Nepa, Nepa and more Nepa!

May 5th, 2007 by Lorelei Johnson

Hello everyone!

So it has been a while since my last entry. I apologize for the delay, but the internet access here in Romblon (Particularly on Tablas island) is unreliable and very slow. Luckily on the main island of Romblon has a high speed internet cafe, which is where I am right now!!

The last two weeks have absolutely flown by. The Philippines is a wonderful country, with wonderful people, food and festivals! And I have learned so much.

Romblon is absolutely gorgeous!! Manila was so crazy and chaotic, it was really nice to get to a more peaceful area. Most importantly for me, being a Canadian used to colder temperatures, my placement (host house as well as daycare) is right on the beach. Although it is just as hot here, there is a wonderful breeze from the water which cools us off just enough that we can tolerate the temperatures.

My host family is wonderful – very friendly and hospitable and welcoming! I feel right at home. The locals here in Romblon are also all very friendly and welcoming. Many people will come and thank us for coming to their country to help out, which is really nice. We get stared at a lot because we are white, and many people in the rural areas like this are curious about white people since they don’t encounter them often!

The food here is also great. My favorite so far is fresh mangos! There was a festival here last weekend, and the other volunteers and I were made to feel very special. It was very interesting, with lots of street dancing, live music and even a beauty contest! So overall, the Philippines is amazing, the culture is just great and I’m very happy I chose to work here.

So now I will tell you a bit about my project. My project thus far has been to build a roof on a local daycare center. Daycare in the Philippines is similar to Kindergarten in Canada, only the children will attend for two years instead of just one. The Carmen Daycare Center, where we have been building, was in dire need of a new roof, as the old one was riddled with holes and didn’t protect much from the rain. The roof was made of dried palm tree leaves, and they were so dry and old that if there had been a fire, the whole building would be up in flames within minutes. Not a safe place for children.

Firstly, we were taught to make a roof out of palm tree leaves. These new roof pieces are less dry, less flammable and do not have holes. We also have been tying them onto the bamboo roof frame very close together so the roof will last longer this time. Building the roof has been very hard work, mostly due to the very very hot temperature and the cruel sun. You also have to tie the roof very tight – I’m glad I brought work gloves! Interestingly, before I arrived in the Philippines, I would have thought a roof would be most important to keep out the rain, but now that I’m here, I see it is equally if not more important to provide shelter from the sun. The palm leaves we use to build the roof are called “Nepa”. The old nepa falls all over the place when we remove it because it is so old it is falling apart. Hence, we get extremely dirty while working! The nice thing is being able to go for a swim in the sea at the end of the day to clean and cool off.

We have worked on the new roof for 2 weeks. Our team consists of me and another volunteer, as well as some of the CERV coordinators, and a hired roof-builder who has been teaching us what to do, supervising so we don’t mess up, and doing all the hardest places in the roof. He is a master roof builder and we couldn’t have done the work without him! At this point we have finished tying the roof on, and just have to add some tin on the corners of the roof to complete it. It’s been hard work but very rewarding to see what we’ve accomplished! I look forward to sharing the pictures when I get home!!

Next week I will begin painting in the daycare center, as well as in a local elementary school. I am looking forward to the next stage in my project. I will update my journal next time I am near a good internet connection again! Take care everyone, and I will talk to you again soon