I’ve spent 5 or 6 Christmases in Manila. I’m used to seeing the provincial bus lines fill up as tens of thousands, it seems, head out of the National Capital Region to spend the week between Christmas and New Years in the province. Manila gets eerily quiet, actually.

So this year I’m in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. And I thought, wow, everybody will be headed TOWARD me, not away from me.

Wrong.

We’re left with practically no help for a few days. When you’re already in the province, your help (when they visit family) just goes deeper into the province.