Post-Trip

As I write this post on my long plane ride back to the States, I’m able to reflect on the unreal two weeks we just experienced in the Philippines. I was newly admitted into EGL at the end of last winter semester, so coming into this trip I knew very little about the EGL program or how these VA trips work. Despite my inexperience, the other six EGL volunteers on the trip welcomed me with open arms and I could immediately feel that this was a close-knit group of Michigan engineers. I also was amused at how quick and easy it was for us to engage in in-depth engineering discussions with each other. We talked about everything, ranging from current global issues like sustainable energy and artificial intelligence to more specific challenges pertaining to the local Filipinos. We would laugh as the uninterested non-Michigan volunteers would walk away whenever we started talking about our engineering curiosities. 

Aside from spending time with each other, I think we all enjoyed getting to know the extremely diverse group of non-Michigan volunteers on the trip. From Saudi Arabia to Australia to the Dominican Republic to Spain, our fellow volunteers were from all over the world. Not only did this trip provide us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the Filipino culture, but it also allowed us to learn more about the various countries and cultures of our fellow volunteers. It was truly a worldly experience. 

From an activity standpoint, our VA trip was exciting, educational, and rewarding. Our volunteer task of building an outdoor stage for the local village was definitely challenging, but we made a considerable amount of progress in the hot and humid days that we worked on it. In the end, I think we all felt tremendously proud of our hard work and tangible contribution to the community. The basic camp accommodations forced us to step out of our comfort zones and truly immerse ourselves in the local Filipino lifestyle. We all enjoyed learning about the local culture through fun and educational activities such as palm tree weaving, cooking, and Tagalong language classes. Lastly, the various excursions we were able to experience, such as the Underground River, zip-lining, and the El Nido Island Hopping Tour were exhilarating and beautiful, and they’re certainly memories that we’ll never forget.

Overall, I think I speak for all of us when I say the VA Philippines trip was one of the most fun and enriching experiences of our lives. We leave Southeast Asia with unforgettable memories and lessons that we can apply to our future global studies. We’re tremendously grateful for the support and guidance of all the current and formal EGL members who helped make this special trip possible for us. As a new member to EGL, I’m starting to see what this dynamic program is all about. I can’t wait to continue my involvement with EGL in the fall and I’m already looking forward to exploring another part of world in a VA trip next summer. Thank you and Go Blue!

– Jason Comstock

De-piling and Re-piling – Monday (8/21) and Tuesday (8/22)

After an exciting weekend in El Nido, we came back on Sunday night, exhausted but looking forward to a good week of volunteering. Monday was a national holiday here in the Philippines and the schools had the day off, so a few of the teaching volunteers came to help with construction (which was good because we needed as many of the extra hands as we could get). Our task: building a stage for the local community, about two miles from the camp where we were staying.

After a hearty breakfast and a hefty application of sunscreen, we departed in the morning to work on building the walls and structure of the stage. We mixed bags on bags of concrete (lots of de-piling and re-piling) while others were spreading and filling the concrete on a layer bricks and then laying another layer of bricks. With the everyone working and sweating hard in the heat, we were able to make major progress on the structure throughout the morning. After breaking for lunch and resting our muscles, we worked on filling the inside of the stage with dirt, thereby raising the middle of the pit so it was level with the bricks. Buckets and buckets of dirt (shoutout official bucket man Charlie Moore) were hauled from behind the stage to the center. Again, this was exhausting work, but with so many hands and an energy boost from lunch, we were able to fill most of the stage with dirt before breaking for the rest of the day. Overall, it was easily our most exhausting day of work, but also incredible to see how much progress could be made in a day of hard work. Nothing could have been more refreshing than jumping into the sea as soon as we got back (the rough waves kept the jellyfish out of the shore line).

Tuesday morning, we woke up with soreness in our muscles but determined to push through and make an impact. Again, we headed out to the construction site, this time to lay more layers of bricks, fill in more dirt, and sift dirt to separate the fine dirt from the rocks. The rain cooled us off throughout the day, but also made some of the tasks more difficult and we had to break a few more times when the rain came pouring in. We worked hard and rewarded ourself with a nice dip in the sea again afterwards. That evening the power went out for a few hours, but we got into an intense game of Pitch (a card game taught by Yusuf) and played with flashlights. Afterward, with the light still out, we broke into teams to solve a logic puzzle supposedly designed by Einstein. Chaos ensued as 8 different nationalities attempted to work together on the riddle. Regardless, by the time the lights came back on, it was almost time for bed after a good night of bonding and competition. We went to bed with the realization that our time in the Philippines was quickly drawing to a close and reflecting on how great of an experience is has been so far.

– Umang Lathia

Weekend Excursion: El Nido

Palawan has no shortage of weekend getaway options. But we decided to visit El Nido, perhaps the most popular destination. El Nido is a small coastal town tucked away between mountains on the northwestern coast of Palawan. We left camp on Thursday night, and after nearly 7 hours of high speed turns and switchbacks we finally arrived.

It was not until the next morning that we discovered why El Nido was the go to destination. We awoke to a cute touristy town with all the shops and activity one would expect. But this was not what makes El Nido so impressive, everywhere you look, massive volcanic cliffs and islands dominate the skyline. Arriving at the beach for our island tour, we saw the deep blue water of the El Nido bay rise into these same cliffs. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful landscapes I had ever seen.

Our time was spent visiting beautiful beaches hidden away behind rock formations and paddling through a breathtaking lagoon. We ended the day with some friendly games of basketball and volleyball with some local Filipinos on another beautiful island beach.

Dinner was usually a challenge, as our group of visiting volunteers contained 17 different people from 7 different countries. Thankfully, El Nido is home to some beautiful beachfront restaurants, and our group bonded over the experiences of the weekend. While we all arrived as friendly acquaintances, we left El Nido as a close group of true friends, with friendships breaching all sorts of borders and ethnic issues. While El Nido provided incredible sights and experiences, nothing is more valuable than the friends and bonds we made there.

Day 3: Robbie Greenberg

I’m currently squished with 17 other volunteers on a rickety jeep bus cruising down the main road here on the island of Palawan. We’re on our way to Puerto Princessa, the main city on the island for a culture day, a way for the islanders to showcase the different types of lifestyles for Filipino on Palawan. This is a stark change from the environment we have been living in the first couple of days. Even the sight of a gas station, or a strip of general stores is in complete contrast to the peaceful village we have had the pleasure of living in for the past three days. Between the serenity of the Pacific breeze a block away from camp, and the general feeling of inclusion from the entirety of the 1000 person village, I feel safe and at ease. 

For me, days begin not with an alarm but with the caws of the roosters and the barks of dogs. Minutes later, I’m jogging though the streets observing parents taking their children to school form the outskirts of the village on bikes, and running along the ocean shore watching men taking out fishing boats to bring in the morning catch. However, no matter who I pass, everyone smiles and children scream out in English. “Hey, what’s your name!”

Breakfast soon follows and soon enough we’re onto the days activities. So far we have helped a local villager weave roofing from palm fronds, plant hundreds of seeds of Bok Choy and other local vegetables, and begun work on a major construction project, building a stage for a community gathering place. Some of this is exhausting work and no matter how much water you drink minutes later you’re already thirsty. My hands are blistered and my back is burnt, but In all honesty it’s rewarding work. Everyone comes in to dinner with sore bodies and dirty skin but everyone’s spirits remain high. This is because at the end of the day all the volunteers gather together to hang out for the eventing and although I wasn’t prepared to be surrounded by this many other volunteers I am so happy I am as this had been one of the most unexpectedly enjoyable parts of the trip.

Off the top of head, I think there are 30+ volunteers here from all around the world. I have made friends with people from Mexico, Great Britain, Andorra, India, and Spain and I haven’t even named 10 other countries. It’s an incredibly diverse group and although I came on this trip to gain exposure to one culture I am getting exposure to many. In just a couple nights I have regained some of my Spanish ability, learned more Saudi culture than ever before, and witnessed the friendly soccer rivalries between the English and the Welsh. Plus despite our differences, we all laugh at the same jokes and with this group, there is just never a dull moment.

Even though that seemed like a lot, that was merely a peek into our lives here in the Philippines. I didn’t even mention our experiences trying to open a coconut, or my attempts to climb the palm trees. I’m excited for the things to come like our other construction projects or our side trips to El Nido and the underground river. On top of it all, I am comforted by the fact that no matter how good of a day today is, tomorrow will be just as great. Anyway we’re arriving in Puerto Princessa now, so I have to go, but keep following the blog and we’ll have more great stories to share.

Day 1: Yusuf Ghani

Yusuf here,
Wow. After months of planning and preparation we have finally arrived in Puerto Princesa. I just finished my Tauber internship at Amazon and hopped onto a plane from Seattle to Manila, and I can’t wait to unplug for two weeks before the craziness starts back up in preparation for Spotlight! presentations. The 12 hour flight gave me a lot of time to ruminate about Tauber, VA, and the EGL experience. As an EGL you hear about Tauber for two plus years before you go through it, and now that it’s over it’s amazing to think that I’ve passed that milestone. All the things that the masters students have said to me about the experience in previous years were spot on, and it has finally come full circle. I look forward to answering a lot of questions about the Tauber internship, but I know from experience that you’ll never really understand Tauber until you go through it. In a way this is also the beginning of the end. I sort of felt nostalgia at the beginning of senior year because it was my last year of undergrad, but this time around that feeling is settling in closer to the heart. It’s hard to believe that this is going to be my third and final VA trip, and I’m so fortunate to have to had this opportunity. 

I met up with Umang, Corinne, Jason,and Maddy in Manila when I arrived. Robbie and Charlie were going to arrive later. Since a few of us had a long layover before the flight to Puerto princesa we met up at the airport Marriott to eat, freshen up and regroup before the final leg of the journey. The flight from Manila to Puerto was only an hour, and it was amazing to look out over all the islands that dotted the waters along the way. The water was an amazing cerulean blue. I hope it’s a sign for what we should expect when we arrive to the volunteer sight.

All in all, we landed in Puerto with no problems. In hindsight it actually worked out really well with no one missing their flights or losing their luggage (phew). We got picked up by IVHQ and reached the volunteer sight a little bit before nightfall and were treated to an amazing sunset. Here’s to two weeks of volunteering and seeing more sunsets like this.