MY TRAVELS....Sir Borhan

PHILIPPINES - CITY OF MANY COLOURS

http://sir-borhan.blogspot.com/2014/12/philippines-city-of-many-colours-at.html

At last I had the chance to visit Philippines, which was actually not my dream destination. In fact I wanted to go to another Asian country but at the last-minute I thought of seeing what Philippines has to offer.

I flew to Kota Kinabalu and from here continued to Clark International Airport by Air Asia.

As I drove off to Angel’s city I was not really impressed by the city. I saw a lot Americans mostly men in their retired ages. They were sitting in bars accompanied by young Filipino girls drinking beer, sitting and staring at the streets.

I even had the opportunity to exchange words with an elderly retired American from Manila. I was surprised that he is a resident like many other Americans who have chosen Philippines as their retired land.

There are many reasons retirees are attracted to the country, including the low cost of living that makes their retirement and pension funds go further.  The low cost of living allows for a more comfortable, if not lavish lifestyle that they just can’t afford in their home countries.  Most locals know the English language, which makes communication possible and easy. In fact, English is the official language of the Philippines. And most of all, Filipinos are known for their own brand of hospitality, which makes foreigners feel more at home.

I checked into Holiday Inn Clark, which was not to the par of Holiday Inns I have stayed elsewhere. But, the room was comfortable minus the food.

It was easy traveling in Philippines, as it is easy to communicate in English. I liked the people but was disappointed with the police. In fact, a few policemen who were out to trap me made my journey murky.

 I was walking towards a supermarket just a stone throw away from my hotel. On the way, there was a police station, which I had to pass. Suddenly a policeman came out and stopped me. He asked me to produce my passport, which I had left in the hotel’s safe deposit box. I politely told them and asked permission to take it. But, the policemen on duty ordered me inside the station. Another female policewoman took photographs of me like treating a criminal. I demanded to talk the Malaysian Consulate, which they refused. I asked the reason why I am being detained and the policeman on duty asked me whether I want to settle the matter. He demanded money. I politely told him, that I am in his country and it is the duty of policemen to give tourists protection and not harassment. I told hi I am a journalist and my paper would highlight the problem and it will become a big issue if they keep detaining me. On hearing this, he asked me what paper and I just said, “ The Star”. Then he went upstairs and another superior came down, hugged me and even had photographs taken with him. He said it was a misunderstanding and even gave me his name card to contact him if I am facing any problem. These policemen made the country shame. But trust me, Philippines is a beautiful country and their people friendly, always willing to help you.

Putting aside this bitter experience, I continued my journey to Manila by an express bas. Angeles city is approximately 90 kilometres away from Manila. Hence, the journey by road, depending on the traffic, will take about 2 to 3 hours via the North Luzon Expressway.

                    I took ‘Fly the Bus’ service, a non-stop bus to Manila.

Another interesting thing is that to me, Manila is essentially a giant version of a Filipino barangay, or neighborhood

The journey was smooth except when the bus was in Manila. The traffic was bad but not as bad as Jakarta.

Rizal Park Manila

Jose Rizal Memorial Park was my first stop. Since I am teaching History, I was interested to know about Jose Rizal- a Filipino patriot who, during his short life, made lasting contributions to medicine, political and social reform, engineering and a large number of other disciplines .

This park is now a picnic spot for members of the Filipino community. This great man was He was executed as a result of being accused of complicity in the Filipino insurrection.

With the guards in Rizal Park ManilaManila walk bay is the place to see when you come to Manila and it has also been the place to be seen for a long time. Look at pictures of famous Filipinos and you will find pictures of them here. 

ManilaWalk bay

Manila is another great town like Jakarta or Bangkok. It has large supermarkets, posh hotels, and sky scrappers without losing its other side of the coin, which you will not see in Kuala Lumpur. 

Manila Walk Bay

Poverty can be visible here like in Jakarta.

Street children Manila

Poverty in Manila

My visit to Manila opened my eyes on the street children who outnumbered those in Jakarta. Then again I wondered why this country is far back in development and why its citizens go hunting for jobs in other countries and also why many young Filipinos want to marry old Americans.

Jeepers are the most common form of public transport throughout the many islands of the Philippines. In Manila they are so numerous, that there is almost constantly traffic congestion. The jeepneys don't have air-conditioning. They have open windows. Most of the time the jeepneys are constantly packed with many passengers. 

Jeepneys offer one of the cheapest ways of getting somewhere. They seldom have a special place to stop. The drivers will slow down enough to enable the passengers to jump on or out.

                                                    I stayed at the Marriott Manila. 

Finding halal food here is easier than in Angel city. There are many restaurants selling chapatti and Briani. Filipinos do not consider it a meal if rice is not served. Plain steamed rice is the basis of the diet. American fast food chains like McDonald's, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, and Dunkin' Donuts are EVERYWHERE

Shopping is not my cup of tea but I did visit Mall Asia and bought a traditional Filipino shirt.

The next morning I headed back to Angel City in Pampanga. On reaching, I travelled 70 km to see Mount Pinatubo. This mountain erupted in 1991. 

Angle City

Mount Pinatubo 

There are many places selling handicrafts be it in the streets or in the shops.

I had a great opportunity to visit a traditional village and mingle with the locals.

To summarise, my journey to Philippines was not an interesting as I thought. The sight and sounds were rather similar to some crowded cities of Asia. Anyway, they say, if you've only been to Manila, you haven't really been to the Philippines. Maybe I have to venture deep into other islands to see the real Philippines.

Look Carefully who is in disguise

I am not as fat as this

I liked the people and they always were friendly and the children never failed to put innocent smiles as a mark of accepting you as a fellow human.

                      BYE BYE CHILDREN…….HOPE TO DROPIN YOUR COUNTRY AGAIN…..