a tribute to Sec Jesse Robredo..

.. Funny how the late Dilg sec made me feel.. and he was not even aware of it and never will.. though he won't be able to read this,(and not that it matters.) i feel obliged to show my respect for the guy in a form of a tribute.. in my blog...

..i was walking in Taft Avenue when i saw the headline of a tabloid saying "ROBREDO IN A PLANE CRASH"..

When i saw that, i didn't even give the newspaper a second glance.. i told myself, yeah right another politician in a plane crash..

when i went home, i tried to listen to my favorite radio program on LS, barangay love stories, i don't know why but i switched to news 5 and there was this never ending update on SEc Robredo's case, from his aide who survived, to how Capt Bahinting switched seats with his Nepalese student..at first, i was just interested with the switching of the seats of the pilots.. but as the story progressed, i got hooked and for the first time, i found myself following developments on his case.. i prayed for his safety and was even surprised to feel a tear roll down my cheek when the search and rescue operations became search and retrieval operations.. in the following days after his plane crash, i found someone from our cabinet secs who i would say i learned to respect and admire..

.. i was shocked when i learned he had to take a bus when he goes home to Bicol, for someone who has a second home in the Visayas, just a few hours away from Bicol, i know how hard it is to travel by bus and i am genuinely surprised when i heard that.. my admiration for the guy grew stronger as days pass by.. but sayang coz he is gone..

.. he was laid to rest today and i felt that i had to make something as a sign of my respect for the man who touched my soul and captured my mind and heart on the day he died..

.. i was advised not to use the computer for a couple of days coz of an eye infection but i can't help it and i told myself, ilang minuto lang naman to and i have to capture what i feel at the moment..

..from the bottom of my heart, thank u Sec Jesse Robredo, and let me borrow a few words from Elton John's Candle in the wind..and alter a few words as well..

Goodbye SEc Jesse

May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
Where lives were torn apart
You called out to our country
And you whispered to those in pain
Now you belong to heaven
And the stars spell out your name

And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along Philippines' greenest hills

and the homes of the poor and oppressed
Your candle's burned out long before
Your legend ever will

..yes u are now gone but may your good example inspire each and everyone.. 

..may u rest in peace SIR....

ordinary world

DURAN DURAN'S ORDINARY WORLD never cease to amaze me.. back when i was a teen till now that i am an adult.. truly a timeless piece from a group that i don't even consider a "favorite"... 

"Ordinary World"

Came in from a rainy Thursday
On the avenue
Thought I heard you talking softly

I turned on the lights, the TV
And the radio
Still I can't escape the ghost of you

What has happened to it all?
Crazy, some are saying
Where is the life that I recognize?
Gone away

But I won't cry for yesterday
There's an ordinary world
Somehow I have to find
And as I try to make my way
To the ordinary world
I will learn to survive

Passion or coincidence
Once prompted you to say
"Pride will tear us both apart"
Well now pride's gone out the window
Cross the rooftops
Run away
Left me in the vacuum of my heart

What is happening to me?
Crazy, some'd say
Where is my friend when I need you most?
Gone away

But I won't cry for yesterday
There's an ordinary world
Somehow I have to find
And as I try to make my way
To the ordinary world
I will learn to survive

Papers in the roadside
Tell of suffering and greed
Here today, forgot tomorrow
Ooh, here besides the news
Of holy war and holy need
Ours is just a little sorrowed talk

And I don't cry for yesterday
There's an ordinary world
Somehow I have to find
And as I try to make my way
To the ordinary world
I will learn to survive

Every one
Is my world, I will learn to survive
Any one
Is my world, I will learn to survive
Any one
Is my world
Every one
Is my world

i survived the great flood of 2012...

.. i am from the Philippines.. the land of flood, typhoons and torrential rains... but in the past, i only see the devastating effects of these natural phenomenons on TV, on the net and the newspaper... while i am affected with what i saw, the effect is never the same if u are able to witness it first hand..not to mention experience it....

august 7 2012.. me and my workmate Charm left our BPO office in Pasig at 4:30 am.. we were able to reach ortigas at 5:30..and we were soaking wet.. from there i took a malanday bound bus.. when we arrived in cubao, i had this uneasy feeling that i would not arrive home at 6:30 am as usual... it was so cold in the airconditioned  bus and the live TV coverage of the flooded areas in the metro made me shiver and scared.. scared that i would be stranded in the middle of edsa..

the bus managed to move slowly and at 8:30 am, we reached munoz.. i can see from the window that the flood is already more than knee-high.. then the anchor of GMA said that commuters are advised to return if they are gonna pass thru balintawak as the area is no longer passable.. monumento has been declared as not passable earlier..  i was left with two choices, shud i go back to Pasig where i will be safe in my company's sleeping quarter but how can i go back with all transpos stuck in the middle of nowhere..or shud i just go ahead and go home..i decided that it's best if i go home..

d conductor returned our money and advised us to just walk.. it was in this situation where i realized that even if u have money, it won't be able to save u in this kind of situation... 

.. i braved the rain and i was scared to feel the strong current of water and if u are not careful, there's the possibility of stepping on a manhole and risk drowning..

.. when i saw Balintawak LRT, i sighed a breathe of relief, only to be shocked with what i saw.. balintawak became a river of filth (think of balintawak market).. i stood infront of puregold balintawak just observing the movements of the people around me and there were several who offered to assist me for a few pesos.. "pantawid-gutom" as they call it.. i declined their offer as i find it hard to trust people in emergencies like this..can't blame me for we hear lots of stories where victims are victimized by heartless thugs.. 

then two guys approached me and asked me where  i am going, i answered. sakayan papuntang PUC, they told me to walk with them as it is dangerous in that area, not only with masasamang loob but with manholes as well.. i don't know why i trusted those two but to make the story short, we walked and half-swam the filthy balintawak-edsa that became a river of unthinkable filth.. my heart went out to those banana vendors who tried helplessly to save their panindas.. i didn't see a shallow hole and i went, oppppppsssssss.. good thing the other guy was fast to help me. wala ng hiya-hiya pala pag ganitong sitwasyon.. 

finally we were able to cross the balintawak-edsa-river.. i thanked the two guys especially the one who patiently assisted me, i asked for his name and he said arthur.. i secretly glanced at his id and it says there, carlos mordiva, MMDA.. i secretly laughed coz i have this BAD notions about the MMDA guys, thy are already synonymous with KOTONG... .. i was wrong, may mababait pa din pala sa sector nila.. 

..but my ordeal didn't stop there.. when i arrived at my jeepney stop, the area is also flooded.. we were advised to just walk.. some of those who wanted a shortcut walked over a gutter and for those of us who are scared, we had to ask assistance from the tambays to accompany us till we reach our destination.. and of course with a price... sabihin na nating pan taxi from caloocan to pasig.. 

..i arrived home at past noon and i can't wait to have a cup of coffee and rest my tired aching feet and shivering body but what i saw  weakened me, my house is also wet.. but that is another story.. i am just thankful that i survived the great flood of 2012... 

i just wish that the rain will stop now and hopefully we learn from it like the walang kamatayang, "ang basurang itinapon mo, babalik sa yo" and i also pray that we as a nation will be able to survive this..

my fellow Filipinos in UK..

.. after working for more than 4 months for a UK phone provider, i had the opportunity to speak with some of our fellow Filipinos who work and reside in the UK..

i know that it is not easy for them to apply for  phone and broadband because in the United Kingdom, credit rating is valued highly and if they don't have a registered debit and credit card plus address, they can not sign up not only with telephone providers but with other companies as well..( i learned this when we had UK 101 during our traning days) so when i receive calls from fellow Filipinos, i really feel happy because it only mean one thing, they are doing well in the land of the Beatles, Mr Bean and of course the Queen!!(both d band of the late freddie mercury and her Majesty).

.. i can sense their excitement, awe and happiness when they learn that they are talking with a fellow Pinoy.. but they seem more proud that their phone provider, one of the biggest in UK has an off shore site in their native land! and i can definitely understand THAT feeling, being an ex OFW, we always long for anything that reminds or connects us to home..

..  they start to speak in tagalog and since we are not allowed to speak in other languages except english, the conversation become funny since the one who is in UK is the one who talks in Tagalog and the one who is in the Philippines is the one who talks in English..

.. i also noticed that there are also racist Filipinos.. though i would say that the ratio would be 1 is to 100.. i had a Filipina caller who asked to be transferred to an agent who is based in UK because she can't understand a word i say.. i smiled and told her, i apologize madam (with complete apilyedo na pinoy sounding talaga) that u can not understand the way i talk.. i am just wondering though, how can the Brits understand a word i say while a fellow Filipino can not.. she hung up...

..even if i receive calls like those, i would still look forward in getting calls from my fellow Pinoys who are based in UK..

call center? ano yon?

.. sabi nila ang tanging trabahong available sa pinas ay ang pagiging call center agent.. pag nalaman nilang sa call center ka, they would say, wow..siguro magaling ka mag-english no? well, i used to think that way too.. na ang pangunahing armas mo sa pagpasok sa call center ay ang pagiging "fluent in english" daw.... 

..after working in a call center for four months, i found out that english is JUST ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS but NOT the the primary one... CONFIDENCE is the name of the game... and patience... yes, it is sooo easy to just sit in an air conditioned room for 7 and a half hours but it is not easy to deal with people whose english is hard to comprehend... me: thank u for calling .... can i have your number pls? knot..knot..ayt..ayt.. and i was like, what?? ZERO..ZERO..EIGHT..EIGHT pala yon...:) though i already understand the way they talk, it is still hard to be talking non stop. your ear hurts and your butt as well.. 

anyway, napapalayo ako sa topic, ano nga ba ang call center? bakit ba ito nauso sa pinas? well for those who want to know, kaming mga agents ang sasagot at magreresolve sa mga problema ng mga customers ng mga malalaking international companies na usually ay UK or American.. with the magic of technology, parang nasa UK o America din ang mga agents.. syempre pabor sa mga companies kasi nga kahit sabihin ng malaki ang sahod ng mga agents dito, barya lang yon sa dapat ay ipapasahod nila sa mga tao sa bansa nila... 

...so that is call center agent for u guys.... 

...and pahabol, u can never survive a call center job if  di mo kayang magpuyat at makisama dahil ang mga agents ay nabibilang sa isang team na hinahawakan ng tinatawag na team leader o TL.. and guess how much TLs earn? 40-60 thousand pesos.. and the agents?? wag nyo na tanungin... mababa kesa sa TLs and agents do all d work... ganun talaga..:(

....and lastly, expect to find chain smokers and coffee addicts in a call center.. regrets? wala naman.. just stating facts.... ;)

...from OFW to call center agent......

April 2012 Features Gallery

... as published by the sun.. (www.sunweb.com.hk) From OFW to call center agent By Sol Banganan

Once a migrant, always a migrant. This has been proven by many overseas Filipino workers who spend decades working overseas. Most of them never considered staying abroad for long. They promised the family they left behind that they would just be away for a few years. They would work, save enough, and return home for good. Unfortunately, very few manage to keep that promise. Often because the simple needs of their family becomes more complicated as years go by. Or, they start feeling "at home" in their workplace, and forget the promise. But being migrants, it is inevitable that we will all go back home to our country. Many OFWs, no matter how much they miss their family, dread that day especially when they are not yet ready, or if there is no source of income waiting for them in Philippines. In case of premature termination, most would apply again even if it means spending thousands of pesos more in placement fees. If leaving the country guarantees homesickness, being uprooted from one's workplace could mean disaster for the whole family. As an OFW who worked and considered Hong Kong home for ten years, my sudden departure from "the city that never sleeps" affected me immensely-- physically, emotionally, mentally, and of course, financially. Living (again) in our country was a huge adjustment for me. Being away for a decade changed me a lot that it felt like having a culture shock all over again. Though it may sound unpatriotic, I had felt that Hong Kong was my home. Back in the Philippines, I was disturbed by what I saw around me, from having to take dilapidated public transport, to the sight of indiscriminately thrown garbage, to the able-bodied beggars who just depend on the compassion of others to feed themselves, and the overall lack of discipline of my fellow Filipinos. They all made me wish I was back in Hong Kong. The hardest part of course, was having no income. For ten years, I had a steady income, even if it was not enough to pay for my family's needs most of the time. I learned to appreciate the things that I did not value when I was still working. Driven by these circumstances, I made up my mind to go back abroad. I had several destinations on my list: Macau, South Korea, Europe, anywhere. When my former employer told me she wanted to hire me again, I knew that I had to go back to Hong Kong. And yet, a part of me also said that I should try my luck in our country as well. I gave myself a month to look for a job, and if within that time I don't find a decent work, I would start processing my papers back to Hong Kong where I thought I belong. I searched the net for job openings, and found it full of adverts for call center jobs. I signed online with five companies and headhunters. All five of them called me back for a phone interview, and after I passed, they all asked me to report to their office. I was left to use my own instinct in deciding which company to join. On the day of my appointment at Transcom International, my heart sank at the sight of the hundreds of applicants who arrived before me. I almost retreated because most of them were fresh graduates and ex-call center agents, but I reminded myself that I should at least give it a try. The initial interview proved to be the hardest. Each applicant was asked to talk about him/herself in front of the HR interviewer and their fellow job seekers. It was hard because everybody could hear you, and assess your performance. Forty percent didn't make it. Computer-based exams were held in the second screening. Fifty items in the test were about basic PC operations; another 50 on grammar and spelling; and 30 on customer service. Most of us passed this stage, called the versant test. It is a telephone-based exam where the computer grades your communication skills, voice quality and grammar. Most of the applicants found this test the hardest. After the HR endorsed me to the operations manager, I started getting hopeful. I didn't mind being at their office for almost 12 hours. Most call center companies process job applications within the day, so as the crowd started to thin, I prayed silently because I knew deep inside that I would soon be joining this company. After a few more moments, there were nine of us who were summoned inside and offered a job. Before I went home, I was already holding a contract with Transcom International. I would be working as a customer service representative for a UK telephone company. I know that being a call center agent is not the best job but still, I am thankful that I have been given the chance to work in our country. My advice to my fellow OFWs is to make their stay in Hong Kong worthwhile. I owe my present employment to all the activities that I did when I was still there. I owe ATIS, Unifil and Migrante for the leadership and speaker trainings. My circle of friends helped me develop my confidence, and my interaction with my fellow OFWs taught me how to deal with different kinds of people. And of course, I owe my communication skills to the publications that opened their doors to me:Pinoy Abroad for introducing me to the world of print media, and most especially to The SUN, for the invaluable training I received on how to enhance my writing skills. These things brought me to where I am now. I encourage my fellow migrants to fully exploit whatever potentials they may have while abroad. Skills or knowledge learned there will always prove useful, wherever one might end up. My journey as an OFW might have ended for now, but I will always be grateful for the experience. I will always be an OFW by heart because the tools that I used to get this job were made possible by me being a migrant worker. === (This is not the first time that Sol has written for The Sun. As she says in her column, she was one of our regular contributors, and has even written a piece or two for this section. Despite her earlier misgivings about going back home and looking for work there, she now seems to be enjoying her job at one of the top call center companies in the Philippines. This piece traces her steps from the time she lost her job in Hong Kong, to when she successfully landed her much coveted post-Ed).

...and Lebron became a champion...

...NBA championship 2011... i was one of the very few who cried when the Miami heat was burned by the Mavs... 
..fast forward to 2012 and of course, everybody knows that Lebron is now a champion.. i am happy of course but i feel sad at the same time...wala na akong ipagtatanggol dahil parang lahat nakikiride on na sa bandwagon.... 


....hmmmmmmmmmmmm.........

what a difference a year makes.......

....wow.. i believe it's been a year since i last updated this page.. 


....and yeah, what a difference a year makes.. last year i was still in HongKong with thousands of minutes to spare to be on line and now, i am back to the place where i KNEW i belong but i just don't know how to survive... MANILA, PHILIPPINES!!!! 


yeah, i am back to the place of traffic, baha, happy people, hard life but as the very old saying goes," no matter how far we roam, it is always nice to be back home" and now i can definitely say, it's more fun in the Philippines without sounding like those overused or gasgas adverts!!!!!


.... do i miss HK? DEFINITELY!!!!! 
... and i still dream of going back there, maybe not to work but just to make pasyal and dalaw the places i used to frequent.. and of course, to eat hot noodles and siomai... we do have siomais here but they are no match with the siomais in the land of the CANTONESE!