CASINO ROYCE

Not in Montenegro but at Clark Global City.

A regional dialogue instead of a Texas Hold 'em poker tournament.

Le Chiffre, Dimitrios, and Mr. White disguised as Crising, Dante, and Emong dressed in four colors of polo barong.

For 4 days, the Premium Ballroom buzzed not of slot machines but the chimes and bells of the "Missing Middle", of distribution and food assitance spinning in roulette wheels while in a nearby bingo table, numbered capacity building and regional collaboration were announced for the benefit of the cage cashier who traded gaming tokens for a torn Euro bill that will cover breakfasts at the 21 All-Day Dining Buffet, the gym at Level 2, and a cabaret show on Day 1.   

(Day 1 featured a quickie with "I" on behalf of M.) 

By afternoon of Day 3, the "Missing Middle" was drafted by the bureau and dispensed at the relocated gateposts of old Fort Stotsenburg as Dante and Emong waltzed with crones while dumping rain on the the ghost of Manoling who was called to the Celestial Lodge 7 hours after having a photo with an American general, almost 3 months since granting a general amnesty to the collaborators of the great war, and many years before Mt. Pinatubo erupted to usher the casino invasion of Clark Air Base. 

(Day 3 was when everyone checked out except for a blue umbrella.)

Finally, Aling Lucing picked the remaining sisig morsels  from Donenoo's charcoal grill that is sweating with melted fat from various cuts of fresh beef and pork from Korea Town where the partnership amendments, a counterpart creation, a request for project change and a waiver, and two goals got caught up in the storm.

EIDC sounds like Quantum and TB might be the Obanno of a coded reheated birthday lechon that's as chewy as the last 4 sticks of pork barbecue in Bakal 2 yet soft and delicate like two pressure-cooked sinampalukang ulo ng kambing from a Saturday cocktail where the Phantom Biker, soused in 6 bottles of Pale Pilsen, disappeared into a line of drying laudry.  

His name is Bert, Shu-Bert.

And he takes his beer chilled and bottled, not poured and iced.

UNQUOTABLE QUOTES

"Sa puno ng maputing suso hinango ang laman para sa kalderetang bibe, kilaweng kambing, at sisig ni Aling Lucing."

“Immunize a dog and you’ll find an ancient motorbike inside a leaking aquarium that smelled like the PET Scan appointment of two Monday meetings".

"Love is the energy of life, gender inclusive and low carbon in Kuala Lumpur, and sometimes confused too like a consultancy requisition for the social protection of a special economic zone near Manila".  

"The budget is not just a collection of numbers but an expression of counterpart creation, understanding pass downs, partnership amendments, final report submissions, and a catch-up meeting".

"You're only as good as your last haircut and a leak-proof roof to host ASEAN 2026".

"Bridges become frames for looking at the world around us until a typhoon locked my bike wheels for two days".

"Ang mga naghapunan ng keso at pulang alak ay higit pa ang katapatan sa Banal na Rosaryo ng mga Anghel na kumupkop sa Museu ng mga nakatikas pahingang Puntod".

REDEMPTION POEM (with apologies to Bob Marley)

Internship, yes, was marked “F”

Rectified by the leadership

Two "3s" were fished out

From the “Incomplete” pit

Like the haunting of the Balete

Quezon is Baler's almighty

PRISMA delivered in our generation

Though partially

Won't you let us swim

This ocean of beer?

'Cause all I ever hoped

ADMU reclaimed  

CLSU reformed

 

OPAs emancipated(?) from delays

Social Protection will free our minds

ASEAN shall have clean energy

'Cause OPR can't stop the bike

How to Speak Up on Climate Justice

While we drink lagers and swoon?

CANSA is CANSEA in New Delhi

The Ironman fulfilled a wish

SIRI

Program Manager (rubbing his iPhone 16 like Aladdin's Lamp): Ensure that contract amendments and budget disbursements are made on time.

Siri: Do you mean fast-tracking the Umbrella OPA review and briefing implementing partners on the timely submission of their final reports with zero unspents?

Program Manager (staring and almost praying at a ThinkPad screen): And disburse the last two payments for Year 3 but not in the same effort exerted in editing PRISMA 1-4.

Siri: Do you mean as discussed in the Monday meetings and a Learning Booster on climate finance, or the conversations on social protection and a report from Brussels?

In Scandinavia, virtual assistants interpret speech and recognize tense voices from Melbourne that extol Susan Alice Bennet in words that can only be heard from Paradise where the families of Chanidae (kinilaw na bangus) and Bovidae (sinampalukang kambing) starred in a play about Karaoke Nights in Baloc.

oo0oo 

Program Manager (unchained and adjusting a bike seat): Five days of the monuments, these are what the sirens screamed for and not the the credit card payments for three servings of Gotong Batangas that the Phantom Biker sliced from a soft morning rain.

Siri: Do you mean plain strong lager or paired with mushy tokwa't baboy and infused litsong manok from the ancient tamarind tree of the Big House ? 

By end of Saturday, the Defender of the People secured a Beautiful Victory and was raised to the sublime degree of sinaing na tulingan and pinakbet, Spanish ham and cheese, and a friendship that convenes over breaking bottles of Argentinian wine and Irish whiskey...