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(even if they soak under the sun)

The milk tea craze hypes the people until now. New milk tea shops can sprout anytime and anywhere. But have you heard of a milk tea shop wherein customer’s line reaches the parking lot? Customers of Taste from the Greens (TFTG) line up even under the hot weather and wait for more than 30 minutes just so they could buy their favorite drinks.

Some students who have tried TFTG several times from Holy Angel University (HAU), Angeles City gave their reviews about their experience:

Samantha Garcia, HAU college student, acknowledged the authenticity of one of TFTG’s best sellers, "they have the most "legit"cream puff compared to other milk tea places, and super generous nila sa mga sangkap nila hindi nila tinitipid and very affordable".

Jesther Capil, an alumna of HAU mentioned his preferred perfect balance of taste, "I love the frappe-ish texture of their milk teas. It's kinda like the perfect balance for me, taste wise. And one last thing, their cream puff, so delicious!!"

However, in spite of being one of the generation’s crazes, some customers commented regarding slow orders and complained how small the place is for them. Capil added, "The shop is quite small. They have only few employees which affects the ordering time which is resulting into long waiting lines."

The main branch of Tastes from the Greens is located at Dolores, City of San Fernando.

Sexual violence is not new in the Philippines. 1 out of 5 children in the country experience sexual harassment daily as stated by UNICEF.  Walking Street Balibago, Angeles City, is well known for its nightlife and party atmosphere. However, it is not just famous for its festive ambiance, it is also known as the place of “entertainment” for locals, mostly and especially for foreigners.

Near the infamous street are some residential areas, where many families grew and businesses flourished. Majority of the residents are employed and have businesses around Walking Street, and some are students. In places such as Balibago, it has become a norm to be sexually harassed by foreigners around the place. Most residents have grown accustomed to the situations; a young college student who requested to keep her identity anonymous described their neighborhood/street as a quiet place however she also said, “kapag lumalabas ako sa street namin, kahit umaga or gabi, hindi naiiwasan yung may mga foreigner na nagtatanong kung magkano ako. Iniisip nila bayaran, hindi ko nalang pinapansin”.

The place is hostile for children and women; robbery, hold upping and catcalling are just some of the heinous situations that happen in the area on a daily basis. “Na-immune na siguro ako, hindi naman kasi pwedeng di ako masanay dahil ganon lagi ang nangyayari tuwing lumalabas” said the young lady.  The number of sexual harassment cases in our country is alarming, and in this area in Balibago, women have come to the point where they are simply ‘used’ to it.

When asked if environment there is healthy for children and women she replied, “Hindi, hindi naman dapat normalized ang ganitong situation. Kasi nattrauma ang mga babae kapag may nambabastos sakanila”. The place is dangerous for girls and young children to walk especially on their own.

When asked why some residents choose to stay at Balibago, the answers are all connected; they all said that because it is a very convenient place to live. But, is all the convenience worth the health and safety?

 Walking street, Balibago, formerly known as Fields Avenue is located in the city that never sleeps, Angeles City, Walking Street is a melting pot of culture; Bars, clubs, restaurants and hotels make up most of the of the area. Despite the closure of the Air Base at Clark, many foreigners still go around to experience the overnight ‘hospitality’.

Bloomed in the 1960’s, Fields Avenue catered to the American soldiers from the Clark Air Base and when the Air Based closed during the early 90’s, Fields avenue adjusted to suit their growing Asian market (Korean and Japanese Business Men). Nine years ago, a section of the Fields Avenue was dubbed as the “Walking Street”, a reference to Thailand’s Pattaya, restricting the passage of cars and other vehicles from 6pm to 6am to give way to tourists and local pedestrians.

Angeles City - The road closure and re-routing for the widening of the Sapang Balen Bridge did not just caused traffic, but also madden the citizens due to delayed announcement.

Road Closure and Re-routing in Angeles, particularly at the portion of Rizal Extension from Mabini St. Corner Rizal Ext. toward San Nicolas Fire Sub-station and Rizal Ext. Corner Sto. Rosario, would be enforced for the widening of the Sapang Balen bridge starting January 16, 2019 (Wednesday), confirmed by enforcer Jayson Gonzales of Angeles City Traffic Department Office (ACTDO).

Several citizens gave negative feedbacks through the Facebook page of City Information Office Angeles City saying that information as important as road closure and re-routing should be announced weeks or days before executing the project. Some gave complaints stating that most traffic enforcers were laid back and not doing anything to those several drivers making road violations. However, no one gave any feedbacks or complaints to the ACTDO enforcers the day before January 18, regarding the road closure, according to Gonzales.