“Ang pinakabudlay nga obra nga imo palanggaon!” That’s the translation of “the toughest job you’ll ever love,” in my local dialect. It’s a well-known Peace Corps quote, and it rang true throughout my service.
I can’t believe that I’m fulfilling a dream I have had since childhood. Here I am, in the Philippines – three months into service, training is finished and I am headed to my permanent site. I will live there for the next TWO YEARS: Antique, here I come!
It’s been almost 36 hours since I last slept and my eyelids are drooping despite my efforts to keep them open. I’ve said good-bye to the Peace Corps volunteers that I spent the last three months learning, laughing, and crying with.
We did it! We just were officially sworn-in as Peace Corps Volunteers.
The sunlight is flickering through the palm trees as the sun sets over the ocean. I open my eyes just long enough to see the ocean on my right and the mountains on my left. Next to me in the van, I have my site mate, soon to become one of my best friends, and my new host family.
How does it work?
After a competitive application process stressing technical skills, motivation, adaptability, and cross-cultural understanding, Peace Corps invited me to serve as a Coastal Resource Management (CRM) volunteer in the Asian nation of the Philippines.
After a careful analysis of my skills, I was assigned to a small village in the northern province of Antique serving in the local government unit (LGU) as a CRM extension worker.
Complements of Google, this is the location of my province, Antique, amongst all the Philippine islands.
I was assigned to the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) within the LGU, which consists of a Municipal Agricultural Officer, an Assistant Agricultural Officer, an AT Fisheries Technician I, and five job orders. This office primarily handles issues regarding the local resources of my village: two marine sanctuaries, fisheries, livestock, and crops.
The MAO. Simple, but I was SO happy there was a fan and a personal desk!
…And this is my host-country colleague. This picture is when were introduced.
Why CRM in my village?
The Municipal Hall of my town and it suffered almost 6 million pesos worth of damage from Typhoon Yolanda.
A CRM plan was desperately needed here to manage the few fish the community had left, to preserve a rapidly declining 400 hectare marine santuary, and to promote food security.
Typhoon Yolanda hit almost two years ago and devastated most of the Philippines. It destroyed houses, coastal resources like fisheries and corals, and most major buildings.
The damage was evident, but most of my village regenerated quickly. On the east side, you have the high mountains that no matter what kind of weather look majestic. In the middle, there are hectares upon hectares of rice. It is no stereotype that Philippinos love rice. It’s a fact.
My first view of the ocean through the palms with a glimpse of a commercial fishing vessel, a hint of my work ahead.
A picture on the opposite side almost looks like a different world; there is a sea of rice and endless mountains.
On the west side you have the ocean. Another staple food is fish, but because of illegal fishing and typhoon Yolanda, fish are becoming scarce and people underfed.
What did you do?
I was the only foreigner in the town and worked in the MAO with two Filipino counterparts, the Fisheries Tech in the MAO and Environemtnal Officer in the Municipal Environmental and Natural Resources Office. I focused on two projects: (1) implementing the previously established CRM plan and (2) implementing the new environmental and natural resources management plan. The mission of my community is to bring both jobs and food to those most effected by Typhoon Yolanda, as well as to restore it to the pristine condition it was once in.
What does it look like on the ground?
My primary project was to help actualize the CRM plan. What does that mean, you might wonder? I was not totally sure either when I first arrived, so my main ‘project behind the scenes’ was to learn the local language (Kinaray-a) and to make friends (so. much. networking.).
Turns out, this was the easiest part! I made some life-long friends in the process.
Ben and I just finished writing our first proposal for new fishing gear.
In the office… The logistics of implementing a CRM plan were a little more tricky. My job in the office consisted of assisting my counterpart, Ben, with bringing more money to the fisheries sector by applying for grants, writing project proposals, and increasing the CRM budget of the LGU. Together, we also re-wrote the fisheries ordinances to outline rules that appropriately reflect the needs of my town. We included fines for illegal fishing practices like dynamite and cyanide fishing, commercial fishing, and itemized types of illegal fishing gear.
This is a seed dispersal to support alternative livelihood projects – new jobs for fisherfolk who no longer fish (or who need additional income).
Because fisherfolk depend on their yields to feed their families and for income, the declining fish stocks have forced many into poverty, where they work multiple jobs, if possible. To help address these issues, the MAO provides seed disbursement programs for existing farmers and gear distribution for fisherfolk. More often than not, the fisherfolk and farmers are one in the same.
In the field… CRM work spices up a bit! I assisted with coral reef assessments – yes, I spent some time snorkeling and diving to determine the extent of damage on the reefs. My town protects about 400 hectares of a marine sanctuary – it’s a vast and beautiful sanctuary! About 50% of this sanctuary is still in good shape, but the other 50% has degenerated rapidly in the past few years.
Vibrant coral from a healthy section of the reef in the marine sanctuary taken in April of this year.
On the other side of the reef, this is a photograph of bleached coral taken the same day. The damage is most likely from cyanide fishing. In the background, you can see that this skeleton stands amidst coral rubble from dynamite fishing.
Ben and I also focused on organizing the fisherfolk into town-based councils called Barangay Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management Councils (BFARMCs). These allow them to manage resources locally. We also went to every town in order to sign fisherfolk into a national registry called FishR. FishR qualifies fisherfolk for programs and funding. It was crazy to think I got to know almost all of these people by name!
Just a sample of some garbage-to-treasure products.
My secondary project was to help keep the local water clean. It all started with my own garbage – it has no where to go! I could throw out my wrapper from my favorite DingDong snacks, but see it on the ground the next day. Usually, it was charred because it wasn’t completely burned. Garbage on the ground…burning garbage?! I started by having my neighbors make bottle bricks and NOT burn garbage. Then, I took the idea to Municipal Hall and gave presentations on bottle bricks and composting projects that would work within my town. My idea was to use the plastic bottle bricks to build a composting bin next to the new community garden by the Municipal Hall. Everyone really loved it! Just before I left, every office was filling their own bottles.
Now what?
Unfortunately, my time in the Philippines was cut short because of a tragic auto accident. I was medically evacuated back to the United States in order to heal. However, on a positive note, I will be able to focus on writing my thesis this year! As I learned in the Philippines, there is much to be done with solid waste management, so this will be the focus of my thesis.
The projects that I so abruptly left, I am proud to say, are being carried out my some of my strongest co-workers in Sebaste. They have progressed with both the CRM Plan and the MENRO plan by spreading information and getting community support – sometimes, that’s the biggest battle.
I plan on returning to my work in the Philippines once my academic work is completed. Hopefully, I will be able to expand on my thesis work when I go back!
This post reflects my personal views and not those of Peace Corps.
Ashley E. Westgate
Master’s International Student ’16
Environmental Policy at Bard College
Served in Peace Corps Philippines Batch 273
Ashley,
First and foremost, I am glad that you are alright, and recovering well. Your dedication to your service in the Philippines is eloquently described, and I am glad that the work you were a part of is still being attended to. You were wearing several different hats, during your service, and I admire your creativity/resourcefulness in developing new campaigns and initiatives.
During my senior year of college, I had the opportunity to attend a presentation by Florence Reed RPCV, who had done her service in Panama. She had gone on to found an NGO named Sustainable Harvest International (SHI), which focuses on agricultural issues in Central and South America. I remember asking her about her Peace Corps service and how it proved to be a seminal experience in developing her career.
One aspect of her work at SHI was using education as a means of promoting sustainability within the communities she was working with. SHI has a “pay it forward” model in which the farmers, community members, and families the trainees work with teach others the methods so to have a multiplier effect on the community. The work that this NGO is doing is really having profound effects on overcoming poverty while conserving forests and other natural resources.
I am curious if there is any educational components to the work you have done in the Philippines?
What challenges, if any, have you encountered while working with the Filipino government?
Finally, what course during your first year at BCEP have you found most useful in your time during the Peace Corps?
All the best in the rest of your academic endeavors at BCEP and in the Peace Corps!
Please find below the link to:
SustainableHarvest.org\method\
Best,
Iyi Okunlola
Iyi –
Thank you for your thoughts on my recovery – I truly feel that everyone’s positive energy is what helps you get through an unforeseen “rough patch”. To address your questions, I’ll just divide and conquer in order 🙂
Education –
Yes! There are many educational components that I experienced that I did not discuss in the blog. First, I suppose I will explain that there are three main sectors of Peace Corps that work in the Philippines: Coastal Resource Management (that’s me), Education, and Children, Youth, and Family. What typically happens here is cross-sectoral work. In my case, we could do many CRM projects with Education. We could teach about envirnomental issues in the classroom with young children, where we would discuss climate change, important resources like seagrass/mangroves/coral reefs/fisheries, celebrate earth day, and we could even hold camps to promote environmental awareness. Being a CRM volunteer, I did not necessarily have to deal with a lot of the logistical barriers when it comes dealing with the Department of Education or ranking within the school districts – if you are working with children. Those are the main government challenges most education volunteers experience because there are a lot of conflicts between departments and between sectors. For me, if I was teaching children, it was often the “light within the darkness”. Say, if I hit a stumbling block with my main projects, it was so enlightening to go and teach a group of children that are eager to learn. Teaching adults in my sector was also very important – fisherfolk and farmers. I would say education would encompass about 70% of my work while overseas, even though that wasn’t necessarily the sector I was assigned.
Challenges & Philippino Government –
Of course, there are challenges everyday with the Philippino Government in almost every sector. Some major challenges for coastal resource management would national departments working against each other (it has to remain vague because I can’t be very specific as to which ones). It was usually a challenge because volunteers would find themselves caught in the middle. If the two departments did not want to work together, this would prevent data exchange, disbursements of funding, or boundary issues. Boundary issues was a problem that I dealt with pretty often because the marine sanctuary we were working to protect crossed over borders between national and municipal waters – and then within the municipal waters, at least four towns were responsible for protecting the sanctuary. Because so many stakeholders were involved, it was difficult to agree on enforcement and resource consumption. This leads right into my most useful class I took at BCEP…
Policy & Economics –
I think that the policy class helped me IMMENSELY to understand the governance structure at the local and national level. I came from a science background before I entered BCEP, so without this policy class I would not have had that extra “lens” to look through when I entered the new country. Going into a new area with the ability to have multiple points of view helped me to adapt more quickly to my environment. I had the opporunity to experience what a “bottom-up” structure really looks like. Furthermore, how difficult it is to make grass roots development coincide with a centralized government.
A quick shout out to economics – I really enjoined his class and used what I learned to identify thesis topics and adopt a new way of analyzing existing issues during my service. It’s a close tie between the two classes for me!
Without going on too much further – I hope this answers your questions! That NGO looks really interesting, thank you for sharing. I always love exploring successful projects in the hopes of finding their potential in my town.
Good luck this year!
Best,
Ashley
Ashley, like Iyi, I’m so thankful that you’re ok and recovering well. I’m amazed every day by your positive spirit.
Even during your brief stint in the Philippines, it is quite obvious that you did a stupendous job. The silver lining of your recovery period, however, is that you’re using up this time to complete your academic work. I’m very confident that you will write a very rigorous thesis, and look forward to advising you.
Onwards!
Gautam, thank you for your comment, it means so much and it is quite motivating for my thesis work!
Always excited to work together.
-Ashley
Ashley,
You appear to have made the best of the time you had in the Peace Corps! I am sorry it was cut short but want to thank you for your service! I am a former AmeriCorps member and know very well how challenging a volunteer type position can be.
You mentioned being the only foreigner and having to network extensively in your position. What was this like for you? Do you feel the people on your island were generally open to you and your work, or did you have to work hard to establish a level of trust, and if so how did you go about doing this?
Your work in the field sounds amazing! I really want to find a way to incorporate some field work into my experience as an intern or Peace Corps member. Did you have to go through any special training before you were allowed to work in the field?
And lastly, I am super impressed with your initiative to change the way trash was managed by those around you; that takes a lot of courage and passion. Any ideas on what might have led to the culture of inefficient waste removal?
Thank you for your time ad continue recovering!
Best,
Meredith
Meredith –
My experience was unforgettable and I want to thank you for your service here in America, too! I always find it so interesting to learn of people who participated in a long term volunteer position. I am sure you loved it! I feel that although there are some big cultural differences I experienced, a lot of the the challenges are pretty similar when it comes to developing a poverty stricken area.
One of the big differences for international volunteer work was obviously being the only foreigner in my town. I was about 3 hours away from a major city and about 20 minutes away from the next town over (where some of my co-peace corps volunteers lived). Being the only foreigner was quite an adjustment, especially at first, because I was the first volunteer to live in this town in over 30 years. So, when I arrived many of the children were afraid because I looked and spoke differently and many of the adults didn’t trust the reason I was there.
Luckily, I had a wonderful host family who helped me in the beginning weeks with meeting friends and family. I also had my philippino-counterpart that helped me make professional relationships and at least go out and meet the fisherfolk/farmers. This was a bit difficult at first to do on my own because of the language barrier between us – I didn’t know their local dialect and they did not speak english. Once I learned the language, it was much easier for me to make both personal and professional relationships.
The networking really consists of gaining trust from the people you will need to work with on projects – all of the necessary stakeholders: the mayor, the board that councils the mayor, my office, other offices, the enforcement crew for the town (it’s called the barangay captain/council), law enforcement, and most importantly the townspeople.
I found that on a superficial level the people were so hospitable and welcoming, i.e. welcome me for food, beer, and conversation. However, when it came to implementing changes or asking for money for projects, the trust barrier became more difficult. I just built friendships and reassured them that I was there to only help – not to force or implement unnecessary change. It definitely worked in my favor to give most responsibility to the townspeople or another Philippino. Seeing another familiar face was crucial for townspeople to understand any project was in their benefit and no ulterior motive.
Other ways I gained trust was by being completely open about the details of the projects and spending time. The most important was simple conversation and it makes learning the language much easier.
[Sidenote – I found that the more I learned the language, the more I forgot about english! Now, I have to write a thesis !?! haha ;)]
As far as training is concerned, yes we go through three months of training as a group of volunteers before we are deployed to our permanent site. We study the national language for four hours a day (Tagalog) and then the other four hours are technical training – coral reef/mangrove/seagrass assessments, community assessments (surveying), how to write an environmental profile, etc. This is to prepare us for the work ahead when we are at our permanent site.
Yes, I have a few ideas about what led to inefficient waste removal and they are fundamental. There is a lack of education about how waste breaks down – plastic is not compostable! It makes sense if you look at the issue through the lens of a rural community: if I throw a banana peel on the ground and it goes away eventually, then why wouldn’t a candy wrapper? or a plastic bag? Another reason is that waste is not regulated – there are a few policies, but no enforcement. Furthermore, in my village there was not set deposition site. So where else would it go?
I think that rapid development over the past few years also influenced the inefficient removal of waste because they gained so much waste without regulation over a short period of time, on top of, using new materials. (A shift from glass bottles to plastic, paper bags to plastic, using diapers when they weren’t available before…)
Thanks and I hope this answers your questions for the most part!
Ashley
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