A HAUNTED TREE IN DUPAC

When I was in Gr. 5, I had a choice in our Industrial Arts subject: Join a gardening class where you make a plot at a far end of the Dupac back lot or raise chickens in your home. I opted for the 2nd one because we have already an existing poultry in our home, tended by my Mom, of course.

But most of our male classmates ( the female ones had their Home Economics with a place beside the classroom building )selected the gardening subject. Everyday they had to go and tend their plants ( weed and feed with water ) and at night, they have to sleep in a small hut in the garden area to guard their plots from poachers.

Some parents at that time did not like their kids to sleep in that forsaken area. Some of the kids do because they have some other kids to play with. But then, not far from the sleeping area was a big breadfruit tree. the local name is PAKAK.

It was said to be haunted. Why not? The garden area including the sleeping quarters was located just in front of the Asingan Municipal cemetery. Only the road going to Macalong is separating the these two spots.

Well, according to some of the kids who tried sleeping in the Dupac gardens, there was really an OGRE ( the name of its European fairy tale counter part ) or PUGOT if you select to use the Ilocano name. In Tagalog he is called a KAPRE.

Some eyewitnesses alleged the creature was tall ( around 12 feet high ), dark skinned, smelly ( some say the smell came from his underarms ) and he was also always smoking a big tobacoo. They said he was always seen sitting on one of the branches. Sometimes he would be swinging his legs to and fro.

Some would dismiss the story as a fib. BUT there are some ladies in Asingan who claim it is true because at one time, there was a PUGOT who "courted" them. These ladies lived in the distant barrios of Asingan during the early days.. Their stories run as follows: The presence of this dark suitor is felt around midnight. The woman in question would hear some noise in the kitchen, e.g. some clanging of kitchenware. She would go to check things out but nobody was there! Just a lingering odor or smell of a you-know-what. Maybe the pugot was hungry and he was looking for a snack..:)

Some ladies also said they saw two hands clinging at a window ledge. Many of the houses then were made of bamboo and thatched nipa. And the hands were hairy with long nails! One story said after the hands dissapeared there was a rushing of footsteps going away from the house. I heard one such story from a lady residing in San Vicente.

Well during these times, people always ask proof to believe in something. A photograph or maybe an affidavit. Heck must they always ask for a proof?

When I was a kid, I believed in everything. Now that I am already a grandpa I believe in anything. Anything that I can amuse my grandkids when I am baby sitting them!

THE DUPAC PLAYGROUND AS I REMEMBER IT

During the late 50's and early '60s, the Dupac back playground was nothing but Leaves of Grass, to use a title from one poem by Walt Whitman. On a late afternoon, especially during the summer vacation ( from April to June ) the playground was peaceful except maybe for the sounds from a few goats or a cow left there to eat their greens.


Sometimes, my pals and I would meet there and forming a circle we would tell many stories of different subjects, about school and then drifting from one topic to the other.

There was a big mango tree on your right when you face Macalong.The swimming pool was not still there. Under that tree were two outhouses ( toilets ) one for each sex. During those years, the third sex was not fully recognized yet.

During school days, the Janitor would clean the toilet bowls and would leave a big water tank ( an empty gasoline drum ) full of water. During the holidays, well it is a different story. The Janitor would also go on holiday. On one of those idyllic afternoons we were there again, and then I felt the call of nature, a major one. During those days, that was the euphumism to use when you want to piss or make shit. The former is a minor one, the latter is major one.

Well I had to go and it is good I found a clean page of BANNAWAG magazine near the place. So I went inside the cubicle, got adjusted with the smell, then I squatted ( there was no toilet seat ) on the john. So I let go and oh, what a relief! Naturally, I had to use the Bannawag.

NOW comes the funny part of my story. If you are sensitive to privy jokes, all you can do is to click exit and leave. Just a friendly warning message..


So I checked the water tank. Dry as a bone. Okay, I said. Not my fault for not flushing the damned toilet bowl. There was no water.

Then I heard a strange noise from inside the toilet bowl. I went to take a look..Jumpin' Jehosephat! I saw big and red cockroaches which appeared from nowhwere ( maybe inside the u-shaped cavity of the bowl? ) and they started cleaning up my mess!..Geezz, I tell you..I believe that cockroaches will inherit the earth someday after doomsday when all humanity will be wiped out. Because they survive in the worst conditions and they are not picky with the food they eat!

Anyway, I am ending this entry with this bright note on evolution. Next time you feel like squashing a cockroach with your foot, remember his forefathers lived during the beginning of time and his future relatives will survive to the end of time...:)

THAT GRADUATION PROGRAM IN DUPAC

Many times we can pick some nuggets of Asingan history from ( of all places ) Facebook which is meant to be just a social networking site..Here is an example: I wrote the following lines on a site hosted by Sonny Espejo: "Will be visiting this school ( I graduated from here too ) when I will be in Asingan ( Nov.2011-April 2012 )..Graduated here April 1954..Tempus fugit.."

The school referred to is the Dupac Intermediate School. This is how we called it at that time circa 1955. In return Sonny answered : " Time flies, indeed Mng Vic. I climb on that front stage to claim my diploma in April of 1973. We were the first batch to graduate under the shadow of Martial Law. For the first time, there was no Town Fiesta in April of that year in keeping with the austerity program of Marcos' Bagong Lipunan. Muslim Rebellion in Mindanao and War in Vietnam were raging, OPEC countries were just starting to flex their muscles which eventually led to an Oil Embargo raising the price of gas from an unbelievable P0.90 to the liter to what it is now! On the brighter side, the Philippines was still king of Asian Basketball winning the ABC championship in December of that year with the heroics of Jaworski, Reynoso, Mariano, Melencio, Adornado, Paner, Cleofas, Arnaiz, Martirez, Fernandez, Guidaben and coach Eduque. That started my lifelong love affair with the game."..

To which I could not help but to answer in this Board: " Sonny, while those years in North Central taught you the love for basketball, the same Alma Mater taught me the love for music and drama..During our Commencement exercises from Gr. 6 that closing ceremony included a song ON WINGS OF SONG ( originally written by Felix Mendelson a prolific classical music writer ) sang by our class tenor, Alex Romero. Years later he became my kumpare and good friend up to now. While he sang the classical song about India, he was garbed in a Hindu costume complete with a turban. Aurora Pascua did an Arabian like dance garbed also like an Arabian princess..Alex sang without accompaniment and without microphone but his voice stood out like a bell...With the emotional atmosphere of the evening thinking that we will never see each other regularly again in school, the tune etched permanently in my memory. I rediscovered the tune again later when I took music appreciation seriously. On the side while studying piano, I listened to classical music played over DZFE AM Radio. FM was not existing yet then. not in Asingan anyway. Those years ln Asingan North Central or Dupac Intermediate school taught its pupils outside the classroom different things especially in its convocation programs. Somehow seeds of learning are propagated in the child's mind during these formative years to bear fruit and blossom later in life as the child would grow into maturity...

Christmas in the Philippines, anybody?

Christmas Carolers at the Dusit Hotel, Manila..


Christmas Carolers in our old house in Asingan..



Miggie at the lobby of Manila Penn, while some New Year decors were being put up...


Xmas display in a Makati store...


An almost life size BELEN in a residence in Makati ( the house of the Mr. and Mrs. Bocaling )



One month from now, we will be back again in Asingan and will be there for 6 months!..It is actually an experiment in living..We want to find out for ourselves whether life in Asingan is more enjoyable than life in Toronto..

Moving back to the Motherland is just like starting again fresh..You are retired. You like to relax from the hustle and bustle and pollution of a big American city. So you opted for the nice and quiet life in the old hometown.Oh boy, it remains to be seen, and of course, I will surely keep you posted..Jeez, there are already some free WiFi areas in Urdaneta ( like Jolibees or McDonald )..And some Bus Lines going going to Ilocos have free Wi Fis too in order to keep the passengers amused...We might wait for a few more years before the Asingan bound Viron will have a free Wi fi service..:)For now, the best way to use your laptop in the Viron bus is to buy a SmartBro USB in Manila and subscribe to its Net service..That would cost you 1000 pesos a month for unlimited service..I need Net services to pay my bills online...Well after one has sorted out all of these technicalities, including acquisition of a dual citizenship from the Phil. Consulate here in Toronto, then

I guess we are ready to try out a holiday away from the snow in Toronto.And from the commercialism of the Holiday here in North America..!...Well, several Asinganians have staked out their retirement in our town and they seem to enjoy it...right guys?..:D

A sketch of the old Agno River, Asingan

-photo by VDCabanilla-This concrete bridge I believe took the place of the wooden one that marked the boundary between Poblacion and Aragaag..


A typical house in Aragaag before. The neighbour would be quite far away. But this house maybe would belong to a tenant looking after a nearby agricultural land...

Comparing Asingan to Toronto is like comparing apples to oranges, but for me each place is dear to my heart for each of them helped in my growing up..Asingan saw me grow as a child, Toronto saw me attain maturity as a man...So how can you forget the scenes you saw through the eyes of your child hood?..You can not..These are always be lingering in remembrance like an old song which you heard when you were still going about as a happy, carefree individual..I loved to be alone then..So sometimes I walked to the riverside and played amongst the thick underbrush ( talahib ) and sand dunes of the old river.But I do not wander too far from the houses beside the river.There was an old wooden bridge going to Aragaag before..There were many clothes washers at the river below looking up at whoever would pass over the bridge: carromatas, Pantranco busses, cyclists..no motorized tricyclists yet at that time...A few meters away from this bridge was a sort of trail going down to the river..It was quite an experience going down this elevated downward trail riding on a carromata just to see the splash of the river as the wheels hit the water..This place then was scenic. There were lots of CAMANTERES ( KAMACHILE ) trees all around, and a bit upriver were the remains of an old bridge..It looked like a pier or a dock at that time and some kids used it as a diving board because the river was deep ( lipos, they say in Ilocano ) and only the good swimmers dared jump into its waters...Alas, one rainy season came, the river overflowed its banks and it took away EVERYTHING changing the topography of the land forever..Afterwards, the river banks became flat and plain looking. That scenic spot where we used to visit every Saturday morning ( where Mom and the servants spent the whole day washing clothes ) disappeared forever..It taught me a lesson: the constant law of life is constant change. Nothing stands still. There is always motion even if you say you are sitting down on chair or lying down on a bed. The chair and the bed are moving with the earths rotation on its axis and rotation around the sun. Such is one of the miracles of daily life which we mortals sometimes take for granted. But then, we must not be afraid. Fear not, because as the hymn goes: HE GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS..Amen!!!---#

CALLING RIZAL ACADEMY CLASS '58

hello class '58!

wE MIGHT HAVE OUR OWN CLASS REUNION ON APRIL 2012..NOT A VERY LONG TIME TO WAIT!

ANYWAY, HERE IS A LIST OF OUR CLASSMATES TAKEN FROM THE ORIGINAL GRADUATION DAY PROGRAM LAST 1958..CLICK THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE IT..IF YOUR NAME IS HERE AND YOU WANT TO "CONNECT" WITH US, DROP ME AN E MAIL ASSUMING YOU ARE FOND OF USING THE COMPUTER..MANY OF OUR CLASSMATES ARE NOT...ANYWAY, LET US HAVE OUR OWN REUNION, EVEN JUST TO SEE AND CHAT WITH EACH OTHER AGAIN..PLS. GET IN TOUCH!! THANK YOU!!!

In a winery at the Niagara Penninsula

a sign in an ice cream parlor



Shows how old some of the wineries are



Grape vines as far as the eyes can see. Original owners of the land were the victors of the British-French wars.In principle, Canada is still "under" the British Empire. Now the monarchy are just figureheads who receive some money from the Canadian government..



An old machinery used in the wine production trade. Now a days everything is modernized but some kinds of grapes for expensive wines are still hand picked..


Have you ever visited a winery in the Niagara penninsula which is about an hour drive from Toronto? I have been staying in Toronto for more than 30 years already and it was only last week that I entered a winery ( with other visitors of course, a whole busload of them )

Before we entered the wine distillery, the tour guide brought us first to a nearby row of grape vines. It is the kind which produces a semi-dry white wine called Reisling. After the half hour explaination, I found out that making wine is no easy task, it entails so much time, money, patience and knowledge of grape vines...

Then we entered the winery itself. We saw silos containing grape juice that someday will be bottled in the same area. There is already a bottling paraphernalia in the same building which could produce some thousands of bottles in 24 hours. That is lots of booze, I heard someone comment..

Then we had some wine tasting before we left the building to proceed with our bus excursion.