With a smile as warm as the deepest parts of the Malaysian jungle, it’s hard to imagine that local bilit legend Nelson Deocampo has anything like a secret dark past.
And as he uses his booming voice to welcome everyone, regardless of nationality, within earshot to his home for the annual Hari Raya celebration at the end of Ramadan, his natural generosity pushes that thought even further away.
But in Deocampo’s late teens, the wilderness of the Bilit Jungle was said to be riddled with drugs, unemployment, and roving gangs… and he was reportedly not just in the thick of it, but on the front lines.
The 48-year-old father of seven, who was born in Tawau and now lives in Bilit village with his wife Sefriana, is shy about his past life. But he speaks effusively about where Bilit has taken him in life.
“When I arrive here, many of us don’t work, we just become fishermen,” says Deocampo.
“Now things are getting better because all the local people – people like us and the younger generation – are working full-time and getting a salary every month. We have clean water and now electricity and our lives are in an upscale, upscale state.
“I love this place because of the peace and quiet, because of the animals, and I love nature and the simple life. It’s easier now, not so hard to think about it. This is my village now and I want more people to come and share it with me.”
Some call Deocampo “the man”… sometimes even himself. Others call him “Nelson Mandela,” after the late South African icon.
Johnny Lim, the owner of Bilit Adventure Lodge, which Deocampo has managed since it was built in 2002, calls him part of his family and says the opportunity for tourism was his saving grace.
“He wanted to change something in his life, so we said, ‘If you’re serious, let’s do it together,'” Lim recalls a time when Deocampo’s life was on the brink.
“My father said, ‘If you want me to help you, you have to help yourself and not live like you used to.’ When we started, he was the cook, he was the boatswain, he was the housekeeper… he was everything.
“It’s so beautiful how he managed to change, before and after, and to have a positive influence on other people. It takes time, but we thank God that he managed to slowly change his life.”
The Hari Raya celebration at Deocampo is relaxed, with exceptional local food and exceptionally loud music. At times he sits back and watches the festivities with a look of pure contentment.
He is an attentive host and makes sure that everyone gets a glimpse of the Rotton Log biscuits, the deliciously cold orange juice in the extremely hot and humid weather and the water bath of freshly prepared hot food.
Bilit is home to about 300 close-knit villagers – many of them related – and most hold open houses day and night to celebrate the occasion, providing a cultural treat for visitors.
Lim says this is typical of the great community spirit in the village, and he is proud of what his lodge has brought in terms of jobs, opportunities and charity.
