Harriet

On my trip to the rice terraces I met Harriet. Harriet is 27, has 4 kids and lives and works as a rice farmer in the village of Batad. To make extra money she guides tourists around the rice terraces. Harriet guided Jana and I around the terraces for 2 days where her agility and grace was a stark contrast to our huffing and puffing as we scaled the mountains around her village.

Harriet is one of the most open people I have ever met. She happily answered all our questions about her life in Batad. We soon realised that life is tough- to get to the village you have to catch a jeep or trike from Banaue and then hike for 2 hours. The village has no health clinic, no shops and only 2 hours of electricity supply each day. Whilst tourists have started to visit Batad, life in the village still revolves around farming from the rice terraces. Harriet and her family live off the rice from their field eating it twice a day. Sometimes they complement the rice with potatoes, mongo (beans) and Kangkong (spinach). The 400 pesos (about $10) she made from guiding us will be used buy medicine, clothes and extra food for her children.

In many ways the stories Harriet told us about her life in the village reinforced the idea that her life is one of tradition and isolation. Harriet left school at age 8 and married early. She has lived her whole life in the told us about life in the village where life revolves around family, local festivals and arranged marriages. But our quick assumptions about a sheltered culture were contradicted by complexities...through guiding Harriet is exposed to the outside world. She has strong opinions on climate change, on the role of the church in Filipino society and has defied her local bishop to start taking the pill as a contraception method. She thinks America and China have too much power and that corruption is ruining the Philippines...and thanks to one guest who set it up for her she even has an email address!

Meeting Harriet was a pleasure and I will remember her openess, warmth and wicked laugh as one of the best parts of my trip up north.