Book launching planned for coffee table book

Describing first 50 years of Peace Corps in the Philippines

Ask not – huwag nang itanong commemorates the first 50 years of the Peace Corps in the Philippines. Edited by Hans C. Groot, Ph.D, a member of the first batch of volunteers to come to the Philippines, it includes articles by former Peace Corps volunteers and staff as well as Filipinos who hosted or worked with volunteers.

An official launching of this 130-page coffee table book is planned for Friday, November 4, 2 pm, and will be hosted by U.P. President Fred Pascual at U.P. Executive House. Among the guests will be Willy Gaa, the recently retired Philippine Amnbassador to the U.S. and retired Ambassador Oca Valenzuela (Brazil, Egypt).

As part of the launching ceremony, Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams, will present and donate a copy of the book to Magsaysay Foundation. In 1963, the Magsaysay Foundation presented its award for International Understanding to the founding director of the Peace Corps, R. Sargent Shriver.

Ask not recounts not only the early days of the Peace Corps but also describes the Philippine origins of the Peace Corps, describing a direct link between the Peace Corps and the Thomasites, young American teachers who came to Philippines at the beginning of the the 20th century.

The book is published online and can be previewed and purchased at [a limited number of copies also will be available at the launching].:

http://www.blurb.com/books/2504993

Volunteers and staff recall their service days in the Philippines and most emphasize the lasting impact the Philippines has had on their lives.

The work of the volunteers is described and some of the programs initiated by volunteers are described in greater detail. Also included is a writeup on the 1963 Magsaysay award presented to the Philippines.

To date, some 8,700 volunteers have served in the Philippines – to work in education, health, social welfare, agrlculture, fisheries, and coastal resource management. The latest group of volunteers was sworn in on September 16, 2011.

Groot, editor of the book, arrived in the Philippines October 12, 1961. Following in-country training at U.P. Los Baños, he was assigned as elementary school aide in Ilog, Negros Occidental. After a few months, he was re-assigned to teach journalism at U.P. Los Baños, where he also helped set up the College of Agriculture’s agricultural extension information program, working closely with provincial radio stations and newspapers.

Upon completion of his Peace Corps service, Groot joined the U.S. Agency for International Development in Manila as rural communications advisor. In mid-1966 he resigned from that post to pursue graduate studies in communication. He returned to the Philippines 1968-69 to do research for his doctoral dissteration. He earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin (UW) in Madison.

He taught at U.W. for several years, then joined the international division of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, working with NGO-based family planning programs in Asia, Africa and Latin America. He provided technical assistance to numerous family planning programs in the Philippines – such as UP/PGH, Iglesia ni Cristo, Jescomea, Mary Johnston Hospital, Wesleyan Colleges, and Lorma Colege.

The Philippines proved to be a strong attraction; soon after his retirement he returned to the Philippines where he now lives in Silang, Cavite. He continues to serve as VP for Institutional Relations of the Peace Corps Alumni Foundation for Philippine Development (PCAFPD), a group that provides college scholarships for deserving and financially needy high school graduates.

our portraits

I had almost forgotten how tiring it can be to sit still for a longer period of time and to keep you eyes focused on the same general area – that is until yesterday.

To backtrack for a minute, about a week ago I had a phone call from a friend at the University of the Philippines in Manila. Some alumni had formed a painting group and would it be alright to bring the 15-member group to the house so they could paint our landscape. We’d get copies of their work – all in exchange for serving lunch to the group. Sounded like a good deal.

When they arrived, they toured the house and garden and took lots of pictures. They then proceeded to set up their easels and paint paraphernalia in the dining room. I was sort of puzzled – why in the dining room if they wanted garden scenes? Turned out they had changed their minds and wanted to do portraits.

In the morning, they painted two female friends of ours, dressed in native garb. It was our, Noel and I, turn after lunch. That’s when I found out that sitting still can be very tiring and that, after an hour or so, you develop itches all over.

As for the garden scenes, they said they’d use the pictures to do their paintings.

Recognize either one of us?

Ask not ... huwag nang itanong

Fifty years ago, 12 October 1961, 128 Americans landed at Manila International Airport [MIA at that time, but since renamed to honor the memory of Ninoy Aquino] as the first group of Peace Corps volunteers to serve in the Philippines. After airport welcoming ceremonies, they were taken in LTB busses to the World Jamboree site on the U.P. Los Baños campus for some 6 weeks of in-country training, prior to service assignments as ‘educational aides’ in Bicol and Negros Occidental. Since then, more than 150 groups, totaling over 8,000 volunteers, have followed in their footsteps.

This book makes no pretension of providing a comprehensive review of the 50 year history of the Peace Corps in the Philippines. It also is not an attempt to assess the impact of the Peace Corps on the Philippines nor of the influence the Philippines has had on the individual volunteers.

You will read vignettes about the lives of young, and not so young, Americans who came to the Philippines in pursuit of the challenge ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.

Some articles are current recollections of events that transpired some 50 years ago; others were written years ago and reflect the volunteers’ thoughts and feelings at that time.

We hope you will enjoy our collection of the Peace Corps experiences in the Philippines.

To preview the book, go to: http://www.blurb.com/books/2086215

growing veggies in silang

Our property in Silang, Cavite, is officially classified as “agricultural land,” and the development, Ponderosa Leisure Farms, imposes a restriction that you cannot build on more than 25% of your lot – the rest of the lot has to be garden – ornamentals or vegetables. This restriction and land classification makes sure that your neighbors are not too close [unlike some subdivisions] and helps lower real estate taxes significantly.

Most of our garden is planted in ornamentals but a certain portion is reserved for ‘veggies.’ So far we’ve harvested tomatoes, cucumber, eggplant, ampalaya, okra, pechay [Chinese cabbage], bell pepper and chili pepper.

Some of them mature over time and you can harvest more or less when you want. Others, like tomato, seem to ripen all at once. In the next week or so, we’ll be harvesting lots of tomatoes and the idea is to use some of the harvest to make pasta sauce and freeze that for future use.

It’s sort of ironic that the main source of our vegetable seeds is the East West Seed Company, a company founded more than 25 years ago by a cousin of mine from Enkhuizen, Netherlands; our fathers used to be partners in a major seed company there.

…East West began in 1982 with the goal of blending European style seedsmanship with Asian tropical vegetables. We were convinced that by introducing intensive breeding programs to developing vegetable seed markets we could improve the lives of farmers while building a successful business. Our first commercial success, a hybrid bitter gourd, came after several years of research investment. But our hard work has paid off by significantly raising industry standards for all vegetable seeds.

…Our strategy is based on breeding appropriate varieties by living and working in the markets we serve. From our early work in the Philippines, we have expanded to include breeding programs in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Bangladesh.

In 2007, I contacted the company office here in the Philippines, explained who I was, and indicating that I would be interested in visiting them to view their Philippine operation. Perfect timing as my email got to them just before the 25^th anniversary of the company – of course, Noel and I attended. Now we grow and eat their vegetables.

Lately, we’ve also added hydroponics trials – on the suggestion of friends from the agricultural college at U.P. Los Baños. Lettuce and stuff like Chinese pechay seem to do very well.

Given the cost of real estate in this area, growing your own vegetables might not make much economic sense --- but it’s fun and you can’t get them any fresher.

The rainy season is starting and everything is growing like crazy -- and so are the weeds.

Nikko, our good and fairful friend for 18+ years

15 January 1992 – 3 June 2010

A few days ago, we buried Nikko. He had been with us for more than 18 years and, during those years, he brought much joy to our lives. He was such a good dog, never complaining, but always ready to let you know he was your friend.

We got Nikko from a litter of about ten. When we first saw him, he’s the one, he right away came to us to ‘say hello,’ and that made him the obvious choice – he stood out in the crowd and let us know it.

At first, he was not allowed to go into our living room at Harmon Cove, our condo at New Jersey. From time to time, we’d test him by rolling a tennis ball into the room but Nikko was good, he always stopped at the edge. Once he was fully trained, he had the run of the house. In those days, I traveled quite a bit and when I’d bring my bags down, Nikko would jump on top of them and stay there -- knowing I’d be gone for a while.

When we walked him in Harmon Cove, he always stayed by our side – in later years I was forced to put him on a leash as other Cove residents insisted that all dogs be leashed.

He was such a trooper and loved to travel. He was with us in the car, on the boat, and came along on trips to Mexico and California –- our fellow passengers never even realized we had a dog with us in the cabin as Nikko was so well behaved.

I remember walking him in wet and sticky snow that was some 20 inches deep. Nikko would sort of hop around, like a bunny rabbit until he could hardly move as the snow clumps around his paws got too large and heavy.

Not a natural swimmer, he put up with it – swimming in the Hackensack River, the Hudson River, Long Island Sound, Lake Hopatcong, as well as the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

When we finally made out move to the Philippines, we were concerned about the long plane ride. On trips to Mexico and California he was allowed in the cabin – not so for the long haul from Los Angeles to Manila. We were not sure what his condition would be when he’d come down the luggage conveyor belt. Noel opened his cage door, Nikko came out, looked around, shook himself and looked for a place to pee – he’d held it for the whole trip.

In Manila, he stayed with us in the Roxas Blvd condo overlooking Manila Bay. We’d walk him at the Baywalk and he loved it. Gradually, however, he lost his eyesight and could see no more. When we made our move to our new home in Silang, he never got to see his new home – just smelled it.


He was getting old and not very steady anymore on his feet. You’d have to hold him while Nikko ate or drank . or let him lay down next to the bowl where he continued eating. He ate well – up to the end.

Sometimes he would not be able to get up by himself and then he’d cry out for help – not infrequently in the middle of the night. He’s now at peace and if there is a doggy heaven, we’re sure he is there. He was truly ‘one of a kind.’

Two years ago, for my 70th birthday, friends gave us Noah. Noah’s body color was almost the same as Nikko but his body shape is very different – kinda stocky. Noah is turning out to be a real sweetheart also and he helps make up for our big loss. Dogs are truly man’s best friend, always there for you and never complaining. Nikko we will miss you but never really forget you.

Deo Volente I

Deo Volente I --- God Willing

Some weeks ago, a friend from Silang asked if she could bring over some friends to show them our house. Such requests are not unusual and we quickly agreed.

When we met a few days later, we found out that it was a couple from Canada [Ralph and Ruth Hollenberg], but both originally from Holland. Now Canadian citizens, already for some 50 years or so, they were sailors with their boat currently docked in Subic Bay, the former U.S. naval base.

I got really intrigued when they explained that their boat was a 63-foot sailboat. I immediately asked them to return the favor – could we drive up to Subic to take a look at their boat; it’s not every day one gets a chance to set foot on a boat that size. They readily agreed and yesterday we made the 3-hour trip to Olongapo and Subic Bay. There is a new highway, SCTEX, that cuts right through the mountains making it a nice sightseeing journey. The boat was not hard to find -- there aren’t that boats that size flying the Canadian flag.

The boat, Deo Volente I, was well worth the trip. It’s a Cat Schooner. The owners had designed it themselves and had it built some 25+ years ago somewhere in Washington State, with Vancouver Island as home base. Don’t know much about boat design as such but it looked beautiful and comfortable.

They have been sailing it ever since and I asked if they would have made any design changes now that they have sailed it so long – couldn’t think of anything except for some very minor items. They had also designed and built their previous sailboat -- he’s a chemical engineer with no marine design experience.

After touring the boat, they offered to take us for a harbor sail … to a nearby beach where we could have lunch. It took us a little less than an hour to get there, then took the self-designed and built dinghy ashore. Lots of restaurants and, judging from the menus, used to serving Aussie sailors.

During lunch, the wind picked up a bit and so we got a bit wet going back to the boat. There, I went for a swim the warm Subic bay waters. Closer to the Marina, the conversation turned to docking boats while there is a bit of a breeze and the tide is going out. At least it was something we could relate to having encountered the same challenge on the Hudson River, with a stiff breeze and strong river current.

The trip was well worth it.

Bougainvillas

Garden Colors

If you like flowering plants, the bougainvilleas here at Ponderosa offer a multitude of colors to choose from; January – February is a good time to view them. The photos speak for themselves.