This is Riza and Venus, with papa in the backround enjoying binignet, which is a merienda (snack). It is made from coconut milk (ginataan), bananas (sagging) and sweet potatoes (kamote). It is very good and one of my favorite dishes.
This is the house of my host family. It was built over a period of 3 years while they saved up enough money to build it.
This is my room. I have a mosquito net over the bed. Mosquitos are aggressive and I have quite a few bites. The net allows me to sleep and read comfortably, though it does get a bit hot under there.
February 26, 2003 - We are now in week 3 of  Pre-Service training in Bohol. The language training is great. There are only 4 students per instructor and the teaching has been good. The instructors are patient and understanding. I am learning the Cebuano dialect which is interesting.

The technical training for the business/youth group has been about understanding Filipino orgnaizations. We participated in a local barangay(community) data gathering to investigate possible solutions to their hard life. It was a difficult situation to witness. The Philippines is blessed with many natural resources, bountiful oceans, forests and farmland. However, some say over 70% of the population lives below the poverty line. Poverty in the cities is striking, childern selling foods on the street, shanty towns and beggars. I have read some books to know that the Philippines has been preyed upon by others for profit for many years. There are large corporations that have extracted their resources.  From gold mining in Luzon to fishing in the Visayas and farming in Mindanao.The interconnection between the economic, political and envoronmntal situation in the Philippines is well told in a book called Plundering Paradise: The Struggle for the Environment in the Philippines.  Highly recommended.

In the youth development group we have an opportunity to see the state of youth and hopefully provide some assistance. Our goals are humble, we are focus on people, not systemic problems. 

I have been to the beach a few times on Panglao Island which is very nice. I went for a scuba dive at Balicasag Island which was great. I am a little uncomfortable because with all the poverty I have seen, it was so much money to spend ($36 USD for a 2 tank dive with equipment rental). I'm very anxious to complete training and move on to Malaybalay where hopefully I can make a positive contribution.
The beaches on Panglao Island are quite beautiful.
Here is Mr. Ramos's peanut cart. He works near the Agora Market in Tagbilaran City. He is his own boss and has been a successful businessman for over 17 years. Peanuts are a favorite pasalubog (gift) for children from parents.
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