On this assignment, which started in October 2010, me and my friend Daniele as Punto14 (www.punto14.net) had the opportunity to collaborate with a Spanish NGO (Paz y Desarrollo) in the Philippines.
We visited three different barangays (villages) in Mindanao, the second largest island of the country, which is located in the South. During the time we stayed there, we had the chance to spend a few days with five different families, getting to live the way locals do and understanding the problems they have to struggle with daily, especially the ones that occur as a consequence of climate change, as most of these people make their living out of farming or fishing.
In order to do their bit in the battle against climate change, and thanks to the help of the NGO and their local partners, people in these areas are now starting to use of natural fertilizers and handmade bio sprays, which result in less production costs and less impact on the environment.
With the film and photo material gathered during our stay in the Philippines, we have built a website (www.imchanging.org), a compilation of audiovisual and graphic narrations which attempts to show an obviated reality, the situation of rural women and men in a country that is considered a ‘hotspot’ for harsh natural phenomena, such as floods, droughts or typhoons.
The website includes 7 short documentaries (recorded with a Canon 5D MarkII and a Canon 7D), 7 photo galleries and a compilation of pieces of information about the people who are fighting against climate change in this part of the world. An innovative way to present the contents and totally web 2.0-oriented.
In this occasion, Punto 14 has chosen to approach the issue of climate change in an indirect manner, and for that reason we decided to let the “protagonists” tell their own stories, speaking in an informal and natural way about their daily routines. Thus, the problems originated by those changes in the climate are brought to light, as they have become decisive factors in their daily fight for survival and affect their lives directly; therefore, the issue of climate change is addressed in an implicit rather than explicit manner.
A farmer with his buffalo in Tagbayani.
Lita, household head and single mother. She takes care of her son, her sick father and a mentally-challenged woman who she gives shelter to.She lives in Tagbayani, Surigao del Norte. She owns a little land where she harvests rice once a year and gathers coconuts every 3 months.
Teresita, married to Silvestre, they are tenants of a small rice field in Tagbayani.
They have 3 daughters and 5 sons.
They have 3 daughters and 5 sons.
Life in the little town of Azpetia
Members of the local cooperative in Azpetia.
Currently, the cooperative has 101 members: 53 men and 48 women.
Currently, the cooperative has 101 members: 53 men and 48 women.
In the Philippines, due to timber exploitation and illegal logging, 30 million hectares of rainforest have been reduced to less than 5 million just in less than 75 years.
There are the effects of the floods that stroke the little town of New Maug last january.
Carmen, daycare teacher and farmer.
She is divorced and she takes care of her two daughters, her 85-year-old widowed and her two granddaughters.
She lives in Cagwait, Surigao del Sur and she's an active member of the local farmer association (POFA).
She is divorced and she takes care of her two daughters, her 85-year-old widowed and her two granddaughters.
She lives in Cagwait, Surigao del Sur and she's an active member of the local farmer association (POFA).
Using of biospray in Cagwait.
Eutiquio, fisherman and farmer
Married to Luminade and father of 2 daughters and 6 sons.
They live in Cagwait, Surigao del Sur, where they also own a small rice field.
Married to Luminade and father of 2 daughters and 6 sons.
They live in Cagwait, Surigao del Sur, where they also own a small rice field.
Eutiquio Jr.
