Missing home is a feeling we often experience, especially as an OFW living far away. Home is where the heart is, ‘ika nga nila. At para maiparamdam na mahal mo ang pamilya mo sa iyong hometown, subukan mong magpadala gamit ang BeamAndGo.
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Tinanong namin ang ilan sa mga Beamers what it’s like to live in each of their hometowns — from their simple experiences to the memories they cherish the most. Ito ang kwento ni Raizza, Tom, Angela, at Shelly.
Raizza, Bicol
Raizza is from Albay, Bicol, home of the infamous Mayon Volcano. The last time she’s been there was a year ago, October 2016. Swerte raw kapag nakikita mo ang Mayon ng buo. Kadalasan kasi, natatakpan ito ng mga ulap. Fortunately, Raizza always gets to see Mayon’s true beauty every time she visits.
For someone who spends so much time in the city, Raizza enjoys the slow pace in Bicol — yung feeling na hindi nagmamadali o minamadali. She says it makes one appreciate the little things that go by your day even more. Here’s how she describes coming back to her hometown of Albay:
“As cliché as it sounds, maririnig mo sa umaga ang mga tumitilaok na manok. I’d still be half
Raizza’s favorite: tablea chocolate & binugtong
asleep by then, but I’ll always remember that my provincial home would be alive and bustling as early as 4:30 am. Maghahanda si Lolo at Lola para sa 5 AM mass at para mamalengke. ‘Pag 7 AM na, halos lahat ng nasa bahay ay gising na upang magsalu-salo. Siguradong nakahanda ang paborito kong tablea tsokolate at binugtong, a Bicolano delicacy made of glutinous rice with coconut cream wrapped in a banana leaf. Very similar to suman, only creamier.
After breakfast, I’d usually have somewhere to be in the city. Either bibisita ako ng mga friends ko from childhood or iikot lang ako para magliwaliw. Ang masaya diyan is there’s barely any traffic. I prefer going around the area via tricycle or jeep.
Raizza’s family at Biggs
‘Pag in the mood si Lolo at Lola, lalabas rin sila kasama ang rest of the family. Usually, in the afternoon mamamasyal kami sa LCC Mall in Legazpi. Sasamahan ko ang Mommy ko at Lola ko na mamili sa department store. Kapag dinner, walang tatalo sa iconic Biggs food chain. Meron nito sa LCC Mall kaya it’s good narin na nandun kami. Biggs is a famous diner (and the biggest fast food chain in Bicol) that serves western food with a Bicolano twist.
Maaga natatapos ang araw kapag nasa probinsiya. By 7 or 8 pm, handa na ang lahat na matulog at mapahinga para sa susunod na araw. No pressure at all thoughout the day, kaya you always feel so relaxed.”
We also asked her what she misses the most. Sabi niya, it’s being around with her grandparents. Besides the satisfaction of having her favorite people around, the calmness and serenity of the environment. Fresh na fresh and hangin at hindi masyadong mainit dahil sagana ang mga pananim at puno sa paligid, as she would say.
Tom, Iloilo
Tom is from Jaro, Iloilo City. Ang huli niyang punta doon ay noong May 2016. Iloilo is known for it’s virgin beaches, batchoy, heritage sites, and modern jeepneys that roam around the city. Coming back to his hometown always excites him. And whenever he does, he makes sure to spend a lot of time with his family and friends.
“Every time I visit Iloilo, I always make sure that I’m doing something each day. In the morning, Its either I try new restaurants, maybe visit the beaches or maybe just chill outside my home and enjoy the fresh air. At night, we go out and drink because the night life scene in Iloilo’s crazy.”
Tom remembers how delicious the food is in his hometown, especially the seafood. He even says, “you can never go wrong with the seafood in Iloilo. They’re huge and you can get them for a very cheap price.”
Angela, Negros Occidental
Angela was born in Escalante City, Negros Occidental. The last time she visited was three years ago before she entered college. The province of Negros is quite known for their festivals: Pintaflores at San Carlos City, Panaad and Masskara at Bacolod, Manlambus Festival sa Escalante City, and a lot more.
Angela shares with us her favorite memories in Negros:
“I feel happy whenever I’m on a vacation in my hometown because I get to see my family and friends. Nakakapag-bonding kami. Catch up catch up, ganon. Andun ‘yung nostalgic feeling everytime uuwi ako. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam.
Simple lang ang buhay sa probinsya. Doon, kapag may vegetable garden ka, mabubuhay ka na! Ang hanapbuhay ng mga tao ay simple lang din, kumakasya lang ang kinikita nila sa pang araw-araw na pangangailangan. Laging kumakayod, bawal magpahinga. ‘Yung iba, umalis na papuntang ibang bansa para magtrabaho, tinitiis nilang malayo sa kanilang pamilya para lang mabigyan sila ng magandang buhay. Kaya saludo ako sa mga mahal nating OFWs na kinkaya lahat matustusan lang ang pangangailangan ng kanilang pamilya. Mabuhay po kayong lahat!”
Para makatulong sa mga OFWs with families in Western Visayas, may partner merchants ang BeamAndGo sa regions na ito. Kasama na dito ang Gaisano Capital, Iloilo Supermart, at Prince Retail.
Marami ka pang ibang puwedeng pagpipilian dito!
Ang pagpapadala mo ng BeamAndGo Supermarket GC ay isa sa paraan ng pagpapakita ng pagmamahal sa pamilya mong, miss na miss mo na. Here’s what Angela misses most about her hometown:
“The spirit of Bayanihan. Sa probinsiya, madaling lapitan ang mga tao, lalo na sa panahon ng pangangailangan. Namimiss ko na din ang fiestas doon. May sayawan kasi doon sa ilalim ng buwan at mga niyog kapag fiesta, dito wala kasi di naman uso ang maingay na fiesta, at wala namang puno ng niyog dito sa Maynila, haha! One of the memories I cherish is nung nagpunta ako ng Panaad Festival sa Bacolod City, kasama ang kaibigan at pinsan ko. Pakiramdam ko halos nalibot ko na ang buong Negros Occidental!
Siguro kung may namimiss man ako ng sobra sa probinsya ay ang pamilya ko. Naalala ko, bago matulog ay ang pagdadasal namin ng sabay-sabay. Pag-gising naman sa umaga ang routine namin ng mama at mga kapatid ko is magwalis sa bakuran. Iba kasi talaga kapag kapiling ang pamilya, lahat gumagaan.”
Shelly, Davao
Shelly at GMall, Davao City
Shelly is a proud Davaoeña. Her hometown is in Davao City, a coastal commercial center near Mt. Apo, the Philippine’s highest peak. It is also notably famous for Philippine Eagle and a place where you can get a lot of fruits and crops. Shelly tells us that aside from the numerous beaches and resorts, maraming mall sa Davao: Abreeza Ayala, SM, NCCC and the famous GMall. We also asked Shelly how it’s like in living in her hometown. Ito ang sinabi niya:
“Waking up in the Land of Promise is a great feeling. You are truly home safe with the people you spend everyday with. You can just go around and plan what you need to do for the day without worrying too much because the city has friendly beautiful men and women who love peace.
A typical day for me would be waking up with my coffee, doing routines at home, going to the mall. I actually like going to GMall, the place has variety of items from their supermarkets, food chains, to department stores. It’s a one-stop shop. And this mall really has a lot of affordable things to offer. Jeepneys pass by the mall making it convenient for commuters and shoppers. Taxis are everywhere too. It’s amazing to be here and every place is definitely accessible in the city.
Sleeping at night is one of my favorite things. Karaoke is limited to 10 PM so you can sleep soundly, hearing the chirping birds and animal friends in the background. And yes, I am living in an urban city but I can still feel like I’m in the countryside too. That is what most of us desire, I guess.”
Shelly misses the peaceful environment in Davao the most — how people treat you kindly, how they follow rules, and the lovely weather to match.
Ito ang mga namimiss nila sa mga lugar na kanilang kinalakihan. It’s such a good feeling to look back on those moments and places that have significant places in our hearts. And just because we don’t come back regularly, doesn’t mean we can’t show the people we miss how much we care for them. Sending Supermarket GCs using BeamAndGo is one of the ways to do so. Kahit saan pa man ang hometown mo, siguradong may option ka dito!
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