TRIP TO VIGAN

One of our Partners is the University of the Northern Philippines, situated in the northern portion of the island of Luzon.

 As we are in the process of re signing all of are agreements with partners, we had the opportunity to visit there.  Our friends and co-workers, the Morellos came with us, as Vigan is requesting our help in outfitting a mobile medical clinic. This is basically a small truck fitted with some basic equipment to do medical screening. UNP has a medical, nursing, and orthopedic rehabilitation department. Each student must complete a certain number of service hours in outreach clinics into the rural areas before they receive their degrees.
Our meeting with the University accomplished a lot of good. I can see why it is important for us to be out with the partners frequently. There are things you assume they understand and you find they do not. While we were in all visiting I meet these young ladies just outside the room.

I just love their school uniforms. Each school has a different skirt and they wear white blouses. I think that we should do this in Utah. These girls attend the "Edith Bowen" or laboratory school  of this University

After our meetings, Elder Rosario, who is obviously a member of the church and a teacher at the University and also serving as our liaison with the University, took us on a tour of Vigan. It is an old Spanish town and it was a very interesting place to see

This is the entrance to the University. No, it does not look like an American university but yes, it is a very good school.

We took a boat trip down the river. It was kind of like a  disneyland tour with 6 dioramas on each side explaining the history of Vigan.

 But even though that was silly, we got to see these:

These are fish farms. They have large netted areas out in the river in which they farm fish.

These guys saw me taking a picture and posed for the camera.

We visited the potters shop. I'll bet all of you potters use a Carabao to kneed your clay

They just drive him around and around to soften and blend the clay. I think it also may be responsible for some of the color of the clay.

But every potter recognizes this. The potter said he made 40 pots a day. Note that the wheel is run by foot power.

One of the pictures that I didn't get was the kiln. It was probably 50 yards long, ran up hill and was heated with a wood fire. I just can't imagine how hot it would be in summer - which starts in March - because it was hot during our visit during "winter".

We visited the weavers and of course I had to buy a little cloth. Didn't take a picture of my own so I borrowed this from the internet. I don't know why I bother to take a camera. Someone with a better camera has already taken the picture. 

Vigan is an old Spanish town and are very proud of their Spanish architecture. The pony drawn carts are very typical in any area where there has been a Spanish influence. 

It is great to be able to travel a bit and see the "real" Philippines and not just Manila. But mostly we like doing the Humanitarian Work we have been called to do.