April 2008 Archives

Cebu Philippines: Jan.28, 2008 - Marlon, the boy who can not speak at 11:30am
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/150s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso200






























Marlon appeared when Kevin & I were in Cebu taking the kids for their daily lunches, and we always include him in our group when we go eat - I'm pleased he's not shy about joining us anymore, where last year he almost too shy to approach our table with Lisa & LetLet at the street side BBQ.

Kev & I now communicate flawlessly with him - despite his hearing & speech handicap he can understand most of our English, and seems to be very good at lip reading.

It's still unclear to me if Marlon has any Family to look after him - the locals can't seem to give me a solid answer.

Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES

Bantayan Island, Philippines: April 11, 2008 - on the beach with the kids at 4:55pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/50s f/5.6 at 54.0mm iso100










































Lisa having fun at Kota Beach, when Kevin Weir & I brought the kids here.
...never before had they ever seen a real beach, or were able to run around & play where there was no traffic, or to eat whatever they wanted (yes, they wanted pork chops for breakfast everyday - and yes, I made sure they had it)

I'm such a pushover.

Bantayan Island, Philippines: April 13, 2008 - breakfast is pork chops, rice & veggies at 10:12am
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/13s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso400

























Lisa, LetLet, May Anne & Wilmar had such a blast when they were here; I'm missing them now.

Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES

AP reporting on Yahoo News:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080425/ap_on_re_eu/un_food_crisis;_ylt=AvxVu1UhpKZPBLPjvd84uKVI2ocA

VIENNA, Austria - "A sharp rise in food prices has developed into a global crisis, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday .

Ban said the U.N and all members of the international community are very concerned, and immediate action is needed." (fair usage quote)

A very serious & extensive article reported by AP:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080423/ap_on_re_eu/world_food_crisis;_ylt=AnyqhC15hAZB10OicAivEF1I2ocA

"A "silent tsunami" of hunger is sweeping the world's most desperate nations, said Josette Sheeran, the WFP's executive director, speaking Tuesday at a London summit on the crisis.

The skyrocketing cost of food staples, stoked by rising fuel prices, unpredictable weather and demand from India and China, has already sparked sometimes violent protests across the Caribbean, Africa and Asia." (fair usage quote)

Cebu City Philippines: April 5, 2008 - Arvin, a homeless boy begs for food in Fuente Osmena at 3:19pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/50s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso100






























After Kevin Weir & I passed Arvin who we'd see sleeping each day on the sidewalk (he roamed all night with the other street kids) we went into a Macdonald's restaurant and bought him a combo meal (burger, fries & Coca cola)  which he ate quickly, and the next day as Kev & I were getting into our taxi, he came running over to Kev - he knew him by name - to say 'thank you' many times.

Every day we'd see him, Kevin would get him a meal.

Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES

Cebu Philippines: LetLet & sister MayAnne at home on Nov.25, 2006 at 12:47pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/500s f/3.5 at 38.0mm iso400



































Kevin Weir is still in Cebu City and went to see Lisa, LetLet & the Family over this past weekend, getting the kids their daily meals and spending time with Mama Milagros & Papa Willie along with the rest of their children.

He'll be sending me more images he's shooting there, and later today I'll be working on a montage of his work for tomorrow's post.

Later on I'll check the local medical clinic again to see if I can get Kuji his anti TB medicines (it was open for a very short time yesterday, but when I brought Kuji and his Mother Jen it had already closed)

I also noticed something very interesting when Kev & I brought the Lisa, LetLet, MayAnne & Wilmar over to Mama Helen's house to hang out & play with their children - all that week I detected a slight change in attitude from the Family towards Kev & myself; I'll even go so far as to say they were feeling a little jealous of the fact that I was spending so much time with Lisa & LetLet's entourage, and that made me feel a bit strange.

Don't get me wrong - Mama Helen's Family was always happy so see Kev & me when we visited solo, and now they're seeing us giving big attention to another Family and I can detect they might feel a bit uncomfortable in a small way, and this is something I'd never planned on.

Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES

Bantayan Island, Philippines: Various kids stroll the beach while Kev & the rest are behind me: 5:55pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/250s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso400






























I miss Kevin & the kids here - been missing them all since I came back from Cebu City.

It's too quiet here without them now.
PJAMES

Yahoo News reporting:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080416/ap_on_he_me/migrating_flu;_ylt=AqwVghmncwJRqpmjMntD4fxI2ocA

"The first surprise: Flu may be a winter problem in much of the world, but H3N2 virus is constantly circulating somewhere in East and Southeast Asia." (fair usage quote)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/1373c410ff621e5d60737f7dd6a0f788.htm

Poor hit hardest: Maynilad supplies water to some of the poorest areas in Metro Manila. Matubis said the rationing last year hit the poor the hardest. "They depend on the water rationed to them, whereas the rich can buy bottled water or [afford] to have water delivered to them," Matubis told IRIN. (fair usage quote)

as reported by Yahoo News:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080418/tbs-philippines-rice-inflation-poverty-g-059e858.html

"The price of the grain, the staple food for 90 million Filipinos as well as half of humanity, has nearly doubled amid rising global demand and weather-related production setbacks." (fair usage quote)

Cebu City, Philippines: Lisa & LetLet's neighbors & friends (Rachelle's sister) at 5:08pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/40s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso100
































I'm just leaving Cebu City now & heading back to Bantayan Island.

Kevin Weir will be very busy the next few weeks, and so I'm looking for someone who would like to Sponsor Lisa & LetLet's other older brothers & sisters (4 kids) who are asking everyday to come up & visit the Island for the first time, as they also have never been out of their city before.

Lisa & LetLet had such an incredible time on the Island, and have been asking Mama Milagros & Papa Willie to let their other brothers & sisters experience the Island, and Kevin won't be available for the next few weeks, so I'm seriously hoping one of my friends here reading this would be able to Sponsor the costs of getting them here & feeding them for a few days.

Please give this some consideration, and contact me if you would be able to give these poor kids a holiday to remember, in a safe & quiet place.

Thanks for reading today, and I'll be posting from the Island beginning tomorrow,
PJAMES

Cebu Philippines: Kevin captures Lisa's reaction to my in-cam images at 11:05AM
FUJIFILM FinePix S3Pro: 1/45s f/2.8 at 35.0mm iso200



























I knew Kev was busy shooting something, and I knew Lisa was close by, but I had no idea his camera was pointed at ME, and that Lisa made such a funny face while sneaking a look at my in-camera images!

When he showed me this, we were both howling laughing - I'd never seen Lisa make a face like that before, and I have to ask Kev how he managed such a quick capture.

When I saw this, we both knew I had to post this and share the spontaneous/funny/goofy side of Lisa.

Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES

Bantayan Island, Philippines: April 11, 2008 - MayAnne, LetLet & Lisa stroll the beach at 4:59pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/800s f/5.6 at 54.0mm iso100













A long shot of the kids enjoying a real beach for the first time.

Kev & I just brought the kids back home to Cebu and the Ferry boat trip went well despite high waves rocking the boat the entire time, then we caught a V-Hire van back to Cebu, with Lisa the only one getting motion sick on the trip back.

We got in late and Mama & Papa were happy to see them; the kids had many new stories to tell, but Kevin & I miss them now; it's not the same without all 4 of them running around the place...it's too quiet now.

Bantayan Island, Philippines: Kevin photographed while he shoots the sunset at 5:35pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/2000s f/5.6 at 54.0mm iso200







































Kevin Wier is such a good friend and humanitarian, not to mention a fine photographer, and I've published his images here on the website before.

He's also totally tuned in and turned on to my own photography and how I try to raise awareness to the plight of the working poor and street Families here in Philippines, and it's Kevin who's paid the expenses for getting Lisa, LetLet, Maryann & Wilmar here from Cebu:
* a private SUV from Cebu City to Hagnaya
* the kids daily meals
* all of the fares on the Super Shuttle Ferry Boat in Hagnaya, and I can not begin to thank him enough for his generosity, so I'm doing it here publicly.

The kids have always been asking to visit here since we put the idea to their Mama & Papa earlier this year, and now Kev's granted their wish.

Thanks for reading today,
PJAMES


Bantayan Island, Philippines: Kevin captures LetLet's portrait in the water
FujiFilm FinePix S3Pro: 1/90s f/4.5 at 50.0mm iso200

Bantayan Island, Philippines: Lisa & LetLet photographed watching 'Bride of Chucky' at 10:22am.
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/40s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso400






























I wanted to get this post up yesterday, but our internet was down the entire day & all night.

The kids are in Heaven; they're having a blast & loving it here....and so are Kevin and I, as we love having them here with us for their first trip anywhere.

The kids have never before been out of their city in Cebu:
* they've never been out of Cebu Province
* they've never been in a car or bus
* they've never been on a Ferry Boat

* in the taxi ride up to Hagnaya from Cebu, they all had motion sickness & threw up
 (it's my own fault; I'm an idiot - I never thought to not feed them before the trip, and we all ate lunch in Carmen Cebu)
* they all yacked in the car.
* Lisa yacked on the boat.

After the 5hr trip here, they were all fine....they all ran around Marlin's Beach with my flashlights at 8pm. and then went right to bed.

...so now everything they're seeing is brand new, and this is a wonderful experience for all of us here.

I took them to the local DVD store last night & they wanted to watch horror movies this morning, so they watched their first DVD on my big screen, right on my front porch.

This is so cool having them here with Kev.

Thanks for reading today - we've got our hands full wrangling them and making sure to show them a good time, so we're off to the beach now.
PJAMES

Bantayan Island, Philippines: Lisa & LetLet photographed by Kevin Weir on Sugar Beach yesterday at 5:44pm
Fuji FinePix S3Pro: 1/1500s f/5.6 at 200.0mm iso200

Cebu Philippines, April 5, 2008: Big Kev and the kids, photographed at 4:56pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/250s f/2.8 at 14.0mm iso100




























I've been off line since traveling to Cebu City to get my Visa extension and other business taken care of, and equally as important I'm with my good friend and fellow photographer Kevin Wier, who's now back on Bantayan Island with me AND the kids!

Yes - Kevin & I are hosting Lisa, LetLet, sister Maryanne & brother Wilbur at our place here for their first ever visit to the Island - in fact it's their first visit anywhere, as they've never been outside their city in Cebu.

The kids have such a hard life in crowded Cebu, and over the past year I got to thinking they might just enjoy a short trip here, to a place that's peaceful, safe & quiet.

I put the idea to Kev last week, and we asked Lisa & LetLet's parents if it would be ok to spend a few days with us when we came back to Bantayan Island, and they thought it was a great idea, seeing as how the kids have never been anywhere before.

So we're here along with their older brother & sister, and although we've got our hands full wrangling all 4 of them, they're all having a great time - we arrived at 7:30pm last night, got settled in, went to Burger Junction for supper, and then took the kids down to the beach for the first time.

We were all up at 6:30am today and it looks to be a busy day ahead; they'll meet all the other kids & Families here we help, and they're all so excited about going to a real beach and seeing our beautiful Island here, so Kev & I will be doing lots of shooting together here, and of course spending all day with the kids, and I'll be editing images at night & posting here in the early mornings.

Thanks for reading today and of course there's more to come.
PJAMES

MANILA (AFP) - Climate change will cause an increase in dengue fever and other infectious diseases in the Philippines, a World Health Organization (WHO) official warned Tuesday. (fair usage quote)

Yahoo News reports the full story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080401/hl_afp/whohealthphilippinesdengue_080401121043


The poor seem to get hit the hardest with disease in general, and can least afford to pay for medicines and Doctor's care, etc.

Manila Philippines: January 24, 2008 - a homeless person wanders the night at 11:33pm
Olympus E-1, Olympus Zuiko 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital: 1/15s f/3.5 at 54.0mm iso1600