PHILIPPINE 2017 ROUND UP

I wanted to round up some final thoughts and trivia and pics about Philippine 2017. I have yet to take a trip abroad that I did not learn many things. Although I know little to no Tagalog I have been fortunate in always finding those who could communicate with English. I spoke to several congregations where the folks could understand English but could not speak English. Fortunately, when in situations where I encountered a non-English situation, someone was with me to intervene. Communication has not been a problem so far.

I have yet to find myself in a situation where I felt unsafe. There have been a few situations where I felt uneasy but that was resolved fairly quick. For example, I was the last person on a bus, the last white person no less, where the bus driver stopped and announced that he was not going any further. So at dusk, I had to get off and quickly look for transportation to the motel. On another occasion when I boarded the bus I asked if they would be stopping at a certain city location.  The location I was referring to was a bus terminal. When the conductor of the bus (the one who collects bus fares) said yes, he was not referring to a bus terminal but a public bus stop.  So there I was in downtown Manila at a bus stop on a major six-lane highway. Fortunately, there were many people at the bus stop and one young man graciously got me on the right public bus which took me to my hotel. This young man even paid for my bus fare.

I never found myself anywhere that people were not friendly and willing to help. There never seemed to be an endless amount of gracious, hospitable people. There is a lot of tipping that goes on for some help. I found that I was anxious to tip those who went beyond expectations. They were grateful to receive the tip as well because some folks don’t tip.

Interestingly, motels/hotels can be as expensive as in the USA whether in Manila or in one of the provinces. Also, to my surprise, many of the beach resorts or hotels with a pool are cheaper than those without any recreational amenities. For example, I stayed at a beach resort for only $26 per night. The beach had gray/black sand, was fairly clean of debris, and the water was swimmable. The restaurant was very fair in price and served good food. I thought the place was a good find.

Conferences, speaking engagements, feeding events, pastor meetings, and impromptu acts of kindness are the norm for all my trips. There is usually at least one, sometimes several, events that rise to be very memorable occasions. This year it was the feeding/clothing of the Mangyan tribe.

Years ago, the Mangyans were some of the original settlers in the Philippines in what was and is the jungle. Some of the tribal communities stayed in the deep jungle while others started moving down the mountains. Currently, the Mangyans still live in the jungle area and have never joined in the populated areas.

The presence of Caucasians in the Philippines is not dominant by any means. White people seem to be more prevalent on the Manila province. Nonetheless, the Mangyan tribes are not accustomed to any white presence. My host pastor talked to the captain of this Mangyan tribe to get his permission for me to come. This tribe not only had never had a white man in their village but they had never seen a white man. This event was a new experience for all of us.

This group of people proved to be as gracious, kind, fun loving, and grateful as any Filipinos that I have met. Very few could engage in an English conversation but they could understand some English. (In the Philippines, the common denominator seems to be an age issue. Young children and senior adults know little to no English. Teens to Median Adults know English because they learned in school.)  They accepted me, loved on me, talked to me, and treated me like they had known me forever. Living in very humble surroundings and by very humble means they were greatly appreciative of the bags of groceries, the bags of clothing, the beef/rice meal, and the kids loved the book/toys.

This was the final list of things that took place:
1. A one-hour musical concert followed by the youth leading in worship.
2. The gospel was shared to 200 Mangyans
3. A huge beef/rice meal was provided for everyone
4. 57 bags of groceries distributed to 57 Mangyan families
5.100 bags of clothing items distributed
6. School supplies distributed to 20 students
7. 100 copies of children books and toys distributed

We were a little sad when the event came to an end. As a matter fact, they said that my host pastor could go ahead and leave. I could stay behind and they would teach me some Tagalog. LOL So, I think they will let me come back.

There are really no words that are adequate to thank all those who have contributed financially to my trips and have bathed all these efforts in prayer. These events/ministries could not have happened without you.

Coming next on this site: Trip trivia and people pics