PEARL OF THE ORIENT

on the Bluegreen China Sea where modern ships and planes have shrunken the great spans of water in our changing world lies the finest port of the Far East Manila pearl of the Orient a pearl floating on a string of more than 7,000 islands which formed the Philippine one of the main crossroads of the world for commerce and traveled between East and West and because of its strategic value it was one of the most heavily bombed targets of world war ii the new Manila being rebuilt today more and more resembles a big American city people in Manila are much the same as people in any modern metropolis but Filipinos are many peoples from many island provinces north of Manila high in the core daily area mountains of Luzon are the primitive homes of the hardy a garrote tribes Hillbillies of the Philippines they hunt fish and are noted for their handicrafts under the new democracy women as well as men vote and have a voice in national affairs not many years ago they were fierce headhunters but today they've given up their gentle sport in favor of the more peaceful make believe of the warrior dance eager oats are among the half-million pagans who enjoy freedom of worship in a deeply religious country where less than 10 percent of the population is none Christian when a [ __ ] wrote marries the groom flaunts his feathered crown and proclaims the traditional marriage bow the bride promises what brides always promise and then the couple performs a rhythmic ritual to the fire-god witch climaxes three days of preparation and festivity relatives and friends show their approval by joining the dance around the pata flyer to the primitive beat of the gang signs but here is the backbone of the nation a symbolic portrait of the two things which spell life in the Orient a family and rice soon the tiny seedling springs into fields of blossoming rice which is nature's signal for the family to gather the ripened green it's back-breaking work harvest time Brooks no idle hands these brawny young arms reap long hours the carabao or water buffalo pitches in with a family for the threshing and then the tough husks are pounded in a mortar and broken in the winnowing the husks are carried off by the wind and the heavy rice kernels fall back into the tray it has taken five months from the planting of the seed to fill these bags with a family treasure the children will enjoy an exciting holiday in the market town mother will relax and take her first rest in long months of toil and worry father will bring home the necessities of life and perhaps a few luxuries if it's been a successful season his 20 million countrymen depend on rice as we in America depend on wheat life and labor of these hard-working people is reflected in their folk music and dances like this beautiful rice ballet and the traditional dance ends as the wind sweeps up their rice husks along with the lilting strains of their tune full music this is lating where the wartime Jeep is now a peacetime taxi called a jeepney believe it or not there were nineteen hundred varieties of fish around these islands a hundred kinds are here for the buyer life centers around the marketplace where gossip is a bigger problem than buying or selling fish are so plentiful customers are hard to get but not to a fish fry the smoke from glowing coconut shells imparts a unique delicious flavor however the favorite delicacy at a holiday outing is let charm barbecued pig stuffed with wild rice and spices what's this a poultry show no it's a cockfight there is popular here as bullfights are in Mexico like boxers their weights are checked before entering the ring bedding is an important feature of a cockfight the Spurs are fastened with an expert hand cheeeeese are attached to avoid bloodshed our handlers are ready and there they go the Red Rooster is a two-to-one favorite the southernmost area the soon of islands is always a colorful port of call especially hollow whose teeming population is usually swelled by visiting Islanders like this pearl diver who is easily identified by the shape of his hat as we've already learned Filipinos are many peoples these people are morons their religion is Muslim unlike their pagan countrymen the O'Groats Mauro's have a formal wedding service the beating of the gunsa the morrow church bell rushers in the bridal party the high priest or imam reads in the sacred quran joins the solemn faced bride as the priest performs the wedding bond and asks for the blessings of allah the plated bridegroom treats his guests to a one-man show but we can't leave these islands without a visit to the pearl divers their houses are built on the water according to the traditions of their ancestors pearl diving is a community occupation swimming is as natural to these people as walking is to us when a valuable pearl is found the whole village shares in its sale it takes little effort to polish a beautiful model pearl but it will take a generation of hard work and national financing to repolish the war rubble pearl of the Orient and restore these ruins to their pre-war magnificence Manila a once beautiful capital which blended the heritage of Asia with a culture and progress of the old and new worlds will rise again from the shadows of destruction as it first rose from the wilderness of the jungle eager hands are rebuilding children will have homes again yes Filipinos are many peoples with eight distinct languages and 87 dialects but the stirring music of their national anthem is a symbol of their unity they work for a common cause confident of a bright future well there cannot be a shadow without light that light is their faith in our changing world