Day Off

Today was our first day off. We chose to use it for some sight seeing around the beautiful province of Nueva Ecija. It was certainly a good choice.

AG Rey Diego, his wife Cecile and cousin Jun picked us up early in the morning and drove us south to Gapan City where they had made arrangements to show us around. We began by meeting members of the RC of Penaranda. The members of this club had arranged to show us a rice farm.

Soon after we arrived at the farm we learned that the women hired to do the planting had stopped work to greet us. They then took us out to the field and showed us the technique os planting rice. Soon our team members were deep in the mud in their bare feet planting rice plants into the bottom of the paddy. Each of them vowed that they would never again think of rice in quite the same way as before.

Soon after everyone was cleaned up there was an opportunity to take a ride on the back of a water buffalo. The buffalo was pulling a cart and with one after another of the team members upon her back she carried them down the highway among the non stop trafffic, before turning around and returning to pick up another load.

Soon it was time for lunch and Filipino hospitality again came to the fore. We moved into the backyard of the farmer's home where the women had prepared a wonderous feast for us. Never again will a picnic be the same. The picnic consisted of several dishes ending with a triple dessert, each of which seemed equaly delicious. We soon left with our stomaches full and wondering how we could ever eat so much.

Further touring led us to see the inside of a beautiful old church, an old house full of antiques collected after many years of use and Rey's boyhood home. We also managed to find time to stop in Penadanda Public School for a look around and a local private school which was housed in a new building.

Our final stop was in Rey's business, a rice mill. Due to the fact there was an electrical shut down for the day, the mill was not in operation. However, we were able to see what the interior of the mill was like and to witness the hard work of men unloading 50kg sacks of newly harvested rice and carry them to a storage space. The impression of these men carrying these heavy bags of rice on their heads and that of the women rice planters bending over their tasks is ample proof of the hard working nature of Filipinos.It certainly reinforces our strong opinion of the people of this beautiful country.