Baguio and Bontoc for national election weekend

Dea and I received a two night gift certificate at The Manor at Camp John Hay in Baguio so the three day weekend (Monday was a national holiday for voting) and a filter to install up beyond Baguio in The Mountain Province capital city of Bontoc called us in that direction.

The infamous Brent Fish Pond Biosand filter had been de-commissioned and was donated to Nick, who had a strong interest in it and actually drank Biosand filtered fish pond water with me. Some of his family living in Bontoc really needed clean drinking water.

Some other things also came together that were helpful. Kurt, Brent Media Center director needed some library material sent up to Brent Baguio so the truck used to haul that was used to carry the 150 pound concrete Biosand filter and another 50 pounds or so of sand and gravel for the filter innards. One of his media center employees, Joseph, agreed to be our driver since his family lives in Baguio, and thus got free transportation home (free - but he had to work for it. He drove the 150 miles and that took 7 hours.)

We left Brentville 5:30AM Saturday morning, drove through Manila 20 miles to our north, and connected with the North Luzon Expressway. That got us to Tarlac, the city where , after changing to the SCTEX, where we were about two-thirds of the way. Then the two lane congested more agonizing part began. But it wasn't too bad except for the miriad of political parades with blaring PA systems trying last minute attempt to woo voters in this first ever automated electronic election scheduled for Monday.

We arrived at Camp John Hay about 12:30PM and got settled into our room.

Dea brought along her report cards to finish up so she would have something to do while I went off the next morning with Nick and some friends and family who hitched a ride home to Bontoc to vote Monday. So it was 9 people and a Biosand filter in a pickup truck driving/riding over 90 miles of very twisty, winding, narrow, but very scenic road through Benguet Province to Bontoc capital of The Mountain Province. The mountains and terraced farms in this region provide a large share of the vegatables for Luzon. Let me tell you, looking at the steep hill sides sliced into zillions of flat narrow terraces make farming look like a pretty tough job. But we do enjoy the results.

I left Camp John Hay 6:30AM leaving Dea behind to do her report cards and settled in for a 90 mile 7 hour ride to Bontoc. The plan (I thought anyway) was to drive up, install the filter and return to Baguio by evening. I think it could have been accomplished but for ........ Oh well, I got to spend the night in Bontoc and it was much better to be on those roads in the daylight. Parachutes could have been issued as safety equipment. A big pat on the back to Nick who did a very good job of driving it but after all it was his home territory. That left me free to look out the window and take it all in. The view actually reminded me of the Colorado mountains except for the terraces. Don't see those in Colorado.

I'll add a bit more later..... Stay tuned but in the meantime there are more pictures here. Also some of the same but more here.

Drinking the Brent Fish Pond Water

I just finished talking to the third grade classes about Dr. David Manz's invention, the BioSand Filter. Toward the end of the time I drank a full glass of the water as it came out of the filter.


The filter has been in place by the fish pond for two weeks giving the 'bio layer' time to develop.


I had three glasses setting on the table up front along with a plastic bottle that looked like a purchased half liter of drinking water. The plastic bottle had been rescued from the trash and filled from the fish pond and actually looked pretty clear.


After I introduced myself (most of them knew me anyway) I exclaimed "Watch this", and I took the first glass and filled it by dipping it into the fish pond. I then asked which they would drink, from the glass they saw me fill from the pond or from the plastic drinking water bottle (which also had the same water though they didn't know). Of course they chose the plastic bottle. "Why" I asked. "Because it is cleaner" they unanimously responded. Later, just before I drank the filtered water I told them the plastic bottle was filled from the fish pond same as the first glass.

To make a more significant visual point about the filters ability, and I felt it was helpful since the fish pond water was pretty clear, before dumping the bucket of fishy water into the filter I added a handfull of dirt. So the water actually dumped into the top of the filter was muddy looking. A second glass was filled from that water so they could see that the filter would remove such sediment. The water coming out of the filter was crystal clear and had no discernable taste. I filled the third glass with filtered water and drank.

Ask me in 8 hours or so, if in fact it was actually pathogen free, at least enough for my immune system.

An interesting time with a bunch of interested third graders.

And now they know that:

1) over one billion people in the world do not have access to clean drinking water
2) over 4000 people die every day because of disease caused by water born illness
3) there is an invention that is simple, elegant, accessible and affordable that can provide virtually pathogen free drinking water
4) Bill Davis drank water from the Brent fish pond

Dry Season Made Wet! etc...

Craig featured a picture of me on the most recent (March 8, 2010) Palawan Project Foundation (PPF). See it here. Check it out.

On Mar 26th Dea and I will be heading to Palawan with Craig and Margaret. It will be Dea's first trip there so looking forward to that. She will be there for the duration of her Easter break and I will stay on with Craig for about two more weeks. That will make it my longest stay. Hoping not to get an infection this time.



I am also preparing to speak to the four Brent School Manila third grade classes about the BioSand Filter Invention. For this I have installed a real live operational BSF in the school atrium adjacent to the fish pond. I have been preparing the BSF for this event in which I will drink water from the fish pond which I will pour through the filter. Since I survived the strep/staph infection in my leg I'm going to try something else. No I don't have a death wish. Rather I trust the BSF invention and will demonstrate it's effectiveness in this way.


The Deputy Headmaster has offered to have an ambulance on sight and ready to go. Instead or along with that I requested the presence of President Gloria, TV live coverage, and our neighbor - world boxing champ Manny Pacquaio to participate (just kidding on requesting all of that - but it was a thought).

Manny Pacquaio

Brooke's point Palawan and water projects

With lots of helping hands the Ram Pump installation has been improved to boost the water delivery to Baliun's needy farm from a barely useful trickle to 720 gallons per day then another adjustment Thursday jumped that up to over 3500 gallons. He was able to get his thirsty corn watered and even got baths for the kids. All kinds of progress. Thursday as we were leaving for the day he turned to me and said a very touching 'Thank You - Mission Accomplished'. That was really the icing on the cake. Something I've taken for granted all of my life is so needed and appreciated.

I'll be here for another week and I do believe it will continue to be busy. Tomorrow (Sat) we will add a line to the pump output to share some of Baliuns 3500 gallons per day with his daughters in-laws across the river. He was excited about that. We will pick up three 100 meter rolls of PVC and some fittings and valves to accomplish that.

Then Sunday morning early Craig and I will set off for the south west side of Palawan and look at the suitability of another Ram Pump installation. Now that we've done one we think we can do anything. I certainly have learned a lot. Before Christmas I don't think I could even spell Ram Pump. Now look!

Water - whether its for drinking or watering the farm to feed the family and earn a living it is life giving.

I'll try to add some pictures in the near future.

Thanks for reading this and thinking of me in this endeavor. It is appreciated.

Bill at play while Dea works. Doesn't seem fair!

It's Friday morning and I awakened once again at the Duchess Pension in Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Shortly Craig and I will head out for breakfast at Bruno's, pick up a couple of bio sand filters at PCC and head on down the road to Brooke's point. (OOps the power just went off so lost internet connectivity and aircon).

Guess I better get this post published now that it's up again. Maybe can add some more later.

Arrived Palawan

Zest Airways flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa arrived without incident though I'll have to admit I did not read the 'How to' document provided with directions on operating the emergency exit which I was in charge of on this scantily filled flight. My bad!

And there's a rumor I did have an electronic device running during the flight that provided accurate positional information along with speed and direction information (which I find entertaining). It also alerted me to various islands that we passed over as we traversed the South China Sea.

Once again we are spending the night in the Duchess Pension, ate dinner at Bruno's and picked up some foodstuffs for the ten day experience. Tomorrow we'll make a few stops one of which is to pick up 5 BioSand filters before heading for Brooke's Point about a 4 1/2 hour ride south.

Palawan again and other thoughts

Sorry it has been so long since I've posted but time and noteworthy events and just 'who cares anyway' type of excuses make it easy to say I'll do it later.

The most eminent noteworthy event is that I (Bill) leave for Palawan an a few hours. I leave with Craig Sutherland to help again with the Palawan Drinking Water Project. I traveled there the first time the end of Sept 2009 to help install some BioSand Filters (BSF) and that led to me traveling to Calgary for a Nov 2009 CAWST workshop (very productive) to learn more and also have the privelege to have dinner with the inventor of the filter. Dr. Manz's website provides oodles of first rate information upon which I refer to often

There is also another idea in the pipeline (pun intended) in which I hope to lend technical expertise - Hydraulic Ram Pump. Lots of info on this mature technology on the web so click on that link if you want to learn more. Basically it is a water pump that allows lifting water from its source to over 100 meters higher yet uses no source of power other than that from the source water itself. The hope at this stage is to determine the suitability of using a ram pump to move water up the mountain for farming. This would be a great boost to crop production for these mountain people. And into the future I also have a three week trip to Palawan with Craig in March and April. Dea may go with us on that trip as it is her Easter Holiday break.

I will try to post when I can from the internet cafe in Brookes Point Palawan as I get time.

Hope it will not be so long this time. Stay tuned.