Goodbye Philippines!!

Wednesday afternoon, this is my last day in Palawan. Tomorrow I will fly to Manila and the day after I will fly to The Netherlands again. Time goes so fast when you are having fun!!

I have experienced so much that I cannot begin to tell you all about it. And I should not do that anyway, because you should just come here and experience it yourself! That is the only way to understand how I feel right now. However, ok, I will give you something to start with.

This morning I was at Don Ramon Roces elementary school, the last school of the environmental education project ‘Glimpse in the Sea’. It is unfortunate that I cannot finish this school, because these kids are the most interested ones I have seen so far! Our Philippine volunteers, who are doing a wonderful job!, almost did not get a chance to finish the lecture today because of all the questions raised by the kids.

After this morning I went to the Mandaragat Elementary School, were we have just finished the project, to hand out the certificate of participation and a very nice classroom poster of the project to each class. It is such a rewarding job! The kids were already yelling to me when I arrived on the bicycle: “Ate Lysa, Ate Lysa!” This means “big sister” in Tagalong. The children are always happy to see you coming. They were very happy with their poster and put it up instantly. In this materialistic way, we leave something of our program behind, but of course, most of all we hope we left something of our program in their minds!

This day is the first day in the so-called ‘rain season’ that it has been clouded and rainy the whole day. It has been very fortunate for the program that we had such great weather because that meant no complete cancellations of the excursions so far. Yes, we had to re-schedule a bit. Actually, we had to schedule a lot! But most of the time it was not because of the weather, but of prescheduled activities of the coast guard, schools or bus drivers that they accidently forgot to inform us about. But this is the Philippines, what means: no worries, relax, we can be flexible J.

That attitude also illustrates one of the most important things I have learned here, being a coordinator of a project: do not worry too much, be confident, everything will work out one way or the other. And so it did! Another important thing I have picked up here: scuba diving! Not only have I, by coming here, learned about another world on land, but also one underwater. I have gained a new hobby and a much bigger view of the world for sure!

I want to say thanks to all the wonderful people I have worked with: Kyra and Sander especially! Thanks for the great time and making me part of your great project! But I would also like to thank the Philippine volunteers who gave the lectures everyday and helped with the excursions. I have learned so much by talking as well as listening to you. You are the ones that are already changing our world for the better! Thank you so much, Anneliza, Arnica, Esther, Florence, Honey, Jessa, JR, Mark, Melissa, Phobies and Precious!!

Ingat!

Lysanne Snijders BSc

Coordinator of the Environmental Education Project ‘Glimpse in the Sea’.

Arrival at Pandan Island

Tagging the parts of a mangrove tree

Story telling about the importance of mangroves

Collecting garbage from the mangroves

Beach darts

Creative with sand

Coast guard explaining how to use a snorkel

And off they go...

Happy faces after seeing the corals and fishes

Lysannne, taking care of the lunch

Tired, after a day with many impressions and experiences

What are those kids talking about?

By: Arnica Lorenzo De Guzman

Volunteer for the South Sea Exclusive Foundation

Walking down at Rizal Avenue with so much excitement, I saw the Grade 5 section A of West Central School scrambling on the schoolgrounds with their bags packed and their smiles on. You can really tell how more excited they were. It was our first excursion to Pandan Island with the students. I have not been to that place, eventhough I grew up here in Puerto Princesa. Most of the kids have not seen it too so we feel mutually the same.

Our group (I mean the group and I, because I was actually scheduled to only teach the Grade 6A class on Thursday, but I insisted to join the Tuesday group too =D) rode a bus from the school to the harbour in Honda Bay. We rented 3 boats there and it took us about 20 minutes to go with the boat from the port to Pandan Island.

Looking at the sea, I got goose bumps with all those beautiful sights and landscapes of the islands and the open sea. Plus, when I add the clear sky and the fine weather, everything was like perfect.

Upon reaching the isle, the activities were worked out. The children were divided into three groups. There were beach games, a mangrove tour and snorkelling for the pupils which they really enjoyed. After everything was done and we had a lunch break all together, I kept hearing the children’s stories and chitchats about what they have seen while they were snorkelling. You could really feel their amazement upon seeing all those creatures from the sea. I got envious (really), because even though I am a volunteer, it seemed that I just wanted to be a kid again like them to enjoy these opportunities.

Then kuya Sander approached us and asked if we (we were with three Philippine volunteers) wanted to try snorkelling. I’d love to, but at first I didn’t decide immediately because my other colleagues said they will pass. I would have liked to try it out with them, so their decline dropped my excitement so low that I said “No”. But then it seemed that “What if’s” kept knocking in my head. “What if you won’t able to try it again? You’ll miss the chance” or like “What if you’ll get sick the next scheduled time, no more next time for you?” and so much more.

When kuya Sander came back, he asked us again. My friends (the other two volunteers) really decided to do it next time primarily because they did not bring spare clothes (for Philippine people it is custom to swim in your clothes and not just in bathing suites like European people do). But I… okay, I went =D.

With a life jacket (for safety purposes and to keep me afloat, because I do not know how to swim), kuya Sander guided me to where the fishes and the corals were. At first, I was very nervous, because I had not done this before. Seeing myself with a snorkel swimming on an open sea were my feet can not reach the bottom, existed only in my imagination before.

Swimming slowly, my fear of drowning was swept away by the majestic view of the underwater world. I enjoyed floating above the beautiful corals, looking at the urchins and small eels and pointing at almost everything that was new to my sight. It was like I was just dreaming. I felt like the sea was giving me a warm welcome to their world, because I never felt scared or nervous even though we were way far from the shore. I saw fishes of varying size, colour and shape that I had never seen before. They were all amazing and beautiful.

During these moments, it was like “WOW! I will not just chase pictures of the sea on my mind anymore, because now, I have seen it for real.”

Though it was hard for me to swim from one place to the other, I still enjoyed wondering around the snorkelling area. Physically it was tiring for me, because I really needed to struggle to move into the right directions. But seeing all those things was fulfilling. I will not forget this experience ever. Now, I know what the kids were talking about. =D

On the way to the Honda Bay pier

Coast guards explaining the rules upon arrival at the island

Sander explaining the children about what they are going to see under water

All geared up

Coast Guard Frogman accompany the kids during snorkeling

Volunteers Honey (right) and Arnica (left) teaching the kids about mangroves

Pupils proudly showing their sand made sea turtle

And finally.. Lunch time!