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... 

HAI[na]KU 74-78

-74-

Peter and Paul, us

a prayer through the martyrs

saints of Calasiao

***

A delay in Wattay held-up Noi Bai, the bus driver in Manila showed up in an Ao Dai.

The Manila Meeting dodged confirmations to book the Bali Workshop and got rain checked on the field visit.

***

-75-

Ramon's church, refuge

a blessed kaleskesan

soup for the mortals

***

Phnom Penh convened to draft a survival plan for Asia before catching up with Australia.

A Code of Conduct refreshed Year 4's budget re-submission to update the monthly burn rate.

***

-76-

Kapampangan lunch

kuhol, sisig, and pindang

food for the non-Gods

***

Finance and energy were responsible for the eye doctor's transition into bloodletting. 

A pass-down exorcised from the inbox of credit card liquidations nudged a regional convening. 

***

-77-

St. James beheaded

ceiling painted, the choir sang

pilgrims in Betis

***

A lotto bet was placed in a forex transaction when the Phatom Biker changed tires while settling power in the market.

The Engineer from Singapore celebrated in Bakal 2 with a birthday cake of kilaweng kambing. 

***

-78-

47 years

hail to Lam-ang, to Hogwarts!

47 years

SHOOTING CHURCHES, EATING NOODLES (2025 Semana Santa Edition)

The fishes wear colorful earings in Paoay while in Sta. Maria, the Virgin Mary keeps appearing in a guava tree on a hilltop.

That is why two massive earthquake baroque churches were built in both places so St. Augustine can preach to the sinner fishes of San Juan de Sahagun (1694-1710), and for the Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion to be able to keep guard of the guava tree in what was once known as Purok (1765-1810).     

And yes, we have the bragging rights of having visited the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ilocos Norte and Sur, and the other two in Miag-ao and Intratmuros too!

On the first three days of a Holy Week, the demolition men descended upon Bakal 2 to pull out rusty nails from an old wooden roof truss where the minutes of the meetings with Islamabad and Jakarta along with the survey responses to Melbourne were crucified as captions to a couple of quickie rides and a birthday invitation in Bakal 2.

On Maundy Thursday, we crossed the Dalton and Diadi moutain passes to shoot St. Vincent Ferrer's church in Dupax del Sur and the church of St. Matthias in Tumauini, and eat Cabagan's famous pansit and an accidental pansit batil patong in Tuguegarao that would have been perfect pairings with Aritao's sauteed red ant eggs. 

In between betrayal and crucificion, bikers converge in Dupax del Sur while most of the resturants in Tuguegararo closed to attend an Ilocano mass at St. Peter's Cathderal.  

On Good Friday, we detoured to the Basilica of Our Lady of Piat for a forbidden breakfast of pork igado with more bikers before launching a raid to St. Raymond of Penafort's church in Malaueg (aka Rizal).

We crossed the mountains of Apayao from Conner as death blanketed Golgotha, parked at the Patapat Viaduct in Pagudpud, and dueled with the windmills of Bangui before a pit stop in Paoay for a linner of insarabasab, pinakbet, and sinigang na bagnet to finally usher us to a welcome bowl of reheated miki Iloco in Vigan.

On Black Saturday, we fell in line for a breakfast of sinanglao before exploring Vigan and Calle Crosologo by foot and calesa on the way to St. Catherine of Alexandria's church in Luna.

That's how we avoided the mourning traffic at Sta. Maria and had a late lunch of inihaw na tuna, sinigang na seafood, adobong pusit, sinuglaw, and dinengdeng by the seaside in San Fernando. 

On Easter Sunday, I took a center seat for an early morning ride to PR 736 and an omelet dinner in Bangkok as memories of the extremely helpful diversion roads in Isabela and Ilocos Norte, the literal street dogs of Cagayan, the lonely winding highway of Apayao, a sexy tattoed lady walking her dog in Ilocos Sur, Bulan's pout for not being able to drive in La Union, and the choir singing during the renovation of Vigan's St. Paul Cathedral slowly faded into a resurrection of empanada, royal bibingka, bagnet, and longganisa...

SIQUIJOR

Once upon a time, an army of fireflies protected the Kingdom of Katugasan from intruders.

The fireflies were conjured from the depths of the sea by Lucia, the most powerful of the mambabarangs and spiritual adviser to Datu Kihod.

Thus was how it became known as Isla del Fuego.

In 1783, the Augustinian Recollects came back and laid claim to the island by building the Church of St. Francis of Assisi from 1795 until 1831.

Lucia is long gone, presumably beaten to death by her own grandchild, but the church remained standing to greet me as I finally set foot in Siquijor.

The missionaries could have landed at Paliton Beach in a white boat and welcomed with a heart-shaped arch.

I did but through an ancient multicab with a defective battery and was welcomed with a snack of vinegar-laced fresh sea urchin.  

Lucia could be all of the tiny fishes at the spring that flows from the roots of a 400-year old enchanted balete tree so out of respect, I did not dip for a foot spa and offered an offering of special balbacua instead. 

In appreciation, her spirit ignited the dead battery of our rickety multicab. 

I came mainly for the San Isidro Labrador Church (circa 1884) and Convent (circa 1887-1891) that have been both declared as National Cultural Treasures and nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There, Lucia greeted me as the pink lady walking through the church aisle who I later saw gazing from the window of the convent. 

Lucia was the young lady with a floral top taking a photo at Level 3 of the Cambugahay Falls, the woman in all white (cap, shirt, cut off jeans) crossing from Level 2, and the girlfriend in a modest black two-piece bathing suit who was checking her phone in Level 3.

I can feel her pushing me as I made my way up the steep 135 steps where my driver/guide, under her spell, waited to take me to a lunch of kilawen at tolang malasugue that she caught herself for Jacs Kitchenette.

11.3 kilometers away is the Church of Our Lady of Divine Providence that was built in mid-1800s and it is there that I understood her presence and intention.

She is the Black Maria and she wanted me to bring home Lilibeth's pan de bisaya and to pay homage to the spirits of the Cang-Isok House, the oldest surviving house in Siquijor currently under renovation, that was built on the same years as the church where she is now enshrined.

I was supposed to have lunch at the Larena Triad Coffee Shop but my driver/guide told me the price is treefold there and took me somewhere else cheaper and better.

Still, we were led there while looking for the site of Siquijor Masonic Lodge No. 418, the islands of Bohol and Cebu visible from its view deck, and it was there where Gmail informed me of my flight being rescheduled from May 1 to May 5.

Lucia has left us but I was finally able to buy a pack of Marlboro lights.

I betted on the lotto in Siquijor and with her blessing, I might finally be able to win the grand prize and buy myself a plane.  

KILLING MIAG-AO

Kolehiyo na si Bulan.

Pagkatapos ng apat na buwan ng pagtatao sa bahay, pagluluto ng adobo para sa hapunan, paghuhugas ng mga plato pagkatapos ng almusal, pag-papainom ng oresol sa nilalagnat na aso, paglalampaso sa bahay, at iba pang puedeng gawin ng wala pang masyadong ginagawa.

Makapananghali kami nakarating ng Miag-ao.

Siopao lamang ang naging pananghalian namin sa airport kaya pagkatapos naming mamili ng mga hanger, timba, tabo, planggana, laundry bag, at electric fan na kakailanganin ni Bulan sa dorm ay natisod namin ang Ted's sa tapat ng palengke, umorder ng extra special batchoy at malalaking pandesal, nagpatuyo ng pawis, at nagnilay kung papaano ko uubusin ang apat na araw at tatlong gabi bilang chaperone sa Miag-ao.  

Sa Lampirong natulog si Bulan sa unang gabi niya sa Miag-ao.

Ako'y nakakuha ng kuwarto sa Apitong at dahil wala akong internet access ay maagang natulog, maaga ding nagising, naglakadlakad katulad ng nakagawian sa mga bagong lugar na napupuntahan, pinanood ang pamamaalam ng gabi sa paparating na araw, tinulungan si Bulan sa pag-aayos ng gamit sa kulay berde niyang aparador, at sinamahan siya sa kanyang psychological test.

Pagkatapos n'un ay isang napakahabang kalahating araw, kaya lumabas kami ng highway at pumara ng dilaw na Ceres Bus papuntang San Joaquin, nakipagmatigasan sa napakainit na sikat ng araw, uminom ng malamig na Mountain Dew sa palengke...  

...muling pumara ng dilaw na Ceres Bus pabalik at bumaba sa Tigbauan, naghanap ng makakainan, walang nahanap dahil mabagal ang internet signal ni Bulan...

...pumara ng mahabang dyip papuntang Guimbal, inikutan ang plaza, kumain ng fish ball, naglakad papuntang palengke, at muling pumara ng mahabang dyip papuntang Miag-ao. 

Nakapag-FB din ako sa wakas sa Miag-ao sa isang madilim na internet cafe na burado ang mga keyboard, nagtangkang maghanap ng matutuluyan, nagdesisyon na sa Apitong na lang ulit matulog, muling nakatulog ng maaga, at muling nagising ng mas maaga.

Araw ng orientation ni Bulan at matapos kong masiguro na nasa loob na siya ng covered court ay sumunod ako, pasimple, pilit tinatanaw kung asan sa mga nakapulang t-shirt ang panganay ko, bago ako muling nagpahatid sa bayan ng Miag-ao. 

Matapos mamalengke ng ilan pang gamit ay sa simbahan ako tumuloy at nagpatuyo ng pawis, nanood ng misa para sa patay, at pumila sa kaisaisang gumaganang ATM machine sa Miag-ao para mag-withdraw ng allowance ni Bulan para sa susunod na linggo.

Iniwan ko sa kama ni buklan ang mga gamit at pagdating niya ay nananghali kami sa kanilang common dining area.

Nagpahatid ako sa labas ng Lampirong, nagpayakap, nagbiling diskarte na niya ang mga susunod na araw.

Sa tricycle, natuyo sa hampas ng hangin ang luhang namuo sa aking mata...