A Haven for a Humble Heart
By: Irah Jane Sunian
Far from usual!
This was the common impression of people who have seen this place for the first time even the people who have seen it every day. Being unusual gives us identity. And this does not confine only to the way we dress, we talk, or how we deal with life everyday but also to the place we are living in each day.
To workers especially employees of government or private companies having a workplace that does not only provide you your bread and butter but also a place to chill and relax and enjoy life is already a satisfying treat for all the stress and pain that their work requires.
Imagine working in a place where you are surrounded by lush trees, little furry animals tickling your feet with the scent of fresh green grass in the air and fresh air cooling your skin? Cool, isn’t it? That’s how it feels like when you step on the mayor’s office of Matag-ob. It’s not the usual thing that you see in any office. This one is incredibly and naturally wild but majestic. Once you set your foot inside of this office, it feels like going through porthole and landed on another place!
As they say, don’t judge a book by its appearance and this is somehow true about this place. One can’t imagine that behind the lush green vines covering the cage-like room lays the Mayor’s eco-friendly haven. Far from conventional type office which has tiled floors, air-conditioned room, accented with expensive furniture and stuffs making it exaggeratedly powerful and luxurious, this mayor’s office is perfectly unique. The Mayor’s office has a cage-like structure covered with evergreen perennial Millionaire’s vine. The vines are covering the outer part of the room from the roof down to its walls making the interior hidden from the view. The interior was also filled with long reddish brown aerial roots droop down from the axils which give a majestic aura and air of welcoming warmth to its owner and guests. And take note this is also a perfect backdrop for your instagram photos!
Aside from its magical atmosphere, there was also a cave-like structure shaped by blocks and stones and a pond with alive fishes and turtles living in it. To complement with the country feeling of the place, the office is furnished with wooden and steel furniture and two ceiling fans and lightning bulbs. But according to Mayor Michael L. Torrevillas, he rarely used these fans since the room is always cool because the vines give shade from the rays of the sun. Instead of accenting the place with expensive things, he decided to have animals inside his office like chickens, eagle, rabbits, and guinea pigs which made crunching sounds as they munch the leaves. Imagine having these animals inside your office? Well, that’s exquisitely amazing isn’t it? According to Mayor Michael L. Torrevillas he keeps animals inside his office because he is an animal lover and having these animals around him helps relieved the stress of a hard day’s work as Municipal mayor.
Looking back, this mayor’s office was once used as a municipal mini zoo. In the past, residents from different barangays brought wild animals that they had captured and placed it in the municipal zoo. But as time goes by, those wild animals died due to sickness and old age and some of them did not propagate leaving only the eagle and other animals so they decided to replace them with guinea pigs which have the ability to propagate on their own. It was in 2013, that this placed was renovated after it was destroyed by typhoon Yolanda. Since then, this place was used as an office. With regards to the previous mayor’s office located near the Municipal Treasurer’s office, it was now used as storage area for important documents.
When asked why he chose to have this kind of office unlike the typical one, he humbly said that he was once a farmer and he loves open air office. He always wanted to be closer to his people that’s why he makes his office looks that way so that people will not hesitate to approach him because from the atmosphere itself they will feel at home.
“What’s good about having this kind of office is that it’s easy for the people to approach you unlike other offices that they have to undergo from many staffs before they can approach the mayor ”, Mayor Torrevillas said.
He also said that he stays at his office to do his paper works and to entertain his subordinates who need his support and help.
Indeed it’s not about how something looks but it’s about the service it gives and the warmth it shared to other people. Truly this place is not only a workplace and a place everyone wants but a haven for a humble heart.# (Irah Jane Sunian)
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