Aerial views of my "territory" in Asingan

This view shows my neighbourhood, the environment where I grew up. My neighbour was Mr. Sergio de Mesa (RIP) who happened to be my godfather. He was also my Gr. 5 teacher at the Dupac Intermediate School ( old name of the NCS). I believe he is one of the first US Navy retirees in Asingan, together with Mr. Ambrosio Divina Sr. You can blow up the photo by pointing your cursor on it and clicking it once..


The crossroad on the top left side goes to Dupac, if you turn right and to Macalong, if you go straight..There was a candy store in this corner before ( Monyangs convenience store )which took all my pocket money because they were selling imported US chocolate bars: Milky Way, Three Muskeeters, etc. costing only 15 centavos each.. Right now I can only taste Milky Way if I go to the US because this candy is not available here in Canada..




This view shows the ricefield in Calaoagan behind the small street going to the Delmendo Cable Company..





At the bottom left shows the new Asingan Municipal building. The street behind it is named DCostes in honor of my grandpa who once served as mayor of the town. The long street on its left perpendicular to it going north to Dupac is called Soloria street, maybe named after Samuel Soloria, the one time Municipal Secretary of our town.The other street near the rice fields of Calaoagan which crosses DCostes street is where Mr. Melecio Villanueva lived. He was our Gr. 5 teacher during those days. His son Nestor is my best friend in high school, THE RIZAL JUNIOR COLLEGE. We used to sing in a combo together with Cesar Alejo ...






This shows the aerial view of the town plaza. The Auditorium I think is named after Mr. Dalmacio Guillermo one of the well known citizens during those early days of Asingan. My friends and I enjoyed countless hours hanging out in the plaza especially at the base of the water fountain without any water ( marked J on the picture ) particularly during Friday afternoons when there was no school the next day..

THREE RELIGIOUS STORIES FROM PANGASINAN

These three stories happened to three individuals: the incidents were featured in an early issue of THE ASINGANIAN which I published long time ago ( about 3 decades ). The Internet was then still in the drawing board.

During those days, I wanted to publish a newspaper ( or something similar ) which would feature news stories re: Asingan or Pangasinan for that matter ). When the Internet arrived and revolutionized our life and the way we exchange communication, then I found the best and the cheapest way to broadcast news and pictures to all our townmates around the world...


story 1- Rodolfo Necessito, an Asinganian now living in California wrote the following account about Rowel Darang of Rosales, Pangasinan.

On September 2, 1987, Rowel heard strange voices calling his name outside his home. But due to the presence of Drug dealers in his hometown, he was afraid to go out to check who was calling him.

The next morning Sept. 3, he went out and and found a 13-inch statuette of the Virgin Mary on his doorstep. He took possesion of this image when nobody else claimed ownership. From the time he took in the image, his life has completely changed.

You see, he started to see visions of the Virgen Mary and he went into trances almost everyday for the next 6 years. He became like the 3 famous children of Fatima or St. Bernadette of Lourdes, France. He received messages from Mary ( whom he called Mama Mary ) which are repetitions of her previous ones in Lourdes, Fatima and the other places where Mary's apparition had appeared. The message was to spread Universal Peace and Love.

He was ordered to construct a grotto in her honour where the faithful could go to worship. This shrine now stands in the middle of a ricefield donated by the Rapanot family of Rosales, Pangasinan. This family is non Catholic.

At first, people thought Rowel was crazy. Then many local residents started to see the apparition themselves in the rice field grotto. He came to the US in 1990 to spread Mary's message of Universal Love, the need for prayer and the return for family devotion to the Holy Rosary.

( the complete story of Rowel Darang, his travel to California and a mysterious photograph of him and the Virgin Mary could be read in the PANGASINAN NEWSLINE, December and January issue, written by Rodolfo Necessito, one of Asingan's long time writers now residing in San Francisco, California )

story no. 2-During the 70s, Block Rosary was a very popular devotion in Pangasinan. In Puzzorubio, a Block Rosary group came upon a home owned by a non Catholic who does not seem to believe in God.At first, the group was hesitant to bring the image of Our Lady of Fatima to her house.But the head of the Block Rosary group was strong willed and she asked the homeowner if the image could stay with her and her family just for one night.

"Okay", the woman said. "but I am telling you now that you are just wasting your time. We will not be doing anything about it."

When the group left, the woman brought the image to the ground floor of her housewhere the dirty and old stuff are usually kept.

After supper, the family just went to bed and forgot all about the image.

It was about midnight when the woman saw in a dream that a beautiful lady appeared standing beside her bed, smiling at her. At this point, she woke up abruptly but the memory of her dream persisted. THEN she smelled a strong fragrance of roses and she remembered the image left downstairs in the ground floor. She rushed down and she was struck with awe because she saw the image surrounded by a strange light. and that overwhelming fragrance of roses.

She fell on her knees. She wanted to scream but she was afraid her children might wake up and also her neighbours. Then the light dissapeared together with the fragrance of roses. She gently took the image in her arms, brought it up to her house and set it in a corner of her living room. Then she fell to her knees again and started reading the prayers in the book left by the Block Rosary devotees.

When the devotees came back the next day for the image, they found a different woman who said the farewell prayers with them together with her children. The following Sunday, she attended church for the first time with her children and eventually, she was converted into Catholicism.


story no. 3 - Medjugorhe is a small Craotian community in the Bosnia-Herzegovina area of the former Yugoslavian Republic. In here is a high mountain where Mary's apparition was seen and thus so many healings and conversions took place. At that time, there was a civil war going on and many people were killed. But this did not stop many pilgrims from going up the steep mountain via a dangerous trail. Many wanted to ask the Virgin Mary for personal favours or just hoping they could also see her apparition.

One of the pilgrims was an Asinganian lady. Sorry, I can not mention her name but she claims account is true. And I believe her. Anyways, she decided to go up the mountain and near the top, her foot slipped and she fell into a deep precipice. She was hospitalized because of some physical injuries but she survived the fall although the gorge was very deep and rocky.

During her accident, she claimed that SOMEONE caught her thus breaking her fall, thus saving her life. She felt the sensation of being caught but she saw NOBODY holding her.

oooOOOooo

These are precarious times, the age of miracles which happened in the past and still happening. There are signs all around us but we must not lose sight of the fact that everything, including natural disasters are in the Hands of God. Maybe, just maybe we should continue loving HARDER one another ( even that character in your life which you love to hate ) because after all, the Christian manifesto is TO LOVE YOUR ENEMIES.----#

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pangasinan has its own Marian shrine visited by countless Pilgrims EVERYDAY of the week. Somehow, many claim that their prayers are being answered after visiting this church. Thus the popularity of this town whose name I think means TO CALL...

the ASINGANIAN ( last installment of the 1994 article )

Political discussions

What is an account of Asingan without a little discussion of local Politics? 1995 is the election year for the next mayor of the town. According to some sources, there are three probable candidates: the incumbent Mayor Carlos Lopez, Mrs. Elvira Ramos Veniegas ( the daughter of one time Mayor of Asingan Jose Ramos ) and Col. Romeo Dranciang an Asinganian military man who struck heroic deeds in the strife torn Island of Mindanao. Who will win? Only time will tell.


The governor's position is also up for grabs. Current runners are: Mr. Orbos and Mr. Ranjit Shahani the nephew of President FVRamos.T his race presents something that would be a discussion fodder for local political analysts. The discussion would be worth a case of San Miguel beer or a few bottles of Cuatro Cantos. Do not to forget the pulutan or finger food.


Colonel Daranciang is a military man and he is good at his job. It was President Ramos who pinned his medals of valour. When he visited Asingan recently, Col. Daranciang was warmly given a hero's welcome.

The strongest asset of Elvie might be her blood relation to FVR. I heard that she might be the official party candidate. If she makes it, then she would be the first woman mayor of Asingan.

Now we come to Mayor Carlos Lopez. He appears to be a very humble and honest man. " I am a farmer by trade," he told me recently when I visited his office.

" I am trying to open the Mayor's Office to the common Asinganian. The poor vendor on the street, the common TAO who never had the chance to step into an air conditioned office of the Mayor." he said emphatically.

Then he proceeded to relate the story of Mimay the peanut vendor who was able to see her child go through College by just selling peanuts. Mayor Lopex said he personally escorted her to visit his office one afternoon.

The governor's race is a more difficult issue to write about since one has to go to the Capitol nosing about for some stories to print without you being sued for libel. But I talked with some Barangay leaders from Calepaan who have some axes to grind with the present Vice Governor, Ranjit Shahani.


"If he does not fulfill his promises of cementing the Calepaan road going to Urdaneta, we will vote for Orbos in the next election." One of leaders said.

An Asinganian military who is the CO of an AFP HQ in San Isidro, Binmaley asked me if I could write a press release about Ranjit. Particularly his promises of fixing the roof of the Camp sleeping quarters.

"When it rains, we seem to be sleeping under a mango tree. Water pours freely, " he said pointing to the sunlight streaming through holes in the roof of the sleeping quarters.

The CO added: " Ranjit and his Mom promised some pinaod to fix the roof. But up to now, no such materials arrived and it is almost the rainy season again..”

Only in Asingan can you have so much fun discussing this and that while waiting for some one to tell you it is already suppertime.---#

the ASINGANIAN #4

The Birth of Two Papers

During this year 1994, Asingan became the birthplace of two provincial newspapers, THE TRIBUNE and PANGASINAN NEWSLINE.

In the beginning, there was only THE TRIBUNE, published by a Mr. H------, a foreigner from California. For its staff, the paper had Nonong Necessito, Francisco Malala and Sammy Curameng . Then according to Nonong, the publisher started to get greedy and dishonest with the funds. A break up eventually came. Nonong, Francisco and Sammy put out their own paper THE PANGASINAN NEWSLINE ( or PN for short ). With guts, hard work and self reliance, the first issue of the PN came out.




FRANCISCO MALALA and NONONG NECESSITO in a 1994 photo..


Last April 20, 1994, the PN still going strong, celebrated its first anniversary. The TRIBUNE is still being published. And the publisher married a young Asingan girl. Inspite of his unpopularity with certain Asingan circles, he is still in town..


On November 1994, a big celebration will be held in Bantog. Why Bantog, not Poblacion? I asked. I was told Bantog has its own Parish Church now. Thus the people here do not have to go to town anymore for religious services. And besides, the St. Louis Bertrand church is under renovation. Thus, Bantog was at that time girding for the big, prestigious event which would be attended by pilgrims and devotees from all other towns of Pangasinan. A glossy Invitation Program would be printed for the event. The last Cristo Rey celebration as I remember was last held in Asingan last 1948, under the administration of Fr. Jose Macaraeg.

Asingan as I saw it, has never been so busy providing for the needs of its townspeople. Majority of the populace are farmers and the rest are providing the needs of the population especially the younger children. Thus various schools, (Montessoris) bakeries, restaurants, gift shops and mini grocery stores and other kinds of services have mushroomed all over town. And let us not forget the various OFWs who are sending their hard earned dollars for their loved ones left behind.

I came upon Fidel Agsalud ( his Mom is Flaviana Agsalud, a school nurse when I was still in my Elementary years). Fidel runs a bicycle repair shop in front of his house in Calaoagan.

“Hey, I thought you are in the USA!” I said.

“I am”, he said with the usual smile.. “United States of Asingan.

“I am running this repair shop because if you do not work here, you will starve to death.”

Well the situation is the same in many places all over the globe, especially the Philippines which have no Unemployment Insurance program. This government program provides some money to the insured worker in case he loses his job.

The street where Fidel lives is now a very busy area. Thus we have his bicycle shop, then a sari sari store in the ground floor of the stately house owned by Don Doroy. Then we have the Farmacia Antonio. My mother in law ( Miguela Hufana, the mother of Miguelita ) once boarded here when she studied at the Asingan Institute ( now the Rizal Academy ). During the ‘30s, there were only two high schools in Pangasinan. The Asingan Institute and the high school in Lingayen.

The late Titong Arzadon converted his agricultural land in Dumakit into a subdivision. He started selling the lots for very low prices, so some Asinganians, especially those in Aragaag or Sta. Ana, the constantly flooded areas in town started buying a place for their new houses. With the help of town mates abroad, big houses started to be built in this part of town. Other places in the barrios followed this “mansion” building spree. Now it is said that there are more beautiful houses in the barrios than in the Poblacion.

Some vendors have also started organizing themselves into one powerful union. I met Alex Casimiro and he told me one time all the vendors staged a strike against the raising of taxes imposed by the municipality. All vendors, he said did not come to the market so the place was as lifeless as a cemetery for a couple o days.

According to Alex, the strike was successful because they got what they wanted. Now the Association has some money deposited in a bank outside of Asingan where a member could obtain a loan which he/she needs to expand business..



Another photo circa 1994 showing Miggie Costes, Remy Manuel and Esther Lomboy taken in Crystal Glades Resort established in Ariston near Sta. Ana...

the ASINGANIAN, no. 3

__________________________________________________

OUR WATER SYSTEM..I could never understand why TOBOY AND Bantog have their own water system but Poblacion is still putting in a big, 25-foot pipe that would serve as the heart of their water system.The work is going on under the nose of Andres Bonifacio, right behind the Guillermo Auditorium.




The town plaza is also being beautified with funds ( so I heard ) from the Department of tourism. The gazebos and statues are newly painted, some park attendants ( euphemism for janitors?) are working on sprucing up the plaza and concrete benches are being built all around the area. Some townspeople using these benches however could not help scattering balut shells when eating this delicacy while sitting on these benches. Waste baskets were placed in the plaza too. One moment they are there, next time they are gone…

At the southwestern part of the plaza is a burger joint called BIG MACK. The spelling is correct and it does not exhibit the golden arch of its International namesake. It is manned by two lovely young ladies who sell just hot dogs, hamburgers and cold soft drinks. The burgers have only ketchup for condiments: no onions, no relish no mustard. However, business is quite brisk. Usual patrons are kids who are tired of Mom’s cooking or Moms who are too tired to do the night’s cooking.

Last May 1994, President FVRamos came to town during the Barangay Officers election. About 2:00 pm, the Presidential helicopter touched down on the school grounds of the Dupac Intermediate school aka Bnorth Central School. Then a motorcade with the Big Man himself wound towards the voting place. He casted his ballot for Rocky Diaz as Barangay Captain. As an aftermath, the next batch of voters heard about FVR’s choice and most of them voted for Rocky, so the story goes. Thus, lucky Rocky got the job.



THE CHURCH RENOVATION. The Asingan Roman Catholic church which was ravaged by a big earthquake in 1990 is now undergoing a massive facelift and construction. The sidewalls are almost finished. Every Sunday ( the regular Mass ) and Wednesday ( the Perpetual Help Novena ) is being celebrated here. But the valuables are being kept in the priest’s house ( the microphones, amps, speakers, sacred host , etc ) to be brought out before each celebration. The new Pastor for the Catholic church is Monsignor Peralta from San Carlos, Pangasinan.

Before each Mass, someone would announce a financial statement of the financial help which arrived during the week in connection with the construction. The Finance committee is headed by Judge Dario Navarro and the actual work is done by a crew led by Architect Pablo Canadido. I was informed millions of pesos more will be needed before the work will be finished. And so financial pledges are being sought from good-hearted Asinganians all over the world. President Fidel Ramos pledged 50, 000 pesos for the project.

( to be continued )

the Asinganian, no. 2

HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED...
Our best friends are those we met during our Elementary and High School years. Remembering our town is remembering our good friends with special fondness...













(Class '56, Rizal Junior College..Class Adviser: Mrs. M. Casaclang, nee Miss Fernandez)


....Anybody can print a newsletter, but it takes more than money and time to put out a GOOD newsletter. It demands dedication, love for the craft ( writing ) and love for what you are writing about. In this case, it is Asingan....Asingan signifies the happiest times of our lives, especially the years of our youth. Our best friends are those we met during our Elementary and High School years. Remembering our town is remembering our good friends with special fondness...To many of us, we started feeling our love for Asingan after leaving it. After getting married, Miggie and I stayed in Los Banios Laguna. It was then that I started writing about Asingan as a Correspondent for the Philippine News Service ( PNS ). My first article published was about the oldest living man in Asingan ( he is dead now, RIP ) an elder member of the Cardinez family. He claimed he saw Jose Rizal moments before he was executed in Bagumbayan ( now Luneta )...I wrote many stories about Asingan until PNS was padlocked after the declaration of Martial Law... In my opinion, if you love our town intense enough to do something for her, then you are a real Asinganian in the highest sense of the word. It is someone who feels proud and happy he/she came from that small town in the heart of Pangasinan. For smallness can become greatness and greatnes can also become smallness..It all depends on what you really are deep inside you...vdc

( a filler from the 1994 the ASINGANIAN )

the asinganian

The Asingan Municipal Hall, circa 1994



The Asingan Municipal Hall at present..



the following article came from an Asinganian newsletter printed here in Toronto in 1994. It has been decided during a recent meeting of Toronto Asinganians that a newsletter would be a welcome project that would bind townmates together. I am reproducing the article entitled ASINGAN '94: SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW..The New Asingan referred to in the article is Asingan way back 1994..


ASINGAN is no longer the sleepy town we once knew in the '50s. In the '90s, this languid, sluggish settlement woke up with a vengeance.

Nowadays, if you live in the Poblacion, you will hear nothing but noise, noise, noise. All day long, 7 days a week there is the constant roar of motorized tricycles carrying people from one point to another. Then there is also a new kid in the block called the KULIGLIG. Originally intended for the farm, some innovative farmers put on it a minivan body thus changing it into a passenger vehicle. It is complete with a steering wheel and four tires.Kuliglig, by the way is a Kubota motorused by farmers to perform menial tasks originally assigned to the carabao.

Now a days the KULIGLIG has found other uses: a parade float for beauty queens, a carrier for various farm products and many others. It adds to the noise pollution in Asingan. As if there is not enough of this din from cars, jeeps, vans and small trucks owned by some well-to-do Asinganians.

Recently, the telephone arrived in Asingan. In 1992, some townspeople were asked to subscribe to a private telephone business. Some signed up, the rest didn't. The second group later regretted not accepting the offer. Now anybody with that gizmo could call overseas by dialing first 108 which connects you to a switchboard operator who in turn will connect you to the country of your choice as soon as there is an available line. Sorry folks, now a days, there is still no direct dialing for overseas yet. It may take you about 15 minutes before you could talk with that party located halfway across the world.

But the really rich Asinganians have started acquiring another new kid on the block: the cellular phones...

( to be continued )

note: the black and white masthead at the top of the page is originally used in this ASINGANIAN newsletter that was published in 1994. This article SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW is quite long. Frankly speaking, I am not a fast typist and I do appreciate someone who might help me do some word processing which I could just insert in the template or pages. If you a fax machine and you have some time to spare, then please e-mail me at Mabait42@aol.com..I would surely appreciate your help. This is purely voluntary work for now, until maybe we can get some sponsors or advertisers. Well, maybe, just maybe.

Thanks!...