ON BLOG LEAVE

February had been a very busy month for me. Aside from the Panay Island Trip, I was sick for more than a week (to the point of losing my voice)and worse my PC broke down. Rest assured all my writings will be posted soon. I'll try to update as soon as I can.

ULTRAgedy

I sincerely sympathize to the families of the victims of the Ultra stampede last Saturday, February 4. We were in Boracay when my Nanay texted me that there were already 66 people declared dead because of the stampede. As of today, reports say there were a total of 71 victims, most of which were elderly people.

I am a certified Kapamilya. I make it a point to watch Wowowee when I don't have work. I especially enjoy Wiillie Of Fortune and Biga-10. I see that the audience is happy and the ambiance is festive. Everyone is enjoying and there ain't any barriers. I also see the generosity of the TFC balikbayan subscribers. You really see them giving money through Willie. I was also touched by the help given by some of the televiewers to the non-winners. I heard one of which was sent to school or was actually adopted by a particular family. Human nature at its best. We see the ordinary people on tv whether it be a carpenter, a tricycle driver or a sampaguita vendor. They are given a chance.

The ULTRA tragedy saddens me. Actually I saw that very long line of people the morning I left for Boracay. My brother who was bringing me to St. Paul that early Friday morning asked me, "Lahat yan kasama sa Boracay?". He didn't have an idea that the line was for Wowowee so I told him, "Tangek para sa Wowowee yan!" I heard the people started lining up as early as Monday, January 30. And by Friday morning, they were already in front of St. Paul because they had filled up the streets near ULTRA. That's how much people wanted to get in and win prizes. As willie said, the anniversary was going to be a blast. They will be giving millions of prizes so he invited the people to come to ULTRA. Who would have thought that thousands would be going? MOre than ULTRA can acccommodate and more than the show and its producers had expected! So that fateful morning, who would have thought that a tragedy could come up from a supposedly happy celebration?

I've been to ULTRA a number of times to watch concerts. The last time I went there was the concert of Ken and Vanness. We also had difficulty coming in considering it was at the football field. From the gate, it was going to be a downhill. Then there's a rotating bar wherein only one can pass through. I remember Bea, then losing her cellphone that quick upon entering the premises. We also lined up early and we got into serious arguments with some inconsiderate people around us.

I could imagine the exasperation and anticipation of the people lining up just to get inside ULTRA and at the same time hoping to come home big time after Wowowee. Of course the tension has been building up because they have been there for hours, even days. I read from a report that in order to save their position in the line, some of them did their "thing" right there. As the DILG undersecretary said, they were like hungry wolves to be fed only with a few meat. That morning's tragedy was something totally unexpected.

But who's to blame? I personally belive that it was an accident. To define what accident means, the dictionary says it is an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance; an unfortunate event resulting expecially from carelessness or ignorance. Let's take the first definition: unforeseen and unplanned. I don't think ABS-CBN and the producers of Wowowee planned the anniversary show to kill people, or to put it subtly to hurt anyone among their audience. Their main goal was to make the people happy and give prizes if not for everyone but for some. Second definition resulting from carelessness or ignorance. On the part of ABS, I think they were careless in terms of planning the security and order of the people that were enticed by the prizes that they were going to give away. But the ignorance I think comes from the people who came there. Di po ba naten alam na game show ang Wowowee at sa isang laro may nanalo at may natatalo? Di po ba naten alam kung hanggang saan kakayanin ng mga katawan naten ang hirap sa pagpila? Sino pong nagsabi sa inyo na lumuwas kayo ng Maynila na baon nyo lang ang pamasahe papunta at wala ng pauwe? I was just asking myself what could these people be thinking of. There were pregnant women lining up and worse elderly men and women. Some mothers even brought along their children. How is that? I saw on the news that there was a father who was already texting his wife to come home because he saw on tv that there were a lot of people lining up and there was no chance that they could get in. The wife brought with her their four-year old son. She didn't want to leave the line. On Saturday morning, the woman said that the people were already pushing each other and she thought that if her son could cross over the fence of ULTRA she could also go in because her son was already inside. As the boy was being crossed over the fence, he got hold of a live wire and and the poor boy died. What kind of thinking was that? I wanted to slap that woman. Lack of coordination from the proper authorities like that of the Pasig Police and Ultra Security was also one of the problems. A policeman said that they went in front of ULTRA on Thursday morning because they were receiving complaints from the nearby residents. He said that he and his men begged the people to just go home. But the people did not listen. So they left. Where is police power there? Then people started blaming President Arroyo. They said they wouldn't be so poor and take the chance in game shows if GMA had given them work. Now it's a national issue and soon enough politicians who are anti-GMA would be seeing this chance again to attack the present government. Hay! Poverty as I tell my students, can be an avoided circumstance. If we just plan our children, make do with their present job, work more and save. I know people will say that I don't know what they are going through because I don't experience their everyday living. Believe me,I do have the same problems as theirs. But I do work and aim for more.

So where is this tragedy going to take us? A reporter then asked Tina Monzon-Palma, head of ABS-CBN foundation, if the show was actually promoting mendicancy or relying on others for money. She quickly replied that they were giving people hope and inspiration. Wrong hope or inspiration? If that is the case, let's stop all the foundations in this country. This is not the time to pin each other down. When help is given, let's not abuse it. Let justice prevail and let the ones responsible pay for it. But for now, it's a BIG lesson learned. If we stumble along the way, get up and continue with the challenges of life. All these things are God's wake up call. Did we thank Him for the day that was done and the new day that He has given us? Think! Reflect!

Are We There Yet?

I can't remember how many times I uttered this question for the Panay Island trip from February 3 to 7. I'm a person who loves travelling and adventure. The idea of going to Boracay on February excited me. For one, it wasn't peak season yet. There'll be less people and there'll be less clutter as well. Second, the accommodations would be cheaper. And third, the weather would be just fine. Since half of the expenses would be shouldered by St. Paul, all the more I wanted to go.

Of course we were briefed by a group who came before us. Everything that they said were all flowery. As if it was the best trip in their entire life. They had also warned us of a few inconveniences we'll encounter all throughout the trip but the whole experience, they said, will simply blow all the difficulties away. We just have to make a few sacrifices and carry with us a lot of patience.

We were going to Caticlan via RORO. Yup, Roll On, Roll Off. Just the thought of travelling by sea scared me. As a kid, I used to go to my parents hometown in Mindoro via big ship and I didn't like it. Though RORO would be cheaper than travelling by air, I still thought that it's a waste of time. And I had a friend who travelled last summer to Boracay through RORO and she said it gave her a lot of body pains. She just didn't enjoy her stay. I was one of those bargaining to let us travel by air even if I had to pay for my own airfare but to no avail. They said that since it was going to be a group trip, we should all go through the experience. Fine, fine, fine! I never want to be one of the kontrabidas.

I was coming from a science camp in Bulacan and the following day would be the departure for the five-day trip. I gotta have that energy. We were reminded to come REALLY early to get in time to Batangas port. I was hurrying to go home to unpack my stuff from Bulacan and pack my stuff for Boracay.

I woke up really early. Excited? Nah! I just don't wanna be left behind and travel all by myself. Waking up early is such a big thing for me. Maybe, one of the sacrifices that they were talking about. I came just in time. I boarded the bus and slept. Good thing, I liked my seatmates, Jux and Malvas.

Next thing I knew we were already in Batangas. "Are we there yet?". We arrived a few minutes earlier than expected. We had the luxury of walking around thew ship. Mavic and I were the first ones to go up the deck. We had the privelege of meeting the ship crew and look at how they are able to make that big thing work and move. But our boredom was starting to get us. "Are we there yet?". Good thing though Jeje discovered that Jiggy Manicad was also on board. At first I wasn't interested to go and meet him since he's a GMA Kapuso reporter. What the heck! At least it was going to be an interesting experience. And indeed it was. Jiggy was very accommodating even if I was a certified Kapamilya. He answered all, I mean ALL, our questions and gave us juicy information. Don't worry Jiggy our lips are sealed. He was going to do a follow-up on his previous assignment in Antique. The group conversation eventually faded until it was just me and Jiggy standing. Sorry Jiggy ang kulit ko! It was purely a friendly conversation. Jiggy's now a new found friend kahit Kapuso sya. 'Twas nice meeting you Jiggy! Going back, I didn't notice the time. We were reaching Calapan, Mindoro in a few minutes.

We were back on the bus bound for Roxas. It was a two-hour travel and as usual I slept. But I was awaken every now and then by the way our driver takes a curve or a bumpy road. At first it was tolerable, but then it was getting into our nerves. "Are we there yet?". Good thing we stopped over for an early lunch and some of us had a good singing in a videoke/canteen joint. I slept all the way to the port of Roxas.

A ship was going to take us from Roxas to caticlan. It took us aboout four hours to set foot in Caticlan. How did we survive? A lot of singing and dancing. There was a videoke machine in the ship. I don't remember that videoke machine being silent for more than ten minutes. There was always someone holding on to the mic and trying to reach the notes. We enjoyed that moment. It was super fun. It seems we're bonded. Joke! Well we didn't realize that we were near Caticlan port. Yahoo! A ferry ride of not more than 20 minutes brought us to the paradise that is Boracay!

Finally the white, powdery beach of Boracay. I love it. But not for long. I was super disappointed at the place we were staying. Another one of those sacrifices? Well they say we won't be spending much of our time there so okay na din. After settling in our own rooms, we went out for dinner. Gosh I was hungry! I wanted to have a taste of Boracay food. But we couldn't decide on what to eat. We walked for I don't know how many kilometers to JOnah's fruit shakes. Well it didn't disappoint us. I loved it! Choco-peanut-banana shake and the sandwich were a feast! Sad to say we had to walk back again to our far flung station. Walking back made me think of the people I wanted to share that particular night with. I was missing my other friends and my family. I was wishing they were there with me then. Upon reaching our station, it took only a few minutes 'til I fell asleep. I wanted to catch the sunrise in Boracay.

Sadly, I failed to see the sunrise. I was too tired to wake up that early. If not for the noise going around, I would have slept longer. The people around me were hurrying to join the boating/island-hopping. The KJ in me did not want to join. Sorry na! I just wanna stay and save money. I would do that when I come back with fewer people and of course with my closest friends. So Mavic, Dece and I decided to stay on the island and find a suitable place to swim. Of course, I took the opportunity of getting a henna tattoo. We enjoyed taking pictures of ourselves. We were wishing Joy would arrive soon. But it was hard not to think of what was happening in Manila (see next article). My nanay texted me about the ULTRA stampede. It really shocked us and we were talking about it. Oh well, I for one said a prayer for them. Anyways, we picked up Joy by lunch time. The whole afternoon we were basking under the sun, swimming, taking pictures of ourselves, looking at that hunky Japanese guy and simply making a fool of ourselves. We were really enjoying ourselves. We were able to catch the sunset in Boracay. Yehey! After dinner, we were too tired to go out and have fun. We ended up sleeping in our own rooms while our other co-workers were having fun. Hay gagawin ko na lang yan pag kame-kame na lang nina Mavic or in the company of my other friends!

We had to wake up early because we were bound for Iloilo. But the waves in Boracay were strong and it was high tide. Most of us were carried on the shoulders by the porters of Boracay. Whoa that was some embarrassing experience! But there was no way we could get on the ferry back to Caticlan where our buses were waiting. By the way I failed to get a glimpse of the beautiful sunrise in Boracay because it was drizzling. Well, the long bus ride to Iloilo started. "Are we there yet?". As usual our reckless driver irritated us. It was killing our bodies. We had mass at Kalibo, Aklan and it was in Aklanon ( I don't know if that's what it's called). I didn't understand a thing. I just had to follow when people will sit or stand. But then again I was standing all throughout the mass. Eveytime I get the chance I really sleep in the bus in whatever position my body can do. It's just that the damn bus driver was killing me and my body started to feel the pain. "Are we there yet?". For lunch we had chicken barbeque and it was for free. Finally a free decent meal! Back to sleep.... "Are we there yet?". Then we went to the bell tower in one of the cathedrals in Roxas. They say it's the largest bell in Asia. Okay, back to sleep. "Are we there yet?". I started to feel restless. Where the hell is Iloilo? "Are we there yet?". Finally, the sign said "Welcome to Iloilo". "Are we there yet?". Man, I was starting to sound like Donkey from Shrek 2! The sun was finally setting. "Are we there yet?". We were on the road for almost a day. "Are we there yet?". I started to realize that the Philippines is a big country when you travel by foot. Hail to our ancestors who just walked around! What if there was an earthquake and Iloilo became more distant than usual? What if Iloilo moved to another galaxy? We were afraid that our butts had already fused or flattened. Talk about the long and winding road. All these thoughts! "ARE WE THERE YET?". It was almost dinner and we were already singing in the bus, "Emergency, emergency calling Dr.P", when we finally reached the place where we will be staying. Not too fast punks! There was an orientation and briefing of the place. Yeah, yeah, yeah! I'm dead hungry. I just had to see who the celebrity housemates will be before I sleep. It was the longest day of my life. Zzzzzzzzzzzz.......

The next day we were off to Iloilo National High School. That's where senators Miriam Santiago and Frank Drilon graduated. Well it boasted off its humble beginnings and its achievements. It amazes me how their principal managed all of that in her years of service. I call her the great Dr. Amaguin! We had a good tour of the school but I particularly enjoyed the Science Centrum. I played with Pia and Bang. We were like kids exploring the different science exhibits. Then we paraded at St. Paul University. Purpose? I don't know. Well the big group separated for lunch. For Mavic, Joy, Dece and I, we opted to have lunch near the place where we were staying. For that afternoon, we were off to buy our pasalubong. Thankfully, we didn't get lost in the city. For dinner, we thanked Mrs. Visaya's parents for the wonderful banquet. From there, I started packing my stuff. God, I can't wait to get home. My flight was scheduled in the afternoon of the following day. I'd die if I stayed longer. I'm excited to see my nanay.

I woke up with only a few people left. They had an earlier flight. I was texting my brother regarding the details of my arrival. I wanted to get home really fast. Then I started coughing and eventually losing my voice. Am I getting sick? The trip was getting on me. I'm coming home sick. Well, the flight turned out fine. We quickly got a cab. We braved the MRT lines at Pasay station and we irritated the people following us due to inspection of our luggages. Eh sa nagtitipid kame e, paki nyo! Not for long, my bro picked me up at MRT Quezon Ave. Yehey I was home-bound.

The trip was one hell of an experience. I don't think I can forget it for as long as I live. I thank St. Paul for the experience. I thank Mavic, Dece, Jeje and Joy for thinking of ways for us to somehow enjoy this ordeal, I mean journey.

The trip really got me in terms of how I can survive and how I can adjust. I realized that RORO is not for me. Even if it's going to be a cheaper trip to Disneyland HongKong pero RORO, I'll definitely bail out especially with that kind of driver. It would have been better if our driver treated us as human passengers and not merely as logs! Now I also know that I have a very small urinary bladder. God, did I really have to pee in every stopover?! Seriously, I realized that complaining will not do me any good. Instead of complaining, I just have see if some good thing will turn out from a bad situation. Patience is a virtue. A million "Are we there yet?" will just tire me. I also learned to appreciate small things. They are super important. Friends and family are very dear to me. I can't survive without them.

Am I willing to go through the whole trip again? I would have to say NO for now. I still feel the body pains courtesy of our dear reckless driver. But if it's going to be by air, cheaper and in the company of my good friends, why not? At least I wouldn't have to ask, "Are we there yet?".