During the departure meeting of the members of Palau Chess Team, GMA News reporter Bernadette Carreon, former Palau Horizon reporter, took this photo for posting in her "Pinays To Represent Palau In Norway Chess Olympiad" report that was published/broadcasted a day earlier. The members (without Gladys Anne Paloma and Destiny Sisior) are from left, standing, CM Bernardo Garcia, NM Roberto Hernandez, NM Cyril Tomas Montel, Jr., PCF President Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps, Dennis Gonzales and Jeffrey Balbalosa. Sitting (left to right), Angelica Parrado, Baby Edna Mission and Joy Flores Whipps. (Photo by Eric Ksau Surangel Whipps-Taken by Bernadette Carreon)
PALAU CHESS TEAM TRIP TO MANILA
TO GET SCHENGEN VISA - July 15, 2014
ON JULY 15, 2014 at 2pm, all members of Palau Chess Team to 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway had a meeting about their 8:55pm trip to Manila to get Schengen visa (Norway -Type C for short stay).
Bernadette Carreon, former Palau Horizon reporter, had a short interview of the team members and took some photos for her featured article that was broadcasted/published at GMA News - Pinoy Abroad.
At 5:50, Roberto left for airport in Palau Royal Resort service vehicle. All the other 7 members were there already. All of them are wearing Palau Chess Federation t-shirts as agreed because there will be photo session before leaving.
Roberto's t-shirt is way under his luggage and just get the jacket that's part of their uniform in the 2012 World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey.
The flight was delayed for 2 hours. They have photo session after checking in their luggage.
Some shots were taken by Peter Erick Magbanua, who asked for our photos in Norway to be emailed to him so that it will be published and Palau will be updated in the development there.
Joy Flores Whipps, 2nd from right, join in the photo session, this time, she is looking at the photographer.
Eric Ksau Whipps, right, joined in the last 2 photos, with the Palau flag on Roberto's jacket now visible.
While sitting inside the plane, Roberto got a call from Norberto Singian asking if the flight will go ahead even with typhoon signal in Philippines. Roberto said he's already in the plane but the flight is delayed by 2 hours.
It takes 45 minutes inside the plane before the lift off. When there is strong winds, everybody can feel the 'shaking' of the plane.
It's past 12 midnight when the plane landed with heavy rain delaying some transportation. Jeff asked one taxi driver and asked how much is the fare to Quezon City. He was charged $70.00! He didn't bite it.
Roberto tried to text Mark Limpios to get the package from Norberto. But his cellphone is not working. A taxi driver offered to call Mark on his cellphone and while Roberto and Mark are talking, they are in front of each other because Mark was there following Roberto but because he's not sure if he's really Roberto, he just waited for the call and instruction of where he is.
Roberto asked that taxi driver how much is the fare to Muntinlupa. He looked at the list and it's P2,100.00 (or more than $50.00). It's too much for Roberto. He just gave the taxi driver P50.00 for using his phone.
Roberto asked for fare in the 2nd booth, it's P1,750.00. It's still too much. The next one is only $650.00 but they don't have a unit available as it's raining hard and some units can't go back immediately.
The dispatcher asked Roberto to try others at the other side. The first one there offered $850.00 flat rate. Roberto like metered taxi and she showed Roberto the many available metered taxis.
He's off in just 3 minutes. The driver, upon knowing that Roberto is from Palau, said that he's got one Palauan passenger before that he talk in Tagalog because he said he looked like a Filipino -- same skin and same body build.
They have a very nice conversation mostly about Palau and chess. Roberto paid the P34.00 toll gate fee so that they can avoid traffic.
When they reached their destination, the meter only shows P370.00 or more than $8.00! Roberto makes it exactly P500.00 as he usually do whenever he takes a metered taxi. In July 2013, he and his wife paid P400.00 where their metered taxi showed only P290.00.
I have a late supper at 1:00am. When I am about to sleep at 2am, the power went off. It went on again for 2 seconds and out again until the next 3 days.
It's a very strong typhoon. I can hear some tin roofs flying and some objects hitting the roof of the house.
The sound of the wind at the window is like the sound of the airplane that took off for Manila flight.
When I wake up at 10am, many neighbors are fixing the damage of the 4-hour typhoon. I prepare to go to town to recharge my cellphone and to buy SIM card to replace my old one that expired months ago.
There are many fallen trees and electric posts on my way to Starmall. It's 10:30 then. The mall will open at 11:00am according to the sign at the door.
While waiting, I read the Monday's edition of Tia Belau where in my Chessmate column, it features the Palau Chess Team. It's entitled "Norway Here We Come!"
It's 11am and still not open. The Jollibee is already open since 10am. I asked the security guard what time the mall will open. He said they will be late because of typhoon and maybe after lunch time.
I proceed to Liana's Department Store. Only the Supermarket is open and no air con. The store's big signs have fallen. Almost 3/4 of them with those junks being guarded closely by guards because many young scavengers (boys and girls) are trying to get as many as they can get to sell for cash.
I will come back after lunch. Buy 4 kinds of viands and a bunch of bananas --P40.00 for 1 kilo. In Palau, only 4 pieces for P40.00 worth of bananas. I also buy 6 pieces of ripe mangoes for P60.00 or less than $1.50. In Palau, it's $1.50/piece.
I go back to Starmall and bought a SIM card worth P40.00 and a load of P50.00 to the same store where I bought my cellphone last year. The battery of my cellphone is almost zero. The line in the charging station is very long. It takes 30 minutes for 1 cellphone to be charged for P5.00. It will take me 2 hours if I will fall in line.
Somebody told me that there is another charging station after the Mercury Drug store. When I go there, it's just a booth and they charge cellphones if you brought the charger and they charge P25.00.
I brought my charger so I let them charge my cellphone while I do some shopping. I bought a luggage bag and a carry-on bag for P1,600.00 for those 2 pieces. I just get a receipt and will take it when I go home.
I go back to the charging station and it's still long line because the whole town have no power. I have to go to Petron Mega Plaza in Makati to buy travel insurance for getting Schengen visa.
I asked the young lady who is charging my phone that I need it because I have to go somewhere. It's only halfway charged. I took an air con bus and reach the building at exactly 2pm.
The guards there told me that the Royal Norwegian Embassy on the 21st floor is closed today because of typhoon. I asked about the Standard Insurance Corporation at 28th floor and they said it is also closed. They will be open tomorrow at 8am. They also said that the rest of Palau Chess team have been there in the morning.
I go back to the Starmall and asked the young saleslady if she can continue to charge my cellphone without extra charge. She said it's okay.
I have some snacks and shopped a little - soymilk, cracker nuts, and sour sop. Long line at the counter. 30 minutes for that 4 pieces of food stuff.
While walking on my way home, I saw some guys playing chess. I changed my clothes and watched them play. Good potential for mostly older players. I told them I have chess clock if they want to play with clock. They refused.
They asked me to play and I played 2 games against 2 different players. One is a neighbor, who recognizes me as the one who played their piano in 2011 with his parents watching. He said the piano is not there anymore as his mom moved to farther place.
I won over him and also won over the 2nd one who is the owner of the house where we are playing near their garage. When it started to rain, we move a little closer inside. The 3rd game was cancelled because it's getting dark. We just tell stories about chess, Norway Olympiad, Eugene Torre and many more about different places in Philippines.
Source: History of Chess In Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
July 2014
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