Amaya Arevalo Travel Journal: Philippines

Hello once again! It seems like just yesterday I had gotten back from my exciting trip to Europe and tomorrow I will be on my way to Asia!

The Philippines is my homeland, and has been my yearning for many years. Finally, I will quench this thirst, see and know this exotic place.

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[3] Magandang umaga~Good morning! It is about 4 a.m. here in the Philippines, I have arrived by plane. Already I can feel the heat and humidity finding a home in my skin and can smell the floral aromas. This feels like home.

[1] [2] I was surprised as I stepped out of the airport into the city of Manila, Philippines. Instead of the lush, tropical place I dreamed it as, I stepped into what I live in everyday. A crowded, polluted city. It is very crowded, densely populated. The city is so crowded that many families have moved away to live near cemeteries and even inside crypts, where it is more peaceful and less crowded than in the city. There are 2,580,448 births every year as an average. Births that happen in hospitals are profusely packed resulting in most of the newborn's mothers having to share a bed with 5 or more mothers including their own newborns.

[1] In the public school my aunt's son goes to, students must go to school in "shifts" because there are simply too many of the students to be taught all day long. Teachers struggle, trying to teach their multiple thousands of students in only 4 hours each day. One teacher was quoted, (1)"The four hours we get with each class isn't enough to teach them well. We're really rushing to pack in everything we can into those four hours."

[1] Getting around this place I once thought a paradise, was a nightmare. Traffic was slow and always congested. Just trying to drive across a street took more than half an hour. The government tries to help their people with the traffic by limiting each vehicle to a certain amount of driving days. Those who are rich and can afford multiple cars, purchase another car and drive that car on the days when their other car is not allowed on the streets.

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The countryside of the Philippines is fine and less densely populated, but people who live in these beautiful places are forced to leave and move to the city. Jobs and money to support themselves and their families are scarce in rural areas. They must get money for food, clothes and a home. Thus, they must move to the overpopulated city. This results in a growing Manila every day.

[5] [4] Like many Asian countries, The Philippines serves a relatively large role in America's everyday life. Many Filipinos and others on this island work more than 12 hours straight. Working in these horrendous conditions, the employees work for $7.00 a day when they need at least $17.00 to survive the day. (Food, housing, clothing, etc.) According to http://nosweat.org/, an organization against sweat shops, a few years ago, a man name Raymon Aguba died in a sweatshop after working straight for 22 hours. In another sweatshop, the workers are forced to take anti-dizziness pills to keep them from passing out while working. Love your brand-new jeans? Or your cute top? Our "love" for these material items is the cause of many lives in Asia.

[6] The climate of my homeland was not underestimated. It is very warm, hot and humid. While in The Philippines, I planned on visiting some of my Filipino relatives. I saw my aunt and grandma, Lola. There were so many differences between my culture and theirs. Most of it was a result of the sizzling temperatures they have. Most of the people wear flip-flops, tank tops, t-shirts and shorts. Women who wear dresses are dressed in thin, light material to keep them cool.

In my aunt's home, she has very large, expansive windows. Filipinos typically have these that they leave open to help the breeze circulate throughout their home more efficiently. Even through the excruciating heat, most of my family members and the natives on this island do not own a refrigerator. Because of this, the local market and other stores sell dried fruit and meats such as dried mango and dried beef.

Too bad I had visited my homeland in the fall... Filipinos usually celebrate and hold festivities in the summer when it is warmer and people are less busy with school and work.

[6] Luckily, only a few weeks after I had left The Philippines, had there been a major flood in the same place I was staying. Most of these floods are major surprises to the native people. As my dad describes it, "You fall asleep to the sound of the rain and wake up floating." This is not the only natural disaster the people of this country encounter. Many of these include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and typhoons.

[7] [8] Despite the overpopulated, polluted capital Manila, The Philippines is a lush, beautiful, floral place. While I was staying at my aunt's place, she took me to see some of the most amazing things I will probably ever see in my entire life. A couple places were Crocodile Lake and Palawan. To the left, you can see a picture of Crocodile Lake. Most tourists who see this sight descibe it as, "a lake within a lake."

[9] Palawan Island was the greatest adventure of my life! My aunt and I kayaked and explored deep underwater in the Pacific Ocean. While diving, we were able to experience seeing a very rare animal, the dugong, (sea cow). This island is the "undiscovered country", (for you star trekkies). Many of the smaller, outcast islands part of Palawan have not been discovered and/or explored. The diving expeditions take you far beneath the surface to experience rare animals, coral reefs, and even the underground river!