...pagsabog sa harap ng munoz city hall...at sa naabong pangarap...

as expected the busiest avenues in the science city of munoz a day before the new year were the market, the fruit stalls, the friendship mall, the baratillo, peryaan, rides,food stalls on their new area-the alternative route beside the san sebastian school (baste) going to catalanacan and of course the firecracker stalls in front of the city hall (from end to end) occupying the whole stretch of the lane going to san jose city.

in the afternoon, everyone was rushing hoping to get the best fruits, the most presentable present to his/her love ones, the most delicious delicacies, the most appropriate apparel with tiger like stains or torquise color and the most explosive firecrackers. everybody was preparing to get the most to welcome the year of the tiger, 2010.

the day was so serene, the sky did not allowed the clouds to file up. though before 2 pm there was small rain showers...i don't know but as if it was a premonition..

before four o'clock i heard and saw several explosions in the sky. i told to myself, it was the firecracker stalls in front of the city hall. seconds after, everyone was rushing not because of the fruits, presents, delicacies, and apparel but because of the firecrackers. everybody was so concern with his/her life.

i tried to contact my wife and my daughter. i would like to verify if they were at home. the line was busy.. so i ran from friendship to our house...i went against the flow of the people...they were heading towards the south...thanks God they were there sound and safe. then i went to our store in the market..going there i saw rena and sheng our colleagues, running... so everyone in the house was safe. finally went to the city hall. i took my cellphone and took video.





several minutes after, i saw the remnants of the early accidental revelry... two rushing ambulance carrying injured persons, a tricycle carrying a victims, three burning tricycles, two totally burned honda waves, a mio, an xlt or kc, a van, confused and anxiuos individuals hopeless vendors, kibitzers and the dead body of an old man, a firecrackers vendor ......burned together with all these were the hopes of those who tried to augment income from selling firecrackers..






while the burning and explosions continues, i saw the hopeless faces of the hopefuls... i heard loud cries,


then text messages came... my friends were verifying the incident...
i rushed to the center, i witnessed several victims with many bruises. i saw a man wearing police uniform with the nueva ecija police logo... a man wearing blue shorts and white sando, a very nervous lady in her early 20's, and some kids.





a day after, i went again in the area, i met and talked to a teacher from the deped clsu whom i forget the first name but i know i knew her. she told me that mr. nuque, a very responsible father who has disability passed away because of the wounds and injuries he sustained from the explosions and stampede.
"kasama ang kuya ko sa mga namatay." i felt what she was feeling at that very moment...i know that his brother just wanted to get additional income...