Showing posts with label Maniila. 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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The Last Pinas Bamboo Organ: Centuries-old Grandeur

Posted on Saturday, 9 August 2014



The Las Piῆas Bamboo Organ: Centuries Old Grandeur
Of the Music World
By Apolinario Villalobos


The bamboo organ of Las Piῆas was built in the early 19th century, particularly, from 1816 to 1824 by the Spanish missionary, Diego Cera of the Order of Recoletos. A remarkable man who got varied interests in the fields of architecture, natural science and agriculture, he became an organ builder by necessity. The stone church of Las Piῆas that he built, needed an instrument of such kind and having no fund for this undertaking, he decided to make one with the use of an indigenous material, the bamboo.

His lack of education and training in the field of music did not deter him from pursuing his project. He painstakingly selected hardwood for the frame, patiently pegging them together with dowels instead of nails to resist the high temperature and humidity of the environment.

He carved the 1,000 flute pipes with his own hands from the hardy bamboo stalks because it was then difficult to obtain materials of lead, copper and zinc alloys necessary for the parts. His ingenuity proved to be practical as the bamboo pipes resisted the moisture in the air which causes rust in iron materials. Later on, however, additional pipes of zinc-lead alloy imported from Spain were added to enhance the mellow sound of the organ.

The instrument, with its 3.5 tons of weight, remains one of the world’s largest single-manual organs. But remarkable of all, are its bamboo flutes that produce marvelous sound, an historical, musical and technical rarity.

In 1972, the private sector joined hands with the government in launching the “Himig ng Kawayan” Project to raise funds for the restoration of the centuries old bamboo organ of Las Piῆas which was damaged by a typhoon in 1880, after which, the organ remained idle. A sad description of the unique organ’s state was made by Fr. Marc Lesage, CICM, parish priest and curator of the bamboo organ, during the time.

As described, the base pipes were disconnected and only 500 out of the 832 pipes produced sound; horizontal trumpets numbering to 121 were not functioning, the dusty zinc pipes which imitated the sounds of birds were reduced to uselessness; the six stops ceased to function; and, a crack which developed in the wind chest that supplied air to the tubes, caused the volume to lose strength. Loose keys and pedals made it difficult to harmonize the notes. Still, other parts were missing.

When it was finally set for rehabilitation, the task was given to Hans Gerd Klais Orgalbau of Bonn, Germany. According to him, when he first heard it played in 1966, it sounded just basically alright. But due to years of neglect, it required immediate repair. He even added that he found a bird’s nest inside the instrument.

The instrument was dismantled and flown to Germany, and the consideration on the temperature was late in coming. The bamboo as a tropical material gave the repair group a headache. As a last resort, a special repair room had to be built, where the hot and humid climate of the Philippines had to be simulated to prevent the bamboo parts from drying and cracking. Replacements for the damaged bamboo pipes were especially made by the Yamaha-Hamamaku music firm in Tokyo, Japan. The rehabilitation of the organ was completed after two years of meticulous repair that included replacement of damaged parts and tuning to bring it back to its former glorious form.

Klais was not sure of the total cost he incurred, but estimated it to be more than 200,000 marks. It was Philippine Ambassador Mauro S. Calingo who received the totally repaired instrument in Germany. Finally, in 1975, the priceless musical heritage was again enshrined back in its “home”, the St. Joseph Parish Church in Las Piῆas City. A Filipino in the person of Marciano Jacela was trained by the Klais firm to maintain the organ.

Since 1992, Prof. Armando V. Salarza was given the privilege as its titular player. He is also the Artistic Director of the International Bamboo Organ Festival which is considered as the longest-running international music festival in the country held for one week, every February.

The bamboo organ has been declared as a national cultural treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. Its preservation and maintenance are being undertaken by the Bamboo Organ Foundation, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit organization, which is also involved in the spiritual, social and educational uplift of the residents of Las Piῆas City. To date, it has already sent many scholars to Austria to hone their skill in playing the instrument, study church music, choir conducting, and develop skill in the maintenance of the organ. It also takes charge of the holding of the International Bamboo Organ Festival, held permanently at the St. Joseph Parish Church in Las Piῆas City.

Las Piῆas City is about 10 – 15 minutes from the Manila International Airport and Baclaran, depending on the traffic. Practically, every taxi driver knows the way to St. Joseph Parish Church where it is enshrined… just mention, “bamboo organ”.