Making copra is (never) fun!

Making copra is an important part of the lives of many farmers in Eastern Samar. The traditional method of copra-making is a long and back-breaking process. The first step is the harvesting of mature nuts. This is the most arduous and dangerous step since it requires climbing each tree or palm (old coconuts can be more than 30 meters tall!) in order to pick the mature nuts. The next step is collecting the nuts scattered throughout the coconut plantation and transporting them using sarasad (a large basket made of rattan that is carried on the back) to the site where the copra will be made. Once all the nuts have been collected, they are then dehusked (pagbunot) using a pointed shard of steel, split using a bolo, and smoke dried (pagloon) on the raised grill platform made of split bamboo (lun-an) (the lun-an is usually provided with a roof made of coconut leaves to protect the copra from the rain). As soon as the meat appears to separate from the coconut shell, the drying is stopped and the meat is scraped out (paglukba) and then dried again a second time. Then the dried coconut meat is sliced into small pieces and placed in sacks for transport to the copra buyer which is usually located several kilometres from the farm.

When I was young, my brothers and I regularly helped our father in making copra (from a small coconut farm). It was very tiresome but I always enjoyed the experience. Not only because it was a break from my usual school activities, but also because I enjoyed wandering around the coconut area and swimming in the nearby river.

A tribute to my best high school teachers

 Tulips in spring in the city park of Halle, Germany

High school life has a special place in our hearts. “High school life I remember kay ganda,” according to Sharon Cuneta’s classic song. Maybe we remember it fondly since it is the time when most of us have fallen in love or have fallen into the pit of broken hearts for the first time. High school is a critical stage in our lives because it is the period when our dreams (both possible and impossible!) of what we want to be in the future are hatched. It is that phase in our long schooling when teachers can positively or negatively impact our lives and careers.

There are good teachers in elementary and college, but we seem to remember much better those from high school. Among the many teachers I had in high school at the Eastern Samar State University (formerly ESNRAS) in Borongan, five stood out the best. They were Mr. Ismael Bocar, Mrs. Teresita B. Caharop, Ms. Cecilia Tagle, Mr. Benjamin C. Catimon, and Mr. Francisco Cabalonga. These high school teachers were outstanding not only because they showed a mastery of the subjects they were teaching but also because they were very hardworking and passionate teachers. Moreover, they showed genuine concern for their young students.

Mr. Bocar and Ms. Tagle have already left this world. Mr. Bocar was well-known and admired for his wit and happy disposition. He was a great motivator as well. He reminded us always to look at the bright side of life. I still remember the joke that he wrote on the cover of his book on scouting, which said: “Kan Mr. Bocar ako libro. Ayaw ako kawata, kay kairo niya. Iuli la ako ha iya (I'm Mr. Bocar's book. Don't steal me from him. Have pity on him. Return me to him)." Also, his favorite statement when giving advice to students was, “Pamati kamo ha akon, kay tipakadto pa la kamo, pabalik na ako (Listen to me since I have been there where you are going and I am on my way back)." Miss Tagle, on the other hand, was the serious and perfectionist type, although she would also tell us nice anecdotes to make her English class interesting.

The last time I saw and had a talk with Ms. Tagle and Mr. Bocar was during our high school graduation ceremonies. Ms. Tagle congratulated me for graduating as Class Valedictorian and said she was happy that my valedictory speech went well. (She was the one who coached me on how to deliver it convincingly). Mr. Bocar, who was my first-year adviser, congratulated my parents and said to me, “Upaya na la botoy, paniguro gud. Sigurado ako, magigin successful ka (Do your best and work hard. I am sure you will be successful). Go follow your dreams. Good luck.”

So I worked hard and followed my dreams. I don’t know if what I have achieved can already be called success. But whatever it’s called, Mr. Bocar would have surely smiled and said: “nasiring pa daw ako" (as what I have said). I believe it is never too late to thank these five outstanding teachers for helping me to become the person and professional I am today.