Day 32: Juana Change - A CHANGE OF HEART

Juana Change is at it again!

This time the tables are turned...she's doing the satire on the very person she chose to support during last year's elections.

By the looks of things, she fully regrets that decision...

Day 244: Lanzones Season

You will know once the "-ber" months have arrived when you suddenly see a proliferation of fruit vendors selling lanzones (lansium domesticum). These fruits are ovoid orbs covered in light yellow leathery skin and the sweet flesh are divided into 5-6 segments or wedges. 

I remember childhood days in San Jose, Batangas enjoying these fleshy goodies as Lola Rosing would usually harvest them from her own trees during season. 


It's funny that my own kids enjoy eating lanzones and would usually ask to stop by the sidewalk fruit vendor to buy some. Even the littlest one, CeeJae loves the succulent and sweet flesh of lanzones.

Day 231: Ang Langka (Jackfruit)

I wasn't too fond of jackfruit as a child. I thought it smelled funny. When Jollibee came out with their Banana Langka pie, I thought it tasted weird. And langka in my turon didn't thrill me either. 

Well, maybe there's something about promdi living that actually changed my taste buds. You see, langka is now one of my favorite fruits and I love to munch on it when it's sweet and ripe and I adore it as a vegetable dish - Guinataang Langka. Even with turon, I've come to prefer the ones with a sliver of jackfruit inside. 

Hubby and all three of my kids also love eating ripe jackfruit - we usually munch on the succulent yellow flesh as dessert. It's a good thing there's a regular langka vendor near my son's school so I don't really have to look around for some whenever we get the jackfruit craving. 

Day 229: Golden Kernels

As I was exiting the school gate with my son today, these golden orbs attracted my eye. A local vendor with his "kariton" was busy arranging his fare when my three kiddos cajoled me into buying some for their afternoon snack. Well, gullible me gave in to the temptation as well, not being able to resist the smell of freshly boiled corn on the cob.

Well, I wasn't able to capture a photo of the remnants of our corn snack but suffice to say, even 1-year old CeeJae had a hey day snacking on these golden kernels.

Day 217: Truly Pinoy

Ask any Pinoy abroad what food they miss most from home and I'm sure Jollibee would be on their top 5 list. A brainchild of the Caktiong family of Davao, it began as a small Magnolia Ice Cream House in Cubao, Quezon City originally named JollyEgg. Over the years, the business evolved into a hamburger/fries fast food outlet and eventually changed its name to the ever famous JOLLIBEE. 

The unique Filipino flavor in their food offerings is probably one of the main reasons why its such a hit for us Pinoys. Nowadays, the famous bee mascot is a familiar landmark anywhere in the country and is even making its presence felt at key cities in Asia and North America.

My own kids have developed a love affair with Jollibee - having the Yum Burger, Jolly Spaghetti and Crispy Fries as their top favorites. Of course, it doesn't hurt that most outlets have a play area where they can spend hours of wonderful playtime.

What's your favorite Jollibee food item?

Day 216: Childhood Comfort

Not many people like the taste of liver, let alone liver spread. I'm quite fortunate to be married to someone who shares my love for the stuff. I was quite surprised to find out that hubby knew about a food item from childhood that I thought was uniquely my own...

LIVER-MAYO SPREAD was something Mom would whip up whenever she ran out of stuff to make sandwich spreads with. In 5 short minutes, she can come up with a snack that eventually became a favorite (mine only as my two other siblings never quite got their taste buds to like liver). 

Fast forward to today, my entire family loves this humble spread/dip and it truly fills us up during breakfast or snack time. Do you have your own liver-mayo story?

Day 214: Week-Start Breakfast

Of all the meals in a day, the one I really look forward to is breakfast. I'm not really sure what it is about breakfast that keeps me hooked. It could be remembering my childhood when I used to wake up to the wonderful cooking smells in the kitchen as my Mom used to prepare yummy champion breakfasts for us whenever she had the time. Or it could just be the idea of "breaking the fast" from the previous night's sleep. Well, whatever it is, breakfast will always top my list as fave meal of the day. Today we had two of my favorite "almusal" viands - "tuyo" or dried fish and skinless "longganisa" or chorizo paired with garlic rice and sunny-side up egg. 

Day 210: Icy Treat

One refreshing treat that usually delights my kids is the tingling icy goodness of ICE POP or for those who grew up in the 70's and 80's, we used to call it ICE CANDY. This millennium's version are rainbow-colored fruit-flavored gel treats sealed in plastic that can easily be frozen at home. They're sweet and cool but personally, I prefer the good old homemade ones in tiny ice bags filled with real fruit bits and milk.

What's your ICE CANDY story?

Day 188: P-Noy Time

Barely two weeks into the presidency, P-Noy is setting a trend it seems...

One of the things that the Filipino is quite known for worldwide is his weird concept of time and punctuality. For some reason, we are known for not having a good sense of time management - we think it's okay to be late for appointments, meetings and occasions. We get flacked by foreigners because of this.

For the 2nd or 3rd time since his inauguration, President Noynoy Aquino arrived late for an important event today...the Red Mass of the Catholic Church. When pressed for an explanation the next day, P-Noy blamed his tardiness on three things: staying up late for an event the previous night, brownouts at his place and an upset stomach. 


Much has been publicized about his "wang-wang" directive and I must say he's probably setting a good example but if he really wants to be the role model of the entire Filipino nation, he should start from the most basic behavior and that is having the courtesy to be on time for appointments. By dignifying his tardiness with excuses, he's sending the wrong message to the people - that it is okay to be late as long as you didn't use a siren/'wang-wang' or you lined up at the jeepney/MRT terminal.


This country has bigger problems to address and solve...let's move on to the more important stuff and avoid dwelling on the trivialities please!

Day 187: Kropek

On my way to pick up my son from school I crossed paths with a vendor selling old-time favorite Pinoy snacks. I hailed him to examine his inventory of goods. After careful thought, I ended up buying 5 packs of snack items consisting of kropek, pilipit and ampao. 

Long before Jack n Jill or Granny Goose came into the picture, children's snack time consisted of these simple favorites. I remember various occasions in my childhood when my sister and I together with cousins would enjoy these snacks whenever Mom would happen to pass by Chinatown in Binondo. 

These fun-filled childhood memories fill my mind as I munch on these crunchy goodies, after a customary dunk in spicy vinegar. Yum!

Day 181: Dismayed and yet...hopeful...

(photo courtesy of REUTERS)

Today marked an important day in the country's history...President-elect Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III, nicknamed Noynoy/P-Noy was sworn in as the Republic of the Philippines'  15th president. 

During the recently concluded national and local elections, I was quite vocal about my personal choice for the country's top post and P-Noy it definitely was NOT. I didn't think he had the qualities I was looking for as the country's leader nor did he have the necessary qualifications and experience to run a troubled nation such as ours. I still stand by these beliefs but I also have to acknowledge and accept that the greater majority of Filipinos have spoken and made their choice.

As I was watching the live coverage of the Inaugural Ceremonies, I cringed at how a dignified event turned out to be more of a Wowowee episode. Even the President's Inaugural Address left much to be desired. Sure, it was done in Filipino but a close scrutiny of the content would reveal that it was nothing but a well-dressed can of empty promises, nothing concrete nor measurable. 

More focus was given on non-essential things like "wang-wang"...as President, P-Noy should know that there are certain security protocols that cannot be compromised, the highest position in the land need to be protected (for all citizens sake). C'mon! There are more important and pressing problems that need attention...focus!!!

I watched and as I continued to do so I got more and more dismayed and frustrated...with what I've seen and heard, I'm expecting the new Aquino government to fail but I have to remain hopeful and prayerful that it doesn't...for all our sakes.

Day 168: Bureaucracy

The girls and I accompanied hubby to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) this morning to get a copy of his clearance. A process that should normally take about an hour to two tops turned into nearly a whole day affair. We were there before 8:00 am and a significant crowd already awaited us. Instead of letting each applicant go through the entire process at once (from application, payment, photo capture, finger printing to releasing), the government agency did each step in batches of 10. After application and filling up of forms, 10 people were asked to line up to go up the stairs and pay the cashier then back down to wait. This happened for about 6 or 7 batches. It was already past 10:00 am and hubby's name hasn't been called yet for photo capture! What the?!?! And when new faces were being called, we suspected they skipped the order that the batches were initially called. It was a hot day and the girls were already getting cranky so hubby said we should just go him and leave him there to finish everything. 

At around half past 11:00, hubby arrived home frustrated because he was told to just go back after lunch as it was already nearing lunch break. At that point, he still hasn't had his photo taken. Four hours of waiting? That ain't cute! He went back around 1:30 in the afternoon and finally came home with his clearance on hand shortly before 4:00. That's a total of more than 6 hours in a day wasted in useless waiting. Had the agency taken a one person, one sweep of the process approach, it would probably make the waiting time way shorter and would not leave the applicants exhausted from going up and down the stairs 3x throughout the entire process. Imagine, each person had to wait after each small process when it could easily just be a one-time waiting when he's done with the entire process.

Most of the people who were there were probably first time applicants seeking employment and others just sneaking out from school or work to get their clearance. All of them ended up spending most of their day waiting and probably suffered income loss or absence from school. What should only take a small fraction of time during a person's lunch hour took a day. Now, there's something seriously wrong with how NBI-CARAGA is doing its clearance process. I hope its management realizes this problem and be able to do the necessary steps in improving how they do things to better serve the public.

Day 165: Independence?

Philippine Independence Day fell on a Saturday this year (June 12) but because of a weird Presidential proclamation, its observance was moved to today. I think it had something to do with tourism so that people would have long weekends for some getaway or something. Of course this is a yahoo moment for kids because  there's no school and for parents because it's an extra day of bonding with the family. However, if we look closely at the real implication, we'll discover that it isn't good for  most laborers as they lose an opportunity to earn on this day. Another thing to look at is the overall impact on the celebration itself. By moving the holiday, the real meaning for its commemoration somehow loses its importance. If I were still a young student or an office worker, I'd probably rejoice about no-work holidays like this but now that I can understand how it adversely affects more important issues, I see there's no reason to jump for joy. The celebration of a nation's true independence can only happen if its people are able to live by the principles that our forefathers and heroes fought hard for. Until then, it is just a facade to hide the ugly truth of a decaying nation and society.

Day 150: The Balanghay

This is a replica of the Balanghai boat which is the vessel used by the Malay settlers in the Philippines during pre-Hispanic times. It was the first wooden watercraft discovered in Southeast Asia and of the specimens unearthed in Butuan City, the oldest was dated back to 320 A.D. This meant that trading between the Philippines and the world had existed as early as this time. Most Balanghais were used to transport clans and families from the rest of the world into the Philippines. These watercrafts were entirely made of wood, including the pegs (nails) that were used to hold the planks together. The existence of the Balanghai showed the life of the early Filipinos which centered around fishing, trading, warfare and communication.

Day 148: Philippine National Flag Day

Today marks the Philippine National Flag Day to commemorate the very first time it was displayed in battle back in May 28, 1898. 

From today until Independence Day, June 12, we are enjoined to observe flag days wherein all government offices, business establishments and private residences are encouraged to display the Philippine flag. 

Let us pay respects to our country and to the flag we have sworn allegiance to by remembering all those who have sacrificed their lives for the freedom and democracy we have now.

Day 142: Endangered

On my way back to the car after grocery shopping this morning, I chanced upon a small crowd along the sidewalk. Curious about the apparent commotion, I eased my way into the throng and discovered these animals being shown off by their handlers. When I saw these poor things being paraded for all to see, I had a sagging feeling inside. My first thought was that these may well be endangered species and shouldn't be peddled along the streets. I saw two uniformed policemen looking over from afar and decided to approach one of them to ask whether they knew which agency I should contact to report about the incident. Well, of course, they didn't know and I wasn't surprised that they didn't seem bothered by what they were seeing.

Further research online revealed that out of the three species above, the Philippine Sailfish lizard has been classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as threatened or having high risk of endangerment in the wild. On the other hand, the Asian Palm Civet (Alamid) was categorized under least concern by the same entity and there wasn't any conservation status tagged to Monitor lizards. My primary fear about the Alamid is that there have been studies that have linked it to the SARS virus outbreak some years back. Regarding the Monitor lizard, their predatory nature and large size are factors that can hinder having them as pets.

For most people in the crowd, these animals seem to be some form of entertainment for them and it didn't seem they were concerned about their status. Personally, I think it really should be the lookout of every Filipino to be more conscious about our natural resources and ensuring their safety and care.

If you have any information about which government agency I should deal with to report this incident, please feel free to leave comments on this page. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Day 134: Dawn of a New Day

Waking up to find this breathtaking scene before me gives hope for tomorrow and the future. There's so much to look forward to and a whole lot more to be thankful for.

May the beauty of God's creations continue to inspire us to become better Filipinos, better human beings and better Christians.

Day 133: Now it can be told...

For nearly a year now, the information on these pictures had been kept secret from my side of the family and most of my friends. A few friends and relatives did find out several weeks before elections through inconspicuous news articles online that they stumbled upon. I had my reasons for keeping mum about hubby's and my brother-in-law's political bids. If your family is a lot like mine, you'd understand why. Part of our campaign strategy was changing the mindset of people, opening their hearts and minds to what truly mattered. It was a different way of doing things given the limited resources we had.

Although the brothers failed in their election bid, they were successful in imparting themselves to the people of Southern Leyte and in letting them know that there is an alternative to the status quo. In hindsight, we bring with us numerous lessons and realizations foremost is that change IN men is not an overnight thing...it's a long and tedious process, one that maybe this experience allowed to begin. That in itself is a great achievement. Another huge success is embarking on a campaign that wasn't anchored on money but rather taken on foot and human energy. Presenting oneself to people face-to-face, going from barangay-to-barangay mostly on foot was certainly unorthodox but it was done.

After the election dust has dispersed, it all boiled down to what the people wanted and last May 10, the people of Southern Leyte made their choice. To a vast majority, the status quo was something they still could live with for the next 3 years.

To our friends and family, who in one way or another gave their support, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. For everyone who prayed for our safety during the entire campaign period, daghang salamat! 

Let me take this opportunity to thank the following people...

For their financial pledges and support:

Mrs. MARNIE H. GORDON-SAMBALIDO and the GORDON Family (Olongapo)

Mr. and Mrs. NONI LEGAS (Sultan Kudarat)

Atty. KATE A. GO (Cebu)

Ninang GINA T. FUENTES (Davao)

Ms. ARACELI A. ESGANA (Cebu)

Engr. BRYAN REROMA (Canada)

Ninong and Ninang JOJO & CHICHI MACHACON (Davao)

Ms. JASMINE N. ONG (Quezon City)

Mrs. CHARITO C. NOVIO (Manila)

Mrs. ANNAZELLE C. TALUSAN (Quezon City)

Mr. and Mrs. ALFREDO P. RODEN, SR. (Cebu)

Dr. MINDA CORPUZ (U.S.A.)

Anonymous Donor (Cebu)

For volunteering their time, effort and energy during the campaign period:

Mr. and Mrs. ARTEMIO O. RODEN (Bato, Leyte)

RICHARD, REA, RAFFY M. RODEN (Bato, Leyte)

Mr. and Mrs. LOLONG R. CELDRAN (Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte)

LENLEN PELIÑO (Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte)

JANET PELIÑO (Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte)

MARIO (Bato, Leyte)

Pastor RON (Pintuyan, Southern Leyte)

Pastor VERTUDAZO (San Ricardo, Southern Leyte)

Mr. and Mrs. ROMULO ALBA (Butuan City)

DXKS (Surigao City)

For their prayers and words of encouragement:

Mrs. HIYASMIN LEDI C. MATTISON

Mrs. CHRISTINE MARIE VALENTINE V. ELUM 

Mrs. ZAIDA C. ASIS

Atty. RAYMOND Q. SALAS

Ms. VICTORIA ESTACIO

Mrs. SESET G. LOPEZ

Mrs. RIZALIE BERNS D.J. TAMBIS

Mrs. GELLANIE R. TIBAYAN

Mr. RONALD REYES

Mr. JULIUS J. RODEN

Mr. ALFREDO J. RODEN, JR.

Mr. and Mrs. JEFFERSON J. RODEN

Mrs. EMIE R. LLANILLO and Family

Mr. APOLONIO RODEN
Mrs. LOLIBETH M. BUCAG
Mrs. MICHELE LOUISE RADAZA
Mrs. JENNIFER SOLIVEN

JARRED ANDREI, CAITLIN ALYSSA and CATHLEEN JANELLE V. RODEN 

Day 132: Ballots Cast 170 & 211

Even though our entire family trooped to the Santo Rosario Elementary School before 10:00 am on election day, it was nearly noontime when hubby and brother-in-law, Jeff, finally got to vote. Since it was already lunchtime and the BEI's had to take their break, it left my father-in-law and myself still in line waiting for our turn.

It was a good thing that the poll assistants took the initiative to make a list of those still in line  so that they still retained their place in the line after the noontime break. 

I got a text message from my father-in-law that the voting had resumed and they had already called the first 20 people on the list.  I was glad that in the nearly two hour break, I was able to have a decent lunch with my family and had a short nap to recharge. When I got to the school, there was still a pretty long line there although the people were now waiting for their names to be called as the polling people already had a list of those previously in line.

After about half an hour of waiting, I found myself finally inside the polling precinct. After the initial identification check, I was given my copy of the official ballot. For someone who actually read up on the entire process and knew of the do's and don'ts, I didn't think I'd still feel a bit clammy and scared once I got the ballot. After choosing a seat, I carefully set my ballot down on the table, taking extreme care not to crease or fold it unnecessarily. I paid careful attention to my marking pen and the position of the hand holding it too. I didn't want to blot the sides of the ballot in fear that it may invalidate it.

Since I knew my list of candidates by heart already, it only took me about less than 3 minutes to accomplish the entire thing. I took another minute or two to check front and back, making sure I didn't overvote and I shaded the ovals correctly. When I approached the PCOS machine, I had to wait awhile as there was a lady who was having a problem feeding her ballot. I believe it was the 3rd or 4th time her ballot was rejected. I saw the tears slowly forming in her eyes, the hope in her heart that for the final time, her ballot gets fed into the machine. And thank God, in her last chance, she made it! Ha! Then it was my turn to feel afraid and unsure...I was praying over and over, "Dear God, please let my vote be counted...please!"

I glanced at the screen to look at the ballot count as advised by my online volunteer friends right before feeding in my ballot. After inserting my ballot, I waited for a few seconds and I whispered a prayer of thanks once I saw the word "CONGRATULATIONS" on the screen. I was vote #211 in my clustered precinct. Later on, I found out from hubby that his was vote #170. It was a milestone in Philippine election history and we knew we had to take a photo of our index fingers as proof. We now sport the latest "in" thing - indelible ink on our finger.

Day 131: Right to Suffrage

After nearly two decades, I find myself lining up once again to exercise my right to vote. There were a lot of differences this time around - for one, this is the first time in Philippine election history that an automated election process was conducted, another thing is that I shifted precincts from the city in 1992 to the barrio in 2010. I didn't experience the crowded feel and confusion I did when I voted in QC.  There were only about 500+ registered voters in our clustered precinct so the line was pretty much shorter than in most areas and there was quite an order and organization in both the people and the process.  

It was fun to observe both the old and young alike experiencing pre-voting jitters...unsure of the process and yet excited to exercise their right. To most, the PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scanner) was like an alien monster that they had to overcome only to breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing the word "CONGRATULATIONS" on the screen as soon as their ballot was fed into the machine. Lining up may have lasted hours but the voting process itself took only about 5 minutes or less. The elderly certainly changed their initial impression of the automated election process once they experienced how easy it was compared to the old way of doing things.

It was far from perfect and it was not without its share of problems and criticism but certainly, this year's elections was a huge step towards a better election process in the future.