the 1 centavo and other lapuy memories

i didn't know we still had a one centavo coin in the philippines so i kept only one when the cashier from the grocery gave me 7 of those. last time i checked, the 1 centavo coin was silver and squarish, and that was 20 years ago. i even remember the 5 and 10 centavo coins could still buy me a safari, the cheapest junk food back in the early 90's. just recently, my mother asked me before going to work, "Do you still have enough money?" i said "yes pero puro lapuy" referring to the 5 and 10 cents that sm gave me as change. i was surprised at my answer that even after 20+ years, i still called it the same way i did back when i was a kid. i realized only just today that the name originated from Lapu-Lapu who was a main 1 sentimo fixture. i laughed at the thought of having all these crazy kid stuff come to mind, and some made sense.

back in the days, i remember our school having one long sink with 20 faucets tilted sidewards, 10 on each side that served as a drinking fountain for students. i remember drinking from the only faucet that remained useful, and stopped after seeing the dog licking the faucet itself. i didn't hear anybody who got sick after drinking from that same faucet anyway.

my other school made each section compete over the most clean room from grades 1-6 then 1st-4th year high school. everyone worked their asses off while making the floor shiny and dust free. the coveted prize was a worn-out banner and bragging rights as the principal announced the winner during flag ceremony. now i realize that even back then, i was already overworked and underpaid. sheeesh.

even back then, i realized how to be discriminated and "name valued" (if there's such) all at the same time. my father worked as a curator at the third floor of the building where there were rehearsals for some play being conducted that day. thinking that i was only an usi, the guy immediately dismissed me and thought of me as someone who only wanted to watch the play for free. i cried because he didn't listen to me at all, i sat in the stairs outside the door he was guarding when someone noticed me crying, when i looked up, it was the secretary of a nearby office who knew me. the lady approached the guy and told him how he would be sorry to have not let me in because i was so and so's daughter.

an elementary student, i was always surrounded with college students because we played at their building while waiting for papa. there were these three guys who had long kinky hair and tattoos all over their arms, they had metal bracelets and goatees. rumor was that the guys had a hard time hailing a trycicle driver because they thought of them as murderers and ill-mannered people. nowadays, the anong-paki-mo-sa-long-hair-ko sort of thing is sooo in.

funny thoughts a 1 centavo coin could bring back. hope we also bring back it's value.