Final Weeks

Day 45: National Science and Technology Week (Monday, July 25th)

This week was the start of NSTW (National Science and Technology week), so there were many events and seminars to attend throughout the week. There was an open house today at the DOST compound where we got the opportunity to tour all of the buildings. We attended food tasting where we tried the vacuum dried fruits, brown rice bars, etc., that the department of science and technology has produced. We also got to ride the Automated guided transit system (AGT) and visit the Philippine textile research institute.

Day 46: Mall of Asia (Tuesday, July 26th)

There was a presentation today at Mall of Asia (MOA), the 4th largest shopping mall in the Philippines, for NSTW. It was a great way to bring science to the surrounding community and make the kind of work that FNRI does known to the general public.

Day 47: UP Los Banos Round 2 (Wednesday, July 27th)

Tito Mon invited us to an NSTW event at UP Los Banos today, where we got the chance to visit some more stands from different science departments.

Day 48: Dissemination (Thursday, July 28th)

Today was the dissemination of the 2015 data. Some of the presentations were ones we have seen before, reinforcing the importance of the work that FNRI does. It was interesting to see the data that has been collected and how it is used in order to implement new policies to improve the nutritional status of the different areas in the Philippines.

Day 49: Leaving for Baler (Friday, July 29th)

Today we left for Baler, a couple days earlier than the teams so we could explore the area. We left around 5:30 am and arrived around dinner time. Driving through the mountains and rice fields were a very nice change in scenery from the crowded city life in Taguig.

Day 50: Surfing (Saturday, July 30th)

We all woke up for the sunrise today by the beach, and fell asleep there shortly after. We woke up again to the crashing waves people playing badminton nearby. People kept asking if we were okay, because people don’t normally lay out on the beach here. It’s interesting how most people in the Philippines, or Asia in general, want to be lighter, opposite from the US–there are always commercials here for skin whitening creams, most advertisements I’ve seen show people with fair skin, and people cover themselves from the sun with sleeves and umbrellas to avoid the heat and tanning. I suppose it’s natural to want something that you don’t have. Anyway, later we went surfing, ate at a seafood buffet, visited a waterfall, and the millennium/balete tree.

Day 51: Waterfalls (Sunday, July 31st)

It was raining most of the day today, but we managed to go swimming by the rocks, climb another waterfall, and go surfing again.

Day 52: Poblacion 3 part 1 (Monday, August 1st)

After an amazing break this weekend, we were ready to start working with the teams again. The team we are staying with had just arrived today and were getting situated, which took up most of the day. It consisted of moving and transferring all of the belongings/equipment and informing the barangay of the work that will be done throughout the duration of the surveys. Later, we all helped make dinner–tinola, a ginger based soup–which was a lot of fun. After dinner, we spent the night helping to edit the forms and got them ready so we can start the next day–most of it was getting the papers all organized into packets and copying down numbers for the addresses. It is definitely nice staying with the teams instead of getting our own place because we get to see what their entire workday looks like. Typically we would leave them after dinner and we would be done, but by staying with them, we get to see just how much more work they have to do before the day ends and can finally get some sleep.

Day 53: Poblacion 3 part 2 (Tuesday, August 2nd)

We stayed in the same area with the same team today, which was nice. We were supposed to stay with a different team, which would have been nice to spend more time with before we left, but they were unable to finish all of the paperwork on time. That’s one of the downsides of the work that I have been mentioning–it is very tedious and time consuming. But Para Sa Bayan–for the people. I love how everyone finds meaning in the work they do. From talking to a lot of team members, I find that that is one of the major motivation factors that keep them going. Anyway, we mostly stayed at the barangay hall and took some blood pressures, height, and weight measurements today since most of the participants were able to come. Later, we went to the grocery store to buy some incentives for the survey participants. It felt like we were preparing for the end of the world because we were clearing some of the shelves for the 90 households we were getting the incentives for. We collected 180 milk packets, 180 cans of sardines, 90 bags of brown sugar, 90 packets of oil, etc.

Day 54: FES and FSS (Wednesday, August 3rd)

Sadly, this is our last day working on the field. From day one on the field, we have learned the process of measuring and recording the anthropometric measurements, interviewing the survey participants, and editing parts of the forms. Also from day one, everyone has tried to give us the best experience possible. So, for our last day, the food establishment team let us try something new and let us take over the survey portion. We were able to ask random locals around the barangays (convenience sample) and survey them for the most popular restaurants in the area in Tagalog. The phrase we learned was “Ano po ang pinaka popular na kainan dito.” It was actually a lot of fun to interact with the locals and it felt like we had made great strides since we have arrived in the Philippines. After the work day, we were ready for food. There were almost 40 people living in the same place here from the FES and FSS team, so making dinner was a lot of fun. I got to accompany some of the team to the market where we picked eggplant, tomato, fish, etc.

Day 55: Bus back to Taguig (Thursday, August 4th)

It was a long ride back to the city. We left around 4 am to walk to the bus stop where we would take a 6 hour bus back to Manila and another hour or so taxi ride to our condo. Some of the team woke up to say goodbye, and some of them accompanied us to the bus stop. We got to the condo and later went to a coffee shop to work on a presentation for tomorrow and catch up on emails.

Day 56: Presentation (Friday, August 5th)

Today we got to the office at 8 am and presented at 9 am on our experience at FNRI. At the end of our presentation, we were surprised by the videos that the teams had recorded and sent in to say goodbye and to wish us well. It was so sweet, and very emotional. We have met so many wonderful people here at FNRI and we will miss them dearly.

Day 57: Farewell (Saturday, August 6th)

Today I am leaving a place I have called home for the past 2 months. It has been such an amazing journey and I have learned and experienced far more than anything I could have ever hoped for. We were definitely immersed into Filipino culture as we trekked from neighborhood to neighborhood and household to household conducting the food and nutrition surveys. Every person we met in every area we visited gave us more and more insight into Filipino lifestyle. As an aspiring nurse with an ardor for travel, I am truly grateful for this experience and the people I have encountered throughout my time here. Working in the field with all of the teams from FNRI has truly inspired me in so many ways, one being to carry the amount of energy and positivity to all of my endeavors back home. Also, after my 2 months here, I can say that my initial impression that Filipinos are truly hospitable people holds true.

Special thanks to the IWU Asia Freeman Foundation, Dr. Amoloza, Dr. Acuin, and Dr. Hopkins for making it the very best experience possible!