The corpse flower has risen

 

Where have all the flowers gone?

Long time passing.

Where have all the flowers gone?

Long time ago.

Where have all the flowers gone?

The girls have picked them every one..

Except that for this flower, nobody wanted to pick it because of it's stinky rotten smell.

We used to destroy this flower when we were kids as it's pungent smell that is likened to a rotten flesh bothered us. Patay na daga smells even better. I can still vividly remember my lolo cutting the stems for his alagang baboy.

A couple of decades after those happy and silly summers, I found out that this smelly and neglected flower, which we call Ballangotan by the way, is getting extinct and considered rare. It is now being prized by city dwellers and biologists alike. And the variety that we have in Abra, particularly in Pabaca might be the smallest of them all.

I read somewhere that in the United States, they  cultivate these and they are famous as selfie background and subject. Well you are remembered on how you smell so it's not surprising that they called it "corpse flower." At least it sounds better in English than in Tagalog, "bangkay na bulaklak".

So next time I'll see a Ballangotan in my place in Abra, I will try to appreciate it as I may never see one again. And of course, I am already researching on how we can preserve it. 

As they say, basta mabaho, mahalaga. Ay mali, hindi porke mabaho, walang halaga 🤭

Plantitas, plantitos, would you dare to bring this home?

Meet our unsung heroes

Call center workers are the unsung heroes of  the pandemic

The year is almost over. As we wait for the last days of 2020 to come to an end, we earnestly hope that 2021 will be a lot better. 

And as we look back to the year that was,( ok, almost, we are still here ), we would like to commend our BPO workers for saving our economy  this year, the year that most of us consider to be the worst year ever.

Businesses shut down, thousands of people lost their jobs and livelihood, countless died and hundreds of thousands of people are infected of the deadly covid-19. 

While all of these are happening, there are thousands and thousands of resilient Filipinos who fear nothing. Not even covid can  stop them from going to work. They are our BPO workers or more popularly known as the Call center people. 

Often thought of as super human, these people go to work during Pandemic, storms and not even  a massive flood can stop them or even scare them.

Yes, apart from our Overseas Filipino Workers, our BPO workers are also the backbone of our economy especially during this time of pandemic and recession.

Sometimes misunderstood by those who know nothing about how it is to work in a call center, these people are extraordinary. They deliver world class service to international companies. Some people look down on them thinking that what they do is very easy and they are just robots reading a script, oh how wrong could they be.!

It takes a lot of courage to show compassion when the person on the other end of the line is mocking you, and it's not easy to display a happy disposition when you are having problems but they have mastered the art of being an amazing representative over the phone.  They have learned to successfully live in two different time zones without leaving the country.

It's amazing how they can troubleshoot technical issues without even knowing how their customer's Set up boxes, modems, routers and gadgets look like. They just rely on what they learned from training and common sense. 

The call center industry is getting billions of revenue for the Philippines. One good thing about this industry is that it has no discrimination at all. No matter how old you are, whatever your religious belief, sexual orientation  and whatever disability you have, as long as you can do your job properly, you will fit in perfectly. 

But youhave to be mentally tough because if you have a pusong mamon and a balat sibuyas personality, you will never survive for long. 

There are those who judge the call center people because they are known to be manginginom and nagbubuga ng usok. You have to understand, they deal with stress everyday and those are their outlet so they won't go crazy. 

So if you know or see someone who works in a call center, always remember that they are our heroes and a smile won't hurt and will make a difference on their day.

Edsa bus carousel, making it harder for the working Filipino

Whoever thought of the new bus stops?

I wonder whose brainchild the new Edsa walkway or Edsa Carousel is.

Part of the new normal is changing the bus lanes in the metro. If you think about it, it is really good. But it was not implemented properly. Apart from the traffic it caused when all of the U turns in Edsa were closed, riding a bus became a nightmare for the working class Filipinos like me who have no option but to take the bus. 

We are very thankful that we have jobs in these challenging and difficult times but it would have been better if they really had the masa in mind, not to mention the senior citizens and the PWDs when they created or thought of the inner lane bus stops.

We are a left-hand drive country and yet, our bus stops open on the opposite side of the door. This becomes weird since the bus exits are located at the right side and the bus stops are on the left side. And it doesn't end there. The hardest part for the commuters are the designated bus stops. Imagine having to walk in between 2 MRT stops for the next bus stop and then climbing several footbridges? You could just imagine the sacrifices we poor Filipinos are going through everyday just to survive, go to work and go home. 

Kung sino man po yong nakaisip nun, subukan Nyo po bumiyahe para maramdaman Nyo ang hirap ng mga kagaya naming bumibiyahe. We do our best to survive during this pandemic but please, make it easier for us.

Furthermore, buses do not practice social distancing anymore. 

Don't know if it's the MMDA or the LTFRB. Kung sino man po sa inyo ang incharge sa byahe ng mamamayang Pilipino, please hear our plea. 

Passing by ASIST

Passing by ASIST

(Originally published as a note)

The Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology is a pride of our town Lagangilang and even the entire Northern Luzon. But we were never given the chance to explore this historic place when we were younger. Although we were always at the oval during town fiestas,  since it is where the parade starts and stops, we didn't have time to go back to this place again after graduating from high school.

After a few decades, we finally had the chance to explore and know more about this well - known institution. 

We got to see the hanging bridge that stood the test of time. (Unfortunately, we don't have a photo), the deserted and dilapidated cottages and ruins gave us goosebumps especially after hearing that some of the old buildings are rumored to be haunted and several students were said to be possessed by spirit, ghosts and ghouls. But not even the ghosts of the ancestors of the former owners nor the restless spirits of the long dead former occupants stopped us from quenching our thirst in wanting to know more about the history of this school.

The cottages were given to educators and very few were renovated since they know that someday, they will leave their assigned abode or it will end up being demolished. (Hopefully, they'll start building cottages that will also last for a very long time) 

 

For those who live here or who frequent this place, the old buildings and other landmarks may not mean much but for those who seldom see the place, ASIST seems like a gateway to a mysterious past. Though it is sad to see debris of abandoned buildings like the Paredes Girls’ Dorm, they still stand there as reminders of a glorious past and a rich heritage. The ground of an old cottage that is barely standing was reportedly dug with the belief that Yamashita’s treasure was buried there. The amphitheatre made famous by Tikong and Tikang is just waiting to be used again. The famous nuang is still there, and the mango orchard is surely a silent witness to young love, heartbreaks, happy and sad times.

 

This place is also the lung of Lagangilang. It has a mini forest which makes the place conducive for learning and a great place for relaxation.

 

This former kingdom of the Tinguians is so rich. Aside from the vast rice lands, it also boasts of a fish pond, a goatery, poultry, forestry and gardens. We were told that there were horses here before so there should be a barn or a stable here somewhere. 

 

This place has a potential to be a semi UP. Vacant lots and buildings can be leased to business institutions to generate more income. But budget allocations of  state colleges and universities were lessened so this might take time to happen.

The place may just be a shadow of its former glory but it definitely produced lots of successful people.

 

And though it took a long time for us to see the beauty of this place, we are thankful that we were given the chance to experience it. Truly, our town is blessed by having a learning institution like ASIST.

First stop, Baguio City

Summer is over but we can still feel the heat. For most of us, summer is the best time to travel. Unfortunately, due to this deadly Corona Virus, we are stuck at home. So we start writing about places we've been that we haven't posted yet.

First stop, Baguio City

Baguio is the top most destination of local tourists during summer due to its' cold weather when the rest of the Philippines is scorching hot. Most people are not aware that it's a part of Benguet, including myself. All along, I thought that Baguio and Benguet are two different provinces. 

Baguio is an amazing City. 

The rugged terrains that you pass by and the night lights that you see from afar before you arrive there are all breathtaking. No matter how many times you go there, that feeling of awe never gets old. 

If there is one thing that annoys the visitors, it's the traffic that's even worse than the Metro. But once you arrive at your destination, you will enjoy every minute sans the slow flow of the cars. People prefer to walk and it's hard to get a taxi during rush hour.

But Baguio is a small place so you can visit many places in just 2 days.

For non Cordillerans, the most famous sites are those that have Igorots/locals wearing native clothes. It's a must to have their photos taken with them and it's a no brainer not to share it on social media.

Baguio also has it's share of spooky places. The Diplomat and the Laperal house are both said to be haunted. We toured the Diplomat but it's not that scary. But we tried to check it out one night and we ended up getting spooked with the big house at the corner before you enter Diplomat. Unfortunately, we were unable to visit the Laperal house. We are not sure if it's open to tourists. We only had a chance to peep from outside the gates. We could just imagine the scary end of the Laperal family who were said to be murdered in that house. 

Strawberry is as famous as Baguio. We went to the strawberry farm in La Trinidad and checked the sunflowers, lettuces and strawberies, bought a few of the luscious fruit then we also tried their strawberry taho and icecream. Again, we were surprised to find out that La Trinidad is not a part of Baguio. 

One can't help but notice that Koreans have almost taken over the place. There are numerous Korean restaurants in the area that's frequented by the young people who are so addicted to Korean Stars. In our generation, the only Korean that's famous is the Korean Bug. We never saw any but we always hear it from our elders before. Good taste will remain to be our favorite restaurant along with Balajadia at the Slaughter Compound. And if you are an old soul, the Times Transit Terminal nearby will bring back memories of the past. 

The place also has lots of bars. We visited Amarillo Bar in Legarda. It's a spacious place where people from all walks of life go there either to just enjoy the live band or to dance since the place is similar to disco places in Metro Manila but a little bit tamer. Security is also tight and we were told that the bartender and some of the staff there are from Abra. 

Before you leave Baguio, make sure you visit the night Market. You can find authentic brands there that ranges from 50 to 300 pesos. Your 1 thousand pesos will go a long way. We had 2 big plastic bags when we went home and we only spent around P1200. 

For accommodation, there are transient houses and hotels that you can choose from. Depending on your budget, they have P300 pesos to less than 10k if you plan to stay at The Manor.

There are still lots of places to explore but we ran out of time. But our favorite will always be inside the room after we get tired of roaming where you get to enjoy a hot bath after a tiring day. Nothing beats the feeling of waking up in the winter like weather in the City of Pines.

After this pandemic is over, we will surely go back there again and explore the remaining places we haven't seen yet.

My Grandfather, Ama Casibo

Grandparents are extension of our parents. They love us more, they spoil us more.

I suddenly remembered my maternal grandparents. My grandparents from my father side passed away before i was born.
Ina, (that's what we call our grandmothers in Adasen) died when i was just four so I don't really remember her that much but Ama lived a little bit longer.

Ama Casibo Panganiban.
His two elder children Uncle Ernesto and auntie Landan used Panganiban as their surname while auntie Cadnawan and my mother used Casibo as their surname. I don't understand how they can change surnames before but that's a different story.

Ama was known to be very kind while Ina was more nauyong but they complemented each other and were able to instill love and respect in their children.

If i have a time machine, i would let my grandparents experience a little luxury. Things that they never experienced before. Or maybe buy him a lot of tabako as he really love those.

I remember seeing a letter i sent to my mother when i was young, "pakagtuwam kan nge ama ka ibong nga alamang nga wod aboy na. "During those times, ibong nga alamang can only be bought in Manila. So sad they lived in an era where life was so hard. But i always appreciate the way they brought up our parents, their kids.

I am also proud that He was the trusted panglakayen of the late Fr Sanguerley when they were constructing the road to PABACA and the Catholic Church in Bacooc.

It is just so sad that  both my Aunties and my sole uncle are gone. All of them left a void that can never be replaced.

Hello, Love,Goodbye

I  am not a Kathryn Bernardo fan but i would say i loved Hello, Love, Goodbye. The depiction of the lives of our OFWs is more realistic than Vilma Santos' Anak.

First the sidelights. There's one scene in the movie where Kathryn worked as a part-time waitress in a bar, (it might be in Wanchai) and she had to run when she saw a police questioning a guy. I think most OFWs will act as if nothing happened coz they know that if they run, there's a bigger possibility of them being caught.

Of course for added emphasis on how  Ethan pursued Joy, he had to use a radio
show, ( that must be Metro Radio's The Philippines Tonight Show.) In real world though, a DH will not listen to a radio program that loud when the employers are around.

Now for the highlights, all of the other  scenes are perfect for me. In fact, i had this lump in my throat when I saw those OFWs  in Central resting in what they call apartments. Truly those small boxes are hotels for most OFWs. And Joy selling goods and doing other rakets is also a reality although it's not that common. In fact,just a few engage into those rakets. I like the way they incorporated online selling. The Filipinos congregating in Central plus those packing door to door boxes are the norm there.

Beauty pageants is also very common in Hongkong. What they failed to show is that those contests involve selling tickets. It's like a popularity program. But that scene made me think of Manny and ATIS, an organization i used to be a part of.

Strange but i felt homesick when I saw the MRT stations,the Tram, the double-decker buses, the small flats,  Mongkok and the ferries and of course the dancing lights and the seaside in TsimShaTsui made me think of Nining.

I think what they missed are the different religious groups that's scattered in the former British Territory. It would have been good to see Bro Bruce in one of the scenes.
And of course, the rallies. No we don't mean the recent rallies but the normal  rallies organized by the United Filipinos in Hongkong.

Pepe Pimentel as a musician reminded me of my Musikero friends there. And Alden's Ethan made me think of Stan, Mel, Ej and Jay, all sons of Filipino musicians.

Over all, it is ar really good movie. It is an
eye opener for those whose family works abroad who  just wait for their monthly allowance.  And Hongkong is truly a stepping of those who want to go to Canada.

I laughed at the part where Cacai said "pinag-aagawan mga lalaki dito kasi konti" they should have added, "madaming nagiging tibo dito dahil sa kakulangan ng lalaki".

For someone who don't normally watch Filipino movies and likes Maine over Kathryn, I would say that she got my respect in this movie. And i must say, bagay sila ni Alden.

It is a love story of course and even if it didn't have that fairy tale happy ending, it gave the viewers hope that true love will find a way no matter how long it takes.

Lastly, I am so proud and happy for my Bro Jay Martinez. I know that you are upset with me but let me congratulate you for being part of a very high grossing movie.

Think before you post

I am not a fan and i am not fond of posting work related issues/problems on social media.

What do we want to achieve or get by doing that?

For employees, do u want sympathy? You want others to know how bad or asshole your bosses are?

For employers, do u also want sympathy? You want people to know how asshole or stupid your employees are?

We have meetings and huddles to let our sama ng loob, problems be known, why  wash our dirty laundry online?

Wala lang. Wala ako paki and i don't have the right makialam since we all have freedom of speech but sometimes we forget about online etiquettes. 

Posting work related memes or issues will make matters worse instead of the issue being resolved.

We should all act our age.

#Just saying

New Year, same mindset

It's normal for people to be angry, upset and sad. We all go through that.
But we should also be careful with the words we use. Cliché as it may be, pen is mightier than the sword and once you wrote it, once you blurted it out, there is no taking it back.
I'd rather let people do the talking and smile when after doing that, they ask something from me instead of me talking about them then ask something.
And lastly, when we feel unhappy with what we do, it's better to leave than bite the hands that feed you.

Royal Casino

Want to see money? I mean lots and lots of money? Just go to a casino and you will be shocked at how fast and how easy it is for gamers and bettors to lose and earn money.

I am not a fan of betting. Not even when my neighbors are all winning in hueteng, i never had the urge to try my luck. When PCSO raised the odds to a billion and i saw the long queue of those who wished to win, still it never crossed my mind to buy a ticket. Not only because i don't have any luck when it comes to raffle or betting, i also feel like i'm wasting money (although PCSO gives back to charity so  it might not be a waste of money after all.) But it can be if you will use your remaining money for betting when it's already allotted for something else.

Going back to casino, I don't know the story of those who frequent these establishment.  All i know is i have never seen  that type of spending or investing before. Coming from someone who has to work to survive, i don't see myself going back or even spend just a thousand bucks. I understand that there are people who are lucky and who keeps on winning but not all are. But who am i to judge, it's their money. Besides, if it's just once in a while and just to unwind or you don't have any money problems then, that ain't a problem at all.I am just worried about the politicians who always go to casinos because i'm sure it's public money they are spending there.
God forbid.

Photo taken at the venetian in Macau

Why can't PABACA produce politicians?

PaBaCa or Paganao, Bacooc, Cayapa are three barangays of Lagangilang that are geographically nearer in San Juan than in Lagangilang proper.

According to Apo Gawalon Dacalan, Apo Paingan and Apo Busnag Daipan, wise old folks we spoke to back in the 90s, Bacooc was the very first barangay of Lagangilang. Some of the parcel of lands that is now ASIST was once owned by them. It is not clear how they gave up those lands and moved to a place we now call Bacooc. What we are certain though is that the great fire of Bacooc resulted in two more Barangays, Paganao and Cayapa.

These three barangays are different from any other barangays of Lagangilang. Although there are itnegs in Poblacion and Laang and also in Nagtipulan, they are Inlaud, while those in PaBaCa are Adasens. In fact, they share the same language with the taga Bai in Lagayan and the taga Kaganayan in Tineg among others.

Since they came from the same clan, it is expected that they are united. The truth is they are. In times of emergency, death, accidents, bad times, they are there for each other. In times of celebrations like fiesta, marriage or pakagon, christening or baptism,  even birthdays, they are also there for each other. Truly, you can say that they are one united clan.

But there is one thing that do not unite them,politics. Given the local history of politics in their respective barangays particularly Bacooc, we won't be talking about Barangay positions. We mean higher positions like Mayor or  Sanguniang Bayans. If they unite, it would be very easy for them to produce SBs but sadly, no, they can't or they wont. There are lots of brilliant and intelligent people from the area who are capable but are not given the chance to lead. Imagine the change it would bring them if they can have a Mayor or even an SB. But the question is why? Why can't they elect one from their own?
It's either they prefer to choose those who can give them financial assistance or they don't trust their fellow taga PaBaCa. Or they may be victims of the so called crab mentality, where you can never be a hero in your hometown. This is when people can not stand or bear seeing someone of their own kind to succeed and lead them. (Dakes nga apal)

They did have 3 SBs in the past, with Former SBs Adelaida Agcongay (also a former Mayor),  Banat Ban-o and the late Agapito Agcongay who became SB member when he was elected ABC president .Former Mayor Adelaida Agcongay is from Tammogong by birth.
Another taga Bacooc who produced notable Politicians is Magala Bautista whose offspring are Mayor Meynard and Usec Marco Bautista of San Juan.

In the past elections, former Major Ben Wacquisan of Paganao tried his luck but lost. And if a major can't win, how are the chances of the others?

This is not meant to insult the PaBaCa people. This is to wake them up. In this time of social media, where most have facebook, instagram, twitter, hopefully, you, the youth of PaBaCa start truly caring for your place. Not just by showcasing your beautiful people and landmarks but by producing public servants.
It has been said many times that the " kabataan ay ang pag-asa ng bayan", so do not just preach about it but lead by example.