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| Scale model of GK Main Hall |
Marco Vincent Dive Resort in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro brings over dive groups from all over. And why shouldn't they? Puerto Galera is quite near the Verde Island Passage which is the center of the center of endemicity in the world.
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| lobby installation art |
But Marco Vincent Dive Resort not only shows our best dive sites to visitors, they give them a complete Philippine experience by giving the guests a "surf and turf" experience. They provide the guests a glimpse of Philippine culture along with the beauty of our oceans aquatic wealth and beauty.
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| guests at the activity center/theater |
On this visit by scuba photographers and divers from the United States of America, the dive resort also brought them to Intramuros and to Pandi, Bulacan to immerse themselves in Gawad Kalinga's Enchanted Farm. And this is where all the fun begins. They had this group of men and women ranging in age from late forties to mid sixties all of whom are accomplished (licensed) divers and underwater photogs.
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| Our Gawad Kalinga guide |
Gawad Kalinga, as we all know, is Tony Meloto's pet project to empower impoverished communities. It is also a platform to train university students to work in [artnership with communities to uplift the lives of the poor and to train them to become leaders. So aside from Filipino students who do volunteer work for Gawad Kalinga, it is not unlikely to see foreign teenagers learning the ins and outs of organic farming or making preserves from farm produce. Some are trained in mushroom culture, salted egg or plush toy production. and from there, these kids become small to medium entrepreneurs in partnership with these communities they work with. So the partnership is symbiotic in that both entrepreneur and community are able to earn and develop into a better working relationship.
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| Orientation at the Main Hall sponsored by Hyundai |
The time we visited, we were welcomed warmly by some of the volunteers and ushered into the main hall to view an audio visual presentation of the Enchanted Farm history and background. After which we went around exploring the areas of productivity like the salted egg factory, the plush toy making area, spa, rice paddies and the organic farm. The visitors were impressed with the zeal and eagerness of these kids who were around the same age as their children.
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| Bamboo Palace |
Lunch was served at the mess hall where organic food was served. Volunteers were present in food preparation and in the food service while at the far end were a group of kids in the middle of labeling bottles of jams and all sorts of preserves for distribution to organic markets and outlets of Gawad Kalinga.
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Plush toy factory visit
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| salted egg factory |
The guests were visibly impressed at what they saw and before we departed for Manila, we dropped by the souvenir shop where they purchased locally made purses and some cheese produced on the farm. I myself got a bottle of massage oil and liniment from their signature brand... Human Nature.
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| GK farmlands |
The guests were dropped off at the hotel where they had a good night's rest before they sailed off for Puerto Galera the next day... I so look forward to the next group of divers Marco Vincent is bringing in this March...
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| DTI sponsored Bamboo Palace |
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