Isolated

Life is about survival. Sometimes you’re up and at times you are down. You just need to go with the flow and trust that the Almighty is there to care for you. There will be moments when you are questioning your existence or your purpose in life. But it’s all about acceptance.

It was a fine sunny day. Everything seems to be according to how I planned it. Road traffic is on its perfect shape, no disturbance with my preparations, no disputes around me. It was a peaceful day. The latter part of the day however  didnt go on as to how I imagined it. It rained. It was a sign that a big thing is coming up and i have not brought my umbrella with me.

I had the longest waiting in my entire life. Eight hours was pretty tiring, exhausting and nerve-racking. It was like waiting for a pregnant woman to deliver her baby. It felt as in the plane getting stuck in air traffic and you don’t know how long it is going to stay up in the air. And it was like waiting for flood to stop after drowning several hectares of newly planted crops. I guess, the time called me to prepare for a bigger storm which I never took seriously. And for the first time in so many days, I was seeing my own downfall.

That night, I knew I was alone. I knew there were no familiar shoulders to lean on. And it is time for me to make the biggest decision of my life. It was the same night that all my unanswered questions have been replaced with a period. Though monetary issues can broke my heart, it shatters me that my life support is unplugged and detached. It was unbreakable and my well hidden tears came falling from my eyes.

I  had the longest day in my life. It felt like it will never end at all. But it was a day that I realized that I only have God with me.

In Vain

I never had the chance to test my EQ. And I don't think I am ready for that. I only know that if I were to undergo EQ evaluations, I would definitely fail for that. Not a slightest would I ever score the standard or normal score for that. No, I'm not proud of it. But yes, I am damned if I am not at it. 

For someone's patience as little as I have, waiting beyond deadline is an expectation. I was never trained to wait diligently and I will not compromise my precious time. Not in the wildest have I ever dreamt of waiting for someone not worthy of my time moreso for someone whom I know would never find the time of waiting for me in return.
No, waiting is never an option.

My experience with Ensogo and La Carmela De Boracay

This is the complaint I had with La Carmela. While I am not saying they are the only ones to blame, I think that they also played a big role in our misfortunes from our trip in Boracay.

As part of our running activity, me and my running club friends planned to join Skyathon Run 2012 as early as December 2011. On December 10, 2011 we found an accommodation package to La Carmela de Boracay through Ensogo which perfectly fits our main purpose of our visit to Boracay for April 2012.  We purchased (on the same day) vouchers entitling us with 3D, 2N accommodation (quadruple sharing) with your hotel. We purchased a total of 8 vouchers amount of Php1740 each paying a total of Php13,920. We followed instructions and received confirmation (vi a email) indicating our definite booking for two (2) rooms with 3D 2N accommodation with Buffet Breakfast and Free Use of Swimming Pool at La Carmela de Boracay from April 20-22, 2012. The reservation was made a couple of months ahead of our trip.

We believed in good faith and trusted that we will receive the best customer service available since we are transacting with the highly acclaimed hotel/resort in Boracay. Sadly to our demised,  La Carmela didn’t live up to their brand.

Upon arrival and check in to La Carmela on Friday, April 20 at around 7p,  the reception desk advised that we don’t have the reservation. Though polite, we felt we were treated like pessants begging for a room accommodation. Our voucher and our email confirmation of appointment was never honored. We have asked to speak to a supervisor on duty to escalate our concern. Her response (in Filipino) says: “Naku, sakit talaga ng Ensogo yan. Nagko-confirm pero hindi pino-forward sa amin ang booking.” Soon after -just like how Pilate treated Jesus in his pilgrim-she turned our back on us completely cleansing her hands off the issue. The only explanation provided to us was that there was no room avaiIable hence we need to -- in our own accord-- find another place to stay. The reservations desk officer directed us to a lodging completely different from our expected ammenities and facilities not to mention we have to shoulder the cost of the lodging.

Now I am deeply questioning the level of customer service La Carmela implores to their employees and customers like us. It was already past 7p at that time, we are barely surviving exhaustion, hunger and thirst from our long delayed flights and the only escalation procedure they have is for a supervisor to utter a least helpful comment which directed us to nowhere but to resolve our own problems. 

We spent one sleepless and stressed night which we least expected considering our running event is the following morning and we needed to be in perfect condition.  But thanks to this Accredited Class AA resort, this didn’t help much with our state and being and that one night was one of our darkest nights. We feared we will not survive our stay in Boracay with limited financial resources (as  our budget will be allotted for our hotel lodging and breakfast fees). Our so called vacation turned into exhaustion as we have little help and support. And on personal stance, my first trip to Boracay turned to be my not so favorite ones.

The following morning April 21,we received a call from La Carmela's reservations officer that there is a vacant room already. We were startled for a moment because finally we can put our hearts at ease. However to our most disgust, we were advised that we can only be offered a Celebrity Suite which costs Php13,500 and we were asked to shell out Php6200 more plus another room which costs Php13,500 more as the room is only good for 4 pax. We went and spoke with the hotesl's reservations officer. I personally asked if she can convert the voucher that we have into the value of the suite considering we paid for Php13,920 for it and that we will only be using the voucher for a night. We already lost half the value of the voucher and we can’t do much about it. Of course, it no longer surprised me when I was told nothing can be done about it. She even suggested that we call Ensogo (on a Saturday) and coordinate it with them.  She even said that it is a known problem of Ensogo for the deals being offered and coursed through to their hotel.

Here’s my point, if the management knew that this is an ongoing issue with Ensogo, I wonder why there’s no escalation procedure in place for this type of concerns.  Much worse, they still continue partnership with Ensogo and allow this type of acts and support fraudulent relationships with its clients. To date, these deals are still being offered and I have yet to hear another script that they have rehearsed for another “victim” like us. They continue their prestige over all forms of media available and yet they don’t bother on “small” clients like us. Whilst they don’t have full and direct control over Ensogo, isn’t it standard courtesy to have a coordinator with them contactable after office hours, since most of their deals are being coursed through them? How then do they plan to handle situations like this in the future?

For Ensogo, isn't also standard that each client have a specific contact person who will liaise such reservation to La Carmela? Why would there be a confirmation email such as ours when the booking never happened? When people try to call their trunklines, they shut their lines and pretend the phone is not ringing. I can't believe that an entity such as Ensogo is running out of staff who will watch over their phones to answer their customers. How on earth do they write a contact number (mobile) which is unreachable or unrecognizable numbers.

Because of this experience, I'm doubting I'll ever transact with them again. Let this serve as a warning to all.

Insatiable

This is a repost. Just for the heart of it.

Man is an insatiable animal. They never get contented. They have selfish hearts. They have most of the time evil intentions. Vested interests reign in their life. They have worldly desires. They can't get enough.

You give them a fruit and they'll ask for a tree. You give them food and they'll ask for the recipe. You give them a coin but they'll ask for a bill. You give them water, they'll ask for a cola.

You give them a hand, they'll ask to get everything done. You offer them a seat yet will seek a lounge. You give them a ride, they'll find a car. You give them a script after which they'll ask for a book. You give them your heart, they'll ask for your life.

Whatever happen to simple and pure hearts? Wherever did morals and self-less love go? Is understanding too hard to give?

When man ask for something, they must also offer something in return. You cannot ask for something you cannot give. Or you can't demand for something you never did. You cannot point a finger if you also did something like that. We have no right to be choosy. We have no right to qualm. Everything we are now is a result of how we speak and think. How we have become is a result of our ingratitude. Everything is just how it is supposed to be.

Lights, Camera, Action!

Parang shooting lang ng pelikula. May spotlight, may queue board at may script. May direktor at may mga aktor.

Pag-gising ni haring araw, animo’y lutang na kaluluwa ang mga katawan na sasabak na naman sa hanap-buhay. Mabilis na pagligo. Salamat sa shampoo na mabango at sa sabon na malambot.  Pagkatapos na maligo, panandaliang titigil ang buhay sa pakikipagsapalaran sa kaunting almusal na nakahain sa hapag-kainan. Sabay tuloy ang pakikipagsapalaran patungo sa nagdadala ng kanin sa inyong lamesa – sa opisina. Heto ang unang eksena sa script ni direk.

Sa opisina, magpapatuloy ang telenovela. Doon makikilala ang mga kontrabida  na ali mo’y mga halimaw na nakabantay at nakaabang sa pagkakamaling iyong magagawa. Samantalang nakasunod naman ang mga mata at mga naghahabang tenga ng mga ekstra – mga taong parte ng istorya – pero mga walang ganap sa magandang istorya. Sisigaw si direk ng “cut” at lahat ng tao ay pansamantalang titigil at kunwari’y magugulat sa galit-galitang reaksyon ng mga staff ng produksyon. 

Isang minuto para sa isang yosi at isang basong tubig ang kapalit ng pahingang iyon. Sabay iilaw muli at magtutuloy-tuloy na ang shooting ng pelikula. Babalikan at uulitin ang mga eksenang palpak pero walang matututo sa mga pagkakamaling iyon. Dahil ang pinunong produsyer ay walang pakialam sa kahihinatnan ng kanyang mga aktor. Ang mahalaga ay masunod ang deadline at maibenta sa merkado ang pelikula.

At matatapos nga ang pelikula at itatampok sa takilya. Ngunit hindi ito kikita. Sapagkat bulok ang sistema ng produksyon.  Lahat ng pawis at hirap ay mauuwi lang sa mga luhang natuyo na sa hapo.

Pero gaano man kahaba ang napakahabang drama ng pakikipagsapalaran sa tagumpay at pagkabigo, lahat iyon ay magtatapos sa pamamagitan ng paghalik sa buwan. Tanda na tapos na naman ang araw.

KUNYARI LANG YUN

Mapapansin ng isang bidang baboy ang isang kahindik-hindik na pagkakamali ng kapitbahay nyang biik. Gawa ito ng isang kapabayaan na nagmula sa katamaran ng pagluluto ng pagkaing kanin-baboy para sa kanilang hapag-kainan. Dahill dito, pinagalitan ng bidang baboy ang pangit na biik ng bonggang-bongga.  Sumama ang loob ng pobreng biik hindi dahil sa pinagalitan siya kungdi hindi nya inakala na pagagalitan sya ng bidang baboy  na kapitbahay nya. 

Dahil sa kalunos-lunos na pangyayaring iyon,  magtatanim sya  ng sama ng loob. Ikukwento nya sa mga kapatid nyang biik ang maitim na budhi ng kapitbahay na bidang baboy. Ibubulong niya sa pagitan ng pagngasab ng darak ang sumpang di na muling iisipin na mabuti ang damdamin ng bidang baboy.  Hindi sya matututo sa pangyayaring iyon.  Sa halip, aakayin nya pa ang mga kapatid na biik sa karumaldumal nyang katamaran. At hahaba pa ang litanya. Mas mahaba pa sa blog na ito.

Akala ng biik ay nagtagumpay sya sa paninira sa bidang baboy. Hindi nya alam na ang bidang baboy ay nakapagtanim na ng alyansang tutugis sa mga gaya nyang lumalamon ng hilaw na darak. Ang kabesang baboy ay napagsabihan na.

Nakakaliw at nakaririmarim.

Walang nanalo sa kanilang dalawa maliban sa pagnanasa ng bidang baboy na ituwid ang kahunghangan ng bobong biik na iyon.

In Memory of Avigail Cardona

I have mentioned this in my previous blogs. There are two things I hate doing in my life: saying goodbye and surprise. The death of my friend Avi came as a surprise to me and is one of the most painful goodbyes I had in this decade.

I met Avi in 2003 in my previous call centre job. Having an equally strong personality as I do, we didn't click immediately. But as the years go by, our common interests became the foundation of our deep-rooted friendship which I must say made impact to my life. We started as a group but ended up with only four loyal and loving friends - Avi, Gladys, Armi and me.

We start our everyday shift by sharing merienda she brings everyday and end up our stressful nights by dropping at McDonald's to ease our burdened hearts. She was outspoken and never fails to correct you if you are wrong. And who would ever forget her "flashlight" eyes when she's upset.

She was my concert buddy: singing til our lungs go out, we never missed a videoke night without singing our national anthem: Through The Fire. She was our bank: she's very frugal to her finances. She was our warrior, a frontliner when we needed a knight to defend us. Avi was my laugh-mate while watching Vice Ganda on stage. She was and she did live her life in its fullest. And she was my friend.

Nine years of friendship is too short for us. So forgive me Avi for I can never say good bye to you. But I am letting you go for you are now with out Saviour. I trust you will be our nearest connection to heaven.

Since you are there, tell the Lord to take care of your dearest ones on earth.

I have never thanked you for everything so I pray that you will read this from heaven. My sincerest thanks for sharing your life with me. I will surely miss you...

I don't intend to see you anytime soon but in God's time let's meet and continue our friendship.