I Would Hate To Be You

Chapter 21 [start of something good]

Chapter 21

No'ng in-announce sa'min na magkakaroon kami ng community immersion, sobrang excited ko dahil no'n pa man, mahilig na akong manuod ng mga documentaries na tungkol sa mga indigenous communities. So, I thought it would be so much fun to actually be involved in one and be immersed in it—to experience their way of living, learn and study how we can help the people without disrespecting their roots and culture.

Aaminin ko, sobrang idealistic ko dati. Kasi akala ko dati madali lang 'yung experience, as a whole. But everything changed when we immersed ourselves in the community of Sitio Pantol.

Naalala ko tuloy 'yung isang article na nabasa ko dati sa UST-Legazpi website, it says that 'community Immersion is an experimental process of being with the people in communities. The process helps concretize theoretical classroom discussion through actual experiences. It also raises the level of awareness and consciousness of the realities besetting the people in the communities. And lastly, it promotes involvement and service to the communities.

To serve those whose needs are greatest, community programs must make every effort to help the weak gain and keep control (sometimes this may mean refusing or limiting assistance from those in positions of power-whether inside or outside the community).

To be healthy is to be self-reliant.'

This has been especially true when we got there. May mga mindsets na na-break sa'kin at mas naging bukas ang isip ko sa maraming aspeto.

I came there thinking we would bring in so much to the community, but I was wrong. Pag-uwi namin, narealize ko na more than anything, binago ako ng immersion. It changed the way I see things—my perspective. It helped me become more aware, more loving, more kind and more compassionate. I was changed because I've seen the people and their culture and the simplicity of their life. Most importantly, I've heard and experienced their socio and economic needs.

Personally, I had my fair share of struggles. There were things I had to compromise. There were comfort zones I thought I would die if I step out of, but I managed to let them go. Una, sa pagligo. I usually take around 40 to 50 minutes, but when I got there, I was able to do it for 10 minutes, dahil hindi gano'n ka-okay ang tubig nila and every drop matters. I spent the last three weeks without hair conditioner! Jusko, my hair was so frizzy.

Pangalawa, sa CR. They only had an old-school toilet bowl na nakadikit pa sa mismong lupa.

Hindi ako sanay sa gano'n at hindi ko rin naman naabutan ang gano'n.

Pangatlo, sa pagkain, sabi nga ni Kuya Boaz, sobrang high-maintenace ko raw, ang dami kong hindi kinakain. Pero sa Sitio Pantol, nakakain ako ng kanin na linuto sa bamboo tube. Nagluto rin sila ng mga gulay na literal nilang nakuha sa likod bahay. Feeling ko naging Vietnamese ako ng wala sa oras dahil puro gulay.

Pang-apat, walang laptop at cellphone. Akala ko dati sobrang magiging helpful kapag nagdala ako ng gadget kasi at least mae-experience nila ang advanced technology. I had good intentions. But we were told not to introduce something na hindi nila kayang i-sustain kapag nawala kami. Because first, hindi gano'n ka-establish ang electricity sa kanila. Isa pa, it's not as if the parents of those kids can give them cellphones. Baka magkaroon daw sila ng withdrawal syndrome kapag na-expose sila sa gano'ng bagay, kahit sabihin pa na three weeks lang.

Panglima, sa pagtulog. I didn't have a bed. Sa sahig kami natutulog, na ang sapin lang ay manipis na kumot. Walang malambot na unan. Walang mattress. Nakabukas lang ang pinto para pumasok ang hangin. Pero imbis na magreklamo ako, mas nabuksan ang isipan ko at napagtanto ko na, grabe, sobrang privilege ko pa. Sa bahay namin, mayroon akong sariling kama, may kumot, unan at aircon sa kwarto ko.