Letter from Cebu 1981

Houses for the poor in Cebu

There are 7000 Islands in Philippines and the cheap way to hop from Island to another is to travel by over loaded boat and pray that it will get you to your destination without any hiccup! 

 I had a shock of my life when I boarded my boat full of fluttering chickens, squealing pigs and hungry goats that were to accompany me for 30 hours of my journey to the city of Cebu. My upper deck sleeping arrangement was on a plank of wooden seat where I tried to get some sleep amongst the rest of the travellers and I had eaten some fish food which made me so sick that I wondered if I was ever going to get out of this hell hole alive!Of course, I did, I wanted to continue telling my tale.

  In the city of Cebu I stayed with a family who were so, so filthy rich that I questioned as to why the wealth of these beautiful Island people was not evenly distributed , who could sing like Beatles at a drop of a hat, who smiled in their misery which surrounded them and who were god fearing too. My host filled me with all the politics of the Islands, Muslim at war with Christians; the First Lady who we know had obsession for collecting shoes. I had some beautiful time at the exclusive sea- side resorts, sea diving and getting my self in the hospital for having been bitten by a jelly fish. I saw a cock fight, their past time hobby, and ate their favourite delicacy, a boiled egg with half developed chick with eyes and wings inside the egg. I had my first ever 'dum-sum', Chinese steamed meals served in a family restaurant situated on the 5th floor of the building  they owned. I was staying as a guest in a room big enough to accommodate a family of four on the seventh floor of building. I was living a very high life and had very little to complain about  but I  found myself lonely when I saw no body, until meal times or when it was time to go out fully escorted. An elderly couple in their eighties, belonging to the family were also situated on the same floor as mine, and as part of their daily physical exercise, they walked around on the seventh floor foyer all day long. It was depressing for me to see that they could not get out of the building and walk in the sun shine.

 

 The highlight of my journey was a visit to the sea side resort of Tagbilaran alone. Whilst there, I met up with a group of young people; so there we all were, eight of  us accompanied by the sun in the sky, the blue sea in front, the white sand to play with and the coconut trees for the cool breeze and me down to my under pant and T-shirt so that I could get my feet wet. Sheer magic! 

 

( p.s. My friends from Philippines proudly tell me that Thgbilaran is now a big holiday resort with lots of hotels and an airport too.... sheer hell!!)