Do we know what they need?

LED TVs, IPAD, PC Tablets, Netbooks, Car, a CONDO unit.... do you want all of these?

We all want at least one from the above mentioned. Some of us maybe are working hard and others are asking for it in a petition prayer. Others has listed specifications, criteria and even takes time to read and ask for reviews. We felt like we aren't cool without even at least a high-tech android phone where we could surf the net whenever there is an available wifi connection. we strive just to have one. we survive in the valley of material world upon the acquisition of at least one.

Do we consider prayer as a source of survival? Do we consider the simple things that little people are asking for? Do we have time offering a simple prayer to all who were suffering to death? these are few questions that could touch your heart and soul. 

The streetkids? they only need food, yet they also need a family.
The old people neglected by their family? they need shelter, medicine, yet they also need CARE.
The mentally incapable citizens? they only need medicines but they also need attention.
The Cancer patients? they need a session of chemotherapy because they need their lives to extend..

Sa Aking Paglisan

Sa araw na akoy lumisan, nais ko sanang hindi na patagalin pa ang aking mga huling araw sa mundong ibabaw na isang malamig na nilalang lamang. Nais ko ring ang aking mga mahal sa buhay' hindi na masaktan pa sa mga iilang oras na ako'y masilayan na wala nang ngiting bumabahid sa aking mga labi at mga matang pumupungay sa kanilang kiliti.

Alam kong tayo ay hahanggan rin doon ang ating paroroonan, walang kawala, walang masisisi at walang may walang hangganan. Iba iba man ang pamamaraan nang ating paglisan, wala man ding kasiguruhan at walang may nakakakaalam kung ano ang sa ati'y may maghihintay.

Nariyan ang tayo'y totoong may maiiwanan, may taong masasaktan, may taong sa huling araw nati'y saka pa lamang mamamalayan na tayo ay kanilang dapat nabigyan ng halaga.

May mga panahong ako'y hindi napapansin, wari ko'y minsan isa lamang akong anino na dinadaan daanan nang ninuman; o dili kaya'y wala lang talaga. Nariyan ang kahit na ika'y pagod at sadyang bagsak na ang iyong katawan wala man lang nakakaalalang magbigay sayo nang kahit kakarampot na kaligayahan, yun bang simpleng mapaghandaan ka sana, simpleng sorpresa, yun bang sandaling ika'y parang lulutang sa kaligayahan na wari mo'y wala kang mapagsisisihan sa huli.

Nakakapagod na rin ang manilbihan sa taong wala rin namang pakialam sa'yo, yun bang, para kang lapis na buong buhay' mo'y ginamit, tinasa, ginamit, tinasa.. at nang maubos na'y itatapon kana lamang.

Mahirap yung ikaw lang ang gagawa nang paraan para sila'y lumigaya, dahil nga sa susunod inaakala mong sila'y sasaglit na maghahatid sa'yo nang kaligayahan, kahit sandali lang. Pero ako'y wala namang pinagsisisihan na sa kaligayahang aking hatid, matatamis na ngiting sa kanila'y bumabahid. Yung nga lang hindi ako aasaha na minsan ako'y mapapangiti nang walang dahilan.

Darating na ang oras ko, at ako'y lilisan na.. at sa aking paglisan isang gabi lang na ako'y mapagsilbihan. Aba.. alam kong darating ang aking mga kakilala't mga hindi masyadong kaibigan, ngunit hindi ko hahayaang ako'y kanilang masilayan.. Masiyahin ako sa kanilang harapan, ayaw kong ako'y walang buhay na kanilang masilayan, ayoko nun. Tanging ang malapit kong kamag-anak hanggang sa kapatid at magulang lamang, ang sa ki'y nais kong makakita, bilang paggalang sa aking mga kamag anak na buong buhay ko'ng inspirasyon, ang huling araw ko'y sa kanila'y hindi ko ipagkakait.

Sa aking mga kaibigan, pagpasensyahan nyo ang aking kahilingan, bilang isang masiyahing kaibigan ako'y nahihiyang humarap na walang buhay, dahil ako sa inyo'y masiyahin, galak at maligalig.. hindi tahimik, malamig at malungkot.. Ngunit upang sa huli nating pagsasama sama, maging ako ma'y maging isang tahimik at malungkot na katawan lamang, kung tunay ngang sa aking paglisa'y kaluluwa ko ay nariyan lamang.. sasamahan ko man din kayo, huwag lang may malulungkot.. nais ko'y nigti pa rin ang babahid sa inyong mga labi.. kaya't nais ko ring ang ang paligid'y habang akoy tahimik na natutulog sa iisang kartong sarado't mahimaly sa gabing iyo'y mga larawan kong puno nang buhay at kasiyahan ang sa inyo'y magpapangiti.

Salamat sa mga sandaling tayo'y nagsama't naging maliligaya. Pagpasensyahan nyo na't ako'y lilisan na...

WAYA

"Dili man ko taga diri waya, taga Cebu man ko, gibilin ra ko nako uncle diri.." 

Yes, i had a conversation with this kid before, he's nice and still could talk properly. he couldn't answer me when i asked him since when his Uncle left him here. It was 2010 when i had my first encounter with this kid at Mcdo Tacloban, begging for food.. while waiting for my friends, this kid approached me and what caught my attention was when he's talking not in the place's dialect. I am bisaya and Bisayans are close to my heart.. he told me that it was night time when he and his uncle left Cebu and he doesn't even know where they are going, and reenacts his situation while they were on a boat. He even told me that he's been dizzy during the whole travel and says "NALIPONG MAN KO, guru sa biyahe, ay dili, siguro sa gutom.. [laughs]" (he's been dizzy while traveling and doesn't even know if it is because of the whole travel or because he was hungry the whole time)..  When they arrived here, his uncle left him on a bench a promised to come back after buying food to eat... "wala naman ko niya balika, gibilin naman guru ko.. [sighs]" (he didn't went back and i think he already left me).. i asked him if he tried to search for his uncle, and didn't answered me anymore.. he begged for food... i have a burger in my bag and gave it to him.. he ran and went to a another corner and ate... my friends arrived and we left.. 

After 2 years, i saw him again,  he still could not provide his name. he just laughs, shout, and begs.. he's with a group, streetkids too.. we gave him PISO, he's just asking for piso.. the following day he went back and we gave him bread, he gladly received it and smiles, "WAYA, Pagkaon lang be.. " .. he's always says "SALAMAT" after.. But i was alarmed when on the third day he was with a friend, we gave him PISO and he said "WAYA, ako sangkay gai pud" (kuya, give him too) so we did. 

One night while walking around downtown, i saw this kid sitting alone, his face covered with his shirt's neckline and when he reached his face on me, he was sniffing rugby and as if nobody was in front of him.. he stood up and walked.. sat with 2 other boys and when a headlight struck them from a vehicle, i saw them three enjoying the solvent's evil cure for their problems.

67: I HAVE RETURNED

He did returned and fulfilled a promise!

Gen. Douglas MacArthur, our adopted HERO proved us that he has his words during their back off in 1941 as he went to Australia to regain forces. although enormous days had passed, critical plans and ideas were formed in them as he with his troops were able to enter Philippines with President Osmeña on October 20, 1944.

Today, the people of Eastern Visayas were celebrating the 67th Leyte Gulf Landings and were honoring the Veterans as the main event of the celebration who were able to help the American troops in paving their way to enter the country despite the grandeur and strong forces of the Japanese soldiers.

Annually, an event is set to reminisce the days during World War II and it's a must that the President of the Republic is needed to a attend the ceremony, giving speech, cheering a clap, giving honors to the veterans, thanking the organizers, giving off idealisms and opinions too..

Do we really have to hail Doug with his being with us in times we were attacked by the Japanese? Or Pres. Serge as he defended the state against the INVADING TROOPS? of Mr. Romulo as he escorted the two?

HERO.. MacArthur could have been a Hero for us, as he fulfilled a promise of returning back to our Land and help us with the Liberation. The Leyte Landing is the mere proof of his HEROISM, the HOPE that the Waray waray people were able to inject in their hearts and the possibility to dream for tomorrow. But he ain't only the person who provided joy to the craving-for-freedom citizens but the whole troops he brought.. naming LEYTE'S GULF as the BIGGEST NAVAL BATTLE in the WHOLE WORLD during WORLD WAR II [literally Doug isn't the only armed forces who holds a gun, a mortar or a bomb maybe =) ].

The 67 years of MacArthur and his team's bravery isn't supposed to be neglected. The SHRINE in Red Beach, Palo, Leyte is not a ONCE-A-YEAR Park or a TEMPORARY statue.. The shrine has never improved and when evening comes in regular days, it seems not a historical place; dim, sad, neglected and recyclable stage. A place noted with several crimes is not the picture of a place that once PROVIDED us with HOPE and LIBERATION.

Take a look on the picture's inverted-water reflected capture, the mossy reflection provided a sad effect, dramatic in nature and a FORGOTTEN event. an event that less than the whole WARAY WARAY population knows all about, an event that others may say.. "yes it is a famous landmark... uhmm uhmm.." and could not say anything anymore. Sadly, those who really witnessed the event were even not on the one eight of the total waray waray who may have witnessed the 67th or the 68th and so on celebration of it.. What if TIME will took all those who knew everything about the LEYTE LANDINGS? and TIME also will bury the significance of it.. will TIME also come to us and tell us, "Remove all those standing brass soldiers! whoever they are!"

The significance of Leyte Landings aren't seen in the photos taken with the most advance lenses or filming such, or even a ONCE-A-YEAR speech done by the head of the state... It is indeed a mirror of a 67-year BRAVERY and FULFILLMENT. a place where when you see it, as if you went back of time and seeing MacArthur landed on our Soil... A place rich with memories of the past, our LOLOS and LOLAS who once waved to the American troops.. A Place where we will always say, WE SHALL RETURN.

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acknowledgement:

photo:

BORIS

VISIT TACLOBAN: LEYTE PROVINCIAL CAPITOL

the LEYTE PROVINCIAL CAPITOL BUILDING, Magsaysay Boulevard, Tacloban City. before the City was proclaimed as HUC, this is where the Governor of Leyte is being sheltered. all the transactions of the Province were done here.

Historically, this is also where the Commonwealth came to reality when during 1917, the President of the Republic Sergio Osmeña led the construction of the building and was done on 1924 under the terms of Gov. Salvador Demetrio and Gov. Honorio Lopez.

October 23, 1944, a simple ceremony headed by Gen. Douglas MacArthur was done on the very stairs of the Building with Pres. Osmeña and boasted the newly established government, and awarded several soldiers with 5th calvary honors while a DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS honor was awarded to Col. Ruperto Kangleon, who later on became the Governor of Leyte.

The original design of the Capitol is simple and has a sense of bravery using strong and sturdy looking pillars. the greek design made the whole facade of the building look more powerful and strong.

40 years after when the structure was improved and placed with historical carved details which was witnessed by the building. as project of Governor Norberto B. Romualdez Jr., the whole building was set into a more attractive and a must see place in the CITY.

on both sides installed were the carvings of the Leyte Landing with Gen MacArthur and Pres. Diosadao Macapagal and the rest of his colleagues on October 20, 1964, while on the other side was the first mass held in Tacloban headed by Ambassador Fernando Lobao de Carvalbo of Portugal and Marquis de Aumon, representative from the Spanish Government. while enormous flagpoles were installed, statues of the soldiers awarded with honors, lions; an icon of power and governance, and mock canyons.

the whole place is a picture perfect scene and the green surroundings made the whole cool and comfortable. at night, spot lights were installed to enhance the beauty of the structure at night.

when you'll step on it's case, you'll feel the what the building had experienced during its childhood years, the war it witnessed, the bombs and the guns that deafen him and the smell of bloods that were brought in front for medication after being hit from the war.

the last Governor who homed the famous LEYTE PROVINCIAL CAPITOL was Gov. Jericho Petilla, son of once Leyte's Governor, Hon. Remedios Petilla.

so, a glimpse from the past could be experienced in TACLOBAN.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

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