It’s All Fun and Games Until Houses Burn Down
…and someone, namely me, gets burnt out.
The petty thefts (if you can call them that) stopped when we installed a gate. The bakal boys went out of business when we padlocked and cemented the damn water meter. The rowdy crowd lessened when we got a fierce guard dog. We couldn’t stop power theft, however, but we let it pass and still pay for the ridiculously high bill. It shouldn’t be a big deal, right?
Hell, no!
Really, I live in such a bad neighborhood that even my father thinks of moving. Again. I know the meaning of pakikisama, just as people here don’t even know that there exists such a word. I try hard to keep my temper (though I fail most of the time) whenever our next door neighbor splashes hot water on, and hurt our dog. And after almost 10 years of screaming marathons, dealing with malicious drug addicts, suicides and murders, gang wars, flying bottles, and crazy bastards, I’ve officially given up on this place. It’s now filed under my Hopeless Case folder.
Night of last week, power cables sparked like blinking Christmas lights then burst into flames right before our very eyes. Everybody was panicking, running here and there and trying to save what little was left of their properties. Babies were crying loudly as their mothers tried to calm them and themselves at the same time.
I was waiting for 24 Oras (an early night news program in the Philippines) to start and was about to turn the computer on when the lights went out. I thought it was just another power failure, but Robby quickly told me that the neighbors were in complete panic. We went out and saw that relatively small yet intimidating flames were eating the power cables right in front of our compound (if you’ve been to my family’s house, it’s just…outside…). When I heard that no one had called the emergency number yet, I dragged my brother inside the house, got on the phone and dialed 117. A couple of minutes later, I wanted to throw the Garfield unit because of frustration; the goddamn line was busy. Perfect. I told Robby to keep trying 117 or, for “lack of better thing to do,” call Meralco.
I was thinking what stuff I should take and save first (and no, the computer didn’t cross my mind, thankyouverymuch…although I admittedly thought of taking photos of the “event”) when I heard my mom on the gate calling my name, panic evident in her voice (I was so relieved I almost cried). Turned out she was afraid that Robby and I were sound asleep amidst all the buzz. We got through Meralco, arranged some important documents and things to save just in case. But then, we really couldn’t do anything than hope that the stupid flames be tamed immediately. And it took long enough for everything to be under control.
Mom spent the night with blood pressure as high as the mountains. I suffered a spitting headache and had breathing problems. My brother sweated. A lot.
It wasn’t the first time that a fire started because of a bunch of thieving jerks. The first was the most traumatic because it directly involved our house — if it wasn’t for the firewall, “home” would be history. That was the time when water supply was scarce in the area. I was so nervous that I packed my underwears and nothing else. The second and third were so-so, mainly because we didn’t know about them until later. Still, it would be crazy to deny that all these issues were caused by only one reason: the theft of electric power transmission lines.
Adding insult to injury, Meralco people repeatedly claim that they can’t do anything about the power theft in the area even when one of our decent neighbors pinpointed a number of suspects (which is basically almost everybody in the street). The neighbor has been paying three thousand pesos monthly when she doesn’t even have an aircon or a computer, and only use basic home appliances.
I’m inclined to place the blame on the government and the whole society instead of just my neighbors. If you know the concepts of the domino effect and the “Tatlong Batayang Problema ng lipunang Pilipino” (three basic problems of the Philippine society — Google if you must), then I’m sure you understand why. But it shouldn’t be an excuse to be careless and thoughtless when one is aware of the possible effects of his actions and lives are at stake. Especially when lives are at stake.
When can we grasp the idea that we also have a thing called social responsibility? I’m using the term loosely, still, few people understand. It gets old in a while to remind people to take care of not only themselves, but also of their own.
Aling Stella is right. People here don’t have a sense of community. People here don’t care if they’re practically killing each other just as long as they benefit from their wrongdoings. Sad, but that’s the way it is. It’s not even an isolated case. But frankly, I’m not sure if I wouldn’t be doing the same thing if I were on their shoes. Twisted, I know, but everything’s different when you’re on the other side of the fence.
So yeah, that explains the week-long absence. I deeply apologize to the people I should have kept in touch with for this past week, especially to Tita Dine, the Bloggers’ Kapihan crew, the Blog and Soul volunteers, the Twittersphere/Twitteria, and the regular visitors and commenters of Misteryosa.com and my Multiply site. I thought it was better and less exhausting to just post what happened here.
And I’m spotting hideous grammatical errors, pfft. I accidentally destroyed my phone during the whole ruckus. New Globe number: +63 915 765 0586. Same old Sun digits. Di ako nakikipag-textmate. 
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I’m so sorry to hear that *call center mode*. However, there’s something I can do for you. I can text you so you’d forget (just for that time you’re reading my SMS) what happened. I know it’s something nonsense but it works for me.
Everything, indeed, is different when you’re on the other side of the fence. Tipong, it takes one to know it all. Uhm… basta ganon. Hope you’re feeling a lot better.
kala ko naman naghahanap ka ng bagong text mates. hehe
Aha! Classic case of having next-door neighbors who think they’re hot shit, when, in fact, they’re just a bunch of wusses. Yeeee.
But I congratulate you, S! Good thing you’re still alive! I bet your survival factor will reeeeaaaaally get you far. So far, like “freaking Tondo/Pasay, City of Sin” far. You might wanna consider relocating! Hehe. ;-p
I am so very thankful I live in a quiet neighborhood. That’s why I’ve always preferred living in subdivisions than in barangay typed places. Tapos, ang kalat pa ng mga neighbors. As if may maglilinis. XP
Meralco pissed me off too. Yup, and I blogged about its incompetency too. Cyberpunk also had something on Meralco.
I guess you have to report it to the local government because Meralco will not (or refuse) to be responsible for such things. If you know the identities of the criminals, that would be helpful indeed.
Marami pang vacant lots dito sa amin and it’s peaceful here in the city of golden friendship.. haha promote pa. aww, mag river rafting ka na rin! tara na! byahe tayo! ti-text lang ba? mataas yata ang signal, sulit pa bayad mo. smart yata maging globe. pag nahihilo ka, text agad. o sige, ingat!
awww sorry to hear that, Shari.
aww. shoot. nakakatakot nga yun. man, glad everythign’s okay now? right? pero siguro nga your dad’s right, mag move nalang kayo. somewhere peaceful .. hala, good luck! =]
I understand your situation alright. Our Electric Bill was really high last month, because someone tapped on our Bill. Yeah it’s true we use aircons pero yung bill daig panamin ang hotel. But yeah; we ask the electric company so they changed the wires and the conductor @.@
Those who tap aren’t necessarily ‘poor’. Had an experience of it years ago. What’s painful in this case is that it’s the sister of my lola and her ridiculuos ampon who was tapping our meter. Talagang pina-ano namin. As in totally na nagpahiwalay kami ng linya from them(they live upstairs pero that time hindi totally hiwalay yung meter). Another painful fact here is that she has daughters who earn a lot and support her and her ampon na may asawa at limang anak. And I mean a lot and they have been paying for their expenses since day one, yet they have the guts to tap our meter to lower their bill. Masmalakas pa man din sila gumamit ng kuryente kesa sa amin…
I read somewhere that most fires are caused by electrical wirings and many of these are because of tapping. Buti sana kung bahay lang ng mga magnanakaw masusunog; but no, even the home of the innocent people are burned into ashes.
Might really as well move… where it is a lot safer. In a ‘gated’ subdi, as some here suggested.
Oh, I don’t know what to say, since I don’t know what it’s like to live in a neighbourhood like that… My neighbours, for the most part… are respectful of each other. We all do our part to keep the neighbourhood safe and beautiful (recycling, cleaning, neighbourhood safety watch program, etc.).
I’m thankful that I live in a peaceful, safe city… and I never take that for granted. Yeah, I’m proud that my city was recently recognized by WHO (World Health Organization) as a designated International Safe Community (a distinction that has only been awarded to 115 cities worldwide since 1989).
Wow. That was scary. Siguro kung wala nga kayong firewall eh sa iCafe ka muna makakapag-blog. Pero Good Lord, you’re still alive! Walang kwenta ‘yang neighborhoodlum n’yo. Relocate na kayo ng bahay.
Wait wait wait…splashing hot water on your dog? Amf what are they freak?
So thats with the new no. you text me earlier (wala akong load, hindi ako naka-reply)
Good thing all of you are safe.
[...] whom I’d catch stealing electrical or telephone cables. But I relatively have it easy — poor Shari has more serious problems with here neighborhood. Posted in Negosyo RSS 2.0 PLDT sucks - PinoyBlogoSphere.com - Pinoy Bloggers Society (PBS) [...]
I beamed a smile while reading “I was so nervous that I packed my underwears and nothing else.” Haha! Lolol. Anyway.
Our subdivision’s quite a relief. Away from power-thieves, but not with local thieves. Inside jobs, a lot of them in our house. Ahuu.
Oh, that’s a lot! Hope everything would be very fine.
Thanks for the gift.
Yikes! I’m glad that you’re ok, and the house didn’t get burnt down or anything, though!
TO ALL
I know this to be out of place. Please bear with me. I just want to create awareness by choosing the busy forum or the latest.
Do consider Dr. Martin Bautista for the next elections obviously (a senatorial candidate of ‘Ang Kapatiran’ together with Adrian Sison and Zosimo Paredes). He’s a 45-year-old gastroenterologist in the US who came home after 17 years. You can see from his background that he truly means service. For those who find him to be a hypocrite for working abroad, do understand he’s a family man who needs to sustain his family, that he will be able to keep his independence by not relying on public funds to support his family. He helps his countrymen in his capacity but it’s just not enough for there are millions of Filipinos. It’s a good start in Philippine Politics to have him and his party around.
I urge you to forward/text/inform all your contacts about them. I believe they only lack exposure that’s why I’m doing this. But I can’t do it alone so I’m appealing to everyone’s help. If all will inform their contacts about them and urge them as well to forward, we might hit a million.
We cannot afford to be indifferent now if we want meaningful change. Otherwise we only have ourselves to blame. BUT TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
dude, I once lived in a similar neighborhood. the right thing to do is MOVETHEFUCKOUTOFTHESTINKINGHELLHOLE! ermm. SRY, LOL. but SRSLY I moved out immediately when someone blew some drunk’s head off one late night (actually, that time of night when I was on my way out for my shift). So there. Don’t wait for that to happen.
also, no text mates? :’( also, same globe and smart number for me.
Reality check indeed. Madaling magpayo pero kapag ikaw na ang sa situation, hirap. Similar experience of mine, my dad used to work in a top bank, retired then was hired by a smaller bank…we thought he’d be alright then he got laid off. What hurts, nawala lahat ng kaibigan niya bigla. Yung mga umutang sa kanya ngayon dedma sa kanya. So now I had to support my parents …hanggang sa pusa na inampon ng nanay ko. 5 years ago, i thought we live above the poverty line, ngayon sumisid pa kami. Nice site- I will visit it often
It must be really bad to live in a place like that. Things like that don’t seem to happen around here. I hope you and your family are ok. It’s awful that this is what happened when people tried to steal your electricity. It’s very rude and anti social. I hope you’re alright.
Your article jogged my memory and reminded me of the time long gone when we used to live in an equally, or even probably worse, neighborhood. We survived the “ordeal” and emerged spiritually and physically stronger, and became more understanding of the people “on the other side of the fence.”
buti tinext mo ako nung isang beses.. kala ko inaktib na yung sun mo.. kaso tinext naman kita sa globe mo hindi ka nagparamdam pabalik..
Thanks for posting, Shari!
Congratulations
Have a good week
Until always
[...] from Venus, they experienced the same problem with their electric posts/cables. My officemate and Shari witnessed their electric cables burning while Doc Tess got infuriated seeing the MERALCO post fell in front of their gate. All of them had [...]
Awww. Shari, I’m honestly relieved that you weren’t super super directly affected by the fire.
The ironies of life! We can lambaste all we want regarding how others seem to live off of our own hardships.. tipong ganyan nga.. electricity theft. But I’m sure if we were in their shoes we’d do likewise,survival is in human nature. It’s just sad to know that survival nowadays, can also mean being immoral.
Glad that no one was hurt kabayan! Theft and the like is really a serious concern no matter where one lives.