Recalling my high school history and geography lessons, there is one thing I know for certain . . . I didn't learn much -- a sad indictment on the public schools. So when I tell people that I am going to the Philippines, and I see that glazed look on their face, I know immediately that their high school geography lessons weren't any better than mine. So . . . where is the Philippines? Firstly, it is located in an area commonly referred to as Oceana. That area includes Australia, Indonesia, the Mariannas (including Guam, which is a US territory), French Polynesia, and of course, the Philippines. If you look on the map below, you will see Vietnam to the left . . . just go east and you will see the Philippines.
The Philippines consists of 7,107 islands. The capital is Manila, located in the northern province of Luzon. The recent flooding from tropical storm Washi hit the southern-most province, Mindinao. Bohol, where I will be working, is an island province just north of Mindinao.
Once you see Bohol, look northwesterly and you will find Cebu, the second largest city of the Philippines, which is also where I will fly into. We will then take the "fast cat" (a high-speed catamaran) to Bohol. A few days ago, I talked about the church in Masbate . . . which is in dire need of a new building . . . look north from Cebu, and you should see Masbate province.
One thing to note, many of the provinces have the same name as a major city in that province . . . for example, Cebu is both the name of the province and the name of a city there. Sometimes the countryside around a city is referred to as "the province", even if that is not the official name of the province. Confused? Just remember, if you're going to the city of Davao (in southern Mindinao), refer to it as Davao-city. If you are visiting the area outside of Davao, just say you are going to Davao province . . . most will understand what you mean.
Ok . . . now for Bohol. Our original travel plans had me arriving in Manila, then flying to Tagbilaran, the largest city on Bohol. From there, we take a hired van to Sierra Bullones in the central region of the province. Well, sometimes the cost of airline tickets dictates different arrangements. We will fly into Cebu instead, and then take the fast cat to Tagbilaran. Then, the same van ride to Sierra Bullones.
Looking at the lower left corner of the map, you can see Tagbilaran. I'm not certain of the route we will take, but if you follow the southern road through Alburquerque and Valencia to Jagna, then travel north, you will see Sierra Bullones. If you continued the coastal road instead of going north, you will see Mabini, then Ubay to the north, which are two places I will visit schools at. If you travel almost all the way around the island you will eventually come to Tubigon, where I will spend my weekend, meeting with a group of kids (about 100 or so) on Saturday and then give the message at church on Sunday. I hope that I get the chance to visit Alburquerque . . . it will be fun to get some photos of the place that shares the same name as my home here in the US.
Bohol has a population of nearly 1 million people. . . 250,000 living in Tagbilaran. The rest are scattered throughout the island. Sierra Bullones has approximately 27,000 residents. Agriculture is the primary industry, with fishing along the coast and growing rice and coconut in the interior.
Anyway . . . there's my geography lesson for the trip. Expect more geography lessons upon my return!
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