►►►I met Anne and Peter in Manila and I got to know their very interesting story about their life project „The Three P Holiday & Dive Resort and Ducks Diving“ which were opened in 2009 on Romblon Island. Peter who is a German-Half-Filipino decided to follow his dream and passion and so he took the risk to build up this dive resort dream on an Island that wasn’t so well known before for diving. He build it up together with his two brothers Philipp and Patrick (this is why the Three P) and Kati the wife of Philipp . 

Peter worked before as a scuba diving instructor in Egypt and there he met a partner who made it all come into a reality. It took them around three years until „The Three P“ took name in the world of diving and now people from all over the world coming to their resort to see the diving world of Romblon Island.

For more information visit their website: www.the-three-p.com

And you can also find them on facebook: www.facebook.com/TheThreeP

If you want to know how to get to this place you will also find an detailed tour description on their website.

The Story of „The Three P“ is a life inspiring story which shows how possible it can be to make your dreams come true if you just keep on going what you love. When you learn by passion. And also calculating the risks. And then just do it and do what you love. I like about Peter that he decided to follow his passion which was at first a risky decision, instead of having a maybe just ordinary but safe life in Germany.

His way of life reminds me on the video of Allan Watts idea of: „What if money was no object?“:

here the Youtube-Video: What do I desire? (Inspired By Alan Watts)

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Photo by kirschnick | FOTOGRAFIE

►►►Neil from "Polillo Travelers" was the most important contact that I had from the beginning of my adventure (more about him in my JOURNAL). Neil, in Polillo Problacion also better known as "Bronco", is since 10 years tour operator during the summer time. He assists tourists in Polillo. Neil is well known in Polillo because he was from 2007-2016 the former director of Quezon II Electric Cooperative (QUEZELCO-II). At the moment he lives since 2 years with his wife in Malate (Manila) and he is currently supplying cars to different companies. During his college time he was regular in Manila and he studied "Business Administration and Management"

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One of Neils dreams is to become the pioneering person in tourism in Polillo who gives also an ecological and enviromental balance. He wants to promote tourism in a responsible way without sacrificing the ecology. That means protection of the environment and also of the natural resources and he would like to cooperate with the local goverment to make this wish true.

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Neil owns a boat with the name "POLLILO TRAVELERS" he can guide tourist around Polillo. If you have any questions about Polillo Island or if you want to plan a tour, Neil is the right man. He gave me all the important information. He spoke with all the persons responsible in the Municipal Hall, the Police Station and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to make my expedition possible. Further he recommended me someone who isn't a guide but knows the jungle better than anyone else. Lidiver "Diber" L. Surco (More infos down)

Support Neil and also his great attitude for a responsible tourism in Polillo. 

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Contact Number: (+63) 921 / 754 2225 (Globe)

▬ www.polillotravelers.wordpress.com

▬ www.facebook.com/polilloislandescapades

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Photos by kirschnick | FOTOGRAFIE

►►►Diber was my guide during my whole stay in Polillo. He was recommened to me by Neil. Diber isn't a tour guide it was the first time for him to guide someone around, but even he isn't a tour guide he knows the forest since he was a little boy. For 13 years he was catching wild pigs with his father and he learned a lot from his father about the forest. His father lives on the mountain. Diber lives since a while down in the town of Polillo and since 8 years he working every 3 months as a coconut farmer, he produces Copra (more infos about Copra here [Wikipedia: Copra]) There is a special procedure and first at all is to to dry the coconuts by buring wood. But Diber also works on the rice field. Once there was a time when Diber was working in Quiapo (Manila) in a canteen, but Diber enjoys the forest in Polillo more than the crowded life in Manila and also the work in Polillo is much easier for him. Diber has a simple and modest attitude and he has no particular dream he is just doing anything that comes to the family. 

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During the time when I was with him I was really glad to have him because without him I would probably got lost in the jungle and thanks to his jungle experience, his intuition and his sharp eyes for the wildlife I could see a lot of interesting animal spezies. Also thanks to him I got to know his uncle "Nonoy" and I also could stay in his house. And Diber had also a lot of interesting survival skills, I learned how to open a cooking fire with 3 stones, dried coconuts and a leaf-fan, I learned how to open a buko in a proper way and many other interesting survival skills from him.

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Photos by kirschnick | FOTOGRAFIE

►►►Nonoy is the uncle of Diber (see above) where I could stay overnight during my stay in the Barangay of Sitio Lawis in Polillo. Nonoy is a moderate person who loves his simple life. But he wasn't born in Polillo, before he lives with his family in San Narciso in Zamales. When he was 7 years-old they moved to Polillo Island because his father and mother was looking for a job there. His father was a fisher there and his mother a housewife. 

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Nonoy is now since 7 years a fisher and diver but he has also other small buisnesses like repairing motors, vulcanizing, weldering, load phones, charging batteries, selling fishes and his son is a barber. 

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Once before electric the people used kerosene gas for light and scooters used solar systems for the batteries. Now since around 2014 there is almost everywhere the possibility of getting electricity. 

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Nonoys life attitude is in Tagalog: "Mahirap ang buhay pero masaya" in english "The life is hard but fun". His only wish is that his children finish their school in the Polillo Town and they make a good business.

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Photos by kirschnick | FOTOGRAFIE

►►►Dennis Magtajas, better known as "Zorro" is an iconic real-life superhero of the UP Diliman Campus in Quezon City. A Zorro mask, a hat, a cape (sometimes the filipino flag), a super hero shirt and fully equipped with a toy weapon and even a captain america shield turns him into his favorite character: Diego "Zorro" de la Vega.

Almost everyday he is roaming around UP Diliman’s Academic Oval which has the inner lane that is dedicated exclusively to cyclists and runners. Zorro is a friendly and totally harmless person. He is greeting people in a very friendly way and he is also high-fiving the runners around him. He is a really caring and helpful person. 

Ever since the early 1990s Zorro has been sighted at the campus. Sabina Felice a blogger wrote that Zorro is at the age of his early 40s and his story is pretty tragic. His father died of liver cancer and his mother raised him and three siblings all by herself. His IQ hasn't developed much past the age of six and since he was little he has been wearing cape and mask because Zorro was since he was little his favorite character. -Source: odditycentral.com

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Photos by kirschnick | FOTOGRAFIE

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►►►Jerome has for his work a special kind of transportation, the rail trolley. Since 2011 is Jerome working as a trolley boy. He transports up to 10 passengers for each 10PHP (around 0,20 EUR) from Pandacan Station to the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), in St. Mesa. To move forward he uses the trolley like a skateboard.The railways he doesn't only share with other people who work as a trolley boy he also shares it with the PNR Train. Because of the irregular time of the train it can be sometimes dangerous especially when he overpasses the bridge which leads over the Pasig River but he is aware of this and takes always care of his passengers.

He is doing this job because it's easy money for him and also a good workout, he earns around 300-400PHP (around 6-8 EUR) per day. His dream was once to became a policeman because he wants to get the bad people behind the bars and he can also show how brave and strong he is.

His only day off is sunday on this day he is going to the church in Quiapo.

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Photos by kirschnick | FOTOGRAFIE

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►►►Patrick is taking care of 20 Cats around Luneta and 3 more cats at other places and he spends every day around 200 PHP (around 4 EUR) for the cat food. And he also rescued a dog that gave birth in a sidewalk well hidden in the bushes. This dog was because of giving birth aggressive to people and because of that people called the police to get rid of that dog. Patrick decided to rent a modest appartment for this dog. For the puppies the rescue came unfortunately to late. One week after the birth the puppies already died. 

Since his childhood Patrick took take of cats. His decision to take care of the cats in Luneta came from the the "Anti Vending Policy and forced eviction of vendors in Luneta Park and other places [in year 2013] which worsen unemployment and hunger" (Source: defendjobphilippines). One of the vendor he knew commited suicide after she got kicked out. And all the cats in Luneta are left alone by themselves. Before it were the vendors who feed the cats. Now Patrick took this responsibility secretley in his own hands. 

But Patrick is also a comicbook illustrator. The first time he worked in year 1995 as a trainee for a japanese animationstudio for 5 months. He did there the inbetween drawings of around 20 scenes of "Dragonball Z" but he worked there for just 5 months because the salary was with 5.000 PHP (around 100 EUR) a month very low but he spent his earned money for his tuition fee. In his career he also work 2009 for "Marvel" and he worked on the comics "Avengers/Invaders" and "Torch". His current project is Richard Dent’s "MYOPIA" by "Dynamite" publisher. 

Here on Facebook: www.facebook.com/myopiagraphicnovel

 "Myopia mixes speculative fiction and steampunk into an alternate reality. Armed with a special set of lenses that make him almost invisible inside the Central Lens Network, James Chase sets out on a mission to stop the new world order’s violation of the Magnetic Energy Agreement. At first sold as a device to make life more convenient, the lens now works as a tool for the government to hide the devastation unleashed from excessive mining of the earth’s core." -Source: Bleedingcool

Patrick knows a lot of people around the Luneta Park, especially the poor people. Patrick is a very social oriented person and he is hoping that his actions will inspire other people. He is like a realife superhero.

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Photos by kirschnick | FOTOGRAFIE

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►►►Mang Dario lives in the streets of Manila since he was still a teenager. He left his parents in a very young age because of his drunk and alcoholic father who scolded him out. Mang Dario never visited a school but he could work for a while as a "kargador" (porter), in one of his ID-Cards is the designation for his job: "STEELMAN". As kargador he carried for constructions heavy materials. And while he was employed he was still homeless, living and sleeping in the streets. 25 years he lived on the streets of Divisoria, in the north of Manila, with no fixed place. Now he is living since 10 years in the streets of Malate close to the Luneta Park and he stays there at a fixed place. To survive he asks a canteen next to his place for leftovers to eat. But he also makes a little amount of money by selling at the Paco Junkyard every day and night all kind of garbage that he finds in the streets, like plastic bottles, metal, all kind of papers and more. Normally he makes 140 PHP (around 3 EUR) a day. On good days he can make up to 190 PHP (around 4 EUR). 

Mang Dario has no wife and no children but because of his compassion he takes care of 3 dogs and 5 cats which he picked up from the streets and they live now in and around his cart. In his cart he also has his clothes, bed sheets and other personal stuff, all packed in plastic bags. And even he lives on the streets, when you see him you'll see a clean man because he takes baths in a public toilet close to his place which costs him 30 PHP (around 0,60 EUR) for each bath. 

His dream is to have a house to live in, especially for the months of june and july to keep the cats and the dogs safe when the rain season is going to start. 

Mang Dario is a friendly and moderate man who is used to live on the streets and loves to take care of animals.

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Photos by kirschnick | FOTOGRAFIE

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►►►Myrna is since 1 year the owner of the burger store next to the Don Bosco Church, at the corner of C. P. Garcia St. and Liwayway St. in Tondo, Manila. With the support of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) which lent her 10.000 PHP (around 200 EUR) she could fulfill her dream of opening this burger store. While other who got also support from the DSWD went bankrott she could manage her burger store and she paid the credit already back. 

Her store is meanwhile 24 hours open because she is renting her store. Her bestseller is the Footlong for 25 PHP (around 0,50 EUR). And for her store she says, she has extra bread for the footlong and a special cheese which is not everywhere available to buy. 

But Myrna is not only a burger business manager also a family manager. She has 7 children the oldest is 22 years-old and the youngest is 4 years old.

Before she opened her burger store Myrna was a housekeeper. And from 2001-2003 she worked as a Domestic Helper for an Indian family in Singapore. She says that the family was really nice, she could go with them to Malaysia, India and other countries and she got also 2 months vacation to go to the Philippines. But the mother of law of her employer was exhausting her, she didn't gave her time to rest, no free time and no day off. Her work day started at 3 am and the hardest part for her was that she wanted to drink coffee but she had to wait for the mother of law until she woke up and that was around 9 am. At least the family wanted her to stay and also Myrna but for her it was also difficult that she couldn't eat what she wants, the family was vegetarian, what wasn't a problem at all but the Indian style of the food was sometimes too spicy. So she went back to the Philippines. 

Later her dream was to go back to the Indian family but somehow it wasn't possible anymore. But all in all fortune and the support of the DSWD gave her the opportunity to open this burger store where she has now a job that she really likes.

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Photos by kirschnick | FOTOGRAFIE

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►►►While I was sitting at the side of a street to make photos of the traffic Liza came to me to offer me a chair from her Sari-Sari Store, so I got to know her. Since 30 years Liza is working as a vendor in an open convenience store at the corner of Plaza Lacson and Muelle Del Banco Nacional and selling some stuff like newspapers, canned food, some drinks, bread, cigarettes, some sweets, variety stuff in sachets like shampoo, instant coffee and more. She is working everyday from 3 am till 8 pm. She likes TV but she has no TV at her Sari-Sari Store, so her dream is to have a TV here, her only TV at this place is the advertising display on a building at the Plaza Lacson.

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Photos by kirschnick | FOTOGRAFIE

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►►►Buboy’s job is called in the local language "panunurista gamit ang pedicab", he guides tourists with his rent pedicab inside of Intramuros (from spanish: „Within the walls“,  which is the older district of Manila). 

When Buboy was 16 years-old he started doing this job beside his school to make „Baon“, some money to provide for his family. He supported his family where ever he could while his dad already passed away. He is doing this job for 8 years now and his main motivation is now do earn money for his own family. He has two daughters, one three years-old girl and the youngest is two month-old.

When he went to the elementary school his dream was to become a fireman but now he just dreams of a better job to earn more income because he wants to support his true dream, his family. 

Buboy is working from 6 am to 8 pm, 7 days a week. In his job he tours the people for 350PHP (around 7 EUR) each 30min around on the rocky roads of Intramuros and while he is riding the pedicab he is explaining the historical background. When he couldn’t guide tourists around he makes minus because he has to pay the 150PHP (around 3 EUR) each day to rent the pedicab . When he already paid food, the rent of the house and other expenses he can save around 1000PHP (around 20 EUR) each month.

Buboy is a totally family person and his family is his dream. It makes him happy to see his two daughters smile.

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Photos by kirschnick | FOTOGRAFIE

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►►►When I saw Angelo Atutubu better known as Ars for the first time, I was very impressed about his Diabolo juggling routine. Usually I saw people with his skills in the Circus or in the Varieté Theater. 

And I was even more impressed when he said that he is training Diabolo for just 5 months but his real skills based on contact juggling. A crystal ball that is manipulated by the whole body, especially with the hands, so it looks like it’s floating in the air and it’s kind of alive. He is doing Contact Juggling  since 2012 the inspiration came from playing and rolling oranges around his palm while he was doing Card Flourishes, after all he visited a store that is selling magic stuff and he saw there a glass ball and then he tried what he did with oranges.

Ars is a very talented and hard working person. He is almost everyday for hours in the Rizal Park (Luneta Park) practising his routines which looks so smooth and easy when you look at him. But his moves aren’t that easy they need a lot of focus, coordination and a lot of hours of training. 

I tried some moves, Ars taught me some basics and because of his way of explaining them to me I could understand it easily and put it into practice. He is a not only a good performer, he is also a good teacher. 

When I asked him: „What are your dreams?“ He answered me: „I want to be better and happy.“ 

But I would also say that he wants to teach other people what he is passionate about. 

I got to know Ars as a modest and open-minded person who does what he loves. 

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Photos by kirschnick | FOTOGRAFIE