I WAS born in the time of Ramon Magsaysay (1907-1957), the beloved of Philippine Presidents. Sad to tell, he died on a plane crash on my very third birthday on March 17, 1957, eight months away from his term’s end. Mother, a devoted fan of Magsaysay, cried a lot so father told me when the presidential plane Mt. Pinatubo, a C-47, heading back to Manila from Cebu which had him on board was reported missing in the early morning hours of that day. By the afternoon, news had it that Magsaysay died in a plane crash at Mt. Manunggal, Cebu. They all forgot it was my birthday. Father was glued to his RCA-Victor radio which had a loud speaker. People gathered in front of our house to listen to news developments.

During Magsaysay’s time, the Philippines ranked second to Japan in terms of economy. Manila is the toast of Southeast Asia. Speak of our neighboring countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand or Hong Kong and they are pictured as underdeveloped. The present economic star status of Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur were unknown then. Manila was the economic hub of Southeast Asia. Hong Kong was a city of squatters. Kuala Lumpur was not yet a city and was beset by rubber and tin commodity crashes and a volatile socio-political situation that eventually led to worse race riots the following decade. In Bangkok, Bhumibol Adulyadej was just barely four years as crowned King of Thailand and the City of Angels has not much significant international appeal. Jakarta was the new capital (again) of Indonesia and was only beginning to modernize.

By then, there were P2.00 to US$1.00. Life was simple and easy, especially in the provinces and urban centers outside Manila. With P5.00, mother had a basketful of wet and dry market: one live chicken, some fish, pork, beef, and vegetables. When I entered kinder and grade one, father would give me 5 centavo—as in five large coins the size of a carabao’s eye for each centavo. We called it mata karbao while the Tagalogs called it mamera. With that I could buy a cup cake, some candies, or a leche con yelo and a bun.

At the back of our house in Valeria Street, there was a pond where father raised kangkong and hito for our meals while we boys maintained our vegetable gardens of tomatoes, pechay, alogbate, eggplants and even green onions. We get free dirty ice cream from Delicious by helping clean containers when we had no classes.

Life was peaceful and quiet then. By 5:00 p.m. there were no more vehicles on the street. There were only a few who had motor vehicles. When the moon was bright, we went out into the street after supper and played tumba patis or “ins-ins” and piko. If there was no play on the street, we settled for scrabble inside.

There was no television then, only radio. We watched movies for free at Star Theater by tagging along some adults whom we do not even know. Kids were free when accompanied by an adult. To watch a movie would cost you P0.25. Sometimes we watched free movies especially on weekends exhibited by some product companies along some major streets like Valeria-Delgado. Or enter the movie house for free to watch singing contest championship-show like Tawag ng Tanghalan. My cousin was several weeks champion here in Iloilo.

There was already the telephone. Ours was installed in 1957 with only 3 digits—603. But you have to pass through an operator and give the number you wish to call and she would connect you. But it didn’t interest us even when our classmates later had there phones, too. To us, it was so impersonal and senseless to call your classmate who just lived in the next house. We loved to see each other, play together and talk about anything, and sometimes nothing. Our world as children was so magical. Today, I when I looked at children, I felt so envious. How I wish I was a child still.

We were on top 10 or 15 of our classes. I was telling my brother one time that had all these new technologies like internet were available to us when we were young, then, maybe, we would always be number one in our classes. But look at the kids now. Two of my nephews had to stop schooling because of video games addiction. But another nephew, although he had not taken a college degree is now earning $2,500 a month just sitting before his computer.

Life is difficult and hard nowadays. Many of us have to work abroad to maintain a decent family. My other brother calls it “cottage industry.” He said it is better to put up cottages for the production of babies, then raise, educate and train them to work abroad. Because of migration for work abroad, many Filipino families have become dysfunctional, especially in cases when both parents are abroad. Children are left to the care of family members.

Today, after Magsaysay, Quirino, Macapagal, Marcos, Aquino, Ramos, Estrada and Macapagal-Arroyo (Huh? I can’t believe I live through 8 presidents!), life has become more and more difficult. The US dollar is worth P44.00. There is no more 1 centavo except in your supermarket receipts. A child won’t even pick-up a P0.25-coin. Speak of Filipina and it meant in Europe “maid.”

So what happens now? Where are we going to?

Note: Thanks to Tim Rice for the little corrections on the lyrics of a song from Evita which he wrote and I quoted in my last week’s column.

4 Responses to “Yesterday when we were young”

• 1
  Dr. Antonio Gestosani
  August 28th, 2008 22:59

  I was also born when Osmena was president; and yes, I was made aware of how great Presidents Magsaysay, Garcia and Macapagal had been. Then Marcos declared martial law in 1972, and political cronyism embolden political landscape, and that started the mess that we are in now. Today, if you don’t belong to 160 families that form the political dynasty then you have no chance to solve your country’s destiny. Today’s politics is so corrupt that politicians have no shame to show their ill-gotten wealth and arrogant enough to use the power of money to win election. And once elected, they align themselves to bully their opponent for their future political agenda. Governor Tupas is the victim of this charade. My friends, where are you going now? Well, nobody heed my call when I called SOS to save your sinking mother ship. Your help is now! Listen to the critics from abroad who called themselves OFW. They have now life-experiences in other countries to compare with. They left the Philippines because their motherland abandoned them and their leaders became corrupt, greedy and thieves. The OFW are real heroes and the 14 billion dollars they sent yearly to their families keep the Philippine economy from going bust. So what’s next? Learn from the experience of other countries that used to envy Philippines. And learn to love your country again.
• 2
  nester
  August 29th, 2008 05:22

  Doc, like any other political families, the Tupases also have their share of misdemeanors and sins against the people. There is no saint in politics. We understand the dictum “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” but don’t poison us with the argument that the Tupases are the saviours of the whole Hiligaynon nation. If you really really believe the Tupases can help us all, why not come back home and run against the Garins? Maybe this time the Tupases can help the Gestosanis regain their lost political powers.
• 3
  Dr. Antonio Gestosani
  August 29th, 2008 07:54

  I will not test the water this time; it looks eerie and appears to be shark infested. It will be a political suicide to jump and swim into that water, will you? When I laid my mother to her final resting place, guess who came and paid respect to his fellow public servant? It was Governor Tupas. And guess who malign my mother’s public service by not draping her coffin with Philippine Flag? Richard Garin. O.K., it is no brainer why I highly praise the character and sincerity of Governor Tupas. Thanks for the challenge. Our public service is over. I will remain in the sideline to critique Philippine Politics.
• 4
  Martin Tronco
  August 29th, 2008 09:43

  Governor Tupas came to your mother’s funeral because, perhaps, he was also guided by the same Chinese dictum “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

  By the way, whoever is behind this site, thank you for this novel idea. Ilonggo writers are really talented. More power!

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