User:Mackie4313
Baguio City, Philippines'
User Name: Mackie, when I was in college they call me mackie, after college I went to work at the Mines (Balatoc) were I was raised, my chapa no. is 4313, that's were I get my user name. My schoolmates and childhood friends call me "Thick boy", I live at BH 2A, ROOM 1.
My birth place "Baguio City (General Hospital)" REF: <<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itogon,_Benguet>>
The City that was surrounded by Big Mining firms and one of them was Balatoc Mines which was Benguet Consolidated Incorporated or BCI and then became Benguet Corporation, this mining co. existed even before world war II and in fact was taken over by the Japanese during their occupation. I remember very well during my stay in the mines, lathe machines were world war II lathe machines, including those of drilling equipments, only a few equipment were then replace with new onces.
BALATOC MINES http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benguet
Balatoc View
I Spend 31 years, growing up on this Mines site, I attended primary up to 6th grade at Balatoc Elementary School which was integrated part of Saint Louis University in Baguio City. Balatoc Mines was the center of ... civilization eh ... of Benguet that is besides Baguio City off course, the fact that it was the biggest mines than Philex Mines. The economic revenue of both mines were benefiting not only the province of Benguet and Baguio City, but also the Philippines, I've worked 12 years under Technical Services Group, which comprises of 3 different department, Mechanical & Power Plant, Electrical and Drain tunnel shop support services. My former boss back then was Mr. Alex Pearson, then Engr. De Guzman.
Gold the main product, as well as Silver and copper as minor.
Saint Louis High School Virac
My four (4) years of High School, the best and the worst in terms of relationship between the Student and the Teachers, although High school is fun and one of the best years in my life to be honest. I remember riding a bus "Dangwa Bus" and hang on the side bars all the way to Virac High School, which we do most of the time, cause we don't have enough Bus to get us to school on time, and it's always full, otherwise we have to hike.
At the end of the school, after class we go home by (Hiking) running to the top of the mountain and down to the Keymen's houses which has a shorter distance instead of using the street which is 3 times longer, and you'll end up on the Keymen's Cottage over looking Balatoc Mines and the popular Bunkhouses. Bunkhouses parallel to each others were Bunkhouse 10, 9, 8, 7, and across the street Bunkhouse 4, 5, 6 and (gap) 3, Bunkhouse 2a is facing the street right in front of the playground and a Hospital Clinic.
Hospital Clinic Balatoc
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Rd going up to Acupan
At the Hospital Clinic, there is a guy we call Mang Joe, or if he is not listening, we call him "Bakla" (^^), it's not to be offensive but I think he like it too, we make fun of em, but I don't think that's being prejudice, he knows we are just teasing em, and we have 2 MD "Doctors", Jamie De Leon and Isagani Cruz, Dentist was Dr. Cardinas, we also have Nurses that comes and go, like Ulao, Fernandez, Mrs. Gonzales and many more. I remember taking Ascorbic acid, and aspirin for my flu every time i am diagnosis with flu like symptom. Mang Joe goes "(dowa kada upat nga uras aging gana maibus" " maysa nga basit, ken maysa a dakel" lol, ain't forgetting much of my Ilocano.
Balatoc Mines Ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benguet Ref:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QImaeZQ45eE
Clinic Balatoc.jpg </gallery> is a home for several hundreds or even thousands of white collar jobs and support technical job for both extended mines Acupan and Antamok Mines, with a total of at least five thousand employees, most of them Miners. The most games and/or activities were Basketball Volleyball and bowling tournament, Softball was also played as well when i was a bit younger, I remember that during Independence day, we celebrate the day with "Canao" pronounced(can-yao), butchering at least 3 to 5 cows to feed all those that can come, with a very long line, sweating under the sun waiting patiently to get closer until finally they'll just dump your meat in your container or whatever kind of container you might have, your lucky if you have a big container, the bigger the better and sorry if you can't find any bigger than the your regular plate "Ping-gan".
Christmas and New Year is one of those celebrated event in the Mines, parties, games and foods but there is one of the longest celebration or event that happened every year, this event have the representation of every Bunkhouses, we call it "Santa Cruzan" or "Santa Cruz de Mayo" which translate that to Saint Cruz of May, and this won't just be finished in a day but weeks. You can hear the song every night the same song over and over at night for almost a month, with a crowned queen accompanied by escort with lighted candles on their hand parading from BH-3a to Forestry (this is a Bunkhouse close to the Elementary School.) which is about 2 km for a 4 km turn around.
(unfinished)
UNION:
BEWU-PAFLU: "Benguet workers union" (Philippine association of federal labor Union) the main labor forces that had been the backbone of the labor force, the only Union at the time negotiating with the company for the benefit of the Union or the laborers. In the early 1980 other Union rivals like NAFLU, NAMAWU came into the open to challenge the existing Union although NAMAWU have been challenging BEWU PAFLU for a while, they can never penetrate the strength of this current union, until the last election of officers which changes the history of Labor Union and in the future of the mines.
LABOR UNION CHANGED *My Life*: I strongly believed that the downfall of BEWU-PAFLU have something to do with the current officer of this union, at that time I was a Board of Director of this Union, during the negotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, in front of "back then he was the Labor Department Secretary of the Philippines" Ople, I refused to sign what was then the CBA that have been compromised, the President and most of the officer threaten me when I walked out the door, (naluto) between the Company rep and the (4)Union officer with out the knowledge of the board of director. I was followed suite by some of BOD (Board of Director) from Antamok and Acupan, which was fortunate, cause it was totally out of what we have agreed previously. I was the youngest and the most aggressive and most of them are veterans of this Union Organization, Mr Dugoy the President was furious same with the treasurer and the Vice President.
TURNCOAT:
I was so frustrated and angry about the threat, that I turn to another Union organization "NAFLU" officers and told them what transpired during the negotiation, and that become the proof of the corrupt and inept negotiation, (no wonder, it takes so long to upgrade the living condition of the Miners and Laborers of this mines.). I hate to be a traitor but when it comes to helping the very condition of the miners and laborers, I'll do everything to keep my promised, I was elected to help them and to represent them. I guess this was my first political career involvement. I learned later that the Pres., the vice pres, secretary and the most important position the treasurer, were being paid in cash even before the negotiation take place.
LEAVING THE MINES: It was so sad that when i left the company, the company labor force was still struggling even when NAFLU took over the Union, there was a little bit of improvement though but not to my expectation. NAFLU was considered under the umbrella of the left by the Government during the Marcos administration.
......( (to be continued soon <<abe macalino>>) )