Climate Refugees



Ondoy Typhoon

A climate refugee is a person displaced by climatically induced environmental disasters. Such disasters result from incremental and rapid ecological change, resulting in increased droughts, desertification, sea level rise, and the more frequent occurrence of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, cyclones, fires, mass flooding and tornadoes.

Such examples would be as follows:

Iram, Olongapo

I would like to understand Climate Refugees, the way I've experienced it and the way my classmates and friends also do.

Actually, getting into Immersion to less privileged and less fortunate particularly on refugees people had always been introduced into me, ever since I was in High school.

playing with the kids

 It was in Junior High when  my first encounter of this co-called immersion took place, at Iram, Olongapo. Since this place were also being helped by my former school, La Concordia College. We stayed there for almost 2 days and even slept with them.

roaming around

It was pretty hard to go from one place apart from the other since there were no electricity in town and even having a shortage on water supply. It was pretty  scary especially for  first-timer like me.  I've never felt that kind of living before. There were really so poor and find so hard to survive, their jobs weren't really that stable and most of them just dreamed of coming in Manila, hoping that a better future awaits them.

There were really less privileged when it comes to various incentives nor help from the govt. since considering also the location of their houses, it was really far from direct industrialization.

Marian Hills, Olongapo

 A year after that, we went back for another Immersion, but this time it was held in Marian Hills, Olongapo. Since according to rumors, Iram, was no longer safe to had our immersion since there were badly hit by various tragedies.

 In Marian Hills, it was like somehow just the same as compare to Iram, but at least there place were more okay at this time, and some of the houses to have electricity supplies. There typical living was just hearing mass every Sunday and  the kids  just tend to have fun by just simply running everywhere and playing with one another.  Houses were alright, except that there roads and their streets all the way through their places were still not very convenient.



NSTP in Sta. Ana



Then, upon entering college, NSTP was catered to every each and one of us,

and though the setting were far different from my previous experiences still that also gave me an understanding of how to deal with our brothers and sisters who were really less fortunate compared to us, located within Manila. We've been there for 6 days, and helped them throughout their day.

Botolan

Then, Botolan Immersion was also  one of a kind experience since once again, I've been in Olongapo with our Indigenous brothers and sisters. The Aetas, whom have been terribly hurt and destructed through strong typhoons and climate calamities.



with Archie

Our stay in Botolan, was just a short minute of time but the learning’s and experiences from the story of their lives and their means of living would always serve as a great inspiration for us simple students to keep on pursuing this kind of charity work like what our mentor have taught us to do so.

"It is true that we cannot give what we do not have, but it is also true that in giving, it is not only the material thing that matters for all of them, sometimes we also have to realize that our ears to lend them voice out what they want and what they need could easily make a huge impact in their society, and us, students who are fortunate enough to have this kind of activity could used it to help them to make there life better and easier".

Also see:  www.climaterefugees.com/

       Also see : http://ilovenats.blogspot.com/2011/07/immersion-botolan-zambales.html

Immersion: Botolan, Zambales

with Archie:)

                     It is not everyday that we’ve come to meet and mingle with our indigenous brothers and sisters, since considering also the place of their location which is pretty far from Manila, still to have the time to really be with them was such not a typical thing.

Immersion had always been applied to me ever since high school and to extend our help to the less fortunate is really the point of the immersion and to even experienced there way of life and simple living. But as for our immersion in Botolan, Zambales; the main point was also to help them in a manner in which we could do something that would really benefit them and would serve as a great change in their lives. 


Well, it was pretty tiring to travel all the way through there place since it is really far from Manila already, but what feels so good is when we’ve come down to our buses and started talking with them, it feels great how they’ve  come to be very hospitable and accomodating to talk with us and they lend us to get the chance to know them as well. 
Simple tokens were given to them through our collaborative efforts of donation, we might find it pretty cheap, but for them, it is something worth to be treasured.  One instance that I find pretty interesting was the fact, that there schools were really far from them but that did’nt served as an hindrance for them to keep on learning and dreaming for a nice future for them, and instead,  they’ve still showed  great perseverance and dedication as regards with their education that surely gave a huge and big impact on my part. I’ve always do got the chance to witness students who travel long distance, barefooted and very hungry just through the television and different documentaries, and because  of Botolan, I’ve proved to myself how fortunate I am to have been very blessed with my family and friends and in which I could have my needs and even have the privileged to have my wants and even just luxurious things.

bonding time

           It also feels great upon seeing the smiles and laughters of the children in Botolan was, there were very appreciative and you could see how happy they are for having the chance to be visited by us. There were so cheerful, where you could easy mingle with them without fearing that they might not accommodate you or even to talk to. Some of them were really shy at first but as we stayed for long, they’ve eventually joined on our mini games and dancings and singings. There were great dancers and it was also a privileged for us to witness there cultural dance and practices where we also tried to imitate it from them. They’ve shown great respect to us and warmth welcome and that kept us really close and to be easily attached to them as well.

"It is true that we cannot give what we do not have, but it is also true that in giving, it is not only the material thing that matters for all of them, sometimes we also have to realize that our ears to lend them voice out what they want and what they need could easily make a huge impact in their society, and us, students who are fortunate enough to have this kind of activity  could used it to help them to make there life better and easier".

Our stay in Botolan, was just a short minute of time but the learnings and experiences from the story of their lives and their means of living would always serve as a great inspiration for us simple students to keep on pursuing  this kind of charity work like what our mentor have taught us to do so.