Category Archives: Philippines

Umaapoy na Damdamin ng Isang Ina

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Napakahaba ng titulo ko di ba? Ibig sabihin, umaapoy talaga, nagpupuyos, nagagalit.

Ang asawa ko ay may meeting sa SBMA kahapon. Ako ay hindi pumasok sa trabaho at sumama sa kanya upang pumunta sa tahanan ng aking mga magulang. Naiwan ang anak kong si Julian doon sa bahay ng aking mga magulang, upang makasama ang dalawang kapatid niyang sina Trixie at Tania. Babalikan sila bago ang pasukan sa Hunyo.

Gabi na ng kami ng aking asawa ay makabalik. Kami ay gutom na gutom at pagod. Dumaan kami sa isang kainan upang maghapunan. Doon sa kainan, merong mga bata, me dalang banduria, byolin at gitara. Sila ay tumutugtog. May isang bata namimigay ng maliit na envelope upang manghingi ng donasyon.

Ako ay nabagabag at hindi komportable, hindi dahil sila ay nanghihingi ng pera kungdi dahil gabi na at dapat sila ay nagpapahinga na ngunit sila ay patuloy pa din sa kanilang ginagawa. Ito ay isang palaisipan sa akin. Hindi ba ito ay isang pang-aabuso? Hindi ba ito ay isang pagmamalabis? Umaapoy ang aking damdamin kaya kinuha ko ang aking kamera upang kunan sila ng larawan. Kelangan ko itong maisulat, upang maipahayag ko ang aking pagkamuhi sa ganitong sistema. Bakit kailangang gawin ito sa kanila? Sila ay mula sa isang foundation. Pero bakit ganun?

Sintunado na ang kanta.

Hindi na sabay-sabay ang pagtugtog.

Wala nang saya ang pag-awit.

Pagod na ang mga bata. Pagod na.

 

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My title is long, isn’t it? This means it is fiery and angered even.

My husband had a meeting at SBMA yesterday. I decided to not go to work and go with him so that I can visit my parents and my two daughters currently vacationing there. Julian was left there to be with his sisters and to have some break too. We will be getting them before classes start in June.

It was already late when we started for home. My hubby and I were hungry and tired. We decided to go to a fast food in one of the many gasoline stations lining up the NLEX for some dinner. In the restaurant,there were some children. They had musical instruments with them: violin, guitar and banduria. They were playing these musical instruments. There was even a small child going to the diners giving them envelope for donations.

I was uncomfortable, I was not happy, not because they were asking for money but because its late. Its past 9pm! Shouldn’t they be resting? Why do they still continue what they were doing? This puzzled me. Isn’t this a form of child abuse? Isn’t this child exploitation? My feeling were hurt for them, I was “on fire” so I had to get the camera and to take their photos. I wanted to write about this, to vent off my steam about this kind of treatment, about this kind of system. And to think they are staying with a foundation. Why do they have to do this to them?

3 Day Sale

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My son Julian and I braved the crowds to get our own discounted and essential loot. Good thing it was not that crowded yet during Friday night. We have no choice, this mall is where we park the car and wait for hubby to arrive from his client’s offices three times a week.

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View more Weekend Snapshots here.

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Litratong Pinoy : Malungkot

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Malungkot. Ngayon ay Mayo Uno, Araw ng Paggawa. Sad. Bleak. Depressing. Today is May One,Labor Day.

Sa loob ng mga magagara at maliliwanag na mga gusaling iyan, naririyan ang mga mangagawa. May mga sumasahod ng mas mataas sa minimum. May magagarang damit, celfone at sapatos. Mangilan-ngilan ay may kotse. Masayahin. Ngunit tunay kayang sila ay masaya? May ngiti pa bang mamumutawi sa kanilang mga labi sa taas ng presyo ng mga bilihin, bayarin sa kuryente, tubig, gasolina at pamasahe at ang trapikong araw-araw ay kanilang kinakaharap? May ngiti pa bang makikita sa mga mata ng mga taong ginagawang araw ang gabi at gabi ang araw, upang sumagot sa mga reklamo ng mga tao sa telepono? Oo, karamihan sa mga diyan sa mga gusaling iyan, nandiyan sa gabi para magtrabaho, nabubuhay sa kape at nikotina. Yan ang dahilan kung bakit marami pang ilaw sa mga gusaling iyan.

Inside those grand and brightly lit buildings are employees. Most of them probably earn a little above the minimum wage. They have nice clothes, nice cellphones and nice shoes. Some even have cars. They are happy. Or are they really happy? Would a smile still play on their lips especially now that the prices of food, electricity bill, water bill, gasoline, public transport fares are so steep? Not to mention the monstrous traffic they have to endure, going to work and coming home when they workday is done. Can they still smile, these people who make the nights their days and the days their nights, just so they can answer complaints and queries on the telephone from irate customers? Yes, most of those who work in those buildings work at night until the wee hours, energized by caffeine and nicotine. Why do you think the buildings are still so bright even if its obviously late?

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Malungkot ang kalagayan hindi lang ng mga manggagawang Pilipino, kundi pati ang kalahatang kundisyon ng bansa.

It is a sad plight not just for the Filipino worker, but for the overall condition of the country.

But still…

Anuman ang gawain, mataas man ang tungkulin o tila isang abang manggagawa, dapat ito ay ginagawa ng tama at may karangalan.

Whatever kind of work, whether in a top rank or in a lowly position, work should be done correctly, rightly, and with dignity.

Mabuhay ang mga manggagawang Pilipino!

P.S. Sige na nga, masaya na tayo kasi walang pasok. Pero ako me turo pa rin, ok lang yun sa akin, huling hirit ko. Iiwan ako ng 4 na studyante, pupuntang New York ang isang pares nang magkapatid at magba-Bahama cruise naman ang isa pang pares na magkapatid. Ako ang malungkot. Konti lang ang kita ko ngayong Mayo 🙁

Blog Events in Metro Manila

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Friday and Saturday were full of blog events for me. You can click that -> Spot Pass Trinoma Bloggers Food Trip for more details about the blog event where we went to 18, yes, 18 restaurants from 2pm-8pm I am so thankful that I was with Cookie (and Wenchie too though she went home earlier) because she is a perfect companion for this kind of event.

Here is 343rd photo I took from that event:

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GreenBucks at Five Cows Resto and Ice Cream Bar.

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IBlog4 Summit at the Malcolm Theater in UP Diliman. I went with hubby, my son Julian and Jazz with Kevin who made the worksheets I brought for him.

I saw Dine, Jane, Noemi, Alice, Joni, AJ, Benj, Dexter, Joy, and a lot more other bloggers who look familiar to me and some who also participated in the Friday’s affair.

See another entry here. View more Weekend Snapshots here.

Have a great week everyone.

Here are some entries about iBlog4:

Trinoma’s The Madison Grill

I was one of the participants in Spot.Ph Trinoma Bloggers Food Trip last Friday, April 25, 2008.

The first restaurant we went to was The Madison Grill located on the 3rd level. I can say that this was one of the better places that we went to.

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Pizza table preparation accents.

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Some of the pizza toppings to choose from for the make your own pizza preparation.

View more photos here.