(English below; cover art by Junior High Bakwit School student Irene*) Note: the conversation was held away from the Lumad Bakwit School's garden but still within the University of the Philippines Campus. Security immediately became stricter compared to the earlier days of the project. In between parts of the recording, we are constantly distracted, curious, and wary by various entries within the premises. Fortunately, none of these were dangerous. 00:00 Omehen Team (Alfred): So for our listers, welcome to all! Maybe let's start with by introducing ourselves first to our listeners. I'll go first! I am Alfred Marasigan, and Omehen is a project that I started with Karl Castro and Guelan Luarca around late 2019, and today we continue with the evolving activities of the garden itself. Today we are with our collaborators, teachers, and students from the Lumad Bakwit Schools. Teacher Andro*: So there, I am Andro, a volunteer teacher for the Bakwit School, an agriculture teacher, and I also teach math, and art also got included recently. I also stay here in the Bakwit School, with the kids. Teacher Ping*: Hello I am Teacher Ping, also a volunteer teacher for the Lumad Bakwit School. I am teaching Grade 8, TLE (Technology and Livelihood Education) and Grade 9, P.E. and music. There, I am also an in-house teacher with the Bakwit School. Michael*: I am Michael, I'm already in first year college, I'm also studying in the Bakwit Schools, I also know some art so that I can helpor contribute to the garden project. Katkat*: Hi, good day! I am Katkat! A student from the Lumad Schools. Also studying, and trying to learn art...I'm also from the Bakwit Schools, yes. 02:14 OTA: Yay, so there! Ok, so now we've met our conversation participants, I think, before, before we talk about...anything, may I ask how you all are actually? At the time of recording, and also this week. Maybe some people know...but not everyone knows. What happened this week and how did it affect your classes? TA: So there...uhm, besides the modules and yeah, while other students meet for our agriculture class, visiting from time to time, of course, there's fear in current events that just suddenly happen. It's frustrating...because we're...just trying to live peacefully, and on top of COVID, and then a new variant, there are already a lot of threats against the Lumad communities and schools that shouldn't be happening, and that no one deserves... OTA: Yeah, it so many things keep happening alongside how you're already adjusting because it's not easy for you to be here (in Manila) and you used to have different ways of learning. Theres the pandemic, and there's...I think the UP DND Accord was terminated that I only read a bit on. Then, that's how I saw this week...last Monday I was actually just messaging Teacher Ping and then within the day, the news changed. Is it normal for you that your classes get derailed like this, especially this week? TP: Uhm...so, there, we were more alert, and yes, there's fear. Uh, our classes were quite...we were hoping to keep our classes going, but because we lack gadgets and connections, and we weren't able to access much, to go out randomly, and now we aren't allowed to use other facilities. So it became a struggle for the students when this happened. And then we can't always go to our plot, so we postponed our agriculture classes for the security of the children and everyone in the Bakwit Schools. It's a big adjustment, but we always adjust anyway. We just keep going, really. We just keep going. * Names have been changed for privacy.
