Mangenguey: A Modern Day Dystopia: The Hierarchy

August has flown by and September is upon us. It has been just over a month and a half since we left Mangenguey and for the last few days I have been struggling to create a piece that encompasses all that is Mangenguey. In order to remain diplomatic, in the past I left many things off my blog out of respect for my employer but I no longer have to remain silent. I want to finally express the reality of our living situation for the 3 months we were trapped in servitude. Trevor and I strongly believe that every life experience serves a greater purpose. We feel that in this case we found our way to Mangenguey so that we could share with the world the truth behind the façade that sells this “utopian” island paradise.

As I worked on my expose, it kept growing and growing. I decided that it would be more exciting and fun to read (and write) a collection of short stories that illustrate the plethora of strange and unique incidents we encountered while living in The Philippines and on Mangenguey. As time was not of the essence on the islands, so it will be with my timeline of stories. I’ll reference past and future stories when necessary and introduce pertinent characters as new stories unfold but for the most part if you understand the “main players” the rest will fall into place!

Today’s story: Meet the Dramatis Personae of Mangenguey

Helena Carratalá Mander: The “self-proclaimed demi-goddess” and matriarchal dictator of Mangenguey, the gigantic Fidel Castro posters above her desk were our first warning that we may have been misled. Claiming she ruled with “fear and love” we saw no displays of “love” but many attempts to instill fear in those around her thru loud shouting, belittlement, insults and flamboyant hand gestures. Never afraid to call a person “stupid” or “ridiculous” to their face in front of others (including her “confidant” Ruben or her husband Richard), everything was an argument or confrontation with the Queen; anything and everything she says is right, no questions asked! To question her perfection implied a lack of loyalty of which she held in the utmost regard, 2nd only to honesty. Honesty meant not only telling her of EVERY last daily detail of Mangenguey business but also telling her what she wanted to hear and believed to be true, whether it was truth or not. With an infinite ego the size of the heavens, she believed it was her destiny to prove to others she could do anything they told her couldn’t be done. These accomplishments would come at the expense of anything and anyone that got in her way. Her “creativity” came from simply taking what others had done and doing the opposite. Overflowing with delusions of grandeur, the “utopia” she was building was nothing more than a shrine to herself and her achievements; a place where unsuspecting travelers could come and bask in her greatness while she controlled their vacation. Once they got there, what could they do about it anyways? They were stuck in the middle of nowhere and if they wanted to leave she was their only way off the island!


Ruben Nazareth: Helena’s “butterfly”, Ruben has been her confidant and servant/friend for over 30 years. The only person with pure loyalty to the Queen (or so she thought) and her tagalong translator, Ruben had Helena wrapped around his little finger. He referred to her as “Mother” and would never hesitate to tell the staff when their actions would “disappoint mother”. Uncertain of Ruben from the first time we met, he once told Trevor “He knew how to put cream in her (Helena’s) coffee and convince her it was black.” Our arrival on Mangenguey sparked a strange power struggle between us and Ruben. His discomfort with others having any connections to Helena or control of her life/business besides him completely hindered our ability to create any sort of consistency for the staff or ourselves. Helena and Ruben frequently referred to the staff as “dogs that needed constant discipline and guidance”, a blatant indication that the idea of honoring human dignity on Mangenguey was reserved only for people of a certain “class”. Ruben spent his days and nights spying on everyone on the island, always hiding around the corner with an open ear to report back to Helena or stir the pot with the local staff. When he wasn’t lurking in the shadows or napping, he was following the boys around with a long bamboo stick or machete, keeping the “dogs” in line. His other favorite pastime was to give commands or advice to people (including Trevor, Nick and myself) that he knew would get them in trouble with “mother” later. Always an innocent smile to your face, he was the master manipulator of Helena’s madness that she refused to acknowledge. For example, whenever Helena left the island he always “cleaned” her desk. Each time he did so, things went missing or were moved to strange locations. We heard her repeatedly chastise Ruben for touching the desk but whenever she turned her back, it happened again and again. The “cleaning” happened while we were trying to work in the kitchen and at our office desk too…


Richard Mander: Helena’s poor unfortunate husband, Richard’s heart was in the right place. Richard envisioned an island retreat where guests could feel as if they were home with old friends and he did his best to make them feel this way. Unfortunately, his ideas for the island were very different from Helena’s. We were frequently told it was part of our job to manage her husband and keep him on track with his projects which were strictly limited to construction based tasks. We were also told NEVER to do anything Richard told us to do without first checking with her for approval. She would regularly shoot him down when he tried to share ideas or get involved with any conversations or planning. He frequently had to remind her that it was HIS money that was funding her “utopia”. Once after one too many daytime cocktails he admitted to us that he would have preferred to invest in other endeavors but of course the queen always gets her way! His biggest downfall was his inability to communicate with the natives. He had not learned a single word of tagalong and frequently became extremely frustrated, yelling at the poor “boy” assigned to help him. It was an extreme version of kick the dog syndrome and we mostly just felt bad for the guy. Whenever Richard got the chance he was hanging out in the main house, keeping us company while we made family dinner, drinking with the guests and/or playing pool with whoever he could.


“The Boys”: A group of 17 – 40 year old local men, we never figured out why they were called “the boys” not “the men” or “the guys” or something more fitting for their age. The boys did everything: housekeeping (including The Mander’s House), grounds-keeping, construction, cleaning the septic tank by hand, driving the banka (boat), walking the dogs. Their day started at 5:30 and they were essentially on call at all hours. For all their endless hard work the highest paid “boy” was paid a whopping $5.50 per day and got 2 days off per month if somebody remembered to give it to them. All “the boys” lived together in a sort of compound called the bhang house. Their living quarters are next to the generator with 2 small houses for them to sleep on the floor, a small TV. and 1 shared shower and toilet. There were never less than 5 of them staying in the bhang house at a time and whenever men would come to do non-skilled construction they would also stay in the bhang house. It got pretty cozy at times! They had no refrigerator in the bhang house and “the boys” were not included in the family meal (that story to come later). They were not allowed to drink alcohol and had to ask permission to leave the island, even after their work day. They were not to come to our house and we were not to spend time with them other than during work. We found this all very strange and just another way to create separation so Helena could maintain ultimate control. When we first arrived, the natives were very wary of us and our intentions. In retrospect, the forced separation and the past treatment they received from The Manders and Ruben is probably why. As we got more comfortable, we decided to ignore the segregation law and attempt to bridge the cultural gap between us all. Despite language barriers we were able to create friendships with most of them, some closer than others, and we miss them greatly. It was our willingness to treat them like people that got us into the most trouble on Mangenguey. As the boys make their appearances we will introduce them one by one.


“The Girls”: When we arrived, I was the 3rd girl to inhabit the island (I do not count Helena). The two Filipina girls slept in a shared room above the desalinator. One girl, Ann, was the kitchen helper and responsible for preparing the continental breakfast, prepping for lunch and dinner and preparing family meal for the Manders, Ruben, Me, Trevor, herself and the other girl, Bridget. Bridget was the masseuse and when there were no scheduled appointments she helped with housekeeping. Every other day she would give Helena a 2 hour massage. Both girls had the will and opportunity to leave Mangenguey and when they made those decisions, we were excited for them to escape the drama and mistreatment they were receiving at the hands of “Mother”.

Our first story begins on what turned out to be our last night in Mangenguey…

Next Time:

What Happens When the Queen Gets Hungry...
A.K.A. The Sudden Group Goodbye