Spooky October

Odusee Philippines Bi-Monthly News Magazine

Spooky

October Odusee, then & now... P3 Party, party! P5

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Birthday Celebrant for the month of September and October P2 NAGPAHIPI SA KILIRAN by Boy Ambungan P7

Issue #2: September – October Published in Cebu City Philippines Series of 2011

Cebu’s haunted house tale P2

Issue #2: September 2011

Odusee Philippines’ Bi-Monthly New Magazine

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Contents Cebu’s haunted house tale The Rodriguez Mansion, as we call it…

Odusee, then and now Big things begin with an idea …

Party, party!

Odusee Philippines’ Mid-year party 2011

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Birthdays and more…

SEPTEMBER: 1 Jan Jurgens Machacon 3 Yasmin Paola Villanueva 8 Mindy Alysa Sy 9 Rex Martinus Go 10 Leah Mabelle Lingaolingao 11 Eugene Richard Acaba OCTOBER: 1 Ma. Delia Bolambao 15 Ma. Rosar Abella 21 Neilbrian Bernardio

The EDITORIAL Team

Cebu’s haunted house tale

Ever wonder how you can contribute to our bi-monthly magazine? It’s easy, just send in your article via email to paulo.uy@odusee.com.au and see the fruit of your imagine comes to life on this very magazine.

The Rodriguez Mansion, as we call it, was my maternal grandparents’ residence along Juan Luna Avenue, formerly San Jose de la Montana in Cebu City.

For questions and queries, feel free to approach anyone in the Editorial Team J

It had an orchid garden, a greenhouse with amazing cactus plants of all kinds and sizes and a perfectly manicured garden. Also in the property, several meters from the big house, were my aunt’s family residence and my mother’s. My aunt’s house was to the left of the big house; my mother’s stood on the right.

The Editorial Team PAULO Uy KIM Boholst ROSSELLE JOY Fabrez

The mansion was on a one-hectare property surrounded by santol, mango, avocado, guava and coconut trees.

Between my aunt's house and lola's, was a huge balete tree that gave shade to a wide expanse of the garden.

Photos ALDREN Perez

This was the area where my cousins and I played most of our outdoor games such as Japan-Japan, cops and robbers or tag.

Contributors JOE Larisma

If we wanted to earn a little cash, we would pick up the leaves that lay scattered on the garden or sometimes water the plants, giving the gardeners a respite from their chores.

Consultant FRANCIS Cue

Continued on page 4

Issue #2: September 2011

Odusee Philippines’ Bi-Monthly New Magazine

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Odusee, then and now Big things begin with an idea but it’s the people with passion that makes it grow.

Odusee is not just a site, a vertical search-engine and a company – it’s your mentor, your teacher and definitely, a friend.

Through the years, we’ve seen people come and go but all have left a certain mark in our lives. Wherever we go, people around us touch our lives in a way we can’t always be aware of and vice versa. The most lives we can touch happens right here in the workplace without us intending it.

From humble beginnings, Odusee settled at its new and very first home at the PDI condominium, like a freshman kicking in at his dorm room at the first day of college. With a fresh spirit, vivacious outlook and a headstrong taste for challenge, Odusee settles in nicely with his first brood of 8 hard-working programmers.

The challenges then and now, would never change – it’s tough, frustrating and sometimes disheartening – but the outcome would always prove to be the best reward of all. To see your hard work becomes real, alive and functioning because at the end of the day, it’s how you handle it and knowing you gave your best that matter.

Just like any freshman, Odusee went on with an iron will and a bursting heart in facing the obstacles in the industry. In times of problems and challenges, Odusee picked itself up and strived even harder to make things better, not just for our dear users but also for the people working in Odusee. And that’s only the beginning.

Now, heart still bursting with eagerness and greatness, Odusee has set its foot in a whole new level. With a bigger family and an office that’s underway to improvement, Odusee now has his team of 54 well-skilled and energetic people. And it doesn’t stop there.

Odusee is a freshman no more.

By Rosselle Fabrez

Issue #2: September 2011 Cont… from page 2

Odusee Philippines’ Bi-Monthly New Magazine

Cebu’s own haunted house tale

The balete tree and my aunt's house was the scene from the window of the guest room in the east wing of the mansion.

From the guest room, you needed to pass a huge sala and a formal comedor before reaching the kitchen.

A small corridor beside the kitchen led to the casual dining room, where I had most of my meals with my grandparents during my teenage years.

The kitchen, being the center of the mansion, was the busiest area of the house. And then there was the west wing, which had another set of bedrooms and was where my grandparents’ private quarters were located.

Until the 1970s the Rodriguez Mansion was often bustling with people. My grandparents only had daughters and they often had visitors. But when all my aunts married, they started to relocate overseas. The place would only liven up when their families would have their vacations. Soon the visits became fewer and during the 1980s the guest room was lucky enough to have a visitor at least once a year.

It was more economical for my grandparents to visit all of them abroad rather than have they all come to Cebu.

Nevertheless, the guest room had its fair share of daily cleaning by the house help.

One afternoon (around 3 p.m. or so) the cook heard running water in the direction of the east wing. As she came to check the source, which was the original guest bathroom, running water gushed out from the showerhead. She surmised that one of the houseboys must have left it open after their morning cleaning. She turned the knob to close the showerhead and decided to reprimand the help.

Just as she was about to leave the room, she heard a creaking sound like the knob of the shower being turned on. She heard again running water from the showers. At this instant, the cook did not turn back but instead hastened to the kitchen. She thought that whatever it was, she didn't want anything to do with it. Later, she came back with the houseboy, only to find out that the shower was off but the bathroom floor was still wet.

Since both my grandparents worked, nobody was in the house that afternoon except for the cook and the laundry lady who had been ironing since noon and had not left her spot since.

The houseboy responsible for cleaning the guest room also related several instances when an object would fall even when the windows were closed, eliminating the wind as a cause. And one time, he saw a snake slithering on the walls and finally disappearing through a small crack in that wall that led near the balete tree.

When my grandparents passed away, the property which comprised the big house and my mom's was sold, but I had the privilege to live in my aunt's house for a couple of years during my married life. A fence between my aunt's residence and lola's lot was immediately erected, which blocked the view of the big mansion.

A few months later, a building was erected which is now the PLDT office, Mabolo branch. I asked the realtor about the balete tree.

According to her, they had a ritual before chopping it down and did an exorcism rite since the “spiritista” said it was “tao-an” or occupied by other beings. I recall hearing stories from office workers, who worked late in the building about experiencing electrical power failures in one section, while the whole area was lit up. In one instance, they saw a shadow loom in a well lighted room. The areas where this happened coincided with where the balete tree had once been.

Well, these happened several years ago, and I am sure there's a more logical explanation to all these happenings. I live abroad now, and have not heard any more stories since.

When I was 10 years old, I recalled my lola telling me that she was more afraid of the thieves and robbers lurking in the dark waiting for a victim than the spooky spirits most people claim wandering around amongst us.

And you know what? I think she's right. (The writer is a personal chef based in New Jersey) st

By Vanette Colmenares; Cebu Daily News 31 October, 2009 http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/news/view/20091031-233229/My-haunted-house-tale

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Issue #2: September 2011

Party, party!

Odusee Philippines’ Bi-Monthly New Magazine The Odusee Philippines’ mid-year party 2011 was surely a big success! Management, and employees alike partied all-night like one big happy family!

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Issue #2: September 2011

Odusee Philippines’ Bi-Monthly New Magazine

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Issue #2: September 2011

Odusee Philippines’ Bi-Monthly New Magazine

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NAGPAHIPI SA KILIRAN by boy ambungan

"miga, miga, nasilaw man ko sa imong kaanyag", ug ang imong tubag "saba diha migo oi, pwera buyag", mao unta na akong ginahan isulti kanimo, apan akoy naglisod, murag nakatulon ko ug santol nga liso.

susama ako sa usa ka lata nga motingog lang ug patiran pero sa akong kasing-­‐kasing murag lapida nakabutang imong ngalan, unsaon nalang kaha ni akong pagbating gauros-­‐uros, makakita lang ko sa imong dagway akoy makapanguros, kakapoy ba ani, sus!

paabota lang gyud inday nga akoy makasulti, kini akong pisot ko'ng gibati, para mahuman ug madali ang tanan, oh lord, bahala na si batman!

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is a bi-monthly e-magazine published internally by Odusee Philippines, Inc. All articles are contributed and submitted by its employees. Copyright belongs to its contributor, however no reproduction of this e-magazine, in any part, is allowed without written consent by its Editor-in-Chief.