some clean CRs in the City

I was supposed to publish this more than a week ago, but I got sick. Anyway, by this time, many Calbayognons are quite familiar with the new Calbayog landmark which is the Rawis Fair Market.

As the name of the place implies, there are stores in the area. What makes the place "extra" attractive is the presence of clean comfort rooms (or rest rooms). There are at least three in the area and I would like to feature one of the two located near the activity/program/stage area.

No description needed as to how clean these rest rooms are. And yes, they don't stink, the toilet bowls have flushes that really flush, and there is soap in the soap dish. One has to provided with his own toilet paper though. Considering all these, the 3-peso fee is not that bad at all. and yes, let's hope the management will be able to keep it that way in the many years to come.

when Umbria Street got clogged

Patron na man ada? Last Monday it happened, as far as I can remember it was the first time I saw Umbria Street clogged with vehicles and people. Traffic was rerouted as some streets along or leading to Gomez Street were closed for the night's activity at the Nijaga Park.

While some may frown on it, I appreciate the presence of police and military personnel in the activity areas. Sometimes you have to take some unconventional measures (if you call military and police guarding crowded places as such) if only to ensure a peaceful celebration. And I think they are succeeding, it's 3 days to the City Fiesta and no casualties as of yet.

the changing face of Magsaysay Boulevard

Thanks to OLPHI and the Crown Building, the face of Magsaysay Boulevard is changing. For those who have been out of Calbayog for so long, OLPHI is within the Christ the King College Campus on the ground where old-timers used to play soccer (or is it football?).

Also worth noting is the Crown building where its biggest tenant is GLOBE Telecom. On the corner of Magsaysay Boulevard and Rueda Street is Mercury Drug (yup, one of the only two establishment in the city that accepts credit cards. But sorry, no American Express please)


It's truly nice to see business establishments make the area busy. But then, there are old habits that do not go off just easily. Some Calbayognons still dry shirts on the "center island" like this one (in this case, a shirt printing establishment):