THE BILLETS WHERE THE REFUGEES LIVED

These billets were built using light materials such as bamboo sidings, wooden posts and frames, coconut shingles and concrete flooring.  

These houses were well ventilated because they had windows around them and also in the attic. They had bedrooms, kitchens, private bathrooms (only for showers) and living rooms. 

A few had gardens in the backyard and improvised benches where they could entertain their guests and chat with them. Those were the days.

OOO

PFAC Palawan GRAND REUNION

PFAC Palawan GRAND REUNION 

July 2nd to July 10, 2015

We've never had the opportunity to return to our second home.  We just keep on looking back!  We sometimes think of the people we encountered while we're there waiting to be resettled. 

We often think of our good friends, our beloved teachers that educated us and touched our lives.  We treasure the international volunteers from various agencies who gave up their precious times to contribute, to make a difference, to make a lasting impression on other people's lives. Thank you!!!  

It's been over thirty years.  We have all aged. Many have gotten married and had children.  Some have passed on.  And inside our hearts there's PFAC Palawan burning. 

We've never really had a chance to go back to see PFAC Palawan again... the second home we cherish. 

We miss the gorgeous Buddhist Temple, the ethereal Roman Catholic Church, the beautiful UNHCR Field Office, the towering Caodaist Temple, the endearing HTC School for Children, brings smiles to my face... the lovely CADP and ARMDEV, the Mailing Section, the Stage and the Plaza where we used to watch movies on Friday nights.  The sandbar and the crystal-clear beaches and the coconut garden.  And sadly, they're all gone. 

Yes, they're now all gone, but you know what?  We still have each other... Yes, we still have each other.  We can and should hold on to these memories.  Share them with our children... with our grand children, with our great, great grand children.  

Yes, we have each other. And together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, and with great enthusiasm, we will continue to keep the fire burning.  

Mark your calendar- July 2 to July 10, 2015. Join us in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the city and province that gave us a safe haven,

Andrew Taylor