A year and two days

Today is exactly a year and two days past since I posted my last entry. Time flies so quickly. Have anything change? None on this blog.

Was there a change in Butuan? Let’s be truthful about this. Was there a change in Butuan’s economy, employment, investment, peace and order? Are we better of today than the previous City administration? I have something to say for Butuan. I have seen it every day and heard heard her stories through my fellow Butuanon’s  including their pains and complains. Here’s what I noticed:

During heavy rains, we still experienced flooded streets and overflowed drainage canals. Beggars still keep knocking on your window shield while waiting for a traffic along the City’s thorough fares. Langihan market is still dirty and crowded. Garbage pilled up uncollected. Rizal Plaza is still not safe for families to spend time relaxing because of these rugby-addict young boys/girls roaming around. They’re still rampant in this place including the streets along Mancao Square and Mercury Drug Store.

How about employment? Have you heard of any newly established or located company (especially manufacturing/processing) in the City to absorbed our unemployed Butuanons?  Sorry,  I won’t consider those low paying tindero/tindera jobs as employed.  Most of them were abused by their employers knowing that they have no choice.

Like this blog, Butuan has not change. Both are about to face its own death. Death is inevitable. But I should not worry  for this blog. After all this blog has only three readers.   307,942 is quite a number if Butuan fails.

Taking advantage

War grows out of the desire of the individual to gain advantage at the expense of his fellow man. – Napoleon Hill

Hard headed still

What’s in this place that people love to park illegally their cars? Can’t they just look for a vacant space thereby decongesting  the way? Or are these people are just too hard headed? They won’t listen. I won’t stop blogging exposing their hard-hardheadedness.

Honesty not needed

Job wanted- as what the post announced. The qualifications were straight forward. For saleslady, they need single, honest and hardworking. But for the utility boy, the qualifications were single and hardworking. Does it mean that honesty is not needed anymore?

Last Meal

I promised myself that this would be my last meal in Chowking Butuan (located along A.D. Curato). I love their food but can’t stand on how unsanitary the place. Even their comfort rooms  smell bad.  What’s more? It took quite a time for their service crew to clean the tables. This boils down to poor management.  Call me too meticulous but  I can’t compromise when it comes to cleanliness. Are our City health officials monitoring this place?

Poor Butuan

Butuan City is poor. Maybe one of the poorest in the country. Though it exists for centuries and moving towards modernity (as what many Butuanons proudly claimed), poverty still lingers in the face of this historic place. Poverty has many faces as what most experts say. But when we saw beggars anywhere, it simply reflects the sad state of Butuan. Why do we can’t provide basic services to these marginalized part of our society? Is it because half of our annual P800 million budget was eaten up in paying the City Government’s huge debts? Maybe our City Government are putting too much emphasis on infrastructure projects forgetting the socio-economic needs of our people.

I was walking along A.D. Curato Street going to Mercury Drugstore when I saw beggars sleeping on the sidewalk. There are many like them. Try going to Montilla Boulevard and you’ll see more of these poor souls. Are you still proud to claim Butuan ato ini?

Wanted: Cellphone

Have you noticed that new building along J.C. Aquino Avenue when you are about to turn left entering Gaisano Mall? It’s a new establishment. The store’s name is  Lucky Chime. Why it’s lucky? I don’t have a hint. They are in need of a sales lady. Not just an ordinary lady but with “cellphone experience”. Holy Piguk! Another Butuan english?

Bombo wants you to be MAD

Have you been to Bombo Radio station? It’s in Libertad just along the national highway. Bombo Radio is one of the best public service radio stations in Butuan. I accompanied a friend one afternoon to the station. What caught my attention was the poster on the wall. The message is simple. Bombo Radio is happy when you are mad. MAD= doing a good job!

New Mayor, New Day

Erning, my neighbor invited me last night for a bottle of beer. T’was long ago that we’ve  session like this. Without hesitation, after dinner I went to their house. I know for sure that when there is beer, there’s a lot of interesting stories. I was not mistaken. There were more stories than “pulutan” and beer combined. That’s reasonable. Actually it’s not the beer why we’re there. It’s the stories.

The discussion started with the PCOS machine used during the election. Erning laughingly told us that even before the election he already knew that Noynoy Aquino will be the next president. “It’s because of the PCOS machine”, he claimed. PCOS stands for President Cory’s Only Son- it’s Noynoy! We all laughed. After two bottles, I asked him if given a chance to talk to the newly elected mayor, what will he say? He looked far, thinking deeply and outlining his thoughts to the farthest star. He said that given a chance he will share this quote to Mayor-elect Amante:

This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind… let it be something good.

Butuan english, anyone?

Gaisano Mall is sometimes a good place to hang especially when you have nothing to do. Much a good place if you have monies to spend. My favorite place to “tambay” is the stair going to the cellphone store. Lot of ladies passed that place window shopping the latest models of cellphones. What caught my attention was the reminder posted at the escalator- ESCALATOR REMINDERS. Was it reminding the escalator or reminding the public on the use of the escalator? Whatever. It warned that “using the escalator when not in use is strictly prohibited”. Holy pigok! Butuan english.