As usual we had our yearly Visita Iglesia, though this time we started earlier as my old grandmother accompanied us this year. We returned to our regularly visited parishes (instead of traveling around manila looking for old churches) to conserve on gasoline as well as not to strain my grandmother’s legs.

Visita Iglesia is a catholic tradition that stemmed from pilgrims who visited the seven pilgrim churches of rome for penance during Maundy Thursday.

I wasn’t able to take a lot of shot’s as we we’re trying to get back home earlier this year but I was able to take a snap shot of the Church of the Gesu from my Iphone. Unfortunately the cross got chopped on at the end.

The Church of the Gesu, Ateneo de Manila University

The Church of the Gesu is one of the church’s I really really like going to during Visita Iglesia. This year the presentation of the blessed sacrifice was simpler than other year’s but the screen showing Mel Gibson’s The Passion was still playing on the side. I haven’t really been back at the Gesu since I graduated (and I’ve rarely visited the Ateneo these last few months) so it was a nice treat to come back.

Risa Hontiveros – Again, the RH bill, we need that law passed. I feel it really should be top priority, even if the whole Carper thing puts her on shakey ground

Franklin Drilon – The big man is a powerful writer and excellent debater.

Alex Lacson – I rarely am supportive of politicians who don’t have an actual track record or platform to put into action but he does have a focus on specifics each time he speaks.

Well thats the most I can think of when it comes to senators.

Now what everyone has been waiting for.

President

I am and have always been a strong Gibo Teodoro supporter. To tell you the truth, I find there really isn’t a bad candidate if you take out Villar and Erap (seriously people? a womanizing ignoramus?) but Gibo has the most realistic platform I have seen out of all the presidentiables (filipinos like inventing terms don’t they). He has an actual step by step plan for the implementation of his platform and I like that he doesn’t promise the eradication of corruption or poverty cause seriously you’ll never be able to do that in one term. I like how he sees the Agrarian reform project as only a start and wants help develop and equip these farmers so they can actually use the land (and not sell it to Villar to turn into some real estate subdivision).

Sine July we’ve been encountering an old couple there and they’ve really started to interest me a lot. We’d normally see them already at one of the couches either asleep or eating breakfast beside their numerous plastic bags and bayongs filled with clothes (I think their clothes at least). Sometimes I’d see the old woman wear an ateneo shirt or jacket to warm herself up and she’d normally bring an ateneo bag. She seems like a really nice old lady, and the Mcdonald’s staff seems to have become acquainted with her as I saw her talking to the manager one time and the manager seems to be laughing really joyfully (though this is part of her job).

I asked my dad this morning what he taught of the couple this morning and mind you I’m not one to seriously believe everything my dad says right away but well…

He says he’s seen them before, back when he owned a shop in filbars he’d find the old lady hanging out at dunkin donuts. He’d spoken with the old lady a few times before and he says that she says (ok this sounds so unwell reported) she used to be a spanish language teacher in the ateneo but she retired but she’s been trying to re-apply for years but she has never recieved a single word about her application. She spends her time in Katipunan now waiting if there would be a follow up, she used to sell watches and small trinkets along katipunan and she’d wash her clothes in the dunkin donuts CR.

It really didn’t take long during july for me to realize she was homeless but she seriously doesn’t look poor, she pays for what they eat at mcdonald’s everyday, she doesn’t beg but I do think that’s where they sleep now.

That couple just really interests me and I don’t know I’m writing this hoping that someone else might get interested as well and try to find out more. Its really intriguing, an old woman in a manang style skirt or daster wearing an ateneo jacket one day just appearing in mcdonalds in the morning with bags full of clothes and cloth.

This friday when we go to Mcdonald’s for breakfast again I’m gonna ask the old couple to sit with us, this is just really sad.

The color yellow became part of her signature. I never really understood why yellow was the color for the whole aquino heroism and holiday until I actually searched it up today. The idea of the yellow ribbon came from when Ninoy referred to the song “Tie a yellow ribbon” in an interview. The yellow ribbon then became a symbol for Ninoy and Cory (not to mention on a shallow level, yellow did look good on Cory).

I just wanna give my tribute to madamme aquino, I was barely able to talk when she was president and barely able to see her T.V interviews (it was a time when cable TV was rare and blackouts we’re common) but she is a remarkable lady none-the-less. It is well quite a shallow attempt at glorifying Cory because really I don’t know much about her and I never had much curiosity till recently. In any case, the earthly world just said good bye to one magnificent lady may she rest in peace