By: Manuel Ferdinand Ramirez de Erio

This is a glimpse of my experience as one of the youth participants/camper to the Bibo Bohol Youth Heritage Camp last week, May 18 - 21, 2006 . The camp base was located in Magsaysay Camp, Raja Sikatuna Protected Landscape, Bilar, Bohol while the challenges covered the towns of Bilar, Loboc, Loay, Alburquerque, Baclayon.

I can personally attest to the fun, to the adventure, and the supportive and cooperative attitude of the youth participants from Bohol and those from outside the province. However, the fun and adventure I have personally experienced should not blind me from tolerable to the serious lapses I have personally encountered, witnessed and observed during the Bibo Bohol Youth Heritage Camp!

Bibo, indeed!

I have been to several youth camps in the past. I considered the Youth Leadership Camp in Tagaytay some years back as the fondest, not until last week! Bibol Bohol Youth Heritage Camp is truly a fond experience. Over 200 campers (as what I am told) from allover the archipelago were grouped into four sub camps: Garcia, Tamblot, Dagohoy and Sikatuna Camps. I was part of the Sikatuna Camp where most of the SK delegation (to which I belong) were grouped. Sub camp Sikatuna was divided to five patrols. Mapagbigay was the name of our patrol with our friendly youth coordinator named Elizabeth from CVSCAFT Main Campus.

During the closing program at the Bohol Culrual Center on night of the fourth day, the winners were announced. The sub camp Sikatuna where most of the SK delegations were grouped emerged that camp with most number of victories. Patrol Mapagbigay won as the best in bio-diversity challenge by a patrol and Sikatuna Camp won as the best in Bio-diversity Challenge by a sub Camp. And guess what, the powerpoint presentation of Sikatuna camp was hailed as winner by the judges as the best in powerpoint presentation! Indeed it was a truly Bibo experience! Amidst the adversity and the series of inconveniences that we have encountered, we, the campers have proven that we can still do our best.

But, what are exactly the adversities, lapses and series of inconveniences that happened in those four days of an "apparently successful" event. I would like to emphasize that I know what to expect in a camping. But then, I am also aware that the event is a promotion of Bohol . May I avail this space to provide you a glimpse on what went wrong in the camp. With the very long brainstorming and preparation--which actually began last year, I am utterly disappointed to experience the adversities in the camp. May I stressed that the said adversities were experience not only by my Camp (Sikatuna) but also the other delegates, especially those from Cebu City . The adversities should not have happened if careful, practical and realistic planning was properly done by the organizers.

Hearty meals-everyone!

The food served at the camp was poorly prepared (I might sound too harsh if I say terrible!). On our first dinner at the camp we were served with a small piece of pork (almost the match box size) and handful of sautéed bamboo shoots with plain purified drinking water as our drinks. I wonder if it would cost P100,000.00 to prepare at least some powdered juice drink-like litro pack at least! The rest of the meals served at the camp were equally poor in taste and quality! I wonder how much would it cost to have at least a day for food tasting. Remember that food is a basic need! I understand that the program cannot afford to serve banquets, but at least they should have considered a generally palatable menu. Our dinner at the Café Olegario in Loay was another unique experience. We were served with plated dinner with each plate almost filled with a mountain of pancit miki with a stick of pork-meat barbecue and a stick of port-fat barbecue.

The great nightmare of the Cebu delegation!

Bohol boasts for its hospitable and warm nature. Unfortunately, the event has left a scar to the delegation from an NGO in Cebu City . I don't really know how the organizers welcome their guests and participants, but in my experience, even a single visitor from outside Bohol should be at least fetched at the pier or airport. A delegation from Cebu experienced a unique Boholano hospitality. The delegation disembarked from the ship early Thursday morning to have breakfast and spent some time searching for the registration venue since they did not have (at least) a guide to bring them to the venue.

The program stated registration starts at 8 o'clock . When they arrived at the venue, it was a little past eight, yet the place was still closed. Some of the delegates even thought that perhaps the program didn't push through! They waited outside the venue for registration for some time, under the rain! Wet from the rain, they receive a text message informing them that registration starts at 8:30 ! Waaaaaaaaa…. What a short notice! Tales in the dark! Whoever was assigned to contact and make arrangements for the transportation has definitely caused the biggest adversity to the campers. On the very first day, the buses were like giant oven toasters where we were made to wait and be toasted for more than 20 minutes for the go signal for our departure for Bilar.

We have long feared that the buses were not in good condition. Our fear was, at least, affirmed when one of the buses got stuck and blocked the only road to Magsaysay Camp. As a result, almost three-fourths of the campers who arrived from dinner concerts in Dauis, Baclayon and Tagbilaran, have to walk at least a kilometer to get back to the camp. And mind you, they have to walk through the dark road in the middle of the forest at more or less 9:00 PM !

The tale didn't end there! The following day, we learned that the rickety old bus that block the road can't be pulled out from the narrow road. At dusk on that day, we have to walk at least a kilometer to get to where the other busses were waiting. It was already dark and we were in a middle of a forest!

I expected for the staff or secretariat to somehow help manage the flock of campers, but they were too busy finding transportation for their own! Oh, by the way, I saw one girl secretariat (a familiar girl) with us, yet she couldn't initiate to manage the crowd because she was too busy chatting with the tourist police! Whew! I have so many tales to share about the adversity and saga that the campers experienced in Bibo Bohol but sad to say, I only have very limited space for this story. So watch out for the second part next Sunday!

l