- Jul 19, 2025
- 4 min read
My 2025 Birthday Reflections
A Past Revisited, Connecting the Dots, part 2
The discrepancy between my two birth years—1955 as recorded in official documents and 1956 as ingrained in my personal recollections, self-awareness, collective memory, and culture—is not a significant concern or issue for me. Understanding the events that led to the delay in my entry into the public school system by one year involves connecting various pieces of information. The way I discovered these pieces is an intriguing narrative.
How I got my name Mamerto, and nickname MC, is another story.
Our parents had eight children: three daughters and five sons. I was the second youngest. There were three boys older than me, and it perplexed me as to why I was designated as the Junior of the Canlas family.
According to my elder siblings’ explanation, our parents assumed that I would be the last son, or "bunso," in the family. They did not foresee my youngest brother Joji being born three years after me. I was named after my father.
In 2018, my second eldest sister, Bella, believed she had discovered something significant during her visit to Vatican City. She sent me a message: "Saint Mamertus is here. Our father was named after his feast day on May 11. As you are his junior, it is possible that the Roman Catholic calendar of Saints also identifies him as your Patron Saint."
In our family, only my father has been named after a patron saint. According to the Catholic calendar, the feast day of Saint Rita of Cascia falls on May 22nd. If my name were aligned with this date, I would have been called Margarito or Rito.
I do not feel a connection to Saint Mamertus. However, the association with my own birthday's patron saint, Saint Rita, is noteworthy and warrants further reflection. This insight was particularly thought-provoking when I came across it on Wikipedia.
“Pope Leo XIII canonized Rita on 24 May 1900. Her feast day is celebrated on 22 May. At her canonization ceremony, she was bestowed the title of Patroness of Impossible Causes, while in many Catholic countries, Rita came to be known as the patroness of abused wives and heartbroken women."
In 1992, on the occasion of my parents' golden wedding anniversary, Aurea Calalang and Mamerto Canlas, I was invited to deliver a speech representing their eight children. My remarks centered on their love story and their enduring commitment to one another.
Why was I chosen? I respectfully inquired to my elder sisters, Ate Nats and Ate Belle, given that I am the second youngest of eight siblings, unmarried, and at that time neither had a girlfriend nor was actively seeking one. How can I effectively articulate and elaborate on the concept of love, especially in relation to the enduring love shared by our parents?
What I found particularly challenging was that I was only informed about my role in the renewal vows reception at St. Benedict’s Hall in Montebello on the day of the event itself. Considering the numerous relatives and friends who traveled from as far as Maryland and various cities in California, including some whom I had not seen in years, the excitement of reconnecting with them added to the complexity of preparing my speech.
When the emcee of the program announced my name to come forward to the reception table of my parents, I observed a devoted couple. My father, at 80 years old, still presented himself as a distinguished gentleman, with a smile on his face as he surveyed the cheerful guests. Meanwhile, my mother sat serenely, reminiscent of someone quietly engaged in prayer. They have been married for 50 years and have successfully raised eight children despite facing limited resources and various challenges.
I began my extemporaneous speech with the year my parents got married, 1942. In 1942, Manila, the capital of the Philippines, was under Japanese occupation during World War II. The Japanese forces entered Manila on January 2, 1942, and declared the end of American rule in the Philippines. Martial law was imposed, and all forms of opposition against the Japanese forces were subject to the death penalty. The situation in Manila during 1942 involved hardship, resistance, and significant change as the city and its people experienced the impacts of war and occupation.
On December 26, 1941, General Douglas MacArthur declared Manila an open city in order to prevent its destruction by the Japanese. This meant that the city was not to be defended, and all military installations were removed to avoid providing the Japanese a reason to attack it.
I have great respect for individuals who chose to marry during times of uncertainty and hardship; my parents are among those who made such a decision. Although I have never heard them recount their love story, nor have I obtained details from my siblings, I am aware that my mother was a vendor at the market, and my father was one of her regular customers. When the war began and news of the Japanese invasion reached our town, they were compelled to seek refuge in remote villages. My father joined my mother in hiding, and a few months later, amidst the atrocities, destruction, and despair brought by the war, they resolved to stay together and avoid separation, leading to their marriage.
Post-war, the challenge lay in establishing a family and raising children. How did our parents manage this challenge, which I later referred to as our “family line”? Furthermore, how does this challenge connect to my "two-birth-year" conundrum?
To be continued… Abangan ang susunod na kabanata…
May 18,2025 FB