The gruesome death of a fellow teacher shocked everyone that knew her. Julia Fordham, a 40 year old American Peace Corps volunteer dropped everything, including her job as a Journalist in 2005 to join the US Peace Corps to serve on a 2 year volunteer work in the Philippines . Julia worked in various publications, among them the St. Petersburg ( Florida ) Times, People Magazine, Star Magazine, FoxNEWS.com, ABCNews.com, and CourtTVNews.com. before she became a US Peace Corps. Volunteer.
Julia’s body was recovered in a shallow grave by Philippine soldiers 10 days after she was reported missing. in the vicinity of Batad village. Julia went on a hiking trip by herself in the famous Banaue Rice Terraces. Her face could be hardly recognized. Her head was repeatedly hit by a blunt instrument. A bloodstained piece of wood used in pounding rice was found near a suspect’s house. Investigators were looking into "robbery with homicide or rape with homicide.” as the motive for killing. Julia was cremated and her ashes were sent back to the United States and the suspect is still in hiding.
I just couldn’t understand some groups for keeping mum about it. When a Filipina woman was raped by 20 year old Daniel Smith, an American marine who met the woman in a bar, many activists were at the forefront in decrying the incident. For some groups, it became a rally point to bash everything wrong with Philippine - American relations over the last 100 years. Blinded by rage, burning American flags and shouting invectives at the guy became the order of the day throughout the hearings. Smith was found guilty and is now serving his 40 year jail. term. He deserves to be in jail for his crime, no question about it but to develop so much hate is something else. As if it was the only crime committed in this country. One thing that I support the activists was for the demand that Smith should serve his term in a Philippine jail and not in the comforts of his own cell at the US embassy. Last week Smith was rushed to a hospital complaining of stomach pains. He had a gall bladder emergency operation . While undergoing recovery, a party list group who call themselves “Samahang Mangagawa” staged a rally in front of the US embassy demanding Smith’s immediate return to jail not even caring if the man is dying or not.. Even prisoners have rights too you know. Fearing that he might be slipped out of the country, the rallies never stopped until he was well enough to be returned back to his cell after a few days from the hospital.
However, the irony of it was when 7 government workers who were tasked to build a road in Jolo were kidnapped and beheaded by the Abbu-Sayaff group when the government refused to pay P5 million pesos in ransom the other week no rallies were held by any groups. Even the party list group which is supposed to be about the welfare of the workers never marched to the streets condemning the deaths of their fellow workers. No one from their ranks showed up to show any sympathy to the families of the victims who were mostly poor and now the head of the family is dead! I just wish that the activists can also give the same kind of passion to Julia and the Abbu-Sayaff victims.
Well now, it’s the other way around, in Julia’s case when she was missing for ten days, hundreds of people in Laguna, Bicol and in the US were conducting nightly vigils and prayer meetings for the safety of Julia. They knew how Julia loved the Filipinos so much especially the poor and they too cared so much for Julia. Those women groups who were shouting at the top of their voices talking about the rights and dignity of a woman were nowhere to be found. Why? Is it because the color of her skin is white! Isn’t Julia a woman too? . When her mangled body was found , did we see any Filipino flags being burned in the Philippine embassy in the US? The answer is no. People abroad knew that what happened was a crime and it could happen to anybody, anywhere not just in the Philippines .. Instead of hate, the parents and relatives of Julia thanked the dozens of police, soldiers and volunteers who have helped searched for Julia for several days and nights. The Filipina victim and Julia both equally deserve justice. While the Filipina woman got her justice, Julia’s killer is still at large and now that she’s dead who will speak for her?
To some people they probably think that even US Peace Corps volunteers are symbols of American Imperialism. I beg to disagree with them. I had my own personal experience with US peace Corps volunteers. When I was 13 years old, my dad worked as a Director in YMCA in San Pablo City and one of our privileges is to avail of free housing inside the YMCA compound. It’s nothing compared to a country club but there’s a very nice swimming pool where I learned how to swim. Once a week a group of students from a special school for children with disabilities come to swim in the YMCA pool. Aside from a Filipino teacher, the children have with them a female US Peace Corps volunteer. She became much a part of our family because of her frequent visits at the YMCA helping out in organizing many sports activities for the youth together with my dad.. Until now I still remember her name. Her name was Robin . In one of their swimming sessions, Robin came late because she had to attend to other projects in the community. Nobody noticed that one of the teenage boys about the age of 15 but with a mentality of an 8 year old in the group went into the deeper part of the pool and he drowned. Robin arrived just in time to see people pointing at a human figure under 10 feet of water, she immediately jumped into the pool while still in her working clothes and rubber shoes on. When she got the boy out of the water, the boy was lifeless , she gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and perform CPR. People around were saying that the boy was already dead, but she never gave up. After a few more minutes, the boy started moving and coughed out water, he was revived by Robin.. She became an instant hero to most of us there.
And now here comes this sad news about the death of Julia. It’s just disheartening. She has done a lot to this country just like what Robin did, while others choose to leave this country in search of a better future, she came here as a volunteer teacher. Her first assignment was to be a high school English teacher at Donsol High School in Sorsogon. She lived in a Nipa Hut among the poor a stark contrast to her cozy studio typed apartment back in New York . She was with them when typhoon “Milenyo” hit the country and live to tell her experience.
Her Friend and former media colleague Josh Jennings Moss recalls how Campbell was as a journalist. In his blog Wanderings and Wonderings of J. Jennings Moss, Moss wrote:
"She kept pursuing a career in news, no matter how many bosses told her to get lost. She was the best kind of journalist, the kind that always asked questions, that was never satisfied. It was this quality that didn't curry favor with her employers as she applied the same tenacity to her work environment as she did the job itself.
"So I was surprised with her plan to join the Peace Corps more than two years ago. But I was so proud of her and admired her commitment to changing her life 180 degrees. Few people would have taken that chance. I don't think I would have."
I wish to share with you her personal story, In a blog called blogutopia.wordpress.com Julia wrote her story to her friend Luke:
The Story of a US Peace Corps Volunteer
Ms. Julia Campbell
When I first came to the Philippines in March 2005, I was like a brand new baby. I had to learn how to do simple things – even something as simple as a trip to the CR. A tabo, what is that?
And of course, even though Filipinos are so good in English, I didn’t know the native language and had to learn from the beginning: Kumusta ka? Mabuti naman. And even a stroll down the street became a new experience. Suddenly, the anonymity I had on New York City was gone. Hundreds of eyes followed my every move. And I had a new name: Joe.
After the initial culture shock, I settled into my new life in the Philippines , especially here in Bicol. I was first assigned to a high school in Donsol, Sorsogon. I moved into a nipa hut near the beach. I fell in love with sili and learned to magpiga with the rest of them.
I’d left the hustle and bustle of New York City behind for a quieter place… or so I thought! That’s before I was introduced to the Filipino rooster. (Apparently, they can’t tell time.) Though I confess I don’t like the mga manok, I have found my new Filipino friends quite charming. Everyone seemed suddenly interested in me. Was I married? How old was I? Have I learned to eat rice? And will I marry a Filipino? No. Secreto. Yes! Three times a day! And, siguro.
I joined the US Peace Corps, the American government’s all-volunteer service corps, because I wanted to help people. I’m just one of 7,749 volunteers in 73 countries around the world. After several years as a journalist and a teacher in New York , I wanted more out of life, something a bit more meaningful. Having a good job – something I admit Americans take for granted – wasn’t enough anymore. I wanted to give something back to the world that had treated me so well.
After a year-long application process, my decision had not changed and I was asked to serve in the Philippines . I didn’t know all that much about the Philippines before I got my assignment: Imelda Marcos and her shoes (sorry!), Manila and chicken adobo. (My neighbor back in Brooklyn is a Fil-Am and often fixed his Mom’s recipe.) I’ve come a long way since then.
Having survived typhoon Milenyo back in Sorsogon in late September, I started here at the Divine Word College of Legazpi in early November to teach English for one Semester. Teaching in high school is a challenge because the students are not yet mature. It’s been a wonderful challenge to move to the college level and to meet so many hardworking, smart and dedicated teachers and students.
Of course, on November 30, 2006, I was shocked and suddenly saddened by the experience of typhoon Reming. Though I had experienced hurricanes of lesser strength back in the States, this was my first real close up with a natural disaster. I lived through a disaster of a different kind on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked my city and killed 3,000. So the experience of a traumatic event was not altogether new. The occurrence of typhoon Reming- my apartment on Marquez Street flooded to my waist – gave me a new insight into the Filipino people.
While Americans might take time to wallow in pity, my new Filipino neighbors did not. They got right to work the next morning cleaning and putting things back together again. I felt shame that I, too, did not have the physical or emotional strength to clean out the mud and debris right away. As one resident of Padang – where I volunteered in relief efforts for three weeks – told me, “Filipinos are fighters and will survive.” I believed him. Bicol will recover.
So even though I will be here for such a short time, it will be bittersweet when I return home to America next June. I will take home with me some fond memories and some Filipino ways. I may never eat with a fork and knife again, rice may just become my staple food and my lips will surely point in the direction of my home away from home – the Philippines .
Julia kept a blog about her experiences in the Philippines . I have been reading all the entries one by one, and each time I read I learned something. I went through a lot of emotions reading her blog. I laughed, cried, I got angry, embarrassed , ashamed , felt proud as Julia described the traits of being a Filipino, as she herself was assimilated into the Filipino culture in less than two years of her stay in the country. She became a better Filipino compared to me. . She went home a little bit early. Her duty should have ended in June, but her life ended in April. Maybe you too can learn that there are Americans like Julia who are genuinely concerned about the plight of the Filipino people and not be blinded like others did. Not all Americans represent evil in this country. And maybe, just maybe you can show some appreciation to what Julia and other US Peace Corps volunteers are doing in our country. I salute you Julia, you are my new hero. May the angels in heaven enjoy singing videoke with you and give you all the comforts that you need and with your passing may more Filipinos learn to love their own country in spite of the many difficulties just like the way you learn to love your second home.
If you have time, better yet make time to read her blog from the day she came to the Philippines up to her last entry. You will learn to love her, promise!
http://juliainthephilippines.blogspot.com/
Ms. Julia Campbell
When I first came to the Philippines in March 2005, I was like a brand new baby. I had to learn how to do simple things – even something as simple as a trip to the CR. A tabo, what is that?
And of course, even though Filipinos are so good in English, I didn’t know the native language and had to learn from the beginning: Kumusta ka? Mabuti naman. And even a stroll down the street became a new experience. Suddenly, the anonymity I had on New York City was gone. Hundreds of eyes followed my every move. And I had a new name: Joe.
After the initial culture shock, I settled into my new life in the Philippines , especially here in Bicol. I was first assigned to a high school in Donsol, Sorsogon. I moved into a nipa hut near the beach. I fell in love with sili and learned to magpiga with the rest of them.
I’d left the hustle and bustle of New York City behind for a quieter place… or so I thought! That’s before I was introduced to the Filipino rooster. (Apparently, they can’t tell time.) Though I confess I don’t like the mga manok, I have found my new Filipino friends quite charming. Everyone seemed suddenly interested in me. Was I married? How old was I? Have I learned to eat rice? And will I marry a Filipino? No. Secreto. Yes! Three times a day! And, siguro.
I joined the US Peace Corps, the American government’s all-volunteer service corps, because I wanted to help people. I’m just one of 7,749 volunteers in 73 countries around the world. After several years as a journalist and a teacher in New York , I wanted more out of life, something a bit more meaningful. Having a good job – something I admit Americans take for granted – wasn’t enough anymore. I wanted to give something back to the world that had treated me so well.
After a year-long application process, my decision had not changed and I was asked to serve in the Philippines . I didn’t know all that much about the Philippines before I got my assignment: Imelda Marcos and her shoes (sorry!), Manila and chicken adobo. (My neighbor back in Brooklyn is a Fil-Am and often fixed his Mom’s recipe.) I’ve come a long way since then.
Having survived typhoon Milenyo back in Sorsogon in late September, I started here at the Divine Word College of Legazpi in early November to teach English for one Semester. Teaching in high school is a challenge because the students are not yet mature. It’s been a wonderful challenge to move to the college level and to meet so many hardworking, smart and dedicated teachers and students.
Of course, on November 30, 2006, I was shocked and suddenly saddened by the experience of typhoon Reming. Though I had experienced hurricanes of lesser strength back in the States, this was my first real close up with a natural disaster. I lived through a disaster of a different kind on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked my city and killed 3,000. So the experience of a traumatic event was not altogether new. The occurrence of typhoon Reming- my apartment on Marquez Street flooded to my waist – gave me a new insight into the Filipino people.
While Americans might take time to wallow in pity, my new Filipino neighbors did not. They got right to work the next morning cleaning and putting things back together again. I felt shame that I, too, did not have the physical or emotional strength to clean out the mud and debris right away. As one resident of Padang – where I volunteered in relief efforts for three weeks – told me, “Filipinos are fighters and will survive.” I believed him. Bicol will recover.
So even though I will be here for such a short time, it will be bittersweet when I return home to America next June. I will take home with me some fond memories and some Filipino ways. I may never eat with a fork and knife again, rice may just become my staple food and my lips will surely point in the direction of my home away from home – the Philippines .
Julia kept a blog about her experiences in the Philippines . I have been reading all the entries one by one, and each time I read I learned something. I went through a lot of emotions reading her blog. I laughed, cried, I got angry, embarrassed , ashamed , felt proud as Julia described the traits of being a Filipino, as she herself was assimilated into the Filipino culture in less than two years of her stay in the country. She became a better Filipino compared to me. . She went home a little bit early. Her duty should have ended in June, but her life ended in April. Maybe you too can learn that there are Americans like Julia who are genuinely concerned about the plight of the Filipino people and not be blinded like others did. Not all Americans represent evil in this country. And maybe, just maybe you can show some appreciation to what Julia and other US Peace Corps volunteers are doing in our country. I salute you Julia, you are my new hero. May the angels in heaven enjoy singing videoke with you and give you all the comforts that you need and with your passing may more Filipinos learn to love their own country in spite of the many difficulties just like the way you learn to love your second home.
If you have time, better yet make time to read her blog from the day she came to the Philippines up to her last entry. You will learn to love her, promise!
http://juliainthephilippines.blogspot.com/
