Birthday Reflections, (5/22/2025)

2025 Birthday Reflections

A Past Revisited, Connecting the Dots, part 5

My 1956 DOB cohort, like JASHS 1973 graduates, is exceptional.

In 2023, during the celebration of our 50th Anniversary with a grand reunion and homecoming in the City of San Fernando, I composed essays and posts about our batch. I am now sharing these writings in this Facebook series to highlight why our JASHS 1973 batch is exceptional.

The Class of 1973 has distinct experiences compared to other graduating batches in the post-war educational system in the Philippines. The JASHS’73 batch is considered unique.

We, along with other schools' Class of 1973, have experienced the significant events in our nation's history.

First, we were the first high school students to graduate under Martial Law. This means that we were high school seniors when Martial Law was declared and imposed in September of 1972 in the Philippines. Some members of our batch were arrested, jailed, or disappeared during this period.

Secondly, President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos was in office during our commencement exercise. He was re-elected for his second term in 1969 when we were freshmen. Over the past 50 years, our nation has experienced numerous significant events, including the ousting of President Marcos through the People Power EDSA uprising in 1986. As the Class of 1973 celebrates its Golden Anniversary, it is noteworthy that the current president of the Republic is Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. In essence, our historical timeline is framed by the presidencies of the Marcos family.

Thirdly, most graduates of the high school class of 1973 are only a year older than President Bongbong Marcos (1957). However, our experiences during our later teen years under Martial Law were undoubtedly different. Our generation coined the term "stay-in" for party protocols. We grew up enjoying the music of iconic artists such as The Beatles, Motown, Rock and Roll, The Carpenters, Burt Bacharach, Simon and Garfunkel, Don Maclean, and many more timeless pop musicians. Despite enjoying such music, dance parties had to be organized with consideration of curfew restrictions imposed in our community. Parties either started late in the afternoon, concluding an hour before the 10 o'clock curfew, or attendees stayed at the venue until after the curfew ended at 4 am. As a result, terms like "stay-in party" and "pa-morningan" became commonly used to describe these social events.

It is important to note that the 1972-73 academic year was extended due to two "no school" or "school closed" events. The first interruption occurred when classes were suspended for several weeks in July and August in Pampanga (most of Luzon and Metro Manila) due to severe flooding, heavy rainfall, and storms. The second interruption resulted from all schools being closed in compliance with a Letter of Instruction from the Department of Education following an order by the martial law administration.

The Class of 1973 was the senior class that participated in the pilot test for the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), which was discontinued in 1994. The test conducted was called FAPE, which stands for Fund for Assistance to Private Education. FAPE contributed to the development of the first NCEE. The Class of 1974 took the first official NCEE.

Our class was privileged to participate in various pre-Martial Law extracurricular activities during high school. Between 1969 and 1973, boys had the opportunity to engage in Boys Scouts training (including Boy Scouts, Explorer Scouts, and Air Scouts), Glee clubs, and Preparatory Military Training (PMT). The girls were involved in Girl Scouts, Home Economics, and Glee Club. At that time, Citizens Army Training (CAT) was not yet established, and Civic Action (CIVAC) was still under development.

If my high school experience can be seen as exceptional due to significant cultural and historical contexts in our nation’s history, these were indeed my formative years. They played a critical role in shaping and questioning my own beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors.

Children in our generation are generally expected to follow societal norms, such as attending and completing school, preferably pursuing higher education in Manila, finding employment to earn a living, getting married, settling down, and raising a family. Following these expectations, Ate Nats and Ate Belle obtained their college degrees, secured jobs, and settled in Makati, where our family joined them. During my school years, I stayed with my aunties and friends' houses in San Fernando.

In 1972, Ate Belle embraced the opportunity to migrate to America, aiming to start her own family while upholding my father's dagisot mantra.

In high school, I was on the honor roll and recognized as a model student during my freshmen and sophomore years. In my third year, I became involved in activism, and our local high school group established the founding chapter of the Samahan Demokratikong Kabataan, a nationalist progressive association.

During my senior year, Martial Law was declared. I was among the students detained at the Philippine Constabulary Pampanga Command. My account of activism and the initial months following the imposition of Martial Law was documented in the book "Tibak." I authored this piece in Filipino under the title “Mga Unang Sabado ng Martial Law” (The First Saturdays of Martial Law).

Our generation is truly remarkable. We possess numerous stories and narratives to create and share. In celebration of my upcoming milestones—my two Birthday Platinum events this year and in 2026—this Facebook series will publish three books under the theme Living Life Open Sincere and True (LOST).

To be continued… Abangan ang susunod na kabanata…

May 22,2025 FB

2025 Birthday Reflections, (5/21/2025)

2025 Birthday Reflections

A Past Revisited, Connecting the Dots part 4

In 1984, I discovered that my date of birth differed from what I had known all my life. This revelation occurred when we received our official document from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (now referred to as United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) confirming our approved application for migration to the United States. Our petition was categorized under the family preference categories, which include unmarried sons and daughters over 21 years old of US citizens.

1984 has become a turning point of my life and my identity figuratively and consciously. I am now eligible for a green card. A green card, officially known as a Permanent Resident Card, is an identity document that shows a person has permanent residency in the United States. Does this imply a change of national consciousness, loyalty, and identity? From being Makabayan to American?

My Date of Birth situation necessitates acknowledging a transition from the Gemini Fire Monkey to the Gemini Wood Goat personality. Although I identify strongly with the 1956 school-aged cohort and am proud to have been part of the 1973 JASHS batch, I must officially state my Date of Birth as 1955 in official documents from then on.

Having been born in 1955, my 70th birthday will occur in 2025, marking a significant milestone. The gemstone for a 70th anniversary is platinum, a precious metal noted for its durability and rarity, symbolizing the longevity and resilience of life.

In welcoming 2025, I also acknowledge a loss in our family with the passing of my brother-in-law Kuya Lito, husband of Ate Bella. In response to this grief, I channeled my emotions into writing an essay that chronicles our family's journey by revisiting past events. This essay has been published in the online magazine Positively Filipino.

For my platinum birthday, I want to share the essay that inspired this Facebook series.

***

I was one of the first close relatives and friends of Kuya Lito to deliver a eulogy. I shared a memory about a love poem that he wrote for Ate Bella and how this poem, along with their love story, influenced my high school years.

Ate Bella and Kuya Lito were Section One classmates at Pampanga High School, which was later renamed Jose Abad Santos High School, the institution I also attended. They reconnected in college in Manila as working students and fell in love. However, Ate Bella, as the second eldest of eight children, felt obligated to support her younger siblings' education, a responsibility known as dagisot in Kapampangan. Similarly, my eldest sister, Ate Nats, remained unmarried and avoided suitors due to this family duty.

Although Ate Bella and Kuya Lito were in love, they could not marry and start their own family until the financial needs of their younger siblings' education were met. Ate Bella faced a dilemma: how could she support her younger siblings' education while also building her own family and having children? She did not want to follow the path taken by Ate Nats, who became a spinster.

Ate Bella decided to follow both her mind and heart. Embracing the journey of Filipino immigrants in America, she came to the United States in 1972. Kuya Lito subsequently joined her, and they married, establishing a family with two children. Ate Belle then petitioned for our parents, who in turn petitioned for five unmarried children, including me, although I was initially hesitant to immigrate.

Kuya Lito, Ate Bella, and I belong to the Baby Boomer generation. Unlike millennials and Gen Zs who often express feelings through emojis and texting, we grew up in the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s when love songs were prevalent, and ballpoint pens were used for slum books and love notes. Writing followed rhyme and rhythm, such as “What do you think, I wrote in ink, because of you I always think” or “Remember M, Remember E, put them together, Remember ME.” English served not only as a medium of instruction in the school but was also as an introduction to literature and poetry, including works by William Wordsworth, John Keats, Lord Byron, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. We were inspired by Browning’s “How do I love thee: Let me count the ways.”

When I highlighted Kuya Lito's romantic nature in my eulogy, I mentioned the poem he wrote for Ate Bella. I attempted to recite its lines from memory. His poem is an acrostic, where the first letter of each line spells out a word or a name vertically. Kuya Lito utilized the initial letters of the first lines in each stanza. For Bella, he used "B," with the line, "Beautiful as a Rose she seems to be," which I shared during my eulogy. I then paused and expressed amazement at Kuya Lito's use of the word "Effulgent" for the letter "E" in "BELLA." This choice of words illustrates his romantic inclination, as he meticulously searched the Webster Dictionary for sophisticated terms like "effulgent" when drafting his poem for Ate Bella.

Later that evening, as we were preparing to leave the mortuary, our relatives hurriedly approached me with new information. AJ, Kuya Lito's granddaughter, had a copy of the poem on her phone. I promptly requested that she send me a copy.

To my surprise and upon reflection, I realized I had made an error in my eulogy. Kuya Lito's word for E was "Elegant," not "Effulgent." As memories flooded my mind, I found it difficult to sleep that night. My high school days resurfaced during my light slumber.

Remarkably, I recalled that "Effulgent" for the letter E originated from a love poem I had written for Nette, a high school classmate named Neonita Pelaez. In her, I saw similarities to my sister Bella's perspective on life. She came from a humble and struggling family in a remote village of San Fernando.

In high school, like Kuya Lito I was among the top ten in our class. Somehow, I got his love poem to Ate Bella. Inspired by finding my Ate in Nette, I copied and modified his style and lines.

N stands for “Novel as a nymph you seem to be,” while E signifies Effulgent. Unfortunately, I cannot recall the exact line and stanza of my own version. In his love poem, Kuya Lito utilized the third person, whereas I employed the first person in mine. Unlike his enduring relationship with Ate Bella, who maintained their pledge of love, remained married for 52 years, and had two daughters, my connection with Nette did not extend beyond high school. After graduation, we were separated; I pursued further studies in Manila, and she remained in the province. Sadly, I do not possess a copy of the poem I composed for her, neither in my archives nor in my memory.

When I delivered my eulogy, Kuya Lito’s love poem for Ate Bella truly came to life. His granddaughter now possesses a copy of it. My initial mistake with the word "effulgent" turned out to be fortuitous. This term not only illuminates the page , but also conveys a radiant beauty or glowing aura. It beautifully encapsulates Kuya Lito's essence, his enduring legacy, and the profound love story he shared with Ate Bella.

***

It was in high school when the concept of “family line” began percolating in my consciousness.

To be continued…Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.

May 21,2025 FB

2025 Birthday Reflections, (5/20/2025)

2025 Birthday Reflections

A Past Revisited, Connecting the Dots, part 3

Following the post-war period, my parents faced the challenge of establishing a family and raising children. The manner in which my parents navigated this challenge, which I later referred to as the “family line,” has significantly contributed to my understanding of progressive thought and activism. It has also fueled my passionate engagement in social movements for change and nationalist causes, both as a historian and a popular educator.

At home, from an early age, I often heard my father use the Kapampangan word "dagisot" to assure my siblings of the “family line.” The word stuck with me because it was often used by my father when laying down the vision for our family, which was to ensure that all his children received a college education.

This was the "family line," because both my mother and father grew up in economically disadvantaged circumstances within tenanted rice lands where education was neither highly valued nor readily accessible. My mother reached only primary education, while my father pursued post-secondary education but did not complete a degree to secure a well-paying job.

To secure livelihood opportunities to support their expanding family, they decided to relocate closer to the town center of San Fernando, the capital city of Pampanga, a province in Central Luzon, Philippines.

At that time, Central Luzon was known as the rice granary of the country. My maternal grandparents were rice farmers working on tenanted lands. Meanwhile, on my father's side, my uncles and aunties were engaged in various occupations such as rice farming, driving horse-drawn carriages, selling goods, running food stalls, and working as clerks at the municipal office.

As children of a tenant farmer, our maternal grandfather, had his children’s family houses built close to each other on non-farmland provided by the landlord to their tenant. We were part of one of the largest clans in Tenejero, Del Pilar. Our lives were influenced by the changing structures, traditions, and culture of a rural rice farming community and the neighboring area where migrant rural workers were settling in Pampanga’s capital town, San Fernando.

Since Tenejero is a short walking distance from the town center, many rural residents and people from nearby barrios and distant areas moved there, seeking employment and establishing makeshift houses on my grandparents’ tenanted lands. Most of these individuals found work as vendors, shoe shiners, butcher assistants, service workers, and hospitality staff in nearby establishments such as cabarets and beer gardens. Tenejero became known for its growing population of newcomers and informal settlers. This migration trend mirrored the post-war movement of rural and agrarian folks to towns and urban centers in search of employment opportunities.

My dedicated parents were well-liked, highly respected, and greatly admired in our neighborhood. Despite their lack of formal education, my father secured a well-paying position as an accounting clerk in the provincial government's treasury office, while my mother adeptly managed our family buy-and-sell business and sari-sari store.

When my elder sisters, Ate Nats and Ate Belle, graduated from Pampanga High School, my father made the decision to enroll them at the prestigious University of the East in Manila. This decision was unprecedented in our neighborhood and even among our relatives. “Why are you investing in your daughters?” our neighbors questioned my father, “they will just get married and leave you!” Such views were common in rural communities and transitional neighborhoods like Tenejero Del Pilar.

Many regarded my father's decision to relocate our family from Tenejero to Manila as unwise. We moved into a small apartment in Economia Street, located near the university where my sisters were attending their studies. This arrangement was deemed preferable to having my sisters reside in a dormitory or boarding house. My father was resolute and dedicated to supporting my sisters' higher education. Ate Nats pursued a Bachelor of Science in Education while Ate Belle studied a Bachelor of Arts in Commerce, majoring in Accounting.

In 1962, our family relocated to Manila. That was the year I was eligible to start first grade in public school. However, my father chose not to enroll me and my brother Nelson in school in Manila.

I discovered this detail in 2020 during the height of the pandemic when I had the chance to discuss our family history with Ate Belle during our regular virtual remote communications.

My father postponed my entry into the school system in favor of prioritizing college education for my two elder sisters. This decision reflected his priorities for our family and underscored the essence of 'dagisot' in our family's values.

This family line and dagisot have significant implications for my sibling's personal journey. As for myself, it has profoundly influenced my existence, life path, and philosophy, which is encapsulated in the principle of LOST: Living Life Open, Sincere, and True.

A life well-lived over seventy years is a narrative worth preserving for future generations. At seventy, one does not merely count the years; instead, one shares blessings and wisdom, valuing each moment.

To be continued… Abangan ang susunod na kabanata…

May 20,2025 FB