footprint's in Richel life

God’s must be Crazy: A Movie Reflection
By: Richel N.Daonlay
The movie truly teaches us great lesson in life. That simply meant to be a source of comfort and encouragement. It allows us to take a deeper look not for ourselves but for others too. It provides us a wider horizon to understand, respect, and appreciation, to the commonality and differences of humankind.
It is a heartwarming one, as it tells about the life of being an indigenous people living in those area far a apart from the strong flux of modernization. Well maybe we would simply laugh at it but it gives an ultimate understanding about their unique culture, custom and practices this kind of people are persevering for, which self-evidently gives us wider perspective that they too are educated which the more civilized one are hard to understand with. Their life is a feature of simple living. They live simply and yet happy. And truly it is only when we have contentment we could found the real happiness that comes from within.
The presence of differences among people around the world is indeed creates gap from nation among nation. But if only then we have our openness to accept others of what they are and what they have then we could build a better future for our country where people loves peace and serenity. Acceptance is an important ingredient where we could live in harmony with others. We should not forget where we came from as it serves our compass of where we are going for tomorrow. Respect also for others is indeed a great thing for us to build a brighter future where people only love peace and serenity. Let us avoid also comparing ourselves to one another but rather let’s open our mind and hearts that we too are exactly unique from one another. Let’s celebrate altogether our commonality but strive hard to respect our differences for us to live in harmony.

footprints in Richel's life

A Dream Come True
By: Richel Daonlay

“When you wish upon a star it makes no different who you are. Anything your heart desire will come to you”. Every time I heard this song many question come up to my mind. Does it not really matter who we are? When poor is always the loser and the rich are always the winner. It sounds unfair, right? Even as a child I perceived that wishes, dreams, and aspirations belong only for a few rich individuals. But this perception suddenly changed when I know a place named Mahayag, once upon a time.
Last summer vacation five of us were assigned to conduct our summer Bridging 2009 at Mahayag, St.Peter, Malaybalay city. It is a paradise surrounded by mountains and rivers. A home of full blooded Talaandig, Higaonon, and Pulangihon Manobo tribes. People are still rooted and bounded to the own roots of their culture. A place portrays the simplicity of life where the spirit of “Bayanihan “was still a virtue and “handuga”(sharing) was still a living legacy.
Mahayag was also subjected to arm conflicts since it is situated close to the boundary of Agusan and Bukidnon. Amidst of threatening peace situation they never loss hope that one day their long life dream of having a community tribal school will come to realize. Parents cannot afford to support their children in school. However, it is their desire to educate the young ones, for it is their common experience that whenever they sold their products they were not being paid with due amount because they don’t even know how to read, write, and count.
Two years ago, Mahayag established Pigpamulahan Tribal School which offers primary education. This was also the joined efforts of Bukidnon Tribal Filipino Foundation Inc. (BTFFI) and other supporting group. At that time the community and BTFFI don’t have enough funds to establish a new school. Men in the community voluntarily gathered bamboos, timber, and nipa to build in their classroom. First teachers in the school are volunteers from nearby places. A month later, various encounter between soldiers and NPA happened in mountain ranges surrounding Mahayag. They were forced to evacuate to the Barangay proper. After that tremendous armed conflict, they started a new beginning. They strengthened their community leadership and peace building in protection to their life, land and culture as lumads. And there was entire silence and peace in Mahayag for the last two years.
But just the beginning of this year there was again uprising encounters between NPA and soldiers. During our summer bridging I’m handling incoming grade five pupils between 14 – 16 years old. We are now in two weeks of teaching when suddenly we heard sound of a canyon. All become panic. Women gathered their children inside home. People keep on running searching a place to hide. At that moment, I am speechless and I can’t move my feet. I was so shock because never in my life I had experience such. Few minutes after, group of soldier came and stayed there for almost a week. Some household are now packing their things for they don’t know what happen next.
We still continue our class, even though many were absent because they are now afraid of war. As a teacher, I calmed myself because I know my student needs me more at that moment. Fears are clear in their eyes. Instead of having my lesson that day, I let them draw something what is in their mind and hearts because, it is only then I’m giving them the chance to heal their fears and pain. Some of their drawings are soldiers, guns, other deadly weapons. On the second activity, I let them draw what are their dreams for themselves and community. Majority aspire for peace in their place. Then, let them burn their first drawing. And ask them to bring home the drawing of their dreams. I let them play afterwards, in spite of a fact that soldiers are roaming around the community. And I think that works after all, because children are still coming to school. I always motivate them to pray, think positive and never afraid of anything
My memorable experience in Mahayag molded me much to be an optimistic and a better peace builder. My experience in armed conflict might only be a tip compare to others. Just be ourselves and have peace that all start from within for us to be a channel of peace for others. Children are the most vulnerable in armed conflict areas let us work on together in achieving lasting peace that the young and incoming generation may develop that positive outlook in the world we are living with. We don’t need to be someone to become a peace builder. Dreams do come true also for the poor like us. Only we have to do is believe in the beauty of our own dreams and work for its fulfillment. Great changes all started in simple yet meaningful dreams.

footprints in Richel's life

THE WADII RIVER
By: Richel N. Daonlay

Long time ago, in the Mountain ranges surrounding Mt. Kitanglad, there found a wide river. This river had been found mysterious among the people who pass over here because of the small voices of children can be heard while passing along the river. It has been believe that a Diwata the goddesses of children inhabits the mysterious river.
From this river was a small sityo of Maagnao, Cawayan ,Lantapan ,Bukidnon. It was here where a number of native people lived in. In one family there was a little girl named Wadii, who has five brothers. Four were older than her but one was still small. Wadii’s father was like most fathers .He showed his sons how to-do things. He was proud of his sons, on how they fished and hunt. But never told Wadii how he was proud of her. He didn’t noticed the bags that Wadii made. How she took good care of her brother. And even noticed how good she was in playing a flute.
Wadii’s mother was proud of her. At times she said, “You did well my Wadii ”.And Wadii replied, “thank you mother, how I wish father able also to see all the things I did here at home”.
The little girl wish only that somehow her father would learn also to appreciate her .She thought of doing something like what her brother does that will make her father proud of her. She plant beans and corn at their backyard. She dig the soil and planted the seeds alone. Each day she looked at the soil and thought about the seeds.”Are the seeds any good?”,”Did I planted them right?”, “will they grow?”.After a week, her father noticed that small plants growing at there backyard. He went there and found his daughter busy in cultivating the soil. “What are you growing?”, he said.”Beans and corn father”, Wadii answered. Upon hearing about the seeds, he asked.”And where did you get the beans seed? “ . At the kitchen father”, she answered. Father replied, “at the kitchen?” He continued, “Don’t tell me you’ve used the beans I intended for the coming planting”. Her father started to loud his voice. And she knows her father get mad at her .Her father continued, “How many times I’ve telling you don’t get anything without my permission”.”You’re so hard-headed “. “You always makes me mad at you”, father said.
She was hurt and cried of what her father told her. She get flute and run so fast going to the forest. All she wants is to get away from home. After and hour of running, she reached the wide river situated at coldest part of the forest. And she found a very strange feeling upon looking at the river.” What a magnificence creation there is”, she thought. She asked herself, “Did anybody had come this place and try to fish?”.
Wadii though have strange feeling, feel comforted as she found a resting place for her. She decided to seat in the big stone and started to play her flute. The music fills over the surroundings and the wind started to blow. As she close her eyes, she think about her family.”Are they searching for me this time?”.Or they wait me to come home?”Though my father is still angry at me this time?” she asked her self.
With those moment she recall all her memories she had, with her family and her father who never become proud of herein thinking those things, warm tears drops roll upon her cheek. Tears falls so fast that unintentionally, fill over the water surface. Then in a blink of an eye, the water started to wave and the skies fills its darkness and the earth shook. Wadii was astonished, frightened and shouted with fear.”Help! Help me mother! Help me father! Suddenly a beautiful Diwata appear and lays her hand to her.”Come, my dear child”, “Come before me”, she said. Then Wadii replied,” who are you?”The Diwata answered, I’m now your new parent and staring from now on, you would live in my kingdom forever.”No! No! No! “, Wadii shouted. Then a great flash of giant waves carried the little girl.
The next day, people wonder why there is a great flood when in fact there is an absence on rain. Many trees had been damaged. All the people in the sityo help to find Wadii. But they were not able to find her. They only found the flute of Wadii in that mysterious river. And the Datu knew that the Diwata of children who inhabiting the river is responsible for the loss of Wadii.
From that on, the river has been called the Wadii river. Since people who passed over that river would always hear a child cries and music of a flute which always reminds the people in that place of the lost little girl named Wadii. Presently, that mysterious river has been called the Wadii river.

footprints in Richel's life

THE VERY BEST WAY
By: Richel N. Daonlay

Being aware of various social issues in my own Indigenous community, has influenced me at the very young age, to keep on asking myself what I can do to help my community? Do I need to be rich? Be famous? Or just simply gives all that I have in life? But all my questions remained unanswered and that was ten years back then.
Before, I plan to finish my study and seek a greener pasture abroad, in order for me to help others. But that idea suddenly changed when I first step in Pamulaan four years ago. It is an institution that opened my mind to become community oriented and service centered young people. Abrupt changes had happened to me since then.
Aside from the trainings we have in Pamulaan as part of our formation, every summer we are encourage to have our CLS(Community learning service) in our respective places. Usually, I initiate summer bridging or tutorial for children in our community. It was during our CLS last year, when I was assigned to BoLugan, Songco,Lantapan Bukidnon. Then, the chairman of the tribal council Datu Malunay asks me to help them organize the youths in the community. Datu Malunay shared that the elders aspire to organized the youth so that, young people can actively participate also in community activities. But they find it difficult to do it because; the youths are not listening to them anymore. I was then challenged to lead the activity. No second thoughts, I volunteered to facilitate youth organizing. Even deep inside, I have doubts if I can make it because; I’m just merely an ordinary student. At first, I wasn’t certain how to start it all. Especially, that most of the youths are timid while others are to busy in their work and some are now marijuana addicts. Though tribal council has their own personal conflicts, I always make sure to consult and seek some of their advices regarding my plans. I scheduled home visitation among the youths. I find ways and means to get closer with them. I play and join them in working in their farms just to reach them out. After two weeks, we have our first formal meeting. Then we have workshops for their Community Vision, Mission, and Goals. It was quite difficult to handle 35 youths with different attitudes and character traits. But I always make sure to treat them fairly especially when they have queries during our meetings. Facilitating a meeting alone is not an easy task, so I delegate others to do easier task like documenting, time keeping and preparing venues for our meeting. Even others always come late to our activity; I always speak to them with gentle voice and avoid myself to shout for they are soft spoken people. I encourage them to speak up, to know their ideas. But I never force those who don’t want to speak up. That’s why I consulted them individually for some follow ups.
Until one day, Tata 24 years old male youth named confronted me why he hesitates to speak in the crowd. Basically because according to him he doesn’t know how to read and write. He asked me to teach him privately. Through the help of my friend Jemuel I tutored Tata in the small hut in his own farm.
Presently, Tata can at least read now in Bisaya and Tagalog. And the youths in Bulo-ogan had established own organization. They are now active in their respective community. And have communal farm as an income generating program.
My special encountered in youth organizing might for others just only an ordinary experience. However from that experience of mine, I know to myself that I become a leader in my own simple ways. And I strongly believe that good and effective leadership learns not in the four corners in the classroom, but it learns best by keeping in touch to different people with humbleness of heart. We always need to level ourselves with the people we are serving with, for us to build a harmonious relationship. But most importantly, be flexible and always give your best in everything you do. Being a leader doesn’t really require us money and power. Always do things with great love and compassion. Just simply give your effort and time or in short your SELF for those who needed you most you. And always look others us a companion in achieving a special mission. Because even the most silent and ordinary person could can share something if we just have to recognized their own gifts in life.