By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
Last Dec 20, I travelled to Manila for some meeting. When I arrived at around 8 o’clock in the morning at the Cubao terminal of Victory Liner, there were just a handful of passengers that were Baguio-bound.
I immediately went to the ticketing counter to book my trip back home. I was expecting that my meeting will end before 12noon, so I was looking forward to a return trip of 1 or 2 pm. To my half-surprise, all kinds of trips from regular aircon to first class to deluxe to the sleeper type were already fully booked the whole day up to 12midnight.
Fortunately, they organized extra trips of regular aircon buses which were still open starting at 6:30 pm(which I booked). My meeting actually ended up close to 5 pm. I rushed to the Cubao bus terminal to find the terminal overflowing with passengers. I was fortunate to board a first class trip at 6:15pm as a chance passenger. It was a relief.
Arrived at the Baguio terminal at a little past 11pm. And the uneasy ordeal began.
There were, I was informed, three fully-loaded buses that arrived a few minutes of each other. Most of its passengers went for taxis to get home. Not surprisingly, passengers therefore were scattered all around the terminal waiting for cabs. No proper lines. Very few taxis appeared at the usual stand. Sorry to the senior citizens, PWDs or pregnant women as no courtesy was accorded. Discipline was mercilessly waylaid. At 12 midnight, every one was just thinking of going home ahead of the others, given a slim chance.
After 30 minutes of waiting in vain, and there was still a large throng of waiting passengers, I decided to do “kadilakad” as I didn’t have a luggage with me except a backpack with only a pair of clothes and a laptop. I was thinking, I could get my ride earlier. First time I did it.
I trodded on through the Marcoville street until I reached Leonard Wood road. Alas, there were also passengers hailing taxis here and there along the way. I walked on until I reached Session Road 15 minutes past midnight, teeming with people walking up and down the road at that time. And there were many waiting for a taxi ride on both sides of the road. I made a wrong assumption!
Baguio was definitely alive at that hour, whoa.
It was already more than an hour after I arrived in Baguio, and I was still stranded in the city. So, I moved on going to Magsaysay road to take a jeepney for La Trinidad. Imagine my surprise when I got to the loading area! There were 2, yes two, long lines of passengers at almost 1 am. Jeepneys came a few minutes apart. It was a torture just looking at the lines.
Understandably, many more were jostling to get a taxi that takes eternity to arrive. I made a deal with somebody, a young guy, who is also going to Trinidad so we could ride together. The guy got one before 2am. I told the guy that I just alight at km 5, a good half kilometer away to our house in Balili, so he could immediately proceed to the Motor Pool area. We shared in the fare.
Walking towards home, I noticed 2 people on separate places along the highway sleeping on the cold pavement. One of them is a “taong grasa”. I also saw about 3 people in the same situation in Baguio, but one of them appeared to be just drunk.
Got safely home past 2am!
o-o-o-o-o
And here is a young man’s quiet but almost seething pouring out of emotions. He is my friend in FB. I asked him if he penned the whole thing, and he affirmed it. Let’s just call him by his initials, MRG. He is Filipino but he grew up in Indonesia, that’s why he uses British English spelling. It is worth reading, especially by younger people.
Here is his peroration, in toto.
To those who doubted me, insulted me, and turned away when I needed support—listen closely, this is for you.
You thought you knew me, didn’t you? For years, you misjudged my silence, my quiet moments, and my introspection as weakness. You mistook my patience for passivity and my kindness for a lack of strength. You threw your words, judgments, and lies at me, believing they would break me, believing they would leave me crumbled and small. You wanted to see me fail, thinking it would somehow elevate your insecurities.
You pointed fingers, whispered behind my back, and celebrated my struggles as if they were your victories. Yet you never truly saw me. You failed to recognise the fire burning within, the strength that grew with every setback, insult, and betrayal. You didn’t see the countless times I picked myself up, refusing to let your toxicity seep in. You thought I was just a shadow, but in reality, I was forging myself into something far stronger than you could ever comprehend.
Yes, your words, actions, and lies have hurt me—and yes, I’ve shed tears. But those tears? They’ve fuelled my determination. Every doubt you cast upon me, every insult you directed my way, every whisper you spread only made me sharper and more resilient. What you didn’t realise is that I didn’t listen to your whispers out of submission; I listened because they revealed exactly what I refused to become. I took that lesson, carried it with me, and transformed it into my power.
Now, I stand here—unbroken and unyielding. I’ve learned that the most powerful thing I can do is stand firmly in my truth and strength, without seeking your approval. You wanted to see me crumble, but instead, you witnessed my rise. Every time you thought you were pushing me down, I was quietly mastering how to soar.
I am not your expectation. I am not your judgment. I am not the image you tried to impose on me. I am stronger than your words and fiercer than your doubts. Most importantly, I am resilient because I have learned to rise, even when you—sought to hold me down.
I urge you to reflect on your actions, on the cruelty you displayed, and on those moments when you chose to tear down instead of build-up. Understand the weight of what you did and realise how much it cost you—not me. Because while you attempted to break me, I have transformed into something more.
A BLESSFUL AND BLISSFUL 2025 TO ALL.**
