RENOVATION OF EDSA-AYALA FOOTBRIDGE, MAKATI CITY

October 1, 2010
MABUHAY!

My former employer assigned me to do the renovation works of the EDSA-AYALA FOOTBRIDGE located on top of the most busiest highway in the Philippines. I was only given 45 days duration to complete the project. So my team worked 24 hours a day with morning and evening shift, for 7 days a week. The Ayala Property Management where we get our contract stipulated that we cannot close this footbridge while undergoing renovation. The safety of the pedestrian walking and the running vehicles underneath is a major challenge that put  my construction management skill into really tough test.

INSTALLATION OF SCAFFOLDING

NIGHT SHIFT WORK

 INSTALLATION OF GI PIPE PURLINS

INSTALLATION OF GI SHEET ROOFING

INSTALLATION OF PLANTER BOX FRAMING

INSTALLATION OF HOMOGENOUS TILES

INSTALLATION OF COLUMN CLADDING

PLANTER BOX WITH ALUMINUM COMPOSITE PANEL CLADDING  

STAIR LEADING TO SM MAKATI SIDE

 STAIR TOWARDS TELUS BUILDING SIDE

This is our lay down area whenever we have delivery.

VIEW OF EDSA HIGHWAY SOUTHBOUND

VIEW OF EDSA HIGHWAY COR AYALA AVE NORTHBOUND

VIDEO FOOTAGE OF EDSA HIGHWAY

A DAY OF MISADVENTURE WITH TYPHOON ONDOY (INTERNATIONAL NAME KETSANA)

September 29, 2009
MABUHAY!

PROJECT MOBILIZATION

After hearing our boss briefing on this rainy Tuesday morning in our office in Karangalan Village, Pasig City, we were divided into two teams. We are to mobilize on our new project at One Serendra building in Taguig City to do architectural finishing works. Each team had their own vehicle that are both double cab pick up trucks carrying ample manpower and materials to construct our temporary field office. Arriving at the job site at 10 am, we were informed by the security guards that the construction management declares a work stoppage due to the continuous heavy rainfall brought about by typhoon Ondoy with an international name of Ketsana.

WALKING FROM TAGUIG CITY TO PASIG CITY

We tried to go back our office but when we were at C5 Highway, we were stuck in a bumper to bumper traffic jam which is obviously caused by heavy flooded roadway ahead. I received a phone call from my boss telling us to immediately go back to our office because the flood water is rising rapidly and help them save so many things. There is no other quicker way to get there but to walk around 10 kilometers on flood water. Me and 3 of my office mates decided to take the risk so we walk and just instructed our drivers to take good care of the materials and the vehicles. Around 30 minutes of trekking the flooded roadway and still raining heavily, we saw a roving fire truck. Then we asked the fireman for us to hitch a ride and they let us in. We saw village after village heavily flooded due to non stop rainfall that day. Reaching a bridge at Marikina River near Manggahan Pasig, the fire truck stop then the firemen help some drowning residents who were carried by flash flood. 

These photos were taken just outside our office building

THE RISE OF FLOOD WATER

Passing through Kaginhawaan Street which is near the entrance of Karangalan Village around 1pm, I saw an exodus of not just human residents but also snakes swimming above flood water which is now just below my waist line. This is just like crossing a jungle river.

Flooded vehicles in our office parking lot

SEARCH FOR FOOD

Arriving at our office at 2pm, I told my boss to send one of our office mate to look for a grocery store and buy some food because no one can enter the house kitchen which is now submerged with very high flood water. The refrigerator and cabinets in the kitchen are full of food. Our office mate fortunately entered in the nearest grocery store before the main entrance closes due to mad rush of many customers who are panic buying. 

SAVING OUR OFFICE EQUIPMENT AND DOCUMENTS

The rain still continuously falling, we transferred our office equipment and documents on a higher elevation for the fear that the flood water will reach the second floor which is 4 to 5 metes high from the ground line. After taking our humble dinner of rice and can foods, I volunteered to watch over that night to randomly check if the flood water will still rise. There was a candle light near my bed situated at the elevated portion of the entrance foyer just a few steps towards the second floor. This is around 7pm. My estimate of the flood water height is around 2 to 3 meters high. I can hear people outside who are trap inside their house shouting for help but at this time nobody can do anything. I cannot also call my children because my cell phone is already drain because the electricity was cut off in the morning. I just close my eyes and pray that the rain will stop and the flood water to subside. 

Flooded vehicles in our office parking lot

GOING HOME TO MY FAMILY
7 am the following day, thank God the rain stop. After gaining enough strength from just a few hours of sleep, I bid farewell to my boss to go home to Pampanga to check on my children. I bravely cross the village roadway with a flood water height just above my shoulder ( 1.2 mtrs -1.5 mtrs.) headed towards the Imelda Avenue then at Marcos Highway. When I reached the Santolan MRT station at Marcos Highway, I changed my wet clothes before boarding the train then alighting at  Cubao Station where I took a bus going to my hometown Pampanga.

During my walk at the still flooded thoroughfare, I saw grim images of nature's wrath that will definitely be in my memory for as long as I live. The pictures below are not mine but the horrific images they show are very similar with what I actually witnessed.

SUMMER BEACH OUTING IN SAN CARLOS CITY, PANGASINAN

April 2011
MABUHAY!

This is a photo and video journal of our travel to San Carlos City, Pangasinan to spend our family summer beach vacation.

OFW IN SAUDI ARABIA

September 1993-June 1996
MABUHAY!

Our resource speaker's inspirational message during our college graduation is "TO GO ABROAD AND FIND A GOOD JOB", thus inspiring me to get a passport and look in the newspaper's classified ads for a job opening anywhere except the Philippines.

MY FIRST JOB

Fortunately, I landed a job in Saudi Automotive Services Company (SASCO) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), working as AUTOCAD Operator/draftsman which is my first job from college. Before getting back to my senses, on September 1993, aboard the Saudia Airlines, my foot landed on King Fahad International airport in this hot and arid middle eastern country. This is my first-time travel experience outside of the Philippines.

My first job is with this company

My office space

Our Technical Affairs Department was called "United Nations" because most of the staff are from different nationalities. Our manager is from Pakistan, the construction director is from Sudan, our civil engineer is from India, our architect is from Egypt, our surveyor is from Palestine, our mechanical engineer is American, our contractor is from Greece, our structural engineer is from Yemen, our consultant is Saudi national, the office engineer and me-the AutoCAD operator are Filipinos.

from L to R (Me, Civil Engr-India, Electrical Engr - Pakistan, Architect - Egypt)

from L to R (Me, Civil Engr - India, Director - Saudi Arabia, Architect- Egypt)

CLICK the LINK to READ the related article: Business Travel to China Day 2: Ocular Inspection In Aluminum Extrusion Factory

PROJECTS

Saudi Automotive Services Company (SASCO) is a government-controlled company that regulates the design and construction of gasoline stations. We call them REST AREA because aside from offering fuel to a traveler of the long desert road, it has also motels, restaurant, mosque, comfort rooms and other amenities.

CLICK the LINK to READ the related article: Design and Build Construction

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STATION IN EXIT 2, RIYADH

Our station in Exit 2, Riyadh consist of a gasoline station, a basketball court and container vans for staff accommodation. Every Friday, Saudi Arabia's equivalent to Sunday, many Filipinos from nearby companies visit us to play a friendly game of basketball. Also, every other night, Saudi nationals averaging 6 ft tall, who are studying in the nearby King Saud University, challenge us to play basketball against them. But we Filipinos will not play against them without any import. So we call our secret weapons, a 7-ft tall mechanic from Sudan and a 6' 8" tall service crew from Pakistan.

TRIP TO AL-KHOBAR
One memorable long distance travel I experienced is our road trip to Al-Khobar for vacation, a large city located in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.

CLICK the LINK to READ the related article: Trip to THAILAND Day 3

BRETHREN

Expressing Christian faith in Saudi Arabia is strictly prohibited. Hence, Filipinos find innovative ways to continue our Christian way of worship. Having prayer meeting inside a running car, a "LET'S GO KNOCK" will be your entrance code when you enter a house of worship and also parking your car 4 to 5 blocks away from the congregation building are just some of the unique ways the Christian brethren avoid the Saudi Arabian police authorities were suspicious of having what they call illegal assembly.

GOING HOME FOR GOOD
3 years of work in Saudi Arabia really shaped my character and faith. I will always cherish in my heart all the nice people, foreigner or "kababayans", who inspired me to do good to others. But the Philippines will always be my home. So in June 1996, I went home for good.

CLICK the LINK to READ the related article: Budget Travel to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Day 2 Part 1