Showing posts with label Avenida. Show all posts

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Dalawang Masikap na Single Moms, Masaya at Kuntento sa Buhay....sina Hilda Ibayne at Tessf Quintance

Posted on Sunday, 12 March 2017

Happy Women’s Month!

Dalawang Masikap na Single Moms, Masaya at Kuntento sa Buhay
…sina Hilda Ibayne at Tess Quintance
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Maraming single moms ang naninirahan sa Maynila kung saan ay maraming oportunidad kaya nakakaraos sila kahit papaano basta masipag lang, tulad nina Hilda Ibayne at Tess Quintance.

Si HILDA ay nakapuwesto sa isang sulok ng Avenida (Sta. Cruz) at ang pinagkikitaan ay paglilinis ng mga kuko sa kamay at paa, bilang manikurista. Suki niya ang mga “Avenida cruisers”, mga nagtitinda ng aliw (prostitute) na nasa mga puwesto na nila sa kahabaan ng Avenida 7AM pala.  Php50 ang singil niya sa pedicure o manicure at kung “set” o manicure at pedicure ang gagawin ay pwedeng tawaran. Kung walang nagpapalinis ng mga kuko, nagre-repair naman siya ng mga sandal at sapatos, at nagtitinda ng kendi at sigarilyo.

Nang kausapin ko siya isang umaga ay nagre-repair siya ng isang pares na sandal. Taong 2000 pa daw siya “sapatera” halos katitin-edyer pa lang niya at tatay niya ang nagtiyagang magturo sa kanya. Nang makipag-live siya sa isang sapatero din, pinaubaya sa kanila ng kanyang tatay ang puwesto. Subalit pagkatapos siyang maanakan ng tatlo ay iniwan na daw siya ng kinasama niya at umuwi na ito sa Cebu. Sa halip na mapanghinaan ng loob, nag-aral siyang maglinis nang kuko at bumili ng mga gamit. Kalaunan ay nagkaroon na siya ng mga suki. Upang madagdagan ang kinikita sa paglilinis ng mga kuko, nagre-repair pa rin siya ng mga sapatos at sandal, at nagtinda na rin ng sigarilyo at kendi.

Ang mga anak niyang nasa hustong gulang na upang mag-aral ay pumapasok. Ang panganay niya ay 11 na taong gulang, sinundan ng 9 na taong gulang, at ang bunso ay 6 na taong gulang naman. Sa awa daw ng Diyos ay nakakaraos silang mag-iina, yon nga lang, dahil sa K-12 program ng DECS ay nadagdagan ang kanyang pasanin. Ayon kay Hilda, pinipilit niyang umuwi sa barung-barong nila sa Baseco Compound (Tondo) bago kumagat ang dilim upang makapaghanda ng hapunan nila. Kuntento siya sa buhay at walang sinisisi sa kanyang kalagayan. Ang mahalaga sa kanya ngayon ay makatapos ang kanyang mga anak maski senior high school man lang.

Si TESS naman ay nakapuwesto sa Quiapo, labasan ng shrine o luklukan ng Black Nazarene. Nakausap ko siya nang bumili ako ng underwear na napag-alaman kong sarili pala nilang gawa, subalit nilagyan lang ng etekita ng isang kilalang brand. Dahil kaunti lang nakalatag ay nagtanong ako kung sapat ang kanyang kinikita niya na sinagot naman niya ng okey lang daw. Mga tira daw ang inilatag niya mula sa mga dinileber niya sa mga kostumer na may mga puwesto. Tulad ni Hilda, iniwan din si Tess ng kanyang kinakasamang pulis pagkatapos nilang magkaroon ng 7 anak. Taong 2013 nang iwanan silang mag-iina ng kanyang asawa upang makisama sa ibang babae.

Sa simula ay hindi niya alam ang gagawin nang iwanan sila ng pulis. Mabuti na lang daw ay may nagyaya sa kanyang pumasok sa isang patahian na malapit lang sa kanila. Todong pagtitipid ang ginawa nilang mag-iina kaya pati pag-aaral ng mga anak ay naapektuhan dahil mas binigyan niya ng halaga ang mga gastos para sa pagkain at upa sa tinitirhang kuwarto. Nang maging bihasa o esksperto na sa pagtabas at pagtahi ay naglakas-loob siyang umutang upang may maipambili ng makina. Tumulong sa kanya ang apat niyang nakakatandang mga anak sa pagtahi ng mga simpleng damit pambata at kalaunan pati mga underwear ay sinubukan na rin nilang gawin. Ang mga nakakabatang anak naman ay nagpatuloy sa pag-aral.  

Ang panganay niyang anak na tumutulong din sa pagtabas ay nagtitinda na rin ng mga alahas na pilak na sinasabay ang pagbenta tuwing mag-deliver siya ng mga ino-order na mga underwear. Nakakapag-deliver daw sila sa Baclaran, Pasig, Bulacan at Caloocan. Pabulong niyang sinabi na ngayong maysakit daw ang dati niyang asawa ay lumalapit ito sa kanya upang humingi ng pambili ng gamot, at binibigyan daw naman niya. Nang tanungin ko kung saan siya humugot ng lakas upang makaraos silang mag-iina, itinuro niya ang simbahan ng Quiapo. Nakatira silang mag-iina sa Taguig (Rizal).


Sina Hilda at Tess ay mga halimbawa ng tunay na pagsisikap ng tao…nagtitiyaga at hindi umasa kahit kanino, at ang bukod-tanging hiningi sa Diyos ay madagdagan pa ang lakas ng kalooban at katawan…hindi pera. Wala rin silang kinimkim na galit sa dati nilang asawa. Kabaligtaran sila ng ibang babae na kahit nakahiga na sa salapi ay hindi pa rin kuntento sa buhay, kaya upang lumago pa ang kanilang yaman ay nagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan o nanloloko ng kapwa. May isa ngang babae na bukod sa nang-agaw ng asawa ay nagkanlong (protect) pa ng mga drug lord kaya sagana siya sa sustento hanggang sa maikulong. Yong iba pa ay hindi alam ang gagawin sa sobra-sobrang pera kaya kung anu-ano ang mga pinaggagawa sa katawan upang mabago ang ginawa ng Diyos, kinarma naman kaya ang iba ay tumabingi ang ilong, nagkaroon ng nana (pus) ang suso at puwet dahil sa inilagay na silicone, o nagkaroon pa ng kanser!



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Si Jomong...scavenger na may ginintuang puso

Posted on Friday, 2 December 2016

SI JOMONG…scavenger na may ginintuang puso
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Una kong nakita si Jomong sa F. Torres mahigit sampung taon na ang nakaraan. Malinis at maayos pa ang kanyang pananamit at ang buhok na hindi pa gaanong mahaba ay nakapungos na. Parang napadayo lang siya noon upang magbenta ng relos at pilak. Madalas din siyang ngumiti noon habang nakikipagtawaran. Subalit makalipas ang ilang taon ay unti-unti na siyang naging madungis, yon pala ay sa bangketa na siya natutulog. At, nitong mga araw ay may kariton na rin siya kung saan ay nakatambak ang mga gamit niyang dala niya saan ma siya pumunta.

Nang umagang nagkakape ako sa isang bangketa ay nakita ko si Jomong na tumutulong sa pagbukas ng puwesto ng isang sidewalk vendor. Pagkatapos ay nagwalis siya sa kalsada kaya makalipas lang ang halos isang oras ay malinis na ang bahaging yon ng F. Torres St.

Hindi na masyadong nagsasalita si Jomong at halos hindi na rin ngumingiti, pero dahil namumukhaan na niya ako ay malakas ang loob kong tanungin ko siya tungkol sa kanyang pinanggalingan. Nabanggit lang niya ang isang lugar sa Zambales at dahil hindi ko sigurado ang pagbaybay ay hindi ko na lang isusulat. Sa kabila ng katipiran niya sa pagsagot ng mga tanong ko ay nalaman kong wala siyang naiwang pamilya sa probinsiya. Nagbakasakali lang daw siya sa Maynia pero kahit naging palaboy dahil hindi sinuwerte ay hindi na siya bumalik sa probinsiya.

Kumikita siya sa pamumulot ng mga kalakal sa basurahan na nabebenta sa junk shop. Ang madalas niyang tulugan ay ang bangketa sa Avenida dahil hindi gaanong istrikto ang mga guwardiya doon. Napansin kong totoo nga dahil tuwing dadaan ako sa madaling araw sa Avenida ay nakikita ko ang mga helera ng mga natutulog na mga “babaeng Avenida” na ang tawag ko ay “mga hamog” dahil para silang dew drops na nakikita sa mga bangketa pagdating ng umaga sa paglipas ng malamig na magdamag.

Isang umagang dumaan uli ako sa tinatambayan ni Jomong ay natiyempuhan ko siyang nagpapakain ng isang batang babae na sa tantiya ko ay dalawang taon gulang, anak daw ng babaeng nagtitinda ng “buraot” o junk items sa bangketang yon. Ipinagbilin sa kanya ang bata dahil titingin lang ito sa basurahan ng isang popular na nagtitinda ng sandwich at baka may makitang pwedeng pang-almusal nilang mag-ina. Bumili siya ng pan de sal at kape para sa kanila ng bata mula sa kinita niya sa pagbenta ng kalakal (junks). Bumili na rin ako ng kape ko at ibinili ng Milo at ilang balot ng biscuit ang bata na pwedeng itabi para sa tanghali.

Habang nagkakape kami, tinanong ko siya kung may balak pa siyang umuwi sa probinsiya, ang sabi niya ay “oo”…kaya ang sabi ko sa kanya ay may pag-uusapan kami sa susunod naming pagkikita dahil balak ko ring kausapin ang ina ng bata.





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Juliet Kalipayan and Her "Trees" Cutout from Empty Plastic Softdrink Bottles

Posted on Thursday, 7 April 2016

Juliet Kalipayan and Her “Trees” Cutout from
Empty Plastic Softdrink Bottles
By Apolinario Villalobos

I found Juliet one morning engrossed in cutting tree forms out of empty green plastic softdrink bottles beside her candy and cigar sidewalk stall. An arm away from her and covered from public view by an umbrella, were her two children. She admitted that her family had been living on the sidewalk for more than 10 ten years as they could not afford to rent a room around the bustling section of Sta. Cruz district where they eke out a living. Her husband Eddie, drives a motorized pedicab or tricycle while she sells cigarettes, candies, and cutout arts from plastic bottles. But this situation did not prevent them from letting their children attend a nearby elementary school, with the elder who is 7 years old is in Grade 2 and the younger, 6 years old is in Grade 1.

She sells her art pieces at 25 pesos apiece and confided that there are days when her works are sold out before dark but there are days, too, when she fails to sell a single one. Friends and sympathizing pedestrians give her empty green and blue plastic bottles, but when she runs out of them, she would check the garbage bins herself, for these materials. She learned the art by observing a friend make cutouts many years ago, and after several attempts, finally succeed in coming out with “perfect” ones that she deftly fashions using a small scissor and cutter.

She and her husband attempted saving extra pesos but oftentimes these are spent for emergencies, especially, for the school needs of their children. All she wishes for now is to have an additional fund for her cigarettes and candies, and she is hoping that before the onset of the rainy season, this will be realized, so they are doubling their effort in saving.

I found out that during the rainy season, with their scant belongings, they would look for a more secure sidewalk corner and just pray that rains would not result to flood which eventually spells disaster for them. Despite all the hardship of living in the city, they have no plans of going home to either the province of her husband or hers. They have tried once but they gave up due to unbearable difficulties. She told me that in the city, for as long as one is patient and hardworking enough, life can be endurable. She added that, while working hard, she and her husband are keeping their faith in God whom she believes will not forsake them.




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Virgie Sapitola-Sapera Pushes a Cartful of Young Coconuts for More than 5 Kilometers Everyday

Posted on Sunday, 13 March 2016

Virgie Sapitola-Sapera Pushes a Cartful
Of Young Coconuts for More than 5 Kilometers Everyday
By Apolinario Villalobos

At a little past 50 years of age, Virgie Sapitola-Sapera pushes a cartful of young coconut from Blumentritt to Quiapo, a distance of more than 5 kilometers one way. Of course, she hopes that along the way, her load will be lessened if she could dispose of some which she sells at 30 pesos apiece. The terminus of such trek is the P. Paterno St. in Quaipo. Asked about her husband, she told me that he leaves ahead, at dawn to be at the area in Quiapo before the rush hour. Their youngest son leaves their home after his quick breakfast to take over the cart of his father who immediately takes a jeepney back to their home in Blumentritt to take a much needed rest. Virgie’s husband has had a stroke but somehow tries his best to contribute to the family’s collective effort to earn.

I met Virgie along Oroquieta St. when she stopped for a mug of coffee at the sidewalk carinderia where I was enjoying my own. That coffee was her breakfast. Her real meal would be at noon in Quaipo. Despite the long trek with a heavy cart full of young coconut yet to push, she was still smiling while conversing with me. She confided that she is from Pangasinan, a province in the north but met her husband in Manila. Their companionship blessed them with five children. While the elder three have families of their own, the two younger ones are left with them, with the youngest in the junior high school or Grade 10. She told me that whatever happens, her youngest son shall finish high school.

I found out that they sell young coconuts for their juice when in season, but for other months, they sell other stuff such as vegetables and other fruits. They cannot afford to miss any single day of the week in making the trek to their post at Quiapo, except when there is a really bad weather and flood. During those unproductive days, they take all measures to scrimp so that their savings can be stretched to the maximum. Her only problem is the medication of her husband who is on maintenance drugs.

Before she left me, I reminded her to be very extra careful in crossing the busy Recto Ave. where early that morning, a motorcycle got bumped by a rushing jeepney. In response, she smilingly pointed her forefinger towards the sky, implying perhaps, that Somebody up there is watching over her…







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Pasig River: Manila's Main Commercial Artery...long time ago

Posted on Sunday, 10 August 2014



Pasig River: Manila’s main commercial artery
… long time ago
By Apolinario Villalobos

“The Pasig, ah, the Pasig… the great old river”. The statement rings with deeply felt reverence, uttered by an old woman whose old age is made obvious by a pattern of wrinkles on her face. She now sells candles and bronze amulets just outside the Quiapo church. She’s from Taguig, but she could vividly recall days when she and her family would sail down the river on a dugout to Manila to sell vegetables and clay pots. According to her, on weekends, dugouts would compete with water lilies in clogging the river. While her father would curse at moving clusters of this hardy aquatic plant, they, the children would reach out to the brightly colored plumes. But now, those were just part of a once unharried life. The Pasig which has nurtured a city into becoming one that the world respects, is now gasping for breath.

The Pasig once began songs and poems, graced canvases and became an unseen participant in stage plays. Notable poets, like Jose Rizal, had always a special mention of the river to spice up a coterie of characters such as Ibarra, Maria Clara, and Doῆa Geronima, the “mutya” or queen of the river. In more ways than one, it has provided an exit for heroic characters in fiction stories just like Venice.

How it happen to be named after Pasig instead of Manila, is something the old folks could not remember. What they could recall is that, there was once a small delta, skimmed by what is now Ayala bridge which was believed to be the first site of Manila. It was called Isla de Convalescia, as it was here where a Spanish governor general would relax his nerves after a conflict with the clergy.

Records show that fleets of Chinese junks would cram the mouth of the river during the heyday of its glorious trading past, before the arrival of the Spaniards. On its banks, Chinese merchants would unload their wares that consisted of silk and brocade, jewelries, perfumes, wines, caged birds and exotic fruits. The Tagalogs (taga-ilog), the early Filipinos who settled along the river banks, also traded with merchants from Java, India, Sumatra and Siam (Thailand). It was for this reason that “alcaicerias” mushroomed near the riverbank to lodge these traders.

The river divides the city of Manila into northern and southern portions. Minor divisions are made by its tributaries and outflows, some of which are unfortunately filled today by unscrupulous urban developers to give way to commercial buildings, hence, their mysterious disappearance from the map. Linking then the divided city were eight bridges that span the river, with the four major ones, being the Del Pan (used to be the Puente de Espaῆa) that leads to the north harbor and northern of end of Divisoria, Jones that leads to the Chinatown and and the heart of Divisoria, MacArthur that leads to Sta. Cruz district with its famous Avenida, Quezon (formerly Puente Colgante) that leads to Quiapo district with its famous Quiapo Church and Islamic Center, and Ayala that leads to the University belt, Malacaῆan Palace and Sta. Mesa.

During the administration of Ferdinand Marcos, the river was regularly “patrolled” by River Aides to ensure the maintenance of its cleanliness. After Marcos, the project for its rehabilitation has been re-named every time a new President occupied Malacaῆan Palace, until lately, it died naturally. What remains today is the ferry service of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMA) as its share in easing the traffic of Manila.

The river is calm most of the time, and whatever temperament it shows shortly after a heavy downpour soon disappears. During high tide, the current’s unimpeded flow pours out into Laguna de Bay through Jala-jala, the terminus in the river’s system, though, there are yet other towns and districts that benefit from the river’s flow.

Starting from Punta pier, there’s the Sta. Ana district, with its bridge called “Lambingan” (bridge of tryst). Going down south, the river flows by the once grand estate called Carmelence, where the moneyed of yesteryears once lived. Among the elegant residences, the most prominent is the Presidential Residence, seat of the national government, the Malacaῆan Palace. The residence was once a fenced Spanish home with a small zoo and aviary.

Right across the river to the left of the Palace is another landmark, the humble abode of Apolinario Mabini, also known in history as the sublime paralytic. Then there’s the old, Manila Boat Club which was founded in the nineteenth century.

Several hundred meters down is a cornucopia of abandoned industrial plants whose pipes used to constantly spew black and white smoke. Here, are warehouses whose stainless structures gleam under the glare of the sun.  A little further still, the main vein of the river branches into northern and southern flows. While the northern flow slices the old Sta. Mesa, the southern flow provides a natural boundary between Mandaluyong and Makati.

Passing Sta. Ana on the right, a thumb-like extension of land causes the river to slightly swerve. It is the Sta. Ana Archaeological site where artifacts that attest to the bank’s rich cultural past were unearthed. Cuddling a pocket of scalene area, just a few minutes from the archaeological site is Manila’s only race track.

On the left are more industrial warehouses, among which are squeezed residences which persisted on staying despite the polluted air. This row of industrial and residential structures continues even beyond the Guadalupe Bridge which serves as a link of Manila’s longest thoroughfare, the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue or EDSA that starts from Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City, and culminates at the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City.

A little further from Guadalupe is Pateros, once the seat of “balut” industry, but has lately gave way to the onslaught of housing developments that overran the once thriving duck pens along the river bank. “Balut” is the unhatched duck egg, treated with salt and slightly aged, then boiled. The unhatched chick is purported to be nutritious.

On the northeast, stretching towards the mountains is a delta on which peacefully settles Napindan, the last district along the Pasig River as it flows into Laguna de Bay. Napindan’s atmosphere is still rural, despite the presence of subdivisions. Marking Napindan is a lighthouse which from a distance could be mistaken for a mound. From its tower, one can view Talim Island, the biggest island in the lake.

The sloping mound of the grassy range points towards Jala-Jala, the town made famous by its fish corrals. From air, the offshore waters look like a huge green canvas painted with brown geometric figures. This area is devoted to milkfish farming.

On the northern bank of the river, from the Del Pan Bridge towards its mouth that opens towards Manila de Bay, can still be found the old buildings, once mute witnesses to the glorious Hispanic past of Manila. The area encompasses the districts of Quiapo, Sta. Cruz and Binondo where Escolta St, the once bustling commercial avenue of Manila is located. There is now, a proposal to rehabilitate Escolta, to make it a veritable touristic nook of the city, in addition to Intramuros and Luneta.

Not only Manilans, but the rest of Filipinos, are still hoping that something can be done for the rehabilitation of Pasig River despite the politics that beset both the local and national governments, if only, for the sake of its historic significance. As mentioned earlier, Pasig River has graced stanzas of poems and refrains of songs, aside from lines of stage actors in plays. No amount of pollution and thick clogs of water hyacinth and water lilies will eradicate the river from the face of Manila. For as long as the sea pushes its high tide through it towards Laguna de Bay, Pasig River shall persist to be Manila’s main artery.




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Ang Mga Single Moms

Posted on Tuesday, 22 July 2014

Ang Mga Single Moms
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Maraming single moms na ang aking nakilala
Mayroong tin-edyer, nanganak at inabandona
Mayroong maganda, maaga namang nabiyuda
Mayroong mabait at masipag, ngunit separada.

Mayroong mga naging biktima ng pagkakataon
Mayroong nadala lang ng makabagong panahon
Mayroong gusto lang, anak, sila ay magkaroon
Mayroong nag-akala, itinakwil sila ng Panginoon.

May nakilala ako, halos dapaan ang paglalabada
May isa ring dapit-hapon pa lang ay rumarampa
May iba ring nakilala ko, mga tambay sa Avenida
May iba namang inuumaga sa pagraket sa Ermita.

Ang buhay nilang lahat ay malungkot at  makulay
Ang buhay nilang lahat ay puno ng sakit at lumbay
Ang buhay nilang lahat, sa dusa’y ayaw humiwalay
Ang buhay nilang lahat, pag-asa pa rin ang hinihintay.

Nakakabilib,  paanong lampasan nila ang pagsubok
Nakakabilib, paano nilang indahin masakit na suntok
Nakakabilib, paano nilang tiisin, masasakit na dagok
Nakakabilib, dahil sa mga sakit, hindi sila nalulugmok.

Bukod tangi silang mga nilalang sa ibabaw ng mundo
Batbat man ng dusa’y buo pa rin, kanilang pagkatao
Bihira sa kanila ang hindi nanlupaypay dahil sa siphayo
Hindi tulad ng iba, napitik lang, isip ay hindi na matino.