Transitions

I've been waiting for my new ID from the Department of Tourism. It has taken me a full two months of waiting. Yes, it's admirable that the department is going paperless with their re-accreditation process... but must they ask the same questions year in and year out? So while I'm waiting for my new ID I try my best to take guests to destinations. For one, I have to earn a living. I have to make hay while the sun shines. One other thing, I don't want to waste an opportunity.

So while I'm waiting, I consider myself in transition. I'm guiding guests because technically, I've already applied for accreditation. I would just love to brag about some high profile guests but then, I'm equivocating on whether I should at all be guiding while my accreditation is in process. I have to check on the status of my accreditation while I'm online. And with a wi-fi that's as unpredictable as the monsoon rains (no thanks to Suncellular), I have to make the most out of its inconsistent signal and do everything when I finally get connected. Bummer!

So while I'm "idle", I take photos and occupy myself with the things I'm passionate about. While waiting for one party, I suddenly had the urge to take snapshots of San Agustin church. Incidentally, It's St. Augustin's feast day today, 28 August, while his mother St. Monica's was yesterday. And as we toured a close-knit, wealthy family that shall remain nameless on this blog for security reasons, our accreditation has not been completed.

I'm also working on a ballet production of Neo-Filipino for Ballet Philippines. The title is Anting. I'm not about to tell you the plot of the ballet. But I can say this much... the libretto is by Tony Perez. That alone should be interesting. Anting is a  four-part ballet done by four avant-garde choreographers; some of whom I've danced with in my dancing days. So, I'm usually at the CCP when I'm free.

And then to relax, I finally got to watch the volleyball games of Shakey's V League. Now that the tournament is happening at the Rizal Memorial Ninoy Aquino Stadium, I simply have no excuse to not at least watch one game. Apparently, the audience rush is addictive. I would go in for one game and I end up watching three. For a hundred and fifty peso ticket, I think it's worth it. I enjoy a good game of volleyball! What a pity, people don't come into the stadium in droves until the finals round happens which is a few weeks from now.

Of all the teams, only Ateneo does not have a guest player. The guest players are mostly Thai nationals. Boy, can they pack a wallop! I am amazed at their energy levels. It's also nice to see the UAAP girls who have graduated and signed up by competing teams. The Philippine Army team has the most number of effective players. The Philippine Navy team has the more rubinesque ones. It's still fun to watch them play, though.

Meantime, I get to sleep late because my wi-fi only partially works at odd hours of the day. I wonder how many more complaints I have to file for Suncellular to improve their service. With their slow connection I don't feel I'm in transition... What I am is in LIMBO!!!

Coming to Terms

As we all know by now, the torrential rains bring on a lot of disease and destruction to our country. It's about time we learned our lessons. By now, some areas have recovered from the floods but how many more are out there that have water waist deep?

The sun has shone a few days and life has probably become rosy... or rosier... I am one of those whose income depends on fair... no, great weather! A Mabuhay Guide's life doesn't really get off the ground unless he/she is on the road travelling, or guiding. It doesn't have to be far and wide. It could be at the next park, or landmark, or town but sunshine is always key. No matter how gung-ho guests are, they will refuse to go anywhere at the slightest hint of rain.

So I've recently been assigned on a tour to Intramuros. Everything was tidy and spic and span. It's just like the way I had seen in the last time. The guardias civil did mention that during the rains, they had to walk around in wellies as the water was knee high in some parts of Fort Santiago. I believe the Intramuros Administration has already accepted the fact that from time to time, the rains will come... the Pasig River will overflow... Intramuros will get flooded and everything will return to normal once the sun starts to shine. 

Ergo, the clean up! 

We have all got to accept that Manila is a low-lying area and covering up waterways with roads or erecting shanties along rivers and streams makes thing worse. Even during Spanish times, when Manila was flooded the wealthier families reveled in the flooded streets with small bancas festooned with buntings. We can still do the same thing provided the flood waters didn't carry leptospyrosis. But that's wishing for a lot.

Thankfully, my guests have all been fascinated with the history of the Philippines as opposed to the dingy shanties and the informal settlers in the areas. And why not? Intramuros can loom larger than the informal settlers living in it. At this point in time, the Ayuntamiento is nearlyfully restored, The Almacenes Reales has received its palitada in a peach color, The Manila Cathedral is undergoing restoration work and so is the Meastranza.

Since life is back to normal, for now at least, let's make life bearable. Earning a living is necessary. But cleaning up and restoring things to its normal state to sustain it is essential. Now if only I had more assignments...

By the way, I've also accepted the fact that wi-fi signals get all lousy in inclement weather... but my Suncell wi-fi has been the pits... I hope they work harder to deliver their advertising claims because right now I'm about ready to give it up...It's just horrible! Anyone from Suncell who's reading this I hope you can make up for it in some way...

DELUGED!

Every year we experience monsoon rains. Every year we do the same things. It seems we never learn our lessons. Why does it take effort to make our countrymen understand that monsoon rains are part of our geographical location and we have no chance of escaping it? As of this writing, 60 are dead, thousands of families have been relocated, hundreds of homes inundated in low-lying areas. Ninety percent of Manila was/is under water. 

Either we've succeeded in destroying our environment or we just really have to make better use of our waterways. In any case, it's not just pollution that's the culprit, I guess. There's the matter of siltation, garbage disposal, overflowing dams and just uber precipitation. Some areas which aren't along water ways have surprisingly and increasingly become flooded over the years. Araneta Avenue and parts of Quezon City which are hilly areas now become flooded as well.

As it turns out, there is no typhoon... no tropical depression... just rains brought about westerly winds and rain clouds pulled by another weather system that's about to hit China (typhoon Haikui). So since there is no typhoon PAGASA didn't need to air a typhoon signal. However, to their credit, they have issued warnings as to how much rain and what to expect from the monsoon rains looming over the big island of Luzon.

President Aquino had already requested our weather bureau to make the weather forecasts more understandable in layman's terms so the ordinary Juan can understand it better. However, making the forecasts more vivid won't make a difference when the informal settlers refuse to leave their meager belongings behind as they wait for flood waters to subside. Better for some to wade in filthy water than lose whatever they have bought with hard earned savings.

Oh well, wait out the storm which as all indicators point out will last till November. But what does it really mean to heed the storm warnings? PAGASA always indicates the amount of rainfall and the percentage re. chance of rain. When they say 15 to 20 mm of rain, the assumption is that the amount of rain is measured over a flat surface over an hour.  So an area measuring 10 meters is multiplied by the number of expected rainfall.You figure it out...To have a picture of what it means, one balikbayan box is one cubic meter. That should be able to fill a pool over an hour. So since water has the innate tendency to flow, the low lying areas get inundated immediately.

Color coding also should be easy to understand. Yellow means monitoring. This means 10 - 20 meters of rainfall should not pose any threat to property or people. But over a sustained period of time it may turn to green .  Green means Alert. That means flood waters are rising. 20 -30 meters of rain can cause flooding in the area. When the Red Code is sounded off... it means evacuate!!! MOVE people!!!! Being stubborn won't help. Your safety should be topmost priority.

Bells are sounded off from churches and barangay captains are on the prowl to ask people to seek higher ground. It occurs every year so it's no small wonder why people really should just leave for safer places to stay... I know our bayanihan habit speaks highly for our own reputation... but doing this year in and year out can take its toll especially when rescuing stranded people who refuse to budge all the time. Complicate this with rising flood waters and the threat of disease due to our wanton disposal of garbage and the problems are magnified.

We just have to all do our part if want to get rid of this perennial problem. And now... for the clean up... eeewwww!