REMEMBERING BUTCH AGTARAP

I met Alfredo ( Butch) Agtarap, Jr. in high school at the R.A. He is smart, good in English have a sense of humour. During that summer of '58,  ( or maybe even before,) we got involved with the combo thing, as I have mentioned in my previous entry. He could sing too ( a little bit ) as I could sing ( a little bit ). But if a singer do  rock and roll , no one cares if he could not sing at all as long as he gyrates like a drunken monkey on the stage. We had our balladers namely Teresita Villanueva, the younger sister of Nestor and Cora Tendero my first cousin with whom I shared a strong love for music. I learned my guitar skills practicing on HER guitar cuz at that time, I did not posses any kind of music instrument. Both ladies have such lovely voices that would even move a Sasquatch into tears!

Fast forward to the 90's..During one of my Balikbayan trips, whom did I met again but Butch!..He still looked the same. His jokes are still funny..And I know he would make a good salesman someday! I met him through Johnny Sindayen and we went places during those Balikbayan trips. One time  Johnny drove us to Binmaley, to visit another classmate Amado Benito who is the Officer in Charge of  an AFP camp.Butch was quite sick already, thats one reason why he came home..He already had a number of illnesses. I still have his calling card that says:

Butch Agtarap, Manager

Show room at Akariya Shopping Center

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

His address is just a postal box in Riyadh...

When classmates meet each other after decades of non communication, time loses its meaning..There is no time anymore and we like to catch up with so many things.It is summer '58 all over again..Thus we spent a day or two in Binmaley under Amado Benito's care..After a lunch of boiled crabs and raw oysters marinated with vinegar and spices, then washed down with  Ginebra San Miguel, we would go for a swim, floating  like a ball and enjoying the lukewarm water.

When I left Asingan, Butch said he is not going back to Riyadh yet.."Will see you again when I  return, maybe next year?," I asked. .." "Of course", he said with his familiar smile..

This entry, unlike the others, would end with a sad note. I heard sometime after that Butch had a heart attack and he did not make it. He was still in Asingan then. The next time I was a Balikbayan, I visited my Mother's tomb.  There  I saw Butch's final resting place.---#

FEED BACKS

Thanks for sharing this one.  I can almost see the Dad/grand dad beaming
with pride.  Congratulations!  Hey, you have any CD's of the concert?  the
CD player in my vehicle is working again (or hope it is. Haven't tried it
since I got it back from the shop).

Ben Soloria

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I made one for you, bud..Will mail it ASAP!The DVD version will follow later cuz it involves a more complicated procedure whereas the CD( audio only ) does not..The CD will arrive soon!

My favorite tracks are the 2 Elvis songs ( maybe due to the fact that I am an avid Elvis fan ). The 2 girls have their own style in singing HOUND DOG  and CANT HELP FALLING IN LOVE that I think the King will be pleased if he hears it..Reminds me again of a certain time when I was growing up. Remember the days of the homespun combos when the instruments are ukeleles, a guitar, some maracas ( if available )?. The bass guitar is a gasoline drum equipped with a  wooden handle. A plastic coated clothes line was the string. This kind of jug band was popular all throughout the Philippines during this era.

 . Asingan caught the combo fever at that time  and me, Nestor Villanueva, Alex Tanwangco, Butch Agtarap and some other guys whose  name I can't remember anymore formed a combo. The name? Blue Eagle Combo. A competing  faction, was formed by Jose Paringit ( son of the ex police chief of Asingan) ..The name? Red Lion combo.( Surprise, surprise ).We had a "battle of the bands" one New Years Eve in the plaza sponsored by the Municipio and witnessed by many Asinganians. The Red Lions won, we were close 2nd. Their prize? 10 pesos! Our prize? A can of  Selecta crackers! The Blue Eagles wanted to crucify the members of the committee in charge..But tempers subsided and we went on practicing regularly at night at the residence of Mr. Melecio Villanueva under the Ilang Ilang tree. It was fun. I  was one of the soloists and I did  nothing but the vintage Elvis songs. Hey, I didnt even had a haircut for many months! Then College work came and the band split, the members going their separate ways..That was one summer holiday to remember.

Vic Costes

CEMP Concert photos

TORONTO, July 28..Today I woke up early, missed my 2 naps ( morning and afternoon ) missed my lunch, lugged  a load of electronic equipments inside the trunks of  2 cars, then took off still wondering whether I left an important item behind. One car has the 4 singers ages 13 to 5 and whose chatter would put those 2 Disney chipmunks to shame. Fortunately, I was in the other car!   But the car I was in overheated on the way. We had to pull into a subway parking lot and finished the rest of the journey with one subway train and 1 street car. The weather was still mercilessly hot . I had to phone Miguelita on my cel to ask if the kids arrived.."Yes, they did.." "Where are they now?"  " In the restaurant, our daughter borrowed my Interact card.." There is a good Chinese restaurant next door to the library, and fifteen minutes later, Miguelita's card would be debited $40.00!Well, the singers need some sustainance so they can perform a good job...!  

And  they did perform a good job...There were a few hitches of course ( e.g. a missing track on the  karaoke disk thus we had to cut off 1 song ) I had to stop a bit to make some adjustments while my daughter impromptu went on stage and adlibbed  talking to the audience about music..This is not a part of the show, but it was hardly noticed . This happens when there is no dress rehearsal which we did not have because the concert hall is so far away, etc.

But over all, the singing was good! No fancy props or lights, just good, strong young voices which  captivated the audience...The music glued the audience to their seats I mean the bare floor of the auditorium. Only the adults were seated at the back, the bulk of the audience ( kids from the neighbourhood ) had to sit on the floor. But they didn't mind...At the end of the show, no one wanted to leave, but we had to say like Porky Pig: THATS ALL FOLKS!!

MORE FEEDBACKS

Kuya Lito,

This is good, thanks for sharing.  I know Vic Costes-heard his name when I was growing up..  Parang nai-imagine ko noong kabataan ko pag nagbabakasyon sa Asingan. ( I can imagine my childhood days when I was taking holidays in Asingan ) As a matter of fact, last night I mentioned to Nap about a buwaya(?)( a crocodile) that lolo Alvaro brought home from the bukid (field) and my Mom and Tia Nena both were taking off the skin so they can cook it It's still clear in my mind, dahil sa paghila ni Tita Nena ng skin, natumba siya.  ( as Tita Nena was pulling it, she took a spill)  

No one (the site you sent) has mentioned about the camaren( warehouse)-across from Lolo's house, why?

Lily 

Editor's Note: Crocodile meat  is a delicacy. However, these are not that easy to catch.  Big tree lizards are also a delicacy. Some say lizard  ( or crocodile ) meat tastes like chicken. I also read about a restaurant in Hong Kong which serves snakes in their menu. The account said that there is a glass cage full of snakes in the dining area. The waiter picks up a handful of snakes, put these on the table and tells thediner: "Pick a snake, any snake.." Whatever snake(s) selected goes to the kitchen to be prepared by the cook. Voila, fricassed snake!

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO LITO DOMAOAN!

 

Happy Birthday to Lito Domaoan! I won't be asking how many candles he blew out on his birthday cake..:)

He sent me an interesting e-mail. 

 The heat index here is over 100, its so hot you wont even dare  go outside. Last Saturday my two sisters treated me to a Japanese restaurant in our place. The prices are very reasonable . Here in this restaurant you pay only $6.50 for one individual. You have your soup, salad, tasty chicken about 7 pieces, 2 pieces of Japanese small hot dogs, one piece of  desert made from soya beans. You  have to buy your own drinks. But there's a lot of choices in the menu. The food displayed in  plastic form in a bowl or in a plate is so realistic that you will think it’s the real thing. You could also go to another Japanese restaurant in the same complex where they offer Japanese style Italian food. Its also cheap you have your free soup drinks, salad, your choice in the menu which compose mainly of noodles or spaghetti with meat or shrimp, or tuna or meatballs, chicken, pork, with spinach, etc. A special menu which includes a dessert of tirarmasu or other special cakes  will only cost you about $7.20. If you don’t want salt added you could also request the servers not to put any salt. The restaurant is facing  the  Hudson river and a good  view of New York City  --#

FIRE IN THE HOLE! by Ben Soloria

I have a story about a US Navy tradition called Chiefs' initiation. Sometimes, this tradition gets very intense that some Navy Chiefs actually balk from it, others go through it and later file harrassment complaints, but most go through it and take the experience as an inescapable chapter in the life of a Navy Chief Petty Officer. I participated in one when I was promoted chief in 1989.

I was fed live gold fish, at least a dozen of them. At four o'clock in the morning I was made to swallow an earthworm;  raw eggs, raw oyster and fish sauce mixed together . At the height of this ritual, I was placed inside a coffin with a hole cut out right over my face. The chiefs who had been through this initiation and who are present at that time in my initiation, took turns yelling, "Fire in the hole!", followed by a bucket of iced water poured over my face.

Luckily, the coffin is not water-tight, so, the cold water just drains, although it's somewhat slow. I was half-submerged in iced water the entire time I was in the coffin. Finally, the coffin was opened and I was let out and blind-folded. I was made to touch a box of sharp broken glass and was told that the box of broken glass will be placed at the foot of a ladder which I was made to climb blindfolded. As I climbed the ladder, I couldn't control my entire body from shivering. The crowd started to laugh at me and made comments like, "What kind of a chief will you be? Chicken?" "Call a doc, this chief won't make it. He's shaking like a leaf." Finally, the "Judge" (he's the man in charge of the rites) yelled "Jump!" And I did just like I was told. I jumped off the ladder and landed on my butt in the box at the foot of the ladder. I heard this crushing noise which sounded like a pile of broken glass. I said to myself, "Oh, shit, I messed up my butt." But I didn't feel any pain. "I must be numb from the cold," I thought, "Can't feel anything." Suddenly, my blindfold was removed and I saw that I was sitting in a boxful of potato chips.

Everybody busted laughing again. "is that what you're shaking about, Chief?" everyone asked almost in unison. I tried to be a sport so I simply said, "You dumb
assholes, you froze me to death in the cold, that's why I'm shaking!"---#

The "Singing Angels" of St. John

Our Pastor, Fr. Bob Glen sometimes call them as such. This is the group that I am handling presently ( as mentioned in the last part of a new entry). Organized in Oct. 2004, the group never missed singing in church every Sunday since then. One lady said "your voices sounded so pure..like angels.."  Another said "when I hear your singing, I remember my own childhood days when I was also a member of a children's choir in Ireland..." plus many, many others who lay their praises on them. Sometimes I feel that the reason of my existence is doing this kind of work every week, every year since 1960 when I joined that small choir in the St. Louis Bertrand church, Asingan, Pangasinan.

MORE FEEDBACKS

Good, hot summer day, buddy!  Just finished browsing over your journal. 
Looks great , not because I am part of it, but it truly is a unique venue for us to share our reflections of a place that will always remain near and dear to our hearts.  It's a lot of fun and thanks for initiating it.  Ciao!

Ben ( Soloria)

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Hi Mng Vic, my apology first of all for not responding to ur e-mails sooner and promptly, most of all. But I did read them right away as I check my email everyday. I thank you too for your patience and consideration.

Friday,   my better half and I went to Portland, Oregon to visit a family friend, maybe you know them. Teresita " Tessie " Orallo-Balan,  is the daughter of the late Placido Orallo Sr. She is married to Rudy Balan from Cavite. We stayed in their new house overnight, to catch up also with her mother-in- law, a very successful pharmacist, who is visiting them also from California. Then  back to Seattle at 1:00PM, Saturday to attend a graduation party of a second cousin's  daughter at 3:00PM cause we have to bring a Yakisoba Pancit as our promised share for the party.  At 5:00PM, we should be at a surprise birthday party in a church hall for Mng Lydia DeVera-Pacled, Angela's barriomate, and a relative. Summer weekends for us, especially this month, is unbelievable, yet I have to finish painting the exterior of the house that I started  sometimes last March or April, been that long, don't even remember anymore. I'm just waiting now to cool down a little bit, before I can go outside to get an avocado green for the upper half of the house. Hopefully, this painting job will be completed before I will fly to Newark, New Jersey to attend Armi's wedding on the 20th of August Armi is Mng Nueva Domaoan-Elma's daughter.

Great Job on the Asinganian Journal. A lot of fun, informative, and with precious, great messages from kababayans, relatives and old friends closer to heart, I believe it will  fly pretty soon if it is not already there. I  will try to get snapshots during the annual Picnic of the Asinganians Club Of the Pacific Northwest On July 30th, as my contribution to the journal.

Manong, until then, warm regards to Manang .

Dave Domaoan, Seattle

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Dave Domaoan was my former student at the RizalAcademy and we got re-acquainted thru the Internet. I received the e-mail from him today, and I am happy to share it with you because of the names, stories, etc. that I am sure would bring us Asinganians closer together.

Teresita Orallo-Balan, if I am not mistaken is one of the singers I handled before when I did some volunteer choir teaching at the Asingan High School a long time ago. There were 3 or 4 of them: one is Jenny Isaac Fernando ( who is also here in Ontario), then Milagros Ginez and one more whose name I could not quite recall. But they were high school classmates and they can sing some of the music hits during their days with gusto and style, ala Temptations.If there is a '50s group called The Four Aces, Asingan could answer them with the singing of this high school group. They had no name, but I can rightly christen them The Four Queens.As a group or individually, they can sing! Graduation came and the each one went on their separate ways.

Another group I have to mention at this point are the Delmendo Sisters. ( Julie, Mildred and Susan ) This group participated in the Binalonan Pauper's Club amateur contests ocasionally and one time, they bagged the first prize.  The sisters are all now in California and I believe the 3 of them have their photos in the Asinganian Picnic submitted to me by Fred Palma. I met Susan several times in Asingan in 2003, then she visited Toronto and the church where I play as an organist.

Now-a-days I am handling a group of 4 children two of which are my own grandaughters. We provide the liturgical music every Sunday to the 10:00 mass here at the St. John the Evangelist church, Weston Ontario. As in the 2 previous groups I mentioned, all 4 singers can sing on their own or as a group. Their names are Caitlin Untinen, Mia Gonzales, Emma Forbes and Kimberly Tran..Caitlin is the eldest who is now 13, Mia and Kim are 12, Emma is 6. About 25 years ago, my 2 daughters were doing the same job: singing liturgical music with me. I never thought that someday, I will be accompanying my own grandaughters singing in church. It is a really long way, distance wise and timewise from our town Asingan.

-the Editor.

A TRIBUTE TO MY BROTHER-IN-LAW

I'm sure that if my brother-in-law had his way, he didn't want to go that way.  He was a very low-keyed, quiet, fellow.  I really don't know him very well because when he was courting my sister, I used to stand by the door and turn him away.  He must have been frustrated with me so he left Asingan and worked in Olongapo for sometime, then he was conscripted in the Philippine Army, came home again and for a short time, he was in the police force at the time my father was serving as the civil registrar in the treasurer's office.  He really took advantage of his opportunity when I left Asingan for college in Baguio.  Before the first semester was over, he and my sister got married.  But he turned out to be  a good brother-in-law.

I remember when my brother left for England.  He offered to sell one of his carabaos to augment the money that my father gave my brother.  He tilled the little farm that we had and he became my parents' trusted hand when it comes to farming.  (Had I stayed there, it would have been me.)  When my father passed away in Guam, we  brought him back to the Philippines for burial and his wake was at my brother-in-law's little house.  He later immigrated to Guam with my sister and their youngest son, Michael who is now in the Navy.  He didn't like Guam, so he went back home and did what he liked doing - farming, until he was diagnosed with prostatic carcinoma 18 months before he passed away.  We did everything that we could afford to save him but it was too late because his cancer had already metatacised to his spinal cord causing him paralysis from the waist down.  One of his two daughters resigned from her nursing job to take care of him.  We all pitched in for his chemo at St. Luke and I sent him medications but I knew, it was a losing battle.  At least he knew that  we tried everything possible to win a losing battle and that he was loved by us all.

Ben Soloria

MORE FEEDBACKS ( From Ben Soloria )

My nephew got back from the PI last night. He brought back with him. among other things, a CD of the wake and funeral of my brother-in-law (his father) who passed away June 30 and was laid to rest on July 9. That CD and his oral report of his trip made me realize what an enormous change had taken place in that little town which I thought was a sleepy town when I was there. Can you believe that there is now a beer house and a hospital (or hospatay) in Dupac, my once upon-a-time hillbilly place? And a highway now connects Dupac to Sta. Maria. The highway is connected to that little known feeder road by Alex Cariaga's house (if you can still figure out your bearings in that part of town.)

But let me go back to the CD. It totally shocked me how much capitalism had flourished in that town. Remember Funeraria Mercado? They used to have that old-fashioned funeral carriage. But not anymore. The hearst used to bring my brother-in-law from our house in Dupac to the church was a Lincoln and then, from the church to Heaven's Gate Memorial Park, they used a Mercedes Benz. I couldn't believe my eyes. And the hearst looked like it has gilded windows. I said, that's all out competition.They have uniformed attendants and everything they used for the service are all US standard high tech. Even the flowers were changed everyday during the entire 9 days.

Yeah, they kept him for nine days against MY objections. You know the superstition is. You are not supposed to bury the dead on the same day he died, like, he passed away on a Thursday, so he couldn't be buried on a Thursday nor on a Friday. So they had to wait till Saturday. Well, anyway, the other thing that was just outrageous from that CD was that, on the last night of his wake, Funeraria Mercado brought to the house entertainers from Tayug - two singers, two back-up dancers and a keyboard player. They even had audience participation. So the wake turned out like a musical extravaganza which lasted until 2:00 AM. I had to fast forward the CD because I got tired looking at the girls dancing and singing non-stop. Those girls can sing, though. My nephew said it's all part of the package deal complete with a marching band from San Jose, Nueva Ecija. And it's so cheap. The whole deal cost over a thousand dollars (which is nothing compared to the cost of funeral services in the US.) Mercado paid the singers one-thousand pesos each and the dancers and thekeyboard player, 500pesos each. The church looked great on the screen. Again, I saw Juanita Orpiano involved in the church. The choir also is high-tech now. They have the latest entertainment system. I think I should go home and savor a new kind of life in my own native little town.

 

FEED BACKS

hi manong vic. kumusta ka na? i enjoyed reading the entries in The Asinganian Journal. Mrs. Milagros Perez was my grade 1 teacher too. I forwarded your email to my siblings in winnipeg and asinganians.   more power to the journal!!!

(From my cousin Fe Ramos Esteban, an Asinganian now based in Manila. She works for the PAGCOR)  

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I just did!  Awesome! The material is totally hilarious!   Ben, you have excellent writing skills!

Do I see another J.K. Rowling in the making?  I’ll be honored to be your agent

(Above e-mail is from Edith Moreno Manzano, an ex-DWC co-teacher of ours who is now in California...Well Edith, we are now working on a new story book character named HARRY POPPER..Hope he will make it to print...)

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JOHNNY AND HIS FRIENDS

 

When I was in the service, I worked with a marine named Gunny Johnny. He is a mean, nasty, wise ass and we were assigned to the same casualty collection group during the Gulf War. One night, we were up late waiting for orders to go ashore for our mission. Gunny, (who is also an avid Harley-Davidson motorcyclist) liked to boast about his women and I just happened to have enough already of his stories about the "bitches" he had made love to. So to shoot him down, I played dumb and asked him, "Hey, Gunny, aren't bitches female dogs?" and before he could actually respond, I cut him short by saying, "Boy, life must have been really tough for you!"
The whole compartment of US Marines and Navy sailors just burst into laughter. You should have seen his face changed colors and I could tell he just wanted to kill me but his fellow Marines got hold of him. From then on, I never heard him boast about his "bitches" again.

-Ben Soloria

ANOTHER RARE PHOTOGRAPH OF ASINGANIANS

Half of the subjects here are already dead (God bless their souls!)Upper row, standing: Henry Chua* , husband of Adela Anurca Chua, Crispin Villar, owner of the bakery, Pepeng Guillermo, extreme back, then Atty Diaz*, Pablo Canadido, Dr. Tanwangco* ( dentist )..2nd row: Fr. JV Ferrer, my sis Ester, Elvie Pico from Domanpot, Adela *( future Mrs. Chua ), Fabian Ballesteros*, Atty Max Rame*, Ambrosio Divina Sr*. ( ex US Navy man, father of Atty Ambrosio Divina Jr. )..In front of Fabian is Miss Agtarap*, then Miss Marquez* of Macalong, Miss Lopez, Editha Gante*, Miss Macaraeg*, then Editha's relative...me, then Fr. Velasquez.*.. Sitting: my Dad*, my brod, my sis Auring, my Mom*, mom's sister  Mrs. Racho*...the sitting kids: youngest Anurca girl, Rudy Sampaga my eldest nephew, Eva Chua, Mely Sampaga...   Thanks to the Internet and to the scanner, I can share these photos with you and other Asinganians..Hope U will forward my link to our other townmates....Those with asterisks are not in this life anymore..( as far as I know )..Please remember them with a Hail Mary or an Our Father . God bless us all!

* means deceased...

A REAL OLDIE..CHECK THE SUBJECTS...

PICTURE  no.1 - Extreme left going right..: Linda Domingo, ( sis of Raymundo ), a Ms. Anurca, Corazon Ong, Mely Sampaga,( sitting on the arm chair ), then me, an unidentified lady, Miss Margarita Macaraeg, Mrs. Fe Acosta, sis of Atty Diaz, Mrs. Remedios Lopez-Agpaoa, a son of Fe Acosta, Fr. Jose V Ferrer, my mom cuddling Gildo Sampaga...

PICTURE no.2 - (Top photo ) Eva Chua, now Mrs. Alex Esteban, Editha Gante, seated beside her relative, then my sis standing and me in a defensive mood...

(Lower photo )I was trying to sell Fr. Ferrer some knitted curtains for the church. He looks impressed but I dont think Corazon Ong  believes in my salesmanship....(of course you know that I am just kidding! Some people can sell ice to Eskimos, but not me!!)

REMEMBERING THE OLD ASINGAN

Who can forget one's roots
For childhood visions and dreams
Will accompany us to the end

Asingan may now be just a name on a map
Or an address on an envelope...

But years would never cloud the vision of the big acacia trees, in a spot called Paradaan,
Where the barbershop of Opong Fernandez always hummed with life, activity,
discussions among customers waiting for a turn in the barber shop chair..

Maybe to see how the ping pong tournament ended..Or waiting for passengers to step out of a dusty Pantranco which came all the way from who knows where..

The trees are now gone, but the memories will be vivid in the visions of those who stood, sat or just loafed there
watching their childhood days dissapear over the fiery, western horizon...

Victorio Costes-4/24/05

PHOTOGRAPHS AND MEMORIES

Photographs are the best keepsakes. Like good wine, they become more valuable with the passage of time.

I am publishing a number of photos in this section..They will stay here for a while, then they'll dissapear forever to make room for new ones. So catch any of them while you can! Some were taken in the old Sampaga Studio in Asingan decades ago, some were taken recently with digicams. So, peruse, enjoy and check on us every now and then. Who knows whom you will find in here!

REMEMBERING MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DAYS

My first grade teacher in North Central School ( formerly Dupac Intermediate School ) was Mrs. Milagros Perez. She was reluctant to admit me in the first grade because I was three months shy from being seven at the beginning of the school year. I remember how she tested my readiness for
school. She asked me to raise my right arm above my head and touch my left ear without tilting my head to the right. I did get in her class. I supposed I was able to raise my right arm above my head and touch my left ear without tilting my head to the right.
.

As days went on, I found out that Mrs. Perez had a subtle way of getting what she wants to accomplish. One day, at the start of the afternoon class session, she decided to revise our seating arrangement. She pulled me aside and said, " I want you to sit by the door because you wear new shirts more often than others." I repeated the statement over dinner at home that night.My dad laughed so hard his ribs almost cracked. He thought it was the best and funniest compliment he ever heard. Anyway, from then on, my father would not miss to buy me a new shirt almost every Friday, (the biggest market day in Asingan then).

The day after All Souls day that school year, Mrs. Perez pulled one on me again. She came to me and said, "You must be brave because you are the son of a policeman." I smiled as sweet as I could to savor, again, that unusual praise, until she went on to finish what she had in mind. "Did you go to the cemetery on All Souls' Day?" Still not knowing what she was leading to, I nodded in positive affirmation, enjoying that bit of attention from my teacher. "Well, do you know where the Perezfamily mausoleum is?" I still could not grasp her sinister scheme. I was too naive and prone for manipulation by others. Proudly, I said "Yes" complete with a sheepish nod. I could feel a cold sweat on my back when finally she commanded, "I want you to go to the cemetery and retrieve a bird-of-paradise hanging on the door of our family mausoleum and bring it back here." I guess they forgot to bring home that expensive plant after All Souls Day. The cemetery is just walking distance away from the school.

I looked around the classroom for some sympathy but all I could see were eyes wide open in fear upon hearing what I was ordered to do. Maybe they were waiting for me to drop dead with fright. Day or night, nobody likes to visit the cemetery. I didn't want to disappoint my father and I wantedto please my teacher, so  with heavy feet I walked out of the classroom, plodded through the schoolyard, climbed over the wire fence, crossed the street and entered the deserted cemetery. My heart beat like a drum as I raced like the devil to accomplish my mission. When I came back to the classroom, there was no mirror to look into and check what was left of my color but I am sure I looked white as a ghost . To this day, I can remember that proudest smile I ever saw from an old lady. Thats the only reward I received for my bravery!

Another unforgettable first grade teacher was Miss X. I have to call her Miss X and you will know why as soon as you finish reading the story.. Besides having poke marks on her face, a sequela from smallpox, Miss X has such an ill temper to match. One day she substituted for Mrs. Perez.. Then at a certain time during the day she ordered the whole class not to look in her direction .She headed to that spot of the classrrom which had bare earth floor. Well, curiosity got the better of me. I cheated by turning by eye balls, not my head, so I could see what she was up to. I saw her lift up her skirt a bit, sit down and urinated on the spot. Just like that!

I knew then that on that particular day, she was not wearing anything under her skirt.O la-la!

-Ben Soloria

"CINDERELLA MAN" IN QUEEN/SAULTER LIBRARY

"CINDERELLA MAN" IN QUEEN/SAULTER LIBRARY

On August 2004, some snow covered the vicinity of the Queen/Saulter library which Miguelita manages.
"Come over" she said to me on the phone.'You would not believe how beautiful it is here.."

  Indeed, the place  was beautiful . It was winter in August, complete with artificial snow. The whole block was lined up with old cars circa 1920.The business signs were changed with vintage billboards used during the Depression era. Two blocks from Saulter street to Broadview along Queen street became a movie set for the movie CINDERELLA MAN. It is a Ron Howard movie which stars Russel Crowe and Renee Zwelweger.The movie, which finally arrived at  North American theatres  last June 2005, tells the story of Jim Braddock, a down- on-his- luck boxer and a father who tried to keep his family together during the Depression. Russel played the boxer and his wife is played by Renee.    I arrived just on time to watch Renee and 3 kids do the billboard scene where she and her 3 children supposedly stole some wooden slats so they have wood to burn in their stove. In the movie they have no money to pay their electric bills, so their power supply was cut off.    On that hot summer  day, Renee was wearing a sweater inside a winter jacket plus a scarf and a toque. The sun was mercilessly out shining on full blast. The camera crew did three takes. I saw Ron Howard congratulate her for a job well done as she was removing her toque and her jacket. The scene took about 30 mins to shoot. On the screen, it took only about 10 seconds out of the movie's playing time.
An April 2005 issue of SHELF LIFE, a periodical of the Toronto Public Library says: "Queen/Saulter is a favorite of movie location agents, the building has been featured in IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS, a horror movie by John Carpenter; CINDERELLA MAN a period movie blockbuster by Ron Howard ( to be released in early 2005 ) and two Canadian TV Shows: SUE THOMAS, F.B. EYE and PUPPETS WHO KILL.

 

PHOTO ALBUM No. 1

I am presenting this album of  photos, old and new. Open it up, check the pictures and if your face is there, just right click on it and save the photo in your hard disk..Some are REALLY OLD AND ONE-OF-A-KIND shots...One is almost 50 years old, and it features some of my high-school classmates on our last summer in Asingan before we went to Manila!

Johnny Soriano sent the following names re: Picture no. 3:

With regards to who the rest of the people on the 3rd picture, (standing) on Julieta's right is the "late" Estrella Nicholas-Taluban, on Carmen's left is Milagros Epistola-del Rosario.  (Seated) on Ms. Lubiano's right is Virginia Duzon-Mina and on her left is Josephine Nigalan-Ortiz.  Julieta as you already know is in Seattle, Carmen is in Australia, Milagros is still in the Phil., Virginia is in L.A., and Josephine is in Oceanside, Calif. (between San Diego and L.A. but closer to San Diego).

DWA Trivia by Vic Costes

These students in photo no. 3 belonged to High School Class 1-a (1968) which I handled during my first teaching year at DWA. Came December that year, I presented a Christmas Tableux featuring all members of 1-a. This was an all-girl class. Every girl had a part, even if it was just an extra. Roles for men were taken by selected girls dressed as men. Music and narration came from a vinyl Christmas record by Tennesse Ernie Ford called THE STORY OF CHRISTMAS.No CDs yet in 1969...I remember Julieta Marquez playing the Virgin Mary, and Nida Dacanay playing the Angel Gabriel. During the performance ( which took place outside of the school on the front playground), Nida spoke the Angel's lines in perfect sync with  Mr. Ford's narration in the recording. I think she has the only speaking part in the play. The rest was pantomine. From the opening bars of the music intro to the last line of JOY TO THE WORLD, Class 1-a did a perfect job!

I was the stage manager, stage artist, sound man, play director; a regular one-man-band! And I had to bring all my gadgets and props to and from Urdaneta on that day. But now-a-days, I could not see a Christmas Play without remembering that one which I and members of the 1-a Class had pulled off that December afternoon at the DWA.

A Short History of Asingan

As early as 1600, Dominican missionaries established religious missions in a place called Caboloan ( said to be the first name of Pangasinan ). One was called SAN BARTOLOME DE AGNO ( 1687 ) the first to be established near the present site of San Manuel. Then another mission was put up in a neighbouring area ( now the present site of Asingan ). This second mission is called SAN LUIS BELTRAN DE SINAPOG (1698). In 1719 some Igorots from the nearby mountains of San Manuel attacked the mission of San Bartolome and massacred some inhabitants. The Dominican friars and some survivors fled to San Luis Beltran mission for safety.

        In 1733, the Governor General granted a license to establish a town in the San Luis Beltran mission. This town became Asingan in 1802 and up this day, it is still located beside the Sinapog river.         

       When the revolt against the Spaniards broke out in 1762, only Asingan and Binmaley did not join the uprising. Asingan became the refuge of Dominican friars whose lives were endangered; thus Asingan earned the title of "Most Noble and Most Loyal Asingan."        

If you visit Asingan now a days, you can view the Asingan Catholic Church in its fully restored elegance. Like any church in Pangasinan, it  has survived earthquakes, insurrections and other man-made calamities.         

On March 16, 1892 an earthquake left the church with some horizontal cracks. But the church was still usable for worship. Then in 1898, General Makabulos of the KKK ( Kagalang galangang, Kataastaasang Katipunan ) organized some secret groups in Pangasinan. It  is written that during this year, Binalonan, San Manuel and Asingan were captured by the KKK. It must have been during this period that the Asingan convent ( the biggest convent in Eastern Pangasinan at that time ) was razed to the ground by a Katipunero named Agustin Alejo.         

In 1947, Rev. Jose Macaraeg renovated the church in preparation for  the second post war celebration of Christ the King in Pangasinan. Thus in October 1947, the faithful from  entire Pangasinan, and also the towns of Lupao and Cuyapo in Nueva Ecija and other towns like Camiling and Gerona in Tarlac converged in Asingan for a huge celebration. ( at that time, these towns are still part of the Diocese of Lingayen.)          On July 16, 1990, an intensity 8 earthquake rendered the church useless. Whole walls came down. Masses were held outdoors. But Asinganians from all over the world ( even those from other denominations ) pitched in their financial help for the restoration of the church. Thus, on October 10, 1993, which is celebrated in Asingan as the feast day of their Patron Saint St. Louis Beltran, the reconstructed church was opened to all Asinganians for the first time. This first Mass was concelebrated by Fr. Jesus Galang, D.D. Asingan Parish Priest Msgr. Marlo Peralta and assistant Parish Priest Benjamin Mangonon.

         The parishioners were honored in April 23, 1995 when President Fidel Ramos came to his hometown to see the new church . Msgr. Peralta acknowledged before the congregation the presence of the former President of the Philippines.

Asingan's Political Contributions

Asingan has contributed four Congressmen to the political history of the Philippines: Juan Millan, Narcisco Ramos, Justino Benito and Luciano Millan. Juan Millan was a hard working Nacionalista lawmaker who died after the end of his second term. Narciso Ramos, a member of the Liberal Party later became the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Then there was Justino Benito, a brilliant lawyer who was chosen as an outstanding Congressmanduring his term. The fourth is Luciano Millan ( Asingan Public High School eventually was named after him ) a "fighting" Nationalista Congressman. His record was so good that he was selected to represent the Philippines in the United Nations General Assembly with another brilliant statesman. That statesman's name was Ferdinand Edralin Marcos.  

It is said that Ferdinand Marcos came to Asingan a few times. Narciso Ramos, the father of Fidel Ramos and Leticia Ramos-Shahani, was his close relative . He stayed then in a stately house that belongs to the Agsalud family. Mrs. Pura Ramos Agsalud is the sister of Narciso. It is said that Ferdinand Marcos came to Asingan during the war, then as a Senator and finally as a Presidential candidate.  

Asingan came to the limelight when Fidel Ramos won the Presidential election many, many years later. A month before the election, I was in Asingan to attend the town fiesta. I saw him with many bodyguards and friends participating in the TARAY ASINGAN.

Back in Toronto,  I was elated  a month later when I heard that finally, a townmate of ours became the President of the Philippines. His sister also won a senatorial seat. However, there are a few townspeople from Lingayen, Pangasinan who claim that Lingayen is the true hometown of Pres. Ramos since his mother is from this town and he was born in this provincial capital. Some say Fidel Ramos finished his Elementary schooling in  Lingayen and his teachers say he had shown a promising capacity for leadership. I gathered these stories when I visited Lingayen during one of my balik-bayan holidays.  

However, the fact remains that Pres. Ramos and Sen. Leticia Shahani have residences ( rather vacation houses ) here in Asingan.And many schools in town are renamed after their parents.   Rafael Colet is another addition to the Who's Who in Asingan's Hall of Fame. Rafael Coletonce served as the governor of Pangasinan. Ranjit Shahani, the son of Leticia Ramos Shahani  has also served as a Congressman for the 5th District of Pangasinan.  

You might have seen ( or heard ) of two towering Narra trees at the Mayor's gate at the  south side of the town plaza. The seedlings which grew into these gigantic trees were brought over from Dapitan, Zamboangaby an Asinganian, Professor Jose  Blando. It is said that the seedlings came from the narra tree planted by our country's national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. He planted this tree while he was in exile in Dapitan. The last time I saw the trees, they are already dead but I know they witnessed the unfolding of Asingan from a small settlement into a bustling community belonging to the second millennium.

I remember Asingan during the 50's, 60's and '70s. It was a "sleepy" community. Now a days, it seems Asingan hardly sleeps at all. Resorts with modern swimming pools and picnic areas sprung up in the poblacion and in many barrios. Night life in town would be a visit to countless "Karaoke" bars which are open 7 days ( or rather 7 nights )  a week.. Apartels and Hotels are established for transients and visitors. Tricycles come and go out of town almost the whole night. You can even text a tricycle to come to your doorstep if you have a cell phone, assuming the driver have a cell of his own.  

 Thus the story of Asingan continues with the passage of time and history. Its townspeople come and go like the waves at the beach. But like the beach, Asingan does not go away. It is always there, patiently awaiting for her visiting sons and daughters from all over the world.  

THE END.  

Written by Victorio Costes from files by Samuel Soloria, Carl Calderon, Francisco Malala and Celestino Necessito.

Memories about World War II

I received an e-mail from my friend Lito Domaoan asking me, among other things:

Hi Vic: I don’t know that you were born in Laoac, Manaoag. Laoac is a separate town now so you are part "Laoacan" and Asinganian. Were all of  your siblings  born in Laoac? In what year did your parents immigrated to Asingan?....

The e-mail evoked some memories, very early ones which were instilled partly by stories from my mother who was quite a story teller herself. She related that my grand parents and great grandparents ( grandmother's side )  were natives of Asingan. My mother is from Laoac.My grandfather (father side ) Donato Costes served as a Mayor around 1920(?) but a stroke cut his term short.He died while still in office. When World War II broke out, my mother accompanied by the whole household evacuated to Laoac, her native town ( or barrio ) to hide. They left a few weeks before the Japanese arrived in Asingan. The year was 1942.  May 21 on that year, I was born in a small hut in the middle of a rice cane field. My grandfather(mother side) was a hard working farmer.

After the surrender of Japan, when we heard that Americans arrived in Pangasinan, my family went back to Asingan walking all the way because many roads were destroyed and public transportation was non-existent. It took them a whole week to hike, and they traveled with other evacuees. They arrived in Asingan to find an American camp in front of our house, situated at the western side of the Roman Catholic church lot.

I remembered just vaguely about that American camp. My mother told me many stories about the Americans. When drunk, they said, they could be boisterous. Two good GIs sometimes slept in our house, my Mom said. They were good friends. I vaguely remember seeing their cot beds in our living room.

Several years later, one of them ( his name was Steve) sent us his wedding photo. He was wearing a uniform with some stripes. I guess he was promoted and he and his pretty bride were married in the US when he returned home after the war.I remembered mother keeping the photo and a few letters from him.

Many horror stories that happened during the Occupation also came out later. They said Asinganians were slapped on the face by the Japanese ifthey failed to bow to them on the street. A townmayor ( Mr. Alejo ) was executed by the Japs using the water torture. It is said he was made to drink water mixed with wood ashes, then soldiers stepped on his belly. They wanted him to confess the names of local guerillas, but he refused. Also babies were killed with bayonets. The memory of such brutality lingered in Asingan for several years that even in the 50s, they say that no Japanese could go into the barrios without being killed by the locals who survived the occupation.

***********

Lito also contributed some stories re: the war in an e-mail.He said:

Like your family, we also run away. We  crossed the Agno river to  a Nipa hut and a cave where we hid for sometime. One of my sisters was born on Dec 21, 1941 during the evacuation shes the only one who was born in Asingan. Myself  and another sister was  born at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Manila . My Papang was working with the Bureau of Customs and at the same time studying Law at the University of the Philippines as a scholar. My mom was also teaching at the Lico Elementary school in Paco, Manila.

When the war broke out we were still in the city running around just to escape the bombing of Manila. Luckily my Papang survived the bombing of the Bureau of Custom which was almost wiped out. I remember riding the train going to Pangasinan during that time. Charcoal or coal was used for operating the train. I remember your Mom telling me that my Mom was her contemporary. May their souls rest in peace,  Amen! ....