BRYAN: 

So, wow. That was quite a recap! Welcome to our special episode, everyone!

We’re more than halfway into 2021! Looking back, we’ve already had six Gubatbp. episodes and we’ve discussed so many interesting ideas and valuable topics. Pero, paano nga ba nag-simula ang Gubatbp.? I’m sure curious rin kayo kung paano nga ba to nagsimula. Ano ba naisip namin. Bakit ba merong Gubatbp. Onggie, sir, do you remember that conversation over coffee and what inspired us to create this podcast, and actually nung 2019 pa natin, medyo tagal na natin ito pinag-iisipan. 

ONGGIE: 

Medyo matagal na nga talaga. Actually, I remember, ung genesis nito, ung origins nito can be traced as far back in the first hikes we did in Purgatory trail and also in where we hiked with all of the staff.

BRYAN: 

Sa Mt. Pulag! 

ONGGIE: 

Mt. Pulag. Yeah, when we did Mt. Pulag, I think over coffee we started talking about how do we share itong mga napag-uusapan natin, itong mga learnings natin. It’s about forest and about the work that we were doing, but also information that we wanted to share. Alam ko nag usap tayo ng medyo matagal don, sinama pa natin si Schen saka si Diane, and then medyo nagka pause, I remember, nabusy lahat and this was headed towards the conference of the Parties towards the Climate Change Convention. And I remember i found myself writing yung ideas ko about the podcasts, the topic that we would do, kasi najetlag ako ng husto, so pag gabi, umaga na dapat dito, gabi doon, so, nagsusulat ako, and marami akong nasulat na some of the initial ideas and during the commute, since we took a train during the conference venue, pinag iisipan ko na ano ‘yung gagawin. 

Although it was always, you knew this Bryan, it was always supposed to be bigger than a podcast. We wanted to bring along people as we hike, we wanted companions as we talk about, discuss our favorite eco fictions, and we wanted to bring people along to the places where we had great coffee and all of that. Of course, medyo hindi nangyari lahat, pero I think, madami tayong napag usapan nun. I remember, you, Bryan, started talking about soundscapes, of course hindi ko pa masyadong nagegets ‘yun non. What was your idea then? On soundscapes?

BRYAN: 

Yeah. Actually, yun ung hike natin sa Mt. Purgatory sa Bokod, Benguet na sobrang rich nung mga naririnig natin habang naglalakad tayo sa trail. Tapos diba nagbabago yung forest formation, nung nandon na tayo sa mas mataas na elevation, mas madami na mossy, na trees don, na forest. Iba ung experience nun eh. Tapos sabi natin, mukhang ok na macapture natin, yung mga hindi nakakapunta baka somehow mabigyan natin ng sneak peek kumabaga doon sa kung ano yung naexperience natin back then. 

Naalala ko rin yung sinabi niyo ung notes, nareceive ko yung notes, ung sinend niyo sakin sa Viber, ung initial na episodes na naisip nga natin non, nung nadnon sa notes ninyo is yung hike, tapos i-incorporate natin ung soundscapes, tapos gagawa tayo ng mapa, apart don sa mismong discussion nung experience natin, and then naalala ko din, andon din ung coffee episode, kung sino pwede kausapin, ung mga topics na pwede natin pag usapan. Sabi ko, nafigure out na si sir yung ilan sa mga topics na gusto natin itackle. So, yea, actually, yung isa sa mga paglalakad-lakad natin at ung affinity natin don sa books, nabanggit mo yung doon sa ecofiction, i remember noong nag explore tayo, anong time ba yon, yung time ng mga book fair, 

ONGGIE: 

Yeah, I remember yan eh, in fact, nag organize pa tayo. We went through, nag trip tayo, we went on 3 bookstores in a day, remember, then we took pictures yung ako, the plan was to bring people to the bookstores, but you also had a map, plano mo na itag yung mga where we went na bookstores and then people could actually go and visit kung interesado sila on some of the titles that we saw there or that recommended. Iba iba sana mga mapupuntahan pa nung podcast. 

BRYAN: actually yung sa bookstore na yon, parang naisip rin natin, maganda ipromote ung independent bookstores, sa maginhawa diba, meron don, tapos nung nag Baguio rin tayo, siyempre di natin pinalagpas yung Mt. Cloud Bookshop. At ito ung idea nung incorporate sana natin yung mga ganitong klaseng features sa podcast kaya parang iniiimagine natin na its more than a podcast, more than the conversations. Yung mga iba’t-ibang klase ng elements. 

And I believe we’re on the right track. Looking back, we talked about being a responsible plantita/plantito for episode 1, yung climate literature for episode 2 na diba pinag usapan natin don sa eco fiction ung affinity natin sa books, kagustuhan natin mag-promote ng mga independent bookstores and publishers, yung coffee industry in the Philippines for episode 3 na nandon din sa nauna mong notes before pa natin totally maconceive ung overall na program, yung pag feature natin ng filipino visual artists on episode 4, yung kagustuhan natin at interest natin, ano ba yung role talaga ng arts and creativity na very interesting, yung cartography and the importance of maps and mapping for episode 5 na iniisip natin nung una na part lang sya nung website and kung saan nandoon ‘yung episode tapos ipa-plot lang natin doon, pero naging episode siya in itself, at nagkaroon rin ng sobrang interesting discussion on that, and the many benefits of forest bathing sa episode 6, which is ‘yung latest episode natin bago natin irecord ‘tong episode na ito. . 

ONGGIE: 

And I think maganda rin na we take stock of all the information, all of the things we’ve discussed, ang galing rin na, ako personally I’ve learned so much from the guests. and of course, medyo may fan-moment ako with, when we had si Rina over, for climate literature, and then you know, yung, I was really blown away when we talked about maps, counter mapping, and the other sorts of maps when we have Prof. Ony with us, and as I mentioned doon sa forest bathing episode natin. It was a real real break for me. So we’ve learned so much, we met so many interesting people, and ito, in just a few more months, 2022 na. 

BRYAN: Oo nga, grabe, ung just a few months 2022 na and andito parin tayo sa community quarantine, at habang pinapanatili natin na safe tayo sa pandemic, I think…

BRYAN:  

Along with looking at the roots of our podcast and the topics na nacover natin in the past months, let’s continue this trip down memory lane and see how Gubatbp. has grown. 

SO far, 

• We’ve heard amazing stories and had great talks with 9 guests, I totally agree with you na ang gagaling nung mga nainvite natin na guests, sobrang laki ng contribution, ‘yung mga provocations sa mga insights nila, after nung podcast diba, after nung recording natin sa each episode, medyo napapaisip rin tayo, medyo kailangan natin ng time to reflect kasi yung discussion sobrang, para syang co-creation rin talaga ng ideas at yun ‘yung isa sa mga, very excited ako sa mga susunod pa na episodes natin, sa ating mga guests. 

• And yung sa mga episodes na yon, meron tayong total na (14:09) 356 total minutes of conversations, for that parang five hours yung conversations natin, I guess it’s more than that, yun lang yung naririnig ng ating mga guests. 

• We’re received rin over a thousand downloads doon sa website natin kasi diba yung Gubatbp.forestfoundation.ph we imagined na pwede tayong makapag download nung mismong mp3 file nung recording, kung wala silang access don sa mga podcast channels kaya very accessible rin for offline listening.

• And surprisingly, hindi lang dito sa Philippines yung mga listeners natin, marami ring listeners tayo from 15 countries, ayan, so hello sa mga Pinoys natin dyan sa 15 countries na yan. 

• And with that, we’ve reached a total of over 16,000 people nadin na nag visit don sa Gubatbp. Website. I hope you find useful yung website na yon, because nag include rin kami don ng mga resources, pwede niyo rin pag muni-munihan, basahin, after makinig doon sa episode. Pretty much like kung paano kami nag iisip rin ni sir Onggie after each episode, we’d like to also give you that opportunity rin to explore further yung topic na diniscuss namin, kasi di talaga, impossible talaga na macover lahat sa isang oras lahat eh, kulang talaga. 

So, working on these episodes has been nothing but really exciting and it’s been a fun process for me, diba. 

ONGGIE: 

Definitely, I think yung conversation that we have over the podcast has been great, and mas naamaze nga ako when you talked about yung listeners. Marami na pala tayong narating. And I’m told we have new listeners every podcast. We have new listeners, apparently from Quezon City, Makati, from Caloocan, and now I think we’re starting to reach narin some of our partners and grantees over in Bukidnon and Palawan and a little bit of Samar and Leyte. Slowly, yung reach ng podcast has been expanding and ako personally, I was very nervous at the start, kasi hindi naman ako sanay with the podcast, pero every episode I think mas nagiging confident ako sharing my thoughts and listening and interpreting and sharing back, when we hear our guests. 

But for me, I think yung biggest I think, improvement for the podcast ano, beyond yung mga original na concepts natin, designs natin, has been the influence of many, yung mga creative and innovative minds behind the scenes. Syempre tayo yung chief taga daldal, but there are many who contribute ideas, many who make us sound better, lalo na ako, make me sound more intelligent, and hopefully, we get to talk to them. 

BRYAN:  

Yeah and actually, ito rin yung purpose nitong special episode natin. Kasi baka curious rin yung mga tao, yung mga nakikinig satin, sino-sino ba ‘yung mga nandito sa Gubatbp. podcast . Obviously, hindi lang kami ni Onggie ito. Kami lang yung naririnig niyo but meron kaming team na creatively and collaboratively na gumagawa, kung paano mula don sa ideation, hangang don sa paano na natin siya ishe-share sainyo. I guess, Ipakilala nalang natin sila.. and eto, sila ang great minds and creatives working behind the scenes. 

ONGGIE: 

Sure. Maybe we can call them or ask them to introduce themselves and perhaps share ‘yung role mo in the podcast, Gubatbp.

Schen: Hi everyone, I’m Schen. Communications Officer of Forest Foundation Philippines. Siguro, also one of the fans of Gubatbp., nina Sir Onggie and Bryan. So I help them review ‘yung content for the show and plan ‘yung mga episodes

Diane: Hi everyone, I’m Diane. I’m the resident forester for Gubatbp. 

Bryan: Yes, our resident forester. 

Nicole: Hi, I’m Nicole, I do partnerships at the foundation and I’m also the supporter in the sidelines, I also help, I guess in the backstage. 

Harri: Magandang araw po, sa inyong lahat, lalo na kay Bryan at Sir Onggie. Ako naman po si Harris Guevarra, ang direktor ng Gubatbp. So, it’s good to be here. Salamat. 

Onggie: Welcome, welcome! 

Mia: Hi, I’m Mia and I’m the writer for Gubatbp. 

Argie: Hi, I’m Argie. I do the designs for the pubmats (20.54) for Gubatbp. 

Hannah: Hello, everyone. I’m Hannah Madamba, the project manager for Gubatbp. 

BRYAN: 

Alright, welcome, well, weird na sabihin na welcome kasi 

ONGGIE: 

Kasi yea, they’ve always been part of the podcast. 

BRYAN: 

But for this episode, maririnig namin kayo finally. Maririnig kayo ng ating listeners.

I. What makes Gubatbp. special?

ONGGIE:

You know it’s, we all have our reasons why we do ‘yung podcast, kami ni Bryan. And of course, dahil don, we always felt na this was something worthwhile doing, something very important. I’m curious though, for all of our people and I’m sure gusto rin ‘to malaman ng listeners, for those specially siguro si Harris, our director, what do you think, makes Gubatbp. special? 

Harris: Salamat uli sa pag-imbita, kasi lagi ako nasa backstage ng Gubatbp. Kanina, naaliw ako, pinapakingan ko kinwento niyo kung paano nabuo sa utak ninyo ‘yung birth of Gubatbp. kasi , para lang sa kaaalaman ng lahat, ako po si Harris at ako naman po ay kasama sa Drink Sustainability Communications, ang Drink ang partner ng Gubatbp. In producing the podcast, kasama ko sa team na ito si Hannah, si Argie, at saka si Mia. So kung mayroong birth ng Gubatbp. Sa minds ni Bryan at ni Onggie, sa akin, meron rin, 2, 3 years ago. 

Sa Drink Sustainability Communications kasi, ang parangrap talaga namin ay gumawa ng sustainability communication materials at gumawa ng mga platforms kung saan mapag usapan ang siyensiya, environmental protection, everything actually that we’ve discussed. And we talked about in Gubatbp. Kasi importante na mas maraming tao ang involved sa conversation, mas maraming taong makikinig, mas maraming taong magsasalita, ibiga sabihin mas maraming taong maiinsipire at mas maraming tao ang magkakaron ng same agenda of change and culture of change later on. So yon ‘yung trabaho namin talaga sa Drink. 

At naisip ko na magkaron ng podcast, hindi ko pa alam kung tungkol saan at that time, kaya meron kami sa drink mga events, mga contests, battle of the brains, etc, iba’t ibang klase ng mga programa. Kaya ngayon, super excited ako nung nalaman ko nga kay Bryan at Onggie na gusto nga nila gumawa ng podcast on forest management, that time no, at gumawa ng podcast na pag uusapan ang iba’t ibang topics indirectly tungkol sa environmental protection, sa climate change, at ito mismo, ang kind of work that I want to do, not just in Drink, but in my life. At doon nabuo rin ‘yung pangarap na yon. Na importante pala in the first place ‘yung partnership, kaya nagkaroon rin ng partnership ang Drink at Forest Foundation para mabuo ‘itong pangarap na ‘to. 

Ngayon, crucial sa akin yung mga binanggit ko na yon sa tanong na what makes Gubatbp special. Kasi, ang number 1 na naiisip ko dito, shempre special siya sakin kasi tayo gumagawa nito, pero special sya more importantly kasi first podcast siya sa Pilipinas, na talagang pinag-uusapan, solely dedicated to environmental protection, forest management, to forest protection to climate change. Na talagang, ganito yung format, kaya special na special siya. At special rin ito lalo kasi mas marami tayong mga taong nakakausap dito sa Gubatbp. At yun talaga yung nagma-matter. If we want to change, if we want to achieve sustainable development, ika nga, communication is crucial at importante siya. Lagi siyang nababalewala. Kasi importante naman talaga ang strategy, ang policy, ganyan. Pero without communication, without inspiration, hindi natin makakalap ‘yung dami ng suporta na kailangang kailangan makuha para magkaroon talaga ng change. Kasi ‘yung mga small habits na nakukuha natin, sa pakikinig sa Gubatbp. 

Kagaya ng plantito at plantita, na nakapag inspire ng maraming tao para maging plantito at plantita, hindi natin alam kung gaano karaming buhay ang natulungan natin, na kahit papano, sa pagiging plantito/a, ay naimprove ang wellness nila at ang kanilang mental health. Ganon rin, gaano karaming writer or gustong maging manunulat ang narinig si RIna na magsalita at naispire rin. So, sa ginagawa nila, no, etc sa lahat ng topics na tinalakay natin Gubatbp. So ‘yung special sakin sa Gubatbp. Ay yung kakayahan nito na mag bago ng mindset at behavior ng lahat ng tao na tagapakinig natin. At yun ‘yung nagtutulak sakin na iimprove pa natin ang next episodes kasama sila at maka-reach pa ng mas maraming tao. So yun ang aking sagot sa what makes gubatbp special. 

Pero syempre, special sya kasi talagang pinagbubutihan natin ang bawat episode at gusto ko lang rin malaman ng ating mga tagapakinig, ng ating mga listeners at readers, na talagang hard work at creative process ang pinagdaanan natin sa bawat episode. Hindi lang tayo basta, o talakayin natin ‘yung ganitong episode. Lagi tayong, we sit down, at importante ‘to sa lahat ng gusto magtayo or magproduce ng podcast, at magbuo pa ng ibang communication projects, we sit down every time at pinag-aaralan namin ano bang topic ang mahalagang pag-usapan sa panahon na ito. At hindi lang yon, ano nga ba ang kailangan natin iparating. So, talagang may proseso tayo, we meet, we discuss, each topic, at nililista natin, what are the questions that we need to ask and what are the answers that we to find in the conversation, that we need to talk about. 

So yung proseso natin na yon ay very crucial dito sa success at pagiging special ng Gubatbp. So ayon, thank you. 

ONGGIE: 

I couldn’t agree more. Galing, galing. 

II. Visual Summary, Writing Style, Project Process | 31:21

BRYAN: 

Yeah. Actually sobrang justified nung special na part eh. Very very inspiring, Harris. I’d like to talk rin sa team mo, Harris, sa Drink, kasi kayo nga ‘yung involved sa pagcreate ng mga materials natin sa Gubatbp., kung ano yung nakikita ng audience natin sa Facebook, sa website, sa podcast channels natin. So, si Argie. Hello, Argie. Siya yung in charge at involve don sa design ng Gubatbp.

Argie, ano sa tingin mo ‘yung importance ng visual summary natin, diba nung una naiisip natin, nako, baka ah, sa ikli ng attention span ng mga tao, baka hindi sila masyadong makinig kasi medyo mahaba ‘yung episodes natin, it’s an hour, so baka kailangan natin ng mga ganong klaseng materials. At nabanggit rin ni Harris yung importance ng communication, very embedded siya don. Meron rin tayong mga posters and of course ‘yung maps na nirerelease natin, together with the episodes. 

Argie: Ayun, oo nga. Alam naman nating lahat na ‘yung Gubatbp., medyo kakaiba siya compared sa naririnig natin na usual podcast sa different platforms, tapos to make sure na ‘yung listeners natin get the whole package from the episodes, sinu-supplement natin ng visual summary, in case na mawala sila siguro sa dinami-dami ng nadiscuss, at least meron sila nung, isang visual poster na mapapakita lahat ng essentials na nasabi, nadiscuss nung episode. Tapos ang interesting na dinagdag ninyo, merong maps na connected rin sa topic, so para mabigyan ng onting tulak yung mga listeners natin na hindi lang sila tahimik nakikinig. Mapa-pique ‘yung interest nila to further look into the topics and siguro, pwede rin na mainvolve rin sila don sa communities don sa different topics.

BRYAN: 

Right, actually, Argie, ung ibang elements din diba. Meron rin tayong transcript nung mismong pinagusapan, as well as yung music rin natin doon sa podcast. Yeah. 

ONGGIE: 

I think yun nga, when people listen or look at our website and look at the material that deepen the conversation, ang dami talaga nilang matutunan pa. I hope people listen to the podcast and they find the time to explore the episodes and the content na dinadagdag pa ni Argie. Of course the heart of the podcast is yung conversation namin ni Bryan and for me, it’s always been easy for me to talk to people, I suppose, but because we have to organize our thoughts, we have to make sure we get the key ideas both from our guests and ourselves, meron kaming writer and ito si Mia. And I’m curious, what’s the writing style ni Mia, ano kayang proseso ang kailangan upang makapagsulat for a particular episode of Gubatbp. Mia, please enlighten us. 

Mia: Well, if I am to describe the style and therefore the voice of Gubatbp., siguro yung masasabi ko, nagstart talaga sya from my observation on how you and Bryan have your own discussions. Kasi syempre, bago nag-start yung pagsusulat para sa podcast, andaming pinagdaanan na discourse and planning for the podcast itself and yung napulot ko don, masasabi ko na isa siyang tone na very candid and insightful and I took that observation and I wanted to follow it through with writing the script for the episodes as well as the other materials for the podcast. At dahil candid at insightful siya, masasabi ko rin na yung tunog niya ay parang isang kwentuhan between friends na matagal ng hindi nag-uusap pero maraming pinagdaanan. Yung mga guests, they’ve all come from different backgrounds and they have their own professions, so andami talaga nilang makukwento. 

And what’s great about that and what makes the podcast so special in line with that is, kahit ang daming pwedeng mapag-usapan and ang daming expertise ng guests and speakers ng Gubatbp. Hindi nagiging intimidating yung language. If I am to put it into a phrase, the writing style of Gubatbp. Is an unintimidating way of sharing ideas and insights and nagke-carry through talaga siya sa episodes mismo and even on our other materials na lumalabas don sa website and sa social media. 

ONGGIE: 

Well, that’s great to hear, Mia. I think, we were mindful of not being too technical, wag gumamit ng matinding jargon. And sa totoo lang, a lot of our conversations namin ni Bryan, ganito rin eh. We both like to talk and exchange ideas. I think na-capture rin yon. And I love it na we’re able to na converse with guests as well, yung guest ng podcast, so that’s been, of course, yung conversation na yon ay dapat mag-elicit ng information at maging free at of course, untimidating. 

BRYAN: 

Oo, very happy nga rin to hear that. Actually, speaking of don sa writing dito sa Gubatbp. Mahilig rin talaga kami mag-basa kaya nag-add kami ng list of resources na pwede ninyo mabasa, mga recommendations namin na pwede niyo icheck o basahin after ng episode na yon. Maganda rin siguro na makapag provide kami ng ibang ganong resource materials, kung meron kayong gustong siguro, book recommendations, article recommendations, message niyo lang kami ni Onggie. Try namin kung ano marerecommend namin sainyo, medyo mahilig kami magbasa dito sa Gubatbp. Podcast eh. 

Sa team ng Drink, meron rin nagmamanage actually nung mismong project na yon and I’d like to hear from her, si Hannah. Hanna, hello. Can you give us an overview on the process kung paano ba natin ginagawa ang kada episode, what’s it like having a podcast as a project, kasi baka yung iba na nakikinig curious rin sila, paano ba yung proseso ng podcast, dapat channel lang sila, bakit may website pa sila, bakit may ibang elements? (36.48-36.50 cut)

Hannah: Okay, so, for each episode, it really takes a lot of time talaga and energy, both sa foundation and even sa Drink. We start with a meeting and we call it a brainstorming session, we really take the time to sit down and identify ano ba yung scope, ano yung format na pwede gamitin, sinong best resource person to make the episode fruitful and meaningful and really, sit down for these kinds of topics. Once na ma-clear na yung vision namin, ah eto na yon, that’s when we have our recording session with the guest. And we make sure na credible ang guest, knowledgeable naman siya on that particular topic, para naman ensured yung credibility. And after that, we set a meeting for the recording session and that’s when the hosts meet with the resource person. Ang maganda sa podcast na to, it really allows the freedom to express what the guests really want to talk about, and at the same time, very dedicated yung hosts about the topic. It’s really important to be curious about these kinds of topics in order to have a meaningful conversation and a meaningful podcast. 

And what’s really great about Gubatbp. Is we create different kinds of materials nga, in order to further enrich the podcast. Personally, ang ginagawa ko, pinapakingan ko muna yung podcast and after that, don palang ako titingin sa materials. Titingnan ko yung resources, yung interactive maps, and the visual summary. That’s just my personal take when digesting Gubatbp., and so yun nga, we have the visual summary, the summary of the topics discussed, given na andaming points na naraised during that episode, it’s really important to give din a visual representation of the episode and the transcript. 

So, we saw the need to create the transcript since a lot of people has limited access to a reliable stable internet connection. In that a way, a lot of people can still read about ano ba tong topic na to, so we can still, we want to make sure na accessible siya to a lot of people despite having these kinds of limitations. And may interactive map pa when you go to the Gubatbp. Website. Very good opportunity nga to showcase yung mga different things that can be found in the country. From where to get your household plant to san nga ba nakakahanap ng green spaces sa Pilipinas, so, it’s a good promotion for these kinds of businesses. And we wanted also to provide an avenue for original Pinoy music and very thankful kami sa mga talented na artists, kasi nagagamit siya as a beautiful segway, pagdating sa podcast. Thank you rin sa mga featured musicians and if you want, feel free to email Gubatbp. If you think na you can share with us yung mga music ninyo so we can use it in the podcast. So, as you can see there’s a lot more behind the scenes that are ongoing, but yun are pinaka-general gist of all of it and we make sure na we share this kind of message around the Philippines and even the world. So, impossible ang Gubatbp. Without the fruitful collaboration between Drink and the Foundation, and we also make make sure na nakikinig kami sa mga comments ninyo, so, please feel free to put your comments, yung mga natutunan ninyo, super na-appreciate namin yung mga ganyan feedback from you guys. 

So, I really feel, overall, super grateful ako sa ganitong project. As a project manager, I handle different kinds of projects and usually they are more on the technical side, so, ako personally pagna-ooverwhelm ako sa mga ongoing projects ko, I usually just focus by working sa Gubatbp. As a way to destress, so ayun. So, thank you sa Gubatbp. 

BRYAN: 

Thank you, Hannah sa insights mo. Very interesting nga. Yung music, yung featured musicians, yun din yung isa na inimagine natin nung una palang. Bukod don sa libro, nagpapalitan rin kami ni Onggie ng mga music. 

ONGGIE: 

Siyempre mas marami akong nakukuha magaganda tugtog. 

BRYAN: 

At gusto natin ifeature ang mga Filipino artists natin lalo na ‘yung mga nagpproduce ng indie music. Ayun rin usually ang nilu-look forward ko sa mga episodes. I think, yung selection ni Hannah ng mga music, sobrang nagfi-fit don sa mga episodes. Thank you doon sa mga artists natin na pumapayag na ifeature yung kanta nila sa podcast natin diba. 

BRYAN: 

Siguro Hannah, managing this kind of project, a podcast, I think first rin for you and for Drink, ano yung mga nakita mo o napansin mo na challenge sa ganitong klaseng program? 

Hannah: Hmm. 

ONGGIE: 

When hosts go off script, haha. 

Hannah: Actually, na-appreciate ko pag nag-ooffscript kayo kasi it means na you’re really curious sa ganong topic. For me personally, yung main challenge is to figure out, getting the guests, that’s the main problem, given na most of these people are knowledgeable on these topics and very busy sila to get their schedules, having a dedicated sit down meeting with them is a challenge for me. Once na na-sitdown na sya, it’s really super nakaka-, it’s worth it in the end, since nakikita ko na very super knowledgeable talaga yung resource person na yun and it really brings out Gubatbp. To the topic. 

BRYAN: 

Yes, kaya salamat talaga sa mga guests for believing in Gubatbp., for trusting us. Kami ni Onggie.  

III. Which episode resonated with you the most? | 47:19

BRYAN: 

Sige, actually, naka-six episodes na nga tayo no and gusto ko lang rin tanungin ang mga teammates natin sa forest foundation na lagi ring nandon during recording, kapag narelease na yong episode natin, pinapakingan rin nila, I’d like to ask si Diane and Schen, kung ano ba yung tingin niyong episode na pinaka nag-resonate sa inyo, in relation doon sa personal experience niyo or sa ginagawa niyo professionally? Ah, or sa other aspects siguro ng buhay niyo. Hello, Diane. 

Diane: Hi Bryan, hi sir Onggie. And to the rest of the Drink team, siguro for me, yung talagang nag-resonate sakin, lalo na sa konteksto kung nasaan tayo ngayon, nasa pandemya, mas nag resonate sakin yung episode 1 natin, particularly yung how to be a responsible plantita, kasi diba

BRYAN: 

You’re a plantita yourself! 

Diane: Yes, haha. So ayon, parang in a way nakapag reflect rin ako. Kasi parang for the longest time, mas nag concentrate ako in terms of reviewing yung proposals, but then during the pandemic, I was able to, mabalikan kung ano yung mga pinag-aralan ko before, like pagpapatubo ng puno, from the seed itself and I really liked sa episode 1, how animated nag describe si Lee An, kasi even I myself when nag-ga-garden or nagtatanim, nakaka engross talaga. Paghahalo mo ng lupa, pag tatangal mo ng damo. So yung ganong experience at the same time, very rich rin yung insights na naprovide ni Atty. Ty, kasi kailangan talaga yung sources ng materials or planting materials, is talagang front and center. While we understand na may pangangailangan talaga to promote yung native species, kailangan is rightfully sourced sya sa mismong legal sources. Kaya ako, ayan, naglalakad lakad lang ako sa park or sa memorial gardens, nakakapag pulot ako ng seeds and yun yung ginagamit ko sa pagpapatubo. Yun sa tingin ko yung nakatulong sakin, lalo na nasa pandemya tayo, very malayo tayo sa forest. So yon. 

BRYAN: 

Thank you, Diane. Actually, dito lumalabas yung pagka-forester ni Diane eh, sa insights niya dito. How about you, Schen? 

Schen: Yes, Byan. Siguro, ako, ano ba, yung favorite ko so far yung forest bathing episode. I think ito yung pinaka latest nating episode. Siguro, number one, kasi antagal ko ng hindi nakakalabas, very refreshing na makarinig ng sounds na nature, so actually, ang ganda nung editing ng episode na yon. Feeling ko nakalabas narin ako kahit saglit lang. Siguro number two, ano po, it resonates with me, kasi ang ganda nung explanation ni Doc TJ nung dini-differentiate niya yung forest bathing and yung traveling, kasi I think tayo, as millenials and GenZ, focused tayo na mag travel. Parang paunahan, pabilisan. Pagalingan, palakasan. But forest bathing, it’s different. It requires us to reflect, to notice the environment around us, to reflect on nature on a deeper level personally. 

So parang pwede tayong sabay-sabay magfo-forest bathing, same yung steps, pero after that iba iba yung realizations natin after and I think in work rin kasi, one of the things na ginagawa ko for the foundation kasi, we always get yung questions na, how can I become an advocate, gusto ko magtanim ng 1000 trees, reach a thousand people, laging yung malalaking things yung naisisip nung mga tao and we appreciate yung ideas nila of course and gusto natin na gusto nila to work with us, pero yung question kasi na ano ba yung dapat kong gawin is a question na we cannot answer, for people, kasi nature will need different things from us. 

We have different interests and talents, we can do the same things, the same podcast episodes siguro, but we will have different realizations. 

SO, I think at the end of the day, we will have the common journey to protect and conserve the forest, kasi after all, diba we live on the same planet lang rin naman, but we have different pathways and ok lang yon and maganda yon. It’s something na we can discover by thinking and by reflecting, parang pag sinagot natin yung tanong na ‘what does nature mean to me’ i think yung first step, kasi pag nasagot mo ‘yun, you’ll be more curious eh. Makikita mo na yung environment doon sa seemingly ordinary things around you. 

Like yung sa coffee. Yung isang episode natin connected sya with the forest. Yung isang episode natin, plantito/plantita, going beyond pagalingan mag-garden ‘oh parang important pala na ma-protect, na hindi natin dapat hayaan na mapoach yung mga native species natin ganon. Parang nakikita mo na siya in different things na meaningful for you and then figure out, siguro, paano ka magiging advocate kung nasaan ka man at that moment. Yun po, thank you. 

BRYAN: 

Wow, grabe. Sobrang natutuwa ako, kasi lagi tayo magkakasama sa foundation, sabay-sabay nagrerecord, nandon rin kayo, pero this episode really provides you space to reflect don sa part tayo nung podcast na yon, pero we take time to reflect ano rin ba yung impact nito satin, sa personal lives, sa trabaho natin. Ano ba yung mga realizations natin. It’s really amazing lang yung reflections niyo, Shen and Diane, regarding dito, because we never get the chance to talk about this after natin mag record ng mga episodes. So, thank you sa pag-share. 

IV. Learnings and Reflections | 51:22

ONGGIE: 

We have great responses both from Diane and Shen ano. Ah, ipahamak rin natin si Nicole at Mia. Nicole ikaw naman, any reflections or learnings? So far?

Nicole: Oh, a lot. Where do I even start, right. We have a handful of episodes, I mean, we’ve had, six is few, but not to downplay the work that goes into that but just thinking na there will be many more episodes in the future, so, like its exciting to see and anticipate what else we can learn. But I guess just to run down some of those key things that i’ve learned, from the episodes so far, things are never just the way they are, i go back to one of the episodes on mapping and counter mapping, because that’s one of my favorites personally, i guess, one of the things i learned from that one is to balance accuracy and cultural sensitivity and how its so interesting to think that you’re able to put things on paper or take whatever’s in your head and put that on document so other people can see the same thing. And there’s so many factors that go into that, kust being able to put whatever is in your head out there, because its not just what you put there but also what you choose not to put there, a lot of nuggets of wisdom from the episodes that we’ve all done so far. 

And I guess just to share that, since i’m one of the newest hires to the team, I joined during the pandemic just for everyone’s reference and just for context, I think there are a lot of opportunities, in a non-pandemic setting it would have been interesting to interact with, the team members, but because of the current circumstances, that’s not the most preferable, and not the i guess, easiest way to go about it. But at least through the podcast, we are able to learn through other means. Like what people have shared previously, it’s learning but not technical and not intimidating. I guess that’s it for me. 

ONGGIE: 

Thank you, Nicole. How about you, Mia. Ikaw naman. 

Mia: Actually ang dami mo rin natutunan, in the past six episodes. Parang theres so many different guests from so many different backgrounds, you really learn so much about these stuff. Parang ayoko na mag further studies, magpa-podcast nalang ako. 

BRYAN: 

Haha! Nice. I hope we can give you a certificate for that.

Mia: Yun, siguro apart from of course the topics themselves, parang reflection learning ko from Gubatbp. Is how nature really draws everyone together, i mean, throughout the podcast, nagkaroon tayo ng guests na writer, na artists, we had an attorney as a guest, pero iisang podcast lang ito and it’s about the forest and the environment, and about nature. 

Pero kahit magkakaiba yung experiences ng mga guests as well as the hosts, nagiging uniting force yung topic ng discussion and apart from that, I think i can pull this from specific episodes like for example, episode on forest bathing, nakita ko talaga dito sa podcast na to na it’s so important to have a quiet time, it’s so important to talk about meaningful things with different people. The podcast really brings together people and it makes them talk about things that are so deep and so meaningful and minsan hindi tayo nagkakaroon ng space to talk about these things. Lalo na kung busy sa trabaho or sa pag-aaral. Um, narealize ko don sa podcast na kahit minsan mahirap maghanap ng oras para pagusapan yung mga ganitong topic, kailangan parin sila pag-usapan. 

ONGGIE: 

I’m still digesting yung sinabi ni Mia and Nicole, ang galing nung sinabi ni Mia na yung nature, yung gubat brings people with diverse background, iba’t ibang pinang-galingan, iba’t ibang karanasan, together. Somehow, parang ngayon ko lang nakita na oo nga no, diba we envisioned this Bryan diba. Na we wanted to talk about gubat but talk about it tangentially, ayaw natin na, in fact ang agreement namin ni Bryan, kapag may nagsabi samin ng forest conservation, may kutos. Bawal magsabi ng forest conservation – well except for that one! Hind yun counted, Bryan. But tama si Mia e no, yung, the way the podcast has been done, people have gotten together, talked about nature and experience in nature as a way that unifies and brings us all together. Thank you for that insight, Mia. Ang galing. 

BRYAN: 

At yung idea na kung paano, nakikinig yung mga tao sa podcast, yung iba kasi during commute, habang nagluluto, ganyan. Ako, nakikinig ng ibang podcast habang nagja-jogging. Yung time lang rin talaga to listen. Very important to find that.

V. Audience Insights and Feedback | 1:01:25

ONGGIE:

Yup. I think, many for us, we’ve heard yung mga kasama natin dito sa podcast to talk about their own learning and reflections, actually, ginawa rin namin ito sa mga listeners natin. In fact, we had a survey sa mga listeners and I’m very thankful na may mga nag respond. Those of you who took time off to get back to us and give us your responses. We really appreciate them. And siguro just to go through some of the responses and things that really stuck me, there was a response from Carm. 

At sabi niya, isa sa mga reflection niya ay: “That maps are not neutral; In contested spaces especially, they may be used to include or exclude groups, people, ideas.”  She also liked the concept of counter-mapping “it’s very interesting!” sabi nia. Yung more in-depth understanding of forest bathing; and she appreciated yung reading suggestions from the eco-literature episodes. So, thank you for those. 

BRYAN: 

Cool, okay sige. Interesting na may interested sa mga recommendations rin natin na mga readings. Nakakatuwa marining. Yes at salamat sa mga nagpadala ng inyong mga message at insights. 

From Emily naman, thank you for sharing this. Sabi niya: “That there is as much hope as there is challenge for our coffee farmers… that there is such a thing as forest bathing”…so I guess mas nakikilala lang rin talaga yung forest bathing dito sa Philippines and yung practice na yon ay pwede naman talaga natin ipractice dito sa atin, and “that nature does not only inspire creativity,  it also heightens our purpose for art and gives meaning to it”…wow, sobrang galing, “that maps are not just illustrations of topography;” parang yung realization rin ni Carm na binanggit mo kanina, Onggie. “That they could be representations of events, culture and values of people that inhabit them;” I like na nakuha or narealize nung tulad ni Emily yung pag-rethink natin ng value nung maps, don sa episode natin na yon with Prof. Ony. Also, sabi niya, first time niya natutunan na meron palang sensory map; pwede pala siya, and how poems can be used to elicit people’s experiences in time of crisis; and that we have amazing young Filipino editors like Rina Chua” 

Thank you, Emily sa inyong insight na yon. Nakakataba ng puso na marinig na ganong klase ng insight. 

ONGGIE:

Yup, and in addition to the insights and reflection of our listeners, we also asked them, ano yung mga inaabangan nila or what are they looking forward to. Or if they wanted specific topics that they want us to cover. Of course medyo nakakatakot ito kasi, you know, baka kung ano-ano yung mga ipa-discuss sa atin. But you know, I’m glad that there were still responses. 

There were those that mentioned  Philippine wildlife and biodiversity including endemic species, mukang marami talagang interest doon, and food systems, native food systems in particular. I think somebody also wrote, expressed interest in what I think is a new concept, emerging theme, eco-anxiety. 

There were people who mentioned sustainable fashion and I think this is coming from our episode on art, so they wanted a little bit more, perhaps on sustainable fashion. We’ve also been talking about concept or themes and meron isang listener, how about talking to forest rangers and that’s a really good idea. I think these are, uso yung frontliners and in our experience in protecting forests, forest rangers are really at the frontlines. We’ll think about how we’ll do that, especially given itong pandemic. Last and certainly one of the most interesting suggestions, how climate change affects indigenous communities. We are all aware that climate change is here and now, and the effects are continuing, and you know, we all often reflected on its impact on urban systems, on us, on forest, but this listener, hits it on the head eh. How does it affect indigenous communities? Interesting topics. 

CONCLUSION 

BRYAN: 

Oh wow – all very exciting and interesting topics! Salamat sa mga nag-suggest. Actually to give you a hint lang din don, some of the topics na na-mention ay ilan don, medyo pina-plano narin namin na icover. So stay tuned sa mga episodes na lalabas for the rest of the year!

And siguro for me ang mga pinakainaabangan ko rin, as co-host, as yung mga guests of course, diba Onggie, very excited tayo lagi makipag-usap sa kanila, makapag-emerge ng new ideas habang kausap sila. Actually kulang talaga ang isang oras para pag usapan ang mga naidentify na topics, but kasi, ang dami talagang pwedeng pag-usapan, Kaya sobrang malaman nung “atbp” don sa gubatbp. It really brings yung color and diversity doon sa gubat. Yung relationship ng other aspect ng society sa forests natin. 

So, Onggie, as we end this special episode, salamat uli sa team natin from Drink and from the foundation, as the co-host of Gubatbp., yung tinanong rin natin si Harris kanina, what makes Gubatbp. Special for him, so what makes it special for you?

ONGGIE: 

Ako, I think, na allude naman na ito kanina ano. And I’m very glad that people actually found resonance in some of the work that we’ve done. What makes Gubatbp. Special for me, is yung treatment ng Gubatbp., and I think this is where the strength of partnering with Drink really comes to core, hindi tayo mag-sasawa mag-usap tungkol sa gubat, Bryan eh. Tayong dalawa pa. But I’m sure, ayun nga, baka mag-sawa yung mga nakikinig satin. Kaya tingin ko, kaya hindi nag-sasawa yung mga nakikinig, at mas mahalaga, may natututunan, because we brought in, yung “atbp.” — Drink brought in “atbp.” two other elements, yung extra content is also something that is special for me. 

I’ve always thought about it as one-dimensional. We talk about it and it’s done. But specially for the listeners, if you go visit the website, you look at the extra materials, ang dami pang matutunan doon. Yung maps, yung script, marami pang madadagdag. Pati yung mga recommendations. That’s something na special for me. 

Personally, dalawa yung special para sa akin dito. I get to enjoy yung conversation with the guests and with you, Bryan. And these are all learning opportunities para sa akin. Ang dami kong “aha” every time na may kausap tayo. “Ang galing!” yung mga ganon. So, yun ung special. We have all of these amazing guests that Drink was able to bring before us. Yun yung isa. But para sa akin yung pinaka-special also happens at the end of episode. Ako kasi minsan, parang ayoko makinig ng episode kasi masakit sa tenga ko yung boses ko. 

BRYAN: 

Ah, actually oo ako rin. Pero fortunately na overcome ko na. 

ONGGIE: 

Ako, nag ccringe ako when I hear myself. But I endure my cringe-inducing voice to get to the soundtrack at the end. Kasi hindi ko alam yun eh. And it really comes as a surprise for me at every time, every episode, six episodes, six surprises for me, six great artists, and six great songs, that sort of sums up and summarizes, and deepens the podcast. So yun yung special sakin. 

BRYAN: 

Wow. Oo nga. Grabe sir. 

ONGGIE: 

Oo. Ang galing, galing. Yung songs always struck a chord. Tama ka na yung sinabi natin kanina na after the episode ang dami pa natin gusto pag-usapan, after listening to the podcast and listening to the song, parang gusto kita uli tawagan eh. Parang, “Hey, Bry. Usap pa tayo. I want to talk.”

BRYAN: 

Parang debrief, debrief. 

ONGGIE: 

Oo, debrief. Or Harris, how about this. Sundan natin ito. Yun yung nangyayari when I listen to the end of the podcast. 

BRYAN: 

Actually yung aspect na yun, yun yung feeling ko special for me. Yung emergence nung connection. For example yung idea na noticing creativity as heard don sa practices nung guest artist natin, makes resonance sa reflection natin with Rina, with how noticing, slowing down, close-reading or attunement in the field of eco literature, na very important in times of crisis. Tapos don naman sa episode natin with forest bathing, very prominent yung idea ng forest bathing as a form of self care. Tapos yung notions of care and caring, were manifested doon sa first episode natin on plantita and plantito phenomenon. Acts of care in human-plant relations. And nakita rin natin how mapping can also serve as a form of care sa case ng Anyan PH Collective and kay Prof. Ony, doon sa pagma-mapa ng community pantries, which is a form of solidarity. So for me, yun yung special eh, yung emergence ng connections na to na hindi naman natin planado. 

So, yung special for me, is that these connections are somehow hidden at first but Gubatbp. Taking all episodes so far, reveals this kind of interconnectedness and so far, siguro, itong special episode nalang na to, also serves as an invitation to everyone, to join us in this journey, to discover for yourself what sort of connection you can map out by listening to past and future episodes. Kumbaga, parang what new meanings can emerge. Yung care, yung idea ng care, hindi naman yoon yun main theme natin doon sa mga discussions, pero nag emerge sya doon sa mga iba’t ibang topics at iba’t ibang klase ng mga tao na pinag-uusapan natin diba. Sa iba’t ibang ideas na pinaguusapan natin. So, what sort of new understanding, yung pwede pa nating mareveal. That’s why I’m excited sa future episodes pa natin. 

ONGGIE: 

Yup, definitely. Looking forward rin for future episodes. For their learning and their interaction. We both are creative teams, our foundation and Drink, and our guests.

BRYAN: 

Thanks again for listening sa episode natin na to, sa Gubatbp. Special Midyear Episode. Para sa atin, thank you forest foundation team, thank you kela Schen, Diane, and Nicole, and to the Drink team, Harris, Mia, Argie, and Hannah for being with us today. And special mention din of course to our listeners na nagprovide ng feedback at nagbigay satin ng insights, Theresa, Kim, Emely, Pat, RA, Carm, Beverly, Kyla, and Kryzza.

So, stay tuned for our next episode natin ng Gubatbp.!