Farewell to the Mother of Democracy

Her character and charisma made her an icon. She moved mountains and inspired not only a multitude of my countrymen but people around the world that witnessed that bloodless day. The People Power Revolution was the epitome of Filipino victory after more than two decades under a regime that was plagued with corruption and deprived Filipinos of their freedom. Truly, it was meant to eventuate for the world to aspire to a peaceful transition of power that change is possible with guns pointed down and with a strong faith in God.

My mother is telling me now a story when I was only a year and months old in Hilongos, Leyte. Corazon "Cory" Cojuangco-Aquino was there campaigning for her presidency as I was waving a yellow flaglet, a gesture of my littlest way of support. Everything seems a blur to me, but I am glad it transpired as history unfolded before my unadulterated eyes.

Now that she is laid to eternal rest beside her husband, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr., I can't help but think what can we learn from all this. It seems that Filipinos have become coward ignoramuses in this long slumber, shrugging off the value of what was fought for in 1986 or just horribly disinterested or continually deceived by the greatest tricksters in politics. We need to stamp the very essence of it on our head, learn from it so we can move on progressively, and never let history repeat itself. We can't go on pretending we are OK when we are not, because we will never be when that day of fear and the unpleasant comes. Her demise, it appears, united the nation once again, which means how much of an influence she is. Bringing back the old times, deja vu.

Cory is love for the Philippines personified. Let's all give our fair share of love for the country. It doesn't have to be tantamount to that of a figure in history books, but, at least , to strive to be worth a Filipino. It is tempting to say that the Filipino fails to realize that the dream is not far from his reach if only he act now, and I do believe in every Filipino. I am hoping the struggle will soon be over.

Today, I bid farewell to you President Corazon Aquino, the mother of our democracy. We will be forever indebted to you. It was a job well done.

Translation of text on shirt: Daghang Salamat, President Cory Aquino... Paalam!!! (Thank you so much, President Cory Aquino... Farewell!!!)

Grow More Trees

The tree-planting activity sponsored by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and the Kantipla Ecosystems Enhancement and Protection (KEEP) Foundation kicked off last June 27. They are encouraging volunteers to join the tree-planting caravan every Saturday until September 26 at Sitio Kantipla, Barangay Tabunan, Cebu City. It's for a good cause -- giving back to Mother Nature what she has given us.

The team (me together with my officemates) arrived at the site mid-morning today. At least 2 other companies I know of joined us. Then when mid-day came, thousands of different tree species were planted already.

Thanks to PBSP and KEEP for the opportunity!

On the way back home, we were convincingly tired, starving, and, at the same time, charged up. We stopped by every time there was something worthy of our camera flashes. The day culminated with nothing less than evermore green around, and we had found a comfortable place to say that, at least, we were on top of the world.

The downpour never ceased to save everything electronic, but it guaranteed one thing, that the young trees that so finally met the earth will eventually heighten into sturdy giants, spread their roots far enough to support themselves and save humanity.

Up to the Boondocks

The playfulness of the world is an adult's jealous longing to journey back to the old times. As he kisses goodbye to the carefree joys of untapped and uncorrupted world, he is met with nothing but the absolute reality of the world -- complicated and never pure and simple anymore.

As we trekked to the mountains, packed with a purpose, a growing realization of the world came to being. To ascend, to rise against the sad reality, it is but fitting to look around to see what's so often go unnoticed. We're thinking macro, disregarding the other way around. Besides, living in the fastlane often interferes with comprehension of the world.

Everything has an important role to play and deserves recognition. The rocky road we traversed, the muddy brown clay sticking to the soles of my sneakers, the simplicity of the farmer folks' livelihood, the greenness of it all, and everything that breathes life compounded my appreciation of the world. Nothing can be so trivial after all. The naivety brought me back to the timeline untapped, uncorrupted, and so pure and simple.

"It is hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world," says Lester Burnham from the movie American Beauty. There is so much hope out there. We just have to learn to find it.

Images: Matalom, Leyte, Philippines

Hollywood-themed Inn

Lao Tzu was right, that a good traveler has no fixed plans. I should have been embarrassing myself too much had I been lost during my trip to Ormoc City. Mr. Google proved handy as usual! Exercised my searching prowess and printed every possible map. But with nowhere to stay overnight? That's a different story. It was just one of those days when you're all dressed up but with no direction.

Upon leaving the port, I approached one of the guards and asked where to stay best and emphasized the nearest to downtown Ormoc and budget-friendly. He gave me two options, Don Felipe Hotel and TRN Travelers Inn. The latter rang perfectly in my ears, and so we headed to 32 Rizal St.

Everything turned out very well -- nice amenities, and did I have fun taking pictures of its Hollywood Wall Frames. And just because they noticed me doing it, I got a free invite to the MJM Grand Mini Bar and Music Lounge! What more could I ask for. Thanks!

I don't qualify myself as a traveler yet, I just got started.

TRN Travelers Inn is celebrating its first year anniversary this month of June. Happy first anniversary!

Room

Hollywood Wall Frames

MJM Grand Mini Bar and Music Lounge

Cozy Coffee Shop

Ormoc City After 18 Years

"Good morning, Ormoc!" were the words I caught myself saying the moment I realized that we had truly arrived. It's nice to be back, at last, after eighteen long years.

It was raining a bit on a Saturday, the 23rd of May, which happened to be my brother's 16th birthday. Walking distance from the port is the TRN Travelers Inn, where we stayed. Rested the whole morning and got back to business in the afternoon to see the new Ormoc. Adventure time!

My family lived in the city when I was only two years old until after more than five years. How Ormoc has changed so much! Though I have only a few recollections of the old city, I could tell obvious differences. From the emergence of a number of colleges, malls, banks, popular fast food chains to the Superdome, its progress is something Ormocanons should be proud of.

It was only a two-day visit, but I will be back -- perhaps, nature tripping by that time.

Flashback: The flash flood tragedy in 1991 which killed thousands of people was one of the worst natural disasters that struck the country. It became an international news story and served a lesson that abuse of Mother Nature will have to take its toll. She can castigate and she will. Ormoc's flood mitigation project is an excellent structure addressing the threat of flooding. I can only guess that the city is virtually free of illegal logging activities. Ormoc cannot let the same thing to happen again.

The places I had visited:

Ormoc City Superdome

Ormoc City Hall

Ormoc Catholic Church: Sts. Peter and Paul Parish

Eastern Visayas State University

St. Paul's School of Ormoc Foundation Inc.

St. Peter's College

Fiesta sa Ormoc

Centennial Park

Veterans Park

The Project for Flood Mitigation in Ormoc City

Don Felipe Hotel

Ormoc Bay

Ormoc Executive Building

Gaisano Ormoc