Cavite City's Baywalk

Long time no post. Here's a new one. A Chabacano conversation.


Chabacano 1 (C1): Ay, que bonito ya pala aqui. Como Baywalk na Roxas Boulevard. Mira tu quesi manga luz, el manga lamppost! Como na Manila!

Chabacano 2 (C2): E, cuanto pedaso lang esi. Cunta tu.



C2: Cuatro lang. O pero tiene pa aqui na park.

C1: Nuevo lang esi, nuay pa ung mes.

C2: Bueno naman, at least tiene dondi pwede pasya mga Caviteño. Y tiene pa como paseo.

C1: Hay naku, di quel Huwebes, bahang baha aqui. Akala yo baha del aguasero, aquel pala baha del aplaya. High tide kasi. Nuay ma ora. Secung seco ya.

(No time to translate. Anyone who wishes to translate, you're welcome to do so by posting a comment. Gracias!).

La Virgen

In late November to early December, the San Roque Church played host to a Marian exhibit. Actually the host (or hostess) was San Roque's patron saint, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga.

The images included the Mater Dolorosa, Nuestra Señora de la Turumba, Nuestra Señora de la Leche, Nuestra Señora del Rosario and many others.

I took these photos at a time when the exhibit was closed, and got shooed away by a caretaker, who mumbled that visitors weren't allowed when there was no one around to watch, because Las Virgenes' accessories and finery might get stolen. In the past and in other places, thieves have not spared these images. And so I hesitated to upload this post, fearful that bad people might get wind of Our Ladies' whereabouts. But now the Marian exhibit is long gone from Cavite City and I can safely post the pictures.

Here are the many faces of La Virgen, this blog's tribute to Her, who gave Holy Birth to the Man whose cumpleaño the world is celebrating this season.



In the backdrop is the yet unfinished ceiling of the San Roque Church, corrugated sheets still. Holding court among all was the image of La Soledad so familiar to Caviteños.

San Roque Church renovation update

Tiene egroup el mga Caviteño que ta ayuda na construction del San Roque Church, el casa de La Soledad. Ya habla ilo, mga dos o tres año pa raw bago caba el iglesia, pero cabao ya raw el physical structure. Ya umpisa el construction di quel 2001. El nombre y email address del egroup sanroquerenovationgroup@yahoogroups.ca.

I was in Cavite the past days, and I've been marvelling at the devotion of those supporting the church's construction. There was one particular supporter that caught my eye.

Primero, ya mira yo con ele cerca na palengke, pero ta maneha yo y no hay yo camera at that time kaya no yo ya pudi saca litrato. The next day, ya mira ya naman yo con ele, ta dale vuelta na kalye Rafael Palma. Ta maneha ya naman yo kaya no yo pudi saca picture. After that, no ma yo ya encuntra con ele.

And then, just as I was leaving Cavite, I saw him, her, it. Black Toyota Innova parked along Lapidario St in San Antonio, faith and support to Our Lady of Solitude written all over. Near the front is the line: "Help Build Our Church."

The price of progress: Cavite Road Project

Looks like the Manila-Cavite coastal road project is quietly pushing through, and if newspaper reports are to be believed, one proof is that fishing villages in Bacoor, Cavite are being told to prepare to be wiped out.

That's the gist of the story that came out in today's Philippine Daily Inquirer, and in the print version, there was even a graphic of the route from the Zapote Bacoor Interchange to the projected Kawit Toll Plaza and Interchange, a seven-kilometer stretch of road over water that will have three viaducts spanning the coast of Bacoor.

After the Toll Plaza, the expressway proceeds inland into Noveleta and on toward Sangley Point which is again planned as an international hub of some sort. Habla Chabacano had a post on that a year ago, but there doesn't seem to be any sign of Sangley gearing for hub-ness?

Anyway, here's the full article entitled "Cavite road project stirs poor villages" that came out today.

Misa Chabacano

Credit must be given where it is due.

The Mass being said every second Saturday in Chabacano is translated by Ms Joy Picache dela Rosa, curator and librarian of the Cavite City Library and Museum (CCLM). At right is a sketch of Ms Joy which appears in CCLM's monthly newsletter.

Ms. Joy sent me an email, and I'm taking the liberty of posting it here:

Hello, I read in your blog that you were able to get a copy of the Misa Chabacano.

Actually, I do the translating of the Sunday Mass from the Tagalog and English misalette to Chabacano. We hold the Misa Chabacano every 2nd Saturday, 6 PM at San Roque Church. Since I am a member of the Lay Ministry of the Word, you can usually find me serving as lector at the Misa Chabacano.

Hope to see you there...

Caviteños who would like to hear Mass in Chabacano are invited to attend.

Ms. Joy knows everything and anything there is to know about Cavite City and Chabacano, for all of you out there who have questions and comments. She publishes the monthly newsletter Aviso and if you would like to get your copy via email, let me know and I'd be glad to forward your email addresses to her, for inclusion in CCLM's mailing list.

The Apostles' Creed in Chabacano

At the San Roque Church in Cavite City, anticipated masses are said in Chabacano every other Saturday evening.

My grandmother and uncle usually attend these masses, and they gave me a copy of the mini-misalette.

The mass is called Misa del Pueblo. In Tagalog, Ang Misa ng Sambayanan, in English, the People's Mass.

I will eventually share the misalette with you in this blog, but for now, let me just give you The Apostles' Creed in Chabacano. It needs no translation.

Ta cre yo cun Dios, el Padri todupoderosu
Qui ya haci el cielu y el tierra;
Y cun Jesu Cristu, Su unicu Hiju, el Señor di niso
Qui ya concebi por mediu del poder del Espiritu Santo.
Y ya naci cun Santa Maria Virgen; Ya sufri por mandu di Ponciu Pilatu;
Ya clava na cruz, ya muri y ya interra; Ya baja na lugar del mga muertu;
Na tercer dia, ya livanta: Ya subi na cielu
y ta sinta na manu derecha de Dios, el Padri todupoderosu;
Desde alla, di vini Eli otra vez para juzga
El mga vivu y el mga muertu;
Ta cre yo cun el Espiritu Santu;
Na Santa Iglesia Catolica, Na comunin del mga santu;
Na perdon del mga culpa; N resureccion del cuerpu;
Pati na vida eterna. Amen.

Despues de una larga ausencia

Apologies for the long absence. Work got in the way, and could not be ignored, specially in these hard times.

I'd like to post here a comment made by an anonymous reader of Habla Chabacano, in reaction to a post about Padre Pedro. Here is what Anynoymous said:

Yo naci' en la ciudad de Cavite en 1944 durante la guerra contra Japon. Conoci' Padre Pedro Lerena, un puro espanol. Era un padre de parochial my estricto que ponia miedos a los Cavitenos. Yo servi' como un sacristan durante mis ninez. El padre era un buen amigo de mi familia, mi abuela, especialmente porque eran paisanos. Mi abuela nacio' en Barcelona, Espana pero crecio' en las Filipinas desde su quinta anos de edad hasta su muerte en 1952, edad 84 anos. Su nombre era Doña Angela Zabala Borromeo.

Below is a translation of Anonymous' comment, done with a little help from Google's translation tools.

I was born in Cavite City in 1944 during the war against Japan. I know Father Pedro Lerena, a pure Spanish. He was a strict father who put fear in the hearts of Cavitenos. I served 'as a sacristan during my childhood. The father was a good friend of my family, my grandmother, especially because they were countrymen. My grandmother was born in Barcelona, Spain but grew up in the Philippines from the age of five until her death in 1952 at the age of 84. Her name was Doña Angela Zabala Borromeo.

Any old-time Cavitenos out there who have something to say about this? Your comments are welcome.

What's in the picture? Cosa esti?

On the sidelines of last week's fiesta in Cavite City, we chanced upon this scene along Dra Salamanca St.

Can you make it out? Let me know what you see in the picture, and please post a comment so we'll know if we're all seeing things correctly.

Clue: Years ago, this would have been a total no-no. But not now, in the age of American Idol, Philippine Idol and Pinoy Dream Academy.

Fiesta ng Cavite

Kapag nababanggit ang piyesta ng Cavite City, ang unang pumapasok sa isip ng mga Kabitenyo ay ang Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga. Ang imahen ay matatagpuan sa simbahan ng San Roque.

Punung puno ang paligid ng simbahan kapag ganitong piyesta. Dumarating ang mga debotong Kabitenyo at pati na rin yung mga galing sa malalayong lugar. Sabi nga ng nanay ko na nasa Amerika na ngayon, nami-miss niya daw ang kanyang novena sa Reina ng Kabite.

Tradisyun na para sa mga Kabitenyo ang dumalo sa concelebrated mass na nagsisimula ng 9:30 am. Maraming pari ang nagmimisa at minsan pa ay kasama ang Arsobispo ng Diocese of Imus na sumasakop sa Cavite City. Pagkatapos ng misa, pumipila ang mga tao sa imahen ng Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, nananalangin, humihingi ng pabor o dispensa, o simpleng tumutupad sa panata.

Napakahirap lumabas-masok sa simbahan kapag piyesta. Bukod sa pagdagsa ng tao, marami ding vendors na nagtitinda ng kung anu-ano sa harap ng simbahan. Idagdag pa yung mga jeep na nag-aabang ng pasahero. Talagang parang standstill ang harapan ng simbahan kapag piyesta.

(Nang kunan ni Karla ang mga litratong ito, matagal nang tapos ang misa. Maluwag na ang kalye sa lagay na yan).

Dati-rati, naghahanda ang nanay ko tuwing piyesta. Hindi ko na maalala ang mga putaheng hinahanda niya, pero sigurado akong laging may ube at leche flan. Minsan may macapuno at fruit salad. Minsan magdadala pa ng pagkain ang mga bisitang namimiyesta.

Pagkatapos kumain, mag-aayaya ang lola ko na dumalaw sa iba pang mga kamag-anak. Kakain na naman doon. Bawat bahay na pupuntahan kapag piyesta ay magpapakain kaya dapat mag-iwan ng lugar sa tiyan para sa lahat ng kakainan.

Ngayon, nakikipiyesta na lang kami kasi karamihan ng mga malalapit naming kamag-anak ay nagsipag-abroad na, pati na ang nanay ko na dating punong abala tuwing piyesta. Ang pinuntahan namin ngayon ay si Auntie Linda na aming kapitbahay. May handa silang hipon, friend chicken, dinuguan, mixed veggies, tahong na may salsa (adobo kaya yon?), atsara, potato salad, macaroni salad, fruit salad, at ube. Pinagsaluhan namin ang masarap nilang handa, at pati na rin ang kwentuhan at balitaan tungkol sa mga anak niyang nasa Amerika na rin.

Bisperas ng Piyesta

Lights are ablaze in Cavite City as it celebrates the feast of Nuestra Senora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, which falls on the second Sunday of November.

When we were kids, and even when we had kids of our own, one of the highlights of fiesta celebration would be the trip to the
chubibo or the karnabal on the eve of the actual fiesta. The rides and games used to located in the land where the new San Sebastian Campus now stands, and going there was a big deal. Our cousins and later nieces even came to spend the night in Cavite just for that.

These past years, the chubibo has made a home out of the space fronting the market. There are three chubibos (a term which I think really refers to the ferris wheel) , plus the usual caterpillar, a mini-roller coaster, and merry-go-round.

"Take me down memory lane," my daughter said, so we went around the karnabal area and even rode on the Horror Train (after which we could only say, "Harang!" but I will leave that story for later).

Meantime, there was a strong police presence all around the chubibo area which made for safe and secure carnival riding.

Cavite City Fiesta

These last two months of the year are the most festive times in Cavite City. "Alegreng alegre alla" (Very happy there!) is what people would say.

That's because after All Saints' Day comes the feast of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Porta Vaga, patroness of Cavite City. For Caviteño families, these are occasions for bonding and for returning to the hometown, especially with the Christmas spirit hanging in the air.

As I've written before, Ñora Soledad holds a special place in the lives of Cavite families like ours.



For devout followers of Nuestra Señora de la Soledad who are far away, you might want to visit a site put up in her honor here.

All Saints' Day Nostalgia

Seeing all those reminders of a family's past, like Filipinos do every All Saints' Day, gets people thinking about their forefathers and foremothers, who were they, what were they like in life, and all those things.

Darth Amelie had those kinds of musings when she visited her grandfather's grave in Noveleta, Cavite. Read her entry here.


In Cavite City, this is one occasion when you still hear a lot of Chabacano spoken. No masyao mucho el genti, some people said. (Yes, it seemed like there weren't as many people as in previous years). There was still a throng of course, but other signs of an overflow crowd were not evident. Not too many policemen, marshalls or tanods, and no provisions even for portalets.

Used to be, going to the panchong on All Saints' Day was a big production. Family members bought lots of flowers and candles, packed tons of food and drinks, thought of things with which to occupy kids' attention, and once there, chit-chatted with an assortment of friends, relatives and acquaintances.

There was only a handful of us this year, and no little children. The kids have grown and somehow found ways to keep themselves busy. No one packed food or drinks because those could easily be bought at the stalls.

Some friends and relatives passed by our space in the cemetery, the kinds of people you see only once a year, most likely only during All Saints' Day. We rarely see them so we lose track of what has happened to them over the months.

Take this conversation between my uncle and his second (or third?) cousin.

Bobby: Hi Danny, Quetal? Donde esta tu mujer? (Hi Danny. How are you? Where is your wife?)

Danny (with big grin): Talla, muerto ya. Ya bisita nga yo eh. (She's there. I visited her in her gravesite. She passed away already).

Bobby: Cuando lang? (Just recently?)

Danny: Esti June lang. (Just last June).

Some people even forget how we look. Norma, the recently-widowed part-time masseuse/part-time the memorial plan agent, was talking to my uncle who was next to me, and saying, "Bobby, pag nakita mo yung pamangkin mo, sabihin mo nasa akin ang resibo ng St Peter niya." (Bobby, when you see your niece, tell her I have her St Peter receipt). She didn't realize I was right there. Or have I become so unrecognizable after gaining weight? Seeing people from way back makes you think about these things.








There may not have been a big Todos Los Santos crowd as in previous years, but the Libingan Panglusod ng Kabite (Cavite City Cemetery) where we go every year would still remind visitors of a tiangge, a flea market. That's what crossed my daughter's mind when she saw the crowd as well as the stalls set up at the center of the cemetery road.

By nightfall, the stalls were doing brisk business, thanks to the light provided by the city government. So if you happened to be sitting on the bench in our space at the panchong, you'd be seeing this view of the road and the stalls:

and then this view of the tombs of my grandfather and other relatives:


Empty benches now are where we used to squeeze ourselves in in years past. There used to be no place at all to sit and family members had to bring their own plastic or foldable chairs. So nuay masyao mucho genti (not too many people) because people move, migrate and have other gravesites to visit, or maybe because of the rising price of gasoline. I wonder what it will be like next year? Same old, same old?


(photos by Karla)

Todos Los Santos

Todos Los Santos ya naman!

A week from now people will be traveling to hometowns to visit the resting places of departed loved ones, so let me just avoid the Undas rush by making my own annual observation of Todos Los Santos in cyberspace. Besides, nuay ma yo gana anda alla porcasa nuay ma mi nana y tata, mga hermana y hermano. Otro kasi si nuay ilo y niso-niso lang. (I've lost the urge to go since my parents and siblings aren't around anyway. It's different without them).


Around this time, the number of flower vendors will start increasing along the area near the market. That part of P. Burgos street in Cavite City will be abloom.

On normal days, however, there will be only a sprinkling of vendors, as when I visited Cavite City one Saturday some time ago and saw this woman selling flowers at the corner across Carlos Drug. Her blood-red roses looked particularly enticing.

I asked Boyette to buy some, not for me, but for my grandfather whose grave we visited that day.

Lolo Angco is buried at the Cavite City Municipal Cemetery which we have always called panchong. This is not to be mistaken for that other cemetery less than a kilometer away which, if memory serves, is called panchong Romano. As far as I know, that's because it was the Roman Catholic cemetery.

Where my grandfather, Marcos Valentin Jr, is buried is a small cemetery with a T-shaped road running through it. His nicho is a few paces from the main gate. He shares the plot of land he is buried in with his brother Marcial, son-in-law John Floresca and De la Cruz cousins.

(I asked my daughter if it would be too morbid for me to be writing about this and she said no.)

For years, the back of the cemetery was the city's garbage dump and the wind carried the stench several streets away. You could just imagine the smell inside the cemetery. But there's a sign in the panchong saying the dumpsite has been closed and that the coast is clear for Caviteños driven away by the foul odor to come back to visit.

The cemetery has unofficial caretakers. And the one who attends to the Valentin-De la Cruz nichos is Aling Carmen who, like a ghost, pops up every time any family member visits. Without fail. It's eerie because visits from family members are always unannounced. But whether you stay for one minute or one hour, she will show up, ready to report on the latest happenings in the cemetery (as if!).

Aling Carmen mainly reports on the disappearances of flowers, who stole which and how long did the flowers last before being removed by thieves (flowers left by family members don't last two hours). And then she'll make a litany of what she's done since you last visited---swept the calachuchi flowers away, removed weeds, kept watch, etc. etc. This of course means you have to pay her.

That's Aling Carmen in the picture at left, and she appeared again when we visited on my grandfather's 36th death anniversary two weeks ago. My mom, who was in town recently, happened to be with us then and I saw Aling Carmen corner her to make a listing of the things that have kept her busy in that part of the cemetery.

I don't think Aling Carmen lives in the cemetery like the late Moody Diaz did. Moody Diaz was that comedienne/character actress in Filipino movies who made the news same time each year, around November 1st, because she lived inside a cemetery in Manila (was it La Loma or North Cemetery?). Moody Diaz has passed away herself.

But no, it's highly unlikely Aling Carmen is a panchong resident. More likely she lives some place near, some place with a clear vantage point, a house with a line of sight to all the nichos she is in charge of, and when she sees family members visit, she probably immediately picks up her mode of transport, her broomstick, and flies to the nicho in a flash. (Peace, Aling Carmen).

Aviso

I've been meaning to write about this but didn't find the time, till now.

Below is an image of Aviso, the monthly newsletter of the Cavite City Museum and Library headed by Ms Joy Picache dela Rosa. She has been sending them to me and others in her mailing list, urging everyone to distribute them to friends, family and acquaintances from Cavite City: Esta aqui el Aviso para el mes del Julio 2007. Haci manda lliva ustedes cun otro genti qui ta na lista di ustedes. Muchisimas Gracias.


The two-page newsletter has news about Cavite City, plus columns written by Caviteñas. In the July issue, there's a column in Chabacano written by Ms Flora del Rosario, and the piece is titled "Memorable Viaje." It is intended to encourage Caviteños to read, speak and write Chabacano, and ends with a vocabulary list of Chabacano words and their meanings.

Here's an excerpt:

Mes de Julio cuando ya hace yo mi ultimo paseo na tierra extranjero – y es muy memorable.

Primera vez ya llega yo alla, el clima es frio y el ambiente encantado. Ta refleja este na frescura del pradera donde hay cuantos animales que esta rozando. De lejos ta mira yo el mga pintoresco chalet na colina, cuesta masqui na llanura.

If you want to get a copy of Aviso, you can write directly to Ms Joy Picache dela Rosa at joypdelarosa@yahoo.ca or you can also email me at luzrim@gmail.com and I'll pass a copy on to you.

Hometown Cavite

Cavite City is my family's hometown, but like many of us who have moved and moved on, I view it with a mixture of fondness and dread.

Fondness because it's where our roots lie, where my maternal grandparents and all their children were born, where my parents first met and fell and in love, where they have a home, and where many memories (good and bad) are stored. But dread because each time I think of Cavite, I think of the obligations that I inherited from parents and siblings who have left and actually left me behind, some of which require me to visit the city every so often.

Part of the dread of visiting Cavite is the fear of traffic which I have written about a lot in this blog. On a recent Sunday visit, lo and behold, there was traffic no more (yeah, right)!

Perhaps it was because we left Metro Manila at the crack of dawn that travel was a breeze. I saw that the construction of the coastal road extension was in full swing and that a strip of reclaimed land was already jutting out from Coastal Road as it bends toward Bacoor. (A reality check from my son: he says construction has been in full swing for ages).

We were in the Covelandia area by six a.m. and that's where we hit a traffic snag, a minor one at that time of day. Road repairs were ongoing and traffic was one-way, which means vehicles on one side of the road had to stop while those on the other side were let through because the highway had turned into a one-lane affair.

Still, because it was an early morning travel, the air was cool and there weren't too many cars on the road. But the Binakayan mini-traffic was enough to remind me not to linger in Cavite if I wanted to be back in Manila by sundown with time and energy left to prepare for the week ahead and the pressures of earning a living.

And once I reach Cavite City market, the realization never fails to hit me: Change is slow in coming to Cavite City. It looks the same way it did years ago, with the exception of the old market having been demolished and the new one pushed back away from the main road.

Carlos Drug is still there, the baby buses are still there (they haven't grown up!) and some of the old stores we remember from long ago still stand. Copena's, Zelcor's, 96 Bazaar.

Time must have stopped in Cavite, probably around the 1960s when Sangley Point the American Base was nearing shutdown and about to be turned over to the Philippine government as Sangley Point the Philippine Naval Base.

In fact, I have this nagging feeling Cavite City looks like Havana, Cuba. No, I haven't been there but I've seen images of it in movies, specifically from the documentary about the Buena Vista Social Club, the band of world-acclaimed aging Cuban musicians. In that documentary, I saw old buildings made of wood and cement, their pillars touching the streets, storefronts on the ground floor pushed back in. Exactly like those of the 1960s. Like those in Cavite.

I have no problems with time stopping in Cavite. At least I don't get disoriented when I visit. Its appearance reinforces Cavite's role in my memory as a thing of the past. I just sometimes wish Cavite had wifi and DSL connections so that maybe next time I can take my work home with me to Cavite and not feel the need to rush back.

Cavite City News

At right is the front page of Cavite City's local newspaper, Operation Exposé, which I picked up last Sunday. This edition is for the week of July 8 to 14, 2007, and is No. 52 of Vol. 4.

I must admit I hadn't seen this paper before and neither was I aware that it existed, until I went to a Cavite City newsstand to buy a copy of a national daily. It was then that I saw the Exposé laid out alongside the Manila tabloids.

The staff box of the paper says that its publisher is Regidor A. Nava Jr, its editor-in-chief is Rommel Sanchez, its managing editor is Dann Q. Fabros, news editor Sherryl Atalia, chief of reporters Rey Morales and legal counsel Atty. Dante Filoteo.

The paper says it's circulation manager is Rizaldy Abaño and that it has its office on Capt. Villareal cor Capt. Novales Streets in Caridad, Cavite City. It also has an extension office in San Pablo City.

Anyway, it's eye-catching headline is also depressing news: the fact that Cavite City has a shabu queen, and (horrors!) that she has been set free after being jailed for two months, case dismissed for lack of evidence. I wonder what the queen's subjects are doing now and how many they are in her majesty's little queendom called Cavite City.

Shabu is what Filipinos call metamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as the poor man's cocaine. Crimes being committed all over the country are being blamed on shabu users. The news is scary but not entirely new. Police and church authorities have long warned of the dangers and the damage shabu is wreaking on the youth and on Philippine society in general.

Anyway, today's blog post was really meant to draw attention to the fact that Cavite City has its own tabloid, Operation Exposé. There's not much news inside on Cavite City itself, though, apart from the shabu queen story. The story on dysentery talks about an outbreak in Trece Martires City.

But the paper does have news about Calabarzon, the acronym for the Southern Tagalog area composed of the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon. Considering the high cost of newsprint and the dearth of advertising, it's a wonder how Operation Exposé manages to survive.

Incidentally, the scanned image of the tabloid got cropped. This is what the bottom looks like. I don't want it said that I took out a portion of the paper that helps it survive.

Shipping Complex at Sangley Point?

There was an item in the Philippine Daily Inquirer yesterday that could give a clue to the future of Cavite City.

The news article was titled "Chinese Shipping Firm to Build $3-B Complex in Sangley." It talked about how a giant Chinese company plans to transform Sangley into a transshipment point.

Here's part of that story:

A Chinese shipping giant will build a $3-billion shipping complex at Sangley Point in Cavite City, outside Manila, to serve as its main hub in Southeast Asia, Malacañang announced Monday.

China Ocean Shipping Group Co. (Cosco) chief executive officer Wei Jia Fu informed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the investment plan during a courtesy call Monday.

Ambassador Francis Chua, special Philippine envoy on China trade and investments, said the Cosco investment would generate 100,000 jobs, particularly for Filipino seamen.

Sangley Point is being developed as an international transshipment point through the creation of a special economic zone.

A Malacañang statement described Cosco, founded in 1961 as the pioneer international shipping carrier in China, as a $17-billion global company that operates 600 types of ships that call at 1,300 ports in more than 160 countries.

I wonder how this ties in with earlier reports that Arroyo had "given" Sangley point to former Senator Ramon Revilla as a birthday gift , for building into a major port. How many Sangley Points are there for her to give away? When I last checked, there was only one Sangley point, currently the home of the Philippine Naval Base in Cavite City.

Obviously, Sangley is a much sought-after piece of real estate and one strategically located in terms of shipping and transport. In the early 1990s, there were plans by the country's biggest taipans to build the International Airport in Sangley as well, but the plan was shot down by former President Fidel Ramos.

But I couldn't help notice in the story how this company comes into the picture with apparent absolute certainty that it will get Sangley. Have they consulted the people of Cavite City at all in this, and have they conducted studies regarding the environmental effects of such a project?

I can almost imagine Sangley as a container port, maybe something like the North and South Harbors in Manila, container vans crowding narrow streets, dark fumes filling the skies, stevedores and their families squatting in narrow alleys, crime and poverty infesting the city. Is it the End of Days for Cavite City?

Elections in Cavite-4

Events in the Philippines, including Cavite City, seem so distant to me at this point, now that I'm out of the country for a short trip (to Canada and the U.S.).

At any rate, just before I left, it seems that Caviteños were talking about the Dino Chua debacle. Chua lost the vice mayoralty race to opponent Romeo Ramos in the May 14 elections.

My uncle said it was the topic of conversation at a family gathering last Sunday, and talk had it that "nagtipid daw (si Chua). Nagalit ang mga watchers. Bumaligtad. (Chua scrimped on funds. The watchers got angry and turned against him).

Another version from family friend Bong has it that Chua may have been too complacent and sure of himself. It seems there were allegations of vote buying as well, and the military had to step in.

The real story behind this issue may never surface, because it could mean exposing not just the candidate but also poll watchers, who are supposed to be paid for giving their undivided attention in elections.

But I wonder. Pera pera lang ba talaga ang eleksyon sa Pilipinas (Are Philippine elections just a matter of money)? Can Philippine elections ever reflect popular will if this is the case?

(Photo at right shows ballot boxes stacked inside the Cavite City Hall in the aftermath of the elections. Photo by Kris).

Cavite City from the Sky

Here's an aerial view of a part of Cavite City from Google Earth, a satellite picture which shows some landmarks of Cavite: Fort San Felipe, Philippine Naval Base, Cavite City Hall, Samonte Park and Marcos Valentin Jr. St.

I searched for Fort San Felipe in Google Earth after attending the lecture of Fr. Rene Javellana, SJ, who is documenting Spanish fortifications all over the archipelago. More on that later. For now, here's (part of ) Cavite City from the sky.

Elections In Cavite-2

As of this writing, the canvassing of votes is still underway at the Cavite City Hall but it seems that it's a foregone conclusion that the Kampi-Magdalo Party, headed by incumbent mayor Totie Paredes and vice-mayor Dino Chua, is headed for a return.


The electoral contest in Cavite City wasn't really a very hot one, and unlike in other towns and cities in the province and throughout the country, was mostly uneventful.

Anyway, we were at the Garita Elementary School in Cavite City when voting centers closed at 3 pm on election day. Garita is near where our family used to live when we were kids. It was also near where my maternal grandmother grew up.










Posted near the Garita gate was the table of the volunteers from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voters.



There were not as many people as there were in the morning, but there was evidence of an earlier crowd, pamphlets and sample ballots strewn all over the school grounds.


Candidates and their supporters were warned against posting campaign materials within the school premises and it looked like candidates did heed the warning.










We saw election posters near the house of our old neighor, Ñora Lily, on Zulueta street, as well as on the wall in front of what used to be Cine Perla. These images are now a memory, what with a clean up surely underway in Cavite City.