It was my first ever visit to Sangley Point in Cavite last Friday, October 10, 2014. I have always heard of that place but it’s only last Friday that I was finally able to see the place. It’s a former US Naval base but is now a Philippine Navy base. It was nice to see the military facility and to see men in uniform all around me—quite a different environment from what I normally am used to seeing.
What was even more exciting was that I got to personally meet and shook hands with the commander of the Philippine Fleet. He even gave me a bag of goodies to eat which I brought home to the delight of my wife and her neighbor friends.
I learned a lot of things on that visit. For one, I learned that the Philippine Navy is divided into 2 branches namely: the Philippine Fleet and the Marines. The marines are the Philippine Navy soldiers while the Fleet are of course the Philippine Navy’s ships of all shapes and sizes and for different purposes and all other facilities. I also learned that the Navy has its own fleet of airplanes and choppers different from the Philippine Air Force.
The San Juanico Bridge is the longest bridge in the Philippines. It was built sometime in 1973 when I was still in college. It’s a beautiful bridge connecting the two provinces of Samar and Leyte. Together with my family, we were able to cross this bridge for the first time when we traveled by land all the way from Davao City to Angeles City and back. So we passed by that bridge twice. It was a grand trip for the family and I drove the car alone without backup. I was younger then.
As I was driving, I took this shot of San Juanico Bridge back in June 2004.
This is a recent photo about two weeks ago of San Juanico Bridge viewed from the Samar side.
For the second time, about two weeks ago, I was again able to cross this bridge from Tacloban to Basey, Samar and then back to Tacloban on the same day. I heard it was damaged during the typhoon Yolanda but it’s now restored and repaired. It’s really amazing what man can do. It’s an engineering marvel.
Some two weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting Tacloban City ten months after it was devastated by typhoon Yolanda. As the multicab where I was riding slowed down due to traffic, an old man approached us begging for two pesos for his fare. He said he was a veteran and that he was now 96 years old. The driver jokingly replied that he only had a whole three pesos — no change haha! There’s actually no coin that is three pesos. He was just kidding. The driver actually gave him a 5-peso coin.
Whether he was truly a war veteran or not, I have no way of knowing. But one thing is sure, he surely is a senior citizen, an old man who has survived the worst typhoon ever. I wonder if he still has a family who’s taking care of him. Thousands lost their families during typhoon Yolanda. This photo of him will remind me of typhoon Yolanda and my visit there 10 months after the worst typhoon hit Tacloban.
When I visited Tacloban City about two weeks ago, I also had the opportunity to see children waiting for their Sunday school teacher. While they were waiting, the kids asked me to take photos of them. Of course, I was glad they asked me to. These kids went through the horrifying typhoon Yolanda experience which devastated their city some ten months ago. These all came from the neighborhood within the vicinity of the Life Development Center of the Grace Communion International. These kids look happy despite their poverty and sorry situation.
A typhoon Yolanda kid survivor waits for her Sunday School teacher.
Some two weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting a remote Barangay Day Care Center in Basey, Samar. The national director of Grace Communion International – Philippines brought me along with him to see the place. My church is supporting the outreach activity.
It’s quite some distance from where I am right now in Pampanga. And while there, I once again enjoyed my hobby of photoshooting some barangay children as well as some adults. It was fun to capture life in a remote barangay far away from Manila.
I really love this photo. I was able to capture that moment when the child was looking up so innocently. The colorful flowering plant—I don’t know the name—gave the scene some added beauty for the eye to behold.
This barangay resident gladly gave his best smile for the camera. I love to take headshots of people showing who they are in their own environment.
The uncle and his niece who attends the day care center.
