Parasite

How does one resist the plea of the one who gave life?

How does one fight the decay that drains the foundations it helped fortify?

When the towers that surround your castle stands tall and proud.

Unbending and unyielding to the cracks that sips through it.

Sometimes life gives you legacies that you never want to inherit.

Obligations are meant to be fulfilled not passed on to those who has nothing to learn from it.

The unwilling heir receives under pain of sacrifice & unhappiness

And those who profess to love him are the very force the drains him.

The claws of embraced filial duty grows strong when responsibility beckons

It’s meant to be shared by those who shares the same blood and last name.

Such concentration of responsibility breeds resentment and ruin.

To those whose honest heart have been abused.

The warmth of a womb is meant to comfort the child’s spirit and soul.

It should never be a shackle that stops your growth.

The cord of filial duty and the ties of blood should not disappoint.

It should never be a parasite that steals your strength and justifies its false righteousness.

Rain Rain Go Away. . .

When people expect raindrops, they expect flooded roads and suspended classes. People are often inconvenienced by rain that whenever raindrops fall we feel exasperated. But not all people are sad and annoyed when the clouds starts its downpour mania.  For street children, flooded roads are public water parks that brings them momentary enjoyment and amusement. These children do not have any concept of dirt or even danger. For them these murky waters are big swimming pools and the jeeps their playmates. They don’t mind the danger of infection and traversing vehicles. For them the rain is a joyous occasion, an escape from the monotonous scene of honks and noise. This is a picture of street children taking a dip in this very dirty water flooding the roads near Manila City Hall. Only children with colourful imagination can truly find beauty in a sticky predicament such as this.  

Shackled Freedom

No doubt you’ve already encountered different kinds of vendors. Some of these people belong to the most resourceful breed in this world. Their resourcefulness is born out of necessity. They have the ability to seize the moment just to make a quick buck for a day’s survival. Shown in the picture is a vendor selling flag because June 12’13 is the Philippine’s Araw ng Kalayaan, or Independence Day. To get into the spirit of nationalism, he sells flags to onlookers and participants of the celebratory event; even he can’t stop himself from being amazed at the band corps musical show. People like these are true testament of the luxury of freedom or even the lack of it. They have the luxury of freedom because they are not bound to pay sales taxes and they get to be mobile when it comes to places where they are going to make a sale; yet they are not free because they are bound by the shackles of poverty. This picture is taken in the grounds of the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, Philippines during the 115^th Independence Day celebration.

Smoky Silence

We are consumed daily by our need to earn a living. From time to time, our busyness in life is stilled by moments of empathy and sorrow, not for ourselves but towards people around us. I have been living the city life for a long time now; long enough to know that amidst the self-serving declaration by the government of progress, there are just too many people who cannot relate to the same. Whenever we see people who are struggling to earn meagre money just to get by, we consider ourselves lucky. In that moment, we feel grateful for the things that we have and these things are usually the ones that don’t bring us satisfaction (or so we think). Yet, our empathy towards street people does not compel us to reach out and help them. For the most of us, our concern only reaches as far as our mind; no material execution is ever extended. Perhaps, in our little way, we should bring awareness to poverty; enough awareness to reach the right minded people who really have the responsibility to take care of them. 

On my way home, I saw this woman lying in the concrete barrier, presumably taking an afternoon nap. She endures the noise of engines and honking horns. For her, these noises are lullabies drowning out the thoughts of hunger.  As the jeep gets closer, I noticed that inside the blanket, she was hugging her pet dog. In her poverty stricken situation, she finds solace in the comfort of a four-legged friend who will unquestionably be there for her especially during the darkest of night. This photo is taken in the streets of Taft Avenue, Malate. 

Four Legged Love

Who wouldn’t one to come home to excitement and 100% missed you attitude?  Your pet dog can definitely strike that feeling in you.  Truly, dogs are man’s best friend because they never answer back and they tolerate pretty much every silly bone in your body.  But raising a dog is not limited to just feeding it; it should be accompanied by love, respect and monthly vaccinations. For dog lovers, it’s important to know your dog’s behaviour.  Most of the time they’re like children, they need attention. Well, our pets are receptacles of all the different kinds of attention. For their tolerance let’s always reward them with hugs and pats on the head; and of course lots and lots of doggie biscuits.  This is a shot of my favourite companion Tequila, who patiently sleeps at the foot of the bed. My security blanket chasing my nightmares away. Just got to love dogs.

Innocent Delight

Perhaps summer is the most exciting season for every child. No scholarly demanding work and all the free time in the world to play and wear a carefree attitude.  For a child who has yet to learn the practicalities of language and is dependent on the unconditional love of parents, every season is a summer vacation.  To watch a child find joy in the simplest moments like eating an ice cream is a delight in the eyes and in the senses.  It’s a reminder to our maturing and tired heart that indeed the best things in life are free; that the simplest and purest of joys can be experienced by living the moment and knowing that life will always open doors for you at the most unexpected of times.  The boy eating an ice cream is a true testament that indeed the simplest actions can bring utmost joy.  Nico is indeed wise even in his toddler age.  This photo is taken in Jotay Resort stationed in the magnificent beach of Sta. Ana, Cagayan. 

The Tie That Binds

This image shows 5 men from the Joson family pulling a vehicle size cart or what is known in the Philippines as karosa during the celebration of the Lent season. The karosa carries a life-size statue of Saint John the Apostle, the patron saint of the Joson family. These 5 men pulls the karosa in participation of a procession where different life-size statues of saints are likewise paraded all over the town of Sta. Isabel. In this procession, some of the devotees pull this heavy karosas while others pray in celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The image captured the staunched dedication of the Roman Catholics to their faith and beliefs and the devotion of a family bounded not only by faith but also of love. This photo was taken during a procession undertaken every season of Lent in the town of Sta. Isabel, Malolos City, Bulacan, Philippines. 

Wasted Gold

The proliferation of tourists in one place also means the increase in the problem of garbage disposal. Most tourists do not have environmental etiquette and would just indiscriminately leave their plastic bottles and food wrappers along the beach. This is the reason why the local government implements a strict garbage waste disposal policies on hotel and accommodation establishments. However, not all people see the existence of garbage as a nuisance. Seen in the picture is a man scavenging for plastics floating along the beach in the early morning where the heat of the sun is still tolerable. The man gathers these plastic bottles and cans and sells them to the local junk shop as means of earning extra income. The picture is a solemn image showing the resourcefulness and cleverness of a man when it comes to profit-making activities. This image was taken along the majestic beach of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. 

THESAURUS

I’m on a mental block. Spending my Saturday nights alighted by a fluorescent light and feeding my veins with caffeine and alpine instead of enjoying the humid breeze of a bar atmosphere and calming my nerves with a cold beer, all for the purpose of earning an extra buck.

But surprisingly what I find soothing is the tap of my fingers on the confines of my little netbook still on loan while watching a movie on cable.  I’m staring on my computer screen like a love struck doxy staring at her lover.  But night will come soon and the call of duty would soon force the sun to rise and another week of slave driving will claim my time.

For times like this when I find nothing better to write than my idle thoughts about life, I long to go home and feel the provincial air and be euphoric again about the carefree days of my youth. But life has its bipolar moments. Sometimes it surprises you with Christmas gifts moments and suddenly pulls the rug under your feet.  The only solution is to pull yourself together and catch that curve ball.

 Even complaining I find takes effort, so the rebel in me would rather choose to spend my sarcastic efforts sleeping and looking up the thesaurus for another meaning of most common things in life. Then I therefore conclude that when life gets boring, just open the thesaurus of life and find another meaning that works.

When tired of the monotonous office life, take the weekend off and travel to the pristine beach of Sta. Ana, Cagayan.  This shot was taken in the sunny sand stretch of Anguib beach. Although, the access is quite unpredictable because of the casino being built in the area, it is still a must-see place to visit. 

The Fire of the Lenten Season

This image captures a boy looking at the flames of an after-concluded Christian ceremony for the celebration of the Black Saturday during Holy Week or the season of Lent. The ceremony involves a short program depicting a ball of fire falling from the heavens symbolizing the coming and resurrection of Christ. The celebration of the Lent season is a solemn affirmation of the people’s unwavering faith.  A testimony that religion is an institution in some countries.  In this picture, the boy stares at the remnants of a fire blessed by the priest, no doubt recalling the activities of the program. This image captures our capacity to reflect on the symbolisms of our traditions and the meaning they impart on us. This picture was taken at the grounds of the Sta. Isabel Church, Malolos City, Bulacan, Philippines. 

Capturing moments. . .

32 years & I still haven't experienced life.  What is life by the way? Is't it measured by how many places you've been to? The tragedies that one had experienced? How can it be defined exactly? At this time and age, we go about everything with the intention of securing the future. We plan life on how we see it 10 years, 20 years from now. Is that okay?

32 years & I'm still searching for more; that's normal.  No woman at my age is ever satisfied with what they have. But this does not mean that you're not happy with the present. Happiness should be defined by the moments and not by general perspective. So when someone asks if I'm happy? I'll say yes...but I still want more.

32 years & I'm still learning. Life is a discovery in itself. It's just not yourself you discover but the facets of the people around you. How they are with and without you. So I say take it easy. But how can you reconcile living everyday as if tomorrow will never come and thinking and planning for the future?

32 years & Life still confuses me and it will continue to confound me. Everyday is a learning process. The trick is to live the moment and at the same time not compromising the future. Everyday life is really routinary, but every now and then, it throws you curve balls & it's up to you to catch it or strikes you out.  

32 years & I love everything about the world. Things might not happen at the time I want but hey. . . the world will more than compensate for it. So when life throws that curve ball? Catch it...