Tita Aileen’s Visit

2 weeks after coming back from the Philippines, Aileen Ong from GK Hope Initiative (GKHi) visited us excited to see what we were doing to help Enchanted Farm.

Before we met Tita Aileen, Dr Tan was telling us about her inspiring story about how she came to work with GK.  Sure enough, Tita Aileen was brimming over with passion and enthusiasm over the work done in GK.  We showed her our masterplan and presented her the discussions and experiences we had with Tito Bong, Frank and the Enchanted Villagers.

Meeting Tita Aileen was inspiring and encouraging as the studio embarked on our journey in learning about community design.

model making in the dark and design workshop at MPH

On day 3 in Enchanted Farm, we were immediately spilt into smaller groups to do site analysis. After collecting important data and knowing the site better, we started to fill our 1:200 model with the landmark buildings and the different plantations planted on the site for our workshop presentation the next day with Tito Bong, Tito Toni, CSI committee together with many other distinguish guests. Unknowingly, time passed so quickly and the sun had set and the sky was all dark. The only light available to us was a very dim light bulb hanging in the middle of our pavilion hut. Having the privilege of having electricity 24/7 back home in Singapore, I was never found in such situation before. We could barely see anything, hence we all took out our torch lights and shined our way through the progress of our work. Despite all the straining of eyes and frequent outburst of directing of light, we had so much fun making the model together in the dark. It was truly a memorable experience I will never forget! Here’s some photos:

shine torchlight shine!

working in progress:

light!

torch light tied to my ponytail 

our model pieced tgr :)

Farming and site survey

Farming

We got up very early that morning, the farmer welcomed us warmly. young as he was, he was three kids' father. Lemon grass is the magic plant which may make the villagers life better in the future.
We can smell it far away from the plantation field, it will be the guard to our body from wierd masquitos and insects. It has a mixed blood of lemon and grass, that is where its name from......sorry kidding.
that morning we went to the field in the South, near the small shelter, we were told the basic ways and principles of planting lemongrass.

Our work is to finish a small square of field's plantation. Members were divided into two teams, one is incharge of planting, another has to water the new planted lemon grass. I am pround assigned in the planting team, with a magic steak given by the farmer, he told us that this is as a ruler to guide the form of the emongrass. The first row is planted and then follow the second row. Four planters lined in a straight angle with everyone busy planting with great efforts. see picture below, very funny right?

one hours work past quickly, and finally we finished our field with little lemon grass standing hopefully in rows,
the next time we back in to this enchanted farm, wish all your guys be growing healthily and happily, so that we can harvest you and find the next owner to you, change your form to others to service the people with your life and body! Kiss lemon grass army, you are our commerade all the time!

Site survey
It was just like the experience of Alice in the fairytale, mysterial soldier Mat lead us to the quite site with warning. Roads were so shallow that thorns, grass and leaves were all around us, impeded us the way to the destination. On the way, with sun shined sharply, we guarded ourselves with super sunblock and different arms like hats and umberella, but it hardly worked.

A horse went into our field on the half, locked near a crappy shelter, staring at our team poorly with the sign of sos, we would surely save you after we conquered the evil ponds! After long time's walk, the pond came to our vision under the guard of many shrubs, shining brightly to show its power. Don't be too proud, once we get the information of your size and condition, along with the basic statistics in this area like sunshine and wind direction. We would definitely beat you with your smart minds and strong powers! Tree house and B&B will be our loyal guards to control your evil and protect the villagers' life!
Hahahahaha!

Loves,

Lanky

Cabiokid

Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural production based on natural ecological relationships. It results in a more sustainable land use method and better usage of resources in a cyclic rather than single directional system.

To learn more about such design principles, we stayed in a permaculture farm called Cabiokid, situated in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. The farm was jointly started by Bert Peeters and Tolits Sagustin.

Set against the beautiful Mount Arayat, the land was originally used for rice farming, which was grown using a lot of chemicals and non-sustainable methods. However work was done in May 2001 to re-design the land and restore the soil to its original wealth by introducing local crops back into the ecosystem.

Apart from an overall planning for land use on the site, much of permaculture design encompasses small scale ideas that work symbiotically with others to create an entire network that works. After which, nature takes over to keep the place vibrant and growing. 

The lagoon is designed in the shape of a hand, which allows water to reach further into the land. The tip of each ‘finger’ is also made deeper, thus during dry season when the water level recedes, the inner areas still remain moist.

After breakfast, Bert brought us around the farm to explain how some of the elements were designed.

The ideas introduced to us in Cabiokid was of great help during our Masterplanning process for Enchanted Farm as it offered an insight as to what to consider in design such that the land grows sustainably. We would highly recommend that everybody experiences such a style of living at least once!

our first lecture in the main bamboo hall

Bert addressing us

crash course on permaculture 

Bamboo processing

touring the different zones

our group photo :)

A frame huts where the boys stayed

Piggery

Super delicious homemade food, all organic!

yummydelicious sugar coated banana

Tolits demonstrating how to divide bamboo

Resting at the main kitchen

photo with the kids on the house

meal time!

Tolits drawing the water system for us on the chalk board

farewell picture :(

Farewell party and Homecooked Meals by Tati Linda

A big SALAMAT PO to Tita Linda and her helpers who provided us with scrumptious delights 4 times a day throughout our stay at the Enchanted Farm. Although till now we have problems remembering the names of all the dishes that we gobbled each time, we will never forget the kindness and hospitality shown to us. Every meal was a pleasant surprise that boosted our energy levels and motivated us to put our best effort in working together to materialize the vision of the Farm.

The most unforgettable meal definitely has to be the feast during the farewell party on the last night =’). Besides the food, drinks and snacks, what we really appreciated was the company of the whole village. Everyone joined in for a night of fun and dance with the Karaoke box in the background. Talents were spotted belting or crooning their favorites. Different groups of the villagers also took turns to perform dances that they so diligently practiced every Saturday. Age definitely does not matter when it comes to dancing in The Philippines. We saw Titas ascending tables with torchlights to create the disco atmosphere for the rest of us and little girls dancing to songs by Kpop group 2NE1. Even our own professor could not help but shake along.^^ Seeing the whole village come together for activities like this really warms the heart. The villagers could have come from different parts of the country and us from other parts of the world (there were at least 6 different nationalities), but when we were all under that one roof in that multi-purpose hall, it just felt like one big family. Tito, Tita, Kuya, Ate... <3

loves,
Sassy

Visit to GK Aya!

15 Jan 2011

Having touched down in Manila at the ungodly hr of 450am, 13 sleepy-eyed elfs led by their fairy godmother linked up with our fairy queen, Roma… After a hearty Filipino breakfast, the we were whisked off to our first site GK Aya multinational village, in Paranaque city.

All Filipino breakfast=P...pats tummy

GK Aya is one of the first resettlement villages built 9 years ago under Gawad Kalinga’s resettlement program. We were led on a informal tour of the village=) One of the things that were really striking are the murals that decorate the walls of the community hall.

 

GK Aya was built on an existing slum so we also saw remnants of thatched houses which survive side by side wif the brightly -colored GK housing… also another thing that struck me r the cosy spaces, the very human sense of scale afforded by the alleyways which are brought to life by kids playing. Over here, they’re racing one another to the finish line!

The kindergarten..

The place where village ladies sew to earn extra income for their families and also the village.

In retrospect, GK Aya in comparison with Bagung Silang and GK Enchanted may have been initially masterplanned with similar layout and massing, but on the ground, we witnessed how each of the villagers have over time made the spaces their own. It is a very insightful perspective into design, where the design process does not end following its construction, but rather, architecture here evolves in a very organic, fluid manner in a very pleasant synergy of top-down planning and bottom-up inhabitation.

Cheers to GK Aya, mabuhay!!!

giggly wif her new found friends in aya...
Cheers
Zany