Like Prying on a Stranger’s Space

             Aristotle once said, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance”.

             More than the materials used to create a masterpiece, the reason and emotion behind the creation make the artwork more valuable. Every time I visit a museum, it creates a certain nostalgia. The feeling of travelling back in time. The trancelike experience of seeing an important piece from the past right within your reach. The surreal thought that a tangible part of history is available in the present time. 

           I must admit, for convenience, I decided to visit the Jorge B. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center. It is UP Diliman’s homegrown museum situated along Roxas Avenue. I have always planned to check all the interesting places inside the campus before I finish my degree and Vargas Museum was a good starter. 

           As a frequent jogger and biker in UP, I regularly see Vargas Museum from the university oval, almost hidden by the canopy of trees, as if deliberately covered to leave a mysterious ambience. 

            Initially, Jean (a classmate in Anthropology class) and I planned to stay in the museum for less than an hour since we both needed to catch our bus trips for out of town commitments. It turned out the other way, we stayed longer than what we planned. 

            As a preliminary to any museum, we were asked to settle the entrance fee (P 20.00 for UP students and P30.00 for everyone else) before roaming around the vicinity. Jean was teasing me when we were signing in the reception area. Aside from the basic personal information, the log book has a column for guests’ interest. I wrote museum and arts. I think I sounded phony. But I can probably say that I already appreciate art since I can remember. At a young age, I was already intrigued by Mona Lisa’s smile, questioned the motives of Picasso and touched by Malang’s creation. I tried sketching and painting with Van Gogh in mind and eventually realized that he is bipolar. 

Intangible Photographs

              I appreciate that the management restricted taking photo on the permanent exhibit section where works of some famous visual artists like Vicente Manansala, Fernando Amorsolo and Guillermo Tolentino are mounted.  I tried researching about this policy on flash photography inside museums and there are odd reasons why this policy exists, aside from the fact that the flash may have adverse effect on paintings and sculptures, but nonetheless, I would totally subscribe to this. Sometimes, memories are better encapsulated intangibly. 

                Like visiting a family ancestral house, museums give me circus of senses. Aside from my visual sense feasting on the exhibits, my olfactory sense also added flavor during the entire visit. It always happen to me whenever I visit my grandparents’ house. Museums have this distinct smell that creates bizarre and invisible dimension. The history is painted in the air.  

                This time though, I felt like entering someone else’s private property after learning that the first pieces showcased in the museum were originally the collections of Jorge B. Vargas, thus the name of the museum. According to the information posted inside the museum, Mr. Jorge B. Vargas donated his collection of artworks, stamps and coin and other personal memorabilia to UP Diliman on March 1, 1978 and the museum was formally inaugurated on February 22, 1897. He is an alumnus of the university and also served as the first Executive Secretary during the Commonwealth period. 

                One of the things I noticed was very few people were visiting the museum that time. I asked Kuya George, working in the museum for 24 years, about it. He said that people usually visit there as a group like field trips or side tours during conferences inside the university. Before, my narratives on museum visits as a boy who grew up in a province also involve school field trips since most of the museums in the Philippines are located in the capital cities. Also, private museums normally charge you a fortune. 

                While roaming around the permanent exhibition gallery, we met Diana, a first year public administration student. She is from Bicol region and now staying in one of the dormitories inside the campus. It was interesting to know that she went to Vargas museum alone and solely out of curiosity, not for academic purposes. We were chuckling while telling her that our visit was opposite from her motivation. But we surely both know that we gained something out of the visit even without photographs to aid out our memory. 

Vargas’ Bedroom 

                Since Kuya George has a lot of time to spare that time, he led us to an old looking room on the third floor, which I think most of the walk in visitors usually miss because it looks like a humble storage area from the outside. The room is full of personal belongings and memorabilia of Jorge B. Vargas, from the fountain pens he used to the boy scout attire he wore, to some of the minutes of the meetings he drafted to the books he read on his spare time. 

                We scrutinized all his possessions while an audio of his radio interview is playing in the background. It felt like gate-crashing in someone else’s bedroom. It felt strange, almost creepy.

Digging Deeper 

                After going through the memorabilia of Vargas, we checked the rest of the third floor. I particularly enjoyed the photos of archeological excavations. Jean said archeology can be a nice runaway career when we get tired of the corporate rat race. I can totally agree. I like the elaborate excavation procedure to unearth a fragile piece from the past that can bind together the present and the future. 

                One interesting photo series was an excavation in Pinagbayanan in San Juan, Batangas in April 2010. The researchers posited that the excavated structures of koloong or water well were part of a Spanish Plaza Complex where Spanish elites previously resided due to the presence of church and municipal hall ruins. Proximity to these institutions display wealth, influence and power. 

                Meanwhile, other contemporary pieces are showcased on the third floor. I am still thinking about the art installation of a woman’s head on top of a brick with coconuts and soil scattered around it. But then I realized, art can be all bizarre, crazy and limitless and museum is a safe place for all these quirkiness. I hear Van Gogh calling me. 

Real Men's Talk

          After a long  brain farting hiatus, I am posting an article I wrote  4 years ago and was published on our college paper. I thought it is very apt for the upcoming event our organization is brewing up this summer. Make your summer vacation productive and unforgettable! 

         Check YSAGE and CATW-AP pages on Facebook!


           Close your eyes. Imagine a world where peace and justice prevail.

           A place that is free from discrimination, subordination and prejudice. A society living away from a patriarchal mind-set caused by the continuous, rampant and obvious unequal footage of individual- the thought that one specie is dominant from the other, leading to abuse and misuse of power, may it be subtle or overt.

          I know, we are just imagining. We are still away from the equality that we are hoping to have. For now, all we can do is open our eyes to the things that we usually take for granted. Important aspects of life that we thought to be the real way of living but actually boxed, limited and worst victimized for we accepted it as a norm. Various roles, behaviors and attitudes our society imposed on us, lead to gender inequality.

          In gender topics, sex pertains to the biological differences between men and women; it is being male or female. Gender, on the other hand, is a social construct- a woman’s or a man’s traits are defined and roles are assigned by social institutions. Expectations based on gender limits the potentials and actions of the women and men on the other hand have lesser limitations- this is gender stereotyping.

          Not known to everyone, gender stereotyping are created and perpetuated by institutions which we usually perceive to be righteous and which teaches us the values that distorts the true essence of equality, for most of the time it is subtle. We did not realize that those institutions abuse us without our knowledge.

          First is the family, known to be the basic unit of the society. The foundation of individuals’ values, the institution that first teaches us the supposedly concept of morality. But seldom have we known that this very institution injected to us the things that portray the division of gender and of roles. The giving of toys, color of clothes and household chores may look like small matters but eventually lead us to stereotyping and inequality.

          Picture this, most of the time, robot and gun toys; and blue shirts are given to young boys which subtly impose violence and dominance. On the other hand, young girls receive pink clothes, cooking utensil toys and dolls that made their young minds think that they should only be doing the household chores like cooking, taking care of the children and be submissive.

          I may sound skeptic and different considering the environment I am living in or even crazy citing these things. But critical minds should see things in a bigger perspective and possibilities. These things are taught to us and we accepted that life should be this way when actually it is not.

          Another institution is the school. The place we consider as second home and teach us the things that will equip us for the security of our future. But aside from good things, this institution labels what men and women should do. It may dictate the path an individual should walk in based on gender.

         This can be observed through the courses and curriculum. There are courses that are dominated by male such as engineering, information technology, business administration or even medicine courses. Although there are women enrolled in given courses, still men rule. Meanwhile, women are usually labeled for home economics, education or nursing courses. It is caused by the inflicted attitude that men are more logical and strong; and women are emotional and weak.

          Next is the influential institution of religion. Because of the values of virginity and chastity taught by the church, it stigmatizes women to explore things and label them as immoral once found to be devirginized before marriage. But on the other hand, when men had multiple partners they are tagged as macho. I am not advocating pre-marital sex here and I do not have toll for personal activities, the point here is the double standard in women- the expectation to be just tamed and submissive.

          Laws and government institution also contribute to the gender stereotyping. Most of the time, men occupy the top positions while women usually had secretarial jobs, for people already have the mindset that men are more intellectually superior over women. Aside from this, this institution sets different standards of behavior between women and men through penalties and sanctions. Example is the case of adultery and bigamy.

          Lastly is the most powerful and influential institution, the mass media. Since they enter every household through television, radio and prints, the impact is alarming especially for children. They portray women as sex object and/or as housewives or maid especially through advertisements that commodify women to sell products. The ads for liquor and detergent soaps are the usual examples. Mass media also impose the macho image of men- womanizer, drunkard and abusive.

          There are still a lot of things to process with the issues of gender. I know that this is not an overnight realization. The fact that these inequalities are more visible nowadays, it is already very difficult to change in a snap. Many people can even deny and repel to everything that I have just said. This is a long process but least try to open your mind and be critical.

          Who knows, by the time you open your eyes, you’ll be seeing a world where peace and justice prevail. A place that is free from discrimination, subordination and prejudice. A society living away from a patriarchal mind-set…

Playground, bicycles and butterflies

Artwork: Jessica Bianca Espiritu

Evacuation Center, Rizal Central Elementary School,

Tacloban City, Philippines

Translation: "I wish that our family will soon have a house and that we could be happy."

Photo Credit: Tomas Leonor/ AirJuan 

Dear kids of Tacloban,

              It has been a month since we visited your beloved city, but I am still getting emotional every time my memories fly back to that morning of December 18, 2013. It was the day we all first met.  We saw happy faces in the middle of makeshift houses, disaster debris and obvious scarcity of everything.  A life changing day that made me reflect how I am living my life.

               I could still remember my worry when we saw your big group compared to the drawing materials we brought. We only have a few pieces of bond papers and  pencils.  Personally, I would want a whole bond paper and a complete set of color materials for each of you to properly draw your wishes. It will be more fun scribbling, sketching and creating your wishes with everything available within your reach. Alas, life is not always generous.

Jessica Bianca Espiritu

               But you left me speechless and amazed when you happily accepted half piece of papers and pencils poorly sharpened using a blunt jungle knife.  When I was your age, I always wanted toys solely for myself. My brother and I also love to draw, but I will not let him touch my coloring materials. I usually draw cartoon characters and I always wish for super powers. But you are all different.

               I would want to wish for world peace. I will always pray for it for sure, every single day. I would want to ask for stronger faith for all the Filipinos towards the government and the future of the country. We surely need a huge amount of faith to keep our sanity intact, especially with all the news about mismanagement and shameless betrayal to the Filipino citizenry in the middle of mayhem.

                But despite all these personal wishes, I still go back to that priceless moment when I saw all your smiles when you drew your own wishes, very different from what I used to wish when I was younger. Most of you wished for houses with a garden full of blooming flowers. Some of you even have heart-shaped windows and flying bicycles. Your creativity and optimism is limitless.  Most of the time, your idea of a community is more sensible than grownups like us. 

                I silently prayed that those sketched houses, playgrounds, bicycles, butterflies and rainbows will all come to life.

                When I heard that a wish could be granted through #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014, I immediately remember Angelica, Cesar, Jessica and the rest of the kids back in Rizal Central Elementary School in Tacloban.

                I realized that everyone is busy building wrecked houses and restoring the physical state of Visayas. Those are very important for sure for everyone needs a shelter to continue with their lives. But how about broken hearts and spirits, especially for the youngest survivors of the calamity? You experienced a disaster an adult could barely understand. I never experienced the actual horror of the typhoon but the aftermath I saw on the actual disaster ground was unbelievably heartbreaking.

                It is all right to think of rebuilding your houses and I am with you on that hope, but let the adults worry about it. Do you remember when your parents throw you in the air and you chuckle and squeal with excitement? Give us the same trust.  We will surely find ways to solve it.

Some of the kids from Rizal Central Elementary School with Tomas Leonor/AirJuan

                Instead of worrying about that dilemma, I want you to have a place of your own. Your own space to continue building castle in the sky and keep you imaginations full of rainbows and butterflies. Your own spot to keep being kids and just spend hours of running, dancing, sliding and singing.  A place which you can call the Playground of Hope. 

                The playground will have all the colorful slides, monkey bars and seesaws, maybe it will have a swing for a group and a basketball ring. It will not just put a smile to your faces, but it will surely teach you how to share with others, take turns and cheer a kid like you, to be brave enough to try the breath-taking slide.  You will soon realize that life is more meaningful if shared, better if you have a cheering squad behind you.

                Ultimately, I would want you to just be happy, play all day, get tired, have a good night dream and wake up next day assured that the world will be a better place as soon as possible, just like your playground of hope. 

               Happy kids will surely dream bigger and will become  productive citizens of the country. You could all do it with the blissful  memories of your childhood. You will surely get inspirations from your friends you will have fun with on your playground.  If everyone of you will have the biggest visions and a gleeful heart, it will be the best gift the Philippines will ever have.

Sincerely,

Kuya Mc

_________________________________________________________________________________

You could do your share by checking ProjectWonderful, AirJuan and Coalition Against Trafficking in Women -Asia Pacific

Artwork: Juan Ignacio

Evacuation Center, Rizal Central Elementary School,

Tacloban City, Philippines

Translation: "My wish is to have my own bicycle."

Photo Credit: Tomas Leonor/ AirJuan

Artwork: Gerardine Tracy B. Solamo 

Evacuation Center, Rizal Central Elementary School,

Tacloban City, Philippines

Translation: "My wish is to have our house fixed" (and she wrote it in English, she wants to have Apple Trees in their yard and to see birds) 

Photo Credit: Tomas Leonor/ AirJuan

Artwork: Rannel C. Adesas Jr.

Evacuation Center, Rizal Central Elementary School,

Tacloban City, Philippines

Translation: "I wish to have a job and that our family to be whole again." 

Photo Credit: Tomas Leonor/ AirJuan

Artwork: Jenggoy T. Baranda

Evacuation Center, Rizal Central Elementary School,

Tacloban City, Philippines

Translation: " I wish I could make a house." 

Photo Credit: Tomas Leonor/ AirJuan

Artwork: Cyril Joy M. Lucente

Title: The Trees and Fishes

Evacuation Center, Rizal Central Elementary School,

Tacloban City, Philippines

Translation: “I want to see more trees and fishes, so that there will be fresh air and food. I also want to help fix her house and the houses of others.”

Photo Credit: Tomas Leonor/ AirJuan

To little Cesar of Tacloban City

"The Wall of Hope". We asked the kids in Rizal Central Elementary School (serving as an evacuation center) in Tacloban City to draw all their hopes and wishes, we did not expect the emotions coming.

December 21, 2014

Tacloban City, Leyte

Dear little Cesar,

I thought I already know what to expect when our flight bound to your beloved city took off early morning of December 18. I thought we will surprise you with all the gifts our team tirelessly collected and wrapped. But it was the other way around, I was surprised. 

AirJuan team had a small meeting few hours  while we were waiting to be boarded. We were instructed to always smile whenever kids like you approach us. There were numerous occasions I almost failed to do that.

I remember seeing you on 3rd day of our mission, during the drawing session with the kids of Rizal Central School. You were wearing a yellow sando and white shorts, running around and playing with others kids in the tent. 

I asked April, one of the kids in my group, to call you and ask if you also wanted to draw your wishes and put it later on the Mural of Hope, but she told me you were too shy. I was about to ask April few more questions when she explained to me about what happened to your entire family during the wrath of typhoon Yolanda. And she told me you are just 8 years old. I was shaken by the news and I just watched you for few minutes with disbelief. One of the kids grabbed your arms and both of you ran to the next tent, just like an ordinary fun-filled sunny day of games and laughter.

I wanted to look for you and know you better and give you a really tight hug. But I was too scared. I don't have any idea how I will console you or if I'm actually in the right position to do so. It was too much for me.

That night I did not stop thinking about you. What could be waiting for an 8-year old kid who loss his entire family in a snap? April told me you will be staying with your uncle. But I know for sure things will never be the same again for you.

I did not get a chance to look for you the next day. We need to finish everything because our stay in Tacloban was limited. 

I may not see you again, little Cesar. You don't any idea how you changed my perspective in life. My experience in my 22 years of existence will never be enough to give you the most sensible advice you need now. You saw a horror an adult could barely grasp.

Before, I only read the theoretical definition of the term survival in dictionaries, but Tacloban City made me see it beyond its meaning. We saw the scarcity of almost everything. I'm praying you will never run out of hope.

Sincerely,

Kuya Mc

The AirJuan Team with some of the kids in Rizal Central Elementary School, Tacloban City, Leyte.

5 Signs That You’ll Receive A Tardiness Memo Very Soon

1. You are running like distressed chicken catching a bus ride to work.

                 Or it could also be sprinting on foot bridges, stairs or elevators. It is really frustrating to do that when you can actually wake up 30 minutes or an hour earlier than your usual daily routine and have more time to enjoy the cool morning smog fog of Metropolitan.  

2. You always use the infamous “traffic jam” cliché to your boss.

                 Tell me a place here in Metro Manila with zero jams and your lunch will be on my tab for a week.  Seriously, come up with a more creative excuse next time you arrive late, like a road mishap involving a truck full of beer and a sisig cart right in the middle of EDSA. Although there were no casualties, tell your boss that you just helped in “cleaning up”. If I am your boss, I will definitely buy that.

3. You prefer cold water over freshly brewed coffee the moment you reach you desk.

                 Imagine arriving in the office and find everyone is enjoying their daily caffeine requirement while you are panting like a dog asking for a cold chug of water.  That does not look like a good morning.

4. Your office utility staff is handing over the cafeteria’s lunch menu even if you just arrived.

                 The heartbreaking part: you were expecting for the breakfast menu. Sigh.

5. You don’t own a watch!

                  You are not tracking down the time and not really conscious about the life policy about tardiness – a workplace mortal sin.

                  Being on time, especially on the professional sphere, reflects your dedication, enthusiasm and passion for your job.

                   As a young urban professional, keeping up with the time will not only give you two thumbs up from your bosses but will also prepare you for a better version of yourself in the future. 

                  Also, yuppies should not just be time conscious but also versatile on the ever changing demand of the professional world.  The ability to adapt based on the required situation is a huge advantage on this competitive world.

                 And it all starts by tracking the time down.

                 With TIMEX® Originals Vintage Inspired 1978 from the Timex Hero Collection you can get the best of both worlds. Track the time down and be trendy at the same time.

                  It has mineral glass crystal that allows you to clearly follow the time of the day and keep up with your busy schedule. The interchangeable straps give you more hip options and adjust aptly to whatever situation your job requires; and its 100m water resistance feature offers endless possibility of exploring the hectic yet exciting professional arena, rain or shine.

                  A clean daily time record and a new watch could be a nice combo to end the year!

Still not convinced? Check out the Timex Hero Story below:

Pork Barrel, Call Center and Tartarus

             After crossing out my original dream job list I wrote before the Manila-bound bus started the 4-hour trip from Nueva Ecija to Manila, I decided to jot down an attainable career list.

             A good looking transcript of records may be an advantage but will not necessary guarantee a high paying, entry level job in Metro. A promdi  like me may be a superman back in our humble barrio, but Manila is the planet Krypton.

            The universe was acting up during my job hunting days. I initially planned to work for agencies with grassroots approach since “Development Communication is an art and science of human communication, linked to a society’s planned transformation…” as per Nora Quebral. Alas, government offices on my list were on strategic planning stage that time, which was a euphemism for dissolving redundant positions/employees. And I don’t have enough credentials yet to land a job on my dream international non-government organizations.

            Nevertheless, the BPO/ call center industry a.k.a the sunshine industry became my launching arena to the professional world. I was once a call cener agent. (I deliberately omitted the letter “t” to get that twang, even if it sounds silly.)

            I am proud and thankful for that experience. It was a humbling opportunity to meet awesome bunch of people which I will treasure for the rest of my boring life (as they used to describe my life). I will not dwell too much on them as a revenge for calling my life a bore. Ha!

             So, let me list down 5 facts and sneak peeks about the call center world, in a promdi perspective.

Fact 1. It requires more than 10 working neurons. 

             If you are rooting for a foreign account, being articulate in English language maybe a plus but you need an excellent comprehension, natural wit and heaps of patience to kill that customer call. Aside from that, imagine eating on your work station while talking to the customer and vigilantly observing if the compliance officer will pass behind you.  

Fact 2. Bosses are not all from Tartarus.

              They could be from Quezon Province or Batangas! Kidding aside, you will rarely meet a boss who will offer their home for a promdi in distress, write a note that says “too much great things ahead of you” and give you a Parker pen as a send off present!  I met friends not bosses.  Ok, I met bosses then friends, just in case the one from Quezon Province objects.

              Google Tartarus, boss. I mean, friend.

Fact 3. Compelled cosplayers.

               I also think Alodia Gosiengfiao is cute, no contest.  But my sincerest credit goes to all the call center folks turned cosplayers in times of need.

               I must admit, call center work could be a little bit dragging at times. And the best way to break out from all the monotony is to go nuts! I saw Kreacher, Alladin, the Olympians and the whole Neverland gang come to life. Just imagine constructing Captain Hook’s ship while instructing a cranky caller from the other side of the planet to install his bloody internet connection. Plug the cable, mate!

Fact 4. Nicotine and alcohol abuse is hoax.

              It could be partly true but there were also pasta abuse, pizza abuse, ice cream abuse, pansit abuse etc. I think these guys discreetly pray to have the Cloud With A Chance of Meatballs movie come true.  

               For the nicotine and alcohol abuse, well, at least call centers do not have pork barrel.

Fact 5. Sunshine industry does not mean working until the break of dawn.

             Blame your gullible and couch potato brain!

             Well, it is fairly true as most of the call centers are operating on graveyard shifts since customers are overseas. But for non-nocturnal promdis who were used to snooze off with sounds of cricket in the background, shift in sleeping pattern could be a tough challenge. Call centers do have day shift accounts. Local accounts, obviously, Australian based company or even 24/7 USA accounts do have morning windows. Just ask the poker face HR personnel for available slots.

              Well, one last piece of unsolicited advice. Keep exploring.

How to Conquer Manila: A Survival Guide for Promdi Guys

      

 If you are planning to work in Manila after graduating from college or if you are someone looking for a greener pasture, your transcript of records, diploma, NBI clearance and certificate of good moral character are not enough. Starting an independent life away from all the hot, home  cooked meals will require more than those pieces of paper.

            You need practical, strategic and dirty tips to earn than Manilenyo badge.

1.   Do not bring live chicken!

            I am just kidding. Anyway, I could easily track down urban neophytes in less than 2 seconds. Rapid eye movement, uncontrolled muscles (with the tendency to break a neck when passing that new clothing apparel billboard in EDSA) and heavy breathing (most likely due to smog) were just among my promdi behaviors 3 years ago.

            Just walk confidently, fast and vigilant even if you are holding that clucking free-range chicken as a pasalubong for your landlady or housemates. By the way, I still break my neck every time I pass to that new clothing apparel in EDSA.

 2. Talk to strangers…in uniforms.

                   Don’t get me wrong, I am not being judgmental at all but you could be at smaller risks when you ask security personnel for directions to the nearest bus terminal or to confirm if the newspapers on the stand inside the train station that says Inquirer Libre are really for free.

                   Security officers are also kind enough to let you charge your phone battery in their station. Trust me.  

       3. Go with flow. Literally.

                   A trustful friend of mine gave me a fool proof tip about living in a big city. She said always search for and follow the swarm of people. It could be the entrance or the exit or if you are lucky enough, the queue for free coffee samples. Winning!

        4. Coins—the loose that we love. 

                   You do not want to start in a long queue all over again just because you did not notice the 12x 12 inches signage that says “Exact Fare” and you only have P1000 bills and fast approaching a teller that looks like you high school Math teacher with a delayed payday. Yes, I am over reacting. Just keep few coins for these rare instances of meeting your high school math teacher, again, in the train station.

        5.  Entertain thyself.

                    A Dan Brown book, preferably Inferno that described Manila as a gateway to hell, (I used to enjoy Brown when his titles were still fictional. Ha!) or your 4-year old MP3 player with Asin singing in the background or anything to keep your sanity intact. You can thank me later for reminding you this.

       6. Know the easy way.

                    I could still remember tiring myself for weeks by taking the Cubao route from Marcos Highway, Pasig City going to Elliptical Road, Quezon City. I nearly commit hara-kiri after I discovered the heartbreaking yet relieving Anonas route.

                   I might devote another article about metro shortcuts for commuters. I just cannot promise any solutions about the traffic jams yet, maybe in the next lifetime. Very punny, I know.

       7. MRT and LRT.

                      This is a trivial and confusing one, at least for new guys in Metro.

                      Manila Metro Rail TransitSystem Line 3 (MRT-3) is the mass transit ride located along the  famous Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) with 11 stations from North Avenue in Quezon City  to Taft  Avenue in Pasay City. On the other hand, Light Rail Transit (LRT) has 2 railway operations  and routes. LRT Line 1 has 20 stations from Roosevelt in Quezon City to Baclaran in the City of   Manila while LRT 2 has 11 stations from Santolan in Pasig City to Recto in Manila.

                     If you memorize this one, you will literally go places. 

       8.  Cubao Ilalim or Cubao Ibabaw. 

                    Or it could also be Ortigas ilalim or Ortigas Ibabaw.  If you are new in the Metro, you will find yourself dumbfounded by buses with placards that say ilalim (below)or ibabaw (above). Ilalim are those PUVs passing to normal roads usually under footbridges or underpasses while ibabaw use service roads like skyways to minimize travel time.

                    I remember taking the Robinson’s Galleria route on my way to Pasig but too sleepy to check the bus signage and ended up in front of SM Megamall. So just make sure to check the signage before boarding or ask your [frustrated Formula 1 racer] bus driver about your destination.

                    Or take a cab.

      9.  Be friendly.

                     Unleash the extrovert in you and befriend the sari-sari store owner near your apartment, the water filling station folks, barber shop guys, laundry shop attendants, your landlady, your neighbor and even your dog’s neighbor. In short, be gracious to everyone and your stay will be a breeze minus the air, of course.

      10.   Enjoy!

                     If you cannot beat the traffic, just jam with it!

       11.   So, what is your own tip about promdi Metro living?