A Columban-run environmental project in the Philippines demonstrates a life lived in accord with nature.
By Fr. Jim Mulroney

A casual observer could be forgiven for mistaking the Center for Ecozoic Living and Learning (CELL) “permaculture” experiment farm for a tropical luxury resort. There are the intricately carved railings of the spacious verandas and the ornate, exotic rooflines of the bamboo buildings snuggled among lush, tropical trees.

CELL’s special guest this day, however, is under no such illusions. Jim Bell, an Australian documentary filmmaker, is visiting the Columban-founded ecological spirituality center in Silang, the Philippines, to learn about CELL. He is, in a sense, making a return to his roots.

His adoptive parents came to his native South Korea to be part of a project that used the well-researched introduction of foreign grass strains and the creative use of refuse from the local pig industry to transform the barren hillsides of Korea’s Cheju Island into a lush grazing land for cattle and sheep.

Bell is not CELL’s only visitor on this special day: the usual busload of students, some of the already 35,000 visitors who have walked upon CELL’s soil, also arrives for a two-day immersion program in the wonders of Mother Nature. The students excitedly find their way behind the ornate exterior of the guest house that will be their home for the next 36 hours.

The concept-creator of CELL is the laconic Columban Father Frank Carey who explains to Bell’s TV camera crew that “we tell the story of creation not so much from the scientific angle as from the sheer wonder of it.”

Fr. Carey simply says, “This is where we can live, and we must learn to respond to this life-giving gift from God by making it life-giving. In that way, we learn to care for the Earth so it can care for us.”

Children visitors to CELL gathered firewood from the forest floor.

“A pipe into the ground taps the methane gas produced in the tank,” he said, “and when exposed to the oxygen in the air, it will burn.”

Fr. Nolan tentatively approaches the stove and with matches ready, arms outstretched and head turned sideways, he turns on the tap and strikes the match. The jet erupts into flame to the delighted shouts of the students, to which the burly Australian priest adds his own, confessing that it sometimes does not work.

“There are ways of trapping and storing the gas so there is a constant supply, but we have not done that yet,” he explained.

Fr. Nolan points out the convenience of the layout. “Things we use every day are near the living quarters: vegetables, fruit and small animals, such as chickens, rabbits and even pigs.”

“Conserving of water is vital,” he instructs them, showing how all of the gardens are laid out to trap as much moisture as possible. The property has large ditches filled with coconut husks. “This interrupts the flow of water through the property,” he explains to Bell and his camera team. “We have a three-meter drop in the land, so it helps to retain moisture in the ground.”

Fr. Nolan explains that everything is recycled and even food scraps are fed to the free-roaming tribe of chickens, led by an impressive, black-and-white-speckled rooster. “The chickens also scratch around and help aerate the earth,” he said.

He points to the traditional Philippine trees that dot the land, all the time explaining their contribution to the health of the local landscape, before stopping at an air plant. He shows the peering students that a little mold is growing on its leaves. “This means the air is good here,” he said. “You will not get any mold growing in Manila!”

In a nearby shed, large tubs house hordes of worms. “They eat anything,” Father Nolan said and laughed. “They eat left over food, grass and even paper,” he said as he dipped his hands into a drum and allowed a handful of sand-like manure to slide back into the container. “This is then put through a sieve, and it makes great, natural fertilizer.”

When Bell comments on the cleanliness of the place, Father Nolan explains that vinegar is used as a cleaning agent. “It is great. However, we tried to make our own and no one told me that it produces a gas and all the bottles exploded in the storage room. But that is what this place is about—learning,” he said.

During a visit to the restroom before retreating to the spacious and airy conference facility to reflect on what they have seen and ask questions, Fr. Nolan explains the workings of water-free sewerage.

“A large pit, tall chimney and convection currents allow refuse to decompose quickly and without odor,” he says.

Later the group moves to the chapel, an open area with a few chairs and an uncluttered floor. An intricate wood carving forms the apron of the altar “done by a primary school student,” Fr. Nolan said. He then gestures to the delicate Stations of the Cross, recessed into coconut shells, which were made by the same student.

As the Mass begins, he turns on the electric lighting that highlights some of the room’s artistic beauty. “These work off solar panels,” he said. “One panel will keep four or five lights burning, and we use it in the house and to run the security lighting on the property.”