Erika Corinne Sison 2018-06328

Reflection Paper

What is your favorite place? Why? I find it such a strange coincidence that
the answer I wrote prior to the actual talk was El Nido, the island Ms. Ellie’s efforts
were centered around. Except, instead of from the point of view of an
anthropologist, I was giving my opinion from the point of view of a tourist. In El
Nido I saw a beautiful island getaway while being blissfully unaware of its historical
and geographical significance, and what that meant to the actual inhabitants of that
island. Beneath the bright and shiny veneer of the privatized beaches and plush
towels, lay a foundation of history far more authentic than whatever tour packages
could ever offer. But that history isn’t mine or any of the other visitors. It belongs
to the locals. Yet, bit by bit pieces of the island are being bought from the locals
with prices they can’t refuse. Land that once belonged to their ancestors is
converted into paved walkways and hotel pools. For a moment, a small but urgent
voice in my head was asking: Are tourists like me part of the problem?
I think that this ultimately relates back to the idea of awareness and
information. As Ms. Ellie was discussing, many of the people who live on the island,
who actually have a stake to claim part of El Nido’s rich and vibrant history, are
unaware of it. I don’t think I’m in any place to preach that the island's inhabitants
should value their land or history more. But at the very least, they should have the
resources to access this information. I think this form of educational empowerment
is the first and most fundamental step. This talk was meant to draw the distinction
between arts and sciences. More importantly, it was meant to find the similarities
between the two and how they work in synchrony to usher progress. We already
discussed how the two go hand in hand to make knowledge not only reliable but
accessible to the general public. Ms. Ellie’s efforts are a perfect example of how the
two complement and improve each other. Anthropological science provides the
substance and the hard facts. Through a combination of fieldwork, interviews and
scientific techniques Ms. Ellie was able to glean the truth about thousands of years
ago from what is observable today. Yet in as much as pure scientific truth by itself
is beautiful, presenting it in such a way that is accessible is of utmost importance.
The next generation needs to be educated and children thrive on creative ideas. I
think that beyond that, art and science are similar in that they are subjects that
thrive on pushing boundaries and changing the status quo of accepted beliefs. Ms.
Ellie’s experience and accomplishments is a perfect illustration of this. She
recognized the problem in the status quo. People were unaware of their own
geographical heritage. History was not being told to the people who needed to hear
it the most. Even historical accounts were dictated by those who hold the most
power today. Recognizing the problem is not enough. It was her willingness to push
the boundaries that allowed her to stand before us and tell us the story of these
accomplishments and these communities that she changed for the better.