December 2007

Three days before Christmas, Dec 22, I and Cheng decided to celebrate it in Palompon. So we pack our bags and ride a van at 2:00 PM, with my cousin Francis EJ Codilla Masias, who was from Bacolod, Negros Occidental at that time. He arrived at Ormoc in his via Cebu trip at 1:30, so nagdungan na lang mi padung sa Palompon.

It was an unforgettable experience. A bunch of Christmas goodies was left at the terminal in Ormoc that afternoon. Nawala ang pang noche Buena namo, My God!!!. The bunch has 1 big can of Todays Fruit, Spaghetti noodles, ham, creams, and other pang Christmas from Transco, and 4^TH LED DPWH.

During the 24^th, we celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ with full of merriment. Bisag way bunos malipayon gihapon. Ang importante nga we celebrate this wonderful time of the year nga kompleto ang pamilya, unya most of all in good hearth kaming tanan, especially Cheng and my cute baby, Angel (Johnill May)

It’s still Christmastime. December 26, 2007. I left my sweetheart, Cheng and my three-months old baby in Palompon, while working in Ormoc during weekdays and back in Palompon again on weekend. I have heard that Congressman, our boss at the congressional office in Ormoc will give us the pinaskuhan. The reason nga nagdali jud ko ug sakay sa van padung sa Ormoc, hehehe. Kinsa bay di ganahan og pinaskuhan!!!.

Cong. Codilla gave us 1,000 sa mga staff sa office. But still there are many things that bothered me. Our contract as Job Order (JO) at DPWH -4^th Led is about to end this December 31, 2007. And the worst is, dili pa basta-basta maka renew. Sus! Paita oi. But the most devastating news was : ang among sunod nga sweldo sa March 2008 pa. and that is three months pa gikan karon.

These questions lurked in my mind. Nganong mag antos man ko pagka JO nga kung buot hunahunaon maka survive man ko ug mangitag laing work in Ormoc or in Palompon, my hometown. And why I remained a JO until now, nga nagwork man sa city as contributor/ writer sa website sa Ormoc, but when the Ormoc employees received P 15,000 each for the bunos, wa gani koy ako nga nadawat. I felt betrayed, and I have to ask myself why these things are happening.

Then I made a sudden decision. Mohawa ko sa Ormoc mobalhin ko sa Palompon.

The Xmas party of Peryodiko at Sir Jojo’s house in Agua Dulce St on the 29^th December, It was really very memorable. Enjoy mi tanan,,….and nagbaha ang beer ug tuba, pili lang ka asay imo. Naay videoke, naa say contests.

Peryodiko writers from Baybay also attended I forgot her name. Also staff of Printshoppe, one of them si Honey Lyn. Also present were Felix, Dante, RL, Edgar, Ruby, nakalimot na ko sa uban,,,,Tungod sa kahubog nagpabadlong sa plaza during that night, particularly near parola, and cant recall, unsay mga sunod nga nahitabo during the wee hours in the morning of Dec. 30.

The following day, the Christmas party of Express was held in Brgy Linao at Melendres compound. Nong Nards Melendres the owner of the compound is also a Ludabi member, a known writer of Bisaya, Alimyon, etc. and also a multi-awarded vernacular writer and poet. Present didto was Rene de los Reyes, now a member of RDC –Region 8 representing the labor sector who sponsored the said activity, our editor Felix Codilla, Nong Fidel Banson, Nong Dong Arañez, Jun Tarroza and his family, Obet Dejon and his family, Joy Dacillo and his husband, Dodong Mangubat, morag tan aw nako kompleto jud. Alain was there mga early pa. And there was a lot of singing, drinking tuba, food, and most of all, nag enjoy mi. until such time nga nangahubog na. We ended before 12:00 MN kay nangahubog na man.

Indeed it was the time when Nong Fidel offered reconciliation with Nong Jun, nga dugay na niyang gikabungol. Pag-uli nako sa Can-adieng, I accompanied Nong Jun, mihapit mi sa may paying-payong near food park.