Earth Hour 2010

Where were you when the lights were shut off last Saturday?

Rene, Elise, Nacho and I were at Baker's Hill having a warm dinner of pork sinigang, korean beef stew and chicken barbecue.  The cool night was perfect with the hushing breeze blowing the trees around us.  We took a short walk around the hill and savored some cold and yummy sago't gulaman just before we went home.

It was pitch black, and almost everyone in Puerto Princesa showed support for Earth Day...until we happened upon Leslie's (a branch of the famous restaurant in Tagaytay).  The whole place was sparkling with yellow lights, announcing to all that they were still open, but shamelessly ignoring what the special hour stands for. Unfortunately, they were not part of the 1,000 localities who took the message to heart.

http://wwf.org.ph/_userimgs/pr-How_to_Spend-EH-2010.gif

When we got home, we sat outside and was entranced by the full moon.  The kids hopped on the rocks and dead corals, ran around chasing each other and drew figures on the sand.  Meanwhile, I tried to take a decent photo of the majestic moonlight with my handy mobile phone: Sony Ericsson G900 5-megapixel camera.

Not bad. 


The capiz lights on the mangrove tree have been turned on.  The lights were back.  


Happy Earth Hour, everyone!

HomeSchool Year '09 is Over!

Finally got to send Elise's final grades to Catholic Filipino Academy last weekend... and made it!  She finished the year with a GPA of 94 for the year.  (Clap, clap!)  If we did not finish the lessons on time, Elise would be given a 75 GPA. 

All the students will get a certificate for a subject in which they are very good at, and a medal for a specific virtue that stands out in the child. She will be awarded with a certificate for Excellence in Science and a medal for Gratefulness.  I shall proudly post them here as soon as we get them.

She is always so thankful and appreciative of everyone's efforts and all her blessings.  She makes as much big of a deal about God saving us from the flood last Typhoon Ondoy, as when He gives us good weather everyday.  She is diligent in sending family members postcards from Palawan and loves affixing the stamps and dropping them into the box at the post office.  She writes us little thank you and I love you cards almost every week, slipping them under our pillows or hiding them in our cabinets where we would surely see it.  I collect all her notes to Rene and me, and even to Nacho, in a box.  One day, I shall show her the box that has been filled throughout the years. 

This June, Elise will go to a normal school, with other kids.  She is most excited about having friends, and I am excited for her.  Although I know that the academic lessons here in the province will fall short of Manila standards, I am comfortable that the gap can be supplemented by many other resources.  Whenever we will be in Manila, we will be sure to get more books. And of course, the world wide web is the Wonderful World Wide Web that has (almost) all the tools.  And as my sister-in-law said - "just keep them both curious and interested as they are now.  You can't go wrong once you've set for them a real love for learning."

Nacho was not enrolled in a program.  He just turned 3 last December.  But we did the expected ABC's and 123's and shapes and colors and routines.  And the two biggest things he accomplished was how to write his name by himself -

and his improving ability to control his temper.  His intense and deafening "AAAAAAaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgh!" frustration filled episodes have lessened considerably. 

Thinking about it, I have been with them 24/7 since April.  Prior to that, I only spent a total of 3 hours of waking time with them a day! I thought I knew my kids inside-out. But on the first two weeks, I was ashamed to say I did not.  This time, I had to consciously BE a parent, catching unpleasant behaviors and all that stress.  It got easier when a good friend, Noemi, reminded me - "Do everything not out of duty, but out of love." So I discovered that they listen more when talked to properly, and tantrums are calmed down faster when they are embraced, rather than ignored.  We had frequent fun field trips to learn Sibika, Math and Science. We talked more and understood each other more.

I documented most of our trips and some interesting projects.  Read more about it here in the  HomeSchool '09 Highlights  page.

The rest of 2010 will be crazy: new school, building a new home, three short trips to Manila, possible projects here and there.  I am hoping that by summer next year, we'll be more or less settled in our own space, with our own routines, and happily living The Life We Are Imagining Right Now.  If all goes well, Rene and I are thinking of homeschooling Elise (and Nacho, by that time) again.

Ka Lui

 

Photo by M.C.S.

Much has been said and written about Ka Lui in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, as the top of the list of the Must Visit Restaurants in the city.  It is right on Rizal Avenue, making it a convenient dining place for all tourists and locals alike.  

This was the first restaurant Rene took us to when we first visited Puerto in May 2009.  We went for dinner and did not know what to expect.  Upon entering the gate, we followed a pebbled walk and stepped into the foyer.  Shoe drawers and shoe baskets greeted us.  Guests have to remove their shoes and everyone goes barefoot, even the waiters.  The whole place had a yellow glow accented with a lot of red, orange and green.  Elise and I immediately fell in love with the wood and bamboo structure.  She quickly explored every section.  Each was different from the rest.  We have gone back several times over the past four months.

photo by M.C.S.

The bamboo and wooden floors are always very clean and shiny.  The tables are set with bamboo placemats, bright table napkins and flickering candlelight. 

Usually, a charming achuete fruit centerpiece that looked like strawberries accents the table. 

A small bowl of clear and gingery clam soup always arrives to warm the stomach.

 Photo by M.C.S.

Then, a saucer of Lato, or seaweed, comes next, sitting on seasoned vinegar with half of a calamansi.  Sprinkle the drops of calamansi on the lato and add a dash of soy sauce. Eat it slowly.... and be pleasantly surprised at how FRESH it is.  It is a bit salty, a bit sour - almost surprisingly sweet!  

We ordered Escabecheng Lapu Lapu that was crispy on the outside and so soft and flaky on the inside.  The unexpectedly light sauce was slightly sour and slightly sweet, without the sharp tangy zing of the usual restaurant sweet and sour concoctions.  The fish was butterfly cut and good for two.

Other dishes that we tried were garlic prawns and pan fried tuna, which were not really spectacular as the aroma raised expectations that the taste was not able to fulfill. We also tried their kinilaw, which was good, but can be missed.

I also had some wheatgrass iced tea with Palawan honey that tasted, well, uh, different.  But by the time my glass was almost empty, the unique flavor had grown on me and I wanted to order another one.

Photo by M.C.S.

For dessert, I always look forward to the fresh fruits and kalamay on half a buko shell.  Sadly, usually the shell only has watermelon, pineapple and banana slices.  The kalamay was only there once. Sayang, it would have added some nice texture to the fruits.

Photo by M.C.S.

It is always a relaxing dinner, with the cool breeze blowing through the restaurant.  The place has no walls, and the floor is raised a few feet from the ground, like a true nipa hut.  What is striking about it is its authentic beauty and true Filipino ambiance.  The music playing while we were there were instrumental folk songs like the Visayan Dandansoy and some Zarsuela.

The last time we were in Ka Lui, the waiters were wearing native batik shirts and had bandanas on.  These days, they wear knit polo shirts with an embroidered logo on the left breast.  They look neat and are easily identifiable from the guests.  But the island feel has diminished and they look like they came from Gerry's Grill or Dencio's or one of those Manila grill spots.  

At the far end of the restaurant is a gift shop. They sell native ladies' bags for about P500 apiece.  They also have colorful shawls and some capiz and ceramic chimes. 

Between the restaurant and the gift shop is an art gallery of sculptures and paintings made by local artists, which are also available for sale.

This ingeniously carved table was on a mat from which I could not take my eyes off.  It was both functional and charming..

A closer look at the beautiful mat that I will have one of these days...

I sat on this pretty bench with capiz shells hanging on the backrest while viewing the paintings. 

A closer look at the capiz shells...

There are two pocket gardens on either side of the pebbled walkway leading to the gate.  On one garden, stern looking statues stand against the wall.

On the other one, a cozy little bench and table are set up against a backdrop sign that says, "Palawander, Outdoor Lover"... for diners who want to lounge around before leaving, and perhaps take some souvenir photos.

Ka Lui accepts diners only in three time slots:  11:30A.M., 6:30P.M. and 8:30P.M.  Reservations are required.  They are very efficient this way.  They already know how many people are coming in, and are not worried about table turns.  They also recommend their set menus, so there is less a la carte to worry about.

All seats will probably be taken, be it a weekday or a weekend. So, do not attempt to go there at 7:30pm, as you would be asked to join the 8:30pm batch if there are still vacant tables. 

Yes, the dishes are overrated.  There are other restaurants here that serve tastier meals.

The service is prompt, and even in the rare case that it isn't, the diners are not in a hurry.  I have yet to see a waiter smile or exude warmth in the few times I have been there. They are like robots taking orders, bringing orders, and cleaning up.

But, yes, we shall be back because the place is beautiful.

A Saint Was Here

I found a picture I took of a plaque at the St. Ezekiel Moreno Spirituality and Development Center where I had my recollection early this month.

"in honor of St. Ezekiel Moreno, who spent the springtime of his missionary work in this island."

St. Ezekiel was born in Spain and became an Augustinian Recollect when he was 20 years old. He finished his theological formation in Intramuros, Manila. 

Early 1872, he headed a missionary expedition to set up a military stronghold and penal colony at Puerto Princesa, Palawan. He laid the foundation of the towns of Aborlan and Inagawan. Having been to the Iwahig Penal Colony here in Puerto, and to Aborlan with Rene and the kids sort of makes us feel close to this saint.

In 1905, he was diagnosed with cancer of the palate. He passed in 1906.  He is also the patron saint of cancer patients.

St. Ezekiel was beatified in 1975 by Pope Paul VI and canonized on October 11, 1992 by Pope John Paul II.  During the canonization rites, Pope John Paul II said of him in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: "He is a model evangelist whose ardent desire to proclaim Christ guided all the steps of his life. His unshakable faith in God, which was at all times nourished by an intense interior life, was the great force which sustained him in his dedication to the service of all, especially the poor and the abandoned."

I Have Two Hands, the Left and the Right!

"Mama, my slippers are baliktad!," Nacho announced proudly, as he showed off his blue Snoopy slippers worn on the wrong feet.

"Mama, which is my left and which is my right?"

"What do you use to write?," I asked him.

He smiled mischievously and held up his right foot.  "You use your foot to write?," I asked.  "Yeah! I use my right foot!," he yelled.

Silly Nacho!! 

Sunday Funday

It was 7:30 A.M. and I was watching Nacho slowly wake up.  Elise went ahead to eat so when Rene joins her downstairs, he could watch out for her while she swims in the pool.  I poked Nacho gently,"Let's go, let's play ball in the beach. Wake up...." He wanted to play with his ball last night, but was reminded that balls are not allowed to bounce in the room."

He opened his eyes and said,"Okay." He got dressed and we went down.

Elise was already in the pool, practicing her breathing.

Rene was done eating too and was reading TIME while watching out for her.  This was beginning to be a morning habit.  I am glad, because Elise is learning how to swim by herself.  She is getting so dark, though.  After trying to convince Nacho to eat, he went off with Rene without any real breakfast.  I thought I could give him more food later, since little boys survive on nibbles at age three.

I could hear father and son kicking and catching the ball in the beach. Then later, I saw Rene holding Nacho by the hand, and head upstairs. Elise had been in the pool an hour, so I asked her to come out.  She gave a little squeal and pointed behind me.  Nacho was dressed in his swimsuit and so was Rene!  "Yaaay! More time to swim!!!  And Daddy's coming too!!!"

I sat around for a bit. I did not really feel like swimming. Told Rene I'd be back in an hour and said bye to the kids.

I walked around and remembered that there were some mountain bikes for rent at the front. I picked out a yellow one (with the lowest seat) and tried out the gears. Perfect.  I began pedaling towards the bike trail.

There was a short and quick sandy part where I had to pedal extra hard.  Then the soil began to show.  The trail was littered with small rocks, pebbles and some gravel.

We've been here for about two and a half months and I never wandered towards this part before.  A part of the lagoon was bordered with cemented rocks.

I stopped to take in the sights.  Everything was so rough, so wild and so lush. Despite the El Nino, there was still a lot of green.... just the dry sort of green.  I can't wait till the wet season when they would all turn bright green.

It was so quiet. There were weird birdcalls every now and then.  The leaves were brushing against each other.  I looked up and saw a dog's head....

Biking farther to end of the property, there were some parked boats. 

One was leaning against a tree, probably for the seawater to drip out so the boat can dry it out properly.

After several rounds, many stops to just stare at trees, roots, boats, critters.... and to listen and smell everything, I decided to go back and help Rene get the kids out of the pool.

They were not there. I went up to the room and they were in their fresh clothes, eating some snacks.  Galing ni Daddy!  Elise looked up and asked me,"Did you have a good time?"

Bliss.

Mining Threatens Plants, Animals and our Indigenous Brothers & Sisters in Palawan

Another big threat is looming over Palawan.

Online, ABS-CBN News published the article, "Palawan: RP's Last Ecological Frontier, or Mining Frontier?" describing the threat on Palawan's forests, which are hot mining spots.  These forests are also habitats containing many plant and animal species that are endemic to Palawan.  The animals shall be displaced and may become extinct.

But what most do not realize is that these forests and other mining sites are also home to indigenous tribes that have little or no outside contact.  They shall be displaced too!  Where will they go?

Here is an open letter to the President of the Philippines imploring for help.  Sign if you agree and help make a difference.... HOPEFULLY.....!

Playing Pretend Elections

As I was adding up our expenses for the month quietly, I noticed that Elise was busy cutting up pictures from the newspaper. I assumed she'd cut up pictures of butterflies or some girl stuff, as usual.

After a few minutes, I saw this posted on the wall:

Her leading presidential candidates are: Manny Villar, Gibo Teodoro, Noynoy Aquino and Dick Gordon.  They are all sporting red mustaches, by the way.


When asked about her opinion of these gentlemen, she replied,

"Villar is all smiles.  It's all commercials and pictures." 

"Noynoy always says he will help, but has he already helped?"

"I don't think Dick Gordon will win. He might have few votes."

"Erap might not win cos he did lots of bad things."

"Gibo looks the most normal.  He talks normal and he has a plan."

On Monday, May 10, 2010, the Philippine presidential elections shall take place.   Most Filipinos are undecided about who to vote for. I am not sure if I can vote.  I planned to be in Manila, where I am a registered voter, in May, but it does not look like it will happen.  I will try to get registered here in Puerto Princesa. 

It is such a gloomy, gloomy thought... these upcoming elections.

Exam Pressure & Homesickness

I am getting just a little bit stressed.

It's already March 15.  We are too busy completing Elise's 4th quarter lessons, because the deadline for submission of her grades was last week!!  Rene just got back a few days ago and he is catching up on some backlog here.

We still have not seen another lot or house. Not even the one I REALLY want to see on Baker's Hill.   Rene agreed to take a look. 

It's scorching hot outside, so the kids and I are indoors in our room from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. We have our routines and lessons, have T.V. breaks and lunch, naps, and everything else.  It's getting a bit claustrophobic. There are good days when everything goes as planned. And there are days when the three of us are cranky, especially when Nacho bugs Elise to death.

I worry about where the kids will go to school in June.  We need to find the right school.  And we need to find them summer activities for next month.

Papa is on my mind constantly and I worry about his vulnerability to infection.  I also worry about Mama and my dear sister, who are taking care of him. We just took advantage of the Philippine Airlines anniversary promo and booked three trips back to Manila to visit for this June, September and November. All for the price of one normal trip!  Lucky!

Okay, first things first.  Finish all 4th quarter exams this week!  House hunt in the weekend!

Home Alone For Five Days and Five Nights

Rene took the evening flight out to Manila a few minutes ago.  He will be back Saturday evening and we planned in advance that the kids and I would pick him up from the airport when he comes back and have dinner out.  It feels very strange that we are here at his workplace, and he is going home to our house in Manila without us there.  Elise even had a short, but intensely emotional episode about missing him this week and not feeling "right" about it.  Nacho just looked deep into my eyes and spoke almost without opening his mouth,"I miss him." Then looked down and continued playing with his cars.

I wore the kids out today swimming and running around so they will be able to sleep by 8:30 P.M. Usually, they get sleepy around 9:00 P.M., but that's the time their father comes back from work.  So when they see him, it's playtime again!  So, this week, it's lights out by 8:30 P.M.   I just read today that kids need 11.5 hours of sleep a day until about 12 years old.  If they doze off during car trips or are hyperactive during bedtime, they are sleep-deprived! Nacho shut his eyes at 8:00 P.M., but Ana fell asleep at 10:00 P.M., after calling Daddy to say goodnight.


Meanwhile, we'll be very busy this week so we won't feel Rene's absence.

1. Make an appointment for next week to view the nice new lot in Baker's Hill 
2. Plan summer activities for kids - ask around if any of the schools we visited has swimming, art, dance or martial arts classes for Elise and Nacho for the summer
3. Map out some extra income plans for the next three months and show Rene when he gets back
4. Finish Elise's 4th quarter lessons and review for her exams next week
5. Sort out clothes in cabinets, mend broken ones and send overgrown ones to little cousins

Long, long week that would probably pass by so quickly, good luck to us!

Four Hours of Alone Time

I attended a recollection today, and did not realize that the last one I ever went to was in January 2005. Today was the culmination of this week's ordeal of pulling my different selves together: the wife, the mother and the Filipino citizen.  Today, I likened myself to an uprooted plant that has transferred gardens.  It is taking some time for my roots to hold on to the new soil.  And somehow, God has hoed around me (ouch!) and put enough s**t (manure) beneath me to fertilize me.  At last, I am stretching my arms out, breathing the wonderful air, and smiling at the sunshine --- ready to photosynthesize! 

I got to chat with some ladies about how far we were on our lot/house search.  We have seen several but none of them seemed right yet.  One of them said that her sister previously planned to build a house on a place near Baker's Hill and Mitra Ranch at Barangay Sta. Monica.  There are many nice houses already there.  But her sister moved to the States and is selling two 500-square meter lots. She is willing to sell one, or both, and told us that perhaps she could give it to us less than the published rate!

Sta. Monica.... this was the village that my aunt and uncle were looking for when they were here last year.  The tricycle drivers did not know where it was.  But he read somewhere that it is a good neighborhood. I am so excited. I hope this is The One.

A Sweltering Day in March

I woke up this morning with an itchy throat and an irritating cold sore on the left side of my tongue. Ugh. I drank a liter of water and I was still thirsty.  Nacho's allergic rhinitis was giving him the sniffles too. 

The sun was so sharp this morning and it just kept on getting hotter and hotter.  The sun seemed to be coming down closer and closer and would burn us soon.  The heat was piercing and dizzying.  The light that entered our window in between the drapes was a a blinding yellow. 

Elise had a toothache too. She had some meat stuck in between her molars and not all of them came off. It was bothering her gums and she could not stop making those clicking sounds. 

By 5:00 P.M. it was still extremely sunny, even if the sun was slowly sinking into the horizon.  The heat was bearable.  We ran to the beach and walked over the little pools of water in between the vast shoreline.  The kids made small mud pies on the sand, and when I looked again, they were lying down on the pools, with their eyes closed, going,"Aaaahhhhh."  They carefully tried not to move so they will not disturb the fine sand beneath them, or else they would get some in their ears.  I poured some water on my face again and again and pressed my forehead with my palm.  Goodbye, headache.

We stayed till after sunset. If not for the cool breeze that was getting colder by the minute, we would have stayed longer. 

Happy One Month... Really Thinking About Our Home Now

This week marks a whole month of real living here in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

The kids and finally feel that the idea of settling down and building our roots here is REAL.  

I knew Rene was a bit nervous about uprooting us all even if we fell in love with this place last year.  Now, it feels like he already knows that the kids and I love it here and would not want to live anywhere else.  He just had to hear the answer to one simple question,"If I did not work for this company, would you still want to live here?"

These past few months, I have been constantly hinting that we immediately sit down and plan our next moves --- Let's get a car and a house NOW.  I already know how much shipping all our furniture from Manila would cost, and we need to get stabilized NOW, as the kids need their own space NOW.  I want to cook tinola and malunggay soup and steamed fish and bake cookies and squash bread AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! 

But Rene has been very cool about it, and has been taking his time... being pensive, and thoughtful, and careful.  I am more impulsive, which is also why he weighs everything many times.  He does not want us all to jump in and dive into this place just because he works here and we like it.  He wants to see that we want to be here, and that we love the city and we know what we were going to do here.  The picture of us living here day by day had not been completed in his mind.  

Today, we viewed a bungalow not too far from where he works.  It was a small version of our house in Manila. The kids excitedly ran around opening doors and decided which of the rooms will be their theirs.  Rene was quiet the whole time and I was tempted to think that he did not really care for the house, or perhaps he was distracted about work and his mind was not really in what we were doing.  But later in the day, he narrated to me his calculations and conclusion that it would be cheaper for us to just find a bigger lot and build a house which we would design ourselves.  I was relieved and realized that we had reached a milestone.

Also this week, we talked about how our house will look.  Cement, wood, pawid, bamboo?  I wanted it all to be all white with a native thatched roof and big wooden framed windows. Elise said she wanted a house that "looked poor from the outside, but looked beautiful in the inside."  Rene agreed with her - "Let's not attract attention." Then I wanted a bamboo paneled house (concrete inside) with stained glass windows and a high roof.

Later that day, Elise and I planned out the layout of our dream house.  She even sketched it out for Rene to discuss with him later.

The entrance door would open up into the sala/living room.  On the right would be the kitchen, and on the left, the dining room. A staircase would go up from the living room to the second floor, where there will be D.M.R. (Daddy and Mama's Room), and a Music Room/Library to the right of it.  Elise's room would be connected to our room, and Nacho's room would be connected to her room. Below their rooms would be a S.A.C.(Sewing, Arts and Crafts room).  A garden would open up from the other end of the living room.  Nacho wants a tree house in the garden with monkey bars and a slide and a tire swing.

The 2 high roofs would be two attics - one for storage and the other one for the boys' den and game room.  Daddy will finally have room for his billiard table and a place to put all his graphic novels, comics, magazines, CDs and hoarded wires.  Oh wow. 

I also want solar panels, lots of skylight and large windows to let the breeze in.


The arts and crafts room would have a low Japanese-style table and we would sit on the cushions on the floor. There would be shelves and shelves of paper, ribbons, sequins, pins, glue, different kinds of tape (and would probably look like a stationery store!)  We would have a sewing corner where we would put the sewing machine that Lola Meldy gave us.  She still has to teach me how to work it.  We would have a mural on the door and walls.


Elise's room wants her room to be painted light pink with yellow polka dots (the wall colors and designs change once in a while). She wants her room to be like a little house.  When she gets up from her curtained bed, she would like to sit on a low round table with about three other chairs where her dolls would sit (or where Nacho would sit when he visits).  She described her little room to be like a small studio apartment, with a pretend built-in kitchen,  a counter for her cooking toys, and a pretend fridge..... And a small desk and some shelves for her favorite books.  (Most of our books will be in the library.)


And I want a nice range with a very good oven where I can bake muffins and cookies and lasagna and roast at least 3 chickens simultaneously.

I explained to Elise that we would have to build a small house first with the basic kitchen, bedroom, living room and dining room.  She and Nacho might have to share a room for a while.  Then we would expand the house as we go along.  We have to save a lot so we can complete the house faster.  She happily understood, just as long as she and Nacho would have a tree house and tire swing right away, even without the monkey bars and slide. 

By the way, they also both want puppies that look like these ones we met last month on the way to Aborlan.

Before we left Manila in January, I also invited my parents to come and live with us.  So, there will be one extra room with a separate entrance connected to the house.  That way I can help Mama take care of Papa, who is quite sick and needs a lot of support. 

My dear sister-in-law, Lisa, was right. She sent me a heartwarming message a few weeks ago when I wrote her about our house search.

"Finding the right place to build a house is one of the most important things you  have to decide on. It's where you will root yourselves, build your lives and nurture it. It needs a lot of prayer--to find not just a piece of property, but the one that God has chosen for you---the right one. The one that will make you say, "I'm so glad we live here." Pretty much like finding your life partner, I guess.

I wish you all the best in your search. I'm sure the right one is just waiting for you." 

Not an Earthquake Nor a Tsunami

Yesterday morning, Rene, Elise and Nacho had some pool time.   The kids enjoyed their dad's company immensely - splashing, paddling and watching him do a headstand underwater with his legs sticking out...

But I took a short walk to the beach and this is what I saw...

The sea was rough in the deep part, one local said.  The clouds were slowly churning and the sky above us turned from sunny to cloudy then to sunny again, then to cloudy again - alternating too quickly.

The 8.8 magnitude Chile earthquake just occurred the day before.  Argentina had an earthquake too, and so did Okinawa, Japan. Victoria, B.C. "dodged the bullet" and Hawaii was just waiting for the tsunami to happen.  A Level 2 tsunami alert was up for countries all over the Pacific Ocean.

If you look closely at the picture, you will see a speck by the water, which is actually a honeymooning couple who walked all the way with their arms around each others' side.  They stood on the water, just gazing at the sea.  If something happens, they would instantly die together.  Very romantic.  But realistically, we were not in real danger because our shore is facing the Sulu Sea, and the tsunami threat on the Pacific Ocean would probably hit Samar and Surigao since they are facing that ocean.  In between us and those places, there are the islands of Cebu, Bohol, Negros and some other Mindanao islands. 

Another reason for not worrying is --- Palawan is earthquake free. The Philippine Daily Inquirer announced this on its headline in mid-January.  We used to live very close to the Marikina Fault Line and it has not moved in the last 500 years.  But with what happened this weekend, residents in Rizal are worrying.

A day after, a commentary on the PDI article came out on the net, warning against migration, reminding everyone that Palawan is environmentally threatened.  The whole island will not be able to provide agriculturally all the produce the growing population requires.  There are also not enough major rivers to make sure that water will be of enough supply.  And being an island, there is a waste disposal challenge.

The local government and the very supportive citizens of Puerto Princesa knows this.  And Mayor Hagedorn has taken the necessary steps by making environmental protection the center of his agenda so Palawan will not be another Boracay nightmare!  I remember the ecoli scare in the '90's!  This year, waste disposal is number one on their list.  Even now, 90% of all barangays are on a zero waste program.   According to the city tour guide, the fine for littering is: P200 on the first offense, another P200 on the second offense, and imprisonment on the third offense.

If we want to live in Puerto Princesa, we have to make sure we do our part in protecting the environment.  I think we can segregate trash and compost and conserve water...

What am I talking about?!!! Heck, everyone has to make sure that they take care of wherever they live! And every leader in this country, from mayor to president, needs to make environmental protection the number one on the agenda! Argh!