Life in Zambo

I used to attend Pilar College in high school. It's situated right in front of RT Lim Boulevard. Looking back, every morning was filled with fog, but during the afternoon, we'd be able to see across the sea at the islands. At the time, nobody really knew what they were, just that they were close enough and that the sand were light enough to be seen across the sea. Our family, including anybody from our extended family, have never been to those islands. In the past few years, the local government officially made it possible to visit one of the islands for recreation, while the smaller one was turned into a naval base. We decided to finally go see the Pink Sand beach before my brother goes back overseas. On a Sunday, and appropriately enough, on Father's Day, our family, my aunt's family, and as well as a family friend and his two daughters were all at Paseo del Mar, where the Sta. Cruz Island Ferry Terminal is found.

I've lived in Zamboanga City for most of my life, but I haven't really gotten around to viewing the sights and sounds. Thinking back, I used to just hop on my motorcycle and ride through the still undeveloped parts of Pasonanca and Lunzuran. The unpaved, dusty roads and unexplored areas excited me. When I went to visit those areas again, it wasn't what I expected. I, for one, never expected that people would actually start to live in those uneven patches of land. So, for the past week, I went on a mission to find Zamboanga . Zamboanga has gotten so much bad rap the past few years that I think people have started to forget that Zamboanga isn't all that bad. If it was so bad, the population would have already dropped. I went to find ten places in Zamboanga City where you don't have to actually splurge to have a good time, or appreciate Zamboanga City.

The author with the Yakan children With today's modern society, and Man's hurry to progress, many of our cultural heritages have been forgotten. Our forefathers, in their obsession to catch up with modern times, have neglected to pass on what we could have counted as part of history. But this ethnic tribe has not. The Yakan people originally come from the Basilan province. During the trying times of the '70s, some of the population opted to move to the safer Zamboanga City, bringing along with them traditions and culture as a means of making a livelihood. Although some of them may have moved on to become more progressive, a small village in Zamboanga City has preserved their culture, which is now known as the Yakan Village. This small group of people earn their livelihood by showing guests the traditional dance, Pangalay , which is also practised by other Muslim tribes, and by selling handwoven goods. Considering the amount of effort put into it and what it symb...

Summer's over for the most of us, so I'll be going around Zamboanga to find out more about life in the now. For the next few days, I'll be checking out some spots, right here in Zamboanga, some known, some found right in front of your eyes, just unacknowledged. Maybe go on a little cultural trip that can only be found in Zamboanga. If you haven't yet, follow me on Facebook , Twitter , Tumblr or Instagram . You may or may not find more interesting stuff on there than here.

It has definitely been a number of days since I last watched the news. I just find the news to be engrossing that I haven't been as productive as I wanted to be. Actually, if I had a TV in my room I've probably still be watching the news while working. Mar Roxas, well-known as Mr. Palengke back when he was still running for office in the Senate, supposedly declared that the war is over, based on the barrage of status messages on my Facebook News Feed. A lot of people are not convinced. Some commented that they heard gunfire and explosions still, while others who probably are far away from the the affected areas are rejoicing because of the good news. While I am among those who are in the unaffected areas, the gunfire and explosions that have been waking me the past few days seem to be absent today. I'm not going to say that it's now safe to go out and be merry, but rather I would advise those who would need to be outside for work and provisions to be as vigilant as ...

Yesterday, I went on a run to the Red Zone. I brought along my ID, because just by flashing it, it gets me to places where not a lot can go to. Anyway, there were some documents that I needed at the office, and while it seemed quiet, I just got on the motorcycle and went. Every now and then, I'd still hear gunfire and explosions, but what's scary is that I've gotten so used to it that I don't even feel scared anymore. Everything looked perfectly normal on the way to the City Hall. There were people around, traffic was even bustling. Everything looked normal except when I got to the boundaries set by the military. When I got to the entry point, I showed the soldier on duty my ID, he asked how long I'll be staying at the office, and I tell him that I won't be long. As soon as I got through the road block, it was a whole different world. The usual noisy, busy streets of the pueblo was so quiet, I swear I could even hear the wind. About fifty meters away from the ...

I once worked as a call center agent in Cebu City. As such, we were required to provide world-class service to customers all over the world. To keep our jobs, we were required to be kind to customers, to always keep in mind that the customer is always right, no what. When you turn down a customer, make sure that you are doing it for something bigger than a customer. A few weeks after I arrived in Zamboanga, I went grocery shopping. I had a small plastic bag which had one item in it. I could've stuffed it in my pocket, but I didn't, because I didn't want a bulging pocket. So I strolled into the supermarket, when all of a sudden, in the rudest possible way, "Pssst, psst, pssst!!!"

Zamboanga City's close to the sea, so going to the beach can become a daily occurrence. The water's cool and clear, unlike in Cebu, where you still have to travel quite a distance just to find some good spots to enjoy the seawater and at an entrance fee that's worth well, more expensive than Mother Nature intended for us to afford. After the marathon , the group and I headed to the Golf Beach , named as such since it's not just a beach park, but also a golf course. It's been a number of years since I last came here. I have been wanting to go to the beach for a while now, but unfortunately I wasn't ready for this trip, so I didn't take a dip in the water.

It's about time I featured Jardin Maria Clara on here since I've been going to that park a couple of times now. Anyway, in preparation for today's marathon earlier , I ran with some friends who were also fellow participants yesterday. On the last run , there were only three of us, but this time, we were joined by Jayson, who was supposed to come to the last practice run, but instead slept through the morning. Since this session was held on the afternoon, he finally managed to come. This park is famous for the Butterfly Sanctuary and umm, for couples who like to be lovey-dovey even during the day. Can you see the couple in this picture?

This is one of the things that I have been preparing my legs and lungs for for the past few weeks. The PhilHealth National Fun Run. For the moment, I can call myself a recreational runner, but I'm hoping that by the next year, I might actually stand a chance in winning a marathon or getting a good time worthy enough to be recorded. I was up as early as 4AM just so I can get something warm in my stomach. An oatmeal porridge in a cup was the best thing I can have before a run. Apparently, oats slowly release energy so you don't easily run out of gas while running. When I got to the track, I couldn't find the guys I'm supposed to be with. It took about ten minutes of waiting and texting before we managed to find each other. I'd tell the guys I was under the basketball hoop close to the stairs, and they'd say they were at the same place. Turns out, they were at the opposite end of the court.

I was invited on short notice by one of my co-workers, who also happened to be one of my batch mates in reviewing for the Civil Engineering board examination, to a dinner date with our exam coach and his wife. It has been more than two years since I got my own wings in the Civil Engineering world and I have yet to meet someone who can be a better coach than this person. He has a few branches of his review center scattered in the Philippines and nothing makes me happier than to know that they are doing better in their business at this moment. With all the hard work and faith in God that they have, nobody deserves success better than the Padilla couple. Just in case you're wondering who I'm talking about, it's Engr. Perfecto Padilla . We had dinner at Barcode , a local restaurant decorated with something so easily associated with Zamboanga City , the colorful Vinta .