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A Filipino farm laborer at the Madilosa family's farm-house. He is calling out for them to sell him a cigarette or two from their tindahan. (A "tindahan" is a family-run micro-store. You find these things all over the Philippines. Almost every street has at least one of them. This one is in a tiny hamlet that can only be accessed via a track, down through the woods!) The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work in a remote village in Mindanao; in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A carabao (water buffalo) feeding on riverbank grass, near the farm that the Madilosa family till. The last time I was there, (only 6 months before,) what is now the river was nothing more than a stagnant creek. That all changed during a recent flash-flood when a near-by river decided to change it's course and take up a previous route that it had long-since abandoned... The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work in a remote village in Mindanao; in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A carabao (water buffalo) feeding on riverbank grass, near the farm that the Madilosa family till. The last time I was there, (only 6 months before,) what is now the river was nothing more than a stagnant creek. That all changed during a recent flash-flood when a near-by river decided to change it's course and take up a previous route that it had long-since abandoned... The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work in a remote village in Mindanao; in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A carabao (water buffalo) feeding on riverbank grass, near the farm that the Madilosa family till. The last time I was there, (only 6 months before,) what is now the river was nothing more than a stagnant creek. That all changed during a recent flash-flood when a near-by river decided to change it's course and take up a previous route that it had long-since abandoned... The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work in a remote village in Mindanao; in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A carabao (water buffalo) feeding on riverbank grass, near the farm that the Madilosa family till. The last time I was there, (only 6 months before,) what is now the river was nothing more than a stagnant creek. That all changed during a recent flash-flood when a near-by river decided to change it's course and take up a previous route that it had long-since abandoned... The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work in a remote village in Mindanao; in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A carabao (water buffalo) feeding on riverbank grass, near the farm that the Madilosa family till. The last time I was there, (only 6 months before,) what is now the river was nothing more than a stagnant creek. That all changed during a recent flash-flood when a near-by river decided to change it's course and take up a previous route that it had long-since abandoned... The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work in a remote village in Mindanao; in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A carabao (water buffalo) feeding on riverbank grass, near the farm that the Madilosa family till. The last time I was there, (only 6 months before,) what is now the river was nothing more than a stagnant creek. That all changed during a recent flash-flood when a near-by river decided to change it's course and take up a previous route that it had long-since abandoned... The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work in a remote village in Mindanao; in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A carabao (water buffalo) feeding on riverbank grass, near the farm that the Madilosa family till. The last time I was there, (only 6 months before,) what is now the river was nothing more than a stagnant creek. That all changed during a recent flash-flood when a near-by river decided to change it's course and take up a previous route that it had long-since abandoned... The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work in a remote village in Mindanao; in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A carabao (water buffalo) feeding on riverbank grass, near the farm that the Madilosa family till. The dog in the foreground is a lovely little mutt called "Pandak" (tagalog for "Shorty" - she has very short legs, like a daschound!) The last time I was there, (only 6 months before,) what is now the river was nothing more than a stagnant creek. That all changed during a recent flash-flood when a near-by river decided to change it's course and take up a previous route that it had long-since abandoned... The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work in a remote village in Mindanao; in the Southern part of the Philippines.

Filipino farm laborers at work, planting palay (rice seedlings) in the mga palayan (rice paddies) near to the fields that the Madilosa family till in Davao del Sur Province. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work, in a remote village in Mindanao; in the Southern part of the Philippines.

Filipino farm laborers at work, planting palay (rice seedlings) in the mga palayan (rice paddies) near to the fields that the Madilosa family till in Davao del Sur Province. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work, in a remote village in Mindanao; in the Southern part of the Philippines.

Filipino farm laborers at work, planting palay (rice seedlings) in the mga palayan (rice paddies) near to the fields that the Madilosa family till in Davao del Sur Province. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work, in a remote village in Mindanao; in the Southern part of the Philippines.

An evening twilight view of one of the palayan (rice fields,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.

An evening twilight view of one of the palayan (rice fields,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A late afternoon view of one of the palayan (rice fields,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A late afternoon view of one of the palayan (rice fields,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A late afternoon view of one of the palayan (rice fields,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A late afternoon view of one of the palayan (rice fields,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A late afternoon view of one of the palayan (rice fields,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.

An evening twilight view of one of the palayan (rice fields,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.

An evening twilight view of one of the palayan (rice fields,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.

An evening twilight view, with a beautiful sunset reflected in the water of one of the palayan (rice fields,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. I don't know the name of the dog, but I call him "Scruffy!" Being taken for walks was quite a noval experience for him and, as you can see, he was really enjoying himself here! The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.

Carabao and farm worker plantsahin ('ironing,' or smoothing out the soil) in a palayan (rice field,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. "Plantsahin" is the final operation that uses a carabao (water buffalo) in the preparation of the palayan before transplanting the young rice seedlings. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A beautiful sunset, reflected in the water of one of the palayan (rice fields,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.

A beautiful sunset, reflected in the water of one of the palayan (rice fields,) near to the Madilosa residence in Davao del Sur. The Madilosa's are a very kind family that I stay with whenever I get the chance to visit them at the farm that they work; in a remote village in Mindanao, in the Southern part of the Philippines.