Caloocan Combo

Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. First day of the unprecedented Metro Manila Lockdown. A city in chaos, confusion and fear.  Kaninang umaga, ika-15 ng Marso, 2020. Alas diyes. Isang malaking trak na kulay bughaw ang biglang pumarada sa tapat ng gate namin. Maingay ang huni ng makinang diesel, nagbuga ng maraming usok, nagmistulang ulap. Sumilip ako mula sa siwang ng gate at nakita ko ang mga taong pawang naka-overalls, naka-bota at nakasuot ng mga face masks, palapit sa gate. Kumatok, sumigaw ng, "Tao po, tao po!" Nagtaka ako. Nagulumihanan. Sino ang mga taong ito? Ano ang sadya nila sa tahanan ko? Ayoko sanang buksan ang gate pero dinaig ako ng curiosity ko. Tinanggal ko ang tarangkahan ng gate at binuksan. Nagsalita ang isang tao, naka-face mask, sabi niya: "Bos, Maynilad lang. Magpapasipsip ba kayo ng tae?" Sisipain ko sana yung tao, buti na lang nakapagtimpi ako!

Mandaluyong, Edsa. Miyerkules, alas otso ng gabi. Sa loob ng isang pampublikong ordinary bus. Malakas ang buhos ng ulan. Pantay-tuhod na ang tubig-ulan na nagpapasikip pa lalo sa trapiko. Nakaupo si Jonjie sa likod ng driver ng bus na gaya niya ay pawisan na rin mula sa alinsangan na dulot ng pagkakasarado ng mga bintana. Nakakadagdag pa ang init ng makina na nasa bandang paanan ni Jonjie na napapaubo dahil sa walang puknat na paninigarilyo ng driver. Iniwan niya ang pinapasukang opisina sa Makati bandang alas-singko ng hapon kanina. Heto't alas-otso na ay wala pa siya ni kalahati ng biyahe pauwi sa bahay niya sa may Monumento, Caloocan. Gustuhin man niyang mag-FX o aircon bus ay hindi pupuwede. Minimum lang ang sahod niya at naka-badyet ang allowance niya sa pang araw-araw na gastusin. "Tang-ina, maliit na nga suweldo, grabe pang makatambak ng trabaho si boss. Tang-inang tabatsoy 'yan!" bulong ni Jonjie sa sarili niya. "Heto pa ang isang gunggong....

It's 10 o'clock in the evening. Ben Moreno had just finished his shift in this big department store and went down straight to the security office. His manager had asked him to do another 4-hour shift as overnight guard as there'll be some minor repairs on the store's ceiling. He, along with two others will be tasked to oversee three contractors -- one at the ceiling, one at the AHU room and him at the warehouse elevator. He slithered from his upper garment, sighed as the 'uncomfortably' hot uniform is removed from his torso. The cool breeze from the air-conditioning unit swept all over his skin, giving him the relief he had been praying for from his 12-hour duty at the main entrance of the department store. He saw that his uniform's collar has small lines of dirt, but he doesn't care. Tomorrow will be his day off and he will have time to launder his uniform, both upper and lower. He took out from his locker a Jollibee hamburger, the one he got e...

The golf ball bounced three times on the green then slowly approached the 18th hole. It veered a bit on a 45-degree angle then finally sank itself inside the soft mound. Joemar tossed his putter into the air and jumped gleefully as his friend Hero spitted out a disappointed frown. Joemar had won the game -- and became two thousand pesos richer with their wager. It was not the first time they played golf. They've been best friends for the past four years, doing the driving range every Wednesdays and hitting the fairways every Sundays. Sometimes during Fridays, they share stories over a bucket of beer at their favorite waterhole in Makati. They enjoy each other's company. Their closeness had even bonded both of their wives together. The wives -- Martha and Eileen -- meet during Saturdays to get Venti coffee at the Starbucks Trinoma. Joemar's wife Eileen is very fond of Hero's wife Martha, communicating with her even during work days. "Pare, aren't yo...

Marjorie spoke with her last caller for the morning. She stood up from her desk and reached for her bag beside her. She pulled out her lunch box then strode heavily down the hallway towards the call center canteen. She had earlier cooked pork chop with mango ensalada for her lunch -- had to wake up at four in the morning just so she can prepare them, along with her kids' school lunches. Her two kids are both studying in private elementary schools and she shoulders most of their expenses. She breaks her back and does a lot of over-times just so she can make ends meet. Her husband -- Sonny -- previously left his job in another call center firm because of politics, when he didn't get the promotion he wanted. A junior staff took it away from him. Since then, his ego deserted him, crushed like ice in a blender. A bit over-age, her husband can no longer get a job worthy of his career. Competition is getting younger everyday. What's left are meager jobs with meager paychecks...

He just sits there. He doesn't mind whether the sidewalk is still wet from the rain. His faded black shirt rubbing against his skin. His skin too oily it sparkles in the dark. His feet are both covered with mud, his slippers thinning on the soles. But he doesn't mind. It's only a matter of time, his victim will be coming around the corner any moment now. And when she does, he can finally go home. Yes, home. Home. Home to him is a square of five meters made of driftwood. The windows are made of old tarpaulins from a previous candidate of a local election. The face of the man printed in the tarp is already weathered, not old, but weathered. It said, "Iboto ang maka-Diyos at maka-Tao." That man whose photo was printed on the tarp was jailed five years ago, took a million-peso bribe from a construction company. But, nonetheless, was set free after a few days. For reasons he cannot understand. He himself was jailed a year ago. Languished for two years inside a d...

It was just a small plane, with a large yellow sun sandwiched between blue and red trimmings painted on its tail. It landed hard creating black tire marks which seemed to glue themselves on the concrete runway. It is exactly 2:15 pm on Juan's watch. Back in Manila, his handler said he'd arrive here at 1:45 pm. No wonder they call it "Plane Always Late" or PAL, otherwise known as the Philippine Airlines. Nevertheless, Juan was very happy. He had worked hard to save money for this trip, let alone paying P100,000 for the agency's placement fee. He had sold his parent's farm lot in Cagayan Valley to raise that huge amount of money. He is only a fast food waiter in the Philippines. Here in Malaysia, he will also be a waiter but with a difference -- a difference of about P10,000. He was promised a P21,000 monthly salary by his agency, a far cry from the P11,000 he was receiving back home. He could hardly make ends meet with that pay, but here, he can surely sa...