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Mindanao by air, over Sarangani Bay near General Santos City

Crossing the coast

Farm land on approach to General Santos airport

General Santos airport upon my arrival

Street scene in General Santos City. Jeepney in foreground, is most popular form of public transportation in the Philippines

Behind a fully-loaded Jeepney in General Santos City.

General Santos City. Human powered tricycle taxis.

Front view of house. It has glass windows and solid wood doors; tin roof and electricity.

The concrete house was built about 3 years ago and replaced a wood, bamboo and thatched roof house

My first sunrise on the farm in Wali, Maitum village

Wali sunrise

Wali sunrise

Wali forest

Wali forest

Wali road

Wali road and motor tricycle taxi

View from passenger's seat of motor tricycle taxi in Maitum

Motor tricycle taxi driver

The outdoor wash room at the family home.

The washroom serves for washing dishes, laundry and bathing, plus butchering

Spring water flows to the concrete pool on the washroom floor through a small plastic pipe that serves the whole village

A public meeting building in Maitum village

Road-side businesses in Maitum village

A typical Wali house, built of bamboo. This one has a tin roof, many have thatched (dried grass) roofs.

A Wali house

A Wali house

A Wali house

A Wali house

The home of an uncle. The home is on stilts, constructed of bamboo with a thatched roof and no windows or doors. They cook on the ground over a fire.

Maitum school

Jennifer's school. Notice that the classroom has no glass in the windows, just wood slats. It stays warm (hot) all year long in this climate; windows are not necessary.

A view from one of the bamboo playground huts at Jennifer's school

A classroom at Jennifer's school

Salvation Army mission compound in Maitum village

A fighting rooster (cock) wandering about the yard. Cock fighting is very popular. Horse fighting is also common but waning in public acceptance.

Irrigation ditch flowing past family home

Original family home site in the jungle near the river. Overgrown now.

Bamboo grows everywhere

Rice patty on the farm

Rice patty

Rice patty

Caribao and ducks in rice patty

Rice patty

Rice patty with mist shrouded hills

Rice patty

Rice patty

Tilling the rice patty with a powered tiller. Only the wealthier farmers can afford these.

A Caribao pulling a cultivator in rice patty. A Cariabo is like a Water Buffalo and represents the typical farm tractor in Maitum village.

Caribao pulling skid with supplies to workers in rice patty

Caribao trods easily in the mud of the rice patty, which for a man is about hip deep

Caribao pulling corn cultivator

Caribao

Brahma

Rice drying. Yes, that's a basketball hoop. The game is very popular.

Brother Bert's rice mill building

The rice milling machine separates the rice kernels from hulls

The rice mill is powered by an old automobile engine, complete with transmission, via a wide belt

Brother Bert checks to see if the mill is adjusted correctly

Rice exits mill

Ladies on the farm cooking rice over a fire

RJ watches ladies cook their rice. The large basket is tossed to separate the rice from dirt, caught in her hand and tossed into the pot.

Unripe Coconuts on the tree

Grove of Coconut trees on Aurea's land. The family farm has been divided among all the children, but is managed overall by Rosello.

Coconut drying hut near the river. A fire is built and the Coconuts cracked open and dried before being sent to market.

Farm employee climbs Coconut tree to retrieve Coconut wine jug

The wine is the sap of the tree, which drips into a jug at the end of a severed palm branch

The jug is emptied (and consumed) daily

Mango tree on the farm

A hut in the Coconut grove for midday rest during harvest

Dan in the rest hut

RJ, Dan and Jennifer in the hut

Flowers

Unknown flowers

One variety of Bird of Paradise flowers

Unknown flowers

Unknown flowers

Unknown flowers

Unknown flowers

Unknown flowers

Orchids

Grave of Aurea's father at old home site. Alfredo fought the Japanese as a guerilla during WWII.

Picture of Alfredo at grave site. He died in 1996

Aurea's brother, assassinated a few years ago by rebels while serving in the army

Picture of Aurea's brother at gravesite

Water is boiled over a fire, then poured over the dead pig, which allows the hair be scraped off easily with a blade

The pig following slaughtering

Beach party a day after Weicshel's birthday bash

Jungle grows right down to the water's edge

The beach. Peninsula in view is occupied by rebels

Beach and rebel-occupied land a short hike away

Beach; sand is black volcanic

Fishing village on beach

Hut at fishing village

Fish pen at fishing village

Fisherman at the beach

Fresh-caught fish cooking over a fire during beach party

Rice pot on another fire at beach party. You never go anyplace without your rice.

Squid caught by fishermen and purchased by our party. The squid's eye is as large as a cow's.

Maitum dam

Dam outflow and suspension bridge over river at Maitum dam

Dam gate outflow

River flowing toward dam, which diverts water to irrigation ditches

Dam operator adjusting diversion gates on top of dam

The irrigation ditch emerging from the dam

People crossing river on suspension bridge below dam

Taken on far side of river after crossing bridge

Bananas waiting to be carried across bridge to far side of river at Maitum dam

It's for rent. You could probably retire here with your retirement from Wal-Mart and live like a king for the rest of your life, if you don't mind nightly rebel visitors.

A tribal council meeting room at Maitum dam

The river as it passes through the farm. This is where the old tribal people cross to visit Aurea and her family.

Catfish farm

Catfish farm

Feeding the Catfish

The kids enjoying the birds at Catfish farm

Catfish farm

Family at catfish farm

Roadside fruit stand on the way to Lake Sebu in Cotobati Province

On lake Sebu. The lake is in a volcanic crater and is the home of part of the T'boli tribe, to which Aurea and her family belong.

The mountains and jungle surrounding Lake Sebu

Lake Sebu fish pens

Lake Sebu fish pens

Lake Sebu fish pens

Feeding the fish in the fish pens on Lake Sebu

Caged wild cats at Lake Sebu

A man paddling a dugout canoe on Lake Sebu

A tribal settlement on the banks of Lake Sebu

A hut on Lake Sebu

Tribal man paddling dugout canoe on Lake Sebu

A swan flying over Lake Sebu

Tribal residence on Lake Sebu

A tribal family crossing the lake in their dugout canoe

Residence on Lake Sebu

Tribal children in dugout

Tribal residence on Lake Sebu. According to Rosello, these are the poorest of the poor in the Philippines

Tribal residence on Lake Sebu

Fisherman on Lake Sebu

Island Lake Sebu

Mountains around Lake Sebu

Town in South Cotobato.

Town in South Cotobato. Two days after I left the Philippines, Communist guerillas raided a nearby village, forcing 1,000 inhabitants to flee to this town.

Surallah, another town in South Cotobato Province

Street scene in Surallah, taken from the van for security purposes

Skyline of Manila from the hotel in which I spent one night incoming and one night outgoing

Jeepneys fill the streets of Manila