The Prodigal Plant

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A few days ago while watering my plants, I noticed this plant seedling growing out from the hole of the used plastic mineral water container I used as a pot. I let it be that day because I was busy with something else, but in my mind I never thought it will survive.

This morning, I saw it again and saw it grew a lot bigger. When I lift the container up, I was surprised it was totally out of the container. it's thriving roots seems to have crept out and got bigger outside...

Or the heavy rains yesterday gave it a push out. The rain water draining out of the container pot's hole must have carried it out.

Kawawa naman. So I replanted it on the same container pot. I wanted to replant it on a different pot but I don't have any available right now.

Should I have replanted it somewhere else if it truly wants to leave its home? Or did I do the right thing by returning it back home and reuniting it with its family?

Yes, there were other seedlings there since our Pasig residence is mostly a nursery from which I grow seeds or cuttings, nurture and propagate them to be replanted in the near future at our Montalban, Rizal residence.

How about you? Are you also a prodigal child? Did you also have to leave your home to show them you can be independent, or you left to be finally free from the criticisms of your family? But now you are too proud or ashamed to return and apologize? You think they may not longer accept you for what you did? Don't you wish somebody would also come along, mediate and become the bridge to reunite you with your family?

Like how the old but powerful saying goes, "no man is an island" because it's a lot better living, or working, when we are teamed up with others. But it's more awesome if part of your dream team is your family.

A Typical Middle-Class Filipino Breakfast

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Breakfast has been said as the most important meal of the day. I believe that because it is during the beginning if the day when we consume more of our energy trying to survive in this concrete jungle in Metro Manila. So we eat plenty in the morning then gradually decreasing throughout the rest of the day.

This morning we're having
Lucban longganisa for breakfast. We bought it from Hometown Goodies and Services that also sells Pinoy Kakanin like Pancit Habhab, Buko Pie and Pancit Habhab online from their Facebook page.

What attracted us to it was the native Filipino packaging they use made from Pandan leaves. I've seen posts selling pots made out of pandan leaves, and also reached out to them for my plants.

So I had two interests when I ordered for Hometown Goodies' food products. One was because I was craving for something to eat that I don't encounter everyday. The food business is mostly full of foreign-inspired dishes, and not so many are selling our own Pinoy food or they are not popular because they have been overtaken by foreign brands.

Second was because of their packaging. Not only is it visually appealing, it's the same pot material I was longing for my plants.

So needless to say, it was a feast for us the day the food was delivered.

If you want to know my review about the food, go to our YouTube channel or Facebook page to know more.

Now going back to our breakfast.

How do you cook your longganisa? Just like how we cook tocino, my wife pours in a bit of water and let it boil first until water is gone, then use it's own oil to fry it.

Nagluto rin kami ng crispy boneless dilis bought from a neighbor who also sells within our building's group chat. Ang kuwento ay tinda yun ng one of her students. Tumutulong lang din siya.

Ganoon lang talaga, tulungan and support each other. Patronize our own products sold by Filipino SMEs especially the online sellers who could be people who lost their jobs or business during this pandemic.

Lalo na kapag mga Pinoy foods ang kanilang binebenta. It' more fun in the Philippines if uunahin natin kapwa nating Filipino.

To complete our breakfast, (actually brunch since this is good until lunch time), aside from the Lucban longganisa and crispy boneless dilis (dried anchovies), inilabas na rin at reheated in the microwave oven yung mga leftover pancit habhab at sinukmani (for panghimagas), samahan ng mainit na kape at saging.

This is what we normally do with leftovers if bagay naman for almusal. We also make it a point na mayroon kaming prutas.

Yung buko pie naubos na kahapon pa. We gave some to our neighbors along with the pancit habhab and sinukmani yesterday. We often do that everytime our cooked food is more than enough for us.

This setup is for the two of us only since our kids are still asleep. They sleep late in the evening and wake up late in the day, so kami lang ng wife ko madalas magkasalo sa almusal. Hindi rin namin nauubos madalas kaya lang nakakapanghinayang dahil baka mapanis lang, kaya inuubos na rin namin o binibigay sa mga pusang gala. We don't own the cats, doon lang sa amin palaging tumatambay.

Pero dahil bagong luto yung Lucban longganisa, may naka reserve na para sa kanila...I'm referring to our kids, not the cats...lol

One of the reasons bakit kami tumataba dahil kami ang taga ubos ng tira-tira. I believe most parents, especially from the middle or lower class, think this way. Our kids also rarely eat leftovers because my wife keeps cooking new viands for them. Syempre yung bagong luto uunahin nila.

Bihira rin kami magluto at kumain ng dinner, unless may masarap na food around.

This is how we eat during normal times, and may soon change under the new normal unless this Covid-19 pandemic becomes no more but a ssickening memory.

MinDA Asks IATF for Suspension of Motorcycle Barrier Rule

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Acting on the appeal of poor families in Mindanao who depend on motorcycles for their livelihood, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) yesterday asked the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19 to reconsider and suspend its policy requiring barriers for people riding tandem.

In an official memorandum forwarded to the IATF yesterday, MinDA, a field agency directly under the Office of the President, cited that the new policy set to be implemented Monday will be an added financial burden on poor families whose only means of movement is the motorcycle.

Based on the feedback gathered by MinDA from the field, three reasons were cited by those who appeal for a reconsideration on this new IATF Policy.

1. Impractical since the barrier makes riding tandem dangerous because a strong gust of wind caused by huge vehicles coming from the opposite direction could throw the motorcycle off-balance and may lead to accidents;

2. Expensive and oppressive. The barrier will be an added financial burden on poor families who use motorcyles for livelihood and transport and the excessive fines on violators of the policy could open a new window for corruption.

3. The policy is also viewed as discriminatory because the concern on the possible transmission of COVID 19 virus between two people traveling together is only focused on motorcycle riding but it ignores the fact that those traveling inside air-conditioned private cars face greater risks.

As Chairman of MinDA, I personally directed the preparation and transmission of the Memorandum to the IATF to give them a clearer understanding of the reaction of the common Filipino on the ground.

I consider myself a field operative heading an agency which is well-grounded thus it is my duty to provide feedbacks to our policy makers.

The Motorcycle Barrier Policy is an added financial burden which will affect efforts to restart the economy in Mindanao, as well as in other rural areas of the country where the motorcycle is the main vehicle for transport and livelihood.

We support the IATF's effort to control the spread of the COVID 19 virus but surely, there are other ways of doing it other than implementing measures which would make life more difficult for our people.

#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
#touchgroundfeelthepulse!

(Photos were downloaded from public websites. Attached to this post is the image of the memorandum forwarded by MinDA to the IATF.)