Manila Street

May 2002 Barangay Elections is the most unforgettable election for me. Not only because it was the first time I exercised my right to vote but also because my dad ran for councilor and he won! I remember it was a moment of victory and celebration for my family. That was Dad’s third and last term and we were very proud that our neighbors still voted for him - they’ve always believed that he’s a highly principled man which is true.

May 2010 National Elections will be another first - this is going to be my first time to vote for a president and also the first time to vote in an automated system. As early as now, I’m already thinking if the teachers who will assist the voters on that day are approachable. What if I couldn’t understand the instructions? Will they shout at me?

My brother’s girlfriend told me a story a few weeks ago.  She said a representative of DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) came to help a less fortunate neighbor of ours. Mr. X’s wife just passed away and so he needs to take care of their seven children by himself. To make it more complicated, Mr. X is  jobless which means to say he is also incapable of sending his kids to school. It was said that DSWD offered to shoulder the educational expenses of the children but he had to sign a legal document, just a statement that he really can’t support the kids. Trouble was, Mr. X doesn’t know how to write his name! So the representative told him to put his thumb mark instead, “I need your thumb mark”. To everyone’s shock, Mr. X said “Ma’am, I don’t know how to spell thumb mark, I can’t even write my name.” Admittedly, I also laughed when I heard the story. But I was laughing and crying at the same time! I was laughing because I thought it was a joke and then I cried when I realized that it was for real. I felt bad.

I haven’t decided yet who I’m going to vote for president - Villar or Aquino - but Mr. X’s story is urging me to choose someone who gives high priority to education.

We didn’t have electricity in our house from September 26 to 28. So, we weren’t able to watch TV or listen to the radio. And since it was raining non stop during those days, we also didn’t bother to go out and buy a newspaper. In other words, we were completely unaware of the tragedy that jeopardized thousands of lives in Metro Manila. Is is such a blessing that our little house is located in a slightly elevated community so the flood was just a few inches above my knees. And I stand only 5′2″ so you can imagine the water was very shallow.

In the morning of September 28, I was disappointed and worried-sick that I couldn’t find a place with electricity to charge my phone. I had to inform my superiors that I wouldn’t be able to report for work because my family has been affected by the typhoon. Our sources of income were crippled by Mr. Ondoy. You see, I am not from a well-off family so the very old tricycle and the tiny sari-sari store are our only treasure. Me my brother needed to find a solution ASAP so we decided to borrow cash from Mrs. Money-Eater. Yeah I know it’s so cruel for me to label her such as that but I swear I couldn’t think of any other word that best describes her

Mrs. Money-Eater said she can lend us 2000 pesos, 20% interest, and we have to pay her every 15 days. According to her calculations, that’s 1,400 pesos every 15th day. Eink! I thought her calculator was just wrong or malfunctioning so I kindly asked her to compute it again which irritated the monkey. She told me one more time “1,400 every 15th day” which I disapprovingly questioned. That’s a total of 2800 pesos at the end of the month and that’s 40% interest not 20. I was hoping that she would realize her mistake but she said we can always walk away if we don’t like. Obviously, she was taking advantage of our situation. My brother backed out because it’s really stupid to agree with Mrs Money-Eater. So I admit, the blame is mine. I gave her my ATM for payroll, sort of collateral. Now I’m racking my brains on how am I going to pay such big interest. Waah, I know it’s always a mistake to talk about money in public but I just have to let it out (I guess this is the advantage of having a pen name). And nope, I’m not asking for alms, for heaven’s sake! So, don’t even think about it.

The morning after, I was really nervous when I came to work. I was paranoid to be exact. A lot of ugly things were going in my mind like will I get terminated for being absent without notice? Will my supervisor get mad and would require me to submit a written explanation? Thank God, it wasn’t half as bad as I thought. In fact, my office mates were happy to see me and were asking how I managed to swim from Manila to Parañaque. Haha! It turned out that it was okay that I wasn’t able to inform anyone about my situation because the Philippines is in a state of national calamity.

Later that night, we finally had electricity. I saw on news different faces of people asking for help, looking for lost loved ones, crying mothers, dead children. It was a disaster. Then I realized that my family is still blessed. We only lost material things and in a couple of months perhaps, we will be able to recover from all of these. Thank you Lord! I’m just praying for all the victims of the typhoon. Please help them all! And make sure your donations are given to true foundations, lots of scams out there.

Photo from abs-cbn website

Growing up with a strict and very protective father meant a lot. There was a time for everything. A time for eating, a time for studying our lessons, a time for watching tv, a time for sleeping, a time for hanging with our friends, etc. We had curfews. We had to go home before 6:00 PM or else my dad would get mad and we would have to listen to his long litany of why it is unsafe and dangerous to be out on the streets at nights. Not only that. We were also not allowed to accept suitors until we finished college. Admittedly, I misinterpreted my dad during my teenage years. I thought it was unfair, biased and unreasonable for him to impose such house rules. I obediently followed his rules and regulations but deep inside I was asking why I can’t do a lot of things while friends of the same age are free to attend late at night parties. I never really understood him until a neighbor who happens to be my friend got pregnant at the tender age of sixteen. I couldn’t believe that she was dropping high school because she was already on the family way. It was only then that I realized my dad had great intentions for me and my siblings. He didn’t want us to marry young. He simply wanted us to enjoy our childhood and have a beautiful future.

I am currently addicted with abs-cbn’s Katorse. This is the story of a fourteen year old barrio girl who got pregnant at a very young age. Every episode is full of realism and filled with interesting characters. The leading lady’s innocence is entertaining while her ignorance is often unbelievable. Unwanted pregnancy, family feuds, friendship, love, relationships, etc. Teenagers will learn a lot from this tv drama series Like why they should always listen to their parents’ advise and why there is a right time for falling in love.

If you took a holiday and decided to go to Maynila, you might be looking for souvenirs and memorabilia you can bring home with you. Here is a list of hot stores where you can shop your heart out:

Solidaridad

They say one of the best ways to get to know a place is through books, so go ahead and indulge yourself with reading materials about the city’s history, culture, religion, traditions, famous personalities, national heroes, cuisine, etc. This store is a treasure not only of books but of magazines, post cards, recipes, bookmarks, news papers and journals. Find it at Padre Faura Street, just a few steps away from Robinson’s Place Ermita.

Atin Ito

The name of the store it self is very nationalistic. Atin Ito or This is Ours in English offers a variety of all-Pinoy stuffs. Most of their merchandise include native slippers, woven bags, wood carvings, beaded necklaces, bracelets and anklets and a lot more that will surely leave foreign visitors in awe. Visit the store at 3/L Eastlane, Robinson’s Galleria.

Silahis

Located along General Luna Street in Intramuros, this store is filled with arts and crafts, basketry, anitos (statues of tribal gods and goddesses), tables and chairs made of mahogany or narra, antiques, etc. Take advantage of Intramuros’ historic spots such as Fort Santiago and Manila Cathedral after shopping.

Team Manila

Offers limited edition of t-shirts that are inspired by the city’s culture. Like the odds and ends of daily street life, jeepneys, peso signs , Filipino personalities, maps of the Philippines, etc. If you want to experience fashion MNL style, this shop is the place to go. You can find it at Ecoville Executive Townhouses, Metropolitan Ave, Makati City.

Kultura Filipino

Are you seeking for handicrafts, Filipino-themed house furnishings, national costumes and all kinds of souvenirs? Then this store is definitely where its at. The shop is complete with everything such as ashtrays, barong, terno, accessories, key chains, miniature jeepneys and carabao, etc. Sweets are also available such as dried mangoes, durian candy, pastillas, tamarind candy, etc. Check out their featured items at almost all branches of SM Department Stores.

yellow ribbon

The streets and the trees are turning yellow. Not because of jaundice or some kind of disease. But because of the tie a yellow ribbon campaign for Mrs. Cory Aquino, the first female president of the Philippines. The purpose of the said campaign is to show the former president that she is not alone in her battle with colon cancer, just like when she fought for democracy more than ten years ago.  

I was in grade school when I learned in our history class about her admirable personality. Her courageous fight against Marcos’s dictatorship and her advocacies were something I really admired as a young person. In fact, I even dreamed of becoming a president someday because of her (now all I want is to become a responsible citizen). I wanted to have a life as meaningful as Cory’s but as I grew older, I realized that being Corazon Aquino is not easy. She really is a beautiful person and she utterly deserves all the love and prayers of the Filipino people. Hope she will be able to recover soon.

“I will never be able to forgive myself knowing that I could have done something and I did not do anything.”

Genetically speaking, I am a true blooded Manilan. My father is a Batangeño while my mother is a Cebuana. But I basically grew up in Tondo, Manila. And not only that. I was born in Ospital ng Maynila, finished my secondary studies from Manila High School and taken up my university degree from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila). I am proud of where I came from and I will never be ashamed of that. I love working and living in this beautiful city and that is the main reason why I decided to create a blog dedicated to Manila. Another reason is that I am often surprised when foreign friends and even my cousins abroad tell me things about my country which are totally out of this world. Sometimes funny, oftentimes degrading. So this journal is my attempt to correct all those weird misconceptions and other hairy-tales about the place where I’ve been living all my life. It’s just disappointing that I couldn’t find the time to update my posts First, I am not that good in english. I find it difficult to express my self in a language that is soo familiar to me. I’ve been studying english ever since I was in kindergarten but I still can’t speak english in such a way that I wouldn’t worry anymore about the grammar. It will usually take me more than an hour to compose a 200-word post and I only have a few minutes to stay online. Second, I also have a fulltime job and then last, I have 3 other blogs to manage. But I’m sincerely serious about this blog. It’s like my new advocacy. To let the world know that this city is like no other. This is the best!

A(H1N1) is spreading like wildfire in Manila. According to the news update last night, the number of patients already reached to almost two thousand. It’s just amazing that most people seem to remain calm and collected in this situation. In fact people can still joke about it. You can see it in tabloids, gag shows, radio programs, etc. But it doesn’t mean that we Manilans are not taking precautionary measures. As a matter of fact, we have been discouraged at work to greet each other by kissing also known as beso-beso in the Filipino culture. Aside from the thermal scanning before entering the gates of the company premises, we are advised to refrain from greeting friends by a kiss because that’s one way of spreading the virus. But some habits are hard to break. Me and my friends are used to making beso everytime we see each other so we always tend to forget that we are no longer supposed to kiss. Other things such as proper hand washing and covering our mouths while sneezing are quite easy. But the beso thing is different. It’s a good thing that DOH (Deparment of Health) has made an announcement that there is nothing to be scared about. The virus that infected a lot of Filipinos is just mild and that Dengue is still more fatal. Health authorities claim that there is no need to panic in this influenza outbreak and that they are on top of the situation. Which gave me a peace of mind. So as of today, everything is still normal except for the beso.