Wednesday, May 30, 2012

People : Minsan May Isang Puta by Mike Portes

Tingin ng mga bobong kapitbahay ko, puta daw ako. Nagpapagamit, binabayaran. Sabi nila, ako daw ang pinakamaganda at pinakasikat sa aming lugar noon. Di ko nga alam kung sumpa ito, dahil dito naletse ang kinabukasan ko.

Tara, makinig ka muna sa kwento ko, yosi muna tayo.

Alam mo, maraming lumapit sa akin. Nagkagusto at naakit. Ang hirap pag lahat sa iyo, virgin eh. Tinanggap ko naman silang tao, bakit kaya nila ako ginago? Hindi ko maintindihan ang mga nangyari sa akin. Bukas palad ko naman silang pinakitunguhan, ni hindi ko nga itinuring na iba. Iniisip ko na nga lang na kasi di sila taga rito kaya siguro talagang ganoon.

Tatlong malilibog na foreigners ang nagpyesta sa katawan ko. Sabi nila na-rape daw ako.

Sa tatlong beses akong nagahasa, ang pinakahuli ang di ko makakalimutan.

Parang maski di ko ginusto ang mga nangyari, hinahanap-hanap ko siya. Kasi, ibang-iba ang hagod niya. Umiikot ang mundo ko sa tuwing ginagamit niya ako. May mga pagkakaton na nasusuka na ko sa mga nangyayari sa aming dalawa. Parang ‘pag humahalinghing siya, nararamdaman ko na nalalason ako.. Gusto ko mang umayaw, hindi ko makuhang humindi. Hindi ko din alam kung bakit. Ibang klase din kasi siya mag-sorry eh, lalo pa at inalagaan niya ako at ang mga naging anak ko.

Alam mo, parating ang dami naming regalo – may chocolates, yosi at ano ka! May datung pa! Nakakabaliw siya! Alam kong ginagamit niya lang ako pero pagamit naman ako nang pagamit. Sa kanya namin natutunan mag-inggles, di lang magsulat ha! Magbasa pa!

Nung kinasama ko siya, guminhawa buhay namin. Sosyal na sosyal kami! Ewan ko nga ba, akala ko napapamahal na ako sa kanya. Akala ko tuloy-tuloy na kaligayahan namin, yun pala unti-unti niya akong pinapatay.

Punyetang buhay! Sa dami ng lason na sinaksak niya sa katawan ko, muntik na akong malaspag. Ang daming nagsabi na ang tanga tanga ko. Palayasin ko na daw. Taon ang binilang bago ako natauhang makining sa payo. Iniisip ko kasi na parang di ko kakayanin na mawala siya sa akin… Sa amin! .

Sa tulong ng ilan sa mga anak ko, napalayas ko ang demonyo pero ang hirap magsimula. Hindi nga ako sigurado kung nabunutan ako ng tinik o nadagdagan pa. Masyado na kasi kaming nasanay sa sarap ng buhay na naranasan namin sa kanya, kaya eto nabaon kami sa utang. Lubog na lubog kami sa pagkakautang, kulang yata pati kaluluwa namin para ibayad sa mga inutang namin.

Nakakahiya man aminin pero hanggang ngayon, sa tuwing mabigat ang problema ko, siya ang tinatakbuhan ko. ‘Yun nga lang, kapit sa patalim sabi nga nila. Para akong isang aso na nangagat ng amo, na bumabahag ang buntot at umaamo kapag nangangailangan.

Usap-usapan ako ng mga kapitbahay ko. May nanghihinayang, namumuhi at naaawa. Puta na kasi ang isang magandang katulad ko. Ang dating hinahangaan at humahalina ay nabibili sa murang halaga. Alam mo maski ganun ang mga nangyari sa akin, nilakasan ko pa rin ang loob ko. Kailangan makita ng mga anak ko, na masasandalan nila ako maski ano pang mangyari.

Maski ano pa ang sabihin ng iba, sinisikap namin na maging maganda ang buhay namin. Nag-aambisyon kami at nangangarap. Ayun, may mga anak ako na nasa Japan, Hong Kong, Saudi. Yung iba nag-US, Canada, Europe. ‘Yung iba ayaw umalis sa akin. Halos lahat, wala naman silbi. Masaya daw sa piling ko, maski amoy pusali ako.

Sa dami ng mga anak ko na nagsisikap na tulungan ang kalagayan namin, siya din ang dami ng mga anak ko na nanamantala sa kabuhayan at kayaman na itinatabi ko para sa punyetang kinabukasan naming lahat. Eto na nga ang panahon na halos di na kami makaahon sa hirap ng buhay. Napakahirap dahil nasanay na kami sa ginhawa at sarap.

Alam mo, gusto ko na sanang tumigil sa pagpuputa kaso ang laki talaga ng letseng utang ko eh. Palaki pa ng palaki! Paano na lang ang mga anak kong naiwan sa aking puder? At paano na lang ang mga anak kong nasa abroad? Baka di na nila ako balikan o bisitahin man lang? Hindi na importante kung laspagin man ang ganda ko, madama lang ng mga anak ko ang pagmamahal ko. Malaman nila na ibibigay ko ang lahat para sa kanila.

Sa tuwing titingin ako sa salamin, alam ko maganda pa rin ako. Meron pa din ang bilib sa akin. Napapag-usapan pa din. Sa tuwing nakikita ko ang mukha ko sa salamin, nakikita ko ang mga anak ko. Tutulo na lang ang mga luha ko ng di ko namamalayan. Ang gagaling nga ng mga anak ko eh, namamayagpag kahit saan sila pumunta. Mahusay sa kahit anong gawain. Tama man o mali.

Sa dami ng mga anak ko, iilan lang ang may malasakit sa akin. May malasakit man, nahihilaw pa.

Mabigat dalahin para sa akin, ang katotohanan na ni minsan ay di kami naging isang pamilya. Halos lahat ng mga anak ko, galit sa isa’t isa. IIlan ang gusto magtulungan, naghihilahan pa. Madalas kong itinatanong sa sarili ko kung naging masama ba akong nanay para magturingan ng ganito ang mga anak ko?

Kanino bang similya ng demonyo nanggaling ang mga anak kong maituturing mong may mga pinag-aralan pero nakakadama ng saya at sarap sa paghihirap ng kapatid nila? Di ko lubos maisip kung saan impiyerno nanggaling ang kasikiman ng ilan sa mga anak kong ito. Sila pa naman ang inaasahan kong magbabangon sa amin. Nakakabaliw isipin na natitiis nila ang kalagayan ng kanilang mga kapatid na halos mamatay sa hirap ng buhay. Parang di sila magkakapatid sa tindi ng pagkaganid at walang pagmamalasakit.

Ang di ko akalain ay mismong mga anak ko, ang tuluyang sisira sa akin. Kinapital ang laspag na ganda ko. Masaya sila sa mga nabibili nila mula sa pinagputahan ko. Buong angas nilang pinagyayabang ang mga pansamantalang yaman at ang kanilang hilaw na pagkatao sa mga makakakita at makikinig. Talaga bang nakakalula ang materyal na kayamanan at mga titulong ikinakabit sa pangalan? Hindi ko maintindihan.

Minsan sa pagtingin ko sa salamin, ni hindi ko na nga kilala sarili ko.

Dadating na naman ang pasko, sana maalala naman ako ng mga anak ko. Ilang linggo pa, magbabagong taon na. Natatakot ako sa taong darating. Ngayon pa lang usap-usapan na ang susunod na pangbubugaw sa akin. Gagamitin pa nila ang kahinaan ng mga kapatid nilang alipin sa kalam ng tiyan. Sa tagal ng panahong ganito ang sitwasyon namin parang eto lang ang sulok na gagalawan ko. Sana may magtanggol naman sa akin. Ipaglaban naman nila ako. Gusto kong isigaw: “Ina ninyo ako! Pagmamahal nyo lang ang kailangan ko!”

Sensya na, ang haba na ng drama ko. Masisira na ang make up ko nito eh. Salamat ha, pinakinggan mo ako. Malaking bagay sa akin na nakausap kita. Ang tagal nating nag-usap, di man lang ako nagpapakilala.

Ay sorry, di ko nasabi pangalan ko.

Pilipinas nga pala.

_____________________

Gusto ko lang pong linawin na hindi po ako ang nagsulat nito,this is by Mike Portes.Shinare ko lang po para maraming makabasa sa sinulat niya:)

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Places: St. Augustine's Parish Church and Bell Tower a.k.a. Bantay Church Belltower, Vigan, Ilocos Sur

The first destination during our Calesa tour at historical Vigan is the St. Augustine Parish Church and Bell Tower a.k.a Bantay Church Belltower.This is located in Bantay, Ilocos Sur. It was already noon at that time and we could really feel the burns on our skin but that did not stop us from exploring the two remarkable landmarks not just by taking photographs. We climbed the bell tower to the top.   The Bantay belfry is located just a few meters away from the church on top of the hill and it was used as a lookout point for approaching enemies during the war. When one is on the top of the tower, you can see the beauty of the whole town and the surrounding towns from it. 

The church is not part of Vigan, as Bantay is in a different town, it has been synonymous to Vigan for it’s the first landmark one can see before entering the City.  It is one of the oldest churches of Ilocos Sur. The church was built in 1590 with a baroque and Gothic inspired architecture. This architectural design was influenced by the Europeans eventhough it was built under the Spanish regime and it was also built through forced labor. The church’s patron is “Our Lady of Charity”.

The Belfry is really a magnificent structure due to its baroque-gothic style as well as the church. There is no entrance fee, donation only. 

Below are some of the pictures taken from this historical landmark.

St Augustine Church, Bantay, Ilocos Sur
Bantay Bell Tower

The historic bell at the tower..
To know more about my adventures in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, you may visit at:





Places: Pagburnayan, Vigan, Ilocos Sur


After enjoying the views of Vigan City from the bell tower. By 12: 55 pm, we arrived to our next destination: Pagburnayan Jar Making. Here you will be able to witness how a jar was made by hands. You can even try it out and experience the actual process of jar making. You can also find many souvenir shops in the area. Please note that there are no entrance fee, donation only.

Below are some of the pictures taken at Pagburnayan Jar Making:

Jars being died under the sun.
More and more jars around Pagburnayan....
Souvenir shop at the entrance of Pagburnayan..
To know more of my adventures to Vigan, Ilocos Sur, you may visit ar:

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Places: Hidden Garden, Vigan, Ilocos Sur


The Hidden Garden in Vigan, Ilocos Sur is a restaurant garden quite far from the city proper. They served breakfast and lunch in a nature type of setting with relaxing ambiance. We then decided to have lunch here since its already passed 2 pm. We ordered the famous bagnet, Vigan longanisa and Vigan empanada. You can also see all different kinds of plants but don’t expect much on seeing flowers here. If you happen to visit this place, try checking there unique comfort rooms as well.

Below are some of the pictures taken at this interesting place.



Lunchtime!!!
Bagnet and Vigan Longanisa..

Places: Baluarte ni Chavit, Vigan, Ilocos Sur


Baluarte ni Chavit is an 80 hectares of terrains, hills and mountain sides that serves as natural habitat for Gov. Chavit Singson’s personal collection of wild animals like ostriches, tigers, donkeys, camels, stags, colorful pheasants, parrots, macaws and a lot of others. You can also see a life-size Alamosaurus Dinosaur statue (like in the Jurassic film). It also features Butterfly Exhibit, Photo opt with the animals (Tiger or Snake) for Php 50 with souvenir picture while using your own camera, they charged Php 20/cam.

There’s no entrance fee to Baluarte. Right outside are souvenir stores. If you’re in a budget, you may consider buying goods from Vigan’s Public Market. Prices of items outside Baluarte are way too high.

Below are some of the pictures taken at Baluarte ni Chavit.

Baluarte ni Chavit
Deers and sheeps at Baluarte..
Photo opt with Tiger...
Life-size T-Rex at Baluarte..

To know more about my Vigan adventures, you may go to:



Places: Vigan Heritage Village, Ilocos Sur


The Vigan Heritage Village is the only colonial town in the Philippines and for which Vigan is known. The gateway to Heritage Village is Calle Crisologo. From there one can see the colonial past of Vigan through the Spanish houses and buildings that lined up the whole stretch of Crisologo up to Plaza Burgos. Plaza Salcedo, ViganCathedral, and Plaza Burgos is just beside each other.It is considered the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. In November 1999, it was placed on the World Heritage List commemorating its cultural significance.

The village was established in the 16th century, when trade and community activity started to flourish along the Mestizo River, lasting up to the 19th century. The name "Vigan" was derived from a giant taro plant "biga" that grew abundantly along the riverbanks. Most of the materials -- such as adobe, pebbles, bricks and posts -- were brought from Europe through the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade. The construction work was done by Chinese laborers. Thus, the village's architecture reflects a unique fusion of Spanish European and Chinese culture.

Below are some of the pictures taken on this historical site.

Vigan Heritage  Village


Calesa Ride 

Calle Crisologo
To know more about my Vigan adventures, you may visit at:

  

Places: Vigan Cathedral, Ilocos Sur


The Vigan Cathedral is an imposing creamy-white building built in the “earthquake baroque” style with thick buttresses to support it through earthquakes and typhoons. A separate belltower (or belfry) was built 15 meters away from the main building — so that if one structure was destroyed in an earthquake, then the other might still remain standing. The belltower is about 25 meters high and it is surmounted by a large bronze weathercock that is said to symbolize St Peter. Inside you will see an impressive altar with hammered-silver panels.

Vigan Cathedral

The influence of Vigan's Chinese residents on the design of the cathedral may be seen in the two fu dogs on the outer doors and in the octagonal shape of the belltower.

The first church was built on this site in 1574 (by Juan de Salcedo) and was damaged in the earthquakes of 1619 and 1627. A second was built here in 1641; and the present baroque-style church was built in the 1800s.

Vigan Cathedral Bell Tower
To know more about my adventures to Vigan, Ilocos Sur, you may visit at:

Sunday, May 13, 2012

People: Mother's Day 2012

Today, as we pay tribute to our our first teacher, source of strength, inspiration and  happiness to our family. Our mothers who shaped our character to be valuable citizens of this world. Happy Mothers day to all Mom's out there!

Mother's Day is special day to my family or I should say for most Filipinos. Each family organize a treat or outing for our beloved Moms. In my case, I see to it that every mother's day, I will spent my time with her like going out for shopping, going to church, or have a fabulous dinner with her. If  I am not around,  I make sure that I call her or mark it with gifts such as flowers, chocolates, jewelry, clothing, and cards. In this was I can thank her for all sacrifices and the unconditional love she gave me.

No matter what day or manner we celebrate Mother's Day, the most important thing is: Honor and love our mothers. She works hard and sacrifices a lot for the good of her family. All hugs and kisses to her on this special day. Let us show our thanks and appreciation. Happy Mother's Day to all! Love you always Mom! :)

Me & My Mom







Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Places: St. William's Church of Laoag City


The St. William’s Cathedral is the largest cathedral in Southeast Asia. It was said that this cathedral was damaged by fire in 1843. It’s patron saint is not actually a saint, but an Ermitanyo named William. In addition to that, Sinking Bell Tower is the bell tower of St. William. It’s 50 meters away from the main cathedral. Amazing! 

St William's Church at night...

Grotto at St Williams Church

 

Places: Sinking Bell Tower of Laoag City



Sinking Bell Tower at night...


The Sinking Bell Tower of  Laoag City in the province of Ilocos Norte is one of the first things you may spot upon entering the city proper. It’s a massive 45-meter bell tower said to be one of the tallest bell towers in the Philippines and was built by the Augustinians in 1612.

The tower has earned its “sinking” reputation because it is so heavy and it was build on sandy foundations that it has consistently sunk into the ground. Stories mention that a person on horseback could enter the tower with ease back when it was built. Now, a person of normal height has to bend down just to enter the vaulted entrance. Despite its sinking state (supposedly at a rate of an inch a year), the bell tower still continues its centuries-old purpose of ringing the bell to call Catholic brethren to mass. (I wonder if the stated 45-meter height was the original height or the current height.)

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

People: My Mom's 66th Birthday Celebration....


Today (May 1) is my mom's birthday! Another year full of laughs and surprises. But with 66 years and counting, my mom has seen most of what life has to offer. So, what shall I get her?

A gold earrings perhaps? A new perfume? Or trip abroad would be nice! However when I ask her, she just replied that greatest gift she received  from  God is me. I thank God for giving me my mother because she has given me:

B ? Bliss
E ? Enlightenment
S ? Strength
T ? Tolerance
M ? Motivation
O ? Open Mindedness
M ? Miracles

Also, she has given me the priceless gift of life and the priceless gift of having such a great mother. If cost is a worry, hugs and kisses are certainly free. Add a little bit of some feel-good comments should be enough to boost anyone's day.

Whatever happens, I will always be your son, and nothing can take away from that important fact. No matter what happens in the future, nothing can take away from the many, many happy memories in the past. Happy Birthday, Mommy and I love you always! :)

Below are some of the pictures during my Mom's 66 birthday celebration:

Mom celebrates birthday with Piolo.

Mom's Birthday celebration at Circle Island
Mom with Moi
with krizzia