Pasay City is one of the four original cities of Metro Manila.  Though it is a pioneering city of the metropolis, development is tremendously slow.  One reason is because of a deep-rooted long history of corruption in the local government.

In 2004 the city lived up to its tagname "Aim High Pasay!" when the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) gave the honor to a Barangay in Pasay as the dirtiest in Metro Manila overthrowing the classic and world renowned Smokey Mountain on top of the list.

Walking along the streets of Pasay is like being subjected to an obstacle course beating those difficult yet challenging trails in the popular TV show ‘Amazing Race’.  Full concentration and focus is needed while trekking for you might fall victim to an experience that is beyond human comprehension!  Here are the top seven obstacles you have to surpass ala ‘Fear Factor’ episode when walking along the streets of Pasay:

Top 7  –  Slippery wet alleyways, streets and roads due to outdated and leaking city plumbing system and poor, if not lacking, household drainage

Top 6  –  Creepy ‘Taong Grasa’ (loony, psychotic or schizophrenic mortals)

Top 5  – Disgusting vomit from beer-bellied souls who have been nauseously drunk the previous night

Top 4  –  Scary half-naked, red-eyed and stick figured drug addicts

Top 3  – Deadly and filthy street dogs that has yet to be injected with anti-rabies

Top 2  – Noisy, dirty and sour-smelling kids with ‘kuto’ (hair lice) being products of population explosion

Top 1  – Yucky dog poop

Aside from opting for the most excellent and superlative persons as friends (like the ones I have here in Friendster), I have been very careful in choosing my enemy.

It has been considered that an enemy is one of the instruments of an individual’s destiny.  The mere presence of an enemy can actually manipulate, oppress or influence a person’s emotion.  Enemies can control places that you want to go to; they can restrain noteworthy time that you want to spend; or, they can confine how you would like things to be done.

To deem a person as your opponent, a rival or an adversary is to confess that that soul is your equal.  That is why always pick on the winners.  Combating on losers is not only foolish it is also an unappealing refection of one’s self.

I recently read in an article that google is officially now a verb.  This new verb has been included in the 11^th edition of Meriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary.  It is defined as: ‘to use the Google search engine to obtain information on the World Wide Web’. 

I wonder when the word ‘gemba’ will make it in any collegiate dictionary.  ‘Gemba’ like google is a verb (or can be a noun) that is starting to make its mark in the Pinoy psyche.  This colloquial-coined word when conjugated would sound as: gumemba, gumegemba and gegemba.

It is defined as a secret activity (usually leisurely in nature) that you need or wants to do but don’t want other mortals to know.  It’s like when a friend ask what are you going to do in the coming weekend and still want to be cool about it, you can respond by saying ‘”May gemba” or “Gegemba”.   It will be up to the listener to form his notion or conclusion may it be something dorky, sleazy or anything regular. 

The exquisiteness of the word ‘gemba’ is that it will automatically quit the listener to ask further for he may create the despicable impression that he is so persistent to know what the undisclosed pursuit actually is.  It actually measures the level of brain contamination, maliciousness or how slutty the mind of the listener is. 

This is also the term that you can smartly use if you have been asked by a soul about a friend’s present goings-on.  You can retort by saying, “Ayon sya, gumegemba!”  Meaning you don’t know.  Moreover, with its side-splitting snarky sound when used, you can be downright funny!

It has its limitations though.  You cannot use the word gemba when responding to your elders or to your significant other (like a spouse or a partner).  This will only spell out trouble since it signifies that you are actually keeping a goofy secret.  Neither can this word be used to your children for they may loose the respect that you have been building up since the day they were born.

Such a short word for a long yet powerful definition!  Halika na! Gumemba na tayo!

There has been a shortage of doñas now in the society.  Doñas in the Philippines are very different from the doñas out of it.  Doñas abroad can be just another married woman.  Here in the Philippines they are characterized with colorful traits, persona and qualities.  I have written two notable doñas already in this blog (they are Doñas Aguida and Doña Menang).  However, they are not the only doñas that I grew up knowing.  Except from possessing loads and loads of money, there are no hard rules on the distinct criteria in terms of personal qualities before you could be considered and called a doña.  Maybe from the diva doñas I grew up knowing, you could create these criteria, they are…

• DOÑA VICTORINA – The Española wannabe with tons of money!  Doña Victorina, one of the most famous and comical characters created by Rizal.  She is well known for her extravagance and whims plus her ambition to Europeanize herself.  An Indio who rejects and denies her true identity in every form, may it be in her looks (from Asian straight brunette to blonde curls matched with European dresses in hot and humid Pinoy weather) or in her language ( a true-blue trying hard Spanish talker with deep Pinoy accent).  She marries a Spanish wimp to have a Spanish sounding name and to put a "de" in her name, thus calling her Doña Victorina de Espadana
• DOÑA BUDING – Before stand-up comedy became a big hit, there was already Doña Buding.  She is the personification of decadence and arrogance on Pinoy TV.  She is ‘mata-pobre’, snooty and vain but utterly lovable.  Doña Buding is a nouveau riche that me and my sisters patiently wait for to speak-up on Penthouse Live hosted by Pops Fernandez and Martin Nievera.  When it’s her turn to do her monologue, it seems that the world would stop for a while since everybody is listening to the social-climber talking about her out-of-this-world riches, expensive diversions plus the illustrious beings that she has been with while wearing those big shiny rocks of jewelry.  She is a big blast of a laugh!
• DOÑA DELILAH – The heavy-weighted, overbearing and disapproving mom-in-law of the poor and prudish man, John Puruntong.  Who can forget the famous punch line of this Pinoy archetype mother-in-law, "Kaya ikaw John, magsumikap ka!"  With the exemption to John, Doña Delilah is somebody who’s loving, affectionate and financially caring for her family.  She is the boss of the high-pitched sounding maid named Matutina whose main job is to sweep money in the house of her master.
• DOÑA AGUIDA and DOÑA MENANG (you can read my previous blog about them)
• DOÑA PAZ – Not a rich post menopausal baroness from Barangay Pinyahan but an atrocious passenger ship.  She was on her way to Manila when she collided into a cargo vessel carrying barrels of oil.  The news featured a blazing annihilation of the two ships in the middle of the sea from which it was virtually impossible to escape.  It was coined the worst maritime disaster ever.  The mournful yet far-famed Titanic’s casualities are only more that 1,500 but Doña Paz’s inferno claimed more than 4,000 mortals.  Many of the innocent victims were families on their way home for Christmas holiday.