Malas or Positive Attitude?

A new century, a new millennium...  But did anything change?  Nuh-uh.  If anything, it got worse.  Isn't there a saying "History repeats itself"?  In our case, Philippine history repeats itself every election year.  When election results are in, many of the citizens who want change (myself included) have to sigh in frustration because people don't seem to learn from their mistakes.  They vote for the highest bidder and then complain when they don't get what they want.  So why are we still here?  Well, because there is still a chance, even though it's only 10%, it's still possible.

----- 

2001. More catastrophies! The peso plummeted to a horrifying US$1 to P51. The Abu Sayyaf (extremist ideologues? Or mindless barbarians) were into kidnapping and terrorism, gaining worldwide notoriety.. Businesses are still closing shop. Thousands of workers are being retrenched. Prices of food and gasoline are very high. (Galunggong is P80 per kilo!) Our streets became permanent garbage dumps. Maggots multiply to spread disease. Our communities stink.

Again, the whole nation was witnessing sickening crimes attributed to people in the government. Talo na naman! We are now 75 million people but the gap between the rich, 30% (middle-class and rich), 70% (lower-class and rural/urban poor) remains the same for one century.

When will this end? It's been more than 350 years since Lapu's- Lapu's victory, 100 years since Rizal martyrdom and we're nowhere as a people, as a nation. Malas pa rin!

Some wise guy said the Filipino is a damaged culture. Bully! And what do you call other foreigners. They used slaves in their plantations, and landgrabbed from the natives! What should we call such culture? Predatory Culture? Bully Culture? What about another country? How many countries did it put under the barrel of its gunships, so they could gloat that the sun never sets on their empire?" What shall we call this culture? Sahib culture? Gunga Din culture? C'mon, give us a break!

We Filipinos have strengths and endearing values. We are Christians, God-fearing, and peace-loving. We are patient and tolerant (matiisin to a fault). We are musical. We sing our blues away. We have a sense of humor. (We concoct and text Imelda hyperboles and Erap malapropism) . We learn fast because we are bilingual and highly educated.. We've got thousands of MBA's and PhD's in economics and management from AIM, WHARTON, HARVARD, UCLA, etc (most of them now overseas).

We've got a surplus of technocrats for nation-building.. We want to work if there are vacancies. We want to go into business if we have the capital. We want to obey the law if the law is being enforced.  We want to live and die here, if there is peace and order.

But, but, and but. We have many shortcomings. We are immature in our politics. Given a choice on whom to elect: a handsome pabling movie star or an honest and brilliant political scientist, we'll vote for the movie star.

No brainer tayo dito. Talo! We have many stupidities. Like dogs, we pee (Bawal umihi dito) on walls and tires. Our driving is suicidal. Our service quality is inferior.

Clerks at City Hall act arrogantly. Sales ladies at department stores don't know their product features. No exchange No return even if it is defective, you have to argue for it. Tourists get mugged by thugs in uniform. Police lay traps so they can catch you and ask for bribes. What's wrong with us? We don't have a great leader. And good governance. (In Singapore, Lee Kwan Yew did it. The constituency profile is similar to Filipinos.) Admittedly, this country is impossible, tiresome, and frustrating.

But it's the only country we've got. We live and die here.. Will we ever see the dawn?

Dios na mahabagin, Kailan pa kaya? Ubos na ang aming luha. Katog na ang aming mga tuhod. Tuyot na ang aming utak. Hingal na ang aming puso.
Dios na mahabagin, isalba Mo po kami. Hindi po kami talunan. At lalo pong hindi kami tanga. Sunod-sunod lang po ang malas.

NOTE:
Dati Kastila, Amerikano, Insik, Hapon at ngayon may Koreano pa.

Mahabagin Diyos, Nasaan Ka PINOY ??

The End

Malas with Eyes Wide Open

I remember this era.  Real estate was booming, multilevel marketing was in and it seemed like everyone had money.  Then the bottom fell out.  And people, grasping at straws, caught this charismatically eccentric man named Erap, which is the word "pare" spelled backwards, another idiosyncracy known only in the Philippines.  Another problem was born.  Can you see my eyebrows rising?

-----

In 1997, the Asian economic crises struck, triggered by a balloon burst of the hyper-speculative Bangkok economy. The financial debacle created a disastrous effect in the investment institutions of Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Taiwan. All the Ramos gains evaporated into thin air. Malas na naman! The poor, specially Mang Pandoy, were poorer than ever.


1998 was showbiz time! The Erap para sa mahirap show opened to the chagrin of Makati Business Club.. Pasensya na po kayo, mga elitists. Democracy is also weird. The choice of the masa must be respected.


Catastrophe! Chavit Singson exploded jueteng bombs! For days on end, a nation sick in the stomach, sat through primetime TV aghast at watching the bizarre drama of alleged bribery, gambling, drunkenness, womanizing, deceit, and corruption. A lantern-jawed witness and a sexy intelligence "asset" hogged the witness stand.


Viewing the scandals on TV was like watching dogs mating in the public square. It's embarrassing but you can't take your eyes off them.


The impeachment trial serialized on TV was riveting. The defense lawyers, some wearing a canine sneer (ngiting aso) insulted our intelligence often. (Lokohin n'yo ang lelang n'yo). The whole country was stinking to high heavens.. The prosecution produced its own witnesses - Clarissa Ocampo, Emma Lim, Carmencita Itchon and many others.


Idols with feet of clay fell crashing into the dust. Those who voted against opening the envelope were legalese, procedural, and sounding intellectually brilliant. Also heartless and thick-skinned. They couldn't fathom the heartbeat of the nation. Cardinal Sin, aging and sickly, called the people again.. It was People Power II!


Same humongous and collective umbrage, same brinkmanship, and same staccato prayers! Generals Reyes and Villanueva simply joined the mammoth EDSA crowd. No US jets from Clark this time. Erap was out! Gloria was in!


Hope springs eternal. Malacañang regained its honor and dignity. Protocol was observed. Absurdity was gone. Grammatical English was back. Now the first gentleman should have been named Mr. Pakyao, he has the monopoly of the graft behind Gloria's back.

(to be continued)

Malas Anew

This was the era when I was introduced to the "outside world", my innocent mind not comprehending that the Philippines had just experienced a major catalyst.  I guess I was fortunate to have had Cory as President because she was so passive that her pace suited my indoctrination to Manila life.  And then Ramos -who happens to be a distant relative of my husband- gets elected, does a relatively good job, but is not allowed to run for a second term.  Sigh...

In 1983, Ninoy Aquino, Marcos' exiled arch rival, was assassinated upon his return. Push came to shove. Cardinal Sin engaged on the people on to protest. Outrage, self- pity, shame and fury raged and rumbled like a tidal wave, culminating in the incredible People Power Revolution. The very sick and obstinate Marcos fled (hijacked by Americans from Clark) to Hawaii (sounds like Paoay) where he died. His alleged millions of stolen dollars intact and unresolved.. Up to now... Peso to dollar exchange is now US$1 to P20.

But People Power was our shining glory! The whole world applauded our saintly courage, our dignified defiance, our bloodless solution to expel a dictator. We were the toast of all freedom-loving countries, the envy of all oppressed people. In 1986, we placed Cory Aquino, Ninoy's widow, in Malacañang. She was virtuous, sincere and full of good intentions for the country. But what happens under Cory?

An endless brown out and living in portable generators is a must and monopolized by Cory's relatives who threw out her Energy Department down the Pasig River. The land reform she professed and promised was going good at first, but after she found out her Hacienda Luisita will be greatly affected, that program went down the Pasig River too!. No wonder that river is so polluted.

Coup attempts by Honasan, power struggle, political squabbles, and the infighting for juicy deals harassed the amateur Cory presidency. So nothing happened. No progress took place. The economy was still bad. The poor suffered more and more. Sure we got democracy back on its feet.. But the Filipino resolve didn't happen. People Power pala was "ningas cogon" power.

Sayang na sayang! The gap between the rich and the poor remained at 30% (middle-class and rich), 70% (lower-class and rural/urban poor). Exchange rate was US$1 to P25. We were 55 million people.

In 1992, Cory's choice, Fidel Ramos, West Pointer, soldier, and hero of the People Power won the presidency. He had the bearing, the single-mindedness and the vision to bring the country to a tiger economy status.. Ramos was a terrific salesman of the Philippines to the world. He was able to hype a climate of an economic ground. He removed barriers to progress. He was an apostle of privatization. His mantra was, less government, more private sector! Fidel hit the right note and the economy went on a roll. Fidel wanted to run for reelection but failed to swing the cha-cha (an idiotic acronym for Constitutional Change) so he could run again.

-to be continued-

Malas in Reconstruction

Sorry for the long break.  Unfortunately, our authorities must have forgotten that they were supposed to be unreliable and remembered just in time, by breaking an almost two full weeks of continuous electricity with two consecutive nights of brownouts.  Sigh...


But there was still no peace from 1947 to 1966. A widespread communist rebellion led by Taruc, the Lava brothers, and its armed guerillas called Hukbalahap (Supposed to be Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon) waged bloody war with government troops and turned out to be nothing but bandits in disguise. Filipinos killed kapwa Filipinos. Malas na naman!

Our politicians and bureaucrats learned to engage in graft and corruption (What are we in power for?) - such as the war surplus bribery, the Tambobong wheeler-dealing and the Namarco scam. Talo nanaman!

Six presidents were elected to manage the country from 1947 to 1972, under the democratic system. They were Presidents Roxas, Quirino, Magsaysay, Garcia, Macapagal, and Marcos.

Economists looked back to the decades of the 50s and 60s as the best years of the Philippine economy, surpassing Asian countries. The nostalgia was naiveté, a useless ego-tripping. The gap between the rich and the poor remained big. 30% middle-class and rich, 70% low- class, rural and urban poor. We were 27 million people. US$1 was to P4.

During the late 60's, the Maoist communists led by Commander Dante intensified its drive to overthrow the government.. Marcos added fuel to the fire by creating a communist spook. Violence and mayhem rule the streets. The youth went up in arms! Martial Law was declared in 1972 and Marcos became dictator. Freedom of assembly and expression went out of the window..

What followed were years of dictatorial abuse, crony capitalism, shackled free enterprise, near economic collapse and a demoralized middle class. The gap between the rich (30%) and poor (70%) remained in a quagmire. Pareho rin pala ang situation.

Our population was 40 million. Exchange rate was US$1 to P7.. Kawawang kawawa! Malas na malas! 

Malas in Depth

Notice the detail?  The author must have given this piece of work much thought before posting it on the internet.  Either he/she is a good researcher or he/she is a historian with a sense of humor.  This particular section is my favorite because for some reason, World War II is the part of Philippine History that is closest to my heart.  Probably because that's when the Philippines gained true independence, but didn't know it.  Too bad.

During the Commonwealth period (1901-1941), which followed, there were lots of learning on democratic principles, its structure and governance. Technology transfers were done on Constitutional Rights, Public Education, Transportation, Health, International Trade and Industrialization. The Americans turned out to be good tutors. Filipinos also went crazy over American brand products like Libby's corned beef and Portola sardines, Hershey's Kisses and Wrigley's chewing gum, Camel cigarettes and Model T Ford for the hacienderos of Pampanga and Iloilo .

Hollywood films made Pinoy males fantasize on Jean Harlow, Betty Grable, and Mae West. Thus, Filipino colonial mentality began. We fondly called this period Peace Time.. By the way, American troops massacred innocent people in Balangiga. Mga hayop din pala!

1941. Disaster! World War II! After attacking Pearl Harbor , the Japanese army invaded our country defeating the combined American and Filipino forces (USAFFE). General MacArthur, the proud and handsome Army chief, fled to Australia at the height of the battle. Then the Filipinos marched to Bataan as the prisoners in the Death March.

For four miserable years we suffered the sadism of the Japanese militarists rule. Torture, famine, and death were for us the order of the day.. Kawawa. Malas na malas!

The American forces returned in 1945 to liberate the country. MacArthur, General superiority complex himself, sporting Ray Ban sunglasses corncob pipe swaggered back to Manila . Piqued at his humiliation in 1941, MacArthur ordered the bombing and shelling of Manila till kingdom come. So he can get back at Japs for wrecking his R&R place in Asia. Malas na naman.

The whole-wide expanse South of Pasig - from Post Office to Vito Cruz, including all of Intramuros - was pulverized. Manila was the most destroyed city of World War II next to Tokyo. Our culture, our heritage, and historical assets (seven beautiful churches in Intramuros, hundreds of elegant Art Deco and neo-classical architecture in Paco) were sacrificed recklessly and completely erased from the face of the earth. Sayang na sayang!

In 1946, we gained our Independence from the Americans. We were a free nation at last! A true Independence day for us, July 4th 1946 not the June 12th that Aguinaldo declared and Marcos celebrated. We had enough exposure and lessons on how to govern a democratic country, the first in Asia . Our population was 17 million. The dollar exchange was US$1 to P2.

(to be continued, God willing...)

Malas vs Suwerte

If you are a Filipino citizen, you are either born to Filipino parents, or you are born in the Philippines to either a Filipino mother or a Filipino father, or you have been naturalized.  Another way of looking at it is if you grew up in the Philippines, you're as much a Filipino as all the rest (whether you're white, black or brown).

Why?  What make Filipinos different?  Is it because the Philippines is the only Christian nation in Asia?  Is it because our language is easily influenced and is therefore always changing?  Or is it because we believe everything we hear that our lives are filled with sayings and verses and luck (bad luck?) that we cannot get by a day without first consulting one or another form of fortune telling?

I came across an article through the mail called "History of the MALAS Nation."  Below is part of it; the rest will be posted in the next few days.  I just want to warn you that the writer (unknown) was being sarcastic.  I'm sure a lot of us have thought of our history in this point of view, have even discussed it at length with friends while downing some interesting drinks.  Don't get me wrong...  I love my country.  I love the country I grew up in.  I will probably stay here until the day I die.  So why am I posting the article?  Well, because it's funny... and true.  And that, at the end, we should realize that it is time to change.

Subject: History of the "MALAS" Nation - Panahon na para baguhin

"There is a lot of truth on this. Don't know the "Historian" Author:
This brief history of the Philippines, told by a philosopher of the streets, is probably closest to the truth about ourselves.

WHAT'S the big deal when Lapu-Lapu killed Magellan in 1521? Nothing much really. During Lapu-Lapu's time, Mactan was strictly tribal. Think small, gid. There were no big ideas such as nationalism or geopolitics.

Lapu-Lapu was simply, the local siga-siga and Magellan was the culture-shocked Westerner, a native first-timer in the exotic east. We lionize Lapu-Lapu as a hero and nationalist. Ang totoo, mayabang lang si Lapu-Lapu. But this defeat of a foreign invader, did not make a Filipino nation. The timing was wrong. And don't you believe that bull that Spanish explorers came to find spices of the East to improve the taste of their bland cuisine.. Their hidden agenda was to spread their kingdom through colonization, the euphemism for land grabbing.

During the 333 years of Spanish rule (1565-1898), hundreds of rebellions were waged by native firebrands in many parts of the archipelago. Not one succeeded. Our rebels were either caught, garotted, or simply ignored by the Commandante as nuisances. Puro malas!

The execution of Rizal in 1896 was a traumatic experience for Filipinos. Those who read Rizal's Fili and Noli were incensed by the abuses of the church and state regime of the Spaniards. Emotions ran high, from Aparri to Jolo. The critical mass needed for nationhood was formed. At last we could rebel as a people, as a nation.

The Katipunan did their battle heroics, originally led by the firebrand Bonifacio and later on by the crafty Aguinaldo. With more Katipunan charges (Sugod mga Kapatid), freedom seemed possible. Between 1897 and 1899, stealth, betrayal, and skullduggery bedeviled our prospect for independence.. The Aguinaldo and Bonifacio factions engaged in an ugly infighting (the talangka mentality) resulting in the execution of Bonifacio.

Meantime, an American Admiral named Dewey entered Manila Bay and defeated a luckluster Spanish navy. Aguinaldo reneged on the pact of Biak na Bato. He resumed the revolution by proclaiming the Philippine Independence in Kawit. June 12. From whom? We were still under the Americans & Spaniards at that time.

Meanwhile, American and Spanish soldiers held a "moromoro" battle in Intramuros with the Spaniards surrendering. Aguinaldo's republic and his KKK patriots were left out and ignored. Naisahan tayo... Minalas na naman.

The Filipino-American War broke out. Tall American soldiers looking like Clark Gable chased and battled the outlawed Filipino revolutionaries, ending in the capture of Aguinaldo in Isabela. Thanks to the mercenaries from Macabebe. This was the second time those Macabebe turned on their own kind first with the Spaniards. This was the mother of all kamalasan..

At that time, our population was 8 million. The gap between the rich and the poor was estimated at 30% middle-class and rich, 70% low-class and rural poor.
(to be continued, God willing...)

Life Goes On...

The May 10 Elections have come and gone.  In the days leading up to it, it seemed like everyone depended on the forthcoming result and that the world would end if the PCOS machines failed to operate.  Well, as you can see, the machines did work and 80% of the total country's ballots had been counted swiftly and accurately within just a few hours.  Of course, the winners have not been officially announced yet because the final count will still be performed by Congress.

So what happens now?  The world did not end, obviously.  Posters and streamers and scraps of campaign material still litter the streets.  When you switch on the TV or radio, you still hear news about election returns being delayed in certain parts of the country; or that a PCOS machine was discovered in someone's house in Antipolo; or that there was a failure of elections somewhere in Lanao del Sur.  But all that's just a trickle... more like an afterthought nowadays.  People are going back to work, back to the office, back to the everyday activities we normally do when the sun rises in the morning.

When will we understand that just because our lives had revolved around a major national event (or a major crisis or a major career change) doesn't mean that we should expect everything to change with the snap of fingers?  These things take time.  The actual change will happen gradually and when it does, it'll be just like an everyday activity.  You'll hardly notice that it happened and then you'll just realize one day that you're a new person. 

We have a tendency to believe that a piece of paper will make us better people -- more credible, more believable.  But actually it doesn't.  We make ourselves who we are.  We decide whether we should be honest or liars, traditional politicians (trapo) or new world leaders, service-oriented or just in it for the money.  Who are they to say that we are not qualified for a certain type of work just because we do not pass their standards?  When in fact, we have been making this our way of life already, without the proper training, or the documented expertise, or, for that matter, the publicity, that usually comes with it.

Their reasoning is that what we do is collorum and that the piece of paper makes it legal.  Now who can argue with that?  In the meantime, life goes on...

Keep on praying, people!

Tantalizing Flavors

When you order tsokolate from any Filipino restaurant, it is understood that you want the chocolate drink derived directly from the raw material cacao.  There are only a few places in the Philippines which can pull off a truly authentic flavor for this concoction-- Batangas, Albay and... what do you know-- Cogon Market in Cagayan de Oro!

Next on our agenda was the search for the famous tsokolate-A and tsokolate-E.  What's the difference, you ask?  It's in the dilution-- the A (aguaro) is lusaw or watery while the E (espeso) is malapot or thick.  Again, Ms. Gen led the way but it was Mr. Spy who found the kiosk Ma'am San Juan (Chef, VIP Hotel) had told us about. 

NANOL'S CAFE is what it is called.  Run by an very efficient group who, though it was obviously a labor-intensive job, kept up a thoroughly sanitary and organized structure.  Immediately one will see that there was a boss.  Her name is Ellen.  She was the one who mixed the drink using only various cups, a spoon and a can of evaporated milk.  When an order was made, she would get a clean mug, dip a cup into a vat of boiling water, then another cup into a pot of pure melted chocolate, a spoonful of white sugar and pour everything plus a dollop of milk (poured from a height, bartender style) into the mug, and voila!  Your tsokolate, ma'am!  That was the A.  If you wanted it E, you just had to ask for more of the pure melted chocolate.

We were extremely impressed (obvious ba?) not only by the entertaining way Ms. Ellen could mix the tsokolate but by the way her servers had been trained to use plates instead of spoons to serve puto maya on platitos and by the cleanliness of the area.  It was only about 10 square feet but, everything had a place and a place had been assigned for everything.  All their ready-to-eat food (sandwiches, delicacies in banana leaves, breads, etc.) were wrapped in clear plastic, while their mugs and utensils for serving were regularly sterilized with boiling water from the vat.

And... what topped off our enjoyment was the price:  12 pesos for the drink and 6 pesos for the puto maya.  How's that for a filling breakfast?

What's next AMUMA?

Tantalizing Tastes

Unfortunately, Aling Violy's wasn't exactly what we had in mind.  Or rather, the humba that we had heard so much about wasn't exactly what it was supposed to be.  In the first place, it wasn't sweet.

You see, humba is a pork dish which is seasoned with soy sauce, brown sugar, salt, pepper and spices and cooked over low fire for several hours.  This softens the meat to melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and ensures the complete absorption of flavor into the meat, making your digestive juices churn just thinking about it.  But the essential ingredient here is SUGAR.

Well, like I said, the humba we had wasn't sweet.  So either the price of sugar was too high so as to be neglected or the cook forgot to pour it in.  Needless to say, as one of our seminar coaches-- Ms. Dolly-- had ingrained in our hearts that as tour guides we should be curious about everything (we were indeed VERY curious about this sad observation), that we practically interviewed the male server... in a fishing sort of manner.  Ms. Gen was the most inquisitive and got the most answers.

Apparently, Aling Violy was not present as she was an aging woman with various ailments such as heart desease and high blood pressure.  However, since this eatery was a family venture-- handed down from mother to daughter-- she had taught her daughter all her recipes and was trusting enough to just stay home while her family takes care of business. 

So the next obvious question should have been:  Does Aling Violy know that her daughter doesn't put sugar in the humba?  But Ms. Gen asked instead a better question:  What makes Aling Violy's humba different from other recipes that people, from experienced concessionaires to the daily wage earners, look for it?  The answer:  It is very popular among the common people, like drivers and market laborers, because of the always-boiling bottomless soup.  Another reason is that their humba is vitually oil-less, making it a "healthy" choice.

Well, oo nga naman.  Where can you find a "healthy" or "green" recipe of pork that is readily available to the common folk?  Only in Cogon Market in Cagayan de Oro City!

(to be continued)

Tantalizing Scents

If you don't think about it, you won't realize that, common as they are, local dishes like humba, la-uya, sikwate and biko take on new meaning when eaten in Cagayan de Oro City.  You just have to know where to find the cooks who make them the most delicious. 

Eight of us newly graduated tour guides - Eper, Gen, Ying, Rob, Spy, Duane (Spy's son), Girlie and myself - took it upon ourselves to explore the culinary treats of Cogon Market. 

Now, before I proceed, let me explain what exactly is Cogon Market.  It is but the largest public market in the city, having just been renovated from a sprawling mini-city made of flamable materials a few years back, to a three-story concrete jungle (jumble), sometimes jokingly called the Superferry.  Why jumble?  Because unlike the organized sprawl it was before, the different vendors (of meat, vegetables, fruits, fish, flowers, cooked food, rice, general merchandise, etc.) are now packed together haphazardly into the crowded space of the ground floor, with hardly enough room between each one to pass through.  So traversing the path in search for the recommended eatery this morning was, in itself, an experience for the senses.

We entered the building from the west side (across from the old Gaisano Center) and immediately, the odor of freshly slaughtered pork and beef met our nostrils, not to mention the sight of different shades of red hanging from nails or lying on slats of wood or tile in an effort to attract buyers.  Then, if that wasn't enough to turn us away, we had moved into the dried fish section, complete with the smell of... well, dried fish.  Then, without warning, we were suddenly in the eatery section, with all kinds of specialties up for grabs.  There was a number of halal (Muslim) places and a few interesting choices, but we were on a mission.  I'm sure none of us had had our breakfast and we were all anticipating the sweet-salty flavor of the highly-recommended humba (a popular Filipino pork dish) we had heard about during our seminar.  At last, we found it -- Humbaan ni Aling Violy, located near the malfunctioned elevator which is now the site of a booming flower shop.

(to be continued)

Friends, Romans, Countrymen...

Just when you thought life couldn't get any better, God throws you into a whirlpool of new ideas and uncertainty.  I think it's His way of saying, "You aint seen nuthin yet!"

A couple of weeks ago, I graduated, along with 36 others, from a two-week seminar for Regional Tour Guide Accreditation.  This was arranged by the Department of Tourism Region 10 (DOTR10) Office and we were rated by DOT officials and tour operators from Manila. To qualify for the seminar, all applicants had had to undergo screening and interviews, and then, those who were chosen had to pay a fee of P3,000.  The seminar literally took 14 days, taking even our Saturdays and one Sunday.  We were warned that if we were absent for more than eight hours, our accreditation certificate would be forfeited.  I was scheduled to have a road trip tour to Surigao del Norte that week the seminar started but due to some Divine Intervention, it was canceled and I was able to attend every day of the coveted class. 

Maybe it was because we were thrown together for such a short period of time or maybe it was because we all had to undergo extreme stress from Day 1, our class had formed a bond of friendship that is difficult to let go of or to forget.  Where can you find a group as diverse in occupation (teachers, chefs, students, entertainers, colorum tour guides, river guides, mothers, business people, and, of course, the unemployed) or as far apart in age (18-40) as ours?  In my opinion, ours was a picture of the individual AMUMA (caregiver, nurturist): 

Ness (smart classy, gikawat ang niyog para pang-display) - Alvin (cariñoso pero nag-vertigo) - Gina (nag-emcee impromptu) - Gen (ms. city tourism) - Spy (the silent owner of Bugsay) - Gabby (so much love, so much drama) - Shay (the born storyteller) - Mayen (camera ready, pero absent palagi) - Sittie (has hidden talent) - Rye (chef napabayaan sa kusina) - Mae (this is Liceo and Rodelsa Hall and... should I stop talking na?) - Rhandi (chose Region 10 over El Nido, nakaka-touch) - Ying (sa sobrang stress nagpakalbo!) - Cy (pwede na mag-guide sa Gingoog) - Cocoy (smiling guide) - Great (another great storyteller) - Vonette (ms. city knows all) - Nap (loves XU) - Anne (unsuspecting valedictorian!!!) - Binggoy (hidden talent din basta may beer) - Ren-Ren (Junjun?) - Golda (the businesswoman) - April (pirmi bang first?) - Rob (the entertainer) - Karen (the photographer) - Weng (the expert first aid kit) - Emie (best in interior design) - Daley (youngest/crush ni...) - Shiegz (always a word in edgewize) - Carmz (ms. energizer bunny) - Jan (proudly Red Rafts) - Eper (teaches computer tourism) - Ian (ian ang guide) - Apple (mestiza gwapa) - Pren (proudly Liceo) - Eman (the cowboy-man) - Mitch (you can find her at Lasang) - Aidz (a natural guidener) - Kumar (3-star presentation)

Even today, two weeks and a few days having gone by, there is still that tie that holds us together.  It's that tie that gets us texting each other, chatting with each other, asking each other...  MAY UPDATE NA BA?

Go, Go, Go, AMUMA!