Once Upon a Time in Asingan.....
..there were 4 friends: Lito Domaoan, Ismael Domaoan ( his cousin ), Florendo ( Amading ) Sampaga Romero, Philip Martin and me, the writer of this entry. The time was the early '60s. We have just finished high school with the bleak prospect of going into College.
So we just took it easy for a whole year, staying in Asingan letting the days go by like driftwoods on a strong river. We were waiting where the stream of life would eventually bring us.
We joined a local church club together with other youths , the cream of the crop of Asingan's youth: very smart people imbued with brains, diligence etc. but with one problem: not rich enough to enter College..But we had a whole year to plan what we want to do with ourselves....
So we met regularly, and one time, we had some photos taken for the sake of posterity.
Then one by one, all the four friends dissapeared from Asingan. Everyone left for Manila, not necessarily to study but to find some kind of work...
Lito Domaoan was the only one who bid me good bye. He said, "there is a free ride going to Manila ( a relative's car or something ) and I will be going there for keeps. It seems there is nothing for us here ."
We heard that the rest of the group had gone ahead. And so he left. I was left behind in Asingan to wait for the next school year to begin..
Fast forward to the present. Well, Philip joined the US Navy, Ismael and M.Lito found their way here in North America. Amading? Nobody knew where he went. Until recently..
I received an e-mail from him, which partly said:
"Just saw your address in the internet when I went to Asingan site and I read my name re Message# 136. May I introduce myself first before I go on any further. I am Florendo (Amading) Sampaga Romero pinsan of Manong Lilo, who used to teach catechism in the sixties with you. I read your columns but the names mentioned only were Manong Lito, Philip, you and maybe more except me.
This was 50 years ago! Thanks God we're still alive! I missed you guys from the bottom of my heart. Kindly extend my greetings to all those who in one way or another have done what we did before. I salute you for what you are doing re an internet website and I'm very proud to be an Asinganian. I'm married to Alicia (Lumen) Dagang of Macalong, a sister in law of Purita Palma.
My sister Esmer was your classmate before and she died of cancer in 2001, here in Orlando, Florida. To cut it short, my email address is mading.romaga@yahoo.com. Do you know the email addresses of Manong Lito, Philip and Ismael? God bless you and your family.**********************
To which I answered:
HI Amading!
I mentioned your name too, but in one of those early entries I made in my Blog, about 3 years ago!
Manong Lito, Ismael, Eva, ..they want to get in touch with you too, I am sure..!!
I am sorry to hear about your sis Esmeralda..You have another sis who used to sing in the church with us..I forgot her name already..
Next time, could you send us your photo, also? You have this strong, tenor-baritone voice which could fill up the whole church...
Manong Lito is okay and so with Eva and Dia. ...Alex Romero ( your Uncle ) is still in Asingan, as you may know...
......
I am so happy you wrote me, buddy!
Write me again, okay?
VIC
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Then he answered back:
WHAT A GREAT DAY! I've found my long lost friend who have dedicated his life for Almighty God's sake and for the Asinganians. Keep it up Vic! "Somgar pay ti dotdot ko nga nakaawat ti email mo kabsat, ken nagtedted pay ti luak ti ragsak ko. "Saan nga OA daytoy but from the bottom of my heart, it's God's blessings for me. Imagine, for almost 50 long years we are just starting to communicate with each other and Manong Lito, Ismael, Manang Eva, Manang Dia and so forth.
You know, for what we did when we were young teaching catechism while we were not in school, we were gifted by Almighty God that almost all of us were able to go abroad and our lives became better than when we were inthe Philippines. To mention them, Manong Lito, you, Philip, Lito Mazano, others and me. Do you think this is just coincidence? I really can feel that this was our gift from God Alminghty.
Who were we before? You and Philip were in a better world. Our life then was so hard... Good that I grew up with my Auntie Felisa who had loved me as her own son. Would you believe that one day when I was in college, I even prayed to God Almighty in Quiapo church that may he will just take me because of our hardship in life. That's how desperate I was before!
Godofreda is the name of my sister who used to sing in the choir with you. She is here also in Orlando. Nene and Freda became R.Nurses, so with my wife Alicia.
Thanks a lot for giving the email addresses of Manong Lito and sisters, also Ismael . By the way, I've got two sons, Daniel and Ariel. Ariel married a RN white lady and Daniel still single at 35.
I'll be retiring on April 30 this year as a working Supervisor of Valencia Com. College at age 65. I don't like to work anymore for the meantime. We came here in June 11, 1990. I'll be sending you our pictures later, okay! God bless you and your family as usual. Bye.
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I answered again...
HI Amading,
It is a great day indeed, my friend..And I noticed that you can also write something about the past days in Asingan when we were still free of the "responsibilities" connected with adulthood..
Did you join the US Navy?..I heard something re: this effect but I was never sure..Your experiences ( praying to God to get you ) are quite heart rending..I know you had so many sisters..I still know their faces as children, but I can not remember their names already..Esmeralda, I think was your eldest..Maybe you could ennumerate their names again to me so I could refresh each one of them..But I never knew there will 11 of you...
I also remember a Sunday Times writer-photographer came to do an article re: your Mom SMALL TOWN PHOTOGRAPHER and in one of the photos, I had my side view and you are one of the kids in the background..That was something..If I only have a clipping or a page of that article, it would be a memorabilia...
I also remember thetime yourMom was bitten by a snake in her darkroom..There was quite a crowd in your house then..The snake incident and the Sunday Times photo essay was mentioned in one of my writings ( earlier ones ) and it could only be retrieved by going into the archives of the AJ book 1..So many things/stories re: Asingan before..I even included the incident re: Tata Pili and the priest ( whom he "defrocked" waist down, ) while he was shooting a funeral..It was related to my by my brod in law, M. Lilo..Maybe you heard that Gildo, one of his sons passed away..
Anyways, I have to go out but I could not help writing you to answer your letter..If you have an interesting article re: our town ( as we knew it ) please submit it and I will include it in my Blog..
Thanks, Amading..More power to you..
VIC
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Thank you so much for having given me the opportunity to reach Manong Lito and sisters, Ismael and others.
Never thought that you will be and now the source of my communicating with my relatives,friends and you.
Did not join the navy. My wife applied as an immigrant re her profession in '71 and papers arrived in '89 while she was working in Riyahd, Saudi Arabia. What a memory you have! Yes, we will never forget those years, Mamang bitten by snake, lady photographer in Sunday Times and the hardships that we went through being children of poor couple.
Sorry to hear also about the death of Gildo. How? Haven't heard anything from them. I used to be the operator of Manong Lilo's sound system for years earning 3 pesos a night. Never in my dreams that I could reach America. It was impossible! But now it's true!
Tell you something. I was already 28 and still have no girlfriend. Never planned before to court a townmate 'cause if I do, told myself, I'll just be in despair being a son of a poor couple. Day by day I prayed to Almighty God to find me one to be my wife. Went to novenas in Mother of Perpetual help, St Jude Thaddeus Shrine beside Malacanang and never stop praying. I was at that time a Paymaster of Tamaraw Security Services, Inc.
One day Uncle Alex Romero and Fred Palma came to my boarding house in Jocson st. infront of UST.They invited me to the Juniors/Seniors prom of San Juan de Dios hospital nursing school. I went with them and Alicia, my wife was my blind date. It was a love at first sight! Am I going to court her, asked myself? I decided to pursue my feelings. Made visits every weekends and finally after several months, I proposed and, you don't have to guess anymore.
She's God's gift to me. She's the miraculous answer to my prayers!
My brothers and sisters' names from the eldest: Me, Aurora, Nene, Freda, used to sing with you in choir, Reynald, deceased, Ester, Pepe, Gloria, Zacarias and Josie. Me, Nene, Freda, Pepe, Gloria, Zacarias, selling pandesal early in the morning and Josie are here in US.
There's nothing impossible really even if you are just very poor during your childhood that your future will still be changed by our beloved Almighty God. I tried hard following God's commandments first of all. Thanks God we were able to come here.
Bye now my long lost friend. God bless you and your family circle as usual.
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Indeed, life is beautiful, and exciting..It depends on how we meet it, how we shake it by the hand and how positive we deal with it..
Sometimes, we fear the unknown and we think everything is helpless..
It is not!
Even if life has its twists and turns, if we keep up trusting the goodness of some people and the belief that we are not walking alone in this world, then everything will turn out okay!
Just what my friend Amading discovered for himself...
--vic
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