I went to the Philippines on March 2, 2010 with the intention of doing fieldwork research in Manila and Lanao Del Sur until March 30, 2010. I arrived in Manila on March 2 and I visited the main office of the Office of Muslim Affairs (OMA) on March 3 and 4. OMA is the governmental institution that manages the Muslim pilgrimages to Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The purpose of these visits was to ascertain if the OMA has the documents that I need for my research. Specifically, I wanted to find out if they have records of the pilgrimages from 1950-2000. These records are the statistical data about the pilgrims and the accounts about the pilgrimages during the period concerned. Moreover, I set to find out the kind of library materials related to the hajj pilgrimages the OMA has in its collection. I found out through this preliminary survey that OMA’s library materials on hajj are not sufficient enough.

On March 5, 2010 I went to the University of the Philippines’ Islamic Studies Center to ask some of the faculty members if they knew any prior researches done on the pilgrimages of Philippine Muslims to Makkah. True to my assumption, they could not easily refer me to specific researches done on the subject in the Philippines. However, I was advised by some of them on how to conduct the research. I flew to Mindanao on the same day.

On March 6 I visited relatives in Marantao, Lanao Del Sur who had agreed to help identify prospective hajj interviewees. I had already informed them that I initially have interest in interviewing the pilgrims who made the pilgrimage during the 1950s to the 1970s. Our one day meeting allowed us to make a preliminary list of interviewees, expect the likely time to meet them at home, and discuss some strategies. Most of the interviewees in the list are our relatives spread in different towns of our province. I have decidedly foreseen that in order to get as many interviewees as possible in a short period of time, I had to start with my relatives and branch out to other families through the networks of my relatives. This is how it can be best done in the Meranao/Lanao Del Sur setting.

On March 7, I was accompanied by a friend to Masiu, Lanao Del Sur to interview two hajj pilgrims who went to Mecca during the 1970s. They are, namely, Hadji Manan Unda and Hadji Acmad Unda. Both men are at least 70 years old. With help from my friend I was able to convince both men to relate their memories of their pilgrimages to Makkah. Using a structured questionnaire I talked to each of them for about two hours. As I had expected, their recollections of their hajj experiences oftentimes lack accuracy in terms of the specific dates of particular activities and events they went through. Setting this setback however, their narrations of their pilgrimages are clear.

On March 8, 2010 I checked the library collections of the main library of Mindanao State University and the unit library of the King Faisal Center for Islamic, Arabic and Asian Studies. Unfortunately, there is not much related literature on the performance of hajj by Muslims in the Philippines.

From March 9-17 I continued the fieldwork in other towns namely,  Batal in Marantao, Dilabayan in Taraka,  Pagalungan in Ditsaan Ramain, Ragondingan in Buadiposo Buntong,  Malaig in Marantao, Tuca in Marawi City, Rogan in Poona Bayabao, Imi in Saguiaran, Cadayonan II in Marawi City, and in Baclaran and Quiapo areas in Manila. I have interviewed 33 hajjis until March 17. The oral histories they have told me contain many interesting data that are usually not found in books. Moreover, their stories often branch out to topics other than the hajj itself such as the status of Islam in their communities, social and political problems, and historical accounts. Specifically, when they realize that I study in Japan, they relate stories about their experiences of the Japanese occupation of Mindanao and others.

Although I have planned to conduct fieldwork until the end of the month, an unexpected turn of events forced me to abandon the fieldwork and return to Japan on March 19. Local problems in Lanao Del Sur due to the election campaigns and family entanglements had jeopardized my safety to a point where I felt my safety was at high risk.

My fieldwork research has shown me that conducting interviews even among people you consider to be your relatives is never easy. Even when I try to explain well the nature of the interview and my companions support me with prepared speeches, it takes quite a negotiation to get people to relate their stories. Some openly showed their apprehension and chose to decline. Later I have been told that this was probably due to the tense political climate in the province as a result of the election campaigns.  Some people had many interpretations on my research and they suspected it could be used for other purposes.

I also discovered that even though I was doing fieldwork in my own province, my estimates of the financial expenditures for the duration of the research were unrealistic.  As I had to travel to towns spread in different parts of Lanao Del Sur, I had to utilize a minivan which could accommodate the people who were accompanying me. I had to be escorted by my relatives who knew the right people and also as a precautionary decision based on the fact that the political climate in the area is tense.  I also had to spend money for their food and other incidental expenses.

The fieldwork has shown me it is not ideal to do fieldwork during the election period and that it is necessary for me to get some people to inform prospective interviewees days before the actual interview. As it happened, the interviews I made were done with no prior information given to the respondents. That being the case, when their neighbors noticed our presence in their houses, they came to investigate. Consequently, a lot more people tried joining what was supposed to be one on one interviews.  The interviewees’ neighbors also talk while I go over my questions and this, at times, could redirect the ongoing conversation.

In general, I consider my fieldwork to be successful. I did not get as many respondents as I wanted but the data that I have collected are good enough for me to draw initial framework for my research. I have begun transcribing the interviews which were done in the Meranao language.  When finished, I will start doing the translation into English.