I am a newbie in running, having started joining marathons only last January 2014.  I tell people that I am a late bloomer @45 (i am proud of my age and have never ever denied it) but runners I talk to often tell me, “ there’s no such thing as a late bloomer in running, it just takes constant practice, passion and dedication”…and I am beginning to get the gist of that statement.

The Hundred Islands Ultra 100K International Marathon held last March 15-16, 2014 at Alaminos City,  Pangasinan was an eye-opener for me.  It was a jack-in-the-box that totally surprised me and made me crave to run, not just for fun, but competitively as well (ambisyosa eh!).  I am writing about the event not as an experienced runner moreso an ultramarathoner but rather as a literary blogger; no technical running terminologies stuck in my memory bank.  I just want to share what I have witnessed as a plain and simple observer,  a “miron” or “usi” in the Filipino lingo.

Thanks to close friends who invited me to join them in the said activity…one of whom truly convinced me and literally pushed me to try running and eventually love running.  I am an adventurer by nature and this one, I could not afford to miss.

 The almost six hours of land travel overnight was worth it.  We arrived at Alaminos, Pangasinan when the sun was about to rise.  My travel companion cum event participant and I walked from the bus station towards the town plaza. Wow! Banderettes were hanging all over the main road and what captured my senses were various info campaign materials relative to the ultramarathon, i.e. tarpaulins and posters in the City Hall, Tourism Office and Open Multi-Purpose Court; it seemed like the City was totally prepared for the event.  Surprisingly, local folks we talked to on our way to the Tourism Office were all aware of the said event, and I was convinced, “running truly is the IN thing,” not just in metropolitan areas, but in the rural outskirts as well.

The Hundred Islands 100K International Ultramarathon organizers, City Government of Alaminos, Pangasinan; Renderfarm Graphics;  and JonesPR, in cooperation with well-known sponsors (most of which were in the the publishing business) had a total blast in advertising the said event.  I learned that the event was part of the Hundred Islands Festival celebration held annually.  Kudos to you guys! We met with partners Mr. Philip Aquino Pacle of Renderfarm Graphics (who is also the Race Director) and Mr. Jones Campos of JonesPR  who had a ready and competent team that handled the registration of participants and later, the event proper.  They even had welcome drinks (bottles of flavoured lambanog!) upon race kit claiming.  I was surprised to see two familiar foreign guys that were on the same bus as we were and whom I later found out were two Kenyans who are constant marathon/ ultramarathon runners.  The registration area was then flooded with runners.   Each had his own adventure to tell and everyone was attentively listening. The sight of seeing them talking and bonding with each other was easy on the eyes…so, running is not just about competition…it is more of brotherhood and fellowship.

We lounged at the City’s Open Multi-Purpose Court where I got the chance to talk to runners.  Most came from different parts of the country, not to mention the two Kenyans…it was an International Marathon, indeed .  Males comprised most of the participants and I later learned that a handful of female runners (all well-respected in the field) were competing.  What must have been appealing to these competitive ultramarathoners were the statistics revealed to me during one of the light talks i had with Mr. Pacle. Come to think of those data, excluding the PhP100,000.00 cash prize to the 100k winner, as truly enticing to compete.  Runners really took time to travel from their points of origin just to be in Alaminos City.  Some came from Quezon City, City of Manila, Pasay, Benguet, Pangasinan, Taguig (from the Philippine Army & Philippine Navy), Masbate, Bicol Region, Baguio, La Union, Zambales, just to mention a few local regions and internationally, participants from Thailand, Kenya, Mozambique, Indonesia and Japan were likewise present.  Profiling the participants was another thing that truly awed me.  The youngest ultramarathoner was just in his 20’s and the oldest in his 50’s, truly poles apart but the guts were of the same level, as well as their competitive edge.   Most of the participants were also winners and/or champions from various local ultramarathons or races such as TNF (The North Face) 100K, BDM (Bataan Death March) 102K, Mayon360 80K, Itogon Challenge 50K, Milo Marathon, Ilocos Ultramarathon, just to name a few. 

 One of the inclusions of the event registration package was a tour to the famous Hundred Islands National Park, “a national park in the Republic of the Philippines. The protected area is located in the city of Alaminos, in the province of Pangasinan in northern Philippines. The islands, totaling 124 at low tide and 123 at high tide, are scattered in Lingayen Gulfcovering an area of 16.76 square kilometres (6.47 sq mi). Only three of them have been developed for tourism: Governor Island, Quezon Island, and Children’s Island. The Lucap wharf in Alaminos, the entrance to the National Park, is about 240 kilometres (150 mi) north of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.” (Wikipedia, 2014)  It was my first time to visit the Hundred Islands and the adventure was rather worth the wait.  So, travelling in places one has never been to is a total bonus in running. Cool!

 I was impressed at the preparedness of the race organizers, the island hopping registration was all set,  a local banca was waiting for our group and when we went to our first island stop, the biggest island known as the Quezon Island, marshalls and event staff were also waiting for us.  The islands were amazingly beautiful, so to speak; the almost three hours of island hopping was only icing to the cake because the runners need to prepare for their run and we all headed back to the city proper.

This event was my very first exposure to ultramarathon and just like a kindergarten kid, every info material that came into my path, I took time to read.  I borrowed my companion’s race map, race details and race guidelines and carefully (not to mention curiously) studied them.  Restrictions apply, I have to keep that in mind and since the race is composed of two categories, namely 100K and 50K, gunstart times and starting lines differ but the routes were the same (with the 100K turning point at Bolinao, Pangasinan which was the starting line for the 50K runners).  I told myself, I have a long way to go, girl!

I was with the 50K group and was not able to witness the 100K start; however, I was intrigued at how these guys take off from the starting line.  Assembly was set at the town’s open basketball court  at around 2:30 a.m. where 50K runners were in their full battle gears.  Mr. Pacle, the Race Director, gave out parting instructions to the runner and after a solemn prayer for guidance, the race begun.  It was a rather adventurous journey for me as well.  I travelled from Bolinao back to Alaminos City via public transport and the sceneries were rather breathtaking.  I have this love and knack to be always one with nature since a little girl and that moment, I could just savor the freshness and crispiness of the air I breathed.  While I was en route to Alaminos City, I couldn’t help but be envious of the runners who could tap the leaves of the trees along the way, who could literally walk amidst the fields and funny as it may seem, who could run away from the dogs crossing their path (and this last statement is an apprehension for me to be an ultra woman).

The moment I arrived at Alaminos City, most of the runners have crossed the finish line, including my companion who underestimated his finishing time (he finished earlier than we expected and calculated, great job!).  Congratulations were everywhere and finishers, if not sitting or laying down on the floor of the City Hall were being treated with first-aid massages from the medical team.  You could see the exhaustion of most, but the triumph among their faces did overshine the body fatigue experienced from seven to twelve hours of running (and walking).  The race was worth the trip.

I am just in the starting line of running and with all the faith, dedication and love I have for the sports right now, not to mention the prayers for guidance from God above, let’s just hope, like the runners in the Hundred Islands Ultra 100K International Marathon, I can cross the finish line triumphantly.

Note:  Special thanks and citation to Alaminos City, Pangasinan Mayor, Hon. Art F.Celeste (for accommodating the event and for some of the pictures published here), Race Director Mr. Philip Aquino Pacle of Renderfarm Graphics and Mr. Jones Campos of PRJones (for the warm reception and assistance and for the much-needed info needed  in this article) and  Mr. Jong Musni (for patiently teaching me the basics of the sports which I intend to keep and improve…and  for everything else).

 

copyright.2014

pinaychronicler

#thoughtstranslator

in time for the commemoration of all saints’ and all souls’ day…remembering one dearly departed.

pinaychronicler

(Note:  This is a blog I originally posted in an international blog site on 07 December 2008…edited a bit as of this posting to improve its substance.  Salamat.)

We called him “Tiyong”…. The Tagalog (Philippine word) for uncle. He was Primitivo Castillo Padilla, my Mama’s stepfather whom I considered as my Grandfather.

His marble tombstone indicated date of birth as December 16, 1917 and date of demise as December 5, 1978…and so, it goes…it is his 30th Death Anniversary this year… and I am dedicating this blog entry for him…In memoriam.

Stories told to me by Mama never left my memory…their real father, Leoncio Leonardo ( a street in our locality was named after him, L. Leonardo Street) died when Mama was three and aunt Aida around seven. Leoncio died due to a lingering illness and that left my beautiful grandmother, Benita, to solely care for her two adorable daughters…until…

View original post 1,506 more words

(Note:  This is a blog I originally posted in an international blog site on 07 December 2008…edited a bit as of this posting to improve its substance.  Salamat.)

Primitivo Castillo Padilla, “Tiyong” (c.1970)

We called him “Tiyong”…. The Tagalog (Philippine word) for uncle. He was Primitivo Castillo Padilla, my Mama’s stepfather whom I considered as my Grandfather.

His marble tombstone indicated date of birth as December 16, 1917 and date of demise as December 5, 1978…and so, it goes…it is his 30th Death Anniversary this year… and I am dedicating this blog entry for him…In memoriam.

Stories told to me by Mama never left my memory…their real father, Leoncio Leonardo ( a street in our locality was named after him, L. Leonardo Street) died when Mama was three and aunt Aida around seven. Leoncio died due to a lingering illness and that left my beautiful grandmother, Benita, to solely care for her two adorable daughters…until the day Primitivo came into their lives. He worked at the Pasay City marketplace and was a known figure there (he did every job there was in the marketplace – an industrious man, I must say)…and was said to have come from the island of Cebu.

My grandma Benita and “Tiyong,” to cut the long story short, lived in together during the late 1940’s and bought a house which until now stands still (with major renovations).  They were gifted with two biological children, Aunt Cora and Tito Alain ( my ONLY uncle – even in my paternal side, I have only aunts…Dad was the only boy). “Tiyong” was a very caring stepfather to Mama and Aunt Aida…tended to the needs of his family…and a very neat and well-groomed man.

 

I remember growing up with “Tiyong” around the house…

Fond memories of me looking out in our window to see him approaching the gate still linger up to this day and as a very excited little girl then, I always waited for the “goodies” he brought me every single day of my childhood…candies, toys, pastries…without missing a day… and these words, “Gidget, dapat mabait ka, ha, Ineng, para may pasalubong ako sa iyo lagi” (Gidget, you should be good, Ineng [another Tagalog word for little girl], so that I will bring you goodies always.). Though the “pasalubongs” were but tangible and superficial representations of Tiyong’s thoughtfulness and love; even without him doing so, I still felt he truly loved his entire family…including me, being a step granddaughter whom he treated as his own. I never saw him civil or indifferent towards my Mama, even after my grandma Benita died in 1972. He was my perfect grandfather. I got some scolding and spanking from him too…but, after those bouts..he would explain to me reasons why he did so and during those early stages in my life… I understood to accept my own mistakes.  Lessons in life that until now have taught me to be humble and of course, be indifferent with the poisonous trait called “pride.”

1978…I was ten. “Tiyong” was brought to the Philippine Veterans’ Hospital (He was a war veteran).  He was confined there due to some problems with his internal organs. I remembered seeing my Mama and Aunt Cora crying. I could not ask the reason why they were crying… all I remembered was the feeling of disbelief and grief on my part as a young girl… even then, I have alredy felt what they were feeling as adults. I never showed them though that I was jittery as well, I cried alone in the toilet (my favorite place of grief, until now).

I celebrated my 10th Birthday with “Tiyong” still around. They discharged him from the hospital but he was still very, very weak…Mama concomitantly took care of the very ill “Tiyong” while she worked at a cigarette factory. Mama must have loved him so much as her own dear father; I vividly recall how she would take care of his things before she went to work:  medicines and food for him prepared, clean and crisp clothes for him to change to and her words to him, “Tiyong, huwag matigas ang ulo, ha, magpahinga ka at kumain, pagkatapos, uminom ng gamot, papasok na kasi ako sa trabaho ngayon” (Tiyong, don’t be hardheaded, take some rest and eat, then take your medicines.  I will go to work now.). As days went by, “Tiyong’s” medical condition worsened, Mama and my Aunts called on Doctors to check him and give him medical treatment every now and then at home… and everytime the Docs went to see “Tiyong,” I would go to the image of Our Mother of Perpetual Help whom he was a devotee of and would beg her to tell Jesus not to let “Tiyong” die. When he felt better, I also felt better…funny thing.

Two weeks after my birthday, “Tiyong” called me to his room, I still remembered the foul smell of his “first aid” medication which he applied to my and my cousin Dino’s wounds whenever we had some cuts and scratches or bruises… coconut oil mixed with pounded garlic (traditional medicine!).  I grew up with a male cousin as a constant companion, so, we engaged in some boyish fights like fistfights and arm wrestlings too. He asked me what gift did I want for Christmas… I was amazed… I wanted to tell him, “for you to live forever and see me grow up and still guide me in life as your very own granddaughter”… but, those words didn’t come out from my mouth…I felt clumsy as a ten-year old girl with some mature thoughts like that,  I was taken aback. He told me, “I know what to give u for Christmas…a dress! But, you should wear it!” (He knew I hated girly dresses! I preferred pants and t-shirts, rubber shoes than girls’ shoes)… What can I say? Words were put into my mouth… I remembered smiling back at him.

He was becoming weaker each passing day, and a week prior his demise, he handed me a plastic bag with a gift-wrapped box in it…With all his proud words still echoing back from the recesses of my memories, “I personally chose and bought this for you, Gidget.” I knew what was in that bag…my dress! (He must have left the house when we were all out and went to the marketplace to buy that dress).   He was the one who was so excited then and he requested me to open the gift-wrapped box infront of him…PRESTO! I found this very girly pinkish-peach dress with floral designs (white roses)…  uh-ooh!!!

The first thought that crossed my young mind was, “Oh! My God! I’m not going to wear this stuff!”… but, I took a glance at him, and he was very happy to see me holding the dress… he told me to go to my Mama and had the dress fitting session then… The dress was quite small for me, honestly…but, a dying man’s wish is everyone’s command…so let it be. I fitted the dress and when he saw me in it… those words, I still remember, “You are so beautiful, Ineng (little girl)…” That made him happy…the last smile I ever saw on his face.   I never believed I was beautiful, until now, actually…I have the darkest skin tone among my family members.  They are mestizos and mestizas…I have always been called “negra”  and Tiyong telling me that I was beautiful was just a very plain statement for me way back then.  Until I realized after that occurrence in my life that beauty is really skin deep, it emanates from deep within one person…not just the outer appearance of one.

 December 5, 1978…

Dino and me were watching Sesame Street and were playing. “Tiyong” went down from his room and went straight to the toilet…he had some personal cleaning done, I supposed, and went out of the toilet wearing his new sando and pajama, combed his hair too. I remembered he touched my hair and Dino’s…then proceeded to the sofa to watch TV with us. After a while, we noticed he was unusually quiet. We talked to him, he did not reply, but his eyes were opened wide…this time, he wasn’t staring at the TV, but his eyes were fixed towards the stairs going up to the second floor of our house. We shook him, no response…we even giggled.   We thought that he was playing some tricks on us.  There was only Dino and me, and I was the older kid at 10 (Dino was 9)… I called up Mama who was then at work and told her everything…I got the first shock of my life…my first remorse… “Tiyong” was dead…he just died in my and my cousin’s arms. I cried and felt heavy.  The first major loss in my life.

Three decades after that sad December 5 event, I still feel the pain inside…losing someone you love and respect so much… I still cry when I remember that sad event… and until now, the dress is still with me (stuck somewhere in my memento box)…the last memoirs of “Tiyong.” I never intend to throw that “gift” away… I would pass that dress on to my heirs and for my family’s generations to come…for them to hear the words, “You are so beautiful, Ineng…” that comes with the tangible object we possess.  Sincere words that came from a grandfather who meant every word he said…and until now, reverberates back to me.

“Tiyong’s” pasalubongs, the dress and all other things he shared with me during his entire life were just mere representations of his tender loving care for a little granddaughter he treated as his own… they can never be erased from my memory and feelings…and that includes the pain of losing him.

Life went on for me… more “Tiyong”s who came and passed away. I was prepared…

Primitivo Castillo Padilla…”Tiyong”….you are in my heart always…

Your step granddaughter, your “Ineng”…your little Gidget.

copyright.2008

smileys (mexat)

zzz…zzz…zzz

buzz…buzz…buzz….

hum…hum…hum…

yum…yum…yum…

garl…garl…garl…

swish…swish…swish…

wow…wow…wow…

broom…broom…broom…

tok…tok…tok…

tik…tik…tik…

blah…blah…blah…

ring…ring…ring…

grrr…grrr…grrr…

ohmm…ohmm…ohmm…

tink…tink…tink…

wish…wish…wish…

sigh…sigh…sigh…

luv…luv…luv…

la…la…la…

mwuah…mwuah…mwuah….

zzz…zzz…zzz

copyright.2010

pinaychronicler

Silence is deafening,

It is full of noisy ringings.

Silence is threatening,

It destructs merry singings.

the silence (j.fuseli, as uploaded by r.marley, flickr)

Silence mandates the night,

But the next morn, it just dies.

Silence insinuates fright,

The moment the ether cries.

"within the sound of silence" (serni, flickr)

Silence is a mystery,

Evolving unknowingly.

Silence is full of ecstasy,

A world filled with fantasy.

"the form of silence" (c. baldacchino, flickr)

Silence is good and bad,

It exists, I am glad.

Silence is an empty pad,

If it is blank, I feel sad.

"white paper" (caca, flickr)

Silence is essential,

It is one of God’s trials.

Silence is fundamental,

To fill up life’s vials.

"ampoules II" (bitzi, flickr)

(a poem I wrote September 1998)

a long-time filipino favorite deli/ desert/                  whatever…THE HALO-HALO                          (personally taken during one of my afternoon snacks @ icebergs resto)

manila. philippines. 19 may 2010 – the temperature marked its hottest ever, recorded at 37.3 degrees celcius.

no wonder, i went out of my office building that day and felt the sudden sting of the sun’s scorching rays…sweating all over and throat drying up with the heat, i craved for something…HALO-HALO.

to better understand WHAT a halo-halo is, let me cite an excerpt from the ever-helpful wikipedia…

“Halo-halo (from Tagalog word halò, “mix”) is a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served cold in a tall glass or bowl.

There is no specific recipe for this dessert, and a wide variety of ingredients are used.  The order in which the ingredients are added varies widely.  Primary ingredients generally include boiled redmung beans (munggó),  kidney beans,  garbanzos,  sugar palm fruit (kaong),  coconut sport(macapuno), and  plantains caramelized in sugar.  Other components may include  jackfruit(langkâ),  star apple, tapioca or  sago,  nata de coco,  purple yam (ube) or sweet potato (kamote),  sweetened corn kernels or pounded crushed young rice (pinipig), leche flan or custard,  ice cream and  gelatin.  Other fruits, such as papayas,  avocados,  kiwifruit,  bananas or  cherries,  may also be added.  Some preparations also include ice cream on top of the halo-halo.

Generally,  condensed milk or  evaporated milk is used instead of fresh milk, due to the tropical climate of the Philippines.

In terms of arrangement,  most of the ingredients (fruits, beans, and other sweets) are first placed inside the tall glass, followed by the shaved ice. This is then sprinkled with sugar,  and topped with either (or a combination of) leche flan, ube halaya, or ice cream.  Condensed or evaporated milk is poured into the mixture upon serving.

The dessert exemplifies the “east-meets-west” culture in the Philippines, with the ingredients used coming from a wide variety of influences (to cite some examples: red mung beans which are from the Chinese,  garbanzos from the Indians,  leche flan from the Spaniards,  and shaved ice itself, which was introduced to the islands by the Americans).”  (Wikipedia.org)

yummy! yummy and never-ending yummy!  how i always describe the halo-halo…

the crushed ice and scoop/s of ice cream (i prefer mango and/or purple yam flavors) satisfy the thirst to invigorate the body heat caused by external factors, i.e. high temperature and humidity…

the mixed fruits and beans satisfy the taste buds and tummy to the nth degree…

the presentation of the halo-halo (please refer to the photo above) satisfies the sense of sight to the highest level…

normally and as practice have it, the ingredients of the halo-halo should be mixed all together using a long teaspoon before anyone who eats it enjoys its delectable taste.  as for my case, i eat the ingredients one by one, starting from the topmost, usually langka (jackfruit) strips or macapuno, and then savor each component one by one…a delight to all who see me eat it.  when i reach around one-third of the tall glass or bowl, i then mix the remaining ingredients adding some more evaporated milk to enhance its creaminess. personally,  i find it enjoyable to savor every ingredient in my halo-halo; not only does it satisfy my tummy cravings but well, satisfies my ego too.

now, if i should travel anywhere else in the world, i would surely miss my halo-halo… with the mindset that it is only served here  in the philippines.  but as the old adage says:  “if there’s a will, there’s a way,” perhaps i can create my own halo-halo variation anywhere outside of my birthland territory.

the halo-halo…  just like my life, and anybody else’s…is always full of flavors, colors, textures, toppings and “crushed ice,”  mixed altogether brings out the sweetness and satisfaction to cravings long-standing.

BURP.

i am pinaychronicler.

“pinay”…a female Filipino.

“chronicler”…i am first and foremost a born writer.  albeit, pardon some grammatical and technical/spelling errors (i am not an english or communications major and english is just my second language).

i just love to write.

welcome to my world.

there are so many ideas that are actually springing out of my system right now…so universal, that they cover various topics…personal events in my life that i wanted to share, some poetry that’s been longing to escape from the reccesses of my imagination, tribute to some personalities whom i have special affinities with, and more or less, obvious as they may seem…quite self-centered in nature, so to speak… i opted NOT to write about my “personal” matters now.

honestly, being my first-born blog here…i preferred to tackle some issues that, as i may consider it, have been socially relevant for awhile now…and well, this subject must have been known by readers who are strangers to other people on planet earth, especially those who are not too familiar with the archipelago of 7,107 islands…and what the G-8s may still consider as Third World or Developing (a personal insight, actually)…the Philippines.

the philippines among its asian neighbors, as seen from an asian map portion (www.law.georgetown.edu)

may 10, 2010.  we had our first so-called “automated” elections.

with all the issues that came out of it, amidst all the controversies that surrounded it and with all the “technical” brou-ha-has that made the senior citizens and illiterates tremble with fear upon seeing the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines, the elections was conclusively reported as “peaceful” and “successful” and there was no reported cheating or fraud.  this has been the claim of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and which has been contradicted by a multitude of “losing” candidates.  however,  my respect went to those who conceded the race upon knowing they could never make it (despite losing millions or billions of pesos).

pcos machine during the may 10, 2010 philippine national elections (cmtungol, flickr)

well, kudos to the philippine media in educating the filis on how to go about with the “high tech” form of voting, despite the fact that polls ended at 7:00 pm.  tv and print ads were utilized in reaching out to the vast 49 or so million voters spread around the islands.  HEY, PHILIPPINES, THIS IS SO DAMN NEW AND SO “IN”!  although in one morning radio talk show a day or so before may 10, 2010 (i cannot clearly recall the details of the said radio show), one female observer (or i think, she was a guest) told the listeners that what we are about to have is not really a “high tech” type of voting, but rather…an obsolete form of casting votes.  i could not help but throw out one big HA HA HA.  i knew.  in developed countries, they can determine winners in just a matter of a day or so…but, never OVER A WEEK.  what i am talking about is the declaration of winners…not the oath-taking or such.

today is may 21. we have no declared president or vice president yet…but, obviously, we all know who the winners are (notwitstanding issues on the vice presidency race, where the two top candidates, former Makati City Mayor Jojo Binay and Senator Mar Roxas, are just a hairline apart with their counts).  besides, we still have “time” as they say…THE new president should be sworn into office, after Congress has confirmed the election results determined by the COMELEC (and for that matter, the PPRCV, which takes the role of the Philippine civil society’s watchful eye).  This is the electoral process here in my country, so, this should be conferred with…for a smoother transition from one administration to the next.  somehow, i doubt.  our laws and our constitution have loopholes that need to be reviewed…blah blah blah.

what now Philippines?

i am just an ordinary middle class worker (although in developed countries, i may be considered as an upper lower class).  the philippines have some multi-layered socio-economic classes.  i am also a civil servant and a former student of the philippine administrative system.  i did not push through with my academic endeavor because i lost hope.  my eyes were opened to the REALITY of what was happening in my country.  i work, i serve the fili people,  i pay taxes and i see no dramatic development towards the upliftment of my country’s way of living.  yes, there may be visible infrastructures, projects that create “excellent press releases” and other bureaucratic magnificence…behind these lay a burdensome society supported by a corrupt government…trillions in debt, enriching those in top posts, economic crisis among the poor (i could never say the rich are having eco crisis too), never-ending increase in utilities rates – water and power, the list goes on.

an ordinary commuter's view (virtual tourist, flickr)

and as i look around, from atop, like a bird (i am partial to the eagle)…i can see NOTHING yet of the green pastures.  i am a common “tao” (people)…i take public transportation…with the street kids hanging in jeepneys or buses, begging for coins and sniffing solvents, where is nurturing of the youth there?  law enforcers trying to catch illegal vendors trying to survive in their underground economy to feed their families, where is the government support to the wanna be entrepreneurs?  and with the public officials riding luxury vehicles and eating at posh diners…how can this be?  irony of ironies.

do the declared and sworn-in winners of our local posts, congress and senate know these realities?  they’re supposed to have a “feel” of such.  they were ELECTED by the COMMON TAO they would serve.  but, still doubt lurks in my mind…most elected are famous personalities – showbiz people, sports achievers and remnants of political dynasty clans.  a big show then! my professor was right in saying, “it is always a question of the UNEDUCATED MAJORITY versus the EDUCATED MINORITY.”  that can never be helped.

maybe, i will just buy a lottery ticket today, just like the rest…

and leave my and my country’s fate…TO THE UNKNOWN.

the philippine eagle (hari raya, flickr)

attention: next president…view your country from the above, then plunge into the forests of truth around you.