Perception of a Dweller.

 I use to wake up as the sun peer down on my window. Heading straight to the bathroom is always the first task every morning. Take a bath, brush my teeth and prepare to school. Then I will have my breakfast.  It happens everyday that it sucks, but well, that’s the thing called “routine.” But a good thing every morning is the huge and old trees here in my hometown particularly in my barangay (a division of small community inside a town). It is aligned beside the roads which give shade if the sun was up. I really love to see those things because it is very rare to see trees that existed for ages in a big city like Biñan. I love how they preserve trees and the pleasure I feel, every time I see them. The school is good too because they planted trees, different kinds of them. And surprisingly I just recognize a Mahogany tree few weeks ago, and if mom did not tell me that that one is a mahogany I can never tell at all. Maybe I do not have such data on trees especially their look.   But it gives me a pinch of joy and happiness that these creations of God still exist and I appreciate how the people preserve that. Aside from these trees, Biñan is also famous about the old houses stood for a long time ago. Particularly Jose Rizal’s mothers’ house. It’s still standing there at the plaza with its red roof and kapis windows reflecting the old life of yesterday. Not far away from the house of his mother, stood the house of his uncle. From the plaza you will walk straight forward and will see the public market beside the Church. 
Lots of side walk vendors are there who sell different kinds of merchandise. As you go along you will see a terminal called timbao-loma, its name came from the two destination places, the Barangay Timbao which is my place and Barangay Loma which is the next Barangay. There, at the exact place of the terminal is the house of Rizal’s uncle. People say that Jose Rizal lived there also. I don’t know if that is true. This house is still taken care of and preserve until now.

Not so far away from Biñan is the city of Sta. Rosa. It is a productive and progressive town. As I go there I use to see a lot of cars, subdivisions, commercial places and attractions. But somehow it’s kind of very noisy. Has a little time or maybe place for peace, for life’s appreciation. We people are very pressure to be successful but its good also to have some relaxed feeling with the nature sometime. Maybe they lack attention for nature works, planting trees and minimizing the commercial establishments. Let’s set aside the works and pressures sometime and find peace with the environment.

How to go to Biñan from Manila:

-Go to Buendia and find the bus terminal.

 -All busses have a plaque card which indicates their destinations. Ride the bus with a card that says Biñan.

-The trip may last more or less an hour with a fare of Php47.00

-The bus will stop at Olivarez, where you have to climb down and find a jeep with a plaque card says Biñan also with a fare of Php 8.00…

-or you can choose to ride a tricycle and say to Manong Driver the magic words; “Bayan” and he will bring you exactly to the plaza. There, you will find the church; San Isidro Labrador Parish, the old municipal hall and Rizal Monument.

Tip: Don’t ever ask Manong Driver how much; just give him Php7.00 no more no less.