Ferrol, Philippines

If one were to describe Heaven on Earth, this idyllic scene has to be tops.  This small island, set aside from the rest of the world, is truly unique.  We are located just outside Ferrol, about one hour south of San Andres where we were a year ago. 

View from inside the Villa
 

Our Villa!
 



Beyond luck, Chris Beck arranged for us to stay at Michaela’s Villas by the Sea.  Willy, originally from Germany  and Machela (born in the Philippines)  have built and are continuing to build a place to dream about.  We are in one of two villa that Willy, an engineer by training designed.  Shaped as an octagon with a thatched roof, three large electronically controlled doors, screened windows at chin height assuring privacy, solar heated hot water, the unit gives us a great place to work and sleep well!  They have a great staff who are busy tending to the lovely grounds and  building two new additions.  Meals are freshly prepared.  Unlike last year when we looked the live chickens from a distance, we have had lovely, fresh chicken, fresh fish, German sausages with good mustard and sauerkraut, good bread, freshly made mango shakes each morning, great vegetables stir fried, lots of good bananas.    Real luxury!

 

 

 

Cecile, a retired Social Worker with family roots in Tablas, has helped women in this area organize to form the Tablas Womans Livelihood Association (TAWLA).  Cecile describes them as  mothers of Cash Assistance Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) who receive Php 1,500.00 monthly for the whole family composed usually of 7 to 10 members (a little over a dollar a day Canadian).  Initially there were going to be 35 taking our 10 days of workshops but as the numbers increased, their small Barangay hall was inadequate.  The Mayor of Farrol arranged for a meeting room to accommodate us but the first seminar day, the room was not available.  We had our first morning in the stadium, a open air basketball court with concrete bleachers.  By noon, we insisted that we needed a room!   They soon found a temporary spot, the day care facility for the afternoon barely holding all  40 of us!

 We are in the Philippines with one CESO assignment, working together with TABLAS WOMEN LIVELIHOOD ASSOCIATION (TAWLA) training on Marketing and Product Development, Allan doing the Marketing and Lydia the product development. 

The second workshop day we had our meeting room,  a very large, bare room.  The day begins with the women carrying the tables and chairs from a storage building to the seminar room.  We have our own computers, projector, voltage regulator, surge protector but no screen.  Electricity this year so far has been much more reliable than last year. 

The first seminar day in the afternoon we used a bed sheet to try and project an image from our digital projector.  Day two, Willy gave us a freshly scrubbed white canvas that is working well.  Fifty people.  Oh my goodness but they don’t seem to mind.  They were on the edge of their seats for Allan’s morning presentations, enjoying all the local illustrations from the markets.  They enjoyed Allan’s  reading in Talago, their local language from several ads! 

Lydia really had to think hard and is still thinking of skills that might be of help for the women.  She is working on hand painted tshirts of Tablas Island as the first activity (designing  stencils).  We were amazed at  the hardware store in Odiongan  had fabric paint, tshirts, fabric, brushes, stencil making material by the yard.  What an amazing experience.  When you enter the hardware store, you make your way through the narrow passage way lined with just everything piled, supplies hanging from the ceiling, organized shelves filled to the top but that is only the outside.  Willy calls it the cave in back.  These aisles  are floor to ceiling with organized supplies.  It is very dark.  We could barely decipher the colors of fabric paint available.  So for $122 Canadian, Lydia bought 40 tshirts, five jars of fabric paint, stencilling film, etc.  We will see how it goes.  Nothing to lose.  The organization could really strengthen if they were able to establish a money making business.

Our first Sunday, before breakfast, we were invited to go to the market in Odiongan with Willy.  Willy said it would take 1 ½ hours.  Off we went.  The Sunday market is special.  This is the day when farmers spread their fresh produce out on the ground, there is more fresh meat and fish available.  Willy took their cooler, supplemented their ice with block ice and bought fresh chicken, pork and beef, things we only dreamed of last year.   We took pictures of the hand woven hammocks, colorful baskets, mats, lots of local color.

Willy gets a call from Chris Beck.  Where are the Sorflatens?  He was inviting us for a special Sunday outing.  Indeed, we live in two worlds.   So, we transfer to Chris’ Lexus and were quickly wisked to Chris’ resort where we were treated to the best pizza (Lydia’s without cheese was delicious too!).   Our friends, two couples who are building homes here, arrived for our luxury trip to Flavios, an Italian Resort on a nearby island.  Chris warned us not to eat too much pizza.  They had a full course Italian meal ready for us (each a separate course)-pesto on Italian bread fingers, pasta with tomato sauce, (then Chris said, the main course is coming)-yes, three big homemade meatballs followed by homemade ice cream (lemon, mango flavors). 

Children selling jewelry made of shells were waiting at the gate.  When Lydia  approached them to buy, they were very shy.  Lydia  chose three necklaces and finally the little boy (probably age 9) managed to say 150 pecos. 

We ended the weekend by visiting the building site William and Eudora have chosen.  A very ambitious project.  Located on the top of a cliff overlooking the sea, the view is great.  They plan to bring soil in to cover the irregular coral rocks and build their house set back from the cliff (good plan!)