Sikad; Cordova’s Ride to Progress

They say it is the poor man’s taxi, they call it padyak, others call it pedicab, and we call it trisikad or sikad, it has the basic principle of having a three wheel and powered by human. Sikad is the mode of transportation wherever you go within the town of Cordova. For centuries, this has been visible in the town streets witnessing the changes of its landscape and progress. This human powered vehicle has been the partner of Cordovanhons in their daily lives, whether going to the public market or going to the schools or simply going to Day-as to witness the beautiful sunset and the view of Metro Cebu skyline.
The trisikad can be found everywhere in the country even in highly urbanized cities like Metro Manila but what makes the Cordova sikad different from others? While it may look comfortable, colorful, stable and safe as others do, Cordova sikad is powered by Cordovanhons who dreamed to have a better future. This people work hard to reach their goals and ambitions in life. They believed in their own selves to succeed and did not submit to other people to decide on what kind of future they wanted to have.
Noregim Goncer Degamo is a third year college student taking Bachelor in Teaching Secondary Education with majors in Biological Science. He comes from a family of six. His father died when he was still seven years old, his mother earns by picking sea cucumbers and selling it to the town’s public market. Their income is not sufficient to feed the whole family neither to sent one in college. However, Ronald never lost hope, when he reached on the sixth grade he applied for assistance and passed as a supported child by the ALLOUETTE FOUNDATION, a France based NGO who advocated child support especially to the indigent but deserving school children. On his first year in High School he took the Alternative Learning System examination. He passed and was accelerated to first year in college. He decided to get a degree in Teaching Education and enrolled in Cordova Public College. He never misses his classes and always participates in school activities, even in town. Just to earn money for food and his allowance, he drives trisikad going to school picking some passengers along the way at the same time he sells ice candy in campus, after his class he drives his three- wheeled service again bringing some students who wanted to go home. He often parks at the public market during the night waiting for passengers. He never quits, instead he is always positive that when he graduates, become a teacher and earned enough money, he will help his mother and his older siblings. He always believes that everyone should work so that God will help. According to him if people will not work for their future nothing will happen in their lives but the same as what it is and it will be forever. Noregim is just one of the many Cordovahanons who airs the same story. This hardworking young people in their trisikads are the symbol of hope for the town, an envy to other who has all the luxury but failed to neither help nor inspire others to succeed and make their home town proud.
Many foreign tourists were amazed with the ingenuity of Cordovanhons, their smile and brand of hospitality excelled and incomparable to others but one cannot over look when entering the town seeing many locals using their sikad not only for transporting people but also for their small businesses like selling bread, friend chicken, rice porridge, ripe bananas. Likewise, for enjoyment and past time on weekends they have a sikad race. They even accessorized their trisikads with colored cloths with authentic designs and speakers just to catch people’s attention. This might be very simple entrepreneurial acts but indeed this makes the towns economy more vibrant and with the help of this hardworking young people like Noregim who wants to be better and determined to reach their goals, everything is possible. Truly, the poor man’s taxi promises hope to Cordovanhons giving them smooth ride to progress.

KUNG FO FIGHTING; a night to remember

It was a wonderful Tuesday evening then when Dr. Mary Ann Dimabayao, one of the distinguished Professors in Humanities at Cordova Public College asked us to prepare a fitness presentation to be performed during the closing ceremony of our 2 days Intramural. I’ve been absent for a couple of days because of my work and my civic activities that requires my attention and presence that’s why I’m a bit behind with what the class had discussed the meetings before.

The class was divided into two groups; I was assigned at the first group. This had turned us to decide on what to perform. There are lots of fitness exercises but the question is “With the limited time to practice, which type of exercise to be presented would be appropriate for us?” We have two options Taebo and Zumba but if we choose the Zumba, most of the members are no good dancers. We came to decide and at last we had chosen Taebo basic.

The limited time we had was a challenge, I drop by to the nearest internet café and ask the attendant to have a video on Taebo downloaded and put in CD. Seems everyone and everything is cooperating, we decided to have our practice in my place. I brought my dvd player and TV set outside the house and we watch the moves. I ask everyone to memorize at least one step. My idea proves to be working, as we go along with our practice, we were able to have the steps to perform, it’s not easy for an amateur to memorize everything but with every members memory is contributing every step has been executed.

THE CHALLENGE

Intramural has been fast approaching, after our first practice, we barely practiced again. Everyone is busy with our midterm examinations. Some also are working with other school requirements not to mention, looking for money to pay for the tuition fee. We have to admit that most of us have a very tight budget and with the activities coming, our parents and guardians were not able to breathe with the horrible dues to pay. Time passed by fast and some of us now got hysterical. The group two is doing well with their Zumba presentation but some of the members of the first group wanted to transfer to 2nd group. Good thing is when Dr. Dimabayao saw some of us show unfit in each group where they belong. She decided to swap, just to make each member comfortable in performing. Those who are not born to be dancers have to be transferred to Taebo and the rest will be at the 2nd group.

Meanwhile, while everyone is busy preparing for the intramural games, we’ve been having a hard time also thinking on what twist we are going to do just to make our Taebo presentation not boring. I and Erdy decided to change the music but still we have to retain the steps. I suggested one but it’s not in timing with our moves, I just live it to the group to think which the best thing to do, then the KUNG FO FIGHTING music was decided to be used, very nice and alive to hear. This has even made as more excited.



THE JUDGEMENT NIGHT

The opening ceremony of the intramural has been successful, I was even chosen to be the host of the event, the HRM department was doing well also and the events are well participated by the students. I am already hysterical because while I’m doing some requirements for our Business Math class too, we are also having a hard time to have our final practice, the much awaited night has come, after the Pinoy Games, we are now asked to move forward to the middle of the court to perform the Taebo. Professor Dimabayao announced first her criteria for grading. This is our finals not just an ordinary final presentation but the basis for our grade in Humanities Class
(Personality Development Course). I was tasked to give the introduction and at the end of my speech the music KUNG FO FIGHTING starts.

THE COURSE LESSONS

The night’s performance was well appreciated by the audience; we heard the loud applause by them but we did not expect it. Even our friends at the bench did not expect it too. It’s not easy to please people, some says rude words to a performance, some will not appreciate efforts but most of the time it is us who decide on how people see us. It is us who will make what image we will project to everyone. Yes, were doing the Taebo, a kind of exercise for our body, for our health that’s what the audience might had came up but to me and the rest of my group mates, my classmates for this semester its different. It teaches us lessons on how we deal life for real, it teaches us how to deal each group member, how we address the problems we encountered on the days of our preparations, how to be creative, how to stand with our weaknesses, how to work with our mistakes. Life is like that and that’s the true exercise.