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“Paano sa Maynila?” It’s a thought I finally questioned. Back then, it was only a mere figment of my imagination, of how the world works at the heart of the homeland. The mind of a child could not fully grasp how millions could flock to the same place at the same time. Our feet trekked down our ancestral terrain in the chilly morning zephyr, dawn has yet to come. Birds have just begun to chorus out their melodies. Our goodbyes hung in the air; it was a deafening tension no one wanted to acknowledge. I never knew how heavy it was—how unjust it was. As we carried our remaining valuables in bags and fabrics, I could not bring myself to question where we were headed; it seemed like our road was to be walked as far as our bottoms could carry us. From the solace of greens and Adam’s ales, we were pulled into the polluted drag of the so-called “future”. Crossing pavements felt like a true-to-life game of patintero; no vehicles yielded to the rule of pedestrian lanes, it’s almost as if it was a sin to even try to cross. “Ganito pala sa Maynila.” It’s a modernized jungle of wires, cracked trees of concrete, hives of unfulfilled public service and promises, and glades of 24/7 labor that are paid minimum. Meeting their eyes, dullness filled them. Their life was blown out. The orbs that were once overflown with vitality were now drowning in emptiness. And I knew from then on that in this unknown contemporary labyrinth we were now in, I would soon be forced to recognize it with familiarity. Through the crowns of electrical posts, street lights replace the twinkle of stars, and the supposed crisp blows of air were dense, nothing like the wispy howls back home. How can I call this cramped space my new home? I cannot understand how we lost the rights to our soil, the very land my ancestors treaded on. Those who were once rich with earth are now abundant in privation. The desmenes we rightfully owned and tended are now hotspots for land mining as the wildlife living in them are being targeted. Losing our territories is one thing; facing human rights violence is another. Not only are we pushed to leave our grounds, but we are also driven to hide. Where is the protection several administrations declared to provide? Because, as far as it looks, the ones being safekept are the ones strip-mining for our riches. In this world of inclusivity, indigenous people appear to be excluded; the support handed to marginalized groups looks invisible under the belt of visibility.