Preparations for First Encounter in the Field

Much as being armed to the teeth is advantageous when conducting field studies, circumstances of doing ethnographic studies for the first time doesn't give me that privilege.  But I believe adequate equipment is still essential complemented with proper preparation and planning.  The fact is that if I am able to do research, the first thing is for me to survive the rigors of the area.  

Considering that whitewater rafting is a very physical activity, avoiding sickness let alone physical injury resulting to loss of movement is the most important task to keep.  I have to make sure that I am in the best of health, not only for my sake but also for the people that I will encounter who might be vulnerable in case I get sick and brought it to the study area.  Furthermore I should consider all possible health hazards as well.  

Prior to the field study, I made sure that I had sufficient funds and adequate information about supplies that will require buying and replenishing.  Food and water are my utmost priority in the field.

Before travelling to Cagayan de Oro for the field study, I initially gathered information on the topography of the study site so I went to the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) in Fort Bonifacio and purchased a topographic map with a scale of 1:50,00 of Cagayan de Oro.  This will be a useful tool in tracing the route of the ecotour along the river since the area has a vast network of tributaries draining into the major rivers of Cagayan de Oro. 

 I also considered the climatic conditions of Cagayan de Oro at the time of my visit and the summer months of April and May are ideal for data gathering and the river is not that swollen since the rains in Mindanao come during the last quarter of the year as witnessed during the arrival of Typhoon Sendong.  This is important because climatic conditions will determine what type of footwear and clothing will be needed.  

Prior to fieldwork, the following tasks need to be done wo make the research work less frustrating.  First, all available literature pertinent to the study should have been obtained such as history, archeology, ethnography, geography, etc. which will serve as the basic background of the study.  Second, a logbook will be essential for the recording of observations and proceesings.  Third, I procured all the necessary equipment and supplies such as GPS, logbook, tape recorder, still and action camera, tripod, ballpen, pencil, batteries, interview and survey forms.  I had to make sure all these supplies and material are well organized considering that circumstances in the field should allow me to move without assistance.  Fourth, are personal items that I will be needing such as mess kit, trekking and sleeping gear, flashlight and medical kit. Lastly, a checklist has to be prepared and accomplished to make sure all the project requirements and objectives in the field study were achieved before returning to the home institution back in Cavite since the project site is far and returning for unfinished task is very frustrating let alone costly.