THE YEAR OF THE RED HORSE

The Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers, collectively, is the Red Horseman of the Apocalypse who with a Lakota Chief waged war in the Battle of the Greasy Grass amidst the din of Philippine rock music. 

All are associated with the Fire or Red Horse who at 6.9% alcohol by volume will make 2026 a year of Tadalafil-induced vitality and passion, and Rivotril-tempered nocturnal dynamism and radiant energy. 

But in lieu of the Happy Horse's extinction, a faction of the Thursday Group opted for Barreto, Roxas, and Kiene's tamer pale pilsen brew to welcome the Year of the Fire/Re Horse.  

Whereas a pale lager dinakdakan evolved an agenda for the Bali Assemby and moved money for the Kuala Lumpur Forum vis-a-vis an extra-strong lager adobo that telephatically inserted the Ironman of Bakal 2 into the dreams of the Night Hag during Witching Hours for a sinuglaw.

Actually, the Phantom Biker is a Red Horse on a blue bike, the central character of a developing impact story, the first session of a business development marathon, and the first hour of a boring training on project closures that will be featured in the Footprint Report app of a task force's biweekly meeting about the Santa Marta Conference.   

For his sake, the bike trails opens at daybreak depsite the absence of fresh sayote shoots and a headlamp as provided by two reviewed papers from Phnom Penh that were emailed to the Senate of the 20th Congress and to ASEAN Watchers as Docusigned requests for payment.

There was a concern about low burn rates that screamed of headlines from the Manila Convening, preliminaries to a line manager's induction to the new Cigna Health Benefits+ app that the Phantom Biker QR-coded for someone's aspiration in New Zealand.

Then there's Bacolor, an old town buried in lahar.

There is a half-buried ancient church dedicated to San Guillermo, the faithful's safeguard from calamities, and host to the Shrine of the Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario – La Naval de Bacolor.   

 

There's the contemporary Sunken Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes whose image arrived in Cabetican in 1906, also buried in lahar and partially excavated.

We came to pray, to plead for divine intercession.

And there's lunch.

Plain hot rice with kilayin, tidtad, and fried hito and buro rolled in fresh lettuce leaves would have been perfect because Bale Kampampangan's adobong balot exudes a stong feathery taste, the sisig has the texture of coagulated oil, and the pindang damulag glistens with the hue of a Red Horse. 

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

ONE BLACKED-OUT SATURDAY IN TARLAC

Once upon a time in 1945, the returning Americans with Filipino guerillas and Aeta warriors pounded the Japanese invaders into submission at the Battle of Bamban Hills to secure Clark Airfield and push the Tiger of Malaya deep into Northern Luzon, into Balete Pass, into his operations center that culminated in the Battle of Bambang and his eventual surrender in Kiangan.

"The first 4 Filipinos killed by the Japanese in Bamban are from San Jose in Nueva Ecija," revealed the curator of war relics.

"My ancestors avenged them in Bambang where the retreating Japanese were anihilated and burried in the mass graves of Almaguer," said the Phantom Biker who wondered if the boxcars that used to ply PNR's Tarlac-San Jose Line were the same as those that transported POWs to what is now the Capas Death March Monument for interment at Camp O'Donnell, a tragedy now marked with a 73-meter obelisk of peace at the Capas National Shrine. 

The Phantom Biker --- he chased a parade with a flat tire at 56 kilometers/hour to nudge an agenda and a procurement in the name of the Manila Trinity (Visit, Meeting, Convening) that also got a contract amendment signed finally despite a continuing platform glitch and the ensuing barrage of virtual meetings to initiate a midyear interim report preparation.

The Ironman --- he got a consultancy recruitment live at a cost of chicken done two ways: sinampalukan and litson with aged pinikpikan and popcorn on the side. 

Prayer to the Peacemaker and 

Patron of the Holy Souls

"Lord, you worked miracles of healing and comfort at the hands of St. Nicholas: hear all who cry to you in distress, in sickness and in every danger of soul and body, and save them in your mercy.

Almighty God, your glory shone upon the Church through the holiness and miracles of St. Nicholas of Tolentino. In answer to his prayers, keep your holy people in peace and unity. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen."

SCARS

It's been 19 days since the 79th. 

In 7 days of that, I walked out of a virtual consultation on fundraising to meet with the Swedes in Bangkok who co-authored a mandate for Jakarta that will define the context of ASEAN 2026.  

My new friends, Oettinger and Warsteiner, cancelled their financial management support for a policy toolkit in lieu of a request for refund from Melbourne's impact measurement approach. 

On the 5th of the 7th, an active fibrotic NASH was ruled as a request for computer maintenance.

On the 6th, a worrisome possibility for recurrence was detected before 5 hours of a ureteroscopy.

The scars will linger like a YOSAS approval for 5 settlements. 

Recurring (an assessment report?), exasperating (a fiscal governance plan?), delayed (hosting arrangements?).  

The opthalmologist was absent during a payment to a locked investment.

The opthometrist held court in Phnom Penh for a headhunt in SM City.

And the Phantom Biker got lost in Bakal 2 while tending to The Trestleboard.

On the 7th of the 7th, the computer was revealed to be a washing machine laundering a weekend narrative report. 

The scars, they will come and go.

But if they remained, my prayer to the Immaculate Conception in Cubao is for them to stay just like that.

Scars that will mark our riumph over our afflictions...

DREAMS

-----

"On sober nights, hypotension thrive to afflict the man from Pakistan at the airport arrival hall where he was picked and gurneyed to a Japanese-themed party, to the shaman, the custodian of a Mayan pyramid who marked his forehead with a cross..."  

-----

ASEAN 2025 was finally Boxed, tucked between preparatory notes for a midterm assessment in Bangkok and the first draft of a regional convening in Kuala Lumpur, a proper induction to SuccessFactor through an OPA blitzkierg that endeavored to stash discretionary funds in Phnom Penh as insurance for the Asian version of the Hunger Games where Kudo Boards are anticipated to be mass produced for the leavers who will miss a learning review in Manila.  

 -----

"But dreams are liquid fantasies slipping through the cracks of inebriation, like a reverie of balot and penoy popping from Heinekin beer cans that shine like an oily tinumis being poured from 3 liters of light brandy to dress a fried milkfish and burnt pork barbecue.."

-----

Oplan DOH-MFIP was concluded triumphantly, Cigna has been claimed and appealed, the month's power bill covered through a VMX marathon to whom the earthquake in Mandalay and the failure of a Jollibee redemption were attributed, the Phantom Biker strewing pieces of lechong kawali along the dusty trail and smuggling 5 ensaimada packs through a blockade of chains to reach Baloc's bowl of goto before Friday's market tour in Munoz.

----

"The Chinese New Year was celebrated in March, in a series of art deco buildings rimmed by narrow streets perhaps somewhere in Europe, or maybe in a Baguio mall where cuapao sandwiches littered a conference and a side event on effective influencing..."  

----

A breakfast of glorious sinanglaw in Cuyapo broke a mechanical run-in that unexpectedly designed a curious scrutiny of the replicated Manoppello Image in Nampicuan, probably one of the six Veils of Veronica that were inspired by the Shroud of Turin, icons made without hands, hands like that of the mango vendor who can perfectly grill a Bonuan bangus and properly prepare a pigar-pigar in Sison, lunch served in a dilapidated house, once abandoned and haunted by the ghost of its master who shot himself while lying in his huge Narra bed.  

INVOCATIONS

They were healers and leaders.

Perhaps it was through their intercession that Cigna debunked the myth of the "pre-existing" rider by guaranteeing to cover an expensive radioactive tracing procedure.

We are grateful and we continue to plead for the babaylans' intervention --- for Our Ina ng Biglang Awa to always quickly step in for us, for La Pilarica to support our aspirations, and for the La Naval to unleash her spirit guides to protect us.

And with the throng gathered at Plaza Miranda, we stormed the celestial kingdom of Jesus Nazareno with our eternal gratitude for a healing along with our prayers for long life and good health.

Eat, pray, love.

We ate --- nibbled on Goodah's fried pork ribs before the scan, high protein with low carb and sugar, picked on Max's fried chicken afterwards, a revenge lunch of sorts, before indulging on Rue Bourbon's all-meat pizza and what it touted as a Big Ass Caramel Beer (whoever thought of it should be hanged!), and a barrage of Manmaru Izakaya's sashimi with two servings of sake (we will be back!).

We prayed --- at the Binondo Church and a supplication of  braised beef tendon and black chicken soup, at Sta. Cruz Chruch and a petition for Lord Stow's egg tart, at the Quiapo Church after an invocation of an Excelente ham sandwich and Dada's palabok at the Quinta Market, and at the Sto. Domingo Church where the bus dropped us and the Grab picked us.

All that in the name of love. 

Work.

Cigna was pre-meditated, a battle plan tucked between rote Monday meetings while chasing ASEAN 2025 and "The Lao Big Event" in Luang Prabang in between huddles on safe programming and a partnership platform while catching up with regional and global conversations on just energy transition and a concept note review.

There were matters arising, a potential donor meeting, an annual planning, hotel bookings, a requested ASEAN briefing, and an exchange that finally got me moving (from OGB to ONL).

Interspersed is a dentist pulling a tooth from the money changer who paid the cobbler with US dollars for mending the legal assistant's sneakers after notarizing the Almaguer Papers to authorize a bank deposit after the morning street sweeps so the Solid North bus will cease promoting a party list of poisoned brown grasses.

Ride a bike, drink a beer.

I did disposed the trash, took out breakfast, got a haircut, restocked our prescriptions, and went to the market.

I did drink too but a sparkling non-alcoholic wine first before giving in to our regular Red Horse sessions with bopis, tokwa't baboy, and inihaw na baboy on the side. 

BALOC RIDES: Prelude to Vientiane

San Geronimo of Baloc who healed the sick and called for the rains through Juana is also St. Jerome of Striddon who rewrote the Old Testament from Hebrew to Latin and is the patron saint of translators. 

Our San Geronimo is an accessory to the conception of Kuya Bulan, one of our ipso facto lines to heaven that is dialed through lighted colored candels at the Aglipayan Cathdedral and Roman Catholic Sanctuary.

There, I sent off my wife as she reported back to work with the prayer that we may live long and prosper like the very satisfactory results of our recent quarterly and hopefully, the Timolol Maleate will work fine too as well as a second dose of anti-rabies vaccine in Munoz.  

OPlan SCM-CSWDO is on target but Ate Chona did not respond to OPlan Guimba while Oplan SJC-PCSO remains uncertain that is why we reinvested P77,357.50 at MHCC  

The I-JET/FFA/A&C Trilogy was on full show for a GCash and a check deposit, intense but sedate like a root beer and a fake non-alocoholic beer in Bakal 2, and a Japanese mocktale from Ortigas. 

Friday's bike ride was rained out so I was once again Master Chef and Iron Man, a disciple of the Craft and the abandoned parish church of San Geronimo, and the author of a Sunday epistle to RAN.

I was dry for almost a week and smokeless for almost a day in Bakal 2, Manila and Bangkok. 

That was until arriving in Vientiane on Sunday night...

SI GESU / ANG PANSIT NG MGA NANGAWALA AT NASALANTA

Ganun na nga.

Naubos ang Fundador at mga beer na binili nina Pareng Dante at Eboy, napagkamalan kong paramdam ni Boss Joey ang Baygon na ini-spray ni Quachin, at natalo ako ng P400 sa bating. 

Nakapagsara pa naman kami ng pulong kinabukasan kahit brownout.

At pinilit na makauwi dahil wala na akong isusuot na brief kinabukasan.

Ganun na nga ulit.

Kinabukasan ay nasa Ateneo naman ako at naghintay ng mga kakumperensiya.

Kasi nga, mabilis ang naging takbo namin

O mas maikli talaga ang biyahe sa mga expressway.

Puede ding maaga lang talaga kaming lumarga.

Whatever, may isang oras akong espasyo para pasyalan ang simbahan ni Gesu sa Ateneo na matagal ko nang planong gawin. 

Ang siste, di ko dala ang pangsimbahan kong kamera. 

Ganun na din 'yun. 

Kahit na nasalag ang panawagan kong "Resign all!" at kailangan naming iwanang mag-isa si N sa pag-upak kay L. 

Nagiging maligalig na ang mundo ng mga nangawala at nasalanta. 

Sa dulo, masarap ang inihaing pansit ni Usec Fred pero nasapawan ito ng inahing isang bandehadong sashimi, isang bilaong sushi, isang palangganang sugpo, at isang wataw ng inihaw na malasuge sa aming hapunan.

Ala-una na ng madaling araw ako nakabalik sa Nueva Ecija.

Ganun talaga yun.

STD AT ANG PAGDATING NI GLENDA

Ang STD ay para sa bayan ng Sto. Domingo.

Katulad ng SCM para sa Science City of Munoz at SJC para sa San Jose City.

Ganyan ko sila isinusulat sa aking mga monthly report para makatipid ng panahon sa pagtitipa na mukhang nakuha naman na ng aming PME.

"Maglalakad muna ako papuntang STD," ang paalam ko para masunog ang limang bote ng San Mig Lights na nainom kagabi nang hindi na dumagdag pa sa mga nag-uumpugan kong mga bato sa apdo.

Sa totoo lang, matagal ko nang plano na ma-update ang mga kuha ko sa Simbahan ni Sto. Domingo noong kapanahunan pa ng aking unang point-and-shoot camera.

Kaya ayan, nagpityur-pityur ulit ako ng simbahan.

Bukas ay sa simbahan naman sana ng San Francisco del Monte ako maglalakad.

Pero dumating si Pareng Dante na nagpabili ng isang bote ng Fundador na dinagdagan ni Pare Eboy ng anim na Pilsen, anim na Lights, at dalawang Red Horse.

Sumunod na dumating ang umaalulong na si Glenda kaya nagsumpahan na lamang kaming mga tiga probinsiya na magkitakita taon-taon kahit wala na kami sa PRRM.