For the First Time

I love first times.

First times amaze us; it is like a spell that captures us and leaves us longing for more.

It makes us realize how big the world is and how great it is to live.

It reminds you that there are still things left for you to discover, explore and experience

And life isn’t as boring as you thought

First times are special; they are hard to forget, and difficult to beat.

Summer 2010 gave me lots of first times; and these made my internship experience more memorable and special.

First Plane Trip (April 18, off to Bacolod City)

It was my first time to travel alone and take a plane trip; well the farthest I’ve been to was Mindoro and that was via ship. I had apprehension of traveling alone; especially it was the first time I’ll go out of the island. But it was fun, and I had a great time observing the passengers as well as the crew. Too bad, I didn’t get to secure a window seat; I would have loved to see the clouds and the aerial view of Luzon and Visayas.

First Visayas Experience (April 18-27, 2010)

(left to right) smiling kids of Bacolod City, protest rally in Bacolod City, the 5^th of seven falls of Mambukal Resort, Calea’s White Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce, green fields of Negros, Bacolod Chicken Inasal, Napollones, more green fields

Not only Bacolod is the City of Smiles, it is also the City of Sweets and Chickens. We may have stayed longer in other parts of Negros, but the trip to city proper is indeed the most memorable and enjoyable. I had a great time tasting almost all Bacolod delicacies for the first time. Manokan Country has the best Inasal and chicken oil; Calea’s cakes are far better than Goldilocks and Red Ribbon; it literally melts in the mouth. Napollones is LOVE; it is my most favorite of all. Fish Tocino (c/o) MJ is also delicious and healthy.

Aside from food, it was also in Bacolod where I first had my out-of-town rally, a protest rally against the dropping of charges vs Ampatuan massacre suspects. The rally held in Bacolod Plaza was featured in news both in Manila and in Bacolod. We even have an article published on the front page of a local newspaper.

In Murcia, Negros Occidental, I had my first 2-hour mountain climbing and falls sight-seeing. It was tiring but at the same breathtaking. The view was amazing; you would forget that there are deforestation and kaingin happening in the country. It was a great escape from the dirt of Philippine reality.

First Elections Coverage (May 10, 2010)

It was my first elections coverage, and the more exciting part is that it is Mindanao, and it is in the controversial “Cheating Capital of the Philippines”, Lanao del Sur. Originally, I was assigned in Maguindanao, Mindanao. But two days before our schedule flight, I was informed that it was changed to Lanao del Sur.

When my editors in Bulatlat asked me if I wanted to take the slot on the coverage, I wasn’t really taking the offer seriously. I mean, I was thinking, ‘there’s no way that they are going to send an intern to Mindanao to cover the elections. But it turned out that they were really serious about giving me the slot. The night before I claim my ticket from PIOM secretariat, I was thinking of backing out. But then I realized, ‘it is a once in lifetime opportunity, I might as well take it; and besides everything’s free and it’ll take lots of hours of my OJT duty.

There is no perfect word to describe how the election was in Lanao del Sur. Having witnessed two failures of elections, two manual elections, no PCOS machines working in four different municipalities, couples of poll violations, and hundreds of army troops and tanks all over the province, I could say that this elections coverage topped my FIRST TIMES.

The experience might sound negative and bad, but it is actually not. For me, the Lanao experience was an eye-opener. It showed me how dirty and ugly Philippine politics can get. It made me realize how unfortunate Filipinos to have corrupt leaders seating in the government. In activist terms, ‘nakaka-agit’. The situation in Lanao del Sur motivated and inspired me to continue fight for real freedom and democracy. It reminded me of the responsibility I have in my hands, to write for the people and let their voices be heard and their situations be known thru my writing.

There were lots of first times here; first time to see army tanks (not one but many), first time to see poll violations (vote-buying, coaching, etc), first time to see the PCOS machines first hand, and first time to pass through Lanao’s known ambush sites.

First Mindanao Experience (May 9-13, 2010)