Updated: March 10, 2010
Contact information: cbatan@hotmail.com

Recent thesis blogs
March 3, 2010: 18: Defending my dream
January 30, 2010: 17: Thesis miracle

Defending my dream

Over the past few days, I attempted capturing in words what transpired during my thesis defence. But for some reason, I found the experience very difficult to describe – somewhat telling my deep self to shut-up, to stop writing. The sentiment just wanted me to listen and to feel.  I was deeply overwhelmed by the experience. Everyone who witnessed the defence was telling me that it was a huge success! But for me, it felt unreal. It felt like a dream.

(Click the title to read the full blog)

Generosity from afar
By Marilyn Smulders

PhD student Clarence Batan rallies his department to raise money for flood victims in his native Philippines.
(Click image to view article.)

From Halifax to Talim Island, Philippines:
A breeze of generosity for flood victims
By Clarence M. Batan

(PREVIEW) ONE HUNDRED FIFTEEN FAMILIES from the flood-affected fishing village of Barangay Kasile, Talim Island, Binangonan, Rizal, Philippines benefited from the $1,085.00 CAD donation, which I generated from the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Dalhousie University. There were also friends, both known and unknown to me, who sent donations upon learning about this fund-raising initiative. For this, I am so grateful for the trust and generosity of people who took part in this project.

(Click this image of rice cavans to see the full report in PDF.)

The community relief project was implemented last October 29-30, 2009 through the assistance of Mr. Jefferson Aquino, a colleague from the University of Santo Tomas, and the leadership of my local research assistants, Ryan Daita and Carol Ceremonia. For three weeks, I facilitated the money transfer and preliminary coordination with the local community officials and volunteers through online banking, emails, text messaging and online chats. The implementation of the project was delayed due to two storms (named: Parma & Ramil) that immediately followed the destructive Typhoon Ketsana (local name: Ondoy). Again, these typhoons brought heavy rains and winds to Rizal province; making travel to Talim Island unsafe. For more report click the image above.

Damaging flood in the Philippines and my research site

Yesterday morning, I was interviewed by Don Connolly and Elizabeth Logan on their radio program, Information Morning at CBC Radio One (90.5) about the damaging flood that struck the Philippines last September 26.

(Click the image to listen to the radio clip.)

While the condition of my family and relatives is relatively good, after this flash flood and two typhoons (storms), Talim Island, the community where I do my research needs urgent help. I came across this news link entitled, ‘Ondoy’ brings windfall to lake fishers (http://inquirer.net/specialreports/ondoyreliefdrive/view.php?db=1&article=20091005-228418 ), which specifically urged relief workers to reach Talim Island. Salvador France, the local fishing organization (Pamalakaya) vice-charman explains that “the victims in Talim seemed to have been forgotten. No relief operations have been conducted or relief goods delivered to the island”.

Talim is about 30-40 minutes boat ride from my residence at mainland Binangonan, Rizal. The surrounding barangay (villages) around the fish port are still submerged into 2-4 feet of water making the travel to Talim more difficult. My family members confirmed that the water level in my research site rose beyond normal level and some families need assistance.

***

Thesis blogs
January 3, 2010: 16: Full draft
December 9, 2009: 15:Can't believe the pressure
November 16, 2009: 14: Discovering the unexpected
November 2, 2009: 13: Writing youth narratives
October 27, 2009: 12: Hindi Lahat (Not All)
October 20, 2009:11: Istambay and the higher odds of smoking and drinking
October 10, 2009: 10: Happy crunching numbers
October 4, 2009: 9: Dreaming thesis defence
October 10, 2009: 10: Happy crunching numbers
October 4, 2009: 9: Dreaming thesis defence
September 30, 2009: 8: A moment of thesis grace
September 23, 2009: 7: Clarity & doubt
September 17, 2009: 6: Istambay songs
September 13, 2009: 5: Hypothetical istambay
September 5, 2009, 4: Istambay statistics
September 3, 2009, 3: Two sentences
September 1, 2009, 2: Taken for granted
August 29, 2009, 1: Restarting my thesis journey

Growing-up in the margins of the virtual world

Mapagpalang araw! (A blessed day!)

Welcome to my personal website.

My intention in having this website is not to advertise myself or my work, but to examine how many of those who have access to the Internet get to discover my existence. To date, I have a good number of online interactions as by-products of this website.

One was with an undergraduate student of the University of Santo Tomas (Manila, Philippines) who discovered my research works through googling. He was writing a thesis about the media and the Filipino youth and sought my help on the subject matter. With this, I realized that a website can be a powerful tool in ‘bridging connections’ among those who share similar interests.

 I, too, have had rekindled conversations with old friends who re-discovered me over the net, and new friends who shared fascination with the works that I have done or are currently doing.

Overall, I view this process likened to ‘growing-up’. This is because I have yet to really understand the technical logic of maintaining a website and exploit the power it endures.

What this website offers are links to my personal blog, biography, creative works, current research, selected publications and picture gallery.  I may still be on the margins of this virtual world, but should you find this website interesting, please let know, email me. I look forward to hearing your comments, my virtual friends.

Clarence

More blogs
July 4, 2009, Keeping up with the pain
May 25, 2009, The world of social scientists circa 2009
May 23, 2009, My Norway and the Netherlands sojourn I
April 28, 2009, Summer rain
April 8, 2009, The bond that religion makes
April 1, 2009, Free cold summer breeze in Baguio city
February 28, 2009, Skating with pain
February 21, 2009, Returning pain
December 16, 2008, Silent crash
November 5, 2008, Healing nature, healing time
October 22, 2008, Tolerating pain
October 1, 2008, Dizzy earthquake
September 24, 2008, Silencing my person
September 20, 2008, Mysterious chronic pain
June 3, 2008, 16 Youthful souls
April 23, 2008, Sense of becoming
April 16, 2008, The Kite Runner and my creative istambay study
November 30, 2007, Lessons from the last class
September 13, 2007, A certificate that bonds and bridges.
September 7, 2007, Learning the first class