Melissa
Yes, I went back to the Philippines after 1 year of leaving it to settle in beautiful British Columbia. I had no plans of returning that soon but it was a welcome respite to Canada’s winter. I have to say friends made it worth my while – it was an emotional trip (I realized what great friends and work! I had left behind) – and I was even rewarded the portrait here (hubby missed me – thank you, hon). Well, there’s the fact that my little boy asked for me in the 10 days I was gone only once (if hubby is to be believed), and he would now cling to his dad instead of me at nights. Not sure too if my daughter missed me (Danvic is proving to be a very adept dad). Yes, there was a trade off. But all in all I think that trip was a winner (thanks to my boss for making it possible).
The main comment I received, however, was that I had little or no photos to show for it. Thing is, I am not one to lug a heavy (or even light) camera. I prefer to replay everything in the privacy of my memory (where I will be free to embellish as necessary).
Here’s what I wrote in the Philippine Canadian Inquirer about it.
The plane veered from side to side as the wheels touched down the gravel of the tarmac. It was jarring, and the passengers found themselves clasping anything, something.
When the plane careened to a halt, everyone could not suppress a sigh of relief and elation. They (at least most of them), the Filipinos were, after all, home.
Ah, Manila – busy, bustling and judging by the heat waves that coloured everything in sight – burning hot.
The airport was a cacophony of sights and sounds, with everyone wanting to have something to do with everyone. Porters would wait at one’s elbow, taxi offers came left and right. Throngs were at the door, waiting for their someone. That has not changed – whole families still welcomed the newly arrived. From the distance, one could see jeepneys parked and little picnics happening under the noonday sun, a vigil of some sort. Only in the Philippines are arrivals (and departures) celebrated with such significance.
There was a short line at immigration and a long wait for the baggage. And then the heat hit.
It is great to be home.
The traffic was horrendous. 5 columns of cars (at the very least) snaked from Paranaque where the airport is, through the length of Edsa. Most times during the drive, our car was at a standstill. But it afforded me a look at the Manila I left behind.
Manila
Nothing much has changed. Pedicabs still terrorized cars and the streets, feather-duster-laden men bullied drivers for P250 per duster (that’s $6!), jeepneys stopped at points with abandon (oftentimes in the middle), buses swerved. The Manila driver is still deadly-defensive because he had to be – to survive the streets.
There was construction left and right – which is a great sign – but the debris rose as high as the skyscrapers, enveloping the metro in some sort of haze.
Everywhere – people. Some occupied, others not, but all bent on some mission. There were smiles here and there. From the outside looking in, I could now see why they say the Filipino is a warm people – there’s just that ease to them, an eagerness to please, a welcoming look.
Wonderful.
And of course the giant billboards continue to seduce drivers and pedestrians alike as they hawk their wares for all the world to see. I remember how they have to be folded up whenever there are typhoons. We learned a hard lesson there in 2006 when a large billboard toppled and wreaked havoc to cars and bridges and buildings.
And then we were at Makati. And its Greenbelt 5.
More people. And surprisingly, almost everyone had a shopping bag in tow. Restaurants, from fast food to fine dining, were at their full sitting capacity.
Tasting my first morsel of Filipino food, I could say there is nothing like it. The taste is richer in the Philippines (maybe it is the water). Or maybe it is because, well, there is nothing like home to make home-cooked food conjure up fond memories.
If only we could show the rest of the world how great the mixture of the salty and the sweet and the sour (or spicy) – on top of rice – is.
Indulgence
Try to go to The Fort, a restaurant/shopping/leisure haven which is just across Makati, and it takes forever. Buildings continue to rise up at The Fort, where condo units go for as much as P30 million ($800,000), a testament to the buying power of the Filipino. Selling like hotcakes, they say, and one can’t help but be amazed. Try to book at The Spa, an upscale spa and wellness centre, and it is booked for the next 2 days. You would have to wait 50 minutes for a simple manicure and pedicure at any salon (I know, I tried). The haircut places are not as bad but they are also filled to capacity.
I have to say this – and they say the Philippines is poor?
It is. I saw that shanties still dotted the edges of Makati and The Fort and the in-betweens. A 10×10 house shelters a family of 5. Meals are sporadic for most. Schools have 50 to a class and 2 shifts. The polarity between the rich and the poor is still very much evident.
Yet the Filipinos are the 2nd happiest people in Asia and ranked 67th happiest out of 142 countries in the world.
Maybe because 93 percent of surveyed Filipinos said they believe that “people are treated with respect in the country,” higher than the global average of 85.1%, while 81.8% are “satisfied with the beauty of the environment” (75.1% global). A high 79.8% are “satisfied with government efforts” (40.2% global) and 88.3% are “satisfied with freedom of choice” (75.8% global). It ranked 47th in economy, 63rd in governance, 75th in entrepreneurship and opportunity, 72nd in education system, 93rd in health, 55th in personal freedom, and 72nd in social capital, according to the Legatum Prosperity Index, an annual global survey developed by the London-based Legatum Institute.
How?
Because the weather, although alternatively hot and torrentuous, is wonderful. Families are there to pester and to help (and to pester, again, but always well-meaning). Friends known from grade school to high school and beyond are ready and willing to listen. The music is rousing and lively. The step, the language, the longings, the dreams – have that all-too-familiar beat.
I remembered. And I think I will never forget.