POSTCLOCKS INSTALLATION IN BASILAN, PHILIPPINES
by Israel "le arsi" Angeles
Three days in Superferry we travelled the Philippine sea with three large crates containing three giant clocks (1 meter in diameter each) with two back to back dials and two clock movements each. Our destination- Isabela City, Basilan Province. At first during our travel we always have this question that keeps bothering us. Are we really going to Basilan? Yes!!, Basilan Province to where this terrorisms and stuff like that always filled the media. I will admit kinda nervous out there when we arrived at the Basilan Port. While trying to find whose gonna fetch us as we are informed before, my body language is not normal, you know what I mean. I'm not sure if my 2 companions feels the same but I really tried to behave and alert. Finally, two small vans arrived and from the port we proceeded to the house of the Mayor. The mayor is a beautiful woman, the wife of the late Congressman Wahab Akbar of Basilan- Mayor Cherrylyn Akbar. From her house we went to our quarter just inside the compound of the City Hall. After unpacking of our personal things we started visiting the 3 sites and took measurements. Trying to figure it out if there are some problems to be encountered by tomorrow’s installation Monday. For few hours after we arrived I started to notice the peaceful situation in the city. Unlike what some of my friends have told us back in Manila the city is peaceful and we learned from some folks we’ve met that the battle between the government troops and the rebels is in the mountain about 100 kilometers from the city. Anyway, you can check the pictures that I posted here about the clock installations. Please enjoy, thank you.
We had a lot of experience in the ferry. One of which this “pila” system that you have to fall in line for your meal. Our first “pila” is our breakfast the following day of the trip. We were in our quarter and having conversation when they announces the breakfast time. I remember it was only a minute after the announcement then we proceeded to the canteen. To our dismay the line was already a mile long! Nothing we can do about it, you make pila or pay for your meal. The meals are included in the ticket. So we make pila because we dont want to waste the money that we paid for. But after that we agreed that in lunch time we must go earlier so that we are the first in a row. When the time comes immediately we went to the canteen hoping to be the first or second in the line but we were shocked straight to the bones! It’s more than a mile than before! What we were thinking was also in the mind of all the people there aboard the ship! And so we make pila again reaching the tail end part of the ship ha-ha-ha!
After we arrived at the Zamboanga City port we have to transfer to another ferry to reach the Basilan Province. So after staying one night at Zamboanga City the following day (June 15, 2009) we traveled again for Basilan. At the Isabela City port we were welcomed by some youths showing their skills in swimming in exchange for some coins thrown to them.
After we unpacked our personal things we proceeded to the 3 sites and took measurements of the tower concrete frames. Making sure there are no problem with the frames when we start the installation for tomorrow.
The following day (June 16, 2009) we started removing the clocks from the crates and started the installation.
We first installed the City Hall’s front clock. After having the clock wired by my son Gilbert (who arrived by plane separately) we started installing also the master control located at the ground in concrete box seen in the photo. The master control is my own design and I think the first in the history of Philippine tower clockmaking.
Next, we install the clock at the City Plaza.
And lastly, at the Public Market.
Here in the picture while this two workers are preparing the post for spray painting the lights of the clock was auto activated when night time falls.
But before we completed the installation the Mayor requested to add arabic nos. Rogie, my artist, added the nos. We stayed in the city for 10 days and we went back home by plane along with some pasalubong to the family and friends.
