METROPOST


JULY 21 - JULY 27, 2019 OPINION 5 OLGA LUCIA ALINAS-UY


HOUSEWIVES ON THE MOVE


olgaluciauy@yahoo.com


Igat which brutally translates to horny old woman. We laugh about it. It has become part of the family jokes we tease each other with.


M


y brat jokingly calls me TI sometimes. It stands for Tigulang-


fandom, and it is truly amazing. First-time meetings never feel like one. They are more like joyous reunions among friends who have known each other for decades. I


I have had plenty of good laughs over it with fellow ARMYs, too, especially those who also qualify under that category. We found it hilarious because it is kind of true. And come to think about


it, I may truly seem like one in the eyes of many. In our still- conservative society where age-appropriate behavior is expected, I am a crazy, screaming sore thumb who refuses to sit down and behave like the middle-aged woman that I am. (I have no plans of dying my hair pink and purple though.)


There is no other way to diagnose my condition. But mind you, I am a happy nut. I have gone on adventures I never thought I would do without my family. And I made friends with people from all over the world, people I never would have connected with, if not for our common love and admiration for seven young men from South Korea. And mine is not an isolated case. The same thing is happening all over this diverse


I have truly gone nuts.


friends in the US. Wherever the concerts were, they were there, meeting in front of stadiums and in restaurants, and staying in houses which they rented for themselves, and enjoying soju as they held parties garbed in BTS-themed pajamas. And mind you, these are women in their 30s to 60s, most of them


Happy nut


meeting each other for the first time. They all came together, some with their young kids and teenagers in tow (young ARMYs-in-training) to celebrate this common love for a group of foreign artists who have inspired them like no other. It is not all peace, love, and harmony in this fandom though. There is one thing that ARMYs fight over with every fang and claw in their arsenal. It is a precious commodity made available only to a lucky few … the BTS concert ticket. When they go on sale, it is fandom hunger games time, when survival depends on the fastest internet connection,


saw this among my


a tenacious spirit, and pure Divine intervention. If prayers sent up to heaven for that golden ticket were Twitter posts, the earnest prayers for that one seat will trend #1 worldwide. I was in video chat with


my friend’s kids when ticket sales were about to start in the US. One had her rosary beads with her, reciting Hail Marys as if her life depended on getting that ticket. And who can blame her? In this fandom of 20 million, a one-day concert with only 55,000 available seats could get sold-out in two hours. This is truly a nerve- wracking time for all ARMYs. I had my first foray into this battleground when the Singapore 2019 concert tickets went on sale. First, you log into the official online ticketing site, and be directed to a page which becomes the “waiting room” for the hundreds of thousands of ARMYs experiencing symptoms of impending nervous breakdown.


When selling starts, some get through right away and start buying. Those closest to the stage are sold out first regardless of the price which range from $400 to US$500. Others get through after a long, agonizing wait, and had to be happy with seats so high


TO PAGE 6


PEOPLE’S CORNER


SCOTTSBURG, INDIANA -- Reading the MetroPost has kept me appraised of what is going on in Negros Oriental, especially at Silliman University, my Alma Mater.


writers is Madam Myrna Peña Reyes. I have been reading her series of articles in her column Madahan! with great delight, enlightenment, and nostalgia because I not only get informed, but I am also struck by the important work she has been doing, which is emphasizing the local Bisayan language and culture.


One of your excellent


This cultural heritage is followed by a vast segment of Philippine populace; it is fact that the Bisayan language is spoken by more Filipinos than the others. Her documenting the native cultural facets of Bisayans is to be


Myrna Peña Reyes for her articles in her column Madahan!


My deep gratitude for


The word madahan was always my expression when I was in Silliman, but I almost forget to use it here.


civility? How does one exercise


Is it civility to keep criticizing your political opponent just days after you lost the election? Is it civility to use an alleged environmental issue as an alibi for external funding? Is it civility to overreact against a specific person’s


c o m m e nted


encouraged. I have been fascinated by her use of the word madahan which means”it can be done” plus, other meanings depending on the speaker’s inflection. This is a word I am very familiar with, since I used it in my youth in Jimalalud, Negros Oriental, where I first saw daylight. Her article about Bisayan riddles, Tigmo Agukoy, struck a nostaligic cord in my heart; I used to play with my boyhood friends, enjoying those riddles as we jabbed each other with Tigmo questions. Lately,


she


contemporary local projects like the City seafront reclamation. I agree with her and with my former professor of biology, National Scientist Dr. Angel C. Alcala: that thrust is going to damage our marine eco-system balance,


I have always wondered about its broad meaning, and cannot substitute it with another Visayan word. It’s as if it is used as an expression to mean, Mao ba? Posible ba na?, or used like the word kuan....


On civility


name because of one’s sense of being alluded to? What if you’re not even being thought of in a critique?


Why force yourself into the bullseye ring if you are not the target at all?


Although I still wonder why, I had to pushback. I am glad though to hear a call for sobriety.


Wishing the best for Mayor Ipe Remollo and his administration is enough for me.


I know that the good Mayor will always exercise his prerogative (not hubris) legally and mandate for the general welfare of the City.


Dr. Efren Padilla efren.padilla@csueastbay. edu


has o n


and I am against it.


What Peña Reyes has done is to collect the native nuances in our language and culture to preserve them for future generations. That she can present her points of view with respect to our Bissayan culture so vividly speaks very highly of her mastery of both the English language and our local one. I


commend Madam Myrna Peña Reyes for her writings.


America where she lived for many years. Yet, she chose to spend her days in Dumaguete. She has shown her great love and affinity for our beloved Philippines! I commend her even more.


Dr. Eusebio C. Kho Retired general surgeon Colonel, US Army (Ret.) Veteran, Operation Desert Storm


sebkho@hotmail.com


Honestly, I wondered why Myrna had chosen to use that for her column, but it is fitting.Blessings!


Esther Amante


estheramante@hotmail. com


She could have stayed in J uly 1st MICHAEL O’RIORDAN


OUTSIDE LOOKING IN


other migrants before me, first saw Negros Oriental loom in the distance.


precisely two and a half years since I, like many


Unlike many others before me, I arrived in the relative comfort of business class with Ocean Jet. The morning sun burst through the early morning haze, revealing Rizal Boulevard infront, while an impressive mountain range rose high behind the City. I briefly wondered, after a lifetime of wandering, might the Philippines be my final


destination. Perhaps but if not, I’d move on to Thailand, Vietnam, or perhaps Australia. Declining enthusiastic


offers from many pedicab drivers, I began the first of what would be numerous walks along Rizal Boulevard. The cloudless sky had


2019. It’s been


lightly in my backpack. An assortment of


interesting characters were on the boulevard. Lovers held hands on park benches doing ancient courting rituals. Schoolgirls walked hand in hand, or arm in arm, laughing delightedly while posing for photos with their friends. An occasional foreigner sat on a bench, scouting what I would subsequently learn is a popular location for finding sexual company for a fee.


Attracted by its unusual name, I wandered over to Why Not? restaurant for my


an interesting shade of blue. Another island I’d later learn was called Siquijor sat an hour away by boat. I walked contentedly further down the boulevard with a broad smile covering my face. It was that unique sense of


anticipation vibrating inside my inner core that I always experience when beginning a new adventure. Making the feeling even better, my only remaining worldly possessions of a wallet, a toothbrush, toothpaste, two Levi’s jeans, three T shirts, four boxer briefs, and one spare set of shoes, sat


first meal in Negros Oriental. It did not disappoint. I was still jetlagged after a long flight from San Francisco to Manila, then on to Cebu, and felt the need to rest. So I walked into Bethel Guest House where I was immediately asked if my wife would be sharing “the matrimonial bed” with me. I explained that since I was divorced, and because of the improbability the former Mrs. O’Riordan would be enthused by the idea, I would definitely be sleeping alone. My apparently non- humorous comments were met with collective sighs and deep frowns from the sanctimonious clerks at the reception desk. But I understood the unstated message: No women would be welcome to join me in my room. That was perfectly fine with me. I had absolutely no interest, other than having


JG UMBAC THE WAY IT IS bjplug@gmail.com


read an undated article online that talked about the changes in the hours of operation at the Dumaguete- Sibulan airport. It also touched on the efforts by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to improve the lighting in the airport’s parking area for the safety and security of its users, as recommended by the OIC of the CAAP in Dumaguete. Also, according to the


I


article, the airport recently acquired two brand-new Oshkosh Striker fire trucks. Considering the size, and not


be overlooked by anyone coming into the airport, if


Ordinarily, this would


not for the ₱20.00 they collect from motorists who come to pick up arriving passengers. When I asked the official at that office at that time, as to where that money went, he replied that it went into maintenance.


Well, doesn’t the sign require maintenance, too? He couldn’t answer that. I told him I was willing to bet that by the time I came back to Dumaguete in 2019, that sign would still have


₱150.00 terminal fee that all passengers have to cough


up. The fee is included in the ticket, that’s why passengers are not too aware of it. The airlines remit this money to the government. I guess this is their way of making it painless. Yes, what about the terminal fee? Being conscious of this now is a shock because, while it may be forgivable that they could not do much with the ₱20.00 gate fee, it


What is seen is what it is


too much the needs at this airport, an Oshkosh Striker 1500 is an exceptionally reliable firetruck to have. If it is maintained according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, it should remain in service for a long time. The article was somewhat dated but the things I will talk about here are currently relevant. While lights and fire


been untouched. He smiled in disagreement. Then I told him that I


trucks are a necessity, this article was written to bring forward things at this airport that have seemingly been neglected. In October 2018, I walked


was also willing to bet that at that very instant, if I were to go into any of the public restrooms at the terminal, I would not find toilet paper in all the stalls. He didn’t have a reaction to that. Whether he agreed or disagreed, it would have been a huge gamble on his part.


me a small piece of


into the office of the CAAP OIC to complain about the fact that the welcome sign that greets the public as they enter the airport is faded. It has been there for years but has never had a new coat of paint or, better still, been replaced. On either side of the sign, vegetation has grown, and threatens to obscure the sign in a little more time.


suggesting that I write my complaint down so he can give it to his boss. I asked him if that was better than me actually telling him so he can personally tell his boss the seriousness of my complaint? He smiled again.


A couple of days later, I was with a pilot friend. We talked about airplanes, and the conversation went into the complaint I made at the airport, then he mentioned the terminal fee.


is utterly unforgivable that each flight of approximately 165 passengers, netting up to


₱24,750 in terminal fees, still isn’t enough.


Considering that there are anywhere from four to six flights daily, that equates to anywhere from ₱99,000 to


He then tried to hand paper,


₱148,500 everyday that planes fly out of the Dumaguete- Sibulan airport.


I have travelled in and out of this airport myself but never thought much of the


irishauthormichaelcassidy@gmail.com


a quiet room where I could fall into a deep sleep.


I spent the next two weeks going from one hostelry to the next, waiting for the right place to present itself. There were some unpleasant experiences, but I eventually found a beautiful home in the mountains above Valencia Proper. I’ve been living here now for well over two years. It’s very beautiful.


The following are random observations about life here since I landed here, and advice for newly-arrived foreigners or visitors to Negros Oriental:


Two and a half years later...


‘For a while’ could mean a few minutes, a day, or a month. And don’t bother asking for clarification about the time frame. The response will simply be another smiling “For a while, Sir....” Over there. When in the supermarket at Robinsons or at Lee Plaza, don’t bother asking staff for directions to any specific item. You will inevitably be met with the Philippine-patented “Over there, Sir”accompanied by an imperious wave of the arm pointing to what could be any one of a dozen directions. ‘I’m sorry’ is the most used sentence in the Philippines. It covers a multitude of situations but focuses primarily on when mistakes are made. And it’s assumed that by smiling brightly then saying “I’m sorry” all inconvenience will


TO PAGE 8


Note that both Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific operate the Airbus A320 or similar—165-passenger capacity, thereabouts. In the case of Cebu Pacific, they have reduced the leg room considerably to fit more seats.If you are anywhere from five feet 11 inches, to over six feet tall, you’d have to crunch your knees against the back of the seat infront of you, or ask your seat neighbors if you could park them in their space, although you’d have be spreadeagled to do so.


TO PAGE 12


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