Foot and Fire

I love my hometown. Small-bodied she may be, but the Mangkasanons (A native of La Carlota named after folk hero Mangkas or Mantas) live in her crown a million varied lives from OFWs to public servants to tillers of the land to sugarcane mill laborers to fruit-and-vegetable peddlers and more. From valleys to mountains, their last names may vary but their faces are almost always familiar regardless which part they come from: “Mangkasanon indi bugalon” (A Mangkasanon is not a snob). I love that her small body is landlocked (probably the reason why she has the Bureau of Plant Industry in her bosom) so unlike all other cities of Negros Occidental that stretch beside the seas. I love that her arteries are sugarcane fields plus the fields that produce the staples from rice to cassava to corn and sweet potatoes. For her seafoods – fish, oyster and seaweed – she has the nearby towns of Hinigaran and Valladolid. For her vegetables – cucumber, carrot, and cabbage – she ha...

A pose with the serene-faced Tiya Maria. If there is a Hall of Fame for the people of La Carlota City, Tiya Maria will surely be in the list. Her arroz caldo, a salted rice porridge topped with toasted garlic and served either with boiled egg or chicken part, has stood the test of time. She started her backyard business literally in her backyard in 1991. I was in my elementary years then and always passed by her house-turned-arrozcaldohan (place for arroz caldo).  From then on up to now, her arroz caldo earned a following, from hospital workers, police officers, school teachers to students as well as weary travellers who get down in the Happy Valley or in corner of Uriarte Subdivision. Now at 82 and suffering from cataract, Tiya Maria enjoys listening to the radio and the chortles of her grandchildren as well as great grandchildren. She passed on her trade secrets to her children who now run the business, still in their backyard. However, even without signboards or adve...

The 1900s train of LaCarlota City dubbed as the "Iron Dinosaur" now welcomes all vistors at the entrance to the city; no need to go far and wide via tricycle where the sugar central is located just to see this vintage beauty. Of course, it is painted and looks like a souvenir item in the photo. So, the next time you pass by or visit the city, do take time to smile beside or behind this train... For more information on this city, located in Negros Occidental, do click this link. http://negros-occ.gov.ph/about-negros-occidental/cities-and-municipalities/cities/la-carlota-city/ Here are our photos taken just before the powerful sun sets..

THE FOUNTAIN OF SUGARCANE, CARABAO, TRAIN, COCK, AND DRUM. Series of 2010. Detail, Carabao. Detail, train. A MONUMENT OF PASALAMAT DRUM BEATERS...known for the upbeat, mardigras-like festivity, Pasalamat has its signature dance and drumbeats. Detail of the fountain. Must be Goddess of Thankfulness... The heart of the city, the city hall. Offering thanks to the heavens... a red bloom after the rain. a yellow rose saying hi to me! another red lovable awesome rose! roses in bunch... don't pick. Detail, carabao. another rosey rose.  RANDOM SHOTS! All series of 2010.