Agtudo Manen!

For quite a very long time, I never seen rain. In Dubai, it only rains once or twice a year. Rain will only last around an hour and that's it. I remember when I was a boy in Philex Mines, when after a long hot summer ( although hot is very scarce in this place). Rain sets in, and when it really rains, boys and girls decide to bath with rain. Positioning ourselves to the gutter, where the water gushes. Walking through the streets with friends also enjoying the rain, meeting the employees as they gush their way home.

Simpre apo la ketdi met ti lammin na ket. Makaisbo ka, i isbum lattan a iti badum ta maikkat to met laeng no matudoan. He he. How would your girlfriend or boyfriend would feel if he or she had known you have done this..... He he... for me I will say... Agtudo Manen ket kadwaan ka a uray umisbo ak met iti badok... Sabagay mabasan to met laeng ti todo! Nag imas ya ti manggan ti kamoteng kahoy.

My Christmas Childhood Memories

Christmas - my most awaited part of the year. Di ubing ak, (we lived in Midway, Banget) the signs that tell me it is christmas are those lanterns nga isab-it diay purok me in every houses. Ni nanang ko met ket gumatang iti walis ting-ting santo tulungak isuna nga i-cover ti green nga crepe paper (one by one) tapos itugkel na iti lata ti BONA nga adda daga na. Gumatang kami ti kendis (lips, rabbit etc.) ken ikan mi ti sinulid tapos isab-it me then decoreytan me pay nu maminsan ti babasit nga ay-ayam (free ti zum-zum nga cheez curls)... ito ang Christmas tree namin nung bata. Mayaten ah piman, basta adda decorasyon ti balay mo ta maibaga nga christmas.

I remember too, nagbibigay si Philex ng christmas bags (diay red ti color na ken adda pay ti logo na… duwa nga oblong shape nga nag cross? ) Pasensiya na, I can’t describe it well, but I clearly remember it though. Inside these are bags of candies tied with colorful ribbons. Maalala ko pa, ayaw na ayaw ko yung green apple na candy, nag madi raman na ngay. But still, I was so happy with those Christmas candies back then. Basit nga banag, ngem great source of joy.

Enjoy ti ag caroling nu rabii , malpas pinangan, my manong and I would gather with the rest of our kaaruba nga ubing then we group ourselves in 4s and sometimes 6 tapos kanya kanyang lakad na, From Bunkhouse 1 to 4, hanggang Upper Riverside to Motorpool (idiay check point) Pag pag naen mi laeng dayta. Kahit gano pa kalayo, sulit naman pag ang hatian namin is 5 pesos each. Malaking amount na yun. Tuwing patapos na kaming mag carol, we have this finale song we used to sing. It goes something like this….

Ni anti agkuti-kuti
Ni uncle adda diay suli
Agbir-biruk ti salapi
Ta ited na kinya mi

Ngem nu maminsan, haan nga kwarta ti ited da, nu haan ket inlambong nga kamote. Ket uray nu pay ah, naragsak ladta, gamin adda pay take out mi.

some philex views to share

more pics again next time ......

our unforgettable alma mater

some pics of Saint Louis High School-Philex, the school where we all proud to be an alumni.....

My Beloved Philex Mines

every time i take a look at this pic, it reminds me of my 4 years of daily walking to and from our alma mater. During those untiring walks, i often say, when will this walking end? magna tayo manen! but now that those days are over, how i miss to go back and take a walk again...

Service Nga Libre

No mapan kayo ditoy Philex...You'll miss half of your life no pumanaw kayo nga han pay nga nakasakay ti service...Malagip ko di first time ni antik ditoy Philex ket pinasakay mi isuna diyay service , usto ng abumaba kami kuma ket inmasedeg isuna diyay driver ken inyawat na ti plete mi kanu...syempre kinatawaan da isuna ta ti amun ti amin nga taga Philex ket libre. Di napasamak daydiyay ket hanen nga sinmaksakay ni antik...no syak pay ti saludsoden yo ket kaykayat ko nga sumakay madik lang nga agtugaw diyay likod tani pirme nga nalagto..Sapay kuma ta mabalin met met nga pasreken da kami idyay underground tani dinmakelakon ket han ko pay nga napadasan nga makita dagiti aramid ti minero ti Philex..saludo nga pala ako sa mga minero dyan sapay kuma ta bumayag pay ti Philex....Paalala lang sa gustong makapasok sa Philex ...Kailangan na may ID kayong isusurender sa checkpoint..at sa mga dependents tulad ko eh pagagawa na kayo ng ID nung 2006 pa pala naimplement un ..

Balkon ti Bunkhouse 17 Central Saddle

I was born in Philex Mines. I knew that balcon in Bunkhouse 17 in Central Saddle on top of Alipio's Store formerly a tailoring shop, besides the Abalos Store of the adjacent bunkhouse and on the other side the rolling store that never rolled of Ventura.

My mom made us a cape and a mask, for me and my brother, ( I was 6 and my bro is 4) with lables of batman and robin.... I was batman but our cap and masks are same, only lables on top differs.... Me and my bro will be proudly wearing these and come out of our room and shout Batman! and my bro will say Robin! We all have poses for the superheroes. Older boys will be laughing at us.... Tik Olan da kami.... Naturally, both of us ran home crying and tell our mom. After 30 minutes, we forget about the failed mission of batman and robin and start another mission.... So we go out and start.... Batman! Robin!

We left the Bunkhouse for a new home in Lower Capitol. When my sister got married, the couple had a room in the same Bunkhouse, so I use to go there and make tambay. I got a crush on the daughter of a storeowner across the street. So I stand on this Balcony to catch a glimpse of her.

Later when my younger brother got hired and had a family, he got a room in this Bunkhouse. This time, the Balcony was our favorite drinking spot. Ay apo, uray ak la agsarwa met a kinabartek ko met idyay.

Numerous Christmas and New Years were spent in that balcony.... My ultimate tambayan... Nakita nak siguro idyay iddi anya...