JOHNNY WENT TO COLLEGE

(Names under the photos are more legible if you view them with a SLIDE SHOW feature of your Computer's Photo software. Thanks!)

by Johnny Pascua

    After graduation from high school I didn’t know if I could go to college or not because my parents were  too poor to shoulder the expenses. But due to the constant  conversation of my father with the  late Mr. Fely Cabais , my parents inquired from other people on how to shoulder such expenses .

My parents were told they could buy a calf  for me to take care of and when it was ready for market we can sell it and they can pay for my tuition fee, I Said no, cuz I knew the hardship of going to the field and cut grass/pasture  rain or shine. Finally they were convinced so I took the entrance exam.

My father told me if I fail then I will not go to college. I said YES.  With the help of God I passed  so they sent me to study in Bayambang. For the Ist & 2nd year my tuition fee was 68 pesos each year and 88 pesos for my 3rd & 4th year. , 5 pesos was the rent for a small room every month for 4 years. It was a house  full of women; I was the only man in the house.

Every Friday afternoon I have to go to Asingan to help my father in the field during the week end.Late in afternoon of Sunday I would go back to Bayambang with my 1 week subsistence. Plus my mom gave me 5 pesos for my fare (back & forth) every week.

So you can just compute how much money I spent for 4 years in college. Also I have to bring a bundle of firewood to cook my food, others used a kerosene stove . I'd like to give credit to my grandfather who supplied my firewood for 4 years. I was lucky to be able to teach in our town Asingan from 1962 to the time I came  to California in 1985.---#

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Bravo, Johnny. There is nothing like Patience, Hard Work and Education to bring us to places. Hope your piece will inspire the other Johnnys everywhere ( or shall we say, Juan dela Cruzes?) .

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notes: Bayambang has a well known Teachers College at that time....At present the exchange rate for the US $ agains the peso is about 50+ pesos...Calf is a young ox/cow. I had the experience of taking care of a calf when I was in the Elementary. For 1 week, I brought the calf to pasture in the backlot of Dupac school. At the end of the week, the animal was slaughtered for the wedding celebration of our eldest sister. I was a bit traumatized when I heard it being butchered in our backyard but I was able to overcome it when I tasted the dishes during the wedding feast.---#

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feedback from Lito Domaoan

Is that Juan Pascua your classmate? I think Ireneo is the uncle or cousin of my first cousin George in Toronto

That's him, Johnny, my classmate, my first buddy on my first day in Gr. 1 under Mrs. Lising....The Pascua family in Macalong is quite big..Remember the teacher/principal Mr. Inocencio Pascua?..and also Aurora Pascua?I remember her dancing in Arabian costume to a song by Alex Romero(ON WINGS OF SONG)..Miss Remedios Jose, if I am not mistaken taught Alex that song.It was part of our graduation ceremonies, Grade 6 at the Dupac Intermediate School ...Those days when we were still in short pants running about in the school yard.Gee! I can remember events that happened in the 50s better than what I ate for breakfast yesterday....