BATMAN Express Bus Accident

NOT LESS THAN FIFTY INDIVIDUALS were injured in a vehicular accident involving Batman Express Bus with plate number KVU816 in Jampason, Jasaan, Misamis Oriental, November 4, 2012. The front tire exploded and causing the bus driver Roger Macabinlar to lost control of the vehicle and slam it against a Gemilina Tree. The driver suffered multiple injuries, head trauma and broken left leg. Other injured passengers were rushed to Jasaan Hospital were they were given first aid before sending them to various hospitals in Cagayan de Oro City for further medical assistance.  Most of the passengers, most of them are kids, suffered broken bones and severe trauma in many parts of their body.

 

One of the passengers pointed into the overloading of passengers and the alleged over-speeding of the bus as primary reasons for the accident. Safety belts are also unavailable in the seats of the bus. Families are now waiting for the assistance to be extended by the management of Batman Express for their hospital bills and other medical expenses.

 

 

A story of miracle. The baby in the photo above is Leah Jane Santa, 3 months old. She is one of the passengers of the bus when the accident happened. According to her grandmother, Leah Jane was held by her mother, seated in the front part of the bus. When the accident happened, her mother “accidentally dropped” Leah because of the impact. In the fear of the bus exploding, many passengers rushed outside of the bus, pressing Leah in to the ground. Her father, Leo Santa who had trauma in his head reached for his wife with a broken arm, and to his child Leah who at that time had bloodstains in her dress. Miraculously, baby Leah suffered no injury, and the bloodstains in her dress were from other injured passengers.

 

 

While covering the story, I cannot help but be irritated by “onlookers” swarming around the ambulance, much more the patients who are supposedly to be rushed inside the Emergency Room. They block not only the way but they limit the medical personnel’s space to maneuver and delaying the patients time for medication, therefor prolonging the agony they are feeling. Maybe we ourselves should have that discipline in us, and tone down our “curiosity” a bit for the better.

Five in a Row

Today, Cagayan de Oro has been in a whirl wind of bomb explosions and bomb threats. Around 1:00 in the morning, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded in front of a hotel in JR Borja – Aguinaldo Streets, Cagayan de Oro City. The explosion claimed two life, one of which was pronounced dead on the spot. The second casualty was pronounced dead few hours after he was rushed into the hospital. Two other policemen who responded to the call of the hotel to check the suspected package were also rushed to the hospital.

Around 6:00 am today, another suspected bomb was retrieved under GMA Network Crew Cab. This was discovered after Explosive Ordnance Division of Cagayan de Oro conducted a sweep operation using K9 units. The bag was then dragged into the vacant lot located near the vicinity and was detonated, where 4 Ace cards were also found after the blasting of EOD.

Afternoon, another call was received by the EOD asking or assistance stating that a suspicious package was left at the back of a vehicle parked in one of the big malls in Cagayan de Oro located in Lapasan this city. After the bomb squad protocol, the package was found to be containing vegetables.

At around 9:00 pm, GMA Regional Television was alarmed by a call saying that the building which the office was occupying was planted by a bomb. GMA staff were asked to evacuate the building. After almost an hour of clearing operations. The K9 unit of EOD Cagayan de Oro declared the threat as negative.

Shortly after the call in GMA Network Office, two more calls were received by the bomb squad requesting assistance for the same case.

Five bomb alerts were received in the same day, 2 of which were positive. This has been the first incident that Cagayan de Oro has received such number of bomb alerts.

Who’s Normal?

I have no problem with people expressing their love. but up to now, I really am trying hard to understand the mindset behind posting pictures of them after an intimate moment?

I’m no conservative in views. However, I just don’t appreciate things or actions that put other people in sort of “harassed state”. Am too feels like “harassed” or embarrassed seeing such photos or videos. This is not to say that I’m saint. But, first, those moments should at least be “private” and just between the two persons, at least in my views. Second, specially if you’re gay, people tend to view it “more” immoral than how they see heteros do it. And with the “generalizing attitude” that most of the people have, those photos or videos give gay love a bad name. Third, for the simple reason that it encourages other people to do the same. Well that’s their prerogative. But the question that I would like to pose: “If even those “private moments” are broadcasted, how much more the other things?. Again, this is not to play saint here.

On the intention of enlightening myself a bit, I read articles online. And I have this feeling that this generation is what they called “Exhibitionist Culture” and “Voyeuristic culture“. Exhibitionism as defined is the act of exposing in a public or semi-public context those parts of one’s body that are not normally exposed…. The practice may arise from a desire or compulsion to expose themselves in such a manner to groups of friends or acquaintances, or to strangers for their amusement or sexual satisfaction” (Baunach, Dawn Michelle. “Exhibitionism” in Sex and Society). This actually has been a form of protest or to obtain social mobility during ancient times. But is considered to be a “mental disorder” by Charles Lasegue on 1877. The definition was also broadened into: “sexual gratification, above and beyond the sexual act itself“. So taking from the early psychiatrist, this generation have gone mad?

 

Another is the seemingly “popular culture” we have today. Voyeurism by definition “is the sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other actions usually considered to be of a private nature” (Hirschfeld, M. (1938). Sexual Anomalies and Perversions). This is the primary reason why computer repair shops or anti virus brands don’t go out of business, because there will always be a customer that will ask for help regarding their virus laden computer. Why? because voyeuristic people are the one’s that are lured into a porn website, a Malware, or virus links that post up naked bodies.

However, “spying” or “secretly” watching premise of the definition seems to be invalid nowadays. Why? People don’t get to see anything wrong with looking at those sexually suggestive photos of their friends, or any random person. It has been close to accepted as “normal”.

So, who is normal then? Me or them?

Sociology 101: Symbolic Interactionism – “The majority defines what is normal”.

The New Office

For quiet sometime, we have been looking forward to the day that we all get to transfer to a “dungeon-like-office” to a more decent one. When I first got this job, our “office” was in a room of a residence hall. It was okay except for the fact that the really big and soft bed that occupies half of the office was a really hard to resist temptation. Plus the fact that there was fourteen of us. I felt more excited to go outside n matter how hot it was than being inside the so called office.

The second so called office is another room in that residence hall. It was fine at first, the beds were taken out. But then again, people started to bring in their own sleeping mats and whatnot. It was more f a college apartment than an actual office. Plus, never forget the broken aircon and “the CR is alive”.

After TS Sendong hit, we moved into a hotel. No not in the concept of hotel that is probably in your mind. Coz the one room we got was “internet cafe” set up. Where everybody is crammed up in a room barely bigger than a comfort room. When one of us moves, the rest moves also. Imagine that kind of set up that we endured for 10 mos. Plus the attendants and the bell men and women were not so friendly.

Finally, we have a better set up yesterday. We are located into a building, so much wider, so much better looking and way more comfortable than what we had the previous years.

The challenges:

1. We are also relocated with another department just across the hall. The new dynamics in the office is still not so evident. It is still yet to unfold.

2. We in the department has been so cohesive given the set up we had for more than a year. Will this new office play with the relationships that has been formed through time, or our worlds will only be then confined in the four corners of our desks? Well see.

I Prefer When I have Colds

Im a “blue baby”. SO I get a handful of months during the year that I get sick. Maybe with just a simple colds or if I get lucky, Asthma or if luckier “Bronchitis”. Im a fan of colds and runny nose. I get them almost every month. It usually starts June up to December. Yes, Im a wimpy kid with a Cardiomegally.

But one thing about being a “bagger” of colds is that it helps me actually hide emotions and do away with awkward situations. You see, I don’t play with emotions really well. And when i get colds, i get to cry easily without the hint of others. That’s why i think i have learnt to save my tears and prefer to cry when I’m having colds. I don’t have to answer people’s questions like, “what happened to you?” “who made you cry?” endless why’s.. With crying with colds people tend to believe that the swollen eyelids and sore eyes are “due” to colds.

Where Am I?

Time has passed since the last time that I have posted in this blog. Somehow, this page was never really intended to get followers or regular visitors. As a matter of fact, I can count the people whom I know that have idea that a page like this exists.

I treat this page as a confidant, a page where I can breathe out frustrations and anguish. Something personal, but not too personal.

So where am I?

I’d give a fortune if anyone could precisely tell me where. Well, given physically. But where am I really, uhm, let say philosophically?

Unpredictable. It has always been. But all I can say is I am at the point of my life where, I’ve walked and never had a trace back with no directions ahead. No, I wont say Im lost. It’s just that it dont fit all well.

Apple of the Eye

Harley

Welcome to the World Baby Boy.

You brighten our mornings. And fill our hearts with so much joy.