Rough Groove

Typhoon Milenyo

Crippling typhoon Milenyo (international code name Xangsane) whooshed its way right in the center of Metro Manila wreaking havoc and mayhem. Early morning and already the rains have been pouring unceasingly from the previous night that the front of the condominium where I’m staying got flooded. I thought that it was just an ordinary typhoon when around 1100H, the shafts of the building were already whistling as strong currents of air passed through. The rains, which was just slight started to get strong as the winds started to get powerful. Leaves of trees were being flown high as the electric power supplying the building started to become unreliable. On, off, on, on, on, off, on…

1200H, an unseeming calm just descended. The rains again was slight and no more strong winds. We’re already at the center of the storm, the eye of the typhoon is already passing, I thought. After 30 minutes, the wind again started to howl but this time, at the other direction. Strong rain, powerful winds again. Then suddenly, the power was cut off. The generator started but not for long, it conked out and darkness in my room.

1500H and outside, it has calmed but still no power. Night came and it seems that most of Metro Manila is dark. I went out supposedly to watch a movie but when I arrived at Glorietta, it was closed. Same with Shangri-la Mall in Shaw Blvd. Along the way, it was just dark. Branches were cut and littered the road. Some trees fell while, in Estrella, misfortune came to some people aboard a car and an FX taxi when one steel billboard toppled.

Fortunately, I was able to go to SM Megamall. It was hot inside as the airconditioning was not working but with nothing to do back at the condo, I watched Flyboys but was disappointed with the movie that I left.

Salagubang featured in pinoycentric.com

I just got a text message from my amour (who emailed me the above image) saying that, at last, my article has been featured in pinoycentric.com, an online journal for Filipinos that is based in the US. Too bad, the picture they used was badly cut. Anyway, its not always that my salagubang is being highlighted

Pinoycentric, by the way, will be featured in inq7.net for its launch.

Trip to Guiuan, Samar, 2 - On the road

From Ormoc, it was a liesurely bus ride to Tacloban where I rode a provincial bus for my destination, Guiuan. It was really a trip down memory lane. The route has been all too familiar for me as I was travelling from time to time in this area a few years ago for business (my area covered Eastern Visayas –> includes Samar and Leyte) and for liesure (collecting butterflies and beetles and just for the heck of traveling).

Left, I intentionally rode a bus, not the V Hires (vans that are used as public utility vehicles) that ply the route fastest. There’s this kind of slowness that comes with riding in one. You get to see more of the countryside and the people. Its frequent stops sometimes just makes you exasperated but then, come to think of it, you can also take more photos. Right the view of the San Juanico bridge connecting Leyte and Samar islands.

Left, a view of one of the many islets that is what the town of Marabut is famous for. Right, the Tacloban - Borongan highway via Basey. A few years ago, this road was badly maintained and dusty. Now, its wide, well kept and shortened the travel to Borongan and Guiuan with less traffic.

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Trip to Guiuan, Samar, 1 - Supercat

Trip to Guiuan, Samar, 1 - Supercat

I was in Guiuan, Samar almost a month ago as part of the church book project that has been assigned to me. Anyway, to start…

The fast and affordable trip from Cebu to Ormoc (and eventually buses to Tacloban and then to Guiuan) via sea is still the reliable Supercat. The last time I rode this was more than five years ago when I was still based in Cebu. Now, it seems nothing has changed except that the fare has escalated to leaps and bounds

The fastcraft that would take me to Ormoc (left). Right, a view of the second bridge connecting Mandaue City with Mactan Island.

Left, inside the craft, the passengers are just sitting out the 2.5 hour trip, watching the movie video or, right, having breakfast.

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Trip to Guiuan, Samar, 2 - On the road

San Agustin procession

Last August 27, San Agustin church in Intramuros had a procession in honor of the order’s feast day. I was there to take photos upon the invitation of Fr. Pedro Galende.

The main image of San Agustin (1 of 3) carried out of the church (left). The oldest church in the Philippines with much history with it, the only standing church remaining during the Liberation of Manila, WWII, San Agustin Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site stands proud through the centuries as the procession starts its centuries old path around the once walled city of Intramuros (right).

The band that played behind the procession (left). The main image coming back from the procession (right). The churche’s interior is so rich and beautiful with the trompe l’oeil still intact when the painter Alberoni (brothers?) first did the church. Just beside the altar, the tomb of Legazpi, founder of Manila is located.