Mga Pahayag

So that I will not be late (again!), I was left with no choice but to take a taxicab going to work one day. The middle-aged driver was rather polite and friendly which put me at ease. When he asked me where he was supposed to bring me I told him, “Sa village,”( because it is more familiar to everybody than to refer to the place as “IT Park”). Then he asked me, “Sa People Support ka nagtrabaho?” (People Support is a call center.) I answered, “Dili man. Sa SPI. Kanang primero na building inig liko sa village.” Then he made a rather interesting comment. He said, “Mga hitsuraan lagi ang mga nagtrabaho dinha noh. Wa na diay pagasa ani ang mga di maayo og hitsura. Dili siguro dawaton kung mo-apply.” Not showing my surprise I answered, “Dili man sad siguro sa ana ‘nong. Naa may mga gwapa pud og gwapo pero di man na maoy basehan kung mo-apply.” He argued, “Di oi. Mao man gyud ako makita kung mulabay ko o maghatod og pasahero dinha. Mga maayo og barog og sininaan.” Well to work in an office, it is but appropriate that employees have to be in decent attire. But as far as I have observed, there is a mixture of beautiful and not so beautiful people in the building. Physically that is. Not that it is really what matters, but the driver did remind me that we do live in a world where the outside is given more importance than the inside. He said further, “Mao man ang pamaagi karon kung mo-apply og trabaho. Unahon ang mga maayo og hitsura. Ingon ana man sa mall, labi na kung sa mga hotels og resorts. Labi na kung Hapon ang amo! Sus ayaw na lang ta! Di ba naa koy punto?” I can only nod in agreement for indeed, he certainly got a point. “Unsaon na lang kanang mga bati og nawong nga nakaeskwela diay? Ipaawahi na lang intawn,” he lamented. Wanting to appease him I said, “Di man gyud unta ingon ana ‘nong. Dapat kung unsa ang kapabilidad sa tawo mao ang basehan. Pero sakto ka nga sa mga mall og hotels importante ang hitsura kay mao may nature sa business. Moatubang man gud og tawo. Sa amo gitrabahuan kay di man mi moatubang og kliyente so di mo-matter ang hitsura.” But I don’t think he was really listening to me as he began to tell me a story, “Kahibaw ka mam, naa mi silingan ba nagtrabaho sa usa ka restaurant. Tungod lagi kay bati og histura gi-assign na lang intawn siya sa iyang amo sa kusina, tighiwa. Pero kugihan to kaayo siya. Unya usa ka adlaw, nakit-an man na siya og Amerkano nga busy sa iyang trabaho unya nagustuhan sa iyang kakugihan. So giminyuan siya. Nindot na og mga sinina, mangarte na, iyang sakyanan kay kanang Revo bitaw. Maayo na kaayo og kabutang karon. Kung magsugat mi maayo man managad gihapon. Di gyud mahibaw-an ang suwerte sa tawo mam.” I thought good for her, and even better because I feel like this woman has not forgotten where she came from. I hope she is mindful and thankful of her blessings. We rounded up the corner and two minutes later I was deposited at my place of work. As for my case, I got off from the taxicab too thankful that I was not late that particular day.