The Beautiful Simple Life of Cebuanos
- By Jinky Garrido
- •
- 07 Aug, 2017
- •
Bantayan Island, Cebu Philippines - February 2017
I'll take you back to that time when I was fortunate to be able to witness the ravishing island of Bantayan, an island found in the famous province called Cebu, and if you don't know where Cebu is, it's in the central Visayas region of the Philippines.
Favored by many, well known to foreign men & women; a sight that catches the eye without a doubt.
Just like many parts of the archipelago that I call home, Bantayan is no rookie to the unintentional damages of the famous "Pinoy Typhoons". Sometimes i'd like to think that the Filipino positivity as a whole is just like it's typhoons, it's strong, frequent and overall just a part of the Philippines.
The story behind this photo collection is simple, we (my class and I) were on a school trip for IB. This was a task, at that moment we felt that we had to do it, we / h a d / to interview people about their struggle, it's rare to find a teenager who would be willing to do such thing without it being called a task; my group focused on sanitation. Now picture this, a bunch of international school students who most probably drinks mineral water everyday, eats 5 times a day, owns a closet full of clothes, more than enough pairs of shoes, etc. speaking to people who we believed lived a very poor life. At first I thought, the balance is not there. Then as the task progressed, we had managed to talk to over 6 families about their daily struggle on sanitation, then I started to truly see.
Most of the families felt that they had everything they needed, and their life was complete, while deep down in my heart I was not content with what I had. That was the beauty of it all, being able to connect with people of the same ethnicity that don't struggle the same way I do, helping me realize how I was so fortunate. So lucky. Talking to these people ignited a flame that fumed essence of care for others, I knew then that the lavish life i was dreaming of was not a dream but a selfish desire.
Note that these people don't have toilets like we do, they don't have proper drainage systems, proper kitchens, their homes were no bigger than the classroom we study in in Manila. Yet they seemed so happy and they always spoke about not needing anything else because they have food, water, shelter, family, friends, and God. At the end of our task, I felt nothing but envy..... Envious that they were able to grant happiness with their own will, by simply believing that a healthy family is all it takes to achieve a fulfilled beautiful life.
I remember one moment while we were there, the public school in the center of the community was remarkably welcoming and kind for preparing entertainment for us, the little children danced in their cute pink costumes while the older ones produced the music that they danced to. It was the kind of thing that a Manileno doesn't see often in the city. A comparison I made between their village compared to mine was that they had a well self initiated community, where people are willing to work together like a family to benefit the whole group and not just themselves; unlike in Manila it's as if everyone is too busy being an individual that they've lost connection with the rest of the world, thus limiting them to only desiring to keep themselves satisfied. Greed and poverty has consumed as all. Going back to the topic, this is very common in public schools in the Philippines, everything is colorful, walls are painted by the students themselves, full of greenery, bottles are recycled as pots, and plants are planted by both students and teachers to create their own school garden. I could go on by how beautiful Filipino public schools are in my eyes, but that's not what caught my attention to remember the moment. It was the joy of the children when they saw us, they were so determined to make us awe at them, as if they were screaming "hey! look at us!" they were so determined and passionate about meeting us, determined to test out the English skills that their teachers have taught them. Wow, I said. At that moment I almost teared up, I'll be honest, I was being an ungrateful brat before we got on this trip, and it honestly turned out to become a rehabilitation for me. I felt my self detaching from the effect that clouded over manila like the grayest cloud you could imagine, a cloud that rained selfishness, ungratefulness, materialistic desires and lust for money. Now I could truly say... Bantayan, thank you, for opening my right eye to the beauty of simplicity, and my left to beauty in anything and everything I see.
signing off! Jinky xo
Favored by many, well known to foreign men & women; a sight that catches the eye without a doubt.
Just like many parts of the archipelago that I call home, Bantayan is no rookie to the unintentional damages of the famous "Pinoy Typhoons". Sometimes i'd like to think that the Filipino positivity as a whole is just like it's typhoons, it's strong, frequent and overall just a part of the Philippines.
The story behind this photo collection is simple, we (my class and I) were on a school trip for IB. This was a task, at that moment we felt that we had to do it, we / h a d / to interview people about their struggle, it's rare to find a teenager who would be willing to do such thing without it being called a task; my group focused on sanitation. Now picture this, a bunch of international school students who most probably drinks mineral water everyday, eats 5 times a day, owns a closet full of clothes, more than enough pairs of shoes, etc. speaking to people who we believed lived a very poor life. At first I thought, the balance is not there. Then as the task progressed, we had managed to talk to over 6 families about their daily struggle on sanitation, then I started to truly see.
Most of the families felt that they had everything they needed, and their life was complete, while deep down in my heart I was not content with what I had. That was the beauty of it all, being able to connect with people of the same ethnicity that don't struggle the same way I do, helping me realize how I was so fortunate. So lucky. Talking to these people ignited a flame that fumed essence of care for others, I knew then that the lavish life i was dreaming of was not a dream but a selfish desire.
Note that these people don't have toilets like we do, they don't have proper drainage systems, proper kitchens, their homes were no bigger than the classroom we study in in Manila. Yet they seemed so happy and they always spoke about not needing anything else because they have food, water, shelter, family, friends, and God. At the end of our task, I felt nothing but envy..... Envious that they were able to grant happiness with their own will, by simply believing that a healthy family is all it takes to achieve a fulfilled beautiful life.
I remember one moment while we were there, the public school in the center of the community was remarkably welcoming and kind for preparing entertainment for us, the little children danced in their cute pink costumes while the older ones produced the music that they danced to. It was the kind of thing that a Manileno doesn't see often in the city. A comparison I made between their village compared to mine was that they had a well self initiated community, where people are willing to work together like a family to benefit the whole group and not just themselves; unlike in Manila it's as if everyone is too busy being an individual that they've lost connection with the rest of the world, thus limiting them to only desiring to keep themselves satisfied. Greed and poverty has consumed as all. Going back to the topic, this is very common in public schools in the Philippines, everything is colorful, walls are painted by the students themselves, full of greenery, bottles are recycled as pots, and plants are planted by both students and teachers to create their own school garden. I could go on by how beautiful Filipino public schools are in my eyes, but that's not what caught my attention to remember the moment. It was the joy of the children when they saw us, they were so determined to make us awe at them, as if they were screaming "hey! look at us!" they were so determined and passionate about meeting us, determined to test out the English skills that their teachers have taught them. Wow, I said. At that moment I almost teared up, I'll be honest, I was being an ungrateful brat before we got on this trip, and it honestly turned out to become a rehabilitation for me. I felt my self detaching from the effect that clouded over manila like the grayest cloud you could imagine, a cloud that rained selfishness, ungratefulness, materialistic desires and lust for money. Now I could truly say... Bantayan, thank you, for opening my right eye to the beauty of simplicity, and my left to beauty in anything and everything I see.
signing off! Jinky xo
Here's a part of my short series that plays with the concept of poverty. Behind the beautiful images created by the world to blind people, it may be unintentional, but it's still the inevitable effect. We need to start seeing this again. It pains my heart to know that so many people could sleep so peacefully without their consciousness being haunted by this. It's alarming, how a country that advocates the beauty of their scenery could ignore this part of the Philippines. Seems quite pretentious to me.
I've been spending a lot of time plotting a way to somehow help these people, and instantly I was inspired by the famous, Jose Rizal. He wrote instead of using violence to voice out the important message that he thought needed to be shared. I can't help but feel that I shouldn't just take the photograph, I needed to share my thoughts. I'll write until the point is made. That is the first small step I thought of. The next big things will come... eventually.
To the people who have no idea how the other side of the Philippines looks like, this is for you.
Under all the beautiful beaches, blue lagoons, never ending stretch of mountains, clean cities, mansions, skyscrapers, etc. There's always that reputation-ruining image that would change people's way of seeing something, and in this case, it's photos like these that opens the eyes of people.
I've been spending a lot of time plotting a way to somehow help these people, and instantly I was inspired by the famous, Jose Rizal. He wrote instead of using violence to voice out the important message that he thought needed to be shared. I can't help but feel that I shouldn't just take the photograph, I needed to share my thoughts. I'll write until the point is made. That is the first small step I thought of. The next big things will come... eventually.
To the people who have no idea how the other side of the Philippines looks like, this is for you.
Under all the beautiful beaches, blue lagoons, never ending stretch of mountains, clean cities, mansions, skyscrapers, etc. There's always that reputation-ruining image that would change people's way of seeing something, and in this case, it's photos like these that opens the eyes of people.
The Republic Wakepark is one of the many places in NCR that flourishes in culture. I remember the first time I came to the place when my sister still had to force me to go, I thought "It's going to be so boring", only to be proven wrong, upon 20 minutes of arrival. Although, I knew if my sister enjoyed the place I guess I would too. After all, we are 'technically' twins.
So, picture this, you're on a short road trip, upon your arrival in
The best way to spend your Sunday if you live in Manila area, especially when you're always in the city where it's always suffocating. The Republic Wakepark is a must see! If you need a chill and refreshing place to swim, hang out with friends, tan, eat, drink, party, and of course wakeboard; this is the place to go :)
So, picture this, you're on a short road trip, upon your arrival in
The best way to spend your Sunday if you live in Manila area, especially when you're always in the city where it's always suffocating. The Republic Wakepark is a must see! If you need a chill and refreshing place to swim, hang out with friends, tan, eat, drink, party, and of course wakeboard; this is the place to go :)
