Knock ! Knock! Anybody home?

Knock! knock! Anybody home? Do you always overheard the knock , knock and someone saying Anybody home outside your house? or at the door of your rented room?

When someone is Knocking at the door, sometimes we ignore it and won't open at once, especially when we are busy in what we are doing.

When someone is Knocking at the door we usually send someone to go and find out who it is and what is needed ,when we don't want to be disturb.

When someone is Knocking at the door, unexpectedly , we asked ourselves who can this be , and what does he want.

When someone is Knocking at the door, we sometimes hurry, because we expect something or someone to arrive.

Knocking at the door anytime of the day, is something that surprise us and make us wonder what it is.

There will always be a time, each day or any day that someone will knock at your door. And this knocks on the door or someone saying , Anybody home ? has a lot of messages to tell.

I will be sharing to you some of my personal experiences in the room where my son and his family rented in Pasay.

I lived with them Aug. 2020, still in a pandemic situation, called MECQ (Modified Enhance Community Quarantine), up to the present time, NCR being in an ALERT LEVEL 1 , in which not quite strict in health protocols compared to other alert levels.

Staying with my son and his family for days, weeks , months and at present for almost 2 yrs.inside the rented room , KNOCKS ON DOORS and hearing the voice SAYING ANYBODY HOME OR TAO PO , is very meaningful to me. It gives an interesting impact to me as days go by. It is because it gives different reasons and messages to tell. The following are the REASONS or MESSAGES told by KNOCKS ON DOOR & SAYING ANYBODY HOME OR "TAO PO" in the native tongue of Filipinos, in the Philippines.

Means Bills & Rent to be Paid

• In the 15th day of the month when someone knocks at the door and saying tao po, that means the bill for water & electricity is on hand.

Sometimes when my son goes out and the schedule for bill is coming , he will remind me of it, that there will be coming to hand the bills of water & electricity, and I should be on watch for it.

• In the 30th or 31st which is the end of the month, knock at the door and saying tao po means payment for room rental is to be paid.

The owner of the house will come to get the room rental payment. She usually comes between 6 pm to 7 pm. If she will not be able to come her son will be coming to get the payment.

Every month this is expected. My son is giving me instructions what to do when the land lady would arrive. That is to let her sign in the notebook as proof of the payment given and is received.

Means Food Assistance

During the MECQ knocks and saying anybody home or tao po means their is giveaways of foods and goods called community pantry in the vicinity in the Baranggay.

The mother of the land lady who lives upstairs will knock at the door and will tell my son to go at once to line up in the place where to get the give aways. This lasted only for two to three weeks as long as there are sponsors available.

Last Holiday Seasons, Christmas and New Year , there were food and groceries pack and rice given in the Baranggay from the LGU.

My son were able to avail of it , because if the mother of the land lady. When she knocks on our door she has forms wherein she will ask to write down my son's name and other informations so as to be one of legit recipients of the food assistance.

Means Money Assistance

There was a time when the mother of the land lady knocks on our door, calling my son's name. She reminded my son about the money assistance to be given in the Baranggay. She said she overheard the name callings of the Baranggay Captain over a mega phone and heard my son's name called. Whenever there is such things , this mother of the landlady usually knock on our door, and to any other rooms in the building. She was very much concerned about each one of the room occupants to avail every assistance from the Baranggay emanating from LGU's support may it be food packs or money assistance.

Through the kindness and concern of this lady many of us as room occupants of the building owned by her daughter were able to receive all the assistance and support given in the Baranggay. We were thankful to her for such efforts she showed for the welfare of each & every of us.

Means Birthday Foods Giveaways

• Giving foods when there is a birthday celebration held in the room mate next door.

We have three room.mates next door who gives food during the birthday celebration of any member of their family. They will not invite you to the party but just knock on the door on the day of the birthday celebration and handed us the food.

Means Health workers Assistance

Health workers from.baranggay go house to house for health assistance purposes. Sometimes they give vitamins or medicine for kids. Sometimes give informations on health protocols for kids and vaccination.

Means Deliveries of Parcels

I am very.much on watch on knocks at the door and calls from the outside when there is expected deliveries from Lazada ,Shoppee or Lala Move. My son would not forget to remind me about it in in case he will.not be around to receive it. And I am glad that whenever deliveries arrived he was around to receive it.

Means Unexpected Money Remittance

The most exciting instance of knock and anybody home message was the unexpected blessings delivery. It was delivered by LBC. It was a door to door money delivery from a friend abroad. It happened last month of January, 2022. It was sent by an old closed friend who lived in Los Angeles , California.

Means To Offer Merienda

This pertains to knocks offering us to buy merienda . The lady next door is cooking banana cue, turon and camote fries. Every merienda time she knock on our door offering us her merienda cook foods. We buy to her when ever we have budget, but refuse to buy whenever we have merienda already available , and when we have no budget for merienda.

Means To Offer Special Promo Products

Just last week of the month of February, 2022, a gay sales lady offered a powder laundry soap. The offer was good because of the free offers upon buying 3 big sachets of the laundry product. He is from Pure gold according to him, showing his ID necklace. I was the only one that time in the room. My son went outside for an errand. I was so convinced by his sales talk that I decided to buy what he is offering me. Since I still have money left on.my purse I decided to buy. When I will get my money my daughter in law arrived and the salesgay continued his sales talk to my daughter in law. She was also convinced to buy. Instead me paying for it , she paid for the landry powder soap. So my money was spared from spending.

Means To Borrow Something

In the neighborhood borrowing is inevitable. One of our room mate next door used to borrow things from us Sometimes she borrow money from our daughter in law. Sometimes she borrows hammer. But most of the time she borrows our big basin called batya whenever she will have her laundry. Every once in a week she does it.

Means the goodness of neighbor

Our room rented is in the middle of the building. It is a distant far from the terrace wherein every clothes were hung to dry at the heat of the sun. When rain suddenly comes , we are unaware of it. One of the renter near the terrace would knock at the door to tell us to get the clothes outside for it is raining. Sometimes they will take it and give it to us .

Means a visitor is Here

For the long time I have stayed here in Pasay, there is only one visitor who had visited the place. It was understandable because of the pandemic situation. The visitor was the co worker of my daughter in law. She visited twice in our place. Her first visit was when she brought fried seafoods because there was a relative who brought some for them and she shared some to us. The next visit was when she brought a birthday giveaway food for us.

My Conclusion & Final Say

Anyone knocking on our doors or saying anybody home or tao po, should not be ignored or taken for granted. They must be attended to at once and given some importance irregardless of the reasons of whoever the person is, a stranger, a friend, a relative or a neighbor , a beggar or solicitors or sales representatives. The persons behind our doors have importan messages to tell us, that we ought to know. You might regret if you missed the opportunity of meeting them and to talking to them. Count them as blessings in disguise.

Friendly Reminder

In meeting strangers , be cautious and sensitive but at the same time be polite.

Be honest and accommodating to those who seek help like the beggar or solicitors or sales representatives.

Be thankful if it is needful and necessary.

Thanks again for taking time to read. I hope you are entertained and blessed.

#3 Article for month of March , 2022

3/19 Articles as of 2022

March 6, 2022 - Sunday - 12:17 am