Constant Change

4:44 in the afternoon and I suddenly felt so sad. The gloomy sky, the depressing sound of the waves, and the thought of spending the night alone added up to the cheerless and depressing atmosphere of the place. Tonight will be my 4^th night in Pinamalayan. And it’s just become boring each night. The first night was spent with the 3 teams, with drinking sessions; the 2^nd and 3^rd with one team; and now, I’ll be all alone. The survey teams have arrived at 12 noon after their 10-hour observation in Bongabong and Bulalacao and left after I've downloaded the data from their instruments.

I know there is more to what I have described that put up the sadness that’s in me right now. “I’m just on emo-mode”, I thought. But no. I just found out 2 reasons: (1) the projects going to end; and (2) Ate Lala will soon be leaving for Australia probably by October.

Life is a constant change ikanga. Ang ganda nga naman ng lyrics ng kanta ni Jose Mari Chan:

Photo taken during our trip from Batangas to Romblon

We’re on the road
We move from place to place
And oftentimes when I’m about to call it home
We’d have to move along
Life is a constant change

The friends we know we meet along the way
Too soon the times we share form part of yesterday
‘Cause life’s a constant change
And nothing stays the same, oh no

Clouds that move across the skies
Are changing form before our very eyes

Why couldn’t we keep time from movin’ on?
Hold on to all the years before this moment’s gone?
Why must we live the days at such a frightening pace?

We’re all like clouds that move across the skies
And changing form before our very eyes

Have we outgrown our Peter Pans and wings?
We’ve simply grown too old for tales of knights and kings
‘Cause life’s a constant change
And nothing stays the same, oh no.

Indeed, nothing really stays the same. Everything changes. At lahat ay may hangganan...This is just the sad reality of life. Though we want to hold on to something that we love so much... Something that we've become accustomed to doing or feeling -- still we have to let it go. Masakit nga lang isipin at tanggapin na kung kailan nakita mo na yung isang lugar kung saan ka masaya ay kailangan mong bitawan ito at pakawalan.

The Project is ending, and Ate Lala will soon be leaving. Should I be sad? I just am but I know I shouldn't be. I remember the negative impacts of being attached to this world from the homily of Fr. Mario. Sabi ni Father, being attached to your talents, your beauty, your wealth -- makes you proud and being too attached to your loved ones, friends, and even experiences -- makes you weak. You'll be too weak to let go of these things and when they go - you'll just go broken-hearted and frustrated. 

Hence, it is my challenge now not to get too attached to either of these things. Pero andito na eh. I remember myself in the past, secluding myself from people and it didn't turn out well. I guess, the remedy would be to hold to God and to always look on the brighter side. 

May takipsilim man, may bukang-liwayway din...hehe.(don't know if this is the right phrase). There's a rainbow always after the rain. Kung may katapusan, may bagong simula. With God in command, I shall be waiting for the new start to happen.

Romblon, Romblon

 Gumaca to Batangas = 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM. We needed to catch the 5PM trip bound for Odiongan, Romblon 'cause if not, we shall have to wait for the next trip which will on the other day..thank God, we have this remarkable driver...na grabe magpatakbo..hehe.

  Batangas to Odiongan, Romblon = 5:00 PM to 3:30 AM

Montenegro Shipping Lines.

 Marble polishing...

Picture Lamination on marble stone plates...

Their marble products...

Romblon Plaza @ night.
Of course the flooring and posts are made out of marble.

Overlooking the town of Romblon, Romblon...

Pictures taken on top of the hill near RML-4 monument.

A day in Pagsangahan

We've decided to stay in the town proper of San Francisco, Quezon (a.k.a Aurora) to communicate with the other teams on other locations. Wala daw kasi signal sa Brgy na pupuntahan namin for the GPS observation. San Francisco, Quezon is about a 3-hour drive from Lucena City. And from the town proper, we have to travel about an hour and 45 minutes to get to Brgy. Pagsangahan.

RJV Lodging House. The only lodging house in town of San Francisco

We departed from our lodging house @ 5AM.
Getting to Brgy. Pagsangahan (also known by the locals by its former name - Brgy. Pugawan), means one have to travel a rough road which becomes so muddy even after a slight rain. 30 minutes of travel and the phone signals went off.

When we were about to arrive in the area, our vehicle finally was stuck up on the deep mud after its tumultuous battle against the sticky mud. There were no houses around the area, we worried no one would help us push the vehicle out mud. But God is still in control. A man in his motor bike, stopped to help us and so we were able to arrive to the area in time.

There we met Sgt. Angelo Jesus Tanteo; and the First Kagawad of the Brgy who also happen to be a Bisaya. After setting up the instrument, we literally spent the whole morning chatting with these guys.

Sgt. Tanteo, is now on his 4th month in the Barangay. An army with a Bible and a Copy of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines always in hand. He said, you need to know both the law of man and the law of God. From the conversation we had, i learned a number of facts about being an army:

• Paid by the Government Php 3,500 monthly food allowance
  
• Starting basic monthly salary of Php 16,000 for the newly-recruited armies
• Vacation Leave is every after 3 months (equivalent to six working days)
• Spends most of the time in the barracks ( they have more time to read books and to search for possible love interests. =D )
  

After having lunch the military way (nilatag na pagkain sa mesa), I and Kuya Lito strolled around the Barangay to search for phone signal and found some beautiful spots of Brgy. Pugawan.

By the Beach of Brgy. Pagsangahan

From the stroll that we had in search for phone signal, I learned some unbelievable things about the beliefs of other religions as told by Kuya Lito, who happen to have spent bible study discussions with different religions - Iglesia ni Cristo, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses. Kuya Lito is a Roman Catholic but now being convinced to be baptized to be a Jehovah's witness. Though he now believes in Jehovah's witnesses' teachings, he refused to be baptized as he often says "no religion can save you". A very good alibi or reason indeed to refuse being baptized to a religion. Things I learned about Jehovah's witnesses' teachings include:

• Man has no soul.
  
• Jesus Christ is St. Michae, the archangel sent to earth
• The apparitions of Mother Mary is the work of the devil.
  

BOK-LIT : Si Bok at si Tolits

While on the road after the GPS observation, di ko maiwasang mapangiti sa dalawa kong kasama sa sasakyan – Si Bok at si Kuya Tolits. I was seated at the back, while the two were in front. Laging nagdedebate ang dalwa:



ROUND 1: Marriage
Lito : Okey yung sabi ni Kagawad ahhh. Katorse anyos na dalaga, pwede palang makasal dito.
Bok : Child abuse yun. Di naman pwede yun. Katorse anyos? Di pwede.
Lito : Eh, kung payag naman ang dalaga, paano magiging child abuse yun.
Bok : Child abuse nga yun. Menor de edad eh. Di yun pwede. Yung sa ospital nga, di nakakapag decide ang mga menor de edad.
Lito : Pwede yun. Eh, kung okey yung mga magulang na pakasal yung anak nya eh.
Bok : Di nga pwede makasal yun. Di naman papayag ang Mayor nyan.
Lito : …sa Mayor nga hindi..pero sabi ni kagawad pwede sa Kapitan…Kasalang Kapitan nga eh.
(Kuya 2lits wins)


…at biglang sumayad ang ilalim ng sasakyan sa putik.


ROUND 2: The Right Way
Bok : Sabi ko na nga eh… Dapat kanan pinili mong daanan..
Lito : Eh kung kanan pinili ko, lulubog din tayo dun…ang lalim at ang lambot dun oh…
Bok : Kita ko na eh…matigas na yung lupa dun. Dapat kanan pinili mo.
Lito : Hindi. Kaya ko naman yung daanan yung sa gitna. Nabitin lang ako pag bwelo…


Pinaatras ni Kuya 2lits ang van at pinili ang kanang part ng muddy road. Umusad na ang van.
Bok : Oh, tingnan mo... di ba okey? nakita ko na kasi yun eh...matigas na nga yung putik sa kanan.


(Panalo si Bok)


ROUND 3: Pagpapa-cemento
Bok : Dapat kasi ipa-cemento na lahat to. Dapat dumiretso na sila sa Senator. Magrequest dapat yung mga ofisyales ng Barangay eh.
Lito : Di pwede yun. Di ka pwede dumiretso sa Senator. Kailangan ka muna dumaan sa Mayor. Yung Mayor ang dapat magdecide.
Bok : Pwede yun. Eh Senator na yung lalapitan eh…Magagawan agad ng paraan.
Lito : Di nga pwede yun..
Bok : Pwede yun…Lalapit ka lang sa Senator eh.


Kung ganito ba naman mga kasama mo…di ka tatahimik at matatawa sa isang tabi? Hehe. Kulet nang mga ‘to.


-to be continued-

(next round: RELIGION)

Back to FIRST-ORDER (South Luzon)

After being pulled out from the First Order project last April 14, to lead the Ground control Team for the NGCP Flight, ngayon I'm back in the adventure-filled project. Adventure kasi, you'll be spending a day or two either in an island, in a place so remote, sa bundok, or if you'll get lucky, in one of the tourist spots of South Luzon. Di mo expect ang tutulogan mo.

First Stop - Catanauan, Quezon.

The team spent 3days (if I'm not mistaken) in one of the hotels in Catanauan. Now, I'm back in the very same Hotel, only that I'll be spending the night by myself, all alone. The receptionist have even given the same room we used a two months ago. Kaktauwa yung receptionis, galing the memory. hehe.