Sealed, Kissed and Married

Six years and eight months of romantic, and sometimes tough, relationship. One year and eight months of testing and taxing engagement. And one day ago, I was finally married to the only lady I had brought to our house and had introduced to my parents.

Yesterday, at around four o’clock in the afternoon, I was at the altar of St. Therese of the Child Jesus Church in Lahug City, waiting for my lovely wife to join me in the altar and exchange our marriage vows. She was ushered by her mother and her eldest sibling. And before the clock strikes to five o’clock, we were formally married in the eyes of God and the community.

We had the reception program at the Grand Ballroom of Sarrosa International Hotel and Residential Suites along F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo, Cebu City. The Grand Ballroom was nestled at the hotel’s new north wing building.

The full attendance of my cousins from Tago, Surigao del Sur surprised me. They were not around during the wedding of my younger brother and cousin. I had more relatives in attendance than of my bride’s. We expected more from my wife’s side since she has more relatives in Cebu.

Checklist and whatever kind of list could not make any wedding celebration perfect, similarly with other wedding celebrations. On the day of the wedding, I had to rush to get the Barong Tagalog of my Best Man. He is not familiar with Cebu City and this is actually our second meeting. Our first meeting was when I was still in Grade Six. Secondly, the hotel buffet party staff was not given full instructions by their coordinator. These were some of the glitches during the day and these what makes it more memorable.

We opened the boxes of wedding gifts at the hotel. It had filled three Balikbayan boxes. We would like to extend our message of gratitude to the givers. You almost completed the necessary items we needed for our house. We only lack spoon and pork, and wall clock. Thank you so much guys!

We also received three units of electric fan. It was, indeed, a summer wedding!

2010 Election Day

It’s everyone dream to become part of any history-making event. And the 2010 National and Local Election is one of the many events where a regular guy can take part. Actually, even those who did not graduate college or high school as long as s/he is 18 years old are eligible to participate in this exercise.

Being a fully-automated election is what makes the 2010 Poll different and history-making. Beside from exercising our constitutional right of suffrage, this election’s process is Philippine’s and Asia’s first.

I woke up early that day, 5 o’ clock in the morning. I was excited and feeling nervous. I still remember the first time I joined in an electoral process; I was 15-year old student then participating in the Sangguniang Kabataan election. I took a cold bath and took my breakfast. I planned to arrive early at my precinct. The polling place is roughly 700 meters from our house in Tago, Surigao del Sur.

I arrived in the polling center, Bayani Elementary School, at around 7:30 AM; I proceeded to look for my precinct and asked for my number from Ma’am Tonet Oliverio, my former neighbor. There were people on queue at my precinct and some were already casting their votes on a long ballot; I was number 32.

While waiting on the line, we observed how the voters cast their votes and placed their ballots on the People’s Machine or PCOS. There was somewhat a feeling of thrill and awe when the first ballot was inserted in the PCOS. People immediately clapped their hands after the first ballot was accepted by the machine successfully. The elation of the people was cut-short, however, when the two succeeding ballots were spit out by the machine. After a few tries, the PCOS finally accepted them.

The people who witness the incidence realized how sensitive PCOS is. This prompted them to exercise prudence in handling and shading their ballots. “Kaamli baya nan iton People’s Machine!,” they said.

It only took me roughly 5-minutes to cast my vote – from shading the long ballot and inserting it to the machine. I had with me a kudigo (a list).

I went back to house. My parents were already preparing to leave for Camagong to have their votes cast. I took my backpack and went straight outside to take a tricycle ride to Tandag City. I was going back to Cagayan de Oro to report to work the following day.

The following day, I checked the net and knew who won in my hometown.