My first visit to Patag
Not many people would be excited about going to Patag, Sarangani. It’s a quiet little place full of coconut trees, corn fields, and a big population of Carabao. But, for me, going there was special.
Why was it so special for me? Well, because that is where Feyma is from. She was born there, grew up there and attended school there before the family moved into the City when she was in High School. I have been married to Feyma for nearly 18 years, and I had never been to Patag before, until about 2 weeks ago. You can read about my adventure, but in today’s column I am also featuring some video from my visit to Patag!
As you’ll see in the video, I even have a job offer waiting for me there, so if I decide that I want to put down roots in Patag myself, I have already found gainful employment!
Great place to visit and what nice people too.
Later we all walked around the village and it was a delight to have so many people shout hello and all the smiling faces too.
It almost makes me want to spend a few days in the village myself..ALMOSTf
Hi john grant - why not go spend a few days there? It is quiet and peaceful, you can get some nice rest and relaxation! After all, you have a place to sleep (in the charcoal hole), and they won’t even charge you very much for the accommodation! It’s a win-win!
Hi Bob - Your videos always make me homesick; need to cautiously regulate my viewing!
Hi Paul - Well, I guess everything has a potential downside!
Happy to let you see home, but sorry to make you homesick! 
Hey Bob,
What another great video, and very interesting to see how they process coconuts. Also, is amazing that they don’t waste any parts of coconuts, seems everything has a useful purpose there. Looks like fun and would love to experience that someday, but I think Feyma was making joke that you take too long to process coconuts..hehe..:)
Is good that you have something to fall back on, in case internet biz goes bad on you…lol.
Take care and thanks for sharing,
Danny
Hi Danny - Feyma is sitting here with me right now, and I showed her your comment and told her that she should not be so mean to me and treat me badly on the videos! I did notice that she was a real slave driver when it came to the coconuts, and I was slaving away as quickly as I could. Hey, come to think about it, I just realized that I never got paid for my labor that day! Oh my goodness!
Hi Sir Bob! Wow! you did a good job with those coconut shell..
Is it hard to do it? I can see the place is so peaceful as well…. 
Hi Cidy - nice to hear from you. No, it’s not too hard, just takes some practice!
hello bob
thats a great video.i really enjoyed it alot.i think for your first time you did great tearing apart the coconut.seems like alot of work.im actually very surprised that they make charcoal from coconuts.i allways wondered how the process was done.now thats the real philippines being on the farm.thanks for the great video bob
Hi Ron W - Happy to share it! I have enjoyed coconut charcoal since I’ve lived here. I feel like the coconut charcoal gives a bit of sweetness to what you cook over it.
Hi Bob.
Good video.
I agree that there is no comparison using oling (coconut charcoal) in grilling especially with grouper or mackere or porkl.
Talking about the economics of oling: I wonder how much percentage rise in price is it nowadays (with the backdrop of energy crisis)? Coconut shells must be a well-guarded commodity now as compared to years ago.
Hi Dr. Long - Charcoal has increased by about 1/3 in price over the past year. A bag that was P40 to P45 is going for about P60 now.
Bob ,I don’t think u want to go in to processing coconuts.
..Phil R.
Hi Phil R. - Oh come on! Are you saying that I was not a model employee? I find that hard to accept!
Bob u were probability the best American employee they ever had.. by the look of it they might be a little faster then u ….
Hey Phil R. - It sounds like you aren’t showing much pride in the American workforce there!
Ha ha… yeah, I think they might have been just slightly faster than me! I also need to take more breaks to get a drink and stuff like that! I think they have me beat! 
Hi Bob,
Yes, this what I called the oling pit! Unfortunately the one I fell in was so thick with soot, you can imagine how I looked like when they pulled me out of it. It was not a pretty sight.
Hi MarcewlinaWW - Ha ha.. you know, when I was there in Patag, that was the first time I saw an oling pit like this. Before, I always saw them making the charcoal in a barrel. I wondered, how safe is it to have a pit like this in the ground, it would seem like somebody would fall in and get hurt!
Great video Bob! The smell of the place did not leave an impression on you?
Hi Roy - Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! I don’t understand what you mean about “the smell of the place” - I didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary there.
Great post Bob…darn, that coconut work looks like it requires skill…I’m glad I don’t rely on such ability to make a living or I would starve to death in short order…looks like you could at least make it…great video! Keep ‘em coming.
Hi RichardInSC - Thanks, but I doubt that I could make much of a living on that!
Hey, you’ve been away from the site for a while! It’s nice to see you back again!
Hi Bob - Nah, I haven’t really been away…stop by all the time to check up on things…just read more than I talk. But yeah, it’s a great site and always has been…learn more about the country here in reading a few article than I could taking a college course about it…Cheers!
Hi RichardInSC - Wow, that’s high praise! Thanks for your nice comment.
[...] http://liveinthephilippines.com/bobm/2008/06/04/my-first-visit-to-patag/ [...]
Yes Bob…I shld have made it clear..The smell of copra..this you smell in places where coconut is processed..
Hi roy - Ha ha.. OK. I didn’t find the smell unusual, as I am used to the smell of processing copra - and I love the smell. I have visited many places with that fragrance, so I didn’t think about mentioning it!
Bob,
Keep your day job..
Hi Joe Parisi - Oh boy…. another detractor!
And, I thought I had a good thing there! 
Not a detractor, but you looked like you were really struggling with that coconut……You better hope they pay by the hour, and not by the coconut…
Just kidding, I’m sure I would have been much worse than you.
Hi Joe Parisi - Don’t worry, I was just joking with you.
[...] and be brought to our Tapahan (a place to process the coconut to dry). That’s the place that Bob has a video when he was working in our farm a few months back. Nowadays a lot of the kariton, they use a truck [...]
[...] and be brought to our Tapahan (a place to process the coconut to dry). That’s the place that Bob has a video when he was working in our farm a few months back. Nowadays a lot of the kariton, they use a truck [...]
[...] http://liveinthephilippines.com/bobm/2008/06/04/my-first-visit-to-patag/ [...]