ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR III
Ate Christine smiled
She always tried
Ate Christine wrote our titles on the card
So, we can be at times be paid and be stabilized
More than those , things
We had her, we loved her
-For Ate Christine
In our own Daily Planet, we have her as one of our go to gal. She was smiling, accommodating and effective. Her chuckles and joke were fun, yet now she is gone.
In our lives we had people like Ate Christine, adept, friendly and really helpful, thus, having her ending a tour of duty on Earth is sad for us.
As a writer for a paper whose size is not that huge but whose significance is really big for a modest yet large numbers of readers in Eastern Visayas, we had our acts together by an effective secretary who get us paid. She literally kept us afloat. Christine Montances may be a no name to many people but for us at Leyte Samar Daily Express she was our ally, our friend and she keep things in order. Now that she is gone, we mourn her, we missed her friendship and we are sad that she passed on.
She maybe like ALL those someone who rather unceremoniously went ahead and left us orphaned in some ways and that we can only give thanks in our prayers. If there is a real multiverse where different universe exist side by side with ours, she may be there, smiling at us.
They are ordinary people, living with simplicity and then they go, never to return again. The sudden demise is something that even they are not ready for. The family and friends grapple with words and feelings and yet they are gone.
Unexpected death was the most common traumatic experience and most likely to be rated as the respondent’s worst, regardless of other traumatic experiences. Increased incidence after unexpected death was observed at every point across the life course for major depressive episodes, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. This is the voice of Psychology, of Science. For the lay person separate from the Psychology Researches ,it simply is pain and loss and the recall of the feeling of love.
In the end we just go back and remembers, with love and fondness. Farewell, Ate Christine, we are missing you and we retain you in our hearts.
Awesome tourist attractions
Some glaring and clandestine traces of corruption in our country need not be regarded as useless and embarrassing. They could be converted into something else. Yes, converted into something like tourist spots for local and foreign tourists to behold with awe. We have many of them for our collection, ready for public viewing, and more than enough to earn the country plenty of dollars.
Take for instance the fascinating collection of corruption-induced architectural marvels. If you think Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa is intriguing, wait until you see the Unfinished Yolanda Shelters! These shelters, promised to the survivors of the devastating typhoon, could comprise an open-air museum displaying structures that echo the hollow promises of accountability and progress. They stand as a testament to the Filipino spirit—resilient and capable of living in a state of perpetual “almost there.”
Next, tourists can visit the famous ‘Riverless Bridge’. Forget the London Bridge or the Brooklyn Bridge; this masterpiece spans over nothing but bureaucratic incompetence and greed. It’s a perfect spot for selfies, especially if you enjoy pondering existential questions about the purpose of life, much like the bridge itself, which questions the very concept of connectivity. Local guides will regale you with tales of budget approvals and mysterious disappearances of said budgets, leaving you both amused and slightly outraged.
For those with a taste for irony, the ‘Bridge with No Roads to Connect’ offers a unique experience. Imagine a grand bridge that majestically connects two lush fields of grass. It’s an architectural metaphor for the Philippines’ journey towards progress—grand intentions leading nowhere. The bridge, like many a political promise, exists in splendid isolation, begging the question: who needs roads when you have such an impressive standalone structure?
If you enjoy destruction with a touch of farce, you’ll love the phenomenon of ‘Wholesome Roads Being Destroyed Just to Be Repaired’. It’s a live-action comedy where perfectly good roads are demolished and rebuilt, often ending up in worse conditions than before. It’s a cyclical spectacle of productivity that keeps the local construction businesses booming and the taxpayers’ money flowing, much like a never-ending sitcom of inefficiency.
For the adventurous tourist, roads that remain in the worst conditions despite the passing of years or decades offer a rugged experience. These roads are historical artifacts, untouched by modern progress. They provide a challenging drive that tests your vehicle’s suspension and your patience. As you negotiate the potholes and craters, you can’t help but admire the steadfast neglect and wonder if the road is an intentional obstacle course designed by some mischievous deity.
In our tour, we cannot miss the ‘Acquired Equipment That Remains Unusable’. This exhibit features state-of-the-art machinery and vehicles that were bought with such cunning skill that they arrived with defects. It’s a showcase of procurement genius, where the goal seems to have been to buy equipment that looks impressive on paper but is utterly useless in practice. A great spot for technophiles who appreciate the irony of high-tech equipment serving as high-end scrap metal.
The ‘Buildings and Infrastructures with Substandard Quality’ segment of the tour is particularly eye-opening. These edifices look impressive at first glance, but upon closer inspection, reveal the marvels of cutting corners. From cracking walls to leaking roofs, these structures are the physical embodiment of the phrase “you get what you pay for,” or rather, what’s left after the funds have been creatively reallocated. They stand as proof to creative budgeting and are a must-see for aspiring architects and engineers.
Then we have the perennial favorites: unfinished government projects of all kinds. These sites, scattered across the country, offer a diverse range of almost-built hospitals, half-completed schools, and semi-functional public utilities. They are interactive exhibits where you can let your imagination run wild, picturing what could have been if only the funds had gone to the right places. It’s a heartwarming reminder that in the Philippines, progress is a journey, not a destination—often a journey that gets perpetually rerouted by the detours of corruption.