metro manila

We’ve spent the past two weeks here in Metro Manila, almost all of it spent with GABRIELA. Our exposure program included visiting, learning about and sleeping in several urban poor communities in Muntinlupa City. The focus of our trip was to immerse ourselves in the unique situations of each community. We were also challenged to create a community profile of one of the communities–Anahaw, which was nearly completely destroyed during typhoon Ondoy and has since been rebuilt. Anahaw is built on bamboo and palm tree structures on the shore of Lake Laguna, the largest freshwater lake in the Philippines and the second largest in Asia. I really wish we had been able to spend more time in the community (we arrived in the afternoon, slept there and left the next morning) but I think we put together a good overview of their situation which should prove useful in doing any kind of fundraising for some of their higher-budget necessities, such as a project to build community restrooms.

Catherine contributed her writing and wicked graphic design skills and Julie Jamora from NYC edited and contributed some of the photos.

Check it out here: Anahaw Community Profile

Our first outing with GABRIELA was to visit the 43 health workers that were detained by the Philippine government in February. Considering I’ve never visited a prison, it was quite an experience to do so in the Philippines, which included a strip search free of charge. In all seriousness though, the health workers have gone through such undeserved and completely unfounded persecution simply for filling a need that the government refuses to address. Here are my stamps from our visits to both the women’s and men’s wards.

Here’s a community in Muntinlupa that faces government relocation. Up until recently, there were homes right up to the railroad tracks. The train seems to come by 5-10 times per day.

Kuya Boyd, president of the homeowners association in Anahaw.

After typhoon Ondoy, NGO Save the Children put up the money to rebuild Anahaw’s footbridges (1.4 million pesos) and paid residents 300 pesos per day for their labor. Antonio served as head carpenter on the project.

The chief component to GABRIELA’s community work is educating the women in basic health training to provide to their communities. Herbal healing is a preferred component because it is cheaper than pharmaceuticals. A local elementary school recently dedicated some garden space to GABRIELA to grow plants that have healing properties.

This is the 11 hectacres the government wants to turn into low-cost housing for the relocation of Anahaw residents. Its just down the street from a building labeled “Lethal Injection Facility”.

Some local politician’s face he had turned into the side of a mountain. It is extremely common for local government officials to egregiously brand public projects that they helped to fund.

I also think that I’ll try to put together an artsy calendar of Filipino street cats when I get back.

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