Finally, I'm Vaccinated! Can We Travel Now?

I remember it was in April 2020 when, at the height of all those lockdowns, strict community quarantines, and the mandatory quarantine passes, questions as to when vaccines against Covid-19 would be made available for everyone were all in everyone's mind.

But even with all the so-called experts and incompetent government officials talking on TV and online bragging about procuring vaccines for the country when we all knew that billions of people all over the world had to fall in line behind rich countries just to get the vaccine, I was still positive that, someday, I'd get my chance at those vaccines, too.

                    (My first dose in May 2021. 

                        Thanks to Nurse Tim🙏)

Well, thankfully, the Philippine government distributed the Sinovac vaccines among the provinces and the local governments, and our local city health department was smart enough to spread the word that anyone who registered online could get the vaccine. And that's what my family did: we registered online, got called, and got vaccinated.

I already have both doses of Sinovac. First one was in May, and the second one in June. It has been three weeks since, and I'm grateful that I have never experienced any Covid-19 symptons, which I credit in part to my strict adherence to protocols and my habit of just being clean, hygienic and sanitary all the time.

(My second dose in June 2021)

So, now that I have been fully vaccinated, when do we get to travel again? 😀

Aton Ini Community Pantry (This Is Our Community Pantry)

The news about 'community pantry' that was set up by Ms. Ana Patricia Non in Quezon City, Philippines, went viral because it was organized by a lone, private individual whose main objective was to help out her neighbors during these difficult times.

The 'community pantry' was a table full of canned goods, noodles and other food items that one would see at a pantry at home. But this one was on the street, open to everyone who was in need of food. It was also open to everyone who would like to add food items to the 'pantry'.

(Rice and shine!)

(Kalamay para matam-is imo yuhum - Sugar so that your smile is sweet!)

(My egg is white!)

In April and May 2020, at the height of lockdowns in cities and towns in the Philippines, our parish, the Our Lady of Victory Parish in Victorias City, Philippines, went around the haciendas and rural areas of the city to give away rice, noodles and food items (read blog here). 

The food items we gave away were from generous parishioners who shared their blessings. We received sacks of rice, noodles, canned foods, taochiam, bottled water, and other items. We then apportioned them in individual packs for easy transport and distribution.

(Arroz caldo for everyone!)

And just four months ago, in January 2021, when some of the barangays of Victorias City were inundated and families had to evacuate and seek shelter at public halls and covered courts (read blog here), we also gave away relief goods to families who lived near the river banks and whose livelihood and properties were damaged by the floods.

So, for us here, it was just 'normal' to organize a food drive. And since I have been part of these drives before, I simply shared a thought of organizing our own 'community pantry' with my fellow Bosconians and other friends.

Donations then started to arrive: cash donations from my fellow Bosconians and food items like rice, canned goods, noodles, taochiam, and eggs from certain anonymous donors.

('Nanay' with her 'balde' full of goods. We asked them to bring clean containers where they could put the food items as we did not pre-pack to avoid using single-use plastic.)

We then went to an impoverished neighborhood in Barangay 6 unannounced as we did not want people to gather in droves as we still needed to comply with social distancing protocols that were still in place.

We started around 8AM and we were able to finish around 10AM. My original objective was to share the goods with the families living near the creek which overflows during high tide but we were also able to share with rest of the neighborhood who later found out we were giving away goods. 

But when the rice was all given out, we decided to transfer to nearby location at Barangay 3 with the sugar and a few trays of eggs. There, we gave them all away.

After the weekday 'community pantry' at two locations, we went further to the rural areas where there were more families in need.

With the help of a team from the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, we transported six sacks of rice, one big container of pre-packed cooking oil, 20 trays of eggs, packs of vitamins, boxes of canned goods, 300 packs of noodles and taochiam, kilos of dried fish, and a sack of brown sugar.

Fr. Jess Ebro, the priest-in-charge of the Our Lady of Guadalupe at Barangay Estado in Victorias City welcomed us to his community and allowed us to hold the community pantry inside the church compound so as to control the queue. Fr. Jess also prepared a caldero of arroz caldo for everyone.

(Each person who lined up at our community pantry has his or her own story to tell. Maybe 'Tatay' has a sad one to tell. But with his hands full of food items to bring home, there was no sad story to tell that day.)

All the neighborhood residents who came to the community pantry were asked to bring their own containers for the rice and sugar. A 'lavador' could hold the rice, eggs, de latas and noodles, while a cup could hold the sugar. I decided not to repack or provide plastic bags in order to avoid using single-use plastic which could harm the environment of the barangay.

The men and women in uniform of the Philippine Army, together with Fr. Jess's church assistants, my sister and her friend, helped in the distribution and crowd control during the our community pantry. 

Although we would have wanted to leave the table open and let the people take what they needed, we had to make sure the distribution was orderly as we were not sure whether the local residents had any idea about the essence of the community pantry, although we prepared a tarpaulin where we also wrote some 'guidelines' that we copied from sign boards of other organized pantries.

One gesture though caught me by surprise. One lady, as she was about to leave with some food items, gave us two fifty-peso bills that she said she wanted to share. For a moment, I was speechless because I never expected such kind gesture. I guess I always have to remind myself to expect such generosity at the most unexpected places during unexpected moments. We added her donation to our fund.

So, thanks to all the kind donors who contributed to our 'community pantry' at Barangays 3, 6, and Estado, and to Fr. Jess and his assistants, and to the men and women of the 79th 'Masaligan' Infantry Battalion for the transportation and assistance.

Although it was hot, sunny and far, the distance and the inconvenience are not hindrances if one's goal is to share and alleviate in our little way the hardships our brothers and sisters are enduring during this difficult time. 😍

Bacolod City, Philippines: Fallen Trees And Government

(One of the 26 decades-old trees along the 

national highway in Bacolod City, Philippines, 

that was ordered cut down by government officials)

(Photo credit: Bombo Radyo Bacolod Facebook page)

I have always wondered why some local government officials in the Philippines think that cutting down trees was always the solution to solve a clearing problem. 

On the second week of April 2021, photos of what was left of the trees that were cut down circulated around the social media accounts of the citizens of Bacolod City in the Philippines. 😢

The photos were of the 26 trees along Araneta Avenue, a main thoroughfare of the city. According to the local official of the Department of Public Works and Highways, they have been authorized to cut 35 trees that included 15 molave, 12 narra, seven mahogany, and a eucalyptus tree "to give way to ongoing projects". Of the 35, nine were saved.

(One of the 26 decades-old trees along the 

national highway in Bacolod City, Philippines, 

that was ordered cut down by government officials)(Photo credit: Bombo Radyo Bacolod Facebook page)

As expected, there is now a huge outcry from the local citizens because of this unthinkable mistake in judgement for which excuses may not be acceptable.😡

I googled "how to relocate a tree" and found a lot of ways to save a tree than just chopping it down for convenience. I wondered why the DPWH people didn't even bother using other options. It takes decades for those fallen trees to grow and to have those long, leafy branches that give shade to those who seek under it.

(Protesters stand beside the fallen trees along Araneta St., Bacolod City, Philippines)

(Photo credit: Bombo Radyo Bacolod Facebook page)

The local government officials in Bacolod City don't have to look that far to find ways to save those trees. Other cities simply let the trees become part of the sidewalk. 

In Seoul, South Korea, I stumbled upon this tree in the Gangnam District that preserved the tree by putting barricades around it, so that vehicles avoid crashing into it. The message is that the tree is more important than the traffic.

Why can't we do creative things like that?😪

(Seoul, Korea: a tree is preserved 

by putting barricades around it😊) 

In grade school, we were once taught a poem by Joyce Kilmer, Trees.

I think that I shall never see

A poem as lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

                                        * * *

It's probably a good idea to let these local government officials memorize and understand this poem so that they can also appreciate trees. 😋

Philippine History: 500 Years of Christianity And What?

(Pope Francis celebrating the mass for the 

500th year of Christianity in the Philippines 

at St. Peter's Basilica on March 14, 2021)

As my family was attending online the mass Pope Francis was celebrating to commemorate the 500th year anniversary of the arrival of Christianity in the Philippine archipelago, a thought came to mind.

On March 16, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan and his men landed in the group of islands that were later named Philippines, after a Spanish monarch. With him was a cross that he brought from Spain. Upon his arrival, he befriended and converted into Christianity one chieftain, his wife and the whole tribe.

And that's probably where Magellan's european arrogance got him into trouble. He thought, with all his shiny, sharp blades and spears, he and his men could overpower any of these local tribes he'd encounter in the islands.

He was wrong. Deadly wrong. A few weeks after he set foot in the islands, Magellan was dead on April 27, 1521, from poisoned spears of the men of the rival chieftain, Lapu-Lapu. Those 'inferior' weapons were probably made from bamboo and local wood. His men scurried away defeated and left without bothering to recover his body, some parts of which must have decorated Lapu-Lapu's front porch.

But Magellan's legacy lives on in the Philippines, having been recognized as the bearer of Christianity, and for the centuries that followed, Catholic friars from Spain came to convert more indios and spread the Catholic faith with some teaching the locals a few agricultural innovations.

That was 500 years ago today, and what have Christianity done for us?

Visits from from three popes, Paul IV, Saint John Paul II, and Pope Francis.

Two saints, San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod.

And based on what's happening around the country, it would probably need more generations to achieve the real way to live a life based on His teachings.

For me, those first 500 years gave me my faith and a character that was molded by lessons of virtues from my Catholic education, which will guide me until the end of my days. Unfortunately, I won't be able to see what the generations would be like at the end of the next 500. 😃

So, if you're a Filipino, what have 500 years of Christianity done for you?😎

Pan De Loco and A Lesson In Real Customer Service

(Pan de coco with human hair)

I was having a nice morning having merienda when I realized it was human hair sticking out of the pan de coco that I bought from a local bakery whose name consists of a letter repeated four times.

Like what I did last year when I bought ensaimada that had a fly in it, I went back to the bakery to complain (read blog here).😡

Just as I expected from this bakery (which I think has the same owners/management as the ensaimada issue but different locations), they just offered another piece (Php 5/each), which I immediately refused as it probably contains another human hair.

But after I told the head tindera that they at least should apologize for feeding me with human hair, she readily gave one.

But it was too late. I told her they didn't know anything about real customer service, sanitation, and how to appreciate a customer who goes out of his way to point out lapses in their food preparation. Right there, I promised not to buy their pan de coco again. 

With my disappointment, I walked a few meters east to an area where vendors from Manapla sell their homemade delicacies.

Compared to the wealthier and educated businesspeople in the same area, these small vendors know better the term 'customer service'.

'Sabeth', a 70-ish vendor from Kilometer 39, gladly gave me an extra 'bot-ong' (steamed glutinous rice cooked with coconut milk) just because she was happy I bought 'bot-ong' and suman latik from her that morning.👩

(Buying suman latik and 'bot-ong' from Sabeth)

Sabeth may not have a degree in business nor an experience in marketing or econometrics but she and her fellow street vendors can always teach us a thing or two about the real customer service and customer relations.😎

So, to all businesspeople, make sure the products you sell are what your customers expect them to be or even better. If you sell pan de coco, make sure it's stuffed only with sweetened coco and not human hair. Otherwise, it's pan de loco! 😡

And teach yourself and your crew the real customer service. Because you will lose not only customers, but respect as well.😎

Travelblog Iloilo: The Jaro Cathedral and Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria

It has always been our tradition to visit the Jaro Cathedral every time we are in Iloilo City (in the Philippines). 

Pre-pandemic, we would cross the Iloilo Strait to Iloilo City from Bacolod City (in Negros Occidental, Philippines) because of the very popular Dinagyang Festival (read here) , the La Paz batchoy (read here), and of course, everyone's favorite, Roberto's siopao (read here)! 😃

And if we happen to be there on a Sunday, joining Ilonggos at the mass in the Cathedral is one reason. Another reason is a very delicious one: Balasan bingka sold at the side entrance of the Jaro Cathedral (read blog here).

(The miraculous Nuestra Senora de 

La Candelaria statue and Child Jesus)

(She is the only Marian image in the Philippines crowned by a pope. The Virgin and the Child Jesus are adorned with gold and light blue vestments.

According to legend, the statue of the Virgin (now displayed at the Cathedral balcony) was only a foot-tall limestone found by fishermen floating along the Iloilo River in 1587. They were probably bewildered because limestone does not float. As they carried it, it was heavy but became lighter when they decided to bring it towards the Jaro church as instructed by the bishop that time.

The image of the Blessed Virgin carrying the Child Jesus is now encased with thick glass on the Cathedral's balcony where she and her Son look after Iloilo and its people day and night.

(The prayer room is full of orange candles

lighted by devotees as they whisper to the Virgin

their prayers of thanksgiving, devotion, and requests) 

She was crowned by Pope Saint John Paul II on February 21, 1981, and has been venerated by millions of devotees all these years, including me and my family.👪

On February 2, 2020, we were able to join the thousands of Ilonggos and the faithful from the neighboring provinces, who all lifted up their prayers of thanksgiving and supplications during the annual celebration of the feast of the Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria, or Our Lady of the Candles.

                      (The Candelaria prayer)

(A very colorful stained glass window 

of Prophet Simon)

Every year, the color of candles of the Candelaria changes. It was orange in 2020; it is white/blue in 2021.

Although we will not be able to be there in Jaro, Iloilo City, this year, we join everyone in spirit as we all raise our lighted candles in prayer for Her intercession in these difficult times. 🙏

(The Prayer Room)

          (The centuries-old Cathedral belfry)

(Devotees queuing to go up the Cathedral balcony)

Happy fiesta sang Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria sa tanan nga taga-Jaro!😊

 

My mom at the 2020 Candelaria 

with her orange candles)

Note: Photos taken on February 2, 2020😎

"We May Not Change The World In One Day" And A Tribute To The Volunteers And Private Donors Who Are Helping Victorias Flood Victims

It will be remembered as one devastating disaster and a bad wake-up call, not only to the people of Victorias, but also the people of the nearby municipality of E. B. Magalona, and cities of Talisay and Silay (in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines).

The floods of January 1 and January 8, 2021 (read blog here), are now part of its history to add to the big floods of January 1907, 1922, and November 1995 (read blog here)😱

  (Evacuees at the Our Lady of Victory parish refectory)

                     (Donations from Bosconians)

From the stories I heard from the 1995 flood victims, they still remembered the height of the waters and the damage it caused to their homes compared with the floods of January 1 and January 8, 2021. 

They also recalled the distance the floodwaters travelled into their neighborhoods, the height the flood waters reached the walls of their homes, and where they had to evacuate then.

(Volunteers from Bacolod City brought help 

            and distributed snacks to the evacuees)                                       

        (Distribution of donated goods at Barangay 1)

Although these tragedies bring out the best in humanity, misfortunes like these have also become opportunities for politicians to exploit. They just know how to make use of other people's misery for their own political propaganda.😡  

They either pass other people's donations as their own, or even join the distribution relief goods as if they were the ones who actually organized it. Some go as far as wading or swimming in the flood waters for a good photo-op.😝

                (Pre-loved clothes are appreciated)

(A mother and child walk through a muddy path 

that used to be neck-deep in flood waters 

with the help kind donors gave.) 

But for the kindhearted and sincere givers (of time, money, and goods), there is no need for them to write down their names on the packages or shout them out every time they bring their much-needed donations to the flooded neighborhoods.

For them, it is their responsibility to help. Period.😎

(Distributing donated goods at Sitio 

Litib-Litib of Barangay 3)

(Volunteers carry relief goods through 

the twice-flooded alleys)

This is why I pay tribute to the nameless individuals, volunteers, and families from Victorias, from other towns and cities of Negros island, from other provinces and countries, who have given their time, donated cash and goods, and even opened their homes, churches, and even garages to shelter and feed our fellow Victoriahanons.👪

(Youth volunteers deliver donations from the parishioners of Miranda, Pontevedra, and San Enrique)

        (Delivering donated goods to South Barrio)

But as these generous citizens are willing to help every time there is a tragedy, I'm wondering whether we are all just waiting for the next big flood and not acting to solve and minimize the impact on the way of life, livelihood and properties of these environmental disasters.

(Fr. Joriz Calsa, SDB of the Saint Joseph, the Worker parish receives donated rice at the Immaculate Conception Church at Canetown Subdivision)

I have always wondered whether our government simply relies on distributing relief goods every time this happens, and not actually having an action plan to solve the flooding?😠

What do you think?😭

(Distributing goods at Sitio Bugtong Lubi of Barangay 6)

            (Packing relief goods for distribution)

Taking a line from Michael Jackson's song, In Our Small Way (which aptly describes the generosity of the kind donors), "we may not change the world in one day" would probably also serve as a reminder that we have to change our ways in order to protect the environment and the future generations of this place.😄

In the meantime, let's pray the next flood won't happen any time soon.🙏