Ever since I was a girl wearing pigtails in the morning and pajamas at night, I have lived in the north of Metro Manila — Bulacan. I am proud to be called a “prom-di” (from the province) girl because there’s a certain characteristic attached to that word that makes me unique. Since I have lived almost 16 years of my life in the province, thinking of what feels like living in Metro Manila when college would come always makes me excited and thrilled. Since I am a girl from the province, there’s always this magical thought attached to Metro Manila whenever I think about it. Now that I am a freshman in college and currently living in a townhouse somewhere in Quezon City, I have concluded that Metro Manila has deceived me.
Living in the environment of Metro Manila means having to deal with pollution. Since I commute to and from school everyday, I get to experience Quezon City’s exotic air filled with smoke and dirt. Fresh air seems nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, traffic situations in Metro Manila is terrible! I’ve always thought that people who complain about Manila traffic are just overreacting. But I stand corrected when I myself experienced the everyday Katipunan traffic situation. From where I stay, it should only take me around 10 minutes to commute to UP but due to the dreadful volume of vehicles, it takes me 45 minutes before I get to the university. Morever, what I noticed about Metro Manila was that evening is as alive as in morning. It’s surprising to see a lot of people still walking along the streets at 8 in the evening. The stores’ and shops’ signages are still luminous until 10 in the evening or even later. But what truly makes Metro Manila different is my companion. I only live alone with a help in one house. Some nights, I suffer from separation anxiety because I miss the company and the care of my parents, my sister, my grandmother and my aunt.
Bulacan is truly my safe haven. The environment there is really light and unpolluted. Fresh air can certainly be felt here since in almost every town, there are farms present, although some of the towns are starting to get commercialized as infrastructures and malls continue to flourish. Moreover, what I like about Bulacan is that there is little to no traffic. Traffic usually occurs only when there are road repairs or vehicle accidents, which happens rarely. Meanwhile, Bulacan at night is indeed peaceful like no other. At around in the 8 evening, almost no one strolls along the streets. Stores and malls usually close at 9 in the evening, except for those night bars and 24-hour convenience stores. The province can only be noisy at night if it’s that time of the year and it’s your neighbor’s birthday. This means that he will be renting a karaoke for him and his friends to sing all night long. Bulacan is a place like no other because I’ve got my family right here. Here, we are complete and I feel safe and secure whenever I’m with them. Nothing beats the companion of the whole family. The simple smell of my grandmother’s sinigang and the long but meaningful conversations at the dinner table are what makes me home.
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