Something To Share About

“Happy monthsary.”

Those were the words my close friend and I uttered the whole day when we went to Trinoma, SM North Edsa, Glorietta malls, SM Megamall, and even the Market Place in Sta. Rosa (formerly known as Robinsons Place Sta. Rosa). All I thought was that it was too impossible. Well, let me tell you about it.

It was a very fine morning for me. My mom woke me up, I cooked our breakfast, prepared the table for eating. Yummy for me ‘cause it was my favourite meat loaf with a sweet and spicy sauce. We started the meal with a prayer. My mom, as per usual, told the “chikas” to the family. She made our every bite a fully loaded, informative one. It was a happy day to be, as it started. I opened the computer and started playing my mom’s favourite songs, cleaned the house, fixed my dog’s “pupu”.

It was truly a very fine morning. The electric bill came and I was surprised. It wasn’t as high as I expected. So I thought maybe, when I asked my mom and my dad to allow me to go mall hopping, they would agree. So I started approaching my mom and dad with a very big grin. So great, my mom discovered my hidden agenda. Without any further hesitation, she quickly told me, “NO!”. Aww! I felt like my whole world was torn apart. The wonderful day I thought of went down the tubes. A few moments after I wore my “low” face, she then asked me to deliver something to her friend. With my heart pounding so hard with a hope that she would allow me to go, I accepted it and followed her instructions.

When I arrived home, my dad called me. He told me this, “Saan ka pupunta mamaya?” Confused, I answered, “Sa SM po.” My dad replied, “Ito na ang huli mong gala, ha? Ayoko ng magpapaalam ka pa uli samin ng nanay mo na gagala ka. Kung hindi, lagot ka na samin. Patunayan mo muli samin na dapat ka naming pagalain. Anong oras ka uuwi?” Having my dad said that, I was relieved. I answered, “Mga 6 pm po.” My heart was so joyful. If I could only cry on that moment, I’m gonna need a bucket. I thanked the Lord for answering my prayer. So thankful, I couldn’t hide my smile. And so I told my friend, Rachel, that my parents already allowed me. And so it goes. My mom gave a few instructions before we went on to our “gala”.

I told Rachel to meet me at Robinsons by 11 am. And because of my excitement, I reached our meeting place by 11:30 am. So great, she wasn’t there still. So I did what my mom asked me to do, and waited for her. While waiting for her, a sudden “Josh” texted me, asking me who’s with me only to find out, it was Oman. Oman was Rachel’s addict suitor, a bummer. Haha. We just stopped by some food stalls at Sta. Rosa Complex, and then rode off to SM Megamall through a bus. It was a very nice trip because we laughed the whole trip out loud. Even when we reached Megamall, we were still laughing. We just couldn’t stop it. The memorable thing there was that when we saw this “guy” who wore a body fit pants. That guy had legs which size was that of my arm. He was so skinny and so gay. Hahaha. It was 1:00 in the afternoon.

I asked Rachel if we’d still enter the Megamall. She replied, “Tara na sa SM North Edsa.” Without any further adieu, we rode another bus to SM North Edsa. The bus was, as what we called it, “chaka”. In addition, there was also a crazy lady who was also aboard with us. Good thing she left off at Kamuning. Funny how it seemed to be, we still manage to laugh the whole trip out. Pose here, pose there. Picture! Yehey! Though the road was a bit bumpy, we still laughed.

We, then, reached SM North Edsa in 10 mins. Great driver he knew how to fly a bus. It was so amazing. The Sky Garden was just so perfect for a picture moment. We just forgot to take one. Haha. And so we did manage to scrape the nice views of the Sky Garden and some stalls there. The ambience was so heart warming, although it’s beside the busy EDSA. Waterfalls, great architectural designs, landscape all were so perfectly created. After the Sky Garden, we went inside the SM Annex. We visited some stalls. The great attraction there was the White House with all the white Christmas tree. Rachel took a picture of me (knowing I’ll take a picture of her too, but did not). We visited some good stores and took a walk on the 2nd and 3rd floor of the building.

Joseph, another friend, texted me he and his company were already in Trinoma. I told Rachel about it and so we immediately went there (she was so excited about seeing Don). We entered the main building for us to see what’s more inside. The hallway of the main building was a bit narrower compared to the Annex. We decided to go back to the Sky Garden because the passage way is much easier there.


Oh and heaven must have came down. We saw two “guys” at a food stall while we were walking along the Sky Garden. Oh they were literally hot. They were pinching each other’s noses. Aww. So sweet. Rachel commented, “Happy monthsary. Haha. Baka monthsary nila.” And it became the expression of the day as we saw more couple guys having extra sweet time. Hahaha. Also, we saw some “gay-friends” along the way. Oh they were so happy and gay. Haha.

We then managed to arrive at Trinoma. I thought it was just like Metropolis in Alabang. I was a bit disappointed at first because the place felt like hell. I thought there was a problem in the air-conditioning system of the mall. But then, life must move on. It was a bit loud because there was a bazaar at the activity center. We went to the 2nd floor as Rachel insisted. We were to hunt for a store named “Zoo York”. Oh and the heavens are with us. We did find it in no time. It was just near the escalator we were at. We found some clothes, a bit fascinating, but yah. I better keep our real motive there. Haha. She bought a sunshade before even going there. Haha. And so we went on looking, walking, chatting, and of course, laughing around the halls of Trinoma.

We then went to “All Flip Flops” to check out the latest Havaianas slippers. The line was so long. We still handled everything with ease. Besides, we are leaders, and we find ways. Haha. Busy looking for a good slipper to buy, I saw Don (Joseph’s twin brother) passed by. I texted Rachel I’d wait for her outside. Well, it was really him together with Joseph, their older brother and company. So rude, I just let them pass. Haha. Sorry for that. Well, after 75 years of hell waiting for Rachel to pay the slippers, we went back to Zoo York to check out on something. Then, we went to where Joseph and his company were, at Penshoppe. There, we did manage to greet each other, Rachel blushing all over for seeing Don, me looking for some great clothes for a gift to **, my yah. Haha. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any. So we just chatted with Joseph and Don. Afterwards, we decided to go find some place to eat...at Glorietta.

I was so excited then. I asked Rachel if we could ride the MRT because I haven’t been there. Seriously, it was my first time to ride in it. We bought the tickets on our way to Ayala Avenue. Surprisingly, we saw Don and company. Rachel didn’t notice Joseph’s text message to buy 6 tickets for him and his company going to Ayala Avenue too. It was a very fun experience riding the MRT. It was so cool especially the voice over the radio. Moreover, it’s cheaper, faster and more comfortable to ride. It was really cool and yah. Haha. I did control myself from looking like an idiot first time rider of the MRT. Haha. The ride was so long, enduring more excitement and happiness riding the train. Joseph became my tour guide that time. We then took off at the Ayala Avenue. We separated our ways at SM Makati and went on our search for a good eating place. We decided to go to Glorietta since there was no Greenwhich in SM Makati. We ate and still laughed the whole time.

After eating spaghetti and a good chinwag, we decided to go home. First, we thought of riding a van to get to Balibago. So we went to the terminal, waited for 30 mins, and a no-show of the van prompted us to take a bus to Alabang. It was still a joyride, though it was a bit serious. Haha. I never thought that Rachel had so many things she wanted to tell but couldn’t. It was a road-long chitchat of so many spontaneous things. Haha. It was my most favourite part of the day. Oh and we did still say the magic words “Happy Monthsary.” Haha.

It was so fun going out especially when you had someone you had to share it with. My point is that, whatever sufferings you are having now, don’t endure the pain that much. It’s much better if you share them. You, sharing your suffering, ease pain and make you feel light. The one being shared can serve as an inspiration by giving good advices and comforting words. Moreover, laugh at them like we did. It was one of the things I learned and earned this day.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Road is one of the highlights that a certain town or community is progressing. This is considered as one of the accelerators in the development of a nation. Transport of goods and services are better off when roads are constructed.

Cabuyao has eighteen (18) barangays. Six (6) barangays are located along the national highway, the other six (6) on the lakeshore of Laguna de Bay, three (3) urban barangays inside the Poblacion which was created under Presidential Decree No. 86 and three (3) on the Western part which is an elevated portion.

Barangay Casile is one of the small barangays in Cabuyao, Laguna located at the western part. It has a population of not more than 1000 people. Its total land area is approximately at 318 hectares. The road is still earth-filled. Their major products are mainly agricultural. To name a few, there are bananas, pineapples, coconuts and corns. The standard price ranges from Php 5.00 to Php 10.00. Of the total road length of Cabuyao, which is 31 kms., only 6% or approximately 1.95 kms comprises the earthly-filled road of Barangay Casile. This has been their problem ever since the barangay was established.

Our group in SS013-A12 went last November 8, 2008 (Thursday) to this barangay to conduct an interview on how the residents are affected by this problem on road infrastructure. From MCL, we took the Silangan-Canlubang route. It took us an hour before we reached our destination.

Most social services of the government were not enjoyed by most of the residents of the barangay. One of which was electricity. When we came to the location, most of our interviewee did not have electricity yet. According to these residents, the local government already told them that electricity will be built by the end of June 2008. But as we had observed, no electric posts or any electrical wires were seen.

Residents of the barangay were also having a hard time going to and from the location because there is only one jeepney that services these people. A regular employee who works at 7 in the morning must have to wake up at 3 just to catch up the 4 o’clock trip of that jeepney. Then, the next trip of that jeepney would be at 1 in the afternoon and the last for the day was at 6 in the evening.

Most students of Casile Elementary School had to walk 500 meters from their houses to the school. In turn, they also had to wake up early in the morning to catch up to their 7AM classes. The mothers of Grades 1 to 4 pupils usually accompany their children in going to their school. In effect, household chores were left undone. Some were transported thru a school service offered by neighbors.

Another “hassle” about the road in this barangay is the steep part. The road is purely soil, and when it rained, cars and other vehicles couldn’t pass thru it. There were already reported minor accidents due to this part of the road.

Their agricultural products, which are pineapples, corn, coconuts, and many others, are relatively cheap compared to public markets in nearby towns. Take pineapple for example. The price of pineapple in Casile is Php 5.00 per piece compared to the Php 15.00 per piece in the wet market. These sellers could’ve sold these products in a much higher price, but because of the burden brought about by the road, they couldn’t.

We interviewed the barangay captain and this was also his dilemma to the local government. They told him that the road will be constructed as soon as possible. According to the municipal government, they had already allotted a budget for the construction. The only question is when because the construction is still for bidding.

Constructing a road requires several components, according to Engr. Hermie M. Del Pilar, a Civil Engineer. First, its foundation must be firm. The soil beneath must be compressed thoroughly and as much as possible, there should be no space to make it strong. Next, the steel bars above the soil must be pure and strong.

In conclusion to this, the residents of Brgy. Casile is very much affected in their everyday activities. Their lives would’ve been better off with the road constructed.

Jose Rizal : On Focus

The film “Jose Rizal” was a movie directed by Marilou Diaz-Abar. Veteran actor Cesar Montano portrayed the life of Jose Rizal. He brought his talent to one of the most divisive movies of all time. This film was produced by GMA Films, and it was their entry to the 1998 Metro Manila Film Festival. It was one of the most successful movies of the production because it grossed up to 136.7 million pesos.

In the movie, Dr. Rizal (Montano) was accused of treason and awaited trial and meets his counsel, Luis Taviel de Andrade. The latter constructed the case and the arguments that they will need for their defense. After hearing the life of Rizal, Taviel realized that Rizal was not just innocent, but also an ordinary man who truly loves his country. When the mock trial began, Taviel defended his client, despite him, being a Spanish native himself. In the interim, the Spanish authorities had already planned to give Rizal a guilty output. Then started a revolution led by the katipunan founded by Andres Bonifacio, where bloods were shed.

The movie, generally, is a great one. The fact that it won several awards in the 1998 Metro Manila Film Festival including Best Picture, it was truly a must see movie. Only a few directors would gladly, remarkably do these kinds of films nowadays. But it made me realized some things, like Rizal didn’t actually want freedom for our country, but reforms through education. The concept of being one, in my opinion, was just made because of his vendetta when his proposal was turned down by the Spanish officials. Despite of those things, for it wasn’t for Rizal; the Philippines would not achieve its freedom from the cruel Spaniards. We would still be under the imperial power of Spain. It just so happens that in our society today, I believe that things are turning upside down. Our minds are being madly influenced of what we see that is something “in” in the Western. We are foremost failing to remember our culture and our being nationalist. Successful countries do not have these kinds of traits in their people. Successful countries use one word, one language, so that every can understand what one is saying, instead of blabbing things out, but majority could not perceive it. Better yet, let us promote our culture; enrich it, because nobody else in this world would ever do that. It would plunk a big shame on us if somebody would.

NSTP : Better than any other

The First Day : The Next Step
My work as a student was never suspended to the four corners of the classrooms. It is true that the greatest teachers of our lives are our experiences.

It was a fine Saturday morning. I woke up very early because I was very excited about my first day of tutoring the students of Southville I Elementary School. When I reached MCL, our professor in NSTP 013, Prof. Vilma Malabuyoc, told me and my groupmates that we were about to be joined together with the group Carlyn Batara, whose group was about to conduct a tutorial service also, but then at Banlic Elementary School.

When we were about to ride the jeepney, we felt excited and very hopeful that the students will accept us with warm welcome, and they did. We arrived at the school a bit late because of some problems we had encountered on our way to the school. That day was really hot, but we just found ourselves laughing about the hot and humid weather.

As we enter the classroom, me, Maan (Ma. Anna Mae Isidro) and Roj (Rogeross Berana) introduced ourselves. Then we started knowing them by asking some questions about math. We finally then noticed the jolliness of Rodel. As we go on with our discussion, Rodel was the only student who was fond of answering. Even though some of his answers were not right, he still continued to answer. As I observed him, I thought of him as their class valedictorian. And my suspicion was right; he was their class valedictorian.

Going back to what I was saying, we discussed fractions; since that’s the topic they were having a hard time with. We opted to add a little twist in the way we attack with the topic. We chose to play a mind game. The class was divided into three groups, and we let them name it. One was named KSG; the other was MOG (Mathematicians On the Go), and Dot3. We gave them 5 different fraction problems and we let them answer it on the board. At the end of the game, the KSG turned out to be the winner. They were given chocolate and candies as prizes. We then said our goodbyes for the moment and told them that we will return for the next week.


The Second Day : Hurt, yet Hopeful
The next day of our tutorial was a total hopeful day because we weren’t just the ones hoping for another day, but also our “friends”. This time, Roj said his apologies for not coming because he was having a headache. His body’s energy was not enough to cover up the whole day, and he still needs to attend to some family commitments. Though Roj could not make it, Prof. Vilma gave us new companions. Maan and me felt relieved and happy because we have some new faces to show to our newfound friends. J

Since it was another day, another subject was discussed. I personally discussed with them Science, particularly about stars; its evolution and all stuffs related to the heavenly bodies. Gotchie’s group facilitated a game, and they used the format of a game show in Willie Revilliame’s Wowwowee. Pau (Ma. Paulina Suarez) served as the host of the game and the other members as the buzzers. The groups of last week’s game were retained, but their scores were returned to zero for fairness and equality. At the end of the day, MOG won and they received prizes such as notebooks, pencils, crayons and many others. Consolation prizes like chocolates and candies were given to Dot3 and KSG.

As we end our session, our friends were a little bit disappointed when they found out that it was our last day of visiting them. But, they got our cellphone numbers so we can still keep in contact. Our friends, especially the girls, are so eager to know the cellphone number of Roj. And without further notice from Roj, we gave his number. J

I can tell that it was fun serving other people especially kids. I am very, very happy that Prof. Malabuyoc and our administrators allowed us to have a first hand experience of being immersed in such an environment, so warm, so full of hopes and dreams that are yet to come true. As I close another chapter in my life, I will never forget these kids who had been and always will be part of my life. They made me feel accepted and respected. To them, thank you so much. And to God, a million thanks to You for having our paths crossed in a very extraordinary way.

EXCELLENCE and VIRTUE are the values that I will always share with whoever I may be with. I will share it the way MCL did to me to become a more humane member of our society.