Photos et lettres des Philippines, de France et d'ailleurs

After an uneventful flight on Cathay Pacific, I arrived on March 18 at 11:20 am at Manila airport where the service van of my sister in law’s parish of Parañaque picked me up and drove me to her quarters.
I just took the time to drop off my luggage and I then left to the Ermita area in order to convert my euros to pesos at my usual money changer and then put them in safety to my bank. There are nevertheless a minimum of precaution to take when changing money in Manila. First ensure the proper exchange rate of the day by asking several changers. The best rates are always obtained during the opening hours of banks and from Monday to Friday for out of it changers take an extra margin as a precaution.
Then you should select a trusted shop. My changer won my trust there a few years ago when he called me back as I was leaving, forgetting a small part of my money.
Once the transaction is completed, an employee called a taxi and I only go out to get into the vehicle that stops me 500 meters away at the entrance of my bank where an armed guard opens the door.
That's a lot of precautions could you say but even this afternoon of March 18 in Mabini street and while I was in the taxi, gangsters had used a car as a battering ram to smash the store of a money changer and just beside a BPI bank protected by security guards with shotguns.
Another feature of the money changers in Manila, many are Muslims and they are the most honest in my opinion.
The next two days, I set myself a goal to visit some car dealers to replace my 19 years old Mitsubishi Pajero that I owned for 10 years. The vehicles that I selected were in fact from 1200 to 1500 € cheaper in Manila than in the provinces and even after deducting the transportation there is still a gain of approximately € 1,000. And if not purchased in Manila, their prices could also be put forward in a negotiation with a Dumaguete dealer.
The model that I had a preference for within my budget was the Mitsubishi Montero Sport GLS V 4x4 with 5-speed manual gearbox. Its high ground clearance and specifications would have allowed me to drive off-road without any problem. I read as many as possible forums and test of this Montero sold in other countries under the name of Mitsubishi Pajero Sport or Challenger.

Taking advantage of a promotion, In February I had already made a reservation of a unit to the Cebu city dealer and it was supposed to be delivered in Dumaguete upon my arrival. To do this I had paid a down payment of 300 € on a total amount of 25,000 €. Then the dealership manager demanded full payment the following week so I can enjoy the special promotion of 165 € valid only till the end of February. When I refused, he preferred to cancel my reservation and give me back my money. Who can understand that? But this is Asia with arguments that sometimes elude the Westerners we are.
So on March 19, I went to Las Piñas Mitsubishi dealer near Manila with whom I have had contact via the Internet from France. I should first praise their welcome and their business sense with no comparison with the Cebu dealer.  Here a down payment of 100 € and a copy of my driving license would have sufficed to reserve a vehicle including the promos of the moment.
After discussing the vehicle specifications, prices and transportation to Dumaguete, I was finally able to get closer to the object of my desires and put me behind the steering wheel. My first sensation was first to find the car very big for me when looking backwards then while trying my driving position, even after lowering the seat, I realized that my knees touched the wheel adjusted to its maximum height. Then manipulating the gearshift while pressing the clutch pedal, I noticed that my big feet were struggling to pass and were caught by some plastic thing under. What a disappointment on the one hand and what a relief of the other hand that the dealer of Cebu had been such a good for nothing.
The most plausible explanation that I was given is that unlike its cousins Pajero and Challenger made for the Russians, South Africans and Australians, the Montero is assembled in Thailand for the Asian market and for an average driver size called "Spanish." As opposed to “American size”. Yet Asians grow up too and the size of the Spaniards is no longer like in the 19th century.
Arrived in Dumaguete March 21, two days later I visited the local Mitsubishi dealer for confirmation of what I found in Manila regarding my driving position and it was unfortunately the same again.
I then went to their neighbor Hyundai and when I seated at the driver place in their Tucson model (iX 35 in Europe), my position was perfect. I took a road test, chose my color and March 28 I took delivery of my gray Tucson, diesel 4WD. The mileage is now already 1600 km and it is certainly not an off-road like the Montero but it should suffice for 95% of my needs with as a bonuses a lower purchase price, a medium size and a lesser fuel consumption.

(My Hyundai Tucson "iX35", diesel, 4WD)

So once the Hyundai ordered, I still had to sell my Pajero but before I still had to use it to attend with her parents on March 26, the graduation of Rosalyn, the eldest daughter of our employees.  
Here being a graduate of a University is a solemn and important stage of life.
Even though the Filipino state is theoretically separated from the Catholic Church, no ceremony or celebration starts without a mass or otherwise by a prayer. So the NORSU graduation ceremony batch 2014 (Negros Oriental State University), began with a mass and then continued until 1pm with over 1350 graduates  including some Kenyans that I never knew existed in Dumaguete.

(NORSU graduations. The mass and the blessing of the students)

(The NORSU officials)

(Part of the audience)

(Rosalyn has received her diploma and is very happy)

Then we all returned to Mag-abo where the celebration meal awaited us with the traditional ‘lechon baboy’ (grilled pork).

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(The lechon baboy)

(The graduate, the proud parents and I, also very proud)

The next day was another graduation day at the elementary school for the youngest of their three children, Renalyn. It was certainly less important but equally solemn.

(The graduation mass at the Maluay elementary school)

(Renalyn, the graduate)

(Again the pride of the parents)

After all this, I was finally able to dedicate myself to selling my Pajero. Unfortunately for my wallet this s car decided to play a few tricks on me again. It was first a water hose bursting and the day before the sale, I had to change a tire as the metal frame had decided to separate from the rubber. I finally sold it pretty well and since I see it regularly pass through the streets of Dumaguete.
I thought I was now able to breathe a little because it remained me only to have the roof repainted as is the case every three years living by the sea and if possible, to have a high mast with its stays and a canopy on top installed to make it possible to finally have a decent Internet connection. I would be surely very unsightly but after almost nine years it is becoming difficult to live without Internet at home.

Of course I couldn’t know that a huge event will happen again.
On the night of Saturday, March 12 around 11:30 pm and while I was asleep for a quarter of an hour, the alarm suddenly began to blare out and woke me up in shock. Prudent I decided to wait and see in my closed bedroom with my Special .38 revolver in hand.

(My revolver)

A few seconds later the called up to tell me that an alert was triggered in one of the guest rooms. I thought at first that it was my daughter’s and I went there armed without seeing anything wrong and let them know. Moments later my gardener and his wife also informed by the monitoring company arrived on the scene and noticed that the window of my son’s bedroom was half force open. Therefore I called up the security company asking them to alert the police and that I would do the same on my side. I was very worried for my 2 dogs but fortunately they were not harmed unlike the previous time where my Doberman had been poisoned. It seems that the intruder knew them more impressive than nasty and / or the dogs knew their smell.

(My dogs, Gordon and Zarah)

The police arrived 15 minutes later and they made the first observations. They also asked me to go to the police station in the morning to sign their blotter. In the meantime the SSMI, the security agency called several times to ensure the presence of the police and my safety.
It was the second attempted break in since October 2009 with the robbers knowing there was someone inside the house. It is really disturbing and quite contrary to what we know in France where burglars prefer empty houses. Twice it was the alarm that has driven the bad guys away and I will never regret this investment without which, I would not perhaps at this moment write this article. Life in the Philippines is cheap with probable chances of impunity.
Sunday, March 13 before we went to the police station, Dodong, my gardener, explored the area and discovered a small pouch with inside a few coins and a necklace, probably lost by one of the robbers escaping over the fence. This item was handed over to the police as evidence.
Tuesday 15, the police came again to my house and told me they had identified a suspect and asked me if I wished to press charges if they found enough evidence to accuse them. I replied in the affirmative, offering in addition an estimate of the damage.
I must now make some criticisms of the local police. First the company SSMI after the alert tried to contact my Municipality police in vain, and it was the neighboring town 9 km to the north also unanswered, then another city 20 km to the south with also no reply. Finally, they tried the police headquarters of the province in Dumaguete which, they asked to contact the police of my town by radio. They were told that it would take too long because the radio signal was bad and gave them an emergency cell phone number, the same as I had, that also did not answer because they were already home.
Moreover, the police asked Dodong to point at their suspect who was missing a necklace, which he refused for fear of further reprisals.
At home they did not hesitate to invite themselves for coffee asking directly Nora, Dodong’s wife. Then they inquired if I could bring them sneakers from France on my next trip and gave me their size. It is true that some wore flip flops but they really got nerves.  In 2009 their attitude was different and more in line with what is expected of the police but it is true that their chief had changed and that the current one had been transferred and not yet replaced. So when the cat’s away the mice will play.
Since I overcame my fright telling myself that the majority of the local population had a friendly attitude towards me and that is not a black sheep, even dangerous that would scare me away and make sell my house which my family and many of my friends are keen on but still not at the cost of my life. However, I have to act responsibly and increase my safety significantly.

(Some friendly neighbors)

There was some time already that I thought about it as a solution but I was reluctant to implement. I finally decided to install windows grills and the work will begin shortly despite a significant investment because the site has 17 windows and 2 sliding doors.
It is certain that we all preferred not the live behind bars and feel in prison instead of having an open view on the sea and Apo Island but we must face the facts. Our house is large, isolated, does not seem protected and easily accessible from the beach. It makes it an easy chosen target for the evil guys of all kinds and it will happen again.

(Our house and its inviting windows)

When they arrive at the windows and trigger the alarm, they are already inside our premises and if necessary have previously killed my dogs as in 2009.
I must therefore by far make the windows grills clearly visible from afar and thus becoming a first deterrent not to set foot on the property.

(The workers preparing the windows grills)

Then it was the Holy Week where the Philippines religious fervor reaches its climax on Good Friday. Generally all administrations, banks and almost all commerce are closed from Thursday to Sunday.
So I took the opportunity to stay quietly at home and write a new article for my blog a little asleep in the recent months due to the long winter spent in France.

(Just for the pleasue, an orchid of the garden)