Reflections from my Tacloban and Guinsaugon, Leyte experience
May 31st, 2008 by masayamalungkot In
the mid of February 2008, I received a phone call from Apple Futalan
of the National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS)-UP Diliman,
informing the acceptance of my financial grant application. During
the conversation, I confirmed my participation to the International
Conference-Workshop on the 17 February 2006 Guinsaugon Landslide.
Coming
from a leisurely vacation in Mt. Province, I expected more structured
and mind-stirring encounters ahead in Leyte. I envisioned the
occasion as an opportunity to explore that part of the Visayas.
Second, I hoped to learn more about landslides and disasters.
Finally, I looked forward to gaining ideas for my thesis in MSc
Environmental Science program.
The
six days brought in new insights and possibilities. I fulfilled my
three objectives plus a couple of bonuses. I was physically exhausted
but my spirit reflects a freshness of perceptions and values. Dr.
Sandra G. Catane would refer to it as ‘transformation’.
I flew back to
Manila satisfied with learning from stories and encounters with
scientists, children, youth, women and communities.
Coming
from a community development tradition, a technical conference on
science is quite new to me. Though I became part of organizing huge
national conferences and workshops in my former jobs, I am
particularly immersed in handling more personal, intimate and
participatory group dynamics. I sometimes find myself disabled by the
jargons used during the sessions. Recognizing this situation, I tried
to formulate attitudes and approaches in order to get by. Cindi Katz,
a children development practitioner and thinker, discussed three
creative strategies used by children and people to negotiate and
transform their chaotic and changing realities – resilience,
resistance and reworking.
Similarly, the people of Guinsaugon manifest these three as they stay
afloat and reformulate the conditions and possibilities of their
lives
amidst threats of disasters and rural poverty.
Through
these thoughts, I wish to relate the highlights of my reflections.
Resilience
“Kinaya
ko nga sa putik, bakit hindi ko kakayanin pag wala na sa putik?” (I
made it in the mud, how can I not survive this life?)
-Ms.
Irenea Velasco, a survivor from the
Guinsaugon
landslide
To
grapple to the relatively strange setting during the conference, I
managed some small acts of resilience. I needed to seize the chances
of widening my horizons despite difficulties in sustaining my
attention to new concepts and various people with different values. I
listened and tried to capture wisdom from those who came before me.
Accommodation of these recent knowledge led me to understanding
landslides and the efforts in addressing its outcomes.
With
the little courage within me, I approached and related with some
scientists. Moreover, in some engaging sessions, I delivered
comments, asked questions from speakers.
All
of these actions enabled me to gain a sense of dignity. I was able to
establish presence and to win attempts to integrate into the group.
The
Guinsaugon community also lived in resilience. Before the disaster,
the village rises above poverty through sending out migrant workers.
They were doing well in their agricultural production.
After
the landslide, we listened in awe to the survivors’ story of
recuperation and resilience. I was particularly humbled by the
narratives of Nanay Irenea Velasco, the survivor who related her
experience during the conference. When asked how she manages her life
at present, considering the 10 family members she lost in the
catastrophe. She answered, “Kinaya
ko nga sa putik, bakit hindi ko kakayanin pag wala na sa putik?” (I
made it in the mud, how can I not survive this life?).
Resistance
“We
face the same problem (in our place) … of older scientists who
thought they know everything.” - a participant
While
it was noteworthy to account my efforts of capturing knowledge from
each technical sessions and discussions, I have to admit I had to
refuse getting into some parts of the conference. In few instances, I
found
myself disgusted with bragging scientists. Expectedly, they are
the people who belong to the over-forty generation.
I
felt some of the older scientists raise questions to demonstrate that
they know something rather than enrich the discussion. Personally, I
sensed that they have caused some actions which disempowered and
marginalized the younger ones.
I
overheard one participant who articulated, “We
face the same problem (in our place) … of older scientists who
thought they know everything.”
However,
my walk-outs from the sessions would remain short-term tactics of
resistance unless reflected upon deeply, as Katz argued. She
mentioned that for
resistance to be more durable and broadly effective, something more
than anger should drive it: a vision of what else could be.
Happily,
I encountered younger scientists who displayed a character that
encourages and empowers others. They reflect humility in words and
actions. They were approachable and empathic. Being young, they are
capable of pointing to new ways of seeing and doing things, as Eddie
Gibbs, author of LeadershipNext, described the emergent leaders of
our times.
I
approached them, extending words of appreciation that I know. This is
my vision
of what else could be:
a scientific community closely working with people, demonstrating
humility, and has confidence in the younger generation.
Re-examining
the Guinsaugon locality, people there resisted advice of leaving the
old village for threats of further disasters. But people have the
right to resist; issues of livelihoods were inadequately addressed in
their present relocation. I contemplate on, “As
scientists, how can we encourage people to partake in inquiry
processes to understand deeply their natural context, and in defining
what measures are appropriate?” The
Guinsaugon residents’ resistance is a response to the exclusion of
local people’s agenda in the development processes.
Reworking
“The
issue of economic sustainability or livelihoods cannot be separated
from any of our efforts for landslide risk management”
- Ms. Cat Abon
“This
is the best part of the conference, to see the people for whom our
efforts are intended.”
- Jonathan
Hart
If
resilience enables people for survival and resistance manifests an
oppositional behavior, reworking recognizes the problem and ponders
on focused, pragmatic solutions to it. Reworking also attempts to
redistribute resources or power among people.
During
the conference, the domination of older scientists in the technical
discussions reflected the silence of the younger participants. More
than ¼ of the attendees are young people in their 20’s but
the open forums failed to evoke participation from them.
There
were moments of conscious initiatives from me and my close friend
Harrianne to stir up conversations with civil engineering students
and young geologists during dinner. After a long day full of
lectures, we asked, “How do you find the relevance of the
discussions to your field?” And the seemingly voiceless have a lot
to share. Suddenly, open spaces are formed for us to create meaning
from our experiences.
Reworking
approaches also lead me to explore critical engagements with other
organizations and participants.
In St. Bernard, present
efforts strive to involve local participation in the disaster risk
reduction mechanisms, as well as partnership with relevant agencies.
The International conference-workshop was one of the manifestations
of this endeavor. Through the local presentations, field exposure and
workshop, community context was depicted, residents’ ideas were
integrated. As Jonathan Hart declared after Teatro Bidlisiw’s
performance, “This
is the best part of the conference, to see the people for whom our
efforts are intended.”
Aside
from technical assistance from the scientific community, local
participants have surfaced the need for socio-economic issues to be
addressed as part of the disaster risk reduction measures. This was
accentuated by Kat Abon in her words, “The
issue of economic sustainability or livelihoods can not be separated
from any of our efforts for landslide risk management”.
Local people had an opportunity to retool
themselves to become social
actors in building disaster-resilient communities.
All
these three practices of resilience, resistance and reworking overlap
and are not distinctly separated from one another. People in St.
Bernard, as what I experienced during the conference, are emerged in
everyday acts of resilience, attempts for reworking and conscious
intentions of resistance. These actions are undertaken to advance
transformations in social structures and processes, and to reimagine
themselves in a complex, diverse and unpredictable realities.
Honestly,
I consider my exposure in Leyte one of the milestones of my life. I
have finally conceived my thesis concept. I have met future
colleagues and mentors in one occasion. I affirmed my space in
community development and explored possibilities in environmental
planning and management. With this, I am grateful to new friendships
I’ve made.
To
Nanay
Irenea
who welcomed us into her house and to the vulnerabilities of her
heart
To
Cham,
Joan, Arsemi
and other Teatro Bidlisiw members who have shown courage and
reflected visions of hope
To
Christian,
Christopher, Pinggoy, Jerome, Amog
and Stanley,
the Brgy. Catmon children who showed me children’s resilience in
disaster
To
Nanay
Marilyn
who lend me a pail in the relocation site and shared her life as a
mother
To
Mayor
Rentuza,
who demonstrated character of a new breed of leadership
To
Tanya
who showed unending passion for development work
To
Erwin
for
allowing us to contribute to his practice of youth governance and for
his reverence to his ates
To
Kat,
Dave, Felix
and Sunshine
for fun moments, freshness of energy and commitment for sustained
friendships
To
Jonathan
Hart
for humility, excellence in his tasks during the conference, for his
idealism, for sharing bits of his life and for the stick
To
Chris
Massey
for affirming my space in social science and for bringing up the
possibility of me going to New Zealand
To
Ric
Guthrie
for enriching my skills in community meeting facilitation
To
Dr.
Delfin
for committing to extend help in my thesis
To
Sir
Baltz
for expressing possibilities of collaboration in children and youth
work
To
Sir
Jun
for believing that I can contribute in the workshop processes
To
Cat
for demonstrating science for the people
To
April
for
calming me in the plane ride
To
Apple,
and Eds for
invitations to join the NIGS family
To
Dr.
Catane
for believing that students and young people are valuable
participants in the conference
To
Harrianne
for her patience in me. Thank you so much for not leaving me after
all the glitches, for the genuine friendship
