QC Repair Bike Stations

14 April 2022 on a Holy Thursday, I was biking from MOA in Pasay to QC. I witnessed how the commuters were stuck at EDSA because of the breakdown in transpo system. No public rides were available for the exodus after work of the public mainly the working group.

Thousands of commuters spilled on the highway to be able to spot 1st available transpo legal or illegal just to be able to get home

Due to the sheer number, the dedicated bike lane was no longer respected. This diverted me to a drainage cover somewhere at Megamall trapping and deflating my rear tire.

I had to look for a gas station to check on the air walking. From Megamall, the nearest one was the Shell Station at Ortigas. Failed to inflate, I walked back to EDSA and planned to walk all the way to Murphy to look for a vulcanizing shop.

Luckily, there was a good Samaritan biking from his working place in Pasig going home to San Juan who spotted me near Meralco stopped and offered to patch my interior. That put me back on the bike to pedal.

I was not aware then of the bike repair stations along EDSA. In reciprocation for the good deed extended to me, sparing me too from being stranded like the thousand commuters that day, I thought I’d draw up a list of the bike repair stations, inspect their tools and publicize for my handful of links to appreciate.

Here is the list arranged geographically from my perspective. Someday, this will be helpful to some.

North

1. SM North Tower Bike Parking Area North Avenue Barangay Sto. Cristo QC

2. MMDA Motorcycle Bicycle Repair Station at EDSA corner Quezon Boulevard Barangay West Triangle QC Trinoma side

3. De 'Ja Brew Coffee Shop 118 Matahimik st. Barangay Teachers Village QC

4. Dunkin Donut Drive Thru Visayas Avenue Barangay Vasra QC

5. EDSA corner Kamias Barangay East Kamias QC

6. Araneta Coliseum South Gate 3/F Bike Parking Barangay Socorro Cubao QC

7. EDSA corner P. Tuazon Barangay San Roque Cubao QC

8. 15th Avenue Barangay San Roque Cubao QC

9. Malvar st. corner F. Castillo Barangay Bagumbuhay Project 4 QC

10. Hi-Top Supermarket Aurora Blvd corner F. Castillo st. Barangay Bagumbuhay Project 4 QC

11. Tindalo st. corner Anonas st. Barangay Quirino 3-A QC (behind fire truck)

12. P. Tuazon Blvd near 21st Ave Barangay Tagumpay Project 4 QC (in front of Watson's)

13. KJ st. corner K10th st. Barangay East Kamias QC

14. Caltex Station Kamias Road corner Anonas st. Barangay East Kamias QC

15. Villa Beatriz st corner Commonwealth Avenue Barangay Matandang Balara QC

16. Don Antonio Heights Commonwealth Ave Barangay Holy Spirit QC

17. Microtel Hotel UP-Ayala Technohub Commonwealth Ave Barangay UP Campus QC

East

1. Katipunan Avenue corner Aurora Boulevard Barangay Loyola Heights QC
2. Katipunan Ave corner Park 9 Alley beside Regis Center Barangay Loyola Heights QC
3. UP Town Katipunan Avenue Barangay UP Campus QC
4. C5 Katipunan Avenue Barangay Pansol QC (in front of UP Town)
5. C5 Katipunan Avenue Barangay Pansol QC (in front of MWSS)
6. Kaingin 1 Barangay Pansol QC (from MWSS going to Barangay Tumana Marikina)
7. Petron Station Commonwealth Avenue Barangay Matandang Balara QC (beside Toyota)
8. Feria st corner Commonwealth Avenue Barangay Matandang Balara QC
9. Robinsons Metro East Bike Parking Area Marcos Highway Barangay De La Paz Pasig
10. SM Marikina Side Bike Parking Marcos Highway Barangay Calumpang Marikina
11. Decathlon Masinag Bike Parking G/F Marcos Highway Barangay Mayamot Antipolo

South

1. EDSA corner Ortigas Avenue Barangay Ugong Norte QC
2. People Power Monument EDSA corner White Plains Avenue Barangay Camp Aguinaldo QC
3. EDSA corner Santolan Avenue Barangay Camp Aguinaldo QC
4. Giraffe st. Green Meadows Barangay Ugong Norte QC
5. EDSA corner P. Tuazon Barangay San Roque Cubao QC
6. Petron Station 337 Katipunan Avenue corner Boni Serrano Avenue Barangay Bayanihan QC
7. FVR Road Barangay Blue Ridge-B Libis QC (near Blue Ridge-B gate towards Twin Peak Drive)
8. Eulogio Rodriguez Avenue Jr. Avenue Petron Station Barangay Bagumbayan QC (in front of Padre Pio Church entrance near Calle Industria)
9. Shell Station St. Ignatius Katipunan Avenue Barangay St. Ignatius QC

West

1. Dunkin Donut Drive Thru Timog Avenue corner 11th Jamboree Barangay Sacred Heart QC

Bayang Pinapangarap

 Arts is a powerful medium to draw out sentiments, thoughts and feelings unexpressed. Works of arts capture and document moments in history communicate social insights

Bayang Pinapangarap as an excellently crafted art form draws it out for you either arousing or making you angry, sad, cry and resigned, passively resisting, moving forward or progressing to the next level

In song and dance, the presentation flashes back to the 124 years of fighting for sovereignty as first envisioned by Apolinario Mabini transitioning to different rules where true independence was never achieved and autonomy challenged up til now

Arman Ferrer's “Salamin ng Buhay ko” dramatizes the divided disparity. Bullet Dimas assures us that no love is as heroic as love for the country in “Aling Pagibig pa?”. Bituin Escalante's "Bayan kong Pangarap" challenges us on the distorted new norm reminding us to hold on for the truth to surface to realize our collective dream

Bayang Pinapangarap tells us who are tired and have given up that the struggle never stops banking on the youth to take over in the fight for sovereignty.  What will free us truly is founded on the truth

Our strong sense of patriotism and nationalism "O Bayan ko” will make us rise up and that we can. What next to do in this continuing struggle lies too in our own hands

Tuloy ba or tigil na? Time is running out

Galing ng tropa nina Maestro Ryan at Floy Q.

This 12 June 2022, the awakened ones were at the Metropolitan while the rest seeking for necessities were at the dolomite beach; 14M were indoors, 31M at the outdoors

Invest 2 hours up to 7PM only today 13 June 2022

https://fb.watch/dCyyaRztd-/

#bayangpinapangarap

Poem Mother from the movie "Slam"

What if Tapat will not prevail?

Bracing myself by appreciating a poem by Slam poet Candy Royalle

Mother by Australian spoken word writer and artist Candy Royalle as performed in the movie “Slam” about a Palestinian poetry performer living in Australia who went missing suspected to be an Islamic extremist

Featured in CinemaWorld, nominated for Best Director and Grand Prize 2018 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival

Mother they will not make me forget

They cannot silence this tongue

These stories from your womb to my mouth

Your fears and your strengths

I carry your cells in my particles

Your atoms in my blood

I am made of you mother

You and your displacement

Because men gather stripping people of earth beneath

Feet not caring the dirt is sacred

Dirt beneath nails magic from which olive trees flourish

Fruit oil thick and golden pouring across

Invaders

As they push back the line

Men to make innocent guilty

As though we made our own genocide, mother

They push back the line

Bulldozers rifles missiles white phosphorus massacres and mass graves

They push back the line, mother

Imprisoning the young so they will never grow into warriors

Stones in their hands to stones in our shoes

They sink quick in the sorrows of we who mourn them, mother

They will not make me forget

They cannot silence this tongue

These stories from your womb to my mouth

Interpretation from the movie https://youtu.be/IiWwhij23QM

 

Slam review https://youtu.be/9CtA5g6QGgk

Schedule https://cinemaworld.asia/movie/slam/

- - -

Translated to Filipino by Google Translate

https://youtu.be/IiWwhij23QM

Ina hindi nila ako makakalimutan

Hindi nila maaaring patahimikin ang dila na ito

Ang mga kwentong ito mula sa iyong sinapupunan hanggang sa aking bibig

Ang iyong mga takot at ang iyong mga lakas

Dinadala ko ang iyong mga cell sa aking mga particle

Ang iyong mga atomo sa aking dugo

Ako ay ginawa ng iyong ina

Ikaw at ang iyong displacement

Dahil ang mga tao ay nagtitipon ng paghuhubad ng mga tao sa ilalim ng lupa

Walang pakialam ang paa

Ang dumi ay sagrado

Dumi sa ilalim ng mga kuko

Salamangka kung saan umuunlad ang mga puno ng olibo

Fruit oil makapal at gintong pagbuhos

Mga mananalakay

Habang tinutulak nila pabalik ang linya

Mga lalaki na gumawa ng inosente na nagkasala

Para bang gumawa tayo ng sarili nating genocide, nanay

Ibinalik nila ang linya

Bulldozers rifles missiles white phosphorus massacres at mass graves

Ibinalik nila ang linya, ina

Ikinulong ang mga kabataan upang hindi na sila maging mandirigma

Mga bato sa kanilang mga kamay sa mga bato sa aming mga sapatos

Mabilis silang nahuhulog sa kalungkutan naming nagdadalamhati sa kanila ina

Hindi nila ako makakalimutan

Hindi nila maaaring patahimikin ang dila na ito

Ang mga kwentong ito mula sa iyong sinapupunan hanggang sa aking bibig

 

Bike me to church. Bosoboso Nuestra Senora dela Annunciata

 Whenever we bike, we would set as target destination the Catholic Church.

The physical structure of the edifice tells the era, and the influence. Activities in the vicinity indicate the devotion of the townsfolks to their faith. Marker narrates the church’s historical heritage.

Pedaling about 30 kilometers from Quezon City to the Old Sitio of Bosoboso in Barangay San Jose Antipolo City in a long stretch of ahon and lusong (ascent and descent) for 3 hours, we discovered a quaint beautiful church with historical significance, Nuestra Señora dela Annunciates

Located at a remote mountain range about 3 kilometers from the Marikina-Laguna-Infanta highway, (Marilaque Road), it was built circa 1700 by the Jesuits. Expelled, it was turned over to the Recollect. In 1880, it was destroyed by an earthquake. In 1930, the local folks abandoned the place to give way to a construction of a dam which was eventually abandoned. During the Japanese war in 1943, it was razed by fire restored only in 1993 by the initiative of the residents.

In February 10 2019, the heart relic of St, Camillus de Lellis, patron saint of doctors, health workers and the sick was brought to the parish. Nuestra Senora dela Annuciata is part of the Diocese of Antipolo. (The Camillian fathers operate a seminary in my barangay where I would hear mass outside the gate seeking protection from COVID-19 during the lockdown.)

Today, Old Sitio Bosoboso stands as a sitio with a low population density unlike the other barangays near Antipolo City. I pray that it remains that way, in a quiet and isolated place conducive to escape from the complicated life in the metropolis.

Thankful that I discovered Nuestra Senora, grateful for good health to still bike long distance, I seeded a prayer of gratitude for continued protection.

Returning back home with better familiarity of the terrain, good control on the handle bar, better feel of the gear shifting, stronger and higher level of confidence, we breezed through the ahon and enjoyable lusong.

With the help of 2 young bikers residents of the ace going to Cogeo who offered to pace us, the return was not as difficult. At several points, they were there patiently waiting for us to pass through making our ride back light and pleasant.

Nuestra and St. Camillius quickly answered our prayers.

Bosoboso Bike Run

On a whim Thursday on April Fools day 2022, I was invited to a bike run up to Blue Mountain in Barangay Bagong Nayon Antipolo from QC.

On impulse, we decided to bike all the way East where our stamina and equipment can bring us. A risk for us who have not biked that way before.

I recall our young bike techs who would tune and repair our bikes in Marikina citing every time Bosoboso as a biking destination as if daring us.

That perhaps influenced the whim. We reached Bosoboso and went beyond the convention center. We aimed for a historical landmark, the church which was merely an imagined target. Yet we made it and back without any advanced information and tips except from what the bike techs narrated to us.

At home, needing to know more about what we accomplished, led me to DrewTV’s channel on YouTube featuring his Bosoboso church solo trek.

I enjoyed his coverage. He shows the route from start to finish capturing it in his high definition camera. Broadcast on a HD home theater, it shows in detail the video and audio of the ride from his GoPro camera held stretched in his left arm or from his vest or his handlebar. He talks to you from a perspective of a newbie explorer with a sense of wonder where his plan will bring him “paahon na tayo guys!”. He addresses the newbies giving ratings and recommendations. He is candid, casual and honest about the difficulty of the ahon and lusong “maiksi lang ang recovery” “tumukod tayo” “budol itong ride na ito”. He is fact based “nakaka ilang kilometro na tayo guys” “hingal hingal”.

As an IT practitioner, he maps its out, times it and documents it (in a separate app).

He documents to share the joy of biking to newbies to his Marikina co-bikers and to his social-media fan base, I being a new convert.

Peter Andrew F. knows how to appreciate the outdoors. Count the number of times he says, “ang ganda ng view dito guys.” He enjoys the discovery and the thrill of completion. That perhaps is his appeal, narrating what he likes doing with a sense of wonder, honesty and joy taking pride that he starts from his residence in Marikina.

His Bosoboso feature led me to view all of his other 2020 and 2021 runs which I hope to cover too (North of Metro Manila only).

But his local feature ended in 2022 as we now see him covering in more expensive bike and clothing equipment, in more developed roads in Europe though quite familiar to me but certainly not my home.

Still appreciated though but different when he starts it with the usual, “naguumpisa ako sa aking bahay sa Marikina” and ending it with “dito na po magtatapos ang vlog ko sa bahay ko sa Marikina.”

This comment is long but this is my way of saying, “Salamat. May mga bago akong pupuntahan. At pinadali mo ang aking pananaliksik in high definition sound and color.”

Notes sinulat ng naulan na Martes 5 April sa Kenny Rogers

Nuestra Señora dela Annunciata Church https://youtu.be/RB7QdANvgpQ

Sierra Madre Loop

https://youtu.be/En7RcMdTK-M

 

Coureur. CinemaWorld Movie

On CinemaWorld Coureur, a Belgian film about a teenage boy aspiring to win a race like his father confronting personal relationship and the conduct of a cycling competition

Reveals the substances, behaviours, diet, laboratory tests, techniques, coaching styles, selections happening in a training of young European athletes aspiring to be professional champion cyclists

"When you are just starting to bike, you feel every stroke of the pedal, every pebble, every pothole, every bend until at some point, you won't feel anything anymore"

Entry in the 2019 Rotterdam International Film Festival

https://cinemaworld.asia/movie/coureur/

https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/366496/

Bisita Bikelesia

Advanced Bisita Bikelesia 15 churches on Holy Tuesday usually done on a Holy Thursday

We offer ourselves as an expression of our love and gratitude for suffering and dying for us for our redemption

Acknowledging the almighty

Saying thanks

Asking for forgiveness

Praying for interventions for intentions

1.Our Lady of Pentecost Parish

2. St. Camillius Formation Chapel

3. Congreration of the Passion of Jesus Christ

4. St. Camillius Provinciate Chapel

5. Cenacle Sisters

6. Holy Family Crusade Chapel

7. Sta. Maria Della Strada Parish Church

8. Nuestra Señora dela Paz y Buen Viaje Parish Matandang Balara

9. Parish of the Holy Sacrifice UP Diliman

10. Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Claret

11. Holy Family Parish Kamias

12. Nativity of the Lord Parish Ermin Garcia

13. Parish of St. Joseph Aurora Boulevard

14. Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Project 4

15. Real Monasterio De Sta Clara Katipunan

Kasama ang mga bisitang taga Bacoor, Kubaw, Kamuning

EDSA Myerkules Santo

 Nalusot sa drainage sa tapat ng Megamall

Di naiwasan sa umaapaw na tao sa kalye at bike lane

Pati motor riders bike lane na ang daan sa dami ng sasakyan

Kaya naipit ang likod

Na flat di naman nasemplang

Grabe ang mga bikers na dumadaan nagungumusta nagaalala

Kuya, 'tay bati nila

Sabi ko naman kaya pa

Yun pa lang pagtigil nila ayos na

Nilakad hangang sa Shell para mahanginan

Di kinayanan ng attendant

May singaw daw

Matagal naghihintay kung paano mapapaayos

Pahinga muna o pa charge ng mga ilaw

Hanggang sa . . .

Nilakad na sa Ortigas pabalik sa EDSA para nakauwi na

May anghel na nagpakita tumigil nagalok at inayos ang flat

Russell ang ngalan

Ginamit ang patches at tire repair kit niya

Ayaw magpabayad, tumutulong lang

Taga Corazon San Juan na pauwi na

Nakauwi na din ako

Samantala . . .

Wala ito sa nakitang libo libong tao nagaabang ng sasakyan pauwi mula MOA, Roxas, Taft, Magallanes, Pasay Road, Ayala, Buendia, Guadalupe, Pioneer, Shaw, Mega, Ortigas

Umaapaw, nakapila, nangangarap, umaasa

Lahat pinapara, Grab, habal, taxi, trisikad, bisikleta, UV Express, colorum

Pero karamihan mula alas tres pa naglalakad

May bitbit, may mga bata, naka holding hands

Ika nga, sanay sa mga pagsubok

Makakauwi din pero pagod at sa anong oras

Sa ganitong kalagayan, sana exempted na sila sa pasan at pagdurusa ng mahal na araw

Ang makulay na kwento ko sa EDSA ngayon Mahal ng Myerkules

May konting penitensya ako pero walang wala sa penitensya ng mangagawang pinoy

Bisita Bikelesia Holy Thursday 2022

 Bisita Bikelesia Holy Thursday 2022

Ano ang ambag mo sa paghihirap ni Kristo para sa lamat natin?

Pawis at sakripisyo

At sa kanyang muling pagkabuhay

Mabigyan ng pagasa

Kahit na wala ng resibong ipapakita

"From Death to Life

Jesus Christ, may your death be my life

and in your dying may I learn how to live.

May your struggles be my rest,

Your human weakness my courage,

Your embarrassment my honor,

Your passion my delight,

Your sadness my joy,

in your humiliation may I be exalted.

In a word, may I find all my blessings in your trials."

—St. Peter Faber, SJ, Hearts on Fire

Children's Prayer

"Loving God, we thank and praise you

for all the gifts you have given us.

But in a world of plenty too many people go hungry.

We pray that you may work through us,

so our small acts of love make a big difference

and everyone may have enough to eat."

-Catherine Gorman/CAFOD

16 churches visited traveling 46.2 kilometers in 7 hours (in order of visit)

1. Sacred Heart Parish Barangay Kamuning Quezon City

2. Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral Barangay Immaculate Concepcion Quezon City

3. Diocesan Shrine of Jesus the Divine Word Barangay Kristong Hari Quezon City

4. Minor Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Barangay Mariana Quezon

5. Carmel of St. Therese of the Heart Jesus Barangay Mariana Quezon City

6. Sanctuario del Santo Cristo (Aquinas) Barangay Kabayanan San Juan

7. Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat San Miguel Manila

8. Minor Basilica of San Sebastian Quiapo Manila

9. Santisimo Rosario Chapel (UST) Sampaloc Manila

10. Sta Teresita del Nino Jesus Parish Barangay Sta Teresita Quezon City

11. National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes Barangay Sta. Mesa Heights Quezon City

12. National Shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary (Sto Domingo) Barangay Sta Mesa Heights Quezon City

13. Saint Paul the Apostle Parish Barangay Bagong Handa Quezon City

14. Hearts of Jesus and Mary Barangay West Triangle Quezon City

15. Sta Rita de Cascia Parish Barangay Philam Quezon City

16. San Isidro de Labrador Parish Barangay Piňahan Quezon City