Francis Magno

-- this article has been first posted by francis in his friendster account... Read and find out more of Francis in his personal links below.

May Saning

I feel writing about my grandmother today. For so many months now, I had this feeling of nostalgia, especially with all the bad things happening in my life. I long for my May Saning who cared and loved me since I was a child.

She taught me a lot of things and there are a lot of things that I would not forget about her. For one, she stood by my side all the time, writing my assignments, being my walking calculator (I am so bad in Math, she’s good at it), and waiting for me to go home before she retires to bed.
My most memorable moment of her was the day she died, January 21, 2001, the day Gloria assumed office as president of this republic.

I was scheduled for a contest that Monday and she was sick (she had been sick for sometime), I was administering her dose of Ventolin nebule for her asthma and at the same time I was making kulit for more allowance. She refused several times to add some more to what she has given me. What she did was to give me the remaining hotdog (half) she ate for dinner. I returned the hotdog and in all my childishness said I need money not hotdog. I went out to look for a signal on my big analog Motorola cell phone.

Five minutes after, my aunt was scurrying towards me, panicking, saying that May went to the CR, and apparently having uncontrolled bowel movements. We waited for a few minutes we got no response from her. We went inside the CR and found her lying against the wall, near the bowl. Her body was pressed against the wall; apparently she had either a heart attack or lost balance and consciousness or all of them. I panicked. My aunt panicked. We called one of our neighbors, Tiya Lea (now deceased) to assist us to get her to bed.

My mind blacked out, I did not know what to do at that time. I knew she was dying, I checked her heart beat and all I could hear was a slight murmur. I knew she would not last long and I did not know what to do. I had my training on first aid during my Boy Scout days but apparently I was left with nothing.

We called my other aunt, a midwife and she right away administered CPR. By that time I regained my composure and thought why have I not done CPR? I am perfectly capable of doing that. By the time, however, that she was brought to the hospital she was dead. Dead due to congestive heart failure secondary to cardiovascular attack.

What is very touching is that she kept the piece of hotdog she tried to give in her pocket. We found this out later that night when her clothes were being changed in preparation for the embalming. What’s more is that we found P10, 000 in her baul, with a note saying that was for her coffin. I cried so hard.

What pains me is the fact that I should have done something and yet I did not. I feel like I killed her because I was so stubborn right to the minute before she died. I feel bad because I was not able to tell her how much I love her, how much I appreciate what she has done for me.

Up to this day, I carry the guilt and in writing this, I hope to be able to ease the pain I feel inside. I hope that wherever she is, she can read this and I would like to say: I love you May. Thank you for everything.


know more about Francis? click here.

REV. FR. JOSEPH DELA PROVIDENCIA. STL

-- this article was first published at Calolbon's Souvenir Booklet during the celebration of 2007 Town Fiesta.

Revisiting the Beauty of Calolbon

This year 2007, the parish of St. Andrew the apostle celebrates its 207th parish fiesta in honor of St. Andrew since its canonical erection in 1798. Calolbon (the town’s original name) was the first parish erected in the province of Catanduanes, then under the jurisdiction of Diocese of Nueva Caceres (Camarines) and then under the Diocese of Legazpi (Albay).Catanduanes became an independent province (from Albay) in 1945. A diocese was established in Catanduanes in 1945: the diocese of Virac (Virac being the capital town). Calolbon, now san Andres, is a blooming and a booming town. With the presence of the ferry boats and buses, Calolbon has Became a busy town open and commerce and tourist.

Tourism wise, Calolbon boasts the Luyang Cave which Serve as a hiding place for the natives during the Moro raids. It is believed that those who hid there were killed by the enemies by suffocating them with “chili smoke.” As the story goes, the enemies burned dried “sili” plants inside the cave! It must have been indeed a very painful death. These natives were truly (uncanonized) martyrs! Another attraction of Calolbon is the beautiful image of our mother embedded in a small stone. The image is venerated on the altar of Batong Paloway Barangay Chapel. Legend has it that the stone with the Lady’s image was found by a farmer in a nearby riverbank. The stone was the size of the nail of the thumb when found. One night the farmer and his family were awakened by a great light coming from the image. Since the farmer’s house to ask healing from our Lady. And many were cured. Since a growing number of people would flock the farmer’s house, the people suggested that they built a chapel for the image. When the chapel was built, more people would come to the Batong Paloway to see the beautiful and miraculous image of our Mother. And as days weeks and years went by, the people noticed that the image was increasing in size. The stone, believed to be a “Batong Buhay”, has grown from thumbnail-size to a “stampita-size”. To secure the image more clearly, a magnifying lense is available to the viewers. Today, no more growth (increase in size) of the image has been observed. Did the framing of the image (the stone was clammed to the frame with the metal) hinder its continuing growth? What if they just left the image unframed, unclaimed, and open to air contact? What if we place the image in a water environment? Natural Science has it<>

MABUHAY AN
CALOLBONGANON!

Boboy Solero's Article

The following article was submitted by Amando "Boboy" J. Solero of Sapang Palay, San Andres, Catanduanes for posting in this site. "Stand By Me" is Boboy's favorite as it describes a part of his childhood in Calolbon, Catanduanes. He considers this as his most favorite article; took him 6 weeks in the making with 10 revisions...Just few of Boboy's very exciting creation.


Stand By Me

Anybody seen this movie? Brings back lots of memories to me. Childhood places and friends especially…

I grew up in Calolbon, Catanduanes. Our house is located next to an elementary school where I went and where my mother still teaches. Any kid who is fond of adventure will find this school site a haven. From its entrance gate, which was probably a dozen steps to the right of ours, there were lined trees on each side of the dirt pathway going toward a point where rice fields can be seen on both sides of the road. There was a big playground there that had two baseball fields, one of which was close to the flag pole where, on school days, we did our daily flag ceremony and retreat; the other was a few steps away from the school bakery where Nutri Buns were baked and the ruins of the Gabaldon building, courtesy of typhoon Sining in 1972. Oftentimes, this playground was used by locals to graze their carabaos either in an early morning mist or an hour before sunset especially on weekends. School buildings were built on the periphery of the site as if to maximize the space thereby forming an oval field. Pine trees were planted on the edges of the oval field some ten feet apart. You could hear them humming when swept by strong winds on a hot summer day. It produced such a soothing, relaxing sound as though it would lullaby you to sleep beneath its shades. Flocks of herons flew in from the west usually after an early morning light rain and fed on these fields all day long with their white feathers adding more beauty in contrast with the green grass. Some can even be seen on top of the grazing carabaos. I never really knew what they were doing there until some friends told me they fed on carabaos’ lice. Minutes before sunset, just before the church bell rang in time for Angelus, they will fly back westbound as if following the sun only to come back the next day.

On the east side, you will see a beautiful twin mountain, Kagmasuso. It was so named probably because it resembled a woman’s breasts save the nipples. Its color was almost solely green because of the trees. From afar and after a heavy rainfall, Kagmasuso looked like as if it sprouted with some sort of mini waterfalls we call ba-haw. You can stare and enjoy these ba-haws’ scenes with your young, rain-soaked, half-naked body for as long as you like until they gradually faded almost at the same time. It never really failed to amaze me as much as I wondered how its transient existence came to be.

From the same field and some fifteen minute eastbound carabao ride through tall grass and mud, you will see a river with crystal-clear, free-flowing water with lots of fish and shrimps. Kids were tempted to bathe there, as I always was, until all their lips and fingers turned purple and wrinkled and still will ask for more.

The same trip westbound through a more comfortable road walk will take you to the seashore with the same longing for bathing except this time you see from the horizon across Maqueda Channel the view of Mayon Volcano in perfect cone. As with Kagmasuso, you can enjoy Mayon’s view while jumping from the pier doing a panuro. Panuro is a kid’s dive with curled legs forming a circle, feet touching each other and hitting the water with the butt first in a hope to produce a fountain like splash. The higher the splash produced the better panuro diver you are. And on a clear afternoon sunset, oh, that Mayon Volcano scene with the sun behind it and reflecting its orange rays on vast blue sea was really breathtaking. It’s to die for.

This was our paradise. My childhood friends' and mine. A bunch of eight to ten year olds. Got eight of them; Cayong, Te, Coing, Paner, Bebot, Boyet, Among and Ody. Incidentally, they are pairs of siblings which leave me the only kid in the pack without a brother.

I remembered one of those care-free, lazy afternoons when all we did was to stroll in the school site. Boredom crept in on us and we need some excitement just to keep the ball rolling…

Tang Ben Aldea was a school janitor then. He was such a big, heavy guy that if you shove a piece of coal right up his butt, it will turn into a diamond within minutes. He was usually seen in white kamisa tsino shirt. His even bigger belly dangling between the bottom of his shirt and his belt amplified his size even more. He was frequently seen patrolling the site on his old, dilapidated bike with a bolo on his waist. His eyes scanned the property with a radar-like precision as if someone was always going to steal something. He was very much aware of the school property's inventory from plants, vegetables, fruit trees, flowers, everything. I figured he will even count the rice grains if given the chance and will know instantly if one was missing. Kids who saw him roaming around, even in his silence, will have second thoughts doing something mischief. But not this bunch of kids. Not with Bebot around…

Bebot, despite his height limitations, had a big muscular, almost black body and was the leader of the pack. Always had been. He will call on us and ask if we want something exciting. Almost in unison, save Cayong who had always been the good guy, we will all say YES!

With Tang Ben still on his bike already fully perspired looking for a thief that was never there, the eight of us, except Bebot, will go to the center pathway of the rice field we called sagop. Bebot, full of self-confidence, already had both his hands full of gravel while the rest of us waited in anticipation. Halfway through the sagop, he will throw all those gravel to the roof of one of the school buildings creating an annoying sound. He will then turn to Tang Ben while performing an irritating dance and partially removing his shorts showing his black butt and will yell: “Hoy, bukod Tang Ben!” (Hey, Tang Ben, catch us if you can!).

As if we were criminals, Tang Ben alighted from his bike still wearing that radar scanning eyes with his right hand already holding the bolo. He yelled so loud it reverberated in the field with his left hand pointing in Bebot’s direction. And the chase began...

With his size coupled with our safe location, he walked through the sagop almost in a running phase, toward us in complete disarray. This made the experience even more exciting as adrenaline pumped in. Some six feet to our place with Cayong closest to Tang Ben and with all of us almost in our butts laughing we ran in all directions he never knew who to chase anymore.
We met on the playground with our feet full of mud some already rolling on the grass laughing. As if everybody knew what’s coming next, all of us, save Bebot, had both our hands full of gravel. This time Bebot went to the school bell behind the flag pole. He shouted some instructions to us and at the same time we threw the gravel on the roofs of our individual buildings and Bebot banged the school bell with his right hand while his left covered his ears. It’s now nine kids in different locations being chased by a big, frustrated janitor in the middle of a rice field. Oh, that was really fun!

After dinner, we went out the streets and played tubig-tubigan (patentero) almost until midnight. In the ‘70s, FICELCO did not have the capability to supply power overnight and had to cut it before midnight. This meant total darkness in the houses and on streets as lampposts will be turned off as well compelling us to stop playing But we were bunch of kids easily caught by boredom and had to do something else again just for the sake of fun…

Te, Cayong’s younger brother was probably the only kid in our pack with fair complexion. He was perhaps the only one who can be seen on a moonless night. One dark night probably around 11:00PM, Coing, Paner’s elder brother, dared him to ride a bike bare naked and circle the streets from Sapang Palay toward Campo and then Salvacion going to Belmonte and back to our place again. There was hesitation from Te at first but Bebot, bully as he always was, convinced him with all of us rallying behind. With a little contemplation and a smile on his lips, Te agreed and almost instantaneously stripped himself bare naked. Here we go again. Fun! fun! fun!
None of us really cared how he looked like naked as we almost see each other in the same scenario when we bathe in the river. Anyway, so as to confirm his willingness to circle these streets, it was agreed that Coing will drive the bike and Te being the passenger behind him. And the rest of us will ride on other bikes behind them as living witnesses to Te's valor.

It was really fun, honest. Being close to midnight, the streets were almost empty. There were some people walking, mostly were elders and had vision problems. We greeted them with Coing doing it first and Te would second it “Diyos mayad na banggi.” (Good evening.) Te was so comfortable with himself he even greeted some while waving both his hands. And all of us on the other bikes behind just passed by controlling ourselves or we would have laughed out loud. We had a few laps and nobody, but nobody, really noticed that one of us was on a bike bare naked.
I wasn’t sure if it was Murphy’s Law or God just realized we had enough luck. It was probably our last lap coming from Belmonte going back to our place when FICELCO decided that Calolbon needed light after midnight and turned the power on. All the lampposts were lit! I mean all of them! The whole stretch from Belmonte all the way to Campo!

Oh, shit! Te was exposed! Coing decided to pedal faster to reach our place and save Te from embarrassment. By then, the rest of us already alighted from our bikes and were stomping the cement road with our hands and feet in laughter. Perhaps out of exhaustion or panic, Coing’s fast maneuvering created more trouble as the bike’s chain was detached from the plate even before reaching our place. Te had no other choice but to run for it with his right hand on his dick and his left hand behind his butt. Oh, this was even more fun than Tang Ben’s chase.

I am sure all of us had gone through experiences like these. Kids' stuffs that are priceless that you will cherish in your lifetime. It always brings a smile on my face whenever I remember any of them. While driving, in front of the computer, queuing for lotto ticket, wherever. I still see some of them when I go back home, mostly during summer time. With a couple of beers, we will sit down all night long reminiscing all the things we have gone through our childhood.
Since I left Calolbon, I have met so many people. Shared some ideas with them, had conflicts with some, made acquaintances with most and kept some very close friends. In the end, I gained some knowledge and understood why people behaved differently. In my own simple way, I do share what I learned from others to somebody else hoping somehow to make a difference.
I am pretty much sure I will still meet good, decent people in my lifetime. And with high probability will make acquaintances with most of them. But really, I don’t think I will still find friends in my lifetime the way I did when I was nine. And with so many wonderful blessings God give to people, there is nothing more rewarding than a sleeping nine year old kid knowing that by sunrise he has nothing to worry about more than figuring out with his friends how that darn bike’s chain will work better the second time around.

Know more about BOBOY? check the ffg links:
* Boboy's Friendster Account
* Boboy's Blog Site