Revisiting Taytay

As you may have known, I always travel back and fort between Diliman and Taytay. Moving around for an average of three hours everyday, three hours of air pollution, traffic, lack of jeepneys, flood, name it. But, being raised in this chaotic-yet-vibrant town, I can't think of leaving or withdrawing permanently from   this place which have molded and shaped my identity. Actually, sometime in April last year, I checked in to a boarding house to reduce my frequent late arrivals in my morning class. Unfortunately, I never finished the boarding contract and decided to leave after a month. The caretaker did not get furious at me, however, I was unable to refund my advance payment. (Too stupid!). Anyway, going back to to my hometown, I think  "homesickness"  played well  which was driven by my childhood memories, the people, the food and of course my family.

For the past years, Taytay has gained a substantial set of stereotypes which include  "the haven of criminals and evils-alike", "the land of the cursed" and "TraPo fanatics".  You might see these things as unpleasant but they are the essential ingredients that make up Taytay's true identity. What I mean is that it is not Taytay if you'll only be boasting the pleasant things it offer, that  Taytay must be introduced as a whole without giving any preference to something pleasurable. 

Allow me so show you some of Taytay's best and worsts portrayals captured in digital lenses that may indulge or depress your visual experience. But before jumping into conclusions, please remember what Agrado used to say in the film Todo Sobre Mi Madre in 2009, 

"Well, as I was saying, it costs a lot to be authentic ma'am. And one can't be stingy with these things becasue YOU ARE MORE AUTHENTIC, THE MORE YOU RESEMBLE WHAT YOU'VE DREAM OF BEING"

The Church on Sky (Christ the King Parish) at Barangay Muzon, source

Taytay Tiangge every Tuesday and Friday

An over-satisfied woman displays her recently-bought collections, source 

Lupang Arenda's future still remains uncertain, source

Investments start pouring in, source

Bantay-salakay, Screenshot from Google Search

The supposed dumpsite is now home to sixty thousand inhabitants, Lupang Arenda  source

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Senator Loren Legarda visits Arenda in 2009, source

Servicing for more than 60 years, this old municipal hall now offices local police station, NBI, Municipal Tourism Council, among others, source

St. John the Baptist Parish, the town's largest Catholic  church

SM City Taytay, the town's first  mall, source