Traffic is light but I drove slow because I also have to keep sight of the falling debris. In Ligaya in Pasig, I saw a sari-sari store sign that fell off. Good thing it didn’t fly towards me. Within Eastwood, the orange cones were fallen and metal signages that cover the fences of the open parking lot in front of IBM and Cybermall buildings. I parked in the basement of our building but it makes me wonder why people parked their car in the open parking, where they are vulnerable to unidentified falling objects.

I saw a firetruck in front of the condominium near our building. I was told later on by our operations manager that smoke came out earlier from the generator set of that building.

Eastwood Mall opened at 11 am and most of the people I see dressed like me – shorts, shirt and slippers. Although I could have worn jeans and shoes, I decided not to just for the fun of it. Our office allows its employees to dress down in times like this.

But more than the situation in Quezon City, I am actually more worried with what’s happening in Roxas Boulevard. I learned later on through Facebook and early morning news that tsunami-like waves caused extreme flooding in Manila bay. Last June, that area was also flooded but it was manageable and light vehicles can pass through.

I won’t dwell on the contents of our projects, as nothing yet is final. But at this early, I feel that in order for me to accomplish this very big project is to always have an Internet connection and a laptop. I can only do that once my sister and I changes dwelling as our landlady will convert the boarding house into a store once she retires in December.

Perhaps a connection with Globe Broadband will suffice as this already has a landline (which we don’t really need as we have our cellphones). I am not keen on subscribing to Smart Broadband because I want to experience another type of connection. The speed is just fine for a home user like me, although the connection is intermittent when it rains. From the feedback that I have been hearing, PLDT DSL is a no-no. Ditto with Digitel. But I could consider Bayantel‘s package.

As I have thought in my previous post, I might ask my brother to buy me a laptop. If the brand new notebook will cost me just P 15, 000, I should grab it, right? That’s just two months of salary. Or perhaps a digicam, whichever is needed most.

I would have to check my resources for the sample articles that we will use. We might also be the one who will layout the souvenir book. Since the church is our client, the font types that I saw in Smashing Magazine will not apply, as we might need a gothic, serif type fonts. I have been buying FHM Magazines and PC Buyer’s Guide in the past few months to view the photos and be updated on the latest gadgets.

The Tanay Souvenir Book, which has a unique concept, is set to be released next year. It’s a very big project for us since my previous works has been focused on Baras Balita. Hopefully by the end of this project, I would be able to pursue a long time career in publishing as a layout artist and editor/writer. Last February, I had an attempt to penetrate the Municipality of Morong, Rizal through the newspaper its mayor is planning to publish then. The mayor is easy to talk to, but I have to deal with her staff who, most of the time, is out of the office. I have to shelve that plan.

This early, I have to thank Manila East Watch for giving me the opportunity to be one of their writers for almost a year. They opened the doors for me for Baras Balita and now Tanay Souvenir Program.

broadband connectiontanay, rizalmagazine designnewspaper layoutnewspaper

I just voted this morning, at about 7:15 in the morning, in Precinct 1A, Barangay Rizal, Baras, Rizal, Region IV-A. I hurriedly went back home right after my 8pm-5am shift. I arrived home at 6:15.

The board of election inspector was my high school teacher in Values Education. Gloria Castro is also the mother of my kindergarten and elementary school classmate Alejandro. After my index finger was marked with the in

delible ink, I was kidded by Mrs. Castro to look at my ballot and check if it was being inserted in the ballot box.

I did not make any codigo; I already know the senators that I should vote for. What I found difficult to write are the names of the councilors.

After voting, I took pictures of the polling place. The photos will be used for the website I am developing. These include the Omnibus Election Code violations by some candidates and supporters. In the second picture above, you would see a man in red shirt. He is Armingol Pilapil Jr., a candidate for vice mayor. I was there when he shook hands to some people while sitting near the doorstep of the polling precinct.

I also visited the house of incumbent Mayor Wilfredo Robles, which is just a walking distance from the school. I saw some of his supporters giving away food, packed in styrofoam.

Some were still giving sample election ballots.

While some of the posters remind us on what to do on candidates who buy your vote.

I expect the counting in our town to be over in two to three days.

The text goes:

Six years na SK si _______. May gana pa pahabain term niya. Gawain sa konseho kumuha lang ng suweldo. Tingnan natin sa opisina kanyang record (at) mapatunayan na walang kuwentang taon. Nanghahamon sa court kapag natalo. 12-May-2007, 20:07:37.

From the same texter:

Sa darating na May 14, _______ wag iboto dahil magnanakaw ng korona sa simbahan, kuwinta ni ________ at mapami pa. Plataporma ay nakawin ang kaban ng bayan. 12-May-2007, 20:09:34

Lastly:

Isa sa tunay na magaling na konsehal. Mabait, maaasahan at madaming naipasang batas para sa bayan. Kaya nararapat lamang na siya’y muling iboto. ______ para konsehal. 12-May-2007, 20:12:05

I can only shake my head after I read the messages. The first question of course, that you would ask to yourself is, how the sender was able to know the cellphone number. I don’t give out my number easily. I can count in my ten fingers the number of people in the local government who knows my number. And all of them are pro-administration.

Definitely I will not vote for candidates who are like mushrooms and will sprout out of nowhere. They should have done something to uplift the lives of their constituents even before they enter the public office. I go for track record and experience. It’s just like a college graduate applying for a job for the first time. He might not have a working experience but if he is active in extra-curricular activities, that counts as experience as well.

“When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathe’a, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. – Matthew 27:57-58″

For the second time, I spent the Holy Week in a call center, answering calls from Americans. I had a weird caller last Good Friday (Black Saturday in the Philippines) who asked for my name. I can only laugh after the call because even if the customer was irate, he still found time to be religious enough to know of that part of the Bible, which I have quoted above.

We were supposed to have a meeting last Friday after our shift (most of us are logged in 5 am to 2 pm). It was reduced to a quick meeting because we might have some difficulty going home. It’s Good Friday and we might not have public transportation to take. I went home in Baras since I have to take some pictures on the images in the procession. It wasn’t difficult for me though, to get a ride last Friday.

I was checking my Friendster account this morning when I suddenly realized that it’s been ten years since I graduated from Baras Elementary School. I cannot help but go down in memory lane, and in the words of Nestlee, our batch valedictorian, “balikan ang mga dahon ng lumipas.”

BES is the oldest school in our town. Though there was no formal history written about it, based on the alumni who attended the grand alumni homecoming in 2004, its first batch graduated in 1945.Â? It would be safe to assume that BES is now about 60 years old.

Almost every year since 1997, our batch meet each other in our own “mini alumni homecoming.” Last year, it was in Well’s Resort; the year before was in Kay‘s house and I think it 2004, it was in Villa Lorenza in Pililla, Rizal.

Nothing much has changed in our batch. We are still young at heart. Though some got married already, most of us are still single (technically single because we’re not married yet) either by chance or by choice.

The last time I heard, our valedictorian studies in Adamson University. Rey Cel, our salutatorian started working last Monday. Eszard continues to study in UP, while Kay, who was the very first person who greeted me a happy birthday last Friday, studies medicine.Â? And me, well…

Let me just make a run down on the person in my Friendster account. I don’t really know much whatever happened to Bong Bong, my cousin. Based on his account, Byron is currently in the US. No one can ever forget him since he always brings an electric fan when we were in Grade 6, and is always sleeping when he was in high school. He was classmate in my first year in Baras National High School. I think Ailanie now works in Equitable PCI Bank in Antipolo City.

Cristiana now works in the always controversial Professional Regulations Commission. I told her last week that she may be the reason Barasenians are landing in the top 10 in the board exams. I have no info about Edward. The last time I saw Gerald was in July or August 2006 when I was in an Internet cafe.

One of the pleasant surprises we had in the 2004 alumni homecoming is Irin Dee. She now bloomed to a beautiful lady. Ivy, a daughter of our Fourth Grade teacher, now works in HTMT in E. Rodriguez. I haven’t heard anything about John Michael or Mek Mek. My crush in elementary, Marianne or Maan, works in an I-can’t-remember company. Ditto with Marichu, or Marie.

Three weeks ago, I saw Mark Gian, or Mark, in a loading station. I attempted to get his cell number but he refused. (Huh?) He just came from Dubai. I haven’t seen Yarah for a long time now. Eris is now a seaman. Leo studies in University of Rizal System, I think.

The last time I went to BES was in July 28, 2006 when I interviewed its principal. A lot has changed. The “bahay Kastila” was no longer there and it was replaced by another Y or Ynares building. The school grounds though, remain the same.

I already called their customer service on the afternoon of January 26, and was told by the female agent that the case has already been reported and repairs are undergoing. Perhaps their technicians went under water to fix the lines destroyed by the earthquake, or may be they were buried in the drainage made by Manila Water, since we still don’t have the phone service.

I called the customer service at 2 am today, the agent who answered was BJ Villahermosa. Of course, I don’t believe that it is her real name. I cannot get a definite answer on when will the phone service be back. All she could do is to file the report. Her report won’t do any good if we don’t have telephone service.

Since I manage our municipal newspaper, and fully responsible for the contents, lay-out and production, I will make sure that this issue will be published, together with the bad service of Skyline Television.

If ever there would be a dial tone, I still cannot connect to the Internet using other prepaid ISPs. Apparently, they have blocked other ISPs. Good thing I have a broadband but there are times that I would need other IP addresses. They’re so predatory.

So, for all those Barasenios out there, or even if you don’t live in Baras, but have a plan to have a phone line, think twice before choosing Digitel.