Butuan City Expats Information Resource for Butuan City | Butuan

Butuan Ramblings!
07-29-10
Greetings All!
Usually I attempt to initiate these ramblings by focusing on how the fluctuation of the jewel that is the Agusan River parallels a particular issue facing our clime. I cannot conjure up an appropriate segue this week.
We have toyed with many issues, a community action center, a viable navigation entrance, Expat public conduct, Butuanon Yahoo group moderation failures, infrastructure issues, and tyrannical political hindrances to community growth. And yet, Butuan evolves, grows and disproves the mindset of the ‘fellowship of the miserable’, in their belief that ‘things’ will never change, and that, ‘that’s how things are done here’. Fallacies both, and entirely disrespectful to Butuanons who are demonstrating the exact opposite with their deeds and actions. To that end, I wish to laud Dr. Nery, who had the courage to repudiate conditions present in our city hospital, against a political stalwart. He did this outside of the political realm via a public letter explaining his position. Whether his position was right or wrong is/was not relevant. What was relevant was that he spoke up for those without said voice, at great personal financial risk. This man is a hero. Alas, he and I have had our internet disagreements, but he is genuine and proud. He and I still disagree, perhaps, but he represents all that is good about public service.
In a related mindset, and please forgive me for going off tangent, but importantly so, I wish to again explore the concept of instituting a palliative care/hospice unit in Butuan City. I have made considerable rounds within our local medical community seeking their opinions as to whether hospice would be accepted in this culture and how it would be funded. This is an emotional subject to state the obvious. In order to present a platform for discussion, it seems appropriate to define hospice, in laymen’s terms, so here goes;
Simplified, hospice is therapy designed to make a patient comfortable, rather than attempting to aspire to recovery. A person entering hospice care, recognizes that death is likely within 12 months, sans heroic medical efforts.
There it is. No religion, no fabrications and no miracles. It is what it is.
According to Dr. Amante, our new Mayor, cancer is prevalent in our clime. It has hit my family like a brick. Most cases are terminal in a practical and standardized medical sense. Herein lays the issue at hand. If a dying person is in gross discomfort, medical doctors do not have the option to ‘Kevorkian’ a suffering soul, due to legal and perhaps religious bent. Isn’t this unfortunate? Additionally, and most importantly, the loving family likely does not have the emotional skill set nor the financial capability to cope with such an event. This is where a hospice caregiver enters the picture. Not only are they trained to effectively communicate with the patient, but also can release the decision making burden from both the family and most importantly, the physician.
Currently I am the primary care designate for two Expats living here in Butuan. There is no other choice for them. One individual’s family kicked him to the curb, the other’s primary family is ill equipped to advocate for his comfort, because they simply feel ‘ashamed’ to question a ‘Doctor’! The result of this lack of advocacy is a decidedly uncomfortable patient, who likely is not in a condition to speak for himself. The former individual is the poster boy for growing old with a family unequipped for dealing with such a condition. The latter is afraid to seek medical care in Butuan and not well enough to travel. While people vilify those who abandon an elderly person, I choose to examine the culture and available services as they are, in attempting to understand the mindset of those who ‘take the old one to the jungle’. Who among us is trained to care for an elderly person? It is a tiresome exercise to say the least, given failing memory, mood swings and intermittent bodily functions. At some point, it pushes a primary caregiver to exasperation. Who really decides when an elderly person ‘loses it’? Given these parameters, how can Hospice be a bad thing?
To this end, Butuan is always searching for a niche. Medical tourism is huge biz in many developing countries, but yet few ‘assisted living’ facilities exist. As we explore growth opportunities for our region, beyond the Balanghai, a big tree and Bood 1st Mass discussion, (all niche interests), perhaps construction of assisted living facilities are a productive discussion. Butuanons appear to be a friendly lot, smiles abound, and we are located in a very advantageous location relative to ports, services and beaches. There is no shortage of nursing students. Heck, driving on the highway past Doctor’s Hospital is a game of ‘nurse pinball’.
Back in the 60’s the State of Florida in the USA became a thriving destination for ‘snowbirds’, and they brought their ‘fixed’ incomes, (at the least), with them. South Florida boomed. A decade later, Arizona and New Mexico followed suit, and in turn flourished also. Butuan has more attributes than either of those locales, and the cost of living is considerably less here. I am often asked about business opportunities in Butuan, and assisted living homes and a crematory are always in the top five of my suggestions. There is no shortage of the elderly and the dead, and the thought of being tucked away in a concrete box for eternity just kills me! (smile).
But back to Hospice. Would a Hospice unit function in this City, in this culture? After a fair amount of research in the local medical community, the accepted opinion is that the more financially settled families simply hire nursing care for their elderly loved ones, and the less financially capable simply do the best they can. I would offer that in both situations, neither truly has the skill set to assure the comfort of the patient, for the options available are quite limited. Sometimes those we love the most are too emotionally involved to make decisions in the best interest of the patient.
Hospice is expensive and exists only with insurance/health care benefits in more developed countries. This type of funding is not available in Butuan City at this time. I have been told that there is a Hospice unit in CDO, but I have not been able to locate it, if it exists. I would propose that a short term solution might be to invite a trained Hospice associate to Butuan, and conduct a series of seminars/classes, with the goal of training a population of ‘visiting nurses’. I think this type of direction is a more realistic approach to a very prevalent, yet silent issue. Your thoughts?
Café Caliente at 11am tomorrow!
Peace to all!
Greg May

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Butuan Ramblings!
07-12-10
Greetings All!
I think the middle of the Agusan River is getting lonely.
In years past logging traffic was a daily occurrence, often many ‘rafts’ of logs heading to market. Sawmills along the riverbank were humming 7 days a week. Tugboats chugged upriver to collect long log rafts-some over a kilometer long.
These days log rafts are a rarity, and those that do appear, are much shorter than in the past. Private banca boats stick close to shore when plying upstream, so as to minimize the affects of the downriver current. Even the lily islands seem to hug the shoreline. Alas, nary a ripple does the middle of the river see.
The buttress of the Gloria Bridge occupies the middle of the river, but it appears to be sinking, as the roadway no longer seems to be convex in appearance. Can you imagine both Butuan bridges being closed for repairs?
Last week the security team at Bancasi Airport confiscated some weapons hidden in packages. Sometimes we forget about the important task these folks are charged with. History shows that many acts of terrorism in the airways begin at small airports, with the bad guys hoping that security at small airports is likely to be more lax than at larger ports. Bancasi’s security team did their job, and we are safer for it.
This weekend promises to be very exciting, as the third vessel of the Balanghai Expedition is scheduled for launching on the Friday the 16th. The following two days a fundraising cruise is available that includes lunch at Masao beach. Visit the construction site in Bading for information, as well as taking a peek at such fine craftsmanship.
A ‘ham & cheese’ and an ‘attaboy’ are in order for friend JD Roberts, who was awarded ‘Wright Brothers Master Pilot’ status by the Federal Aviation Administration. The award recognizes Mr. Roberts for his professionalism as a Pilot as well as his contributions toward aviation safety. I also learned that JD is a member of a select few who reached 130mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats-talk about a guy with a need for speed!!!
Congrats JD!
Speaking of JD, he is part of another group of local Expats who have chosen to invest in their new Butuan home by opening local small businesses. It is a wonderful demonstration to the community that Butuan is part of the Global community, and that 99% of the more than 330 resident Expats are good and decent people simply trying to live life in a new clime. We seldom hear of misbehaving Expats in Butuan anymore. Quite a change from the mindset of the past for Expats here in Butuan, and I hope that the community recognizes the change from deleterious behavior to conduct more in line with good citizenship and peaceful existence for all.
To that end, three new Expat ‘owned’ businesses have opened in Butuan recently. JD has ventured out to San Vicente to open a much needed internet café and resto near the high school.
Martriza’s is located near City Hall next to Uncle Sam’s and features Shawarma, (similar to the Greek Gyro), and yummy ice cream among its fare. The Shawarma is succulent shaved beef, fresh veggies in a pocket, and is receiving rave reviews.
Z-Thom’s is located in Libertad on the highway heading west toward the airport. Just before the bridge, peek to the right. The bill of fare is the stuff of legend, in these climes, for mouthwatering hamburgers, lasagna, different pastas, salads and yummy sandwiches await. Ice cold Heinekin as well!
Our yard sale has evolved into an outdoor pawn shop. It has been quite enjoyable meeting new people that just happen to be passing by. Yesterday 3 young gents from Surigao Del Sur wandered by, and we gabbed about news we hear from that clime for a half an hour. The prevalent news coming our way from SDS is sometimes not very favorable, so it was fun to get a local persons’ perspective. Speaking of pawnshops, (as we know them in the USA), I found a real doozy near the Royal Plaza Hotel, 2nd Flr. Contact Jojo Yee at 0920548557 for directions and an appointment for viewing. She’s got some great stuff for sale!
We are almost finished with construction of our first two waterfront apartments at Riverside Marina. Screened in porches right on the wharf allows for bug-free cool breezes while enjoying the friendly smiles of the passing boaters. Both will be available next month, so wander by for a peek!
Café Caliente at 11am, and I’ll see you at the launching!
Peace to All!
Greg May

Popularity: 17% [?]

Butuan Ramblings!
06-17-2010
Greetings All!
A number of boats that we have never seen have motored past our docks this past month. It is always fun to see a boat not seen previously, and wave in welcome to these shores. Boats hailing from Cabadbaran and Surigao primarily. We have yet to see any consistent cargo of note however. It is especially fun when the Surigao commuter boats ascend the Agusan, as they are much larger than our local craft.
The Agusan is quite alive this month; wild fluctuations in water level and speed. Last week someone pulled the plug one afternoon and our docks were completely in the dry. Usually this is a steady calm time of year.
If you get a chance to visit Bading, do so prior to July 3rd, as that is the target date for the launching of the Balanghai Expeditions escort vessel-and a stunning vessel it is! The builders from TawiTawi are demonstrating exceptional skill in the construction of this vessel, as they are employing the same tools, but entirely different methodology. It is a floating piece of furniture, so go take a peek while it is still in the dry! The July 3rd launching will see the craft head to sea in short order, to assume its escort duty beginning in the Zamboanga area where it will join its two companion vessels.
July 1 is also of note in Butuan as the newly elected administration assumes its duties. The transition period has/is a difficult time for those in public service and many offices remain at idle speed until the new administration charts its own course. Procedural processes continue to function, albeit at a grounded pace. Analogous to a vessel anchored asea awaiting the port to clear. Nothing to do but wait on deck without shore leave!
Rumors of a new shopping mall have persisted in the last decade, and perhaps fruition is in sight, as a large billboard sits in a vacant field between the highway and the parallel access road. ‘Soon to rise, Robinson’s/SM mall’.
Our yard sale was good fun, and my thanks to all who visited. Being tired after the sale, we simply tarped over the sale items and opened not only the next day, but for the last couple weeks. I stuck a sign on the lawn, ‘Good Stuff, Great Prices…Take a peek!’, and folks have trickled in each day. Perhaps we are on to a new method of Yard Sale!
(GET)Gingoog Electric Trading, via owner Ralf Waberish and his daughter, set up a booth displaying their ProMate generators as well as other lighting accessories (GET) sells. Of particular note is a P700 rechargeable lantern that has received great response-heck I bought 4 of them and am similarly impressed. Dependable, long lasting and bright. Thanks much Ralf!
The Bancasi Airport renovation is entering its final phase, and a wonderful presentation it is. I think that the Butuan airport will continue to be the transportation hub of northern Mindanao, even though Davao and Cagayan airports are growing also. The Surigao airport will always be affected by prevailing winds, and travelers to destinations like Camiguin, Siaragao and Surigao will likely continue to choose Butuan as a jump off. Butuan’s geographic location at the base of a bay protects from storms in a way few locations can. As technology improves, a higher success rate of schedule adherence can be expected at BXU that other more exposed airports cannot match.
Lastly, many have often expressed that while Butuan does have noted historical claims, these attractions entice a somewhat limited demographic. At its essence, tourism is the competition for discretionary income. Tourists have many choices when deciding where to spend said income, and locales compete for said income based on its offerings. This said, many believe that the real untapped attraction that Butuan has to offer is the Agusan River. To this I wholeheartedly agree. 80% of our charters are upriver voyages. It is amazing how quickly one can traverse from 2010 to 1910, (and beyond), while venturing upriver. One of the reactions I often receive from local hoteliers is that they find it difficult to suggest outside activities for their guests. There have been many ideas to be ‘floated’ for methods of celebrating such a unique resource, but few have come to fruition. Any ideas?
Every Wednesday at 11am at Café Caliente!
Peace to All!
G

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