24 CEMEX+ME 1st Half of 2004 /MANILA, PHILIPPINES overtime pay. “Ang (CEMEX) Palitada King mas matipid at mas matibay…di mapapagod ang trabahente… hindi paulit-ulit ang trabaho,” Mang Rolly claims. “Kung minsan kasi, naiinis na ‘yung mason dahil, minsan … di lang limang beses matutuklap (ang semento)… ‘Pag-plaster mo, ilang minuto lang, matutuklap na. Iyon ang problema… ‘Yung mason, kamot na lang sa ulo dahil napipikon na. Kaya nga, sabi ko (kay Engr. Bañares), sana (CEMEX) Palitada King na ang gamitin natin (CEMEX Palitada King is stronger and more economical… the worker doesn’t get tired because work isn’t repeated… Masons get annoyed sometimes because the cement splinters more than five times… Once you’ve plastered the wall, the cement will splinter in just a few minutes. That’s the problem. The mason just scratches his head out of exasperation. That’s why I’ve asked Engr. Bañares to use CEMEX Palitada King here).” And what did the project engineer say about his request? According to Mang Rolly, “Kinausap ko na si Engineer (Bañares), sabi niya, ‘Wag kang mag-alala… ‘yan na ang gagamitin natin.’ (I spoke to Engineer Bañares, and he said, ‘Don’t worry, that’s what we’ll use.’)” Clearly, CEMEX Palitada King rules over the rest. It’s not all work It’s not all work at the site <strong>for</strong> this <strong>for</strong>eman and his crew of 45. Even as they’re standing in the intense midday heat of the summer sun, surrounded by cement, sand, and dust, and fully wrapped in caps, scarves, long-sleeved shirts, and sturdy pants, the men can still exchange stories and jokes while they work. The topic of that day’s bantering: men and their wives. “Mayroon ring panahon ng kasiyahan (sa site),” Mang Rolly shares with a smile. “Dito, nagbibiruan kami, nag-uusap, nagtatawanan… Ang pagtatrabaho at pagkukuwentuhan, puwede namang ipagsabay, susundin mo lang ‘yung kausap mo… palakadlakad kayo kasi hindi kayo puwedeng tumigil sa isang lugar lang (There are also light moments here on the site… Here, we joke with each other, we laugh with each other… It’s easy to mix working and bantering, you just have to walk around with the person you’re talking to because you can’t just stand still in one place.).” When asked what they frequently talked about while working, he answered: “Problema sa asawa… pamumuhay, budgeting… pamilya… ang pulitika, madalang… (Relationship problems… life, budgeting, family, hardly anything about politics)” He said that, in spite of the <strong>for</strong>thcoming elections (the interview was conducted two weeks be<strong>for</strong>e the presidential elections), talk of politics was rare—the people were too wrapped up in their everyday concerns to bother much about politicians. “Ang karamihan (sa mga tao dito), humihingi ng payo (tungkol sa mga asawa nila)…,” he admits. “Kung minsan, nalulutas ang problema, kung minsan naman, humahantong sa di pagkakasundo.. Hindi naman maiiwasan `yan. (Most of the men here ask <strong>for</strong> advice about their wives… Sometimes, they’re able to solve their problems, other times, it ends in conflict.)” Mang Rolly, however, is more <strong>for</strong>tunate than his colleagues. His wife, Aling Vising, is clearly supportive of his work, as are his six children: Rodel, 23; Roberto, 19; Rolando, 17; Rovelyn, 15; Rowena, <strong>13</strong>; and Reginald, 11. The family was based in General Santos City, their hometown, when Mang Rolly was offered to work in Habitat <strong>for</strong> Humanity’s project site in Taguig, Metro Manila, near the C-5 stretch. From there, he moved to his current location in San Pedro, Laguna, where he was joined by his entire family in April of this year. After Dreamland Heights’ completion in June, the family will once again move to another Habitat project in Fairview, Quezon City, then in Bicol, be<strong>for</strong>e settling back in their native Gen San. Do his wife and children complain about this frequent movement? No, Mang Rolly an- swers without hesitation, in his heavily accented Filipino. In fact, the children enjoy being able to go around the country with him—it’s an opportunity they would not have had elsewhere. His three elder sons, Rodel, Roberto, and Rolando, are even employed already by Habitat, with Rodel and Roberto being masons, while young Rolando is still a helper. Mang Rolly is proud that his sons enjoy masonry as much as he does, so much so that they quit school to join him at the site. “Kung ano ang puno, siya rin ang bunga,” he quotes an old Filipino ex<strong>press</strong>ion. There is clearly much more to masonry than meets the eye, and what Mang Rolly has shown us was just a slice of these lives that are often taken <strong>for</strong> granted. Masons toil under the sun and work under the harshest conditions to complete the homes and structures that stand proudly on our streets, and it is but fitting that they be treated with the same respect as other professionals. Their hands may be dirty, but their work is noble—it is their sweat that keeps us and our families secure at night. CEMEX values the work that these men do to support our partners and our industry. We hope that, as we take our work to the next level, so can we take these men to higher ground, offering them products, services, and training that can put the Filipino mason at par with their peers from around the world. Much still has to be done, but with your support, much can be achieved. What else is in store <strong>for</strong> you? Keep posted <strong>for</strong> the next issue of CEMEX + ME!
Mang Rolly, however, is more <strong>for</strong>tunate than his colleagues. His wife, Aling Vising, is clearly supportive of his work, as are his six children: Rodel, 23; Roberto, 19; Rolando, 17; Rovelyn, 15; Rowena, <strong>13</strong>; and Reginald, 11. The family was based in General Santos City, their hometown, when Mang Rolly was offered to work in Habitat <strong>for</strong> Humanity’s project site in Taguig.
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