THE MANILA CONVENING

They came draped in flags.

But the minister, she booked a Grab taxi to The Venetian but did not appear despite the confirmation of the Manila Meeting's condensed report.

So the session plan was reviewed before a final coordination was convened  over breakfast to address the missing shuttle and extend a pep talk on Just Empowering Transition before the setting sun set Manila Bay ablaze.

At the Manila Convening:

• the Phantom Biker discreetly glided through integrated inclusion huddles while posing for photos and expediting a virtual discussion on banning dirty coal to shift the spotlight to a feminist talk during mocktails;   
• the youth committed to reach for the stars and demand social accountability, require rare earth investors to regard the First Nations and tacticize why Greek food should not be served in solidarity dinners;
• single red hearts screamed with call to actions from a communique forged in an exit meeting.

In retrospect, Diwata's Pares Overload paired with the Sunset Bar's extra strong beers would have been the perfect reception dinner but imbing images of the Mall of Asia in ramen bowls of shoyu, Osaka-style Volcano, Nagasaki Champon, and tsukemen will do.

After all, Japan has been breached and booked, finally.

They all took off on Friday except for the Phantom Biker who stayed to monitor the post-convening chatter that indicated the initiation of an impact story development session in Manila in preparation for a South-South Project in Kuala Lumpur and the ensuing massive purge of an inbox. 

A credit card bill, not yet due, was impulsively settled to protest SOME THAI's misrepresentation of a beloved crab omelette, the bastardization of a spicy beef salad, and its Thai milk tea concoction that tasted like a laminated multi-layered sachet.

So much for a Bib Gourmand and much ado about a polysomnography that stole dsleep on the eve of St. Valentine's Day to finally retire a military cap...

THE MANILA VISITS AND MEETINGS

For a minute, the chlorine-laced pool froze into a powerpoint presentation as the 8th ASEAN Working Group squinted into the morning sun to etch their commitment on integrating GEDSI into national energy plans, promoting climate justice and mobilizing climate finance, ensuring rights in a digital age, translating the care declaration into action, and addressing the “Missing Middle” of social protection.

Ushering this annual ritual is a platter of multi-colored sapinsapin, sliced and served with an interim midyear report submission from an overcrowded table, a 6-minute walk to a red bento-box of belabored pansit and siopao meal that the week's frst Rizotril dose transformed into elevated karekare, kaldereta, and adobo to send off an old Sandugo flipflop and a buttonless cargo pants into retirement.  

Then came the inihaw na pusit, the grilled tuna belly, roasted liempo, and sizzling bulalo that stirred anticipatory action for the promotion of digital rights in the ASEAN as prophecied during dinner at the Ambassador's Reception in Magallanes Village.

Old Rockport was finally retired, reluctantly, as the Andrologist unlocked the Sleep Disorders Center, finally.

A second Bib Gormand was harvested at Morning Sun before a quickie at the ADB.

Two bottles of pinot noir, a flask of sake, and two glasses of gin tonic lubricated the egress of two visits and a meeting in Manila.

It was a stocktake from there: 

• Session 1 determined project progress under the watchful gaze of the Quezon Memorial Shrine's three mourning angels
• Session 2 looked into spending and burn rates as The Oblation looked 
• Session 3 distilled reflections over lunch at a cocktail table of the Salcedo Saturday Market
• Session 4 evolved action points during the changing of the guards at the Rizal Monument in Luneta

It is finished!

A 2026 ASEAN engagement plan was compiled to retire a fake Stan Smith after one final errand of picking up a prescribed PDE5 inhibitor during St. Paul the Apostle's morning sermon about the church's Millenial Saint.

In Quiapo, the exposed faithful prayed to the Black Nazarene for miracles while at the Golden Mosque, women must be covered with hijab and the skin peeled off the grilled fish. 

A lotto bet was placed somewhere along Calle Sacrista as mass was celebrated in both ends of the street --- at Sta. Cruz and Binondo that once ministered to the gentiles of Parian. 

Soft rain punctured two cups of overrated coffee as marathon weddings occupied the San Agustin Church and pushed back tourists to an ancient restaurant for an early lunch of kangkong with garlic and seafood canton (halal), and classic asado and lumpiang shanghai (haram).  

It's TRYP not Microtel but the heavy yellow luggage is ours... 

THE PHANTOM BIKER UNMASKED

Alas-9 ng gabi,
umuugong ang antok na dumuyan sa iginagayak na midyear interim report

Ala-1 ng madaling araw,

unang gising at ihi, pahabol na sulsi sa binibihisang Meeting at Convening

Alas-3:30 ng madaling araw,

pangalawang gising upang magpaantok sa panonood ng Manila Visit sa TV 

Alas-5 ng umaga,

matapang na kape ang malabnaw na uhog ng mga kuwentong barbero sa ALT

Alas-6 ng umaga,

kumagat sa manipis na social protection ng basurero ang ngipin ng amihan

Alas-7 ng umaga,

nagbaba ng maskara ang nakabisiklesta upang mahuli ang amoy ng YOSAS 

Huling Sabado ng Enero,

sa Bakal 2 napulot ng namalengke sa Munoz ang mga milyahe na sininop ng mekaniko ng botika sa Guimba

na sinuhulan ng sunog na mani at ginayat na tokwang nasagip  ng plantsador sa lingguhang sanggunian

Unang araw ng Pebrero,

ang pagsusumamo sa Mahal na Birhen ng Lourdes ni San Husep na ipagtanggol ang mga may karamdaman 

at kay Padre Pio sa mayamang bahagi ng Libis, ang pintakasi ng pagpapagaling, ng pagdurusa, ng kirot

mga pagdiriwang at pag-aalay ng masaganang dulang at Amor Del Mar mula sa kusina ng mga Tausug sa Morato