Jan. 24, 2012
Greetings All!
As we sit in the eye of the rainy season storm, the water table continues to drain, which is comforting given that we still have another month to be on ‘anchor watch’ for the still swollen Agusan River.
Prognosticators claim that the City of Butuan will be under water within 50 years, as will many of the 7100+ islands that comprise this stunningly beautiful country. I guess the clock is ticking, if scientists are to be believed! For a city that is only a few feet higher than the ocean 7 miles away, the prospects of long term survival are curious, given that the actual City has moved quite often in its history. The City current rests on the Agusan River delta, and the mouth of the river continues to push itself into the sea. There is a new island at the mouth of the river where nine years ago none existed-it doesn’t take long; and the river never stops……
There is however noise afoot about doing just that; stopping the river. This country has an uncontrolled population crisis with no end in sight. The energy demands are at critical levels and this island of Mindanao is already staggered with periods of daily blackouts. The economic and lost investment toll is clearly evident on many levels. Hydroelectricity is being explored in earnest and recent studies have been concluded assessing wind and solar stations. The conclusions appear to be that solar is not cost effective and there is not enough wind. The irresponsible breeding continues and the river continues to flow. Seems like a perfect storm is brewing….
Airport staff, (not City employees), report an upward trend of western tourists, and I am receiving a marked increase in queries seeking info about this clime. Other regions report similar trends.
Balancing this trend is an marked increase of attacks on foreigners; murders, kidnapping, shootings, and the like. Last month I remarked about how these attacks were getting closer to our clime, and today I am told of the shooting of a foreigner here in Butuan. In addition, many of the Philippine based Expat discussion groups are receiving increased chatter about foreigners relocating to other Asian countries, due to safety concerns and rising costs here. Many foreigners considering relocation to this country are ’recruited’ by the national government;
Further, racism and bigotry is part and parcel of Expat life-especially in a town like Butuan City. Examples of this foolishness are communicated to me daily by resident Expats, but most, like me, simply smile and realize that such ignorance is part of the bargain. The ’star of the month’ example is a local Expat business owner was denied a lease on a property on the grounds of, get this, ’he was a foreigner’. This gents business attracts those of higher discretionary income, yet the local property did not seem to want the increased traffic for his and other biz in his complex….
http://www.tourism.gov.ph/Pages/default.aspx but soon discover how unfriendly this country truly is for foreigners. Those who relocate to other country’s not only have far more rights of citizenship, but also a clear path to acquire further rights. Not here. For example, (among so many others), in this country a foreigner cannot own property, yet the above website attempts to recruit ’investors’. Yeeesh! A complete disconnect of common sense…. Can’t argue with logic like that….!Unbelievable in 2012, but Hey, ’Proud to be Butuanon’!!!
I often wonder why we never see, ‘Proud to be Surigaon-Davaon-Camiguinon-Cagayanon, and the like’. Surely those cities have at least as much to be proud of, and yet they don‘t feel the need to shove their community pride down our throats??? A curious lot.….
On a related note, coming this year is the Silver Jubilee of the Balangay Festival. Given the rotting condition Butuanons allowed their Balangay vessel to become, Ah, too easy, on to other things!
Speaking of festivals and fiestas, one of the more enjoyable avocations for Expats/visitors, (most enlightened countries do not call non-residents ‘foreigners’; an incredibly unfriendly term this), is observing these. In general they are colorful, dutifully disorganized and the participants all seem quite happy-which is wonderful. One of the most beautiful fiestas in our clime is the one most rarely seen, that being when village fishermen dress up their boats and parade to other villages out in the ocean. The creativity of the decorations and costumes is enthralling.
Funny how the remaining ’log rafts’ floating down the river only show up on Sundays….when DENR folks are at church….The last three Sundays have seen some pretty hefty rafts, though nowhere near as big as those of a few years ago. Our village has only two operating sawmills remaining, where only a few years ago 20 existed; it’s like a ghost town now….
Off to our east the Hilonghilong mountain range protects us from typhoons and such, and it is reported that a great deal of illegal logging and mining is ongoing. These operations persist under the good graces of Butuanon politicians, if scuttlebutt is to be believed. The odds of the scuttlebutt being accurate are more likely than not, given the arrest of the Governor of this clime a few months back, and mining ownership claims. Like the prominent mountain to our west, Mt. Mayapay, the environment there is being trashed because those involved, (Proud to be sure), demonstrate very little regard for their fellow man. They utilize the most inexpensive extraction methods, provide no safeguards or quantifiable replanting program, and the rape of the environment has far reaching implications. One not need look further than the flash flood disaster a few hours to our south to see the results of such plunder. Now, and in the recent past, Butuanons are beginning to speak up against such practices, albeit without utilizing any intervention techniques. The first advocacy in our clime was originated by a Catholic Priest, who also is the top guy at the local college. This was a brave and patriotic step, heretofore unseen in this clime. Unfortunately intervention was mute, and the advocacy soon waned. To our south, people needed a disaster to finally grow a pair and publicly name names and actively protest against the government shysters that allowed such practices to pervade and were responsible for a disgusting loss of life and property. The newest advocacy seeks to eliminate irresponsible mining/logging practices by attempting to gain adjudication from the national legislature by dedicating the Hilonghilong range as a Nature preserve. This tact does not include any intervention whatsoever, but it is their choice. There are less than 500 members of the advocacy, via Facebook, out of a region of more than 300,000 souls. I wonder if the 500 members, good and decent folk all, cannot connect the dots between the recent disaster to our south and the ongoing destruction to our east?
It seems that many folks here are more fearful of the hint of confrontation/controversy rather than standing in front of the tank?
I wonder what happened to that brave soul?
On the Riverside Marina front we remain on our own ’anchor watch’ due to the continued high water level and velocity. A shout out to Butuan Auto parts and Noel’s Surplus for their hugs n’ kisses during my attempts to rebuild the engine in my wife’s van. It seems the van is of rare vintage and all replacement parts and gaskets had to be modified or made, by yours truly….So if you see our van broke down on the side of the road-you’ll know why….
We’ve had three guests this past month for extended stays, and it is always fun to watch their indoctrinations to Butuan City. They go through their emotional levels at different paces, but the reactions are always the same. One gent purchased a brand new motorbike on his second day here, and on his first trip to the grocery store was pulled over by the Police and given a ticket for not having a license plate, but rather a ’For Registration’ plate affixed-as is the norm in this clime. All motorcycle shops in Butuan claim that the ’For Registration’ plate allows the purchaser to legally operate the unit until the ’real’ plate arrives from the LTO(licensing authority). It seem our new administration implemented a ’fine matrix’ for the local Police to enforce, without taking the time to actually check the motor vehicle laws of the land. In any event I did a little research by visiting the LTO, LTMMO, Police, City Administrator, City cashier, and one other City Hall office that I can’t remember and finally the City Attorney, (impressive gal she). Three of these offices had a copy of the ‘matrix’ and each one was differentJ ! Fines for this ’offense’ ranged from P200-P1500. I explained the situation to all, and other than the Administrative assistant, all agreed that the ticket was improper, but no one would rescind the presented ticket. I was informed by the Attorney that if the fine was not paid, a case would be filed against the ‘offender’. In this country, such a conviction is a potentially deportable offense.
Dude paid the fine and left the country.
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Welcome to Butuan!
Don’t stay.
Don’t come back.
Thanks for your money.
Tell all your friends.
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Til next time!
Greg May
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? Butuan Ramblings!10-31-1112-23-11
Greetings All!
The long year of hibernation has ended, and the Agusan River is flexing its muscles and limbering up in preparation for another season of mayhem. Each year during rainy season, the river speeds up and swells its muscles while riverside residents chant for heavy rainfall periods to be well spaced, so their homes will not again be threatened by the broiling current. Four hours to the south of us, a typhoon whipped through the countryside last week causing tsunami-like flash flooding; the destruction and loss of life shook this part of the country to its core.
Many countries ’pledged’ assistance, and the Philippine Army mobilized very quickly-to their great credit. Butuanons also mobilized relief efforts on many fronts, including City Government. Facebook proved to be very valuable tool in announcing and organizing donations and delivery. It also provided an efficient platform from which people could connect with loved ones and receive frequent updates for conditions on the ground. This is instructive for the global community and will likely play an increasing role in disaster planning. FB pages and websites can be constructed within hours and can be extremely useful in directing the flow of services, supplies and population movement.
Though criticized in some circles, the entity charged with tracking weather and warning systems, appears to be more proactive in its mission. For example, prior to the storm reaching the Bohol Sea, a large ferry boat in our local Port was refused permission to depart due to sea conditions. This is a clear step forward for this country and our clime.
From this vantage point this Gov’t, local B’s, and the global community really demonstrated a determined and compassionate effort in providing assistance to the affected communities. This is quantified cause for optimism in this clime.
Prior to the typhoon, this island of Mindanao was also shaken by a spate of unfortunate events involving foreign residents. Numerous kidnappings and murders throughout the island caused some western nations to increase their stated warnings about foreign travel and residence in Mindanao. The bad guys are expanding their reach and some of the attacks on foreigners are becoming either so commonplace or unreported by authorities that the domestic media no longer mention same. It is beginning to appear that this Gov’t that so actively recruits Expats, is not holding up their end of the deal by providing not only a safe environment, but continues to deny Expats the means to protect themselves and family.
Regular readers of Ramblings know that I have often implored our regions Tourism officials to communicate with Embassies other countries in an effort to seek modification of these ‘warnings’. Mindanao is a big island, and our clime can present quantified crime statistics that demonstrate the relative safety here, and that it is erroneous to group our clime in the ‘Mindanao Problem’, as it is so often termed. We can no longer make this claim at this time, which is very unfortunate. Domestic tourists are likely to avoid our region also. This might be an opportune time to dedicate Tourism funds toward infrastructure, rather than promoting sites that few are now going to visit during this period of unrest????
Getting back to the typhoon and resultant destruction for a moment, it appears that a ripple of brave citizenry has come to the fore. Many Filipinos are publicly expressing their frustration and contempt toward the gangsters who have raped the countryside via illegal logging/mining. In the nine years of my residence, this is the first time I have seen such outspoken criticism on such a scale. This is, of course, fantastic for this country. For those readers unfamiliar with Mindanao, many regions are/have been lorded over by familial political clans, who operate such rape for decades with impunity. I know it sounds unbelievable, but it is entirely true. The result has been a populace so imbued with economic hardship and intimidation, that the gangsters never worried about the plight of their countrymen. It appears that this world is evolving forward, and not as accepting such conduct from their leaders. The steep hillsides lining the watershed beneath the typhoons path had been denuded by such gangsters, and some patriotic citizens are speaking up and demanding reparations. As you ‘outside’ readers may also not know, that media members in this clime have a short life expectancy, and I am sure you can connect the dots….It has been about two years since more than 50 media members were corralled and assassinated by one of these clans, if memory serves. Citizenship requires bravery-and that is very evident in this clime. Kudos to those patriots who step up….
A short reminder to resident Expats that many ATM’s are off-line during ‘dead week’, so plan accordingly.
A shout-out to the local administration for providing bonuses not only as promised, but in a dignified manner. Let’s hope the trend continues.
A world wide advocacy attacking human trafficking has been underway for about a year, and will likely continue for some time; CNN Freedom Project leading the way. Joy and I attended a local seminar a few weeks ago. Of the 100 or so attendees, I estimate that less than 20 souls attended by choice-the balance being members of Gov’t agencies who attended because they were ‘required’ to. While the program ensued, I’d say that at any given time, 50% of the audience were texting….
Just thought I’d toss that out there….and of course no intervention of any kind was the result….
I’ll be using ‘dead week’ time to update the www.butuanexpats.com website, so wander by and take a peek. Of particular note via the shameless plug, is the Riverside Cottages we offer for sale. Not only are they simple and efficient, but it is a home that a ‘foreigner’ can actually ‘own’ outright, which heretofore was only relegated to condos.
The expected floods will likely carve a little chunk out of our charters, as the water might be too high for the boats to pass under the bridge downtown, but we’ll see…
For the benefit of my western US readers from the past, I am happy to inform you that on Christmas day, I mowed the lawn, but I had to take down our Tipi to do so…..Probably the only Tipi in this clime……Bamboo poles however….Cobras, not rattlers!
Happy holidays to all!
Greg May?
Butuan Ramblings
Greetings All!
If recent years are any indication, those who dwell along the banks of the mighty Agusan River have about another month to prepare for flood season. Or not.
- Only a few years ago, 25-30 vessels passed by Riverside Marina each day, now 5-10 at best. There was a time that the enduring strength, inventiveness and character of a people was defined by the steady and true nature of those that plied its course and bartered along its shores. Visitors crossed oceans to trade for the unique bounty found in this port. Historical treatments detail chronicles of how respected and admired Butuanon Datu’s were by visitors-many who continued to return due to respected leadership found here. The name ‘Butuan’ can be sourced from the word ‘Buotan’ which means SENSIBLE, UNDERSTANDING, WELL-DISPOSED, THOUGHTFUL, PLEASING, NOBLE, MERCIFUL.
Flash forward to Butuan leadership on this day. How does it compare?
Each of the last three years, the flooding of the Agusan has caused increasingly considerable damage along the river’s edge, to private and public property alike-with last year being the worst in memory. The seawall that protects Agao, the City center of long ago, was compromised 3 years ago and is now in shambles. Repairs were promised this year by the City Gov’t, and have failed to materialize yet. Given the shortness of time until flood season, it ain’t happening, and Agao is likely to get hammered again. An interior wall, built in the 1960’s surrounds the southern portion of Agao which protects the area behind same, and Agao houses some of the oldest dwellings in Butuan, many of historical significance. Those that reside between the river and the interior wall seem to be considered, ’insignificant’ evidently.
Again, how does it compare?
A few weeks ago, a local gent showed me the remnants of a residential wall that once stood 8’ tall, and now only the upper 4’ remains in view since his boyhood of 50yrs ago. Visit the neighborhood with a keen eye and the remaining houses tell a story. If the Agao seawall was repaired, (free rip-rap from ample available demolition around town would have sufficed nicely), and heightened a bit, Agao would not be at such risk on this day and as it will again be soon. Those that are familiar with the river course recognize that Agao is oriented in a manner that faces the full force of Agusan flood waters, and if there is a breech, the entire downtown area is underwater. Perhaps if Agao was home to more affluent folk, the seawall might have been repaired as promised. I wonder how protection of the City and its people compares to constructing an ill-conceived ‘memorial rotary/roundabout’ at Bancasi?(more on this later).
How does it compare?
In the past I have wondered aloud about the substantiation of the five ‘Tourist Sites’ presented by the ‘Historic Butuan’ advocates. Two of the sites (Magellan’s Landing, Banza Church ruins), are clearly fraudulent in their presentation, one is debatable, (Bood Promontory), one cannot be found, (Distillery), and one is the real deal, (Shell Middens). The two museums have issues that ensure that any self respecting tourist would have no interest in recommending due to their physical deteriorated condition. Analogous as to how the Masawa Hong Butuan came to be in the decrepit condition it is in, I propose a new ‘Tourist Site’ be advertised that more accurately depicts the Butuanon of today. Go to Libertad and take a left toward Doongan, a couple miles down the road mountains of garbage and litter will appear on your left-most of which is decades old. Perched atop these mountains of garbage are oodles of huts inhabited by Filipino men, women and children that Butuanons would rather not see. What does this say about the character of people who permit their brethren to live in such a horrible place? What kind of leadership allows such a condition to exist?
How does it compare?
On FB there are quite a few pages celebrating Butuan’s private construction projects, backslapping B’s in unison. And yet this town is most noted for a plethora of unfinished construction projects in decay that blight the landscape and stunt any outside investment. These sites are glaring to visitors but perhaps B’s are simply blinded by decades of disinterest? The sports complex is decrepit. In other ‘modern’, (Butuan calls itself such), cities of similar size sports/event complexes are often the celebrated attribute with various integral elements named/donated by or for local benevolent or beloved citizens. As mentioned previously, Butuan has yet to be blessed by any benevolence from any native sons/daughters, with very few exceptions. What happened to Buotan’s? Acquiring/encouraging such benevolence is an integral part of public leadership; think of the potential revenue from naming rights and brand recognition advertisements at an events center!
Again, how does it compare?
What is the character of the people that are in leadership positions in our town that consider constructing a multi-million Peso ‘tribute’, that provides no economic value to B’s, while turning a blind eye to such an environmental disaster, eyesore and blight on simple and basic humanity that we find at the dump? What are these people thinking? An attempt to source the funding of this ‘MEMORIAL TO THE MILLENNIAL BUTUAN TRIBUTE MISSION TO CHINA’, on the Butuan City Gov’t website proved fruitless, even in the claimed transparent governance period. Oh, and by the way, the Official Butuan City Gov’t website does not function at the time of this writing…..yeeeeesh!, but that’s another continual issue….. www.butuan.gov.ph
Who gave them the right to spend the money even if subsidized?
Why would anyone in a leadership position choose to start a new capital project when there are so many blights of unfinished ones decaying around the City-San Vicente Terminal, Sports Complex, Riverfront Boardwalk/Historical Park, et al?
What if the next elections don’t go as planned for the incumbent administration? Are we left with yet another unfinished blight?
And most important, how can any self-respecting leadership team agree to such a project when their brothers & sisters & countrymen reside in/on a garbage dump right under their noses??????
Again, how does it compare?
I am hoping that the Butuan photographers group-and there are some highly accomplished folk in same, consider visiting the dump and take some photos to for Facebook users to enjoy and learn about the priorities of Butuanon leadership on this day.
Let’s examine and explain this ‘MEMORIAL TO THE MILLENNIAL BUTUAN TRIBUTE MISSION TO CHINA’ currently being constructed at the airport. To be brief, a rotary/roundabout is being constructed smack dab in the middle of the National Highway, with said memorial statue in the middle of same. There are sooooo many problems with this concept that it’s almost a gutroll to consider, but here goes, and we’ll start with the obvious first;
1. Let’s just say that the percentage of local drivers that actually have read the Philippine Drivers Manual, and adhere to its dictums is subject to debate-(this is the most polite phraseology I could create…..). And they are installing a 4-exit rotary?? Oh dear….
2. The current design does not appear to account for future expansion of the National Freekin’ Highway!!!! Arrrgh!
3. Can you imagine the scene when flights arrive/depart? Is it not logical to assume that the number of flights serving BXU will increase in the future? Can you imagine the negative opinions of Butuan City that such a traffic disruption will create?
4. And how many accidents and deaths will rubberneckers create? I’m sure the commercial and big rig drivers will be thrilled!
5. Rotaries are becoming increasingly popular by Traffic Engineers world-wide, but almost every competent Intelligent Highway Transportation System organization in the world specifically notes that such design is NOT appropriate installation in a highway system. These organizations likely have some experience with such matter, wouldn’t you agree? Pheeewwww!…..
A Memorial/Tribute of this kind is a wonderful and appropriate concept that celebrates Butuan’s specific place in human history, but why stick it in the middle of a highway? Just a thought, but wouldn’t such a monument be better integrated at the unfinished boardwalk/history promenade with the Masawa Hong Butuan Balanghai Boat and the City Tourism Office on full display for every traveler passing across the downtown bridge? With the money already earmarked for the project secured, (perhaps!), leadership can accomplish multiple tasks;
1. Stick the Masawa on a stand and create an informative display about its history, construction and the heroic expedition. Why build a monument when we already have an honored jewel sitting in our laps? I mean, isn’t the balanghai boat a living, breathing memorial celebrating what the new monument is designed to do? It’s already here, for God’s sake, let’s use it!!!
2. The Masawa is currently in such decrepit condition, (Our profound thanks to the Butuan Global Forum for its condition, by the way), that I doubt the only water it will ever touch again will come from the sky, or if BGF again abandons its responsibilities and leaves it to the whims of the next flood….It can be spiffed up to look pretty in the dry as a monument fairly easy.
3. The City Tourism Office will serve the public in a more appropriate venue, and won’t have to worry about defrauding future lessors by not having to pay rent-since it will be housed in a City owned edifice!
4. And last but not least, the City can actually ‘FINISH’ a project like the currently dormant Boardwalk/History Park!!!
Hmmmmm…Balanghai Boat, Celebration of Tribute Missions, project completion—-History Park!!!! What a concept, eh?
I wonder what the Buotan leaders of a 1000 years ago would say?
How would it compare?
Speaking of compost/garbage, kinda, a real champion is residing at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Villa Kananga-the big round church behind Gaisano. Father ‘Jun’ is an infectious soul of high motivation and many, many talents. Premier of these is his commitment toward healthy life which includes organic foods-of which he is growing, culturing and experimenting with. The burgeoning cottage industry he has initiated is mushrooms-and his product is outstanding. He and his crew are highly motivated in advocating for better water quality and foodstuffs for our clime and he welcomes all to discover the good work being done at his parish. Best of all, the shrooms are for sale! Just drop in and ask around-all are quite friendly and very knowledgeable ….
If you want to save some coin on paper products like kitchen towels, toilet paper and feminine products, (not my department), and the like, wander over to ZTom’s after 4pm-they offer paper products in bulk-better quality and better price….
On Facebook, our electricity provider ANECO, now provides a blackout schedule, at least as best as they can given that they are at the mercy of the supplier just like us end-users! Ever note how polite ANECO technicians are?
One of the most common questions I receive at www.butuanexpats.com is about housing choices available in Butuan City. I remain aware of a single full service realty office in Butuan, http://e-globalorder.com/M-realty_bout.html , which remains a challenge for those researching living choices from afar. Every now and then an Expat owner chooses to relocate, (either up, down or sideways), and property becomes available. For example, if you want to check out the paper products at ZTom’s, you might also ask about an income producing Mango Farm that is for sale located near Butuan City proper, or visit our website to check out our Riverside Marina Townhouse/Condo options, (shameless plug this), or our low cost native bungalows being offered. We are the only location in Butuan in which you can dock your boat next to your house….!!! Another option is our single family residence that we again repossessed from yet another Expat deadbeat……who spawns such people??? Yeeesh. We finance in-house, so you don’t need to mess with hideous application requirements.
Here’s a little tidbit, Butuan City is home to about 300,000 residents, 300 or so are Western Expats. There are 86 Barangay’s or villages, and the Butuan City land area is huge-a cajillion square miles, or at least that’s what it feels like after the 50th pothole….Let’s do a little math shall we? Here goes; 365 days in a year, 52 weeks a year, 7 days a week. 7 X 52 = 364 days ?????, but I digress. 5 day workweek for public employees, 5 X 52 = 260 work days. I count 34 holidays per year. 260 – 34 = 226. Let’s include vacation/sick/personal days perhaps 18? 226 – 18 = 208. Let’s assume our Mayor visits each Barangay once per year; 208 – 86 = 122 days. As Mayor, our pal has to travel on City bizness, which given our locale, likely means that each trip is at least a 3 day jaunt, and let’s suppose, (for citizen’s can never know, er, transparency and all), that 12 such trips per year is a fair guesstimate. 12 X 3 = 36, 122 – 36 = 86. Hmmm 86 barangays and 86 remaining days for governance-I’m sure you see the symmetry. So the question is how effective can any Mayor really be in such a large land area, (much larger than NYC for example), while being pulled in so many directions, with only 86 days to work with? From a simple math standpoint, isn’t this an equation set up to fail? Is the condition of our clime a result of same? Any Mayor would have to be Superman to succeed given these parameters. Just a ponder.
If you are looking for a bit of exercise, (and perhaps a solid chortle), try joining us for some badminton at Timberline Courts Tuesday and Thursday around 8am. I usually bring some extra sticks.
We still rent motorbikes at P500/day and still require a hefty cash deposit. I wish we didn’t have to have a large deposit, but the court system here is,,,, well, you know…..
A nice little cottage is for rent over in the quaint fishing village of Gooson-right on the beach. Candlelight dinner, (dude is a chef), is served in a private cabana right on the beach also. No internet, no TV, just romantic peace….
Starting next month we will be offering a very unique service. Think you know where there is buried artifacts/treasure, or have you lost a metallic item of value, on land or in the water? We can find it! Our underground/water survey equipment includes sonar, (side & vertical), inductive pulse metal detectors, underwater cameras, altimeters and magnometer technology. If it is has metal content, we can find it. Check out the link on our website for more information.
Have you found ‘Wrap n’ Roll yet? Mex-Italian yummy stuff!
Photos of all subjects mentioned will be posted this week on our website.
Til next time!
Greg May
Butuan Ramblings!
09-19-11
Greetings All!
Each Ramblings usually begins with a short narrative that attempts to quietly correlate how a feature of the river relates to life along side it, viz how life is lived in the Butuan City Region.
Butuan is a unique environ in many ways. Its integral riches are many and heretofore utilized on a much smaller scale than one might find in a more ‘emerged’ region. Wood products, Timber/Lumber, Mining and Agriculture remain decidedly untapped when viewed in a macro sense. Further, financial gains from these blessings are enjoyed by about 1% of the population-such is the way of a fiefdom. The beauty of the land is of first order, and the peoples living far afield of the City are very friendly-not the ‘terrorists’ the foreign governments would lead you to believe. For those outside our clime let me again introduce the Agusan River.
The Agusan River is the third longest river in the Philippines-350km in length. It is one of the few rivers in the world that flows from south to north. Recently the largest recorded crocodile, (21’), was captured in the Agusan Marsh, a wildlife sanctuary near the head of the river. The River empties into Butuan Bay of the Bohol Sea, about 5 miles from Riverside Marina. 12 miles from Butuan’s shores, the Pacific Ocean freely flows without obstruction, sometimes bringing large marine mammals closer to our clime. Coral remnants can be seen as far as 10 miles upriver from its mouth, exemplifying the centuries of delta formation. In the late 1800’s at this location, (Bit-os), a severe earthquake occurred that altered the course of the Masao River, the last of its exit tentacles severely decreasing that rivers’ flow. It is along the drained banks of this Masao River, that the remains of the Balanghai boats were unearthed in the 1970’s. The deepest point of the river is at Bit-os, (90’), and it is here that the ocean tides no longer affect the waterway.
3-500 foreigners visit Butuan City each month via the airport. Many of the western foreigners contact me for information via this www.butuanexpats.com website for accurate information about their visits prior to their trip, as internet information about this region is sporadic, incomplete or false. I receive 15-30 responses each month to Ramblings and it is fairly easy to tell where the response comes from within the first couple lines of the letter.
Responses from local Butuanons, (or B’s), are usually quips of either condemnation or hope. Those that condemn generally rant and devolve into personal attacks, rudeness or on some tangent completely off-point. Those responses of hope are always extremely polite but never offer to personally participate in positive efforts in a public manner, (especially on a subject brought forth by a ‘foreigner’), likely for fear of being ‘shouted’ down by fellow B’s still in the dark ages mindset, regardless of truth or reality. I wonder how many Filipinos living in developed climes are described as ‘foreigner’! Yeeesh! This is not a Filipino condition, as critics maintain, but a decidedly Butuanon condition. One does not need to look further than the recent progressive growth in cities with far fewer attributes and resources than are available to the Butuan community. General Santos, Bukidnon, Zamboanga, Malaybalay and Surigao immediately come to mind-and let’s remember that Cagayan De’ Oro and Davao were similar to Butuan not so long ago. Zamboanga…..for crissakes!
So why does Butuan City continue to lag? Read on…
Responses from foreigners continually express utter astonishment as to how lacking this clime is in the most basic of common sense issues. They also often express sadness for those who are seemingly resigned to a depressed condition that is not necessary, and can change fairly quickly if the citizenry would simply demand inclusion. The issues therein can be summed up as those relating to poor management; if you start a project, finish it; if you are going to do it, do it in a professional manner, and walk the talk, and the like. Concepts inherent to the aforementioned progressive cities, but not prevalent in B-town…..yet. Again within the first sentence or two, it is fairly easy to identify the source, especially after a few years of writing this column.
Responses from Butuanons living in more developed Nations express great frustration and sadness about this clime, are the most vocal critics-privately. And this, as they say, is the rub. In nine years of residence, I can count on very few fingers the amount of B’s, both home and abroad, who fortify/share their concerns/frustrations/sadness to me in private communiqué’s, and also bring their opinions into the public forum, or in this case, the only place where their voice will actually be heard. It is quite convenient for fiefdom to not have to worry about an active press corps, or a competent Chamber of Commerce, for example. There is a worldwide foundation, (Butuan Global Foundation) that is comprised of some highly successful, educated and effective people with roots in Butuan City. BGFoundation organizes/sponsors many wonderful deeds in this community, but prefers to operate in Band-Aid mode by choosing to evade the sources of the perpetual limbo. It is the same rub! This modicum only perpetuates the generational curse of Butuan City as well as a distinct lack of fortitude and leadership. The exact same treatment can be applied to the multiple Rotary Clubs currently existing in Butuan City. Their mission statements conveniently give each group a ‘hall-pass’ to evade addressing the sources of the floundering, in favor of a Band-Aid approach of good deeds. Many B’s complain privately that many confuse cronyism with friendship and it is difficult not to agree. A crony is basically a person too afraid to state their opinion, while a true friend is one who is trusted to do so regardless of familial/parochial ties. A friend wants what is best for another, while a crony hopes to sufficiently cower so as to avoid controversial discourse. Cronyism and fiefdoms typically go hand in hand…..
To the BGFoundation/Rotary members whose fingertips are now itching for their keyboards-let me save you the trouble. If you are a member of either or a like group, you are already a good person/citizen-we know this. Prior to lecturing me about the ‘stated’ function/purpose of your group, please ask yourself what has been accomplished since group inception-in a societal sense? If the Butuan condition remains at its decade’s long 60% destitution level, are the past efforts in your group design truly effective? For example if one is holding a free medical clinic every year for decades, and will likely continue to do so, would it not warrant re-examination of your focus and model? Without attempts to change the systemic issues, what are you accomplishing other than generational limbo? For example, a more productive modicum to consider might be to create a watchdog group that monitors the management at the public hospitals to ensure that medical supplies are not being stolen or prices jacked, or confirming that on duty doctors are really on duty, rather than being paid cash under the table at private hospitals? Would this not be a better utilization of effort and resources? How many decades does it take for real leadership to emerge from these generous and well intentioned groups, rather than those who consign to maintain the status quo?
Has there ever been a press conference, or a town hall type meeting with City Administrators? The Mayor is not accessible-even scheduled appointments and hand-delivered letters are ignored. It must be convenient for politicians to be able to operate in a vacuum! Last mayoral election there was a televised debate but the electricity conveniently blacked out so the proceedings were not seen by the voting populace. There is no forum like a ‘Letters to the Editor’ in a local newspaper. Travel to the aforementioned emerging cities and guess what? They have active Chambers of Commerce, local newspapers, and even actual question and answer sessions with public officials. Imagine that! Like I say, this is not a Filipino condition, it is a Butuan condition. And again, why is this?
Perhaps the good folk of the BGFoundation, (not to be confused with the Butuan Global Forum-the Foundation privately has clearly expressed that they do not want to be confused with that wonderful Forum outfit), might want to review their mission statement and support quantifiable progress rather than furtively ensuring that 60% of their brethren will continue to be destitute in perpetuity? What if the BGFoundation organized/supported their own newspaper and distributed throughout the city? Quantified/credentialed investigative reporting perhaps? Radio-Free Butuan???? “Meet the Mayor” program on local TV??? Support the Chamber of Commerce, or better yet, ask the current entity to enjoin with a completely new, professional and unified concern, because the current Chamber does not now, nor has it ever, got it. And given its structure, will never ‘get it’.
A little interjected tidbit: it is simply not possible for a City Mayor to be effective in such a large land area. What if the City of Butuan encompassed the actual ‘City’ rather than the entire region? The knee-jerk reaction is less money to be absconded, but a clean, organized and efficient City bears for more fruit than, well…what exists now.
In the past few years I have received quite a few emails from global B’s in which they relate how they have offered their professional services, (one a highly successful City Planner in the USA), for many differing projects that would be of great public benefit. These are professional services offered from people who are some of the greatest success stories Butuan has to offer. These are services that Butuan could not even begin to afford but are in dire need of. Many foreigners/new residents of varied professional backgrounds have offered to contribute also-in many instances. The constant is that not only are these generous and concerned individuals ignored, but they are not even afforded the courtesy of a response from City Hall. A shameful rub, this, which defies common sense….
Speaking of defying common sense, courtesy and simple decency, have you visited the new digs of the Butuan City Tourism Office? Likely not.
Why?
Because you would need a Blue-Tick Hound to find it? Yes, the Office used to be located next to City Hall in front of the new Mazaua Island Resort, but is now hiding on the 2nd floor of a downtrodden building on Ochoa St.
Why?
Only enlightened minds could say…..Hey, isn’t there a private ‘Tourism’ entity located in front of the sports complex? Is it not manned by a single, (albeit highly competent), individual? I wonder why there is no conjoined relationship with the City Tourism folk to utilize the space? Hmmmm….
Who, (or what City), in their right mind, (read common sense), would stick their Tourism Office in such a depressed and secreted locale?
Why?
Unfortunately, the Tourism Office was evicted from their former locale for non-payment of lease terms. (That is defined as ‘theft’). Not only did they not pay, but they owe thousands. I can certainly relate, though not to the economic level of that unfortunate lessor, as the information kiosk at the Bancasi Airport that I started, staffed and funded a few years ago, was effectively stolen, (can’t think of any other word to describe the conduct other than ‘theft’-notice the pattern!), from me by this administration, again with thousands owed to me by the City. The kiosk under the management of the City Tourism Office is now only a shell of what it was and most importantly, what it provided for the abject benefit of our clime. The kiosk used to receive every flight as well as provide a monthly statistical survey that allowed our clime to better serve the needs of visitors as well as represent our clime in a welcoming manner. And again, there is the rub…. So to clarify, the Butuan City Tourism Office owes tens of thousands in back rent/penalties to one of the more prominent local investors and contributors in Butuan, and additionally owes thousands in lost/past due rent to a foreigner that has invested in, and owns the premier international blog about Butuan City targeting foreign visitors and investors.
How does this demonstrate ‘good common sense’? Management?
While on the subject of management take a peek on this FB link https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.287097261317206.91982.100000508040567&saved#!/media/set/?set=a.287097261317206.91982.100000508040567&type=1
This link will lead you to a FB photo album depicting the current condition of the unfortunate member of the historic Balanghai triumvirate, Masawa Hong Butuan. A number of months ago I took a couple photos of MHB listing along the banks of the Agusan River supported by sandbags, a couple of sticks and whose keel was grating on the rocks of the riverbed. Conversely I posted a photo of a large Banca boat nearby that was cared for in a much more professional manner. The difference was stunning. A couple months later a local gent informed the FB world that MHB had terminated its cruise operations and wondered if said termination was due to lack of care and maintenance, based on the photo I submitted. At that time I suggested that some entity more engaged than the ownership team, (that wonderful Butuan Global Forum Inc), and managed by the Butuan City Tourism Office, might be considered to operate and care for such a treasure as MHB. I suggested that the newly formed, (and quite active), Butuan Bay Divers Club might be an option, as well as hoping that more options might surface. Photos were presented depicting the declining condition of the vessel and were quite instructive, and the termination of the cruises was also a point to note. In response, the City Tourism Office and the local arm of the BGForum, fired out FB missives spinning/explaining that the cruise termination was due to ‘warranty’ issues with the wood coatings, that a family member of one of the builders had died, and that only the builders knew how to maintain a vessel they built. A quote, ‘The SAMA team maintained the Balangays, doing repairs at sea, in ports and on land. They know best how to take care of the boats which they themselves built. Nobody in Butuan – nobody – can do this Balangay job better than them, except hopefully (in the near future) some local guys whom the SAMA team will train under the technology transfer program of Butuan Global Forum in partnership with Kaya ng Pinoy and Team Balangay.
A couple thoughts about this malarkey, (as if any are really needed)!
Pre-emptive; Notice how the BGForum and the City Tourism Office parlays ownership responsibility upon the SAMA guys, knowing that the SAMA guys operate as per ‘their’ directives. How reprehensible is that????
1. Builders build, Owners maintain.
2. One does not have to be a SAMA to operate sandpaper, or hold the ass end of a paint brush. For a wooden boat, not doing both daily is either ignorance, disrespect for the boat history, or simply abject laziness.
3. What was once a maintenance issue is now a costly and unnecessary restoration and recovery project. Complete neglect. Again, there’s the rub….
4. The Balanghai Expedition Team placed this historic/heroic vessel in the hands of the Butuan Global Forum Inc., locally managed by relations of the Forum owner, (none of which has any demonstrable maritime experience to my knowledge), and appear to have achieved said position via last name. It baffles me as how these folks, (nice people to visit with), can on one hand jump aboard a message of freedom and evolving/progressive nationalism, and as soon as Elvis leaves the building, revert back to the stranglehold of nepotism/cronyism that has thwarted this region for decades. How do these people not connect the dots? Yeeeesh!
Wouldn’t the Maritime School at SJIT have been a much better choice to manage such a valuable asset? If you visit the FB link, the split, cracked, curled and untreated boards are long past ‘warranty’, (as if one ever existed).
Of the triumvirate, one is showcased in loving cradles in front of the National Museum in Manila.
One is embraced and lovingly cared for near the Expedition Leaders home.
One was presented by the Expedition heroes to the City of Butuan, and the photos demonstrate the character of the people who received same.
Let’s move on…
This month finds Steve in fine form as his usual witty self. Please also note that he hosts a weekly Alcohol Anonymous meeting downtown. Details are in this month’s contribution.
Mike remains quite active in Veteran’s issues and continues to provide great insight to enjoying life on a tight budget. If you ever see him without a smile, you’ll be the first to do so….!
Troy remains quite busy training a group of local gents, (including 2 Balanghai Team members), so that Butuan can have a quantified SCUBA store staffed by certified Instructors. This is a wonderful contribution to our community by an Expat. He notes in this month’s article that for a limited time, the FB club Butuan Bay Divers is offering both Discover Scuba and Open Water courses at greatly reduced prices at the Bolihon Resort in Carmen, so his Instructor students’ can be observed in a teaching environment. You can also get info at Carmen Water Sports along the highway. You can generally find dive group members doing quantified research on habits of B’s at Moff’s, Boyz, Woodstock, or chowing down on the best international food at ZTom’s. By the way, big congrats to Troy as one of his underwater photos was selected for a presentation in London!! Check out his newly revamped website in which his award-winning photography and services are available. www.oceanicimagery.com is the link.
If you live in an apartment here in Butuan, and are satisfied with life, please send me an email with the contact info of the owner/mgr. I am creating a list as it will be very helpful to newcomers.
There is a bunch of new stuff on the ‘Stuff for Sale’ page also. 80% of the ‘stuff’ is consigned, so there is little room to bargain. However the reality is that I do not accept consignments unless they function as represented and they are substantial bargains. Many items are often purchased on ‘trust’, in which I pay the owner and float the purchase on my own hook to affect a sale-as ‘utang’ or ‘you owe me’. In nine years of generosity, I have been fortunate to have had only two deadbeats on my list of borrowers/owers. Fancy that, and I wonder why that is? Hmmmm….
We are pleased to announce the offering of the first Riverside Townhouse here at our Marina. I’ll be posting the details/plans in the next few weeks. This is a two-story, 3bdrm, 2 bath home that enjoys all the perks associated with our marina. Offered at $50K usd, with in-house financing available at very attractive terms. Turn-key is 90 days.
Remember Bisaya lessons are ongoing, and a tutorial on CD is coming soon!
Til next time!
Greg May
August 20, 2011
Butuan Ramblings!
Greetings All!
The last gasp of the heretofore substantial logging industry floated past Riverside Marina this past weekend.
Seven years ago when constructing the Marina, incredibly long rafts of logs, (some more than a km long), were a common sight as the raw material floated to one of the more than 40 saw mills located between the two bridges. On this day, with the exception of this weekend, less than 5 rafts of substantially smaller size are seen per month. Where there once were more than 40 sawmills, there are now 6 in operation. Many have been abandoned, and last month more prominent “Closed by DENR” signs began to appear on the shuttered gates. As this clime evolves forward, and the DENR continues to administratively insulate itself from corruptive practices of the past, environmental abuses will continue to be withered. The historic business model of killing grandchildren to feed the children continues to become a riskier practice each day.
Many families of our little village have relocated, for sawmill jobs are gone forever. Tough for our village, better for the country and its future. Conduct of the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources, (DENR), has been lauded in this space previously, and is again so now!
The South Montilla roadway project appears to be nearing completion, at least to historical standards-meaning close to being finished, but not so. It seems that SOP for this clime is to ‘almost’ finish a project. What is the thinking? If the thinking is to accomplish the appearance of being a substandard clime, well ‘attaboys’ are due all around! Yeeesh!
Longtime readers of this column might remember the placement of an artificial reef a few years back. Here is a photo of one of the critters taken last week. https://www.facebook.com/groups/121781147907126/?view=permalink&id=146874148731159 The obvious success of this venture, as evidenced by the ‘living’ critters calling the ‘non-living’ critter a home, is that such a ‘theme-based’ reef construction enhances the fishery, encourages local fishermen to ‘self-protect’ the area, as well as provides an underwater compass course training ground. And it is fun! Some local resorts have already inquired about creating similar but more substantial reefs in our clime. Here’s hoping that the next theme-based reef is Shrek, the Donkey, et al.!!! It costs about $300usd to construct a ‘critter’ and place it.
Speaking of all things scuba, a veritable boom in the industry has been experienced in our region thanks to a gent in Surigao, and a gent in our more immediate clime. Other enthusiasts have contributed greatly also toward the establishment of a quantified industry in our region. Check out Butuan Bay Divers at https://www.facebook.com/groups/121781147907126/?view=permalink&id=147340152017892 This Club on Facebook has close to 130 members in less than 3 months of existence-most actually have gills. The regional and national Tourism entities are in active support of the effort to professionalize the industry. The immediate goal is to establish a sustained, well managed dive shop in our midst. Mayor Calo in nearby Carmen, as well as Regional Tourism gal Ms. Tan, is very supportive of the effort in the truest form. The Butuan City Tourism Office is, well, as proactive as the Masawa Hong Butuan care appears to be.
To accomplish the Dive Shop effort, adequately trained Instructors are required, and that process is in the fold. 6 local gents are being trained, (via private donation), as we speak, (2 of which are Balanghai Team members). Additionally, our entire region is being surveyed and catalogued to identify dive sites. Both the training and survey efforts are currently funded in part by a few of us, and we welcome all support. Visit the FB group for info. To date, two unknown reefs have been found, and research continues for three reported WWII wreck sites, two of which are near Nasipit. One of which appears to be vessel ‘Mayon’, bombed by the Japanese during WWII. Anyone having any shipwreck info please contribute. While Scuba Diving is a niche entity, the utilization of underwater attractions for the betterment of the entire community is both consistent with the push for eco-tourism projects, as well as the most untapped industry in our clime. The pioneers of Scuba in our clime have been restricted to shore access entries, or hiring a local banca boat. Local fisher folk are a great resource for info. This country has a stunning landscape, and an even more unique and beautiful seascape.
A whole lotta ocean has yet to be seen!
Speaking of more water stuff, our clime now has a Yacht Club, located in Surigao! While the term ‘yacht’ has some negatives, the reality is that such Clubs typically provide many essential and enhanced services to a region. Coast Guard offices often work in concert with such Clubs to acquire assets that the public budget cannot attain. As you may know, the Butuan City Coast Guard Unit is housed at a locale that has no immediate access to the waterway, and even if it did, does not have a boat. We have continually offered to construct Coast Guard office at Riverside Marina, where a dock system and immediate access to boats is already available. Yacht Clubs also often house Coast Guard Auxiliary units as well as provide venues for training and practice areas for refining skills. A few years back I taught a seminar on how to tarbuckle and right an overturned hull, for example. An active engaged club often maintains an accessible emergency response network for the entire boating community, as well as monitoring of emergency radio frequencies. If we remember the Princess of the Stars (?) tragedy of a couple years ago in which more than a 1000 souls perished, it is highly likely that if an active Yacht Club was in existence in that clime, emergency responders would likely have been on a ‘rescue’ mission rather than a ‘recovery’ mission. Nasipit, Masao, Magallanes and Butuan are/have active ports, but Butuan does not have a quantified, dependable or integrated rescue entity at this time. This can likely be accomplished by the private sector in support of the PCG, for the local PCG has demonstrated that it is not able to do so. If Butuan did have a professional entity, internationally flagged cruising vessels would be more apt to lay up in our clime for recreation/typhoon relief. Another tourism potential and boon to the local economy!
Looks like to crocs in the marsh are hungry again this year. A calf was taken and reports of a lost fisherman have filtered in from the marsh.
If you are a Facebook member, photos of our recently completed airboat trials will be posted next week. Many have asked to come to the launch, but the first shakedown cruise will include only 3 souls; the Skipper (me), Troy (in scuba gear so he can fish me out of the river), and DocRJ (so he can stop the bleeding). It’s like being buckled to a blender! If you are reading this on the www.butuanexpats.com platform, you can zip over to the photos section for a peek.
Bachelor Bus Service is a real asset to our clime. The drivers and cabin crew are always friendly and professional. A couple of us hitched a ride to Cagayan De Oro a couple weeks ago, and we all remarked about the deterioration of the highway condition, that only a couple years ago was in fine shape. One can only surmise as to the reasons why, and I wonder how the maintenance budget at Bachelor is fairing?
In the past few weeks I have had occasion to visit area hospitals, museums, and the library. In all places there was something missing, and I could not figure out what it was, but it struck me as strange. So I pondered, (between dives!), about other similar cities around the world I have been fortunate to visit in my days, and I finally figured out the unsettled feeling. Why did I not see any evidence of foundations or actual cash dependant donations from the historical prominent families in this clime? Why was there not, for example a, (use your favorite Butuan name here*) Hospice Wing, or a * Research Section in the library, or a *donated ‘Special Exhibit Section’ in the museum? Why is that, I wondered? Other cities of similar size and available resources have these attributes in relative abundance. I hope someone can point out the existence of such generosity, especially in a resource-rich clime where the overwhelming majority not only have so little, but also little hope of betterment. This brings to mind a couple of sayings, or as I refer to them, anthems;
1. There is no greater calling than to serve your fellow man. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak (disincluded). There is no greater satisfaction than to have done it well; and,
· 2. The self-serving arrogance of the bourgeoisie remains detrimental to the cause of conquering social injustice. Social injustice can only exist in an environment of abject cowardice. Step up for those less fortunate every day!
A couple years ago I was enjoying a chat with a prominent local politico, and we were talking about the political business model in this clime. Ever insightful, he maintained that the system in place was like a parasite in his being, for that once in the system, the internal parasite got so voracious that it would be suicide to try extricating himself from it, and the parasite would continue to attack him and his family even if he changed careers. In his mind, there was no way out once in, even as his heart adjusted as he aged. We then talked about the Nobel Peace Prize, and other similar awards celebrating social conscious and contribution. Currently the Nobel Prize is worth over a $1M, for just the prize alone. The ancillary benefits of a Nobel are much more substantial than the money for the prize! Kind of like spending a million bucks on a political campaign for a job that pays only 10% of that, only in reverse! I wonder…..
A few months back the futbol team, Azkals, were all the rage. Now it seems that ‘dragon boat’ teams are coming to the fore in PI as well as in our clime. Butuan City Recreation Dept is leading the local effort. What a wonderful concept if it comes to fruition! Each City with its own Dragon Boat Team, festivals in which visiting teams compete, and Butuan’s entry visiting other climes along with a portable kiosk presenting Butuan’s bounty to other folk. What a great idea-seems I’ve heard of this before somewhere……
Regarding Bisayan lessons, our absolutely wonderful maestra Mimi is working on an online Bisayan lesson program! With an average of 400 Western visitors arriving in Butuan each month, a language program on CD will be a wonderful service!
Steve, Mike and Troy will offer their contributions this week and the Stuff for Sale category on the www.butuanexpats.com website is updated featuring an electric scooter, our repo’d van, scuba stuff, and a couple of outboard engines, among others, so please check it out. Plans for a new townhouse at Riverside Marina are expected soon and will be posted thusly.
Til next time!
Greg May
July 18, 2011
Greetings All!
Clearing out the desk drawer this month-lots to discuss!
*A friend sent along an article about an issue that did not receive much attention from the news purveyors in the Butuan Region. The article stated the four Caraga Region Hospitals were barred from performing surgery last month by the Department of Health Regulatory Licensing Enforcement Division. It appears that the hospitals in question are located outside of the City proper, and generally serve the more disenfranchised in our clime. The medical community, when I queried, was generally tight-lipped, but expressed frustration. As far as I can tell, the Doctor’s that are supposed to be in residence for a full week at these hospitals, rarely are, for they sell their services, (and perhaps their souls), to the more established hospitals in BXU on a daily cash basis, when they are contracted to be on duty at the hospitals mentioned above. The result is that there are not enough available Doctors to perform surgery, and the populace suffers. The administrators of the City hospitals participate because they simply do not want to know, what they obviously know, and this somehow justifies their actions.
Both Steve and Mike were involved in the situation involving a multi-cab accident last month, one as a caretaker (Steve) and the other as both patient & caretaker. Their commentary is included this month in their monthly contributions. For Expats, the medical reality is worth the ponder!
*Richard Rash is entering the back 9 in heaven’s best golf course, and his wife Tita is coping with the transition in her life, and Joy (my wife) has been her sounding board. As per usual, the self-serving nutcases among the Expat community forced themselves on Tita which only created more stress for her in difficult times. It’s sad how these miscreants ‘suddenly’ appear at death, though none of them ever assisted in life. We made more than 30 oxygen trips for Richard, (among a multitude of other efforts), and the Expat community was well aware of his deteriorating conditions for more than a year. Of said group, he was assisted by 2 other Expats only, and in a decidedly minimal manner. It is worth asking those that blather about their volunteerism or other contributions toward the betterment of society. (they don’t). Usually they own/invest nothing while criticizing those that actually participate and support the betterment of the community. Conduct speaks for itself, and it is so unfortunate that a newly widowed wife has to tolerate this type of conduct.
* One of the first gents I met when I relocated here some 9 years ago was Butuan’s Bishop Pueblos, or Didi as he preferred. As nice a gent one would ever wish to know. Even then he was pondering retirement so he could feel the earth under his fingernails while exploring different methods of organic farming. Now well past normal retirement vintage, he has found himself caught up in a political quagmire in a very public way. In short, prior to leaving office, the former Prez of this country gave him a gift of a pricey SUV. Didi still acts in an official capacity as a mediator/facilitator in the mostly outlying climes of our region-many of which harbor nasty boys- and had expressed to the Prez that a more comfortable ride would be welcome, as trips to outlying areas generally are along inferior roads. All fine so far. If the Prez wants to give a gift to a friend-wonderful. We then learn that said gift was purchased with public funds, not from the Prez’ personal accounts, and to make the situation substantially worse, said funds were withdrawn from this countries lottery account. Ya know, the ‘legal’ gambling most attractive to those who can least afford to gamble-in a decidedly Catholic way…. As you can imagine, the conspiracy theorists criticize Didi for being ‘in the loop’ from the start, and simply dismiss the more reasonable likelihood, given Didi’s documented lifetime of goodness, that his friend simply gave him a wonderful gift, and he simply accepted. Unfortunately for Didi, his friend, (the outgoing Prez), did not seem to utilize a great deal of sound judgment in payment for same, and placed her friend at risk. Didi suddenly found himself in a public arena without a trusted media savvy cohort, and has been suffering the consequences ever since. Even if he returns the SUV, as he stated he might, the damage to his good name has already been done by irresponsible media who would not know how to honorably investigate a sneeze, but then again, seeking real truth is no longer in the media job description. Didi is a wonderful person, and I am proud/honored to know him.
*While we are having a discussion in a ‘Catholic’ manner, a Priest in Tubay is facing rape charges. How unfortunate. First, no adult should be foolish enough to get themselves into such a situation. Yes, innocent people sometimes find themselves in these types of situations by mistake, but generally it is easy to avoid. For anyone who works with children, this vigilance is a requirement. In short, an adult avoids any contact with a minor in a private setting, period. It is not very difficult to accomplish. In this case, such vigilance by an adult who happens to be a Catholic priest is of more importance given the unfortunate conduct of the church worldwide-relative to the boundless pedophile convictions the organization has incurred in recent times. As the list of convictions worldwide for rape/withholding evidence continues to mount, I have often wondered how this predominantly Catholic country will respond when the pedophile case load reaches these shores in a substantive manner? In any event, it is always sad when a person in a position of trust faces such accusations, for if innocent, reputation damage is already in force. As the judge in the Clemens case in the USA stated, ‘How does one ‘un-ring’ a bell?’ Great line, eh?
*A horse farm/stable has sprung up in our clime in Cabadbaran! The farm offers purchase assistance, full-time care and training options for those who want a horse but don’t have the space or requisite time. It is a wonderful environ to reconnect with the earth, or introduce a loved one to the unique world of horses. Email me for contact info.
*The local scuba diving world has exploded with activity in recent weeks. Butuan Bay Divers is a group of professional/recreational divers and their communication page can be found on FB. In two months of existence the group has more than 70 members! In brief, it appears that our region is on track to introduce a quantified Dive shop with qualified instructors available. Among the projects already in progress is the cataloguing of all the dive sites in our region, and the search for those undiscovered-quite exciting stuff for our region!
*A few weeks ago I presented our readership and the FB world with anti-child trafficking posters that I intended to print and install at local ports and hotels. The response was wonderful and 95% supportive. The Expat ‘fellowship of the miserable’ chimed in with the expected moronic hate mail complete with fictitious names, as per usual. Back in the real world, this presentation has evolved into a concerted effort by a local resident to lead the effort via the Child-Wise program, already in place in this country, but heretofore subdued in our clime. http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=103384923090642 is the link for more information, and I expect that this movement will pick up steam very soon, as the last organizational details are being arranged this month. In a related story, a local info provider has posted this truth, http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/butuan-wave/butuan-city-plaza-rizal-is-not-a-safe-place-anymore/208439292541889
My prediction is that B’s will start to force the local judiciary/law enforcement/social services to become better trained to deal with this scourge. They will also demand that local hoteliers comply with international standards.
*A local Expat is relocating back to his country of origin, and is offering all his belongings for immediate sale. Best case scenario is if someone is relocating to Butuan, the new arrival can step into a fully furnished apartment, with a vehicle and substantial rental discounts. All of his belongings are exceptionally well cared for. This type of ‘assumption’ has happened a few times in my nine years of residence, and has always worked out very well for both buyer and seller. I often have wished such an arrangement was available when I relocated here-I’d have jumped at the opportunity not to shopJ!
*Our neighbor is a local traffic cop, and he really liked our idea of ‘dancing in the street’, and took it to heart! Rush hour at the main intersection of town is much more enjoyable, (and safe), due to our friends actions. Many clips are available on You Tube-it’s great fun, and I hope the ‘City’ recognizes his efforts at some point.
*Back in the 1970’s, the USA was a turbulent place relative to race relations, as were many other countries. The world watched, or listened to reports of riots, marches and assassinations of civic leaders. Back then, there was no internet, no CNN and the like, and newsprint sources were often compromised. The civil/human rights movement had many leaders, some vocal some not. Like Butuan now, the world was evolving due to outside influence, better education, and courage from those willing to speak up against indignity. Ergo Clarence Clemons, saxophonist for the ‘E-Street Band’, lead by Bruce Springsteen, an international music icon. Mr. Clemons passed away last month and was quietly laid to rest. Unbeknownst to most, is that during the heyday of the bands’ popularity, this band would sneak off to small venues in highly troubled areas, stroll into a venue and play for free. Mr. Clemons, a black man of 6’5” stature, and Springsteen a Jewish man all of 5’10” and other band mates of all colors/creeds, played as a tight nit group of complete musical enjoyment. Often Clemons and Sprinsteen would play in various ‘hugging or subservient’ poses; thereby dismissing any notion that race/religion/nationality had any relevance with human relationships. It was an instructive life well lived, and the lessons demonstrated 40yrs ago, are relevant on this day, and also in this place (Butuan).
*On a related note, isn’t the concept of Patriotism being defined by Nationalism becoming outdated? Hasn’t widely available transportation systems, Internet and Cable TV supplanted Nationalism by Humanism?
*And speaking of Nationalism, one of the constant criticisms I hear from foreigners questions a national holiday, ‘Heroes Day’. They wonder who is a hero in a country of depressed condition like the Philippines. Answer(among others): http://www.bibingka.com/phg/malvar/default.htm And wouldn’t you know it, all of the magnificent privately funded improvements around City Hall and the library are accomplished by, you guessed it, this same family. Is there another private citizen in Butuan who has committed more effort to this clime’s benefit? And why does the City Gov’t not acknowledge such benevolence?
*A public hearing was held a couple weeks ago to gauge the response to a proposed casino at one of the two premier hotels in Butuan. The proposal was effectively tabled for the time being. Unfortunately, the ‘public’ was not notified in any rational/effective manner. It is a pet peeve to be sure, and so easily solved, the decided and continued lack of a community news/upcoming events source. How can a public hearing be held when the public is not invited???? Yeeesh
*Mike, Steve and I welcome a new columnist to our cooperative, Troy Mayne. Troy’s focus will be Butuan’s nightlife, arts & entertainment offerings in our region. He has stated that this endeavor involves extensive and repeated forays to local establishments for research, (ahem), purposes. Upon visiting his websites; www.sorrywally.com and www.oceanicimagery.com you can see where the aforementioned dive community excitement is sourced! Welcome Troy!
*We would still like to invite more columnists that would like to assist and inform the world about our clime. I remain hopeful that some local residents participate, as the Filipino perspective is most instructive for visitors and resident Expats alike.
*It appears that one Butuan’s two poker rooms has closed. It was set up as kind of a ‘speakeasy’, which made it more fun to attend-as well as the friendly and professional staff. Bummer….
*Here at Riverside Marina, the sailboat launch was a wonderful success, and we have pulled the boat for some tweaking. Next launch is next week for the airboat! If the propeller doesn’t disintegrate and maim onlookers, (or the pilot-me), then our docks should be clear of boats in time for the August 2nd water parade. And charter season approaches also!
*It is not too late to join the Bisayan students Wednesdays, 9am at Café Caliente. As is normal, the group’s progress is held up by the most diminished-that would be me-so if you wish to join you won’t be very far behind. Our maestra is wonderful!
The www.butuanexpats.com buy/sell page will be updated often in the next month, as well as the new photos link.
Til next time,
Greg May
Butuan Ramblings
06-06-11
Greetings All!
The mouth of the Agusan River is about 5 miles from our small marina, and depending on the number of ‘deadheads’, (not Garcia followers), present, can take as little as 10-15 minutes via motorboat to get there. Deadheads are lily islands, floating logs, dead animals, and the like. The mouth of the river is a wide expansive sandy delta in which a narrow shallow and unmarked channel exists. The mouth at times is home to some of the most turbulent water in our clime, especially when an incoming tide under a full moon confronts a powerful, fast and determined river. When the tide changes, the ocean seems to try to suck the river dry, and for a few hours, the velocity of the river becomes exceedingly pronounced. Flying overhead during these times one witnesses a huge bubble of brown silt emanating from the Agusan mouth, or what looks like a big round tub that is Butuan Bay, with a drain located as the lowest point of a plumbing system attached to a sewer that is plugged-and the neighborhood’s brown water is pouring through…(nice visual this!).
Bay’s generally do not flush very well, and Butuan Bay, (part of the Bohol Sea), is no different. The mouth of the Agusan is oriented in an unfortunate location relative to the prevailing open ocean influence, and therefore the condition is exasperated. At outgoing tides during the conditions mentioned, this big brown bubble that extends out into the bay gets much bigger, sometimes extending from Carmen to Tubay, where under normal conditions it sits from Magallanes to Buenavista. The constant siltation chokes and warms the affected areas, and marine life chooses other climes. One has to be north of Tubay or west of Nasipit to begin to find coral reefs and fish in more than sporadic numbers. Big fish are rarely, if ever, seen or caught in any of the affected areas. With constant and persistent, (Momma, there goes that word again), siltation, it won’t be long before some enterprising soul builds his house on one of the ‘increasing’ sandbars in the delta.
Butuan City is perhaps one of the best typhoon shelters in this country. As explained in previous Ramblings, the cruising/yachting world is always in search of safe harbors, but will not venture to Butuan because of the international warnings about Mindanao, as well as the impotence of our collective Tourism entities. No one at City Hall sees fit to invite them. Understandable, I mean what City would want any multi-millionaire to bring his/her multi-million dollar vessel to its shores……..:) If we take last month’s vision of a Balanghai Park/Dock a step further, safe harbor for international cruisers lying alongside a historic vessel is a wonderful and vivid contrast to be appreciated by many, if not all. The material list to accomplish this vision is a mooring chain, a block of cement, a garden hose and an extension cord. Not much of an investment on a cost/benefit ratio; the only thing lacking is a Tourism sector with an imagination. Perhaps the sight of the balanghai plying the Agusan on its cruises will inspire? (I am still holding out hope that this City build a huge crocodile along the riverbank that houses the Tourism office in its belly, has glowing eyes at night and spits fire during festivals)!!!!
Someone in this country/city is deserving of a pat-on-the-back for their progressive approach to reconstruction of Butuan’s major roadways. In short, a professional survey crew with state of the art equipment has been covertly floating around our clime. Once finished recording their ‘elevations’, an integrated roadway plan can implemented so that the elevations of all future roadways will be systematic to the extent that said roadways will all drain in a interconnected coordinated fashion. Previously, when a new road was built, its gradient level had little relationship to anything other than the elevation of the roadway to be repaired. This is quite an engineering challenge, as Butuan City’s elevation in relation to the mean high tide mark does not allow for much room for error. The entities that have provided the engineering for Butuan’s ever increasing drainage system have done a fantastic job in recent years, and residents will witness further improvements in the coming years. One needs only to remember the ponds that formed in front of Gaisano that are no longer evident-this due to efficient drainage installation and it will only get better.
Lots of positive feedback encouraging our local news station to set up a mobile studio in Rizal Park in the center of town for their nightly broadcasts. It makes sense on so many levels. Perhaps new features could be added, and maybe one day it can be an hour long program? ‘Business/Citizen/Policeman/Student/Volunteer/Doctor/Teacher….of the Month’ features perhaps? A wonderful method of encouraging public unity and pride.
On the web and Facebook, I find over 40 Butuan City related websites/pages. Half are reciprocal and none, (that I can find), are maintained daily/professionally. Why is that? Additionally, there are many ‘directories’, but none actually describe the goods/services offered. They provide an address and phone number. Let’s think about this for a moment. The authors of these directories painstakingly record this information and place it within the realm of current technology, (internet), so as to provide old technology information, (landline), and even older technology, (street address), in a City that does not have any street signs. Hmmmmmm.
When calling a landline, the only guarantee is that if the phone actually works, within 5 minutes a ‘for a while’ will be heard. Seems to me that an enterprising soul could produce a much more accurate and useful directory with a bit of effort, don’t you think?
While we are at it, why-oh-why does the City website promote ‘some’ businesses in the private sector and not others? If the techies at City Hall are not able to create a comprehensive and professional directory based solely on Biz permit info, no mention/advertising of any private sector entity should be mentioned at all on the website. It is an unfair practice, as is the ‘Tourism Certified’ farce quietly offered to ‘some’ businesses and not others. It is simply another tax levied on those who should expect that their Biz permit fees are sufficient to warrant their sponsored government to provide the exact same ‘promotion’ for all concerned, not just the chosen few.
Check this out, www.sorrywally.com the author of this series of children’s books wants to publish and donate his gains to charity, and provide these books to Filipino schools. There are about 250 resident Expats in our clime, (the # has fallen off lately), and 95% are good and decent folk simply quietly living their lives. Most quietly participate/contribute to the betterment of the B condition in their own manner. Gone are the ‘sex tour’ days that attracted foreigners to these shores. Those of that element that remained here have died, grown too old for such behavior or have moved to other climes, (thank you very much). HOWever, the local judicial system remains disjointed and ineffective. We read of arrests and convictions of child abusers throughout the Philippines in ever increasing instances, and some hoteliers in Butuan have installed guest rules on par with international standards of conduct-much to their credit, (that being that no unrelated child under 18 is allowed to accompany an adult into a hotel room. It is that simple. Participating in the international attention, (CNN Freedom project for example), now directed toward exposing human trafficking is not only an opportunity for Butuan’s growth, but also the right thing to do. Sadly, Butuan’s administration continues to choose not to participate in this effort in any substantive manner.
Updates in Mike and Steve’s commentaries, Items for Sale, and a new Comments page will come along this month in the www.butuanexpats.com website. I will start adding 3 yrs worth of Ramblings to the archives. We will be adding a Biz Review page in the near future as well as a Biz Ads page. The review page is where Expats can relate their experiences with a local Biz, and the Ads page is for Biz’s to advertise to our readership. By the way and under the ‘shameless plug’ heading, this website has now achieved consistent Top 20 search engine rankings for Butuan City-and we don’t use shady practices to achieve this. We write and the readership contributes and reads. Achievement based on merit-what a concept! Our thanks to all!
Have you visited the Butuan City Library yet? In addition to access to a considerable amount of historical material, (visit the 2nd floor), it is a clean quiet place to explore. Residents can check out books for a nominal fee, but there are a few issues to consider.
- If the gal in charge is not present, no one else has the authorization to allow you to borrow books.
- It appears there is a catalogue system, but the ‘recreational’ reading section is a mishmash-no organization whatsoever. Here is hoping that when the mgmt of the library gets around to organization, that they will do so by genre on the shelves….
- Residents are only allowed to borrow a book for a period of one week. Not a well thought out policy, this….
Over at the Capitol, there is a small agri-fisheries informational Expo this week. There is some quality information on farming in the ground and in the water. Lots of Expats inquire about this subject. Good contacts to be found here. On a related note, the local tractor shop has a couple ‘real’ tractors on display (finally)!
Perhaps you have read about recent arrests in PI for smuggling natural resources. It appears that the larger culprits were allowed to exist by paying off prosecutors and other Gov’t officials. Last month the concept of ‘partnership’ was approached, and how some contributors/partners with Butuan City were being treated with a distinct lack of courtesy by this new administration. It says here that if the new administration has failed in maintaining existing partnerships, their judgment in formulating new partnerships may be suspect, as well as the moral/ethical quality of the new partners. Time will tell for sure, but I sincerely hope that when potential partners/investors consider Butuan City, that the mutual goal is for them to succeed economically and also be contributing members of the community. A moral burden is also placed on the new partners to refuse to participate in corruption, as this debilitating practice undermines the prosperous future of this clime and country. Let’s hope that this administration chooses wisely, as well as treats their new partners in a much more professional manner that is currently exhibited.
Those of you interested in meeting once a week for breakfast, take a peek at Budget Foods across from PNB on Montilla, and let me know what you think. For a lunch mtg, anyone prefer ZThoms? Caliente is the clear choice so far, or perhaps we can alternate?
Anyone wishing to join us for Visayan lessons, they are currently held each Wednesday at 9am at Steve’s house in Ampayon. The venue may change once the group becomes more solidified. Contact Steve at currahee68@yahoo.com for details. I used to think that learning a dying language was not worth my few remaining brain cells. I was wrong. I have seen how appreciative local folk are when meeting an Expat that tries to communicate in the local tongue. It is worth at least some effort to learn methinks. Even though the Biz of the country is presented in English, a little effort from Expats to learn the local language cannot be a bad avocation!
Til next time!
G
Butuan Ramblings!
05-28-11
Greetings All!
Strong tides and large moons in unison bring pronounced fluctuations in Agusan River levels. Last week we had almost a 7’ tide here at Riverside, while 4 miles upstream past the ‘elbow’ in the river where the tide has little, if any, effect, the river remained at its normal meandering level. It is at these times when one can see just how much water the Agusan actually funnels into the sea on a daily and persistent basis.
Ah yes, there is that word again; persistent. Vigilant, unrelenting, consistent. If righteous and democratic freedom is the goal, then persistence is the pre-requisite. The pursuit of freedom has to be impervious to the tides, or a shift in the wind. Perhaps our upriver neighbors that lead simpler lives without ‘modern conveniences’, seem so thankful to live beyond the tides.
As you may know, Butuan City was loaded with events in the month of May. Unfortunately our region remains without a reliable and adequately managed information resource, so the events were poorly attended, and when so, little diversity in the audiences were evident. Different event-mostly the same people every time. Additionally, and perhaps most unfortunate, is the scheduling ambiguity of most of the events. For example, one of the most wonderful events to be held in Butuan was a soccer/futbol/football tournament for different age groups/divisions this week. FYI for those reading this from other global climes, the Philippines is trying to enter the international conversation by qualifying for the World Cup. The national team has earned some significant victories recently and two of the team members visited Butuan during the tournament. Since game times were not posted for the community in any accessible fashion, we visited the sports complex, (more on this later), to see if we could determine when the ‘feature’ game was to be held and when the PI Team members were going to be present. We visited the tournament tent amidst all sorts of matches in progress, on small ‘pitches’, and noticed that there were no ‘match times’ evident on the schedules. It was a festive and colorful scene, though it was difficult to discern who was playing who at any time. We were told that the ‘feature’ game was to be held the following morning at 8am. We show up at 8am, and it was clear that nothing was happening any time soon, so we inquired at the tent as to the schedule for said game. “It will start at 8am, or maybe 9am, we’ll just wait”, is the response we received. I have attended numerous PBA, (pro basketball), games in PI, and not a single game ever started at any time other than what was advertised-so we can safely conclude that the lack of schedule mgmt., is not a Philippines ‘thing’, as so many apologists like to claim. It, again, is a Butuanon ‘thing’, and is a trait that is counter-productive for the growth of this City. Historically, B’s are inordinately proud of themselves as they smirk, “for a while”. Filipinos in more educated climes would be utterly embarrassed to such ignorance, as they realize how insulting such drivel is to themselves and their country. Butuanons have not evolved to this realization yet-but they will….
Butuan City now has a City Tourism Council, which is comprised of a small group of highly respected local people. This council seems to act in an advisory capacity designed to assist in the direction and implementation of programs operated by the City Tourism Office. These are considerable efforts which likely include long range planning and identification of demographic markets. I bring this to your attention because it seems quite clear that Butuan City leadership desires to present our clime to the ‘Tourism World’ in a competent and professional manner. It then logically follows that said efforts of presentation require a respectable level of competency in the attributes it is promoting. In this sense, Butuan has some serious work ahead of itself relative to the ‘conditions’ of the sites it wants people to choose to spend their discretionary income to visit. First and foremost, the Tourism industry must make every effort to edit the current ‘warnings’ other countries have regarding the lack of safety in Mindanao. The Butuan region is very safe, and much different than the conditions in southern/eastern Mindanao. Perhaps the local Tourism professionals have concluded that their demographic market is domestic, which is their prerogative. However they are aligned with the national Tourism entities and this tact would be inconsistent. Secondly, the tourist sites that are promoted are all in substandard condition. The worst thing a Tourism industry can do is to provide an environment that results in ‘tourists’ being unhappy about the ‘attractions’ they chose to visit due to the efforts of our local Tourism professionals. On this day, Butuan Tourism seems to be ‘putting the cart before the horse’, by not maintaining the actual ‘tourist sites prior to inviting visitors. I could use the term ‘shoddy’, (horse, shod…er, sorry:)………
In any event, it is clear that Butuan City is on an upswing, and part of said upswing requires behavioral improvement. B’s that have lived in more developed countries are generally the people most frustrated by issues that can be easily rectified. This is a good thing, because they care deeply about their hometown and country. Not having a widely advertised set time/place for a wonderful event like the soccer game, or a parade, or a concert…..is simply not acceptable in 2011. Again, this is not a Filipino ‘thing’; it is a ‘Butuanon’ thing. If Butuan wants to participate in the world of 2011, it has to conduct itself as such.
Some folks lambaste me for being too critical or direct in my writings, and in general, these are folks who have the, ‘pity the poor Filipino’ apologist attitude. The vast majority of B’s abhor this type of attitude because they know how debilitating it is for Butuan’s future, and to this country. An interesting side note, we hosted a young couple, (Filipino) at Riverside last week, and the gal was the most direct, persistent, intelligent and polite person one could ever hope to meet. Via text, her multiple questions about Butuan, Riverside Marina and travel arrangements were exacting and thorough. They reside in Davao. Her expectations and standards for time/date information exceeded international standards of excellence. Again, the distinct lack of available and accurate about Butuan City information was not acceptable for them, because what Butuan offers in professional presentation remains decidedly inferior. This is a more relevant focus for the B community, prior to inviting visitors.
Butuan City could hold an ‘incomplete project festival and tour’, and the ‘sports complex’ could easily assume center stage. The blight of vacant, unmaintained and abandoned construction/facilities projects has numerous deleterious effects on/for a City. The reasons for such have been due to past political spats, where one politician will sabotage a project of a rival, and lack of management of public policy. The most glaring being the awarding of building permits without a bond requirement designed to ensure adequate funding for completion. For a City that has given substantive lip service toward the evolution from seeking ‘investors’ to now seeking ‘partnerships’, it seems reasonable to expend reasonable effort ‘cleaning one’s own house’ prior to seeking most anything?
Speaking of the concept of partnerships, this administration does not appear to have any concept of how to maintain such. They have certainly been an abject failure with our 3yr partnership for our investment of the Tourist Information kiosk at the airport, and have failed similarly with at least two other local major contributors/partners. In one case, a case has been filed against the City. Regardless of the particulars, this is simply poor public policy, and can hobble a City, (of course the citizen’s suffer the most), for years to come. While administrative change is always a challenge, especially in Butuan’s case from a decade’s old entrenched clan, maintaining existing partnerships or concluding same in an honorable and respectful manner is always in the citizen’s best interest and often in the new administrations. Dropping off of a registered letter at the Mayor’s office does not even warrant the courtesy of a professional response. I cannot think of any public office in the internationally successful global community that subscribes to such foolishness; remember, on the Tourism side of City Hall there are substantial efforts to attract visitors, yet on the administrative side, conduct is anything but ‘attractive’! It appears that this administration has a substantial learning curve in this regard, and we remain hopeful that this is a distinct area of improvement in the future.
The Butuan entry into the triumvirate that comprised the recent Balanghai Expedition is now being utilized as a tour boat on the Agusan River. A magnificent site to behold, especially when they hoist a ‘faux’ sail on their downstream leg. Currently the vessel is being towed by the City rescue boat, (at less than waterskiing pace J), or by a small boat with a single I/O engine. All passengers seem to greatly enjoy the cruise, and it is a wonderful sight to behold. The City Tourism office is where cruise information can be found. Hopefully the City website is functioning.
Yeesh!
HOWever, something is just not right with this picture. The small boat is grossly underpowered for the towing task it was designed for. From a full stop, the boat is able to tow effectively. Should the towboat get tangled in lilies, have a fuel delivery issue, or stall for any number of reasons, a potential disaster awaits. The small boat does not have a ‘kicker’ or spare engine installed, and should a stall occur, the weight of the substantially heavier Balanghai boat would place the still tied small boat in immediate peril due to the deceivingly strong current of the Agusan River. Further, if being towed upstream, the Balanghai vessel would be at the mercy of the current, and at some point would have to become broadside to the current in order to tack away from same. Even if the small tow boat regains power, it would be very dangerous to attempt to regain control of the larger vessel. There are sandbars, whirlpools, bridge abutments and jagged shorelines to avoid, but with no means of adequate power, the vessel and paying customers are placed at great risk. Examining this operation further, vessels of a certain size and those that carry ‘ticket-purchasing’ passengers, are required to comply with the appropriate registration, generally include a boat-builders certificate sourced from a marine architect/engineer, and that said registration be prominently displayed on the hull-just like the ferries that ply the waters to Magallanes. Neither the tow boat nor the Balanghai vessel seems to have evidence of registration, viz, safety requirements. We also note that the two P3.5M vessels currently rotting at the City docks, (which I have stated as being akin to floating coffins); remain at that location because they cannot achieve the requirements for licensure. At the very least, this is bad public policy, and less than responsible ownership. When the cruises first began there was always a tender in unison with the tow boat, and this should be a minimum requirement. HOWever, I read where tickets cost P150 and 30 souls is the maximum allowed to board. If my math is correct, that means that the gross receipts per cruise amount to P4500. Out of that P4500, expenses of labor, maintenance and fuel must come, and I suspect that the reason we do not see a tender accompanying the cruise, is that the cruises are not profitable, and as is often the case, passenger safety becomes compromised. If a mishap does occur, Butuan City will garner a long held negative ‘name recognition’, akin to ‘Sulpicio’ safety records. Again, bad public policy.
Imagine a riverfront lair, visible from the bridge, for anchorage for this grand vessel. An informational kiosk for the eyes, adequate/secure parking, clean/maintained public bathrooms, and a boardwalk café with tables and umbrellas, viz, a source of B’s pride that celebrates the history and ethnicity of the region. Perhaps the Tourism office would be located here also? Once in place, roadways can be adjusted to allow for easy access to the Balanghai Pier. Perhaps the Coast Guard Station can be incorporated into the plan allowing for a more prominent/appropriate presence. It would soon be difficult for travelers to avoid stopping at the Pier, either by happenstance or by itinerary. The vessel has earned an appropriate nest and appropriate care-laying against a couple of sticks and a pile of cement bags is dishonorable on many levels. Hopefully the smarter will prevail!
Numerous new and exciting businesses have opened or are in the process of opening in Butuan. These businesses all have incorporated a high degree of international standards of excellence and management. The facilities are clean, safe and reasonably priced, and present a new/unique approach to our clime.
In Langihan, the Wing-On Meatshop is carries a wide variety of international foods and meat/fish products. It is a new facility located across from the side entrance of the Wing On grocery store, (super food values found here), that incorporates other services such as a reliable ATM, Sun Cellular and a few other stores I can’t remember at this time. The people are very friendly and know their products.
Katerc’lei Lodge in Guingona subd is a full service apartelle in a quiet, accessible location. This is a great option for extended stay visitors. It has a coffee shop, internet café and a small restaurant is right across the street, as well as being a short walk from Café Caliente, which is one of this town’s favorite dining destinations.
Boy’s Asian Homecooking/Beer & Wine Room is yet another fantastic creation of the Margie’s ownership group. Located in the new ‘smallmall’ across from Luciana Convention Center near Gaisano, the ambiance of a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere is so well planned that it allows for multiple experiences, (soft, loud, convivial…), in a single space. ‘Boy’ is the first name of a member of the ownership family, not a restriction of who is welcome….:)
From the desk drawer: Given as how I continually lament the lack of upcoming event information, and the absolute lack of transparency in City Hall, I would propose that a wonderful attraction for this town would be a live ‘news’ program at the center of town in the park. Perhaps ABS-CBN might consider producing their nightly news show from an outdoor set??? Aside from that proposal, and given that there is no shortage of ‘character actors’ in this clime, a Town Crier would appear each evening in full costume and throat, announcing the events of the day to the gatherings? Imagine how much ‘Tourism’ play this simple nightly act would garner. Countrywide media coverage, a sensation on You-Tube as well as a nightly OFW B’s fix on FB in whatever clime they currently reside?
From the other drawer: As readers may know the Ancient Kingdom of Butuan is also the Kingdom of antiquated electrical service and management. When the lights go out in the City, (thank you Journey/Arnel Pineda), the traffic lights disappear and ‘often’ a traffic cop appears. I wonder if there are any in the traffic community with a healthy sense of humor, some acting acumen, which would conduct traffic safely, but do so in an entertaining manner? Butuan could become known for this!!
I wonder if anyone in the Tourism Office…..oh well…..you know.
Mike Jansen is our newest columnist. Mike is a veteran, and a younger soul than most expatriates that choose to relocate to this country. Perhaps more unusual, and admirable, he chose to relocate knowing that he would have to use his noggin’ and effort to support he and his wife, Beth. With his due diligence of researching the vast difficulties of attempting to create a supplemental income in this country, he persists and is making headway. And his contributions mostly will be related to these challenges. Welcome Mike!
My apologies to all for this month’s delay in publishing Rambling’s, and to those who know the reasons, my sincere thanks for your kind offerings and thoughts. All is healed and I am back to normal gimpy condition!
Peace baby!
____________________________________________________
04-15-2011
Greetings All!
A collective breathe of relief has finally been drawn by all the folks residing along the banks of the Agusan River. After four months of floods and such, our river level gauge reads normal this morning at 6am. People are beginning to replace and repair in earnest, confident that the flood season, and the Butuan City Relief speedboats will do no further damage to shoreline dwellers, (like they did to the docks and boats at Riverside Marina), at least until the onset of rainy season hugging Christmas later this year. Scanning the shoreline, the height of the generational floods is still marked by the dull brown horizontal mud lines much too high in the trees to be believable, but the marks remain to defy logic.
As the river level declines, it brings debris of all manner and sort cascading past our docks. Additionally, as the river flushes and a full moon tide rushes in, there are two sections of the river that struggle for dominance. The result is that at the first upriver conflict, just upriver of the old bridge in Agao, whirlpools can be significant and deadly. Farther upriver in Bi-tos, the river takes a sharp left turn and whirlpools abound here also. Both locations are the deepest points in the entire river. Three souls were lost yesterday in these whirlpools according to our friends in the local boating community. Most of the boats that ply the river are underpowered narrow wooden boats with outriggers, or hollowed out canoes. The boats don’t get sucked into the depths, but the souls falling overboard have little chance of survival. At most, these violent conditions last little more than an hour or two during tide change, and one would reasonably assume that the ‘Butuan Rescue Boats’ snugly tied less than a kilometer from Agao, (the most violent of whirlpool action), might consider flopping out of their hammocks to check on the conditions during such an obvious situation, and when the ‘water-taxis’ are busy. Sorry-silly thought……
In the last Ramblings’ I offered my reasons for starting this effort a few years ago, as well as why I formed a partnership with the City of Butuan and constructed/financed the Tourist Information Kiosk now present at the arrival terminal at the Bancasi Airport. More on this later-however, the primary motivation was, and remains my desire to assist people coming to this area for the first time by providing accurate, simple and unfettered information, to the best of my ability. Few locals have any idea of how challenging it is for a foreign national to acquire accurate information about basic services in this clime. Even today, the information available on the internet is incomplete and unsatisfactory. The City of Butuan finally has a web presence, but it is poorly designed and not well maintained, as well as being so compromised by the convolution of public/private information-that none of the information provided would appear to be trustworthy by those residing in a free and democratic society. There is still no source for uncensored news, and City Hall remains more of a vacuum than during the previous decade’s long administration. 7am; I just clicked on www.butuan.gov.ph Nothing/Nada-give it a try from wherever you are in the world and please comment….
Anyway, back to the issue at hand. I have been seeking-and still seek-additional columnists to offer their insights and experiences about life in Butuan City. Writing a weekly/monthly column is an interesting exercise and has brought its share or reactions, as do most. The salient attempt has always been to ‘keep it real’, and the realities of Butuan are what they are-regardless of which pair of rose colored glasses one wishes to don. As an aside, during the evolution of Ramblings, two pertinent events happened; 1) the advent of discussion groups/chat rooms, and 2) the advent of Facebook.
The discussion group phenomena was a wonderful addition for the world community for it provided a forum for people to communicate, debate and connect with loved ones throughout the world. Relative to discussion groups, an ugly reality arose, for that many of these groups were ‘owned’ and/or ‘moderated’ by a single person or a small group with an agenda, and very often presented themselves to be something their conduct dictated that they were not. ‘Moderators’ quickly learned how to manipulate the opinion of others in order to influence and compromise the free sharing of thought. Any person who expressed original thought that was divergent than the ‘moderators’ agenda was ‘banned’, with no specific citations given. (breaking the rules is not a citation). These ‘groups’ popularity are in various stages of decline, for some ‘moderators’ consider themselves to be referee’s, or do not have a competent command of a different language. A good analogy might be watching a complete sporting event, and at its conclusion, none of the spectator’s would have any recollection of any umpire/referee decision directly affecting the outcome of the contest. The best ‘refs’ are the ones you don’t notice, and sadly most ‘moderators’ never caught on to the concept.
And then Facebook and Twitter entered the cyberspace fray. After numerous glitches and such, it appears that FB is now the international forum of choice for those who have the requisite courage to place their views in the public forum. The negative of FB is that one’s contributions are confined only to those one ‘friends’. I expect this to change in some platform quite soon. The absolute beauty of Facebook is that it is self moderated, meaning that if a person wants to be a jackass, FB steps out of the way and the reading public trounces on the carcass-how great is that?
As for owning a website, like www.butuanexpats.com the owner(s) can choose to publish comments from the readership, or avoid the issue and entertain private discussions via personal email. This is the route that I had previously chosen simply because of time constraints. And please remember, a website can or cannot be a discussion group-owners choice. The new expat website allows for comment, (and boatloads of spam as well), and this was a functional choice because after a few years of spouting my thoughts, I would like for the readership to hear opinions from other columnists about life in Butuan City. Everyone’s situation is different and expanding the array of columnists better serves potential visitors, now that www.butuanexpats.com has attained very high rankings in various search engines. The high rankings validate the reasons for starting the informational website.
So the offer is this, any person who will commit to writing a column for a minimum of six months is welcome to present their proposal subject. I edit for syntax and grammar only. Your writing cannot use cuss words, and you must cite your sources. You do not have to know me, like me or share similar mindset-you own your own words. Comments from readership will be posted for all to see. You send your column, I preview and we may discuss some points, but the final decision for publication belongs to you. I hope that some local Filipino’s consider participating also. So that is the offer.
Mr. Steve Oliphant has been a part time resident of Butuan City for quite a few years, and his first column appears this month. I hope all enjoy getting to know him.
May is festival month in Butuan City. I expect less than 200 returning Butuanons from international climes to attend this year. Last year there were less than 500. The question needs to be asked as to whether public funds are efficiently utilized to host the wide array of events scheduled for so few attendees? I’m just askin’? When the Balanghai boat returned a few months ago, City Gov’t offices comprised about 90% of the attendees. Last year’s voyage on the City Gov’t replica floating death traps hosted Gov’t employees 10:1, because they were ‘ordered’ to attend. Isn’t it time to consider a different, efficient and more professional approach?
Just in time for festival month, intermittent power outages are again beginning to plague Butuan City. One has to wonder what type of demented excuse for managerial failure is going to be provided this year? This is their website http://www.aneco.com.ph/index.asp I was particularly enthralled when clicking on the ‘News’ tab, only to find, ‘No News Found’. Honestly folks, I’m not making this up! On the announcement tab, there is a blackout schedule by region displayed-but no information. Yeeeeesh!
At Riverside Marina, boats are being built and new designs are being experimented with. A 24’ sailing Cat is in the works, Freedom will be launched as soon as the ramp is clear, and an airboat hull is awaiting for the engine tuning prior to fabricating the mountings and such. The BAMATA sailboat raises her sail on calm days to enthrall passersby, and a 30+ baroto from the mountains awaits her oarsmen. It appears that our Monitor lizard has chosen a less hectic dwelling so Alvin, (Joy’s little Velcro dog), does not appear to be on the menu any longer.
We have some new additions on the ‘Stuff for Sale’ page-even a scooter that is a ‘collectors’ item, because it was once registered to the Ampatuan(sp) clan, the dudes accused of assassinating more than 50 souls last year. Speaking of bad guys, crime is up a bit in our half of Mindanao-and that is worrisome on a number of fronts.
One of the nicest additions to town is the near completion of a ‘very Chinese’ mall on the service road behind Gaisano, near the Capitol. Also, The Red Palm is a new quaint hotel that has a very interesting menu that includes Brazilian beef cuts. It is a very well built, nicely situated little hideaway located behind Gaisano also. Be careful near the Capital for the Public Works dept has removed the median, but has left rebar sticking up to tear up your tires. The potholes have multiplied near the Capitol also. Do heavy trucks actually pay a load tax in this clime? The temporary closing of the highway bridge, heavy flood season and increased heavy loads on roadways not constructed for big trucks has turned Butuan into pothole heaven. Perhaps Butuan can hold a pothole festival with citizens grabbing a shovel. I’ll bet that most potholes on the major traffic roads could at least be temporarily patched on a Saturday morning-God knows what the Butuan City Dept of Public Works does, but just a hint-most successful cities privatize such endeavors.
The wind tells me that there is a big tree planting event planned in the near future-very cool. Perhaps if the City can maintain a website, the citizenry might be able to participate????
A local gent has been leading a very vocal charge designed to force ANECO, the local electricity provider, to conduct its business as an actual Cooperative, rather than being controlled by a small group of private citizens. Another local gent has spoken up about a streetlight that runs ‘backwards’, and some traffic cops not doing their jobs at certain intersections. Another local gent has been photographing illegal dumping of garbage and challenging law enforcement to act. A local gal has confronted the Catholic Church to speak out against and expose any priests involved in the worldwide scourge of child rape. Another citizen has expressed disappointment that some advertisers were not following the law relative to hanging banners. Another has spoken out against multicabs continually parking in the middle of the highway in front of the big church in Libertad. The citizenry is speaking up more and more, and the hope is that many more will continue to do so in a polite but firm manner. It is every citizen’s job to participate, and those at City Hall generally welcome such civic support. Butuan is still in the midst of a mountainous change of leadership, so I propose that we all continue to support by participating more than less.
I have received some emails inquiring about restarting a weekly meeting somewhere. As far as I know, some Expats still meet on Friday afternoons at the Narra restaurant around 2pm along the highway in Libertad. I am up for a morning coffee or a lunchtime gathering that encourages spouses/partners to participate. Any thoughts? 
By the way, the photo is our installation of an extended breakwater to protect our property from debris and ‘relief boats’-Maki and Richard have worked with us off and on for 7 years, and it has been a joy to participate in their journey into the fine young Butuanon men they are today. They know how to operate modern tools safely and have learned to be efficient of thought when presented a task. Both in their early 20’s, they have a wide array of skill sets not normally found in this clime. The sad reality is that they do not happen to have the ‘correct’ last names or born into the bourgeoisie, so the odds are that they will have to exit the country at some point to have a chance at earning a decent wage. Bluntly, should they procreate/marry; another group of Filipino children will grow up without knowing their father, for he will be away for months/years at a time. And the country will continue to founder and marriages and family units will continue to suffer.
The Philippines need leaders who lead, and a citizenry that demands no less. The aforementioned folks who are speaking up are leaders. Help them. Join them. Participate and speak up.
How about this; instead of spending exorbitant public funds on producing the yearly beauty/smut contest/show of prancing around young Catholic girls in their bikini underwear, (ever hypocritical in the typical Catholic sort of way), let’s give each contestant, sponsors and attendee’s a pair of work gloves and a shovel, and the public money spent on the contest be directed toward cement/gravel/sand. The gal/sponsorship team that fills the potholes in the most efficient manner gets the Miss Butuanon crown.
Now that would be a tourist attraction and create legitimate worldwide buzz for Butuan!!
What do you think, am I serious?
And by the way, in Steve’s photo he is standing in front of his shiny dually, that hauls a shiny 5th wheel-the package being located somewhere in Utah- last I heard, he would like to sell the package, so if you know someone in the US that wants to hit the road, Steve’s rigs are available for sale.
Til next time
Greg May
02-22-11
Greetings All!
Was there really ever a doubt?
The Agusan River reminded all that in this clime, the River remains King.
Shots have been taken to weaken in recent years, (viaducts, canals, drainage, and the like), but the Agusan rose to levels never before recorded, and reasserted dominance in this Kingdom.
Here at Riverside, I invited many to visit for a swim in our kitchen! Our cleanup continues still, and likely will for the immediate future. There were three floods in the past couple months, and the river remains swollen still. The middle flood crested at almost 4’ above the highest recorded level in the past ten years.
On the positive side, the first flood brought this community together in a manner never before seen. Spearheaded by Urios University, the major university in this clime, the downtown gymnasium was converted into a relief center. Donations of needed supplies poured in from the community. TV and radio stations joined the effort, and Facebook became the communication conduit. Positive synergy all, and this first effort exposed a glaring need in this community and one clamored for in Ramblings since its inception, and that being a single, official and well maintained information resource. At this floods height, a rumor filled the region about an upriver dam being forced to open its gates to save its integrity. The increased water flow threatened to swamp an already submerged City. Legitimate sources were cited, and people were preparing for the worst. Thankfully, no such release ever happened nor was planned, and the river level slowly retired and the rains took a break. The spurious information caused quite a bit of confusion and needless worry.
Little did we know that soon a new round of storms and flood would grow to be a generational event. Here at Riverside the cleanup began and the damage to some boats was palpable. On the humorous side of the ledger, our wharf received a new tenant, that being a stunningly beautiful 3’ long black/yellow, and quite rare, Mindanao Monitor Lizard. We have not seen him since the height of the 3rd flood this week, but should he reappear, I need to relocate him, for he is bigger than my bride’s favorite pup, and that is probably not a story that ends well…..
The second flood was the most sobering, as it was the highest and most pervasive in recent memory. Still reeling from the first flood and its recovery, this flood went for the jugular and heart of the City. In addition, the velocity of the river exceeded all recorded history, and the mouth of the river became a wild and dangerous stretch of water. At this same interval, the Balanghai Voyage/Expedition was bringing Butuan’s vessel home to its lair, and concluding a heroic journey of peace/unity of sailing around Southeast Asia. Not only was Butuan straining with City services, but also was stressing to receive the Expedition heroes in an embracing manner befitting such an undertaking. As befitting the bent of this crew, as soon as they landed, all immediately joined in rescue efforts in this clime.
Adding to this scenario, Captain Art Valdez entertained one of his most difficult decisions in their 15 month epic journey, whether to set sail to Butuan ahead of an impending storm or try to wait it out by hiding behind an island. Decision made, and a run across an open sea strait angling toward a safe port near Butuan was in the offing.
Surly 15’ following seas in driving rain was to be the last challenge. A disaster at sea was an unthinkable conclusion to such an expedition, but a perfect storm of nature, nationalism, life and the immediate progress of this burgeoning Nation all sprayed the spirit of nation building stowed in the marrow of each aboard. This was the risk Mr. Valdez was taking in deciding to forge through. The churning seas increased their grip on the expedition, refusing to let the expedition angle toward safe harbor, for the battering waves continually broadsided them off course. Without benefit of forward channel information, the decision was made to turn into the frothing Agusan, read the water for hazards as best they could, and fight the overflowing Agusan home to its lair.
In a 15 month journey to Nations and waters unknown, the last day of their voyage was a final exam aced with a perfect score…
The positive synergy in this country is palatable. This Nation’s Government is demonstrating with its deeds that the gangster methods of the past are no longer tolerated. The judiciary appears to be growing out of its teething stage and incisors are surfacing.
Butuan’s new Mayoral administration is following suit, and in stunningly rapid fashion. Despite the many challenges from Mother Nature, as well as arson? at City Hall, this administration forges forward. They walked into a field of suppressed bounty choked by weeds and rusty barbed wired, hacked through it and have turned most of the soil into neat furrows ready for growth. Via remnants from a long ago past, one can see that Butuan was once a producing harvest, only to fall to eventual decay.
It was into this decomposing and putrefied clime that I set foot on for the first time 8 years ago. I now see sprouts of green peeping out of this field, fertilized by the Balanghai Team to be sure, plowed by the efforts of those young adults from generational families who have set up shop in their hometown while refusing to submit to corrupt politicos, and now planted by this new Mayoral Administration.
I have often been asked why I, as a resident Expat, would subject myself to the public condition by writing Ramblings, aggressively exposing that portion of resident foreigners who abuse Filipino’s,(especially kids), and participating in this community via the City Tourism Office of the former administration.
Here are the answers;
1. It is my (and everyone’s) civic responsibility to participate in improving conditions for the other guy-regardless of race, nationality, religion…
2. I chose to invest, (substantially) here. The best method to protect my investment was to become part of the system that was in place. By working from within, as best I could, my hope was to forge positive growth, and thereby insure that my investment would benefit my new family for generations.
3. To be legitimate, one cannot play favorites, or protect indiscretions based solely on familiarity/nationality/cronyism. (B’s need a refresher course on this). When I arrived, the most visible collection of Expats was those who thrived on public boozing, criticizing and abusing those less economically fortunate. That is not me, and I refused to be painted as such. To date 6 of the worst Expat abusers have left this clime-and I am darn proud to have participated in their departure. Treating all people in a fair, respectful manner builds trust, and friendships are forged in same. I am humbled and proud to note that I have far more friends here than enemies. As a side note, amidst the bomb/death threats, website hacking, and other cowardly acts directed toward me, many have received letters of condemnation about me in the past few years, unsigned of course, and I am thankful to those people who have sought out the authors so as to challenge them to substantiate their vitriol. To date none of these authors has come to the fore in a public manner, and a couple have even apologized, and mostly these documents/threats are fodder for a few giggles. There are more than 300 resident Expats in this clime, and 95% are good and decent people quietly living a life. Most quietly participate and contribute towards the betterment of this clime. 5% take as much advantage of the economic and educational disparity for their own selfish and narcissistic bents, and unfortunately find that due to an incompetent judiciary, are able to exist and abuse without ramification.
Each year more foreign nationals will arrive and eventually be treated in less of a bigoted/racist manner that we are now. Foreigners are actively recruited to this ‘friendly’ country, only to find that treatment of them is anything but. Forever cheated, foreigners have few basic rights in this country, but this too will change as this country recognizes the rapid advancement of other Asian countries that previously recognized the wisdom that transparent and fair treatment of other peoples is far more beneficial than constant attempts to defraud.
To this end, Butuan’s field of bounty/dreams is tilled and sprouts of life are emerging from the furrows. Of course there are still weeds along some of the edges, gates to the future need to be adjusted and re-hung, fences are in need of mending in places, but by and large, it is time to attack the honey-do list of my own home with greater fervor, and sit back and watch the sprouts grow. Oh sure, the field will require a little attention from time to time, and one never knows when a pig might try to burrow in the field, but it is often best when one reaches this stage of growth, to step away, watch life happen and anticipate the glorious days at harvest. And so Ramblings will…..
On this day, it is pretty clear that Mr. Ferdinand Amante and his team, are pretty good farmers, but then again, with Balanghai Team fertilizer, how can they miss?
Is the local TV station being fair to the new Mayoral team??? Soon after the administrative change I watched a story in which the Mayor was featured at a banquet where tables of plentiful food were on display. The following story was about prevalent hunger in a section of our city. This type of ‘reporting’ does not happen by accident, and presents unfavorable subliminal messages. I jumped the Mayor before Christmas for inappropriate travel due to information from a public source-thankfully the information was learned to be incorrect, and my apology to him soon followed. The more salient dynamic is whether the Mayor’s media reps are savvy enough to be aware of how public presentations can affect perception, especially if the only TV station in town is perhaps being unfair. We can again connect the dots of how important a single, competent and official information source can be.
FYI for readers unfamiliar with Butuan or many of its sister cities in this country, there is no relevant local newspaper, event advertising is usually accomplished by banners strung from telephone wires or vehicles trawling around with large speakers. The local cableTV entities do not have legitimate ‘public access’ channels and the local news station does not appear to have the time, nor inclination to provide extensive upcoming event information. Local government offices exist on an informational island and the problems with City web presence has already been discussed. It remains a highly parochial and cliquish environment, and historically easy pickin’s for those of a corruptive bent. It is, and will get much better in the near future, because those now in public office, prefer to lead rather than rule.
My local website human has proven to be less than reliable, so the butuanexpat website is in hibernation. I was leaning toward isolating butuanexpat stuff to Facebook anyway, and will do so in the coming days. Facebook does have a few advantages over a website, and discussion groups. With FB, the content is more fluid, and relative to discussion groups, FB is self-moderating, so the Commissar of a particular group is the collective body, not some self appointed wannabe with an agenda(read Butuanon). I am always wary of a discussion group with a single moderator-certainly says something about said individuals character. On FB, if you want to be a jackass you can, with the proviso that your face is there for the world to see. My little rule is that if somebody is too much of a coward to put their face on FB,(or sign a letter), nothing they have to say is worth consideration..
Still hoping for a single competently managed Butuan City website/FB information resource…..It would be nice for the community to know which of the multiple FB Butuan related pages is actually to correct one to view for accurate information and City Hall happenings. The official FB Butuan City site that I see is not maintained, and the websites aren’t much better…
Starting next month, some serious boat building will begin at Riverside Marina, so if you are of a mind, wander by to take a peek!
Monthly Sunday morning motorbike rides will start again next month also…
Our charter service resumes in April with a completely refitted Freedom! We won’t officially launch the BAMATA Sailboat prototype until the river slows down and recedes, but it is in the dry for viewing at Riverside-on calm days it is even under sail! We call it lawn sailing…..
The Café Caliente Wednesday lunch group has chosen to be dormant for a while. The recent weather events forced all to batten down their home hatches. Café Caliente has a new menu, and all remains yummy, of course. I’d like to try an morning weekly meeting if any are interested, and if we can find a non McDo/Jollibee location….perhaps Margie’s/Pan d’ bugon??? Any suggestions?
Speaking of Margie’s/PdB, check out the shop in that complex, (the one with the indecipherable logo), that sells international foods….
Another professional dive team is in Nasipit Harbor this week. The harbor channel, already narrow and shallowish, is difficult to negotiate. Further, it appears that the harbor itself is silting in…
Our 16’ speedboat will be for sale this April and if you dock it here at Riverside, we can finance the purchase. By Christmas our first 28’ Power/Sailcat should be rounding into form-though we likely won’t launch til after next years floods….
While your resting, taking your local dogs to the City Vet Office for spay/neuter/rabies treatment might be a task to consider. The office is on the lower level of City Hall and the staff is quite proactive.
Anyone interested in producing moonshine(legal)??? I visited a historic landmark, that being a ‘still’ last month. Mud, bamboo and not much else comprised this ingenious contraption. As with all backwoods stills in the world, the charred remains of a former shed covering said contraption was a giggle producing story….certainly fortified by the crystal clear product dripping out of the contraption during our visit. Thinkin’ about building one here at Riverside…
Til next time(whenever that may be)…
Bernie-did you recieve my private email?
Im interested in staying there in the marina. (end of june or early july) In the past I’ve stayed at Almont Inland. I am looking for something different this time. As a spoiled American, I will need a warm shower, and a running water toilet. lol. Can you tell me where you are located. My wife lives in Maug, and she would like to come there and see your marina. Thank you so much for your time.
Scott
Riverside Marina is located on the banks of the Agusan River, just downstream of the new bridge. Our Brgy is Pangabugan-home of vacant sawmills:). Once on the bridge, look downriver and our walls are blue, there are various boats tied along the docks, and the roof is red. 09491433495 is my wife’s cel(Joy). Perhaps your bride can contact her and make arrangements for a visit. As you can see from the photos on the website, we are clean, simple and lowkey. Someone is always working on a boat, a couple of dock dogs float around all day, and we often play some cards/games in one of the dockside rooms during the end of the day. Rides to town can generally be coordinated with Joy, tricycles are prevalent throughout the day but not so much at night, and we usually have a motorbike(city use only) for rent P500/day floating around somewhere. Other transportation can be easily arranged for longer distances. In short, we are asmall working marina that is similar to one might find along the New England coastal communities. We’d be happy to pick your bride up and bring her to the airport upon your arrival if you wish, and take you around to the other pillow hugging choices available in our clime, and show you around a bit. Thank you, Greg
Greg, I like what you are doing with this web site (otherwise I would not have become a contributor), but want to correct an inaccurate implication under medical. I went to Santos hosp Sunday after the 10 am AA meeting at St Joseph’s ( a little plug for the sober drunks), and inquired about Sunday ER care. There is a doctor on duty there 24/7 including Sundays. It is against administations rules for the resident to leave the premises while on duty. I was told that city hospitol also is covered on Sundays. Doctors Hosp is not covered at the present but is trying to rectify the situation. Have a good one, Steve
the Butuan gov site http://www.butuan.gov.ph/home/ took over 30 seconds to load but is up now. An improvement.
Great to see Progress Greg. I’m glad you decided to learn some Visayan. I disagree with you about it being a dieing language though. More than 40 million speak it, and the last I knew that was enough to keep a language going way beyond our lifetimes. I would agree with you about the smaller dialects though like the Various City dialects. They might not last forever for sure.
Hi, I enjoyed reading your text. I am from San Diego, California. I have been living in Butuan, on and off for about a year and a half with my wife. I like you really enjoy living here and my disability, (paraplegic) has not really been an issue. Well when in Rome right? (smile) Well just wanted to say hi.
Hi Eric!
I hope we can meet in person!
Hi Manny! When do you need the boat?
Wow! There is a lot to take in from this very informative post. I am happy to hear about the DENR cracking down but hate that many people are losing their jobs do to this. I wish that I could scuba dive; it sounds so exciting and there is a lot to see in the underwater world versus our land life! Very exotic! Way to go on writing such an interesting and educational post; keep up the good work!
Hi Daniel! As for the DENR purging corruption from their midst-kudos must go to them for the corruption was an entrenched mindset. It is very difficult on many fronts. As for the folks without employment in our ‘sawmill’ region, life is very hard-but they evolve and move on-and so they have. We now live in somewhat of a ‘ghost town’! Don’t give up on scuba so fast, and u certainly do not sound like a gent inclined to defeat. If you r game, so am I. U have a wonderful spirit and I really look forward to visiting with you!
Are there any cardiologists that you would recommend in Butuan? I’ll be traveling there in a couple weeks and I’ll need someone who can monitor my health and preform stress testing.
Hi Noelle,
I can confirm that there are 3 cardio’s in BXU, but I have no quantifiable experience with them. I would prefer to refer you to a Physiatrist that has assisted with Expats exponentially for more information. The salient question is more about available equipment versus competency of the cardio Dr’s in this clime. Historically, Butuan has served as a ‘stablizing point’ to affect patient transportation to Manila/Cebu for trauma care. While BXU cardio’s are likely competent to perform stress tests, it is likely that they would encourage you to do so in climes more prepared for unforseen events. I will be happy to provide contact info for the local cardio’s if u wish. However, please be aware that the med system here does not participate in the international standard of ‘appointments’. In short, patients appear at the Dr’s office and wait their turn to be seen. Best wishes, and we are happy to assist further.