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
