MEMORABLE SPECIAL RIDE

One good thing being born and brought up in the provincal setting where the mood of transportation is a second option if not unnecessary at all. In the early days of the 80's ,the transport system in my hometown is the " Jeep". Infact the intervals of the routing Jeep with in the inner sanctum of the second district of Sorsogon, from Gubat to Barcelona would entails an hour of waiting. 

The black asphalt road that travails the whole archepalagic of the Philippines from the northermost Apari to sourthernmost part of Jolo ,known as " Maharlika " road , passes infront of our own very front lawn in Barangay  Tagdon . Its known as the "national highway".

The coastal town and its neigboring barangays of the Municipality of Barcelona ,like the Barangay Tagdon ,which is connected  to  these long and winding  national road offers the scenic full view of the Pacific Oceans from the east where the sun of the oriental shine. 

When the road is empty and no locomative passes like Jeep, the ethereal feeling of static could be feel not from the distance but from the road itself. The passing moments of hours , minutes , days makes the whole day so long to wait till the sun sets came in. The monotonous , bubulic provincal lives defines by the statusquo of time. Tranquil , peaceful and free from the hush and rush thing. 

The Jeep always break these monotony. Its the King of the Road. The road which ocassionally occupied by the frequent passersby on both sidewalks by people who are going to their primary source of occupation . Farmers, fruits ,vegetables , fish peddlers , professional teachers , religious ,the  both byways ( sideways of the black asphalt road ) its their  major through fares .

Often times the road is clear of obstruction nor passersby either by Jeep or people , so that the raod itself is our play ground especially during the full moon light night. 

Its from the road itself , that I was able to observe the magnificent transition of times and modernity in relevance to mode of transport system. From photographic provincal tableau of beautiful carabao , hauling its bamboo raft is akin to the raindeer with is sled from the snowy region of Alaska ( every Filipino re imagining during winter season of snowless Philippines Yuletide season). Then after few years  evolve with a carabao  hauling a bamboo made raft , with the aide of the rooling tires ( recyled from the old jeep ). 

Then moving forward with the coming years , that the manual bicycle introduced in the market. My father bought this manual bicycle a look which look  like of today's mountain byke . He bought one for the personal mode of transportation of my eldest brother Felix Estipona , being the first among the few in the barangays who opted to take up high school . High Schoold then requires a rigorous entrance exams with an tuition fee to be paid annually , bi annual  or it depends on the structural payments upon agreements by the state school administrator. My brother went to Barcelona National High School. All of my siblings from Hilda, Felix, Nena, Mila , Ronnie and Jose went to Barcelona National High School with a matriculation fee. Except both the youngest of us , Ginalyn and yours truly due to the post EDSA constitutions , allowing high school ( DEP ED higher education ) be exempted from the matriculation fee. 

The manual bicycle which my elder brother uses , become an antique of " hand me down" object. From the eldest Felix to Jose , until to Jonel ( the youngest son of the Jose ) on his childhood days, the bicycle re assembled . 

From the manual bycle , to single motorized bycle became a regular passers of the national road. 

Except for the long ten hauler truck , and mini van that from to time envade the curiousity of the youngters , the vehicles passes for their logistics and delivery of the major economics goods . Cigarettes and groceries items for each sari sari stores located along the long intervals of the national road . 

Still up to this time , the communal mode of transportation in the provincal town of Barcelona people is the Jeep. Its enduring legacy since its evolution , transformation from the United State of Americans soldiers ( GI-Joe) junks . Reformated, design by the Filipino artisans, machinest , "suldadero", from the local 'vulcanizing workshop", until " Sarao" brand famous for its " caviteno', fiesta made colors , the Jeep stood up as truly Filipino icon. The UNESCO is comtemplating of putting the Jeep in the radar of the cultural indigenous heritage . 

 The colorful culture of Jeep as a heritage , the most moveable featured that uses the main artery of road in the Philippines ,created a leverage of cultures which is  intangibles yet intrinsic and embedded in the human sensibilities today. The " pake -abot " systems , the processes of the relying the passengers money fare , and so with the drivers way of giving its loose coins change to the passengers. 

Before  the awareness of having a private mode of transporation , the Filipino is accustomed to the communal mode of transportation ,perhaps being belong to a certain " balangay" then . The ship  , " balangay", is the basic habituation , mode of transportation in the  Archipelagic islands of the Philippines. 

The Philippine means of transportation since time immemorial , mapping it out from the " balangay', "kalesa" to which is now the " Jeep" , as the official King of Road, to private branded cars , THE MITSUBISHI FAMILY DAY " EXHIBITIONS and RIDE TEST in the Philippine , MANILA WORLD TRADE CENTER is worthy of a short time visit.

And if driving is a highly paid job for today, I would like to gave thanks for the following personalities who offers their own driving and wheels for me to take home in one of my city escapades. 

MR. JOHN ( the contractor)

JUVENAL SANSO ( world multi awarded  painter artist)

RAMON DIAZ ( diplomate sculptor -painter artist ) 

DR. GENIEVIVE HUANG ( presidential awardee- author of the TAO of Beauty book)

JOSE ENGLIS ( son of a diplomate to New York )

LOURDES DY -DAPARAS ( wife of diplomate to Seattle Australia and Malaysia) 

HENRY ESTIPONA

king financial

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