Happy as a Giant Clam

I am officially a United States Peace Corps Volunteer now. Up until a few days ago I could only claim I was a trainee, but now I am sworn-in, a full-fledged volunteer and have experienced my first two days of work thus far. Every Monday there is a flag ceremony here which is pretty typical everywhere you go in the Philippines. We sang the national anthem and then I was called up to the front to give an impromptu speech in Tagalog about what I am doing here. Everyone was very welcoming and the crowd was filled with nothing but good energy and smiles. After the flag ceremony I bought a mountain bike, a helmet, and a lock so that I could ride to the office of “SIKAT” a Non-Government Organization that I will be working with closely during my time here. We did a Giant Clam assessment in Agnipa around the Marine Protected Area (MPA) using the manta tow method I described a few blogs ago where you are basically pulled behind a bangka as you snorkel and then count any giant clams you see. We located the clams and recorded their location using a GPS so that the following day we could find them again, weigh them, and transfer them inside the MPA. It is prohibited in the Philippines to take Giant Clams regardless of whether they are inside an MPA or not. However, by putting them inside the MPA, they can be better monitored because there is a Bantay Dagat (coast guard) protecting the area. We are also moving the clams to slightly deeper water, about 15- 20 feet, so they will be less accessible to illegal fishers and less susceptible to overheating in shallow waters during low tide. We will then return to these MPA’s and tag each clam so that we can keep track of them and monitor their growth. It’s been an amazing couple of first work days and it doesn’t stop there. After work, I ride my bicycle 9 km to my house winding in around mangrove forests, coconut tree groves, up and around cliffsides with unbelievable views of the neighboring islands, breathing the fresh clean air because there is never traffic, and making it just in time to catch the sunset over the horizon. When I get home, my family greets me with smiles and banter, and merienda of course. Life couldn’t be better…. The last three months of training has certainly paid off, I am finally here at my permanent site in the Philippines, Romblon, starting my new life as a volunteer.