GIRL SCOUT AND BUSHCRAFT | SACRED HEART SCHOOL-ATENEO DE CEBU

DAYS AFTER GUIDING ADVENTURE bloggers on one major segment of the Cebu Highlands Trail, I am invited before a Girl Scout gathering at Camp Marina, Capitol Site, Cebu City on March 3, 2018. It is organized by the Senior Planning Board of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu GSP Council. I will be talking about Introduction to Bushcraft to both junior high and senior high students.

SHS-Ateneo is one of the premier schools in Cebu. I know some people who have graduated from this school and they had created an impact on the fields where they focused their energies on. It is a fact that many of them became somebody in business and society, became great entrepreneurs and innovators, and some became captains of their industries.

I am fortunate enough to mentor a few of their alumni in my yearly Philippine Independence Bushcraft Camp and am most happy to have them embrace the forgotten art of bushcraft which rural guys excel at. These few seek challenges outside of their usual realms. They are prepared, to a certain extent, any SHTF scenario and I have confidence in their abilities to survive and overcome adversities and disasters.

It is really an honor for me to be invited to talk before the SHS-Ateneo GSP Council and I thank Ms. Ann Castañares for this. I came fully prepared so I could leave an impact upon our youths. Coming with me is one of my underlings, Jenmar de Leon. He has just taken a board examination for teachers. This would be a good exposure for him once he passes that exam and gets his teaching license.

But what really is bushcraft? For starters, bushcraft is a term coined by an Australian, presumably, to describe his activity which really is similar to the ones done in other places and it is known there as woodcraft, fieldcraft, woodlore or primitive-living skills. It is a lifestyle and it is a hobby, depending on which side of the place you are. Actually, it is a way of life for the indigenous people so they could survive on their harsh environments.

What was a way of life for natives was adopted by outsiders (foreigners) in order for them also to survive and make a living in the same environments. These are the hunters, explorers, travellers and homesteaders. Civilization improved the way of life for all people through the years yet there are still spots of wilderness left which bushcraft is still useful. In fact, it is still useful in modern day-to-day living, even in urban areas. 

Modern native peoples here, now collectively known as Filipinos, forgot about bushcraft because living now is not that challenging anymore. These are the people who lived in urban centers and those who populate most of the coastlines and where roads exist. The frontcountry. These are the places where people mostly travel, make a living and engage in recreational activities.

The backcountry are the places where people practice bushcraft in all their lives. On these places, solitary houses exist, so far away from their next neighbors. Many of these are homesteads. They carved the wilderness into farms for their main source of food and to hunt the forests for protein and herbs. They have adapted with their environment well and learned primitive living skills by studying the habits of nature closely.

The only tool that they relied so much for their survival is the blade. They took care of this vital equipment and, from this same equipment, they manufacture other tools sourced from nature designed to do other tasks and chop wood for firewood. They have mastered the making of fire with just one matchstick to light a tinder bundle. To save matches, they keep the embers always burning.

Because they are closer to nature, they know the qualities of all plants found in forests and jungles and that made a big difference in how they treat themselves when ill. Plant identification and foraging is the most important of all skills in bushcraft. You cannot move your way around harsh environments without knowledge of plants. These same plants lead them to their best food: meat from animals.

It was an opportunity for me to demonstrate knife safety to the Girl Scout without the necessity of them holding one. These are sheltered kids who grew up in a politically-correct home environment. Their parents always has the last say on what to watch and surf in the internet and what company of friends or individuals that they should be with. Knives are the last things they would touch unless it is used to harness cooking skills.

With adult supervision. Maybe. But they are just too many and I only have Jenmar and me to look after them if we go through a knife dexterity session. The demonstration would suffice, repeating it twice or thrice for emphasis and memory retention. With the same knife, I let them crowd around me in a circle and showed them how to make an improvised pot made from a bamboo pole.

I also showed them how a thick stick could accomplish the task of making a bamboo pot easier for the knife. I am showing to them another tool to pair with my knife. What it lacked now is something to cook and a fire. Fire is another thing that is off-limits to these kids at home. It needed close adult supervision when striking a match and a lighter or turning the knob of a gas stove in kitchen or home premises.

But, today, they do not need any. They would ignite fire from a ferrocerium rod. It is the first time that they see one and everyone’s attention where now on me when they saw sparks of flame streaking down the ground when I scratched steel on a rod that got caught by a downy material which burst into a flame. Slowly repeating my demonstration, sparks get caught by the same material.

Distributing four sets of ferro rod and the downy material among the girls, the covered stage soon became a workshop of sparks and smoke. For a full 20 minutes, the ferro rod sets changed hands in tight circles, providing the girls a personal experience of non-conventional way of making a fire. Gaining knowledge from this, the girls appreciate better how fire works and how it is done safely.

 

Since it is an afternoon affair, my presentation ended at 15:00. Jenmar and I were recognized by the SHS-Ateneo GSP Council with certificates of appreciation for our wholehearted commitment and judicious efforts to introduce their wards towards bushcraft. It was a very productive afternoon and, for my part, it warmed my heart to be closer with these future leaders. I just wish that we have more time.

Document done in LibreOffice 5.3 Writer

CEBU’S BEST | INFEX & DX CONTEST 2017

I JUST FINISHED THE THRUHIKE and, four days later, on this morning of February 18, 2017, I would be standing on a stage before different troops of the Boy Scout of the Philippines belonging to the University of San Jose-Recoletos. I would be presenting a talk on the topic – A Boy Scout as an Environmental Warrior and, on another one, Survival in the Outdoors. Fortunately for me, both are subject matters closest to my heart.

I am gracing this occasion upon the invitation of the USJ-R Greenbar Council, without them knowing that I once cut my teeth as a Tenderfoot under the aegis of the greatest scoutmaster Cebu had ever produced, the late Sergio P. Damazo Jr. That was in the ‘70s, when I was then an element of Troop 38, in their old campus at Magallanes Street, Cebu City. They have not erred in contacting me.

This is my first time to visit their campus in Basak, some thirty-nine years after my last days with my alma mater. I am excited but I am well prepared even though I was tapped on short notice. I made it to the gate incognito and, upon entering a second building where the real activity is held, I saw the picture of my dearly beloved scoutmaster. The friars had cherished his memory well by devoting a small museum for him. I am touched.

 

After meeting the acting scoutmaster, Romulo Sevilla Jr., his most senior scouts led me to the Audio Visual Room where I am going to give my talk and to meet my audience. This AV Room is much much bigger than the one they have at Magallanes. It is still empty but it soon will be filled by warm bodies. There is a projector and screen on standby and, pretty soon, a laptop will be provided for my Powerpoint presentation.

Then they came in military cadence and order, 250-strong. The newer versions of Cebu’s Best. This is their first day and they were on drill formation earlier. They must be tired and so I gave instruction to the troop commander to make them sit on the concrete floor. My greatest challenge today is how to prolong their short attention spans. These are pampered kids studying in one of the finest Catholic schools of Cebu.

When I studied on my first year at the old campus, back in 1975, I felt that my father had made a mistake of enrolling me in a wrong school. I was a product of a public school system but he was happy I passed the entrance test. He thought I have a good head but he never could imagine I was out of place. My classmates where well off, smart and bigger. Every week was a meat grinder for me and I was a weekly customer of the guidance counselor.

We were taught to be pious. Oh yeah, I did more kneels than any of my classmates. I do not have to go to the altar. The space near the teacher’s table or the principal’s office were the right spots to tame me. I was a wild kid in a well structured environment. Then Mr. Damazo took me into his care and responsibility and I understood why the Josenians wear shorts as against other schools who parade on streets in long pants.

 

One member of the Order of Agustinian Recollect is attending as audience as well as the scoutmasters of the University of Santo Tomas-Recoletos, from Negros Occidental, and the USJ-R Balamban Campus. I think they were there to reign in their boys. But there are girls among them. Yes, I saw many marching with the boys at the quadrangle with the same uniforms as the boys were. And THIS is a Boy Scout event.

After the preliminaries, I deem it proper to give my audience a peep into my past, as a Josenian Boy Scout which jolt them from their stupor, and my present life, which everyone now were all ears of my accomplishments as an outdoorsman, enjoying the life of a wandering bushcraft enthusiast and living the dreams of a Boy Scout of long ago. My Thruhike across Cebu’s 400-kilometer length in 27 days got them thunderstruck and bewitched.

A Boy Scout can never be an environmental warrior if the lessons he learned as a citizen scout are different from what he witnesses in his home, the community and even inside malls. It erodes his youthful enthusiasm. If push comes to shove – like the threat of climate change – then he has to lessen his carbon imprint if he wanted to extend the living years of our only home in this universe.

Climate change and man’s manipulation of the environment to suit his needs caused this environmental degradation we are experiencing right now. It had already been mentioned in the time of Noah, Joseph and Moses of the Old Testament. The impacts now are bigger and everywhere: mountains, river systems, lakes, the ocean, the atmosphere, the arctic regions and even on urban centers. Industrialization, mining, logging, consumerism, you name it, causes degradation and pollution and it has a common denominator – greed.

 

How do we overcome this? Almost impossible but there are organized activities that influence the mindsets of people or compel them to, about the state of our planet. We now have peaceful mass actions, legal actions, even extreme strategies. Greenpeace is on the vanguard of this for so many years. Leave No Trace was introduced in national parks across the globe and are being used incorrectly by activists, forcing people to toe the line. Then we have the grey wolves of this movement – the Sea Shepherds.

As a Boy Scout, the above methods are themselves equally daunting since it exposes them to harm’s way. But there are more peaceful ways that are much better and much more proactive. Planting trees or mangroves may be one of the best but organizers almost always choose the wrong species, mostly exotic, or monopolize one species on a big area. You can plant your own trees without having to join mass tree planting activities.

Join or organize community projects which keep away residents from engaging in destructive methods on the environment. These could be tree planting, coral propagation, beautification projects and alternative livelihoods. Information and education will guide simple folks from ignorance, indifference, superstition and half-truths. Engage in a personal crusade that does not involve people like practicing Reduce Reuse Recycle and LNT.

Can you change the world on your own? Yes you can. There are many advocacy tools. Documentation for a community or school magazine about the environment is a good start. Or you could start a blog. Internationally-acclaimed blogs about environmental awareness started from small ones and there are many free platforms to choose from. Create more awareness on online petition websites like 350.org or transcend borders and government control by posting on social network sites to a much wider audience.

A Boy Scout can indeed be an environmental warrior. I once was that Boy Scout and I am on this personal crusade as an activist for no one, a blogger, a writer and a lecturer for the environment. The methods I used are simple but I am always on the frontlines where man and environment clashed, never a good consequence for the latter. Someone has to fight for the environment – peacefully. A photo with a caption of facts is good enough to catch fire in people’s consciousness across the Internet.

That was a long talk and I may have delivered my message to the majority of my audience or not but, it does not matter, because I am not expected to convert all into environmental warriors. I only need one from the 250 and he or she could already make a big difference.  The next topic – Survival in the Outdoors – would be the most awaited one and everyone begins to reposition themselves after a break of five minutes.    

 

The outdoors, for most, is a beautiful romantic place. Simply because they may have experienced and enjoyed it on the frontcountry. The backcountry is different for only a few people visit it. It is mountainous and navigation is difficult. Then there is the wilderness. All these places found in the outdoors are dangerous. It has an unpredictable weather system and streams go suddenly wild even if the day is warm. It has a mean wildlife population and thick stands of forests that no sunlight could penetrate.

Getting caught in the outdoors in the wrong weather or time causes you stress which tend to force you to make mistakes. Small mistakes can create a big impact on your thinking. When you are lost or helpless, survival mode begins. Your increased awareness is a result of uncontrolled release of adrenaline. Your thoughts are fed by the senses, the nerves and the guts, all agitated, causing you confusion and more mistakes.

Our prolonged survival depends upon our discovery and rescue. If it does not happen, you need to have nutrition. Hydrate as much as possible because a deprived brain cannot function properly. Eat some food. If you do not have enough, look for one. Fruits supply you natural sugar, which is converted by enzymes into adrenaline. Fat is the hardest to find in a jungle environment but, unknown to you, you have layers of fat that your own body would subsist on when food becomes difficult to obtain.

Water is the first thing to find during survival. If you still have strength, you look for a shelter or make one. Food is the next thing to look for. When you have water, shelter and food, you start to go warm. Make yourself more warm by making a fire. If making a fire is impossible, do not expose yourself to the elements. Increase your security by blending in with the environment or standing out. It depends if there is an immediate threat. These are the priorities during a survival situation and could change with water always on top.

When you are outdoors, there is a thing we in the bushcraft community called as “outdoors common sense”. Bushcraft is a hobby and a lifestyle which uses the outdoors as a learning environment for survival. The purpose of this outdoors common sense is to increase our safety and security. We have developed certain protocols that guided our behavior and our presence in the outdoors. This set of protocol includes how we deal with wildlife encounters.

 

You do not learn these things in a classroom. I teach these in a bushcraft camp. Those who learned from me became members of the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild. Instantly the guild logo and my activities appeared on the projector screen. The images swelled their pride, knowing that an alumnus of their school does these things for a living and brought sparkles of interest in adventure in their eyes.

My talk ended at just the right time. I was presented by the USJ-R Greenbar Council with a certificate of appreciation and an invitation for lunch. Outside, the field begins to be filled by the Boy Scout units. Platoon formations are hurriedly organized under the bare sky. The units began counting off the elements in preparation for their own meals. It will be a long day today, to include night activities and campfire rites.

Meanwhile, my day is not yet finished. I have to join and witness the International Friendship Exchange and DX Contest which will be participated in by the Girl Scout of the Philippines unit of USJ-R under the adult supervision of Ham Radio Cebu. It would be held at the Talavera House of Prayer, in nearby Quiot, for the whole afternoon. Ham Radio Cebu is an amateur radio club which I also belonged. INFEX is a worldwide event that uses high frequency radio to contact amateur radio stations on far locations at 7.095 MHz.

Under the guidance of Jet (4F7MHZ) Manuel, Nick (DV7FCC) Manuel, Ariel (DV7FAL) Lim, Wilson (DW7REE) Aliganga and Marvin (DW5CIA/7) Reynes, the USJ-R Girl Scouts were able to contact twenty-three amateur radio stations from all over the Philippines at the end of the day. This is a friendly competition where the winners and their tutors are rewarded points and certificates by the International Amateur Radio Union and their local counterpart, the Philippine Amateur Radio Association. It is an event designed to rekindle the love of amateur radio propagation to the younger generations.

 

It was really a busy day for me. I reconnect with the beloved school of my youth. The only familiar face I met is the framed picture of my dear scoutmaster. I am happy that the Boy Scout spirit of the Josenians lovingly nurtured by Sir Damazo are kept alive and burning, along with their traditions and lore. I have been part of Cebu’s Best during my younger years and I am proud the present descendants behaved like one. I am also elated to know that their Girl Scout counterparts have partnered with Ham Radio Cebu and will earn themselves badges in amateur radio. Adelante!

 

Some photos courtesy of Markus Immer

Document done in LibreOffice 5.2 Writer