Just getting a-round

• A Manila house. Manila, capital of the Philippines, is ever getting more and more populated. Squatters are everywhere too. Though this house is not a squatter, this size and built is becoming typical now that living/residential space is cramming in the metro.  

• Wawa Dam. The pride of my hometown. This icon represents the Southern Tagalog Region. Surely there are tons of tourist spots and landmarks that could better represent the region. I chose this to make up (like a promotion). Shame that it took me more than two decades before I have seen it with my own eyes.

• Magayong (beautiful) Mayon. The fifth region. A.k.a Bicol, Bicolandia, this region boasts mountains and volcanoes, rich culture, delicacies and its beautiful people (the last three apply to the whole of Philippines). I have sojourned there for a few times, and I think Bicol can be my second region (to live in).

• MacArthur Landing. Eastern Visayas. Region VIII (8). While studying in the elementary school, as a born Tagalog, I found numbering/naming/identifying regions difficult to grasp. If it is not the National Capital Region, Southern Tagalog (Region 4), or, uhm, Central Luzon (Region 3), I would instantly classify the rest as part of Visayas, or of Mindanao, collectively. Discriminatory, I thought. (Bicol, though geographically part of the mainland Luzon, is part of my ‘own connotation’ that people there are different). But the instance I have stepped on these lands, especially upon crossing the sea —like General Douglas MacArthur did (no direct link, just the dramatic setting of foot)— towards Visayas, I thought Philippines may not be that big relative to other countries, but who am I to be an alien to my fellow, to this land? 

• St. Ferdinand Cathedral. I haven’t gone to so many places in the north, thus this links to a Bulacan, a few Baguios, and some Isabelas. And I crammed them in a single collection, Central and Northern Parts of Luzon. 

• Al Khobar. Hi! I think I need to introduce myself in this part. I am Elriz Buenaventura, a stgurlgnig egnieenr from the Philippines who is now in the Middle East for work. All the posts you have been seeing are just flash backs of my more or less two years worth of laboring under the hot beautiful sun of the Tropics. I have recently reverted back in posting about, and surprisingly been loving more our country now that I am away. Culture here is different. If I can’t join them yet, I mean, it, the culture, why the heck not look back to ours? It’s more fun in the Philippines.

So there, I hope through my documentation of my mini travels you are somehowinspired to see these places for yourself. To you who can read this, I hope you explore our country, your surroundings, with awareness. I have documented mga basurahan, o daanan ng tubig na ginawang basurahan, places, personal encounters of little things, unpleasant signs,pleasant designs, at kung anu-ano pa.

Mabuhay! Welcome to Elriz’s personal photoblog!