With
the May rains finally arriving it is time to get everyone possible
into the fields. So the Brothers have a day off class if not yet
professed and join some hired rice planters to get the job done.
Many farmers in our area only broadcast the seed in the paddies,
which is quicker but doesn't produce such good yields. Also it
necessitates the use of herbacides to control the weeds. Whereas
we can go back in and pull out the weeds by hand. More back-breaking
labour well at least for my old back. Not to be outdone is Fr.
Ignatius in the foreground still happy to get his feet in the
mud
Here
a closer view of the planting with a postulant on the left and
a professed Brother on the right. The Brothers have a varied schedule
between the classes in the mornings and outdoor work in the afternoon.
Some have kitchen duty as well. But when the rain comes all possible
hands get stuck in, or is it the feet.
Shown
here a picture of the new and the old technolgy. The Philippines
is still a land of many contrasts between the old ways and the
new. Many areas still have no electricity and in fact the Noviciate
is helping to bring power into the purok (neighbourhood) next
to us in exhchange for the road rights to build a new road to
the road behind us but closer to the highway.
A payloader and vibrator/roller as part of the team that constructed
the road through the rice paddies. The test will be when the next
typhoon comes to see if the road will survive and still be passable.
A good layer of dacl-dacl (mixture of clay and gravel) was laid
on top to harden the surface.
A
new gate at the front entrance is part of the security fencing
that is being put up on part of the property. Up till now there
have been few gates, which was a happier state of affairs. However
with security being a problem we have to do what is the common
element of every property in South Africa (where I lived for 13
years) gates, gates and more gates.
