Trip to Potipot Island, Candelaria, Zambales, Philippines
I got off at Petron Station and a staff of Puerto del Mar fetched me. I took a pedicab for 50 pesos to reach the resort (500 meters away from the national highway). I stayed at http://www.puertodelmarbeachresort.com/ with a standard room accommodation (1,400 pesos per night, peak season rate). As soon as I arrived in the place, I requested for a beer. Enjoying good conversations with Ronald and Patrick, I managed to finish 5 bottles of SMB before calling it a night (oh it was already 1:30 in the morning). From our conversations, I found out that the wife of one of the owners hails from Cagayan de Oro.
After a few hours of sleep, I woke up (Feb 16) with excitement as I was about to set foot Potipot Island. After breakfast, I immediately went to the island. It took me about 10 mins by boat to reach the island from the shores of Puerto Del Mar. I paid 400 pesos for the boat and another 100 for the island stay. The "entrance fee" according to the island staff will be used for maintenance. I wonder what will they maintain.
You can actually spend the night in the island provided that you have your tent and your personal effects. You have to bring your food and water. Business does not take place in the island except for a few good men that sell souvenir items of course at a tourist price.
Contrary to what I read in one of the blogs, I found the island clean. I really enjoyed my beer and food while watching people swim and enjoying the freshness of the air. I spent the day in the island swimming, taking pictures, and strolling. I left the island at 2PM. It was worth the trip.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PAGE of MY DISSERTATION
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My Article (PhilStar)
Filipino spirit beyond borders By Melvin Jabar (philstar.com) Updated September 14, 2010 05:03 PM
Whenever I leave the Philippines, I always bring with me not only the basic necessities enough for the duration of my stay abroad, but also the values and the pride that I as a Filipino should maintain. I always thought that no matter what economic status one has, it is the responsibility of every Filipino living (temporary or permanent) abroad to carry the name of our country with dignity and pride – whether you are a domestic helper, an entertainer, a seafarer, a business executive, a student, or a construction worker.
I am now taking up my doctoral studies here in Japan. I am researching on the educational outcomes and experiences of Japanese-Filipino children for my dissertation. This academic pursuit gave me the opportunity to mingle with Filipino residents here in Oita City, which is in the northern part of Kyushu Island. I met a lot of Filipinos here and I am really proud that some of them are doing their share in promoting our cultural heritage.
As part of my personal advocacy work, I voluntarily helped a Filipino community here form a group which we named as the Kaagapay Oita Filipino Association (KOFA). Our group aims to respond to the spiritual and social needs of our Filipino comrades and to promote the Filipino culture to the Japanese. The establishment of our group is a testimony of the Filipino bayanihan spirit across borders.
It is through this group that I met ordinary Filipinos with extraordinary altruistic contributions. By writing this essay, I hope I am able to voice out their sentiments and to show how proud they are of being Filipino. Upon hearing their stories, I thought that becoming an ambassador of goodwill requires no economic and social status. It requires good values and spirit.
One Filipino I know is a cancer patient. She has been grappling with the debilitating effects of her sickness but this did not stop her from going the extra mile. Through her strong faith, she was able to withstand her challenges and instead made them into opportunities. While in the hospital, she was helping other patients by giving them hope and encouragement. Her strong Catholic faith gave her the courage to become a shepherd of the sickly sheep. As she said, “I thank God for His blessing
and unbeknownst to me, God is using me.” Many of her co-patients consider her as a symbol of hope.
Another Filipina is an English teacher. While she teaches her students English, she makes it a point that she is able to promote our culture. Being the chair of the Kaagapay, she hopes to assert a new image of Filipinos in Japan. She always encourages other Filipino women here not to stop studying, to believe in themselves, and to make a difference in their lives.
Many of the Filipinos I know are also quite active in community and school affairs. Some of them are even officers in parent-teacher associations and community clubs. Their involvement in these social groups is a manifestation of the spirit of camaraderie and sense of belongingness that we Filipinos dearly value.
Our group, the Kaagapay, has been doing a lot of activities to promote our culture. One of our activities was the Christmas caroling last December 2009. We visited select Japanese-Filipinos families to be able to bring the Filipino Christmas spirit to their own homes. To our surprise, many of the Japanese husbands welcomed us warmly. Most of them prepared snacks for us. One Japanese husband had this to say, “thank you very much for visiting our home. I appreciate your coming here despite that fact that we live in a secluded and faraway place. Thank you for making my wife happy.” We also noticed some of Filipino wives shedding tears upon hearing our Christmas lullabies.
My experiences with my colleagues in Kaagapay made me realize that Filipinos, regardless of social and economic background, can do their share in promoting our culture and values. Wherever a Filipino is situated, the Filipino spirit in him/her will always come out. As a student, my ultimate goal is not only to finish my doctoral degree with flying colors but also to encourage our Filipino brothers and sisters here to become ambassadors of our own cultural heritage.
I hope that with our efforts and with the efforts of other Filipino groups here in Japan, we are able to change the image of the Filipinos. We can only do this by showing to them our authentic culture and values. We should not lose touch with our heritage.
I am indeed happy that I was born Filipino.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melvin Allena Jabar is a Ph.D. student at the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Beppu, Oita Prefecture, Japan.
My first trip to Maine
Christian's Treat: A New Yorker Friend
Every Scholar's Dream: Harvard U
Boston Subway System (Red Line)
Boston City Center
Home away from Home
Me and a Japanese Scholar
Rest House of George Bush in Maine
Lesson 101: How to eat a lobster.
Field Trip to Maine
Conference at Harvard
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With Bagol and NYPD officers
XUHS Reunion?
Home at Bronx
My host in Fukuoka
Pinoy Scholars
Our accommodation
Best Western Premier Seoul Garden Hotel
Address: 169-1 Dowha-dong, Mapo-ku Seoul, South Korea
Sogang University
Night Out in Korea
AYF Reunion on Korea
Korean Food
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Music by: Charles Abing
Arrangement by: Gina Raakin
Lyrics by: Melvin Jabar
Performed by: Lyn Higuchi
There were times when I don’t know what to do
I had fears and doubts but never turned to You
Tired and restive I was alone trying to pursue
And yet I failed to make way through
I failed several times while looking for You
To cross the battlelines was hard to do
I tried hard, I tried very hard
So my thoughts could come true
I ended up feeling so blue
But because of You, Lord, I finally see light
Because of You, Lord, I am ready to fight
I stand tall and proud to walk through life with You
Because of You, Lord, Because of You
My frail heart has betrayed You a million times
Yet You died on the cross for us to know
Of Your love that always persist
A woman’s heart could never resist
Oh….
There were times when I ignored Your words
and led me astray to a life of miseries
I stood up but fell down
And only Your love can keep my feet back on the ground
And because of You, Lord, I finally see light
Because of You, Lord, I am ready to fight
I stand tall and proud to walk through life with You
Because of You, Lord, Because of You......Lord
I finally see light
Because of You, Lord, I am ready to fight
I stand tall and proud to walk through life with You
Because of You, Lord, Because of You......
Because of You, Lord, Because of You......
Recent Article: My thoughts on Parenting and My Parents
While staying in his house, I cheerfully and voluntarily assumed the household chore of washing the dishes. After a very stimulating chit chat with him and his wife over dinner, I immediately grabbed the dishes and rushed to the kitchen to fulfill my duty. Then Prof. David approached me and surprisingly said, “your parents must have raised you properly.” After hearing his surprising comment, which to me was like a sweet piece of music, I immediately smiled and without words continued my task.
This short anecdote somehow reminds me that success of parents (in terms of parenting) can be measured through the fruits of their labor, that is, their children. But of course, this is not the ultimate valuation. While parents try their very best to raise their children properly, some children choose to be defiant. It is also true that some parents (maybe unbeknownst to them) take their children’s wheel in a wrong direction.
Parenting is an art. I should say it is a noble art. I really admire my parents for raising me under the scruples of the Catholic faith. Of course, I have my own share of mistakes, shortcomings, and pains, but it is my faith that saved me from falling. Thanks to my parents for inculcating to me the importance of religion.
Parents should be ready to let go of their children. By the time I reach maturity, my parents already allowed me to drive my own fate and to venture life independently. Oftentimes, parenting is misused or sometimes abused. Parents should realize that there is a time limit or an expiration in directing their children’s life as if their own.
I remember a passage from Khalil Gibran’s The Prophet which I want to quote “your children are not your children, they are the sons and daughters of life’s longing itself. You may house their bodies but not their souls. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. They came through you but not from you. They are with you but they belong not to you.”
I intentionally included his piece of work to emphasize a point. Parents should realize that their children are not their possessions but rather of God. They became our parents because they were chosen by God to be our stewards. Some parents behave as if they own their children. They discipline their children as if their pets.
My parents for me are my ideals. They tried their best to raise us as good persons, provided us our needed education, and fed us food with physical and spiritual nourishments. Despite their hardships, they readily provided us all our needs without asking in return.
Parents should not expect something from their children but children should readily help their parents. I never heard my parents asking us to give them something in return for all the help they have extended to us. They do not expect from us. They just wait. If I give them something, they gladly take it.
The relationship between parents and children in the Philippines is somewhat based on patronage, or to use the business language, an investment. Parents bring their children to school, provide all their needs, and what not. But behind all these, some parents expect their children to pay back when they get older. Some literally demand a reimbursement.
There is nothing wrong with parents protecting their children. But some parents are just exceedingly overprotective. Some parents, through their bad history, discipline their children similar to that of their very own parents, and sometimes even negatively magnified.
I am not saying that my relationship with my parents is 100% perfect but I should admit that through the passing of time it has become almost perfect. And I am sure my siblings would share the same sentiments. One greatest lesson I learned from my parents is the value of fairness. My parents may have their own favorites, but they must have tried their best in hiding it.
I have said so much now. And I would like to end this piece by expressing my sincere thanks and appreciation to my parents. I love you mama and papa. Sorry if this piece is a bit messy. I just want to write so many things that I couldn’t coherently arrange them for now.
My YOUNGBLOOD Article
Youngblood
Philippine-made
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080414-130348/Philippine-made
By Melvin Allena Jabar
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:38:00 04/14/2008
In January 2001, I received a letter informing me that my application for a scholarship to study in Japan had been accepted. Surprised and speechless, I just stared at the letter for a long while even as a lot of things came into my mind. With that single piece of paper, my life was being altered. I would never have thought of studying abroad, except that everywhere I looked it seemed that I was seeing “global Filipinos.” And so I was lured to follow in their footsteps. I confirmed my desire to study there, and two months later I was off to Japan.
Before I left, I made a lot of preparations both physical and mental. Many of my professors who had educational stints abroad offered me their advice on how to survive culture shock and deal with negative stereotypes and discrimination. It only made me a bit more anxious about what might happen to me away from home. I never thought that going abroad could be so stressful.
But contrary to what my friends had told me about the travails of Filipinos abroad, my experience was completely pleasant and memorable. At the university where I went to, there were 20 Filipino students enrolled. We really enjoyed much respect and appreciation not just from our Japanese professors and classmates but from their foreign counterparts as well. Whenever our professors told us to make group presentations, many of our Japanese and foreign classmates would rush to join our group because it was almost an assurance that they would get a high mark. Filipinos in the university were known for being intelligent, diligent and cheerful. (I hope I do not sound boastful here, but that was how things really were.)
The trust and confidence we gained from our professors and classmates gave us an edge in terms of getting more scholarships and counting more A’s and A-pluses in our report cards. In fact, a Japanese professor had the habit of automatically giving a grade of A+ when he knew that his student was a Filipino. “Sugoi” (Japanese for excellent) was a remark we often heard after we did our presentations or submitted our projects and assignments.
We Filipinos were like trendsetters. When we did our presentations, our classmates paid close attention, as if we were their professors. The next time they were asked to make a presentation, they imitated our style.
The respect I enjoyed at the university inspired me to excel and to be more proud of being Filipino. It made me realize that there was something special about being Filipino. My exposure in an international university with students from over 60 countries taught me that Filipinos can always excel amid fierce competition on a global scale. I thought that if we just worked hard, Filipinos would always shine anywhere.
While in Japan, I never experienced discrimination. This is something I am thankful for, because a number of overseas Filipinos elsewhere have experienced various forms of discrimination. My experience in Japan was the complete opposite. In the city where I lived, the Japanese people were warm and respectful.
A Japanese woman in her late 60s surprised me by giving me a monthly allowance equivalent to P5,000. The first time she handed me some money, I asked her what it was for. I barely knew her as my neighbor and yet she was curiously being generous to me. She told me she only wanted to help me because I was a foreigner and living in Japan was expensive. I accepted the money reluctantly, thinking that she might take it as an insult if I refused. She asked me where I came from, and when I told her, she immediately recounted what she knew of history, especially World War II, and said she was sorry for the painful ordeal our country went through.
The last time I met her, I asked her why she was giving me so much money. She burst into tears and told me, “When you return home and if ever you become president of your country, remember that there was this old woman who gave you something.” Then she handed me an envelope and left.
When I opened the envelope, I was surprised to see 60,000 yen. I still do not know how I will be able to thank this kind woman. Perhaps she had big dreams for me. But even if I won’t fulfill her dreams for me, I will always remember her kindness no matter what I will become in the future.
My own story may be different from those of others who have gone abroad for study or for work. But one thing is certain: it is so nice to think that I was made in the Philippines. As a Filipino overseas, I always consider it to be my responsibility to carry the name of my country with pride, excellence and dignity.
After living in Japan for three years, I realized that being a Filipino or being a foreigner in another country doesn’t necessarily lead to discrimination. Regardless of one’s race or color, a foreigner will always be respected so long as he does the right things and conforms to local laws and customs. And if he excels in any field of endeavor, people will always look up to him with high regard.
On March 27, 2004, I came back to the Philippines. I stayed for three years to work and share what I had learned in Japan. Three years later, I find myself immersing again in another country, China. I want to impress the people here about the beauty of our country and what it means to be a Filipino.
Melvin Allena Jabar, 29, holds a master’s degree in Health Social Science from De La Salle University, Manila, and a bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Japan. He is currently based in China.
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.
--Ralph Waldo Emerson, U.S. Poet, essayist and transcendentalist (1803-1882)
Trip to Great Wall
The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles ) from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2000 years, some of the sections of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.(Text courtesy of http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/)
Exposures at the Web
APU Alumni Event at Dusit, Makati http://www.apu.ac.jp/alumni/modules/news/article.php?storyid=179&sel_lang=english
AYF Event in Thailand http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view_article.php?article_id=46743
Gokongwei Brothers Foundation China Scholars http://gbfscholars2007.weebly.com/profiles.html
www.ayf6.weebly.com