Sunday, July 27, 2003, was no ordinary Sunday for the Central Business District of Makati City.
While the Ayala Center is usually full of shoppers every Sunday, yesterday was different. The streets in Salcedo and Legaspi Village were almost deserted. The families who shop and dine at the restaurants in Glorietta and Greenbelt were replaced by hundreds of Armed Men from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the rowdy members of the Philippine Press. Armored vehicles, tanks and six-by-six trucks replaced the cars that were usually parked around these shopping centers.
I wake up very early that Sunday morning. Bobby, my landlord who just joined the ranks of the Philippine National Police, woke us up saying there is a coup going on and the rebels have already occupied some portions of Makati. It was 4 am, two hours earlier than my scheduled waking up time every Sunday. I went down and joined Bobby in watching the developments on TV. By 6 am, Paolo Baron, our drummer for the Praise Band of the Union Church of Manila (UCM), sent a text message that with or without the coup, we will go to Church.
By 7 am, I left for our Church only to find out that all entry going to our church were blocked. I was left with no choice but to walk from the corner of Buendia and Ayala, to UCM. Our church is located in at the corner of Legaspi and Rada Streets in Legaspi Village, a five-minute walk to Oakwood Condominium where the siege took place. I was surprised to find out that even with the crisis, all members of our Praise Band (including the expats) were present except for Karen Kelly, Press Attaché of the US Embassy in Manila, who was asked by her boss to report to the embassy at 3 am.
While practicing for our songs, the lines of the song suddenly became very meaningful for all of us. Our songs are already prepared a week before, but their meaning were very appropriate for the moment. Even with half of the regular attendees were present (surprisingly majority of them are foreigners), we started the service on time at 8:45. We opened it with a song with a line that goes:
For all those things that we don't understand
We come by faith and place them in Your hands
And close with another song singing:
I'm so secure
You're here with me
You're still the same
You're love remains
Here in my Heart
So close I believe
You're holding me now
In Your hands I belong
You never let me go
Right after the service, my aunt and I decided to take the taxi along Paseo de Roxas only to find out that it was already cordoned off by hundreds military personnel. We still manage to hire a cab and Ate Ping, my aunts friend, still managed to make usyuso with the military guys in greenbelt.
After going to the groceries, we went straight to my Aunt's condo unit along Taft. In the evening, I still was able to go out and have gimik with friend Jojo in Aurora Boulevard where in order to get there I have to pass by Edsa Shrine and Camp Aguinaldo.
I was indeed an unusual Sunday. While a crisis is going on, everybody is trying to make it appears that there is business as usual. Very unusual indeed.
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