An Pobre nga Abuyog-non

A blog is considered as one's own website, your special space in the vast world of the internet web. Some use them for business, for promotions and advertising, for keeping in touch with the rest of the world, or simply as a diary to publish your ideas, opinions, your struggles, fears and the battles in life that you've won.

This Abuyog-non owns this spot and tells about my family, where i come from, events, places and topics that i want to share to possible readers, including you. But mostly, its for me to tell the world of things that are special to me, people close to my heart, events that made it through my memory box and to let you know that this Abuyog-non is simple at heart. There might be times when you think you may not be appreciated, but in my blog you are a great part of my world.

Let me tell you what fills this Abuyog-non's sunday. Sunday is a day worth waiting for. It's my own special day. If i were in Abuyog it would be a day with my family, cooking something special and probably going to the "baybayon" (beach) which is just a few feet from the back of this lowly Abuyog-nons home. Things are no different here, somehow staying eastern of the Philippines do not change some things we do and enjoy even when we wer back to our Abuyog hometown.

To start, if i wake up early on a sunday morning, visiting a laudromat is what I do after breakfast which is usually 9:00 am. The laundry washing machine takes about 4 of my quarters ($1.00) per load and usually i have two. That would take about 25 minutes. I'd usually sit, read and wait or chat with some Filipinos doing the laundry too or if not, i'd be clicking my camera taking some pictures of anything that catches my attention.

Then comes the drying part which costs me five quarters ($1.25) per load and again it takes two loads to dry my clothes. Actually, this Abuyog-non may choose to hang clothes to dry inside the dormitory, but the results are, believe me, not pleasant to my sense of smell. This simple Abuyog-non favors the scent of clothes dried from the drier than spraying cologne or perfume (perfumes are expensive). Then all this Abuyog-non has to do is wait for like 40-45 minutes or until the drier stops, and fold my dry clothes and off to my hiding place.... my room.

I do eat my lunch you know and spend some time in playing PS. Currently we've flipped the Socom 3 game twice. If you've ever played the game you'd know that if you finish the game your rank goes up. we started as ensign and is now a commander. We still keep playing it until we reach the admiral rank.

Sometimes we drive to the beach for a quick dip and a breath of fresh air or visit the church.

The rest of the day is about watching tv while falling asleep and reading a good book. These are what fills my ordinary day. No going to rock islands yet, maybe next time but not yet. Doing these keeps me occupied for the whole day and helps me in not missing home too much. It's when i go to bed that thoughts about home come and usually it keeps me awake and so i'd pick up a book again and read until my eyes close on their own accord.

photos: all pictures were taken last Sunday, 1/4/2009,

Labels: Abuyog, Abuyognon, ordinary day, sunday

Photo: a bag of 3lbs fuji apples and 4 cans of fruit juice
Date: I took this photo last New Year's Eve



Kung ang iba ay naging super busy sa paghahanda noong New Year's Eve, kabaligtaran naman sa kin. Ang dahilan, syempre di ko naman kasi kasama pamilya ko, ala akong bahay na kompleto sa gamit at pangatlo tipid ako sa gastos. Dito may mga Pinoy din na naghanda at nag party, unfortunately itong pobreng Abuyog-non ay hindi invited. Kaya pinagod ko sarili ko sa pag ikot sa shopping center (dalawa lang naman dito ang malalaki) hanggang magsawa sa kawi-window shop, sabay uwi na kagad sa dormitory kung saan nagpuyat ako sa pag-antay ng alas dose ng hatinggabi.

Iba syempre dyan sa Abuyog. Mas feel natin ang pagsalubong sa bagong taon. Pag medyo may extrang pera e bongga ang handa sa Media Noche. Sigurado di mawawala ang fruit salad liban pa sa twelve to thirteen different kinds of round fruits para swertehen sa darating sa taong 2009. Maingay din dyan sa atin sa Abuyog, meron paputok, may lata nga gin-guguyod san motor or potpot, may nagpapatugtog ng pagka lakas-lakas tapos may kantahan pa.

Dito syempre wala. Tumawag ako dyan sa Abuyog sa pamilya ko para kahit papaano ma-greet ko din sila ng Happy New Year bago pa maging busy ang lahat ng cellphone companies. Di ko nga malalaman na alas dose na pala at New Year na kung di pa ako napatingin sa relo. Ala man lang sirena ng bombero or wangwang ng police car para maging hudyat na ito na ang bagong taon.

Kaya itong taga Abuyog na pobre ay kumain na lang ng pinamili kong fuji apples at fruit juice. Walang biro yan ha, dinala ko pa talaga ang push cart sa section na walang namimili para lang makunan ng picture, hirap din pala pag gusto mong i-document ang mga ginagawa mo no, i got some disapproving glances sa ibang namimili. Isip ko tuloy "eh care ko sa inyo, trip ko to, gaya na lang kaya kayo".

At sa wakas mahaba man ang pila e nakarating pa din ako sa kahera, ayan ang napamili ko para sa pagsalubong ko sa New Year. Notice mo yung juice? Galing din Pinas ang iba nyan.

Labels: Abuyog, new year, pobre

From Abuyog, we were able to visit Jen and her family in Consolacion Cebu last September 2008. I didn’t think time would allow me to go back there but fate has devised a reason for me to visit Cebu again.

We started by getting in a bus going to Baybay and then another bus going to Ormoc, Leyte. The Suparcat shedule in Ormoc leaving for Cebu was a few hours after so we made ourselves comfortable at the terminal.

Arriving in Cebu via Supercat brought back so much memories to this Abuyog-non...

After nine years, there is one word that I can say about Cebu and that is: MORE. More people, more shopping malls, more traffic… there is just so many mores to describe the place.

Here is my picture blog of our visit in Cebu.

While fishing during lunch...

Labels: Abuyog, Cebu

Labels: dive, economy hotel, fun, Palau

Yup, that's my brother and my friend. They got married, alright... you guessed it! These couple has long been a part of my life, my brother for the most part actually, but my friend Icel, i met her in F. Cayco St. in 2000... Looking back it has seemed like forever.

Anyway let me give you a brief on how this Abuyog-non and Batangena met, a couple i find beautiful.

I’ll start with my brother first. Ramil (taga Abuyog) is 2 years younger than me (now you’re probably guessing my age, just type my name on the internet search engine and you’ll find my birthdate :->) . We went to the same school during our kinder and elementary days.

As kin, we grew up playing and arguing and telling our parents the mischief of each other, but of course if he keeps mine, I keep my mouth shut from telling his faults as well, that way it was a “win-win” solution for both of us. We played the same games and kept the same circle of friends until high school.


We got into different Chinese schools back then. Naturally I’d go to college earlier than him. After the university closed in our place, I transferred to Cebu to continue my college education, while Ramil was to leave for Manila for his college plans. By that time, we’d see each other during holidays and summer seasons when school was out.

Labels: brother, events, friendship, marriage

Abuyog is a municipality found in the eastern part of Leyte, actually facing towards the Pacific Ocean. As of today it is gaining recognition not only from its nearby towns. The Abuyog municipality though found almost at the tip of the island of Leyte has its own hospital which is visited by many neighboring towns for check ups and medications and newly constructed community college that offer various courses so students need not go to far away places for education. Abuyog is proud to have Buyugan and the Abuyog-nons are continually striving to promote our place through street dancing and presentations which is what Buyugan does. The Buyugan of Abuyog has already become quite popular in its own right not only in the provinces but in the Philippines as a whole.

These are some pictures that I have taken when I went home to Abuyog, Leyte for a vacation. Though deforestation has long been said to be a problem, there are still treasures in this town that its people can be proud of. Looking at these pictures I am missing home.


This picture was taken in Barayong (Abuyog, Leyte), a more or less 5 hectares of coconut trees that give its people a source of income. Here we can enjoy real fresh buko juice straight from its shell unlike the ones that you can find on supermarkets sold on disposal cups and later finding out the water used is contaminated and the sugar added was not healthly at all.

A lush of green ricefield, which my father describes as "a green ocean ". The weather was not should i say "stable" at the time of our visit. A harvest was being done just a little farther from this field and they keep on stopping when rain comes and start again when the sun comes out. Anyway, we were able to trek our way to witness the pains of harvesting, that is ripping the rice plant, putting it in a machine (they call it "bulhot") and then carrying the finished ones to the stockroom. Now all these were being done under the heat of the sun (imagine enduring the season of planting).

But really, Abuyog (Abuyog, Leyte) still has these rice fields and coconut trees. During harvest time, you will find people who let their share of the harvest dry out in the sun, just outside their houses.

The beach at sunrise looks peaceful, beautiful and a sight to behold. This is a frequent place for joggers and beach lovers alike.

Sunrise at the beach. Here are the early risers, fishermen.

Labels: Abuyog, beach, coconuts, hometown, ricefield, sunrise, treasures

As promised, ito na ang ilan sa mga swimming pictures taken ng mag kami sa beach sa Abuyog. Kasama ko family ko though, most sa mga pangalan ng mga pamangkin ko eh limot ko na. Sobrang tagal na kasing hindi nakabisita sa lugar na pinagmulan ang apelyedo namin. Pero kahit konti ang handa e napagkasya naman.

Labels: Abuyog, beach party, birthday, fun, relatives