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.