Batoytoy in the City

Huwebes, Abril 5, 2012

Soul Searchers

Lenten season is a long holiday. It gives you time to fix your room, keep up with the bills, catalogue your belongings and enjoy your well-deserved break. Did I mention that sacrifices are extremely important this time? As the Lord suffered for us, walking his way down the rocky road without loafers and carrying the cross without shoulder pads and so do we need to put aside our comfort zone for a while. And besides being nailed to the cross is not a beautiful sight. I wonder if he ever got Tetanus shot prior to being fasten to a wood with the words INRI on top and being put to public shame. My heart cringes with that thought and the movie Passion of Christ is a manifestation of how deep His love for us.

And to show our love in return, my friends and I embarked on our journey that involved too much water. Days before the Holy week I suggested having Visita Iglesia as a way of sacrifice. I planned out the route and the churches we will be praying. Myk, Arlene and Totet agreed with the proposal. I searched on the internet the exact number of churches will be going to however there was no definite figure. So, I decided to make it eight to be lucky. It will also be our last hurrah together since Arlene will be going to Legaspi for several months to do marital duties and Myk will be reviewing for his bar exam. Totet and I will be left here in Davao. We will try to keep the memories alive. It’s like walking with only one leg.

The day started with an eating session. It turns out our meeting place, Merco, has its Lenten season promo. And besides with the route ahead, we need that extra calories to keep us up and atom. And Totet was also late period. Under the scourging heat of the sun we coursed through Davao City with the following churches in chronological order: St. Jude Thaddeus Parish, Holy Adoration Chapel, Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, Shrine Hills, San Pedro Cathedral, Our Lady of Fatima, Sta. Ana Parish and lastly, Redemptorist. I made a point that all churches will be documented however due to dehydration the last church was missed out. To even challenge ourselves, we did the station of the cross by foot from the Matina Gallera jeepney stop up to Shrine Church. Luckily, we did not look bulimic afterwards and our lips were still moist and our eyeball not sunken. Thanks to the funny antics of Arlene our journey was fun and memorable.

We started at nine thirty in the morning and I arrived home around three in the afternoon. It felt like having four yoga sessions, two spinning class and several work outs. In the end, it was all worth it more especially for first timers Totet and Arlene. Through movies, eating sessions, coffee breaks, story-telling and now soul searching, our bonding has gone deeper but not the Captain General Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Datu Sikatuna level (history refresher – blood compact). Soon, when they come back we will be having our next big project and that you’ll have to wait. For now, we will be living and creating memories individually. God bless us always.

St. Jude, first stop.

Helped me on my past two board exams.

Documentation. The soul searchers.

Pink Sisters. Walked all the way up and down.

Love the hymns they do.

Arlene, all smiles after her rosary redemption.

the heat cannot beat our smiles

Retouch. The power of make-up.

Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. We were the only people there.

Prayers for atonement.

Click. click.

4th station of the cross all the way to shrine hills.

8th station of the cross. Ahead are rows of sari-sari stores.

Shrine Hills Chapel

Say another prayer.

Bonding moment on the leaves of grass at shrine hills. Itchiness not included.

our king can fly.

San Pedro Cathedral.

Gold plated interiors.

Our Lady of Fatima.

Arlene, Totet and Myk have fond memories here. Did I mention they sing?

Sta. Ana Church


Airconditioned. And gold plated as well.

Redemptorist Church courtesy of the net. Our 8th church. May the Lord accept our sacrifices.

Miyerkules, Pebrero 1, 2012

Surprise! Surprise!

http://vimeo.com/36010517

We were thinking of what to give to our birthday celebrant. Something fresh, something new. So we did the extraordinary, going out our comfort zones and braving the humiliation. Hope you'll have fun.

Sabado, Enero 28, 2012

A Tribal Affair

In this modern era where innovations come and go, scientific explorations are released from time to time and inventive gadgetry are produced, civilization has stepped up creating a faster and better way of life to many but not in the case of Barangay Talos. Situated on top of the hill, this quiet little village is home to around eighty families of our Lumad brothers and sisters. I was fortunate enough to meet them and render my service through the Mobile LGU Program of the Municipality of Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte headed by their dynamic Mayor, Hon. Maximo Estela, M.D. They aim to bring, aside from government services, medical and dental examination to the various barangays of their municipality.

The next Generation

Dr. Erwin and Dr. Karen - agent of change

I arrived at the area with excitement running through my veins. I find it rather an honor to meet with the tribes who have helped shaped our society and despite globalization have cling to their ancestry. The place was peaceful and the houses were mostly made of nipa. As the parents enlisted themselves for the consultation, the children were then asked to line up and were individually given specially cooked meal as part of the Feeding Program. Children from different ages sat on an empty lot and savored their food while I and Michael were taking pictures of them. I was consumed by the moment that I could no longer locate my colleagues, Dr. Erwin Polinar and Dr. Karen Kathleen Palec, only to find out that consultation has begun.

Food. Glorious Food!

My patients included a three week old baby with hernia, children with either parasitic infection or protein deficiency, a mother with a heart problem and an 80 year old woman with tribal tattoo marks on her body which complained of low back pain. I could not help but comment on other kids who were dirty and unkempt only to be told that water was scarce on their area and that they have to walk a few kilometers to get their water which was not clean as remarked by one villager. Worst, electricity could not reach them. Their fight for survival was noticeable in their faces. My only happiness came from the fact that they have a school in their locality and education is one of the priorities. Children can read and can pronounce well.

We finished by noontime and have given free medicines as well. As I bid farewell to this solitary place, Karen and I realized that truly, we are blessed. While we complain about how we look, what clothes to wear, why our life is a mess, they try to make it through hoping to have a decent meal at least three times a day. We took our ride and after a few minutes of the bumpy, roller-coaster like road, passing foliage of trees and a single windmill, we were back to civilization. I hope that through our simple efforts, we made their lives a little easier even for that single moment. God bless everyone.

Happy patients

The Austere Professor

The Mark of a true Survivor

Food Delight

(Fearless times 2011)

Sabado, Enero 7, 2012

A good way to start the New Year.

the simple secret to happiness.

Huwebes, Setyembre 22, 2011

Food in the City

Despite our efforts to have a healthy outlook in life, the array of food offered around the metro is a subtle excuse to cheat. We have tried to stick to our diet schemes and did our best to stay with our plan to consume sky rocketing calories only once a month but the vibrant colors and rich aroma never fails to a have sinfully delicious experience. Below are some of our favorites...