My Brother-in-law & other Stories
By Johnny Novera

Habal-habal

While in Davao we stayed in a subdivision at Barangay Catalunan Grande, some 10 kiometers distance from the downtown on the upper area of the city.

This is reportedly the largest barangay in Davao .  It has a big church, a public market, with some commercial establishments starting to sprout up, and several religious groups have located their  mother houses in the barangay, including the major seminary of the Catholic Archdiocese.

But what attracted my attention was the  sign beside the road leading to the seminary compound which read:  "Habal-Habal  not allowed."

You mean "habal-habals" are making visits to the seminary?  I asked my nephew who was with me in a hushed  but shocked voice!

"No, Tito,"  he explained as he laughed, "habal-habal is no lady as you think.  It is a term here for the single motorbike (no sidecar) that would ferry passengers in the barangays to the main highway, the bus or jeepney terminal, or some  interior areas."

Sorry, I said, but in our place, when we speak of habal-habal we refer to a young girl in her teens. I apologetically explained.