Quiet ride

The trip this morning was uneventful. Slow and without incident.

Passengers in the FX I took were in their own world. In the rear seat of the AUV, one passenger was sleeping, another is chatting via SMS, and the only girl in our section is staring out the window.

It was a quiet ride.

Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon

I got a chance to be on an official visit to Cagayan de Oro City and Bukidnon a couple of weeks back.

Upon arrival at Lumbia Airport in Cagayan de Oro City, we had a quick breakfast at Koresko Hotel in the outskirts of the city before returning to the airport once again.

From there, we took a light plane (a Helio Courier I believe is the name) owned by the Summer Institute of Linguistics. SIL has a language center in Nasuli, Bukidnon and operates the light plane to ferry their linguists from one tribal center to the other.

I noticed during take-off that the plane was parked beside some assets of our Philippine Air Force based in Cagayan de Oro City.

Among our humble air assets are:



MG-520 attack helicopters,



UH-1H helicopters and OV-10 Bronco counter-insurgency aircrafts.

As we took the 45-minute flight to Malaybalay, Bukidnon, I can't help but appreciate the beauty of the Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon landscape.

I am amazed by the shaping of the lands by shallow rivers - that I believe to be the venue of the popular white water rafting.


There are, of course some farm lands that abound the area. They farm almost every crop from rice, to corn, to bananas, to pineapples.


Others even built their on inland resorts (I think) on these untouched lands whose access roads remain to be dirt roads.


In Bukidnon, we met with local officials, teachers, parents, and students and distributed the LGU-private sector led, and later DepEd supported, Essential Health Care Packages. These packages include toothbrush and toothpastes for oral health care, solid and liquid soaps for hand washing, and medicines for de-worming.

Later that day (and after a butt-aching 2 hour drive through winding - twists and turns sharply - road), Cagayan de Oro City's representative to Congress (one of two that they have) suggested adding a fourth component of the package - a feeding program. He suggest that kids with clean teeth, clean hands, and worm-less tummies are not complete without proper meal.

In the evening we stayed at the simple yet comfortable Discovery Hotel and Restaurant located near the Mallberry Suites Business Hotel and Robinsons Cagayan de Oro.

It was a wonderful experience to see CDO and Bukidnon. I get to meet its people, savor some of its delicious local delicacies and (ehem!) flirt with its ladies (just some smiles, winks and small talks and nothing else).

You should see it for yourself.

Most unfortunate

This morning I arrived at the PUV terminal at around 8:20 hoping to get on board soon and be on my way to the before 9:00. But what greeted me is a very long line of fellow commuters waiting for their turn to get on board.

I was debating with myself if I will go and wait in line or if I should take another way to the office. I chose to wait in line.

By experience, if I take a jeepney to Pasig City, then take another FX to the office, it will probably take me more than an hour to get to the office.

I asked the dispatcher why the line grew longer than usual. He said that there is an on-going boat race along the Pasig River and most roads used by the drivers on their return trip is closed. the boat race is part of the celebrations for Araw ng Pasig.

I had no choice but to just wait. And it is past 9:00 already.

Waiting it out, I was able to get on board after 30 minutes and be in the office in another 15. What a way to start the month...

Those who are first become last

There are times that you feel unfortunate to at the end of a long queue of people trying to get a ride to the office. And there are times that you feel very lucky to be first in the line or in the first group to board and leave.

An of course, there are times that even though you were the first one to leave, the driver of the vehicle that is last to leave drives a lot faster than yours.

Just this morning, I was lucky enough to leave before 8 that will assure me that I will arrive at the office right before nine. While we were on the highway (C-5) just past the u-turn slot near Valle Verde when suddenly, an FX AUV tried to bump us. It turns out that the "rammer" is a coleague of our driver. They both belong to the same transport association. And this second AUV is supposed to have left about 10 minutes after we were on our way.

Lo and behold, a third AUV was also there and overtook us.

In the end, our AUV, that left around 7.45am was the last to reach my stop. And I thought I was lucky to be in the group that went out first.

And so, the first, became last. Haaay...

Lovers are they?

On my way home tonight, I took an FX from Megamall. I took a seat at the back along with a couple who I thought to be married.

As we waited there for the vehicle to fill up and when it eventually left, I came to realize that they were not married and may be just friends. I figured this out when I heard the lady describing her daughter to her friend.

I never really thought of them as having an affair but merely chancing upon each other at the mall and since they are probably neighbors (since they discussed neighborly things). At any rate, the lady was, well, sort of a little sweet to the guy . Patting his leg, leaning on to him makes it look sweet. But then again, I do not know the depth of their relationship so its not really my business.

So, that is the more telling part of my commute today. Hope to be able to share some more in the future.

Community activities

In the last couple of days I commuted home, our public utility jeepney (PUJ) ran into two consecutive community activities of the same nature by two different baranggays (villages) bordering the same main transport route.

Friday night, I got held up in a 30 minute kilometer long traffic jam because of the Santacruzan that passed within the boundaries of Sta. Rosa, Pasig City. It was a long 3-lane crawl from the Pasig Plaza to the T-intersection near Ado's Panciteria. Fortunately, the procession turned right at the next corner. When the tail end passed that next junction, we zoomed to our destination in no time.

But then again, last night on my way home, our PUJ is once more stuck in traffic. Good for us it only took about 20 minutes for the parade to turn a corner before the Ado's panciteria T-intersection. If the line proceeded using the same route as before, I would have ended up taking the same amount of time to get home as the other day.

Although these two events are being undertaken by two different communities, these communities border the same main road and plotted their routes to include this road. Good thing I am not leaving the house today. If I had to and there is a third baranggay I did not know about, I'd be stuck again for almost the same amount of time.

Music and calls

In my previous post, I narrated about a quiet ride from our house to the office.

This morning, I had a partially quiet ride.

I am again seated at the back of the Mitsubishi Adventure AUV with four other passengers. One is listening to the music, the other just watches the scenery go by. The fourth was joyfully talking on the phone.

First, she called her (presumably) female friend as asked about the number of a male friend. Then she went on talking about other stuff. Her other phone rang after that and she is now talking to the male friend. By what I hear, the guy was thinking she is using a brand new unit as she explained that the unit she uses is an old one.

All this is happening while the music-listening passenger was tapping his knee to the beat of his overly loud music that leaks out of his plugged ears.

Silent run

As always, early morning commutes are quiet. I got into the FX as the last passenger in, paid my fare and we were all set to go.

The ride was uneventful. The four of us at the back are all dozing. I did not take much notice about those up front since everybody was really quiet. Nobody knew someone so there is no reason for chitchat. All we could hear is the music coming from the stereo.

I did not notice anyone using a personal mobile audio device either. No iPods. No MP3 players. No mobile phones with MP3 player or FM radio feature.

We all rode in peace trying to get some more shut eye that we were not able to have the evening before.

It was a silent run.

Family ride

When I commute, I notice that drivers often bring members of their family with them.

At times, drivers of passenger jeepneys bring their wives with them. Their wives are the ones who collect the fare and hand out the change.

Sometimes they bring their young children along with them. These are kids about 3 to 5 years old who do nothing but sit and watch the world go by.

And more often than not, it is the whole family who come along. The wife does her thing collecting fare and giving out change while the kids sleep, play or just sit and stare.

Family members mostly ride shotgun with them. Once they do this, the two-passenger front seat becomes off limits to passengers. Other times, wives sit behind the driver holding with her the cash box.

Even though bringing their families with them means one or two passengers worth of fare removed for the duration of the trip, it makes life easier for the driver. Bringing their wives remove the need for them to collect fares and give back changes. It also give them time to bond. Talk about things and life and plans for the future. It also allows the family to be together and when the jeepney reaches the far end of its travel, they can all go malling.

Driving passenger utility vehicles is not just about earning. It is also about sharing your line of work with your family.

Quiet ride

As I went for work this morning, I noticed that the ride was quiet except for the music coming from the vehicle speakers.

I surmised that most people, especially when they travel alone, do not open a conversation with the other passengers. Even if there is a cute passenger sitting right next to them, they don't even try to muster courage to start up a conversation.

I guess everybody just want to get to the office, clock-in their report time and go about their work.

Interaction and verbal exchanges take the back seat during morning commutes.

Commuting, Dating

On my way home yesterday, I saw a young couple sitting across me. They are sweet with each other exchanging whispers and they are young. Definitely high school.

Like me, they are on their way home. Most probably from a date (the girl was wearing make-up). And the date continues. On the jeepney.

Most young couples do this dating-rides. It helps them spend the long trip liesurely. Though, maybe, they can cut back on the sweet holds, kisses, and embraces that couples do while watching a movie, in a dark theater. And they probably think it is alright.

Lucky guy. I am sorry for the girl. I am still an uptight Christian you know. :)