Names : Dirk Emmanuel Canen Date : November 27, 2023

Cody Blake Renejane Course : Philo 01

Dwayne John Trocio Instructor : Mr. Japhet B. Viletta

John Benedict Yap

Group & Block : Group 5B, STEM 11 G

TOA: PTFT 2 : Community Instructure Immersion Pt. 1

A. Description of the Sitio

Basak San Nicolas is a community based in the southern part of Cebu City. This

community is situated near SRP, a reclamation area, which makes them suffer problems

during high tides like trash ending up in their community. According to our interviewee,

when it is high tide, trash from Inayawan goes to their community and pollutes their

area, which may cause the residents to end up with health issues. The residents of this

community have reported this problem to their local government bodies, but

unfortunately, the problem is still not solved.

In addition, this community suffered a big fire back then. This was because their homes

were made with light materials, and they were very close to each other. After they faced

the big fire, they were fortunately able to recover. When rebuilding their homes, which

were engulfed in flames, they were able to use proper planning, and now their houses
are built properly and with better materials. According to our interviewee, the community

is now like a village because of how the houses are set up.

B. Summary of Information Gathered

One of the respondents for the interview was Mrs. Villamo. She lives in Basig, St.

Nicholas. During the interview, she said that she chose to stay there because her

husband's family lives there. “Diha man dyud mi kay naa dira ang pamilya sa akong

bana.” Mrs. Villamor mentions that there was a fire incident long ago and that the

houses used to be tightly packed, which resulted in the nearby houses getting caught

on fire. The area has turned into a drainage over the years, but with the help of the

community, they were able to get people to safety. "One of our neighbors lit a candle

near the window, and the wind blew the curtains to the candle, resulting in the fire.” Mrs.

Villamor also mentions the problem where trash piles up when there is high tide and

that the people have asked to do something about it, but nothing has been done to stop

the water from flooding. She says that the community asked for help from the

government regarding the issue, even reporting the issue to Mayor Mike Rama. The

community gathered together and started cleaning trash from the streets.

Another respondent for the interview was Mrs. Marites Alisoso-Ostria. In 2003,

she moved from Mindanao to San Nicolas, Basak, Cebu, where she got married and

had a child. On the 1st of November, 2019, the area was engulfed in flames. "Hangtud

karon ga-recover pa mi." "Akong anak sad, naay heart [problems] ga-ningkamot pa mi

[sa] utang." Marites added, expressing her challenges recovering from the fire. She
mentions that her community has very minor problems, and she wishes for the Cebu

City government to further fund the growth of the community. When asked if her

community has conflict with one another, she states, "Sometimes, Away-away sila, pero

ako, di ko mo apil ana." "Since 2019, naka-feel gyud ko sa ginoo sa akong

kasing-kasing." "Bisag pobre mi, maka-bangon ra sad" she stated when asked if God

has given her gifts. Marites added that she is very active when it comes to leadership

roles, especially for the sitio's fiesta, which lies on the sixth of December. "Okay ra gyud

ang kamong gi-buhat," "Lingawon kaayo."

Another respondent was Mrs. Mariafe Condesa. She has a house in Sitio

Lusimba. When we interviewed Marite, she had been staying in the community for 20

years. They chose to live near the community since it is near the church and the

hospital. We further asked her what the changes in the community were, and she

responded, “Ang kausaban kay ang amoang parokya kay sauna na naa paman na sa

prayer room, kato ato gi stayhan, mao to ang first na simbahan namo. Si late Father

Manny, mao to siyay nag build up nga ipa bago ang parokya, pag 2021.” This change

helped the community because now there are many people who go to their parish to

attend the mass from other barangays. We also asked her what the main problems in

their community are: the flood and drainage system, the segregation of garbage, and

the small businesses in the community. The government took action on it by collecting

their garbage system every 5 PM, and every 3 months, they took action to clean the

drainage system. Although this change has been seen, solving the problems with the

small businesses in their community is challenging due to the fact that they are owned
by their neighbors, who would prevent the reporter from entering their barangay again if

they did report their business. Mariafe envisions an expansion of job opportunities

orchestrated by government officials to sustain their livelihood, acknowledging the

indispensable role of money in fulfilling their basic necessities.

C. Integrating the Experience with Philo 01

The experience during the parish immersion we had is closely related to Martin

Buber’s view on intersubjectivity, which refers to the concept of mutual understanding

and shared experiences and mentions that man engages in a life-long dialogue with

people in the world and that the human person is related to the world. This is because

during the activity, we were able to connect and have dialogues with the parishioners

even though we didn’t know them. This experience can also be linked to Gabriel

Marcel’s arguments of Disponibilité and Indisponibilité. Disponibilité, as Marcel defined

it, is the ability to be open and available to others. When we were interviewing these

parishioners, we established a rapport in which both parties showed a mutual

understanding of themselves and expressed their sincerity, causing us to have an

authentic and deep conversation about the experiences we shared. While we were

having the conversation, it was also seen that the parishioners and us, the interviewers,

were open and available to communicate and further give deeper meaning to what they

experienced in their community. By the end of the interviews, we were able to establish

an “I-Thou” relationship with the parishioners. Buber emphasized the importance of

nurturing the "I-Thou" relationship among individuals as a key means to address the

pervasive sense of isolation and disconnection prevalent in contemporary society.

 While this experience is closely linked to Buber’s view on intersubjectivity, it can

also be linked to the Theory of Participation of Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II). During

the activity, we were able to establish a “We-relationship” with the community because

we engaged with them to further understand what problems they have and what they

suggest to fix them. While we were engaging with the community, there was a shared

reflection on societal issues, a collective effort to contribute positively to the community,

and what we should do to obtain the unity we need to make this world a better place. As

Aristotle would say, “A perfect society does not exist," but there is always a way to make

the society we have right now better.

In essence, the Parish Immersion serves as a practical embodiment of

philosophical perspectives, illustrating the transformative power of genuine human

connections, active participation, and collaborative reflection on societal improvement.

This activity made us reflect, connect, interact, and communicate within the society we

live in and how we can contribute to the better good. We fostered a shared

understanding and approached others with compassion through the exchange of our

thoughts, emotions, and experiences, actively seeking to authentically forge deep

interpersonal connections. Through the deep, authentic, meaningful, and eye-opening

conversations we had with the parishioners, it made us more connected to the

community and to society as a whole. To quote Gabriel Marcel, “Esse co-esse," or

simply “To be is to be with the other," is something we experienced during this

immersion, and it serves as a statement that to be one with the self in society is to be

with the others who are in society.

 D. Personal Reflection of Each Member

This experience was one of the best things I got to be part of and I will be

eternally grateful that it happened as I got to view life from a different perspective. When

I first heard about getting insights from the area, I didn't expect much, as I lived in a

similar area for most of my life. During our interview with one of the residents, Marites

(Yes, that’s her real name), I was shocked at how much different life was here. She told

stories of a fire outbreak, the community’s resilience, and how she led several

community programs. Her stories of the community’s bond & resilience are currently

inspiring me to join more programmes like this, and I hope to meet more people like

Marites in the future. (Canen, 2023)

The Parish Immersion activity was personally a great experience. It allowed me

to connect with people from different backgrounds. Talking with the residents of the

community amazed me because of how they are able to keep a positive mindset at all

times even if things go bad. They are faced with many challenges but they are able to

overcome them as they keep a strong connection with God. This made me realize how

lucky I am to be in a place where I am today. This program enabled me to look at life

from a different perspective and to appreciate what we have as of the moment.

(Renejane, 2023)

The Parish Immersion experience was humbling, affirming, and reminding me

that God is always with us. It humbled me because it is affirming, and touching to see
people being so positive about life even when they are suffering. In a philosophical

standpoint, to fully transcend, in the eyes of Nietzche, is to overcome the suffering one

has. I also realized that despite every challenge, everyone will always try to find a way

to be happy. This Parish Immersion also made me reflect on what I should be doing for

myself, and for my community, which is to be kinder to everyone, and to always try to

help out the community in one way or the other. (Trocio, 2023)

Participating in the Parish Immersion Program was an entirely unique experience

to me. The program has shown me how fortunate we all are to be able to experience

this heartwarming event. From sharing stories from the bible, to learning about what

goes on in the community, it has made me realize that God is always with us in every

step to guide us, to love and nurture His children. I am grateful for the opportunity to be

around these resilient and positive-minded people,and listen to their stories about why

they joined the community and how they are taking matters into their own hands when it

comes to problems affecting the area. From sharing stories from the bible, to learning

about what goes on in the community, it has made me realize that God is always with us

in every step to guide us, to love and nurture His children. (Yap, 2023).