Deleted My Tech Blog

I deleted the tech-oriented blog that I was not good at maintaining. I have so little time I am dropping one blog and posting tech-related stuffs in my remaining blogs.

Buying Books

If you have books lying around the house that you want to sell for cheap, please drop me a message paetenian-at-yahoo.com (replace -at- with @). Please send me the titles and with the price and the conditions. I prefer books on history, Filipiniana, literature specially Philippine literature, philosophy, and art. No romance books please. I can only buy books in Paete.

Paete's Waste Problem

There is an on-going discussion on the Kumustahan forum about Paete bagging the "Nakasusulasok Award" purportedly given by Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) to the four worst polluters of Laguna de Bay. The article is subtitled "52,000 families using lake as toilet also blamed" which is an embarrassing fact but a fact nonetheless. What is interesting in the choice of awardees (the other three worst polluters are Angono and Taytay in Rizal province, and Binan also in Laguna province as Paete) is that Paete is comparatively a small town than the other three 'recipients' of the award. With a population of 23,011 in 5,101 households, Paete is much smaller than Angono (population: 74,668 in 15,740 households), Taytay (population: 198,183 in 42,620 households), and Binan (population: 201,186 in 42,307 households)[1]. The award was given to Paete for operating an open dump site. I don't know if this is true or where the actual dump site is located. All I know is that there is also an open dump site at least in Pangil (or is it Pakil?) along the national highway very close to Paete as well but these towns are a little smaller than Paete as well as their creeks much less polluted than Paete's.

Polluting Laguna de Bay is not unique problem of Paete but it does give Paete a good slap in the face. Maybe this is the wake-up call we need to finally do something about the long-standing issues. The immediate solution will include shutting down the open dump site and move it elsewhere away from the lake.

The issue has been dissected, diced, minced like for ever but no solution was quite close to closing it. It's important that a solution that is amenable to the majority of the community is implemented with a sense of urgency. The problem itself is not limited to the four towns or cities mentioned. The problem of waste disposal or treatment be it solid, sewage, or industrial is a problem that each and everyone of us, and each and every town or city confront on a daily basis. Sooner than later it's going to catch up on us and there will be no escaping the stink or there will be no more fish to catch in the lake. A comprehensive waste management solution is something that Paete should find and implement real quick. If it can ever be achieved, it will improve the health and life of people as well as significantly raise the profile of our small town.

[1] 2000 census according to Wikipedia, on Angono, Taytay, and Binan

Being Away

After working for five years and resisting the lure of working abroad, finally in 2000, I sought work outside the country for various reasons. Since then, I have been working in Tokyo all of over seven years, with six and a half years, or half of the time with my current company. Although it seemed a long time already, I manage to take breaks from time to time and travel back to the Philippines at least twice a year. Recently it's getting harder to leave Paete without feeling a little bit sad, specially seeing my ailing mother send me off. I have this idea that I may be able to retire in Paete someday and up to now, I have been pouring all my savings into Paete. I can see the fruit of my labor being transformed into something I had not really dreamt about. I am building something. Why don't know. I guess I thought it would be a nice idea. It's almost complete now except for a few items. Whenever I go to Paete, I stand in there feeling good about what I am building. This make me always never want to leave Paete any more. But I can't. There is no work for me in Paete. No work that could sustain a decent life for me and my family. I am not artistically talented nor culturally motivated to participate in anything Paetenian. My creative energy does not manifest in the traditional media Paete is well known for. That is why I had little choice but to work elsewhere - the city - in the services sector. But I go back every time to the place of my birth and childhood. There is something in there that still draws me - family, friends, places, and fond school break memories. This is the town of my birth, the place where I spent all of my childhood and most of my teenage years. I wish I can say now that Paete will be the place where I will retire someday but I cannot. At this moment I am not so sure about going back when I finally I shall be weak and old and weary.