverished areas. Our knowledgeable staff allows the medical team to be utilized for our people. We are glad to embark on the medical mission; the help from the legal face of KPL is committed to genuine reform for our people.
We are lucky to find that the actual community is divided into different phases. We organize at phase II of Payatas and the children are excited to play ball with us, so we divide ourselves into teams and play ball. Bernardo starts shooting Jays and we decide to get the whole team involved, which is when Amelia starts going Chares Barkley on them! Haha
After we win our game, we stop by an HQ, fall asleep in the van and eat lunch. Waking up at 6:00am is catching up right about now. Ingat, kasamas.
Last but not least… Please donate for our cause by clicking on the link to the left!
Tora Tora the Jeep
I am feeling a little heat exhaustion so I take a nap. I am not sure actually, my meals are consistent, but I think it might be the activities from the night before:
We prepare for the propaganda, a rule I have already disobeyed in terms of parental concern haha, but as long as I am safe we are committing to a deed for the public good. We are not anti government but instead we are pro government for the people.
The head quarters is filled with different groups from the youth sector. Artists are on the floor organizing in the kitchen, but upstairs I walk into an educational discussion on K-12 by a few of the kasamas. With only a piece of chalk, he draws key terms on the floor in front of Marvin(s) and I. At the same time, we exchange dialogue about the occupy movement. The driven goal between each organizers is prominent throughout the week, the subject matter is relevant, and we also have a plan of action. The ED officers, whether official or not, provide a great synopsis for tomorrow’s walk out.
We congregate to the epicenter of USP and the bridge right out front, building energy for something we do not even know at times, but what’s important is that we stick close.
Trish tells me that the jeep we are using is from the 1970′s and that it has survived countless mobilizations. Miguel and Dora beast it on the mic; she carries this energy over to the, where we witness the strongest elements of the NDM: singing, speeches by chairwomen, and KPL member–Vencer–plus more. The program itself is half improvised however it feels unplanned. We are told it is one of the biggest showings for a komrade.
Feelings of Liberation. Reflections of Life.
Almost done with the finishing touches of packing everything I need for the next 4 weeks. I’ve made sure my student status at San Francisco State University is settled for (Hopefully, the beginning of the last) Semester(s) I have. My sister will be registering my classes for the Fall Semester and I must say it’s been such a protracted struggle to just get myself in the position I am with my education. I haven’t had Financial Aid since the Fall Semester of 2010. So applying back in March last minute has paid off.
So first off… I wrote a journal entry a couple weeks ago and saved a draft. I decided that at moment how I felt about going will change in a couple more weeks and days. Here I am my flight is in about 8 hours or less. What’s rushing through me is that it’s been about 7 months since we all started meeting back in December to plan for a trip that is about 4 weeks. The process of going on exposure began in those early meetings. I’m currently writing down the numbers of my kasamas who are already in the Phils. What’s been amazing during this process of going on my first exposure trip is how I’ve been able to include my family in this process. When I was a member of Anakbayan East Bay as a 17-18 year old, I was lying to them about my politics and what I was doing. Right now, I can’t explain how it feels to include to have my parents in this process. They’ve helped me pack, allowed me to house meetings at our house. Gonna out myself on how much my mom means to me… I’ve seen her cry multiple times and I can’t stand it, but I know she lets those tears flow because she has to stay strong for our family.
As a student, I’ve done the various study of our movement, the history of our people, help teach it to others. One thing I have learned and will always admit. Our people’s movement and the National Democratic Movement will NEVER just be an Academic topic. This movement is living and breathing with people in it so amazing and I am looking forward to immersing myself with the masses. We can analyze the Three Basic Problems by taking a class, reading a book, participating in a workshop, BUT we will never have to live those conditions in the belly of the beast. I’ve tried in previous years to go on exposure, but life just didn’t let me and this summer, this year just feels just right. I’m so humbled that we are going to be be the 15th Exposure Trip Group to go if we’ve sent delegations since LFS has been founded here in the United States back in 1996. Thank you to all the Older/Experienced Kasamas who’ve imparted their advice, wisdom to me about going on this trip. I know one thing for certain.
This trip will change my life.
Early Awakening
We are welcomed by some newspapers and online articles about the planned drone strikes by the US especially in the Mindanao regions of the Phils. This reminds me of a small presentation in my comparative politics class, on how they have only increased under Obama. Levels of agitation awake me prior to a small mobi we will experience in about two hours. I feel the heat rising.
