Filipino Stories: Mangosteen and the Masses

A sudden squall sent people scampering for shelter, some huddling under the wide umbrella of the mangosteen vendor, whereas others donned plastic bags on their heads to ward off the raindrops. The mangosteen merchant said, "Bili naman kayo" (Please buy some) and some did. Ah, mangosteen, at 25 pesos (nearly half a US dollar) per half kilo, with its wonderful tart taste and medicinal properties (said to cure cancer), this is quite a steal!

I went home with several kilos.

Photo taken with a Canon Idmk2, 17-40 Canon lens, on a rainy day in Quiapo, Manila.  

RIP Jun Ortiz. Godspeed.

Photo of Jun Ortiz lifted from his Facebook account

It was a beautiful day for a bike ride. It was the middle of May, and though it was a bit warm the air temperature was noticeably cooler than last week, and the overcast clouds umbrella'd us from time to time. Starting out from Greenhills Shopping Center at Ortigas, there were around 50 of us as we rode the May version of the Firefly Brigade's Critical Mass Ride (CMR), a monthly ride meant to promote bicycles. For this ride, most were bicycle veterans, with a few newbies mixed in. We rode the way it should be done, in an orderly fashion, taking the lane when needs be, and threaded between cars and jeepneys as they jammed up at intersections, this being Metro Manila after all.

After 45 minutes, we arrived at Cainta City Hall, where we made our first rest stop. The sun was soaring and warming us up, but it wasn't too bad. We gathered under the shade of an alcove at the City Hall, and the group was in high spirits, as it always is during CMR's. The highlight of the ride was when Firefly Marshal Jun Ortiz pulled out his tablet, along with his unique stand for a group shot. His stand was one of those folding wooden stands that prop up a display plate. After declaring that he might get in trouble with his mom for 'borrowing' the stand, everyone was all smiles as the group photo was taken. Little did we know that it will be the last photo he will ever take.

At this point, we had one mishap. One of the riders took a spill at the entrance of City Hall, caused by a bump on the road. There were minor injuries, and we took advantage of the rest time to cleanse and apply Betadine to the scratches. One of those with us was Jun Ortiz, who was cracking jokes as we made light of the situation. The team has been resting for around 20 minutes now and it was nearly time to move on again before the sun soars too high and bathe us with full sunlight. What happened next was a whirlwind of unrealism.

Jun went to his bike, saying he needed his water bottle to drink his medicine - he complained of a bum stomach earlier. His walk turned into a drunken gait, as his feet wove this way and that until they collapsed and he fell face first onto the sidewalk. Those who saw this were stunned for a few seconds, and then shouted for help. I myself had my back turned, and when I saw Jun prone on the sidewalk, I was rooted where I stood for what seemed an eternity before I rushed to aid him. People were crowding around him so we asked some to pull back to give him breathing room. Some took out their bandannas and began fanning him and providing shade from the sun. We turned him over, and loosened his clothing to make him more comfortable. We saw that he had a large bruise on his left cheekbone, sustained when he fell. His helmet, which he was wearing, took the brunt of the impact. He was barely breathing, with a very weak pulse.

We were 50 meters away from the Cainta Fire Department, and they saw that something was wrong. A medic appeared and took over first aid. Soon a gaggle of first responders were there, along with an ambulance. They checked vital signs with their equipment, the one I remember was a pulse oximeter on Jun's fingertip. In the meantime, we checked Jun;s waist bag for any medications he might be taking, and we saw some diatabs, and a box of Isordil, which is prescribed for cardiac issues. The results must have been not good as they took out an AED, or an Automated External Defibrillator, and applied shock to Jun's heart, to revive it. After this they started CPR. After a few minutes, it was decided to bring him to the Cainta City Hospital, which was 50 meters away, this being in the City Hall compound. There CPR was continued, with better monitoring machines.

To no avail. Jun Ortiz was declared DOA at 8:35 am on May 15, the Year of our Lord 2016. He leaves behind family and friends who grieve for him. Jun was a highly experienced cyclist, who has been to many places on his bike. He is a staunch supporter of  the Firefly Brigade, and truly believes, like many of us, that bicycle use is an elegant solution to many of society's ills and problems, from traffic congestion to health problems. If there is something that Jun wants us to learn from this incident, it is to listen to our body, have periodic checkups and heed medical advise. Cycling - as with any physical endeavor, even walking - is an activity that requires exertion, and it pays to know one's limits and capabilities.

Farewell Jun - from your cycling friends of the Firefly Brigade, we thank you for being a warrior for our cause. Your last act, that of helping heal an injured cycling comrade is a microcosm of how you led your life.  It is a small consolation for us that you fell doing what you most love, though truth be told, we would rather not lose you at all. Please watch over us from up there, we know that you will have your tablet and wooden stand ready to take photos.

Saving Endangered Native Trees: Balling an Antipolo Tree

A walk on our farm in Montalban shows that the area is simply rich in flora of numerous kinds, including an assortment of native trees that are well worth propagating to repopulate our dwindling forests. One of my favorites is the Antipolo tree (Artocarpus blancoi), with its interesting broad leaves and slender trunk. All the Antipolo trees that I have seen have thinnish trunks, and it amazes me that in the old days these trees were used to make dugout canoes. How do you make one? Well one gets a a huge log and then carves out a boat's hull from it, resulting in a seamless vessel that is made out of one piece. So there must have been really big specimens of this tree long ago.

Another interesting fact about this tree stems (pun intended) from its sap. A farmer weary of maya birds eating up his rice plants in the palayan would collect the sap of this tree and boil it down. The result would be a thick sticky natural glue which the farmer would then onto a dried branch and stick it in the ricefield. The maya birds would alight here, and are held fast by the glue. More maya birds will land on the branch, thinking that it is a good place to hang out with their captive buddies and get trapped as well. Pretty soon the branch bows down with the weight of the birds, and the farmer collects them, and dyes their feathers in different colors, place them in individual cages made from woven bamboo and sell them outside the local church the next day. Kids are fascinated by these colorful birds and then egg their parents to buy them, resulting in additional income for the farmer. I have seen these birds for sale when I was young and often wondered why they were of different hues, and thought of Darwin's travels in the Galapagos where he saw similar birds with different plumage, reinforcing his Evolution Theory. But I digress..

Now back to the trees at the farm. All of them are wildlings, meaning that they just sprouted there through natural dispersion. Many grow too close to other big trees, which will stunt their growth. I have always thought of balling these wayward trees and replanting them, so when my good friend Jojo Gutierrez asked if he can have one of these trees to be planted in his garden, I said well, sure! I looked around and saw a good candidate, around 5+ feet tall, and it was too close to a clump of Giant bamboo which will overrun it in time. So with a bolo, a spade, a pick axe and a sack, I was off to ball this tree.

This specimen as said is a little less than 6 feet tall. For reference, the blade of the machete is 2 feet long. It was on a slight slope, and near a clump of Giant bamboo. The soil was dryish and a bit tough, and if I had a choice I would ball this during the rainy season. But that is months away.























Using a pick axe, I inscribed a rough circle 1 meter in diameter. The intent was to dig a small moat around the tree, hopefully to lift a ball of soil encasing the tree's roots.

The Antipolo's roots have a beautiful shade of red, which makes it easy to identify and differentiate from other roots in the soil.

Using a narrow blade spade, I dug up a trench all along the inscribed circle.

The depth of the ball is now 8 to 10 inches, and I'm calling it quits. It was a hot day, and I perspired like crazy. Hey I should have let my friend dig this up!

Using the shovel as a lever, the ball lifts easily. I was careful to sense for any resistance, as this would mean that the main root is still embedded and that I would have to dig more.There was no need, so I thank the Gods, old and new. I have had enough of digging!

The ball was lifted onto a sack carefully. The roots that you see are not those of the Antipolo, but rather from the neighboring bamboo. This gives us an idea of how extensive the bamboo roots travel underground, holding much soil as it does.

Oh, and I trimmed the ball of soil to a more manageable size. I had to carry this a couple of hundred meters, up a slope and through a fence, where a wheelbarrow was waiting.

At last the plant was on the wheelbarrow. Notice the leaves drooping, as the tree goes through all this trauma.

The ball was bathed in water laced with SuperThrive. This agent yields good results with balled and replanted flora, increasing the survival rate.

The ball was sandwiched between two layers of fine river sand. This loose media is quite good for root development, and is said to be 'cool', temperature-wise, for the plant.

The balled tree, now ready for transport to Manila.

It has been several days since this operation, and the tree is now with my friend. He says that the leaves are still drooped, which is quite normal for balled trees. While the leaves are wilted, they are not dead, and that is a good sign, If I were to do this again, I would wait until the rainy season to do this. Or barring that, I would water the plants well a day or two before I ball them. Watch for updates on this tree, I hope it survives.

UPDATE: The tree has been replanted in my friend's yard, and all the leaves drooped and wilted until they were crackly and brown. But the stem was alive as it did not dry up. Hope springs eternal, and nearly a month later, new buds were growing. Just in time for Easter :)