Panaad Festival Held In A Construction Zone

The second week in April was the premier festival of all Negros Island, Panaad.  This festival allows each city on the island to showcase their local delicacies as well as fashions and other cultural folkways like dancing.  On previous visits to this festival I was on the search for real honey. So I made my way to the organic section of the festival which was located in a different place from past years.

Because it was early in the morning not many people were out. Walking around nothing really caught my eye.  It seemed to be the same old products I have seen being sold at mall kiosks and other organic fairs. That this display of undisputedly fake honey was allowed into the Panaad Organic Village turned me off to the idea of actually finding any real honey.

That is a display of Wise Man's Food Pure Honey which I wrote about in 2017 and which incidentally if you search that name this blog is the first of only two results! Wise Man's Food is fake. Green honey is not to be found anywhere in nature. Who audits these vendors?

Ennui set in real quick as I realised I did not wish to spend much money anyway.  Certainly not P200 on a bottle of dubious honey. Walking across the area was a bit of a chore because there were large rocks and my slippers were thin. Rain had fallen the previous night and muddied up the place making the situation worse. Finally I found a vendor selling coffee for P15.  I bought a cup and sat down to drink it in peace.

Looking around it occurred to me that something was not right. Then all of a sudden it hit me. This is a construction zone! The organisers of Panaad had moved the organic market to a construction zone.  Look at these pictures:

Those steel girders are obviously the skeleton of a roof that has not even been completed. And how about all the rocks?  Those are not tiny pebbles.

In this photo you can see two tiny concrete pillars amongst the large rocks.

This is a trench filled with broken rubble surrounding one vendors stand. How is this even safe?

More rocks that must be traversed to access a vendor.  But this next one takes the cake.

These vendors have constructed a bridge to make access to their table much easier and safer. Otherwise there is huge trench that must be crossed. These people at least had the insight to know that having your customers navigate a deep trench is not a safe idea. So why didn't the organisers of the festival have this realisation? Who the heck thought holding any kind of activity in this construction zone was a good and safe idea? But remember in the Philippines safety comes last.

After finishing my coffee I looked around for a trash bin in which to toss it. I didn't see one at first but I did see these signs:

Where's the trash can so I can clean as I go?  It's right here of course:

What a joke. I really do not like Panaad and knowing that they moved the one aspect of the festival I have any interest in to a construction zone and that they allow vendors selling fake products makes me to never want to return.

Picture of the Week: Hang in There

For many Filipinos work and home are synonymous. None more so than construction workers who generally live onsite for the duration of the project which could be several months. For others it could be just a weekend away from home.

It seems these guys are returning back to the shop after a weekend of working the sound system at a fiesta. A close look near their heads reveals a rice cooker and the top of the ever ubiquitous 5 gallon water jug. Perhaps there are also blankets rolled up and tossed onto the speakers and cases. Likely they slept in the truck in shifts with one keeping a watchful eye on the equipment. In the Philippines the party does go all night long.

But why are they riding like this? Why has the equipment been arranged in such a manner that these men cannot comfortably sit down? For that mater why don't they ride home on a motorcycle? Surely one of the men hanging on the back or sitting in the cab have a motorcycle? Why not make arrangements to transport everyone safely if the cab is full? Why drive with the doors open and have two men hanging on the back for dear life risking both the equipment and the men? One quick swerve and all those expensive speakers and soundboards will fall out into the road making quite a mess. Why? Why? Why? Why!?

Well, you know what Alfred Lord Tennyson says:

Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die

https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/charge-light-brigade 

Several Huge Stacks of Speakers

On a drive into the local barangay to print some documents I saw huge several huge stacks of speakers each blaring different music at different levels. 

My first thought was it was a pretty odd sight to see being that there is no fiesta and the stacks are all separated at a good distance from each other. No one was dancing. No one appeared to be in a party mood. What could possibly be the point then? Just makes things more noisy. But it turns out there was a fiesta happening. Usually the speakers are set up in the public gym because that is where all the activity takes place. Why they were set up in the street at intervals I have no idea.

I did not consider it at the time but on the way home it suddenly occurred to me that this must be the source of the loud boom-boom-boom I had been hearing all weekend. In the first set of speakers there is a part painted green and in person they looked like missiles. Very fitting since these speakers are calculated to blast noise straight through the air and into your ear thus destroying any peace and quiet you were enjoying.

Merry Christmas!

♫ It's the most wonderful time of the year! ♫ 

Yes indeed it's that time of the year again.  The most wonderful time of the year!  The hap-happiest season of all! 🎄

It's the "ber" months.

What's that you ask?

The "ber" months. You know.  Septem-ber, Octo-ber, Novem-ber, and Decem-ber.

Christmas isn't actually until December 25th but September is when everything gets started. Take a look.

Filipinos are so devout and love the Lord Jesus Christ so intently that they start preparations for his birthday celebration  4 months in advance.  

Be sure to set up your Christmas tree and stars of Bethlehem now.  Festoon your house with lights and let everyone know how much you look forward to the birthday of God incarnate, Jesus Christ.

And don't forget to tell magic genie Santa Claus what you wish for Christmas.  

Cock Fighting is Easy Money

Seriously take a look at all the money you could win all for doing nothing but pitting one chicken against another:

Now let's say you win all ten spots. That would be sweet and you'd be getting 65,000 pesos. Pretty good right?

http://www.sabong.net.ph/forum/showthread.php?75457-Cost-in-raising-Gamefarm-in-PI

This guy estimates that it costs 47,500 pesos per month to raise 250 roosters.  That's 570,000 pesos per year.  Which is $11,400 at todays exchange rate.  This estimate is four years old so the cost has probably risen.  Also the less cocks you raise the less money it will cost.

570,000 per year with a one time win of 65,000 pesos is hardly a profit. In fact it's still a loss.  But if you keep at it who knows?  Your cocks will probably become better fighters and you can enter more profitable tournaments.  

You might even make it to the BIG TIME!

World Slasher Cup is also known as the "Olympics of Cockfighting"

The cup is the high end of global cockfighting. To enter a single bird in the competition costs $1,750, more than half a year’s salary for the average Filipino.Wealthy owners often have more than just the money; they have dedicated farms and full-time trainers caring for hundreds of fowl that could sell for well over $1,000 apiece. Vaccines, antibiotics, vitamins, and supplements are all part of the modern game fowl’s life. Traditional methods of revving up your bird for a fight, like slipping cayenne up its anus, have given way to pricey steroids and other powerful drugs.  

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/12/cockfighting_and_chicken_history_the_world_slasher_cup_in_the_philippines.html

With all that potentially easy money no wonder there is a rooster in every yard and tied to every pole. Who would want to miss out on the chance of being able to tell the story of how you rose up through the ranks and won a whole lot of money at the "Olympics of Cockfighting?" 

There are, of course, other stories. There is the young villager who spent all his hard-earned money saved from an overseas job, and the children who suffer from malnutrition while their father’s roosters live a well-fed life. For the millions packed into Manila’s sprawling slums, cockfighting offers a fast way up the socioeconomic ladder or a quick tumble into indigence. And while the birds are famously pampered outside the ring, most end up dead inside it.

Of course, like the Highlander, there can be only one and that one will probably not be you.  So that is 570,000 pesos (or less depending on how many birds you raise) that could feed your family, buy medicine, procure dental care, buy clothes and slippers, pay for schooling, and pay the bills all flushed right down the toilet. 

Or rather, stuffed down some cock's throat.

Noise: Fiestas

Filipinos love to party.  They love to party all day and all night.  Every city has an annual fiesta.  Every barangay within the city has an annual fiesta.  Every purok within the barangay has an annual fiesta.  Every neighbourhood and subdivision within the barangay and purok has an annual fiesta.  Besides these annual fiestas there are also other fiestas which happen on holidays or other special occasions like if someone wants to rent the barangay hall for a wedding or birthday party.

Around 3pm - 5pm you might hear, in the distance, the sound of very loud bass. 

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!!

This will jar you right out of whatever you were doing. Of course its just someone inconsiderate person playing loud music. Right? WRONG!  It's a fiesta.  And this fiesta will not stop until six in the morning.  

All night                   and                     All day

This monster right here is blaring bass and techno so loud that it can be heard 3 miles away.  And it's going all day and all night long.  Some Filipinos are so rude they will party all day and all night all the while making sure anyone miles away trying to get a good nights sleep will not be able to do so.

But it's all over at 6 am so you can get a good nights sleep during the day and then the next night everything will be back to norm....

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM-BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!!!

Not again!!!???

Yes.  Again.  For three days usually. Starting Thursday night, going on Friday night, and finishing up early on Sunday morning.

Of course if it's a barangay fiesta you can count on it lasting a whole seven days.  Seven days of BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM day and night.  And if you talk to the barangay captain and ask him to turn it down because it can be heard miles away at your house and you can't sleep, he will just laugh at you and say, "No one here is complaining about loud noise. How can you even be hearing it at your house if these people can't even hear any loud noise?"

Keep up the good work guys!  No one wants to sleep anyway. 

Sinulog

This weekend is the Sinulog festival in Cebu.  What is Sinulog?  Basically its a large dance party and contest with thousands of participants. The festival has its roots in the worship of a wooden statue of the Child Jesus.

Sinulog is the ritual prayer-dance honoring Señor Santo Niño or the Child Jesus.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinulog

They sure do love dancing in this country.  Truly Filipino culture is a song and dance culture. They will even do a little dance for a 500 year old wooden idol of the Child Jesus.

It is an undeniable fact that the Filipinos are a very superstitious people and the Santo Niño figurine is embedded in the popular piety of this country.  You can see this statue everywhere you go.  In shops, in taxis, in jeepnys. 

In 1521 Ferdinand Magellan landed on the shores of Cebu and presented this abomination to the local chief. The rest, as the say, is history.  The Filipinos worship this idol thinking it is actually the Eternal God and Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ.  It's not.  It's a tricked out piece of wood. And there is no Santo Niño.  Not now.  Not ever.  Jesus was never a saint.  He is God. And not only is he God but he is now a man.  The child Jesus is all grown up. He will never be a child again. Do Filipinos even read their Bibles?  As good Roman Catholics I'm sure they don't.

Along with the usual idolatrous worship and dancing and festivities local law enforcement have decided to add a disturbing and potentially deadly and dangerous twist to this year's festival: jamming all cellphone signals!

Why would they do this?  

To prevent a terrorist attack. 

Do they really think jamming all cellphone signals is going to prevent an attack that, if it were to occur, must have been planned out in advance and who's perpetrators have no need of using cellphones? You don't need a cellphone to toss a grenade, fire a machine gun, or set off an IED. If they do actually jam all cell signals no one will be able to contact anyone.  Having a medical emergency?  Need a taxi?  Need to send a message to your wayward errand boy? Trying to meet up with friends? Too bad. 

This communication cut-off puts the entire city at risk and in danger especially if there is an attack because then everyone will be in the dark about what is happening and will have no idea what precautions to take. Facebook is the national grapevine and if wi-fi is disabled and no one can access Facebook then the whole country will be in the dark about whats happening in Cebu if indeed an attack happens. A total communications blackout would be disastrous. 

"Aside from internet and cellphones, the planned network shutdown will also affect banks. Some ATMs have wireless connections."  

http://news.abs-cbn.com/business/01/12/17/sinulog-network-shutdown-to-affect-atms-in-cebu

Isn't that just great?  You won't be able to contact anyone and you won't be able to withdraw money you might need.

And who would even think to bomb a "Christian" festival? 

Islamic terrorists.  

Allegedly the Maute group carried out a bombing at a festival last December but no group has taken responsibility.  The Philippines has much larger issues to deal with than shabu. They need to exterminate all the insurgent Muslim groups in the country: BIFF, MILF, MNLF, the Maute Group.  But this has been an ongoing problem for decades and, like any problem in the Philippines, especially one that involves the government, there is no solution in sight.