I Love My Generation

Traditional Baby Crib made of hardwood

 To Pinoys and Pinays born in the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s & 70’s!

First, some of us survived being born to mothers who did not have an OB-Gyne, who smoke cigarettes  and/or drank San Miguel Beers or Syoktong, while they carried us in their wombs. The Manghihilot was a cheap and popular way to deliver babies. Dinala ka ba ng Nanay mo sa Pediatrician for DPT? While pregnant, they took cold or cough medicine, cortal or medicol, ate Isaw, and did’nt worry about diabetes or cervical cancer.

Traditional "Andador", made of rattan

Then after all that trauma, our baby cribs were made of hard wood covered with lead-based paints, pati na yung walker (Andador) natin, matigas na kahoy or rattan at wala pang gulong.

We had no soft cushy cribs that play music, no disposable diapers (lampin lang), ( noon cloth or rattan duyan lang tied to the posts or ceiling, babies would fall asleep sa sobrang hilo ) and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, no kneepads, sometimes wala pang preno yung bisikleta.

Take-out foods was limited to Ongpin’s pansit or Aling Toyang’s pre-cooked ulam in kalderos. No pizza shops, McDonalds, KFC, Subway, Jollibee, and coffee was just Kape hindi gamahal as in Starbucks.

Getting a free ride

As children, we would ride in jeepneys libre pag kandong, hot un-airconditioned buses with wooden seats (yung JD Bus na pula), or cars with no airconditioning and no seat belts (ngayon lahat may aircon na).

Carabao Ride

Riding on the back of the carabao on a breezy summer day was considered a treat (ngayon hindi na nakakakita ng kalabaw ang mga bata). Chewing sugarcane sticks til all the juice is extracted is part of every Negrense childhood experience. Big trucks filled with sugarcane which makes stops in the city to get tires fixed often fell victims to children.

Did you make your own saranggola and pasted bubog on the strings?

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle purchased from 7 Eleven (minsan straight from the faucet or poso) walang 7 Eleven noon, sari-sari store ni Mang Akong to buy sarsi, suntan, RC cola or choco-vim.

We share one soft drink bottle with four of our friends, and NO ONE actually died from it or contracted hepatitis. 

We ate rice with star margarine, pampatangkad daw, took raw eggs straight from the shell, and drank soft drinks with real sugar in it (hindi diet coke), but we weren’t sick or overweight kasi nga ……….

WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING !!!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, and get back when the streetlights came on. Sarap mag patintero, tumbang preso, habulan at tagu-an. Hindi uso ang kidnap for ransom na yan, safe maglaro sa labas. Tandaanmo ba PIKO, step-no-step- yes, trumpo, garter & mala-ahas sa haba na goma? Kung naulan, jackstones, pick-up sticks or sungka, bahay-bahayan, tinda-tindahan, titser-teacher- an or swimming sa baha or kangkungan.

"Tumbang Preso"

No one was able to reach us all day (di uso ang cellphone, walang beepers). And yes, we were OK.  Sipol lang ni tatay ang meron noon!

We would spend hours building our wooden trolleys (yung bearing ang gulong) or plywood slides out of scraps and then ride down the street, only to find out we forgot the brakes! After hitting the sidewalk or falling into canal (sewage channel) a few times, we learned to solve the problem ourselves with our bare dirty hands.

"Swimming Sprees"

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 100 channels on cable, no DVD movies, no surround stereo, no IPOD’s, no cellphones, no computers, no Internet, no chat rooms, and no Friendsters, Facebook. MSN etc. …….. …WE HAD REAL FRIENDS and we went outside to actually talk and play with them!TV viewing was a treat, kilala mo ba si Popeye, Gumby, Betty Boop & followed the bouncing ball in Melody Tunes? That was karaoke then, LOL!

We climbed walls and trees (to get aratiles and catch salagubang & tutubi – tied them on the neck or buntot with a string),fell out of trees, got cut or “bukol”, broke bones and teeth and there were no stupid lawsuits from these accidents. The only rubbing we get is from our friends with the words…masakit ba ? pero pag galit yung kalaro mo,,,,ang sasabihin sa iyo..beh buti nga !

We played marbles (jolens) in the dirt , washed our hands just a little and ate dirty ice cream, fish balls & inihaw sa baga We were not afraid of getting sick or getting germs in our stomachs.

We had to live with homemade guns, gawa sa kahoy, tinali ng rubberband, sumpit, tirador at kung ano ano pa na pwedeng makasakitan, pero masaya pa rin ang lahat. We made up games with sticks (syatong), and cans (tumbang preso)  and although we were told they were dangerous, wala naman tayong binulag o napatay… paminsan minsan may nabubukulan lang.

We walked a lot, rode bikes, or took tricycles to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them to jump out the window!
Mini basketball teams had tryouts and not everyone made it to the team. Those who didn’t pass had to learn to deal with the disappointment. Wala iyang mga childhood depressions at damaged self esteem ek-ek na yan. Ang pikon, talo.

Ang magulang ay nandoon lang para tingnan kung ayos lang ang mga bata, hindi para makialam at makipag-away sa ibang parents.

"Kick"

That generation of ours had produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, creative thinkers and successful professionals ever! They are the CEO’s, Engineers, Doctors and Military Generals of today.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas….

We had failure, success, and responsibility. We learned from our mistakes the hard way.

You might want to share this with others who’ve had the luck to grow up as real kids, even to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were. We are lucky indeed.

(This is a forwarded message)

In Gratitude to: Mrs. Remedios P. Bantug

Mrs. Remedios P. Bantug

Idiong Bantug in the town of Victorias is a symbol of generosity and great love. A matriarch in the truest sense of the word. She is loved by all. Every head bows to her in respect. An image of great power yet  humble in heart. A mother to everyone. She had touched many lives with her caring compassion and sincere concern for the welfare of others. She spent her life doing every good to everyone. A model and an icon. Her genuine passion to help and care for her less fortunate brethren is always transformed into action not just words and expressions. She is known for her involvement in social and civic activities even at an advanced age. She did not recognize boundaries and limits to be able to help the needy. Her people loved her so dearly.

Born from an aristocratic root, her grandfather donated the land where the town of Victorias stands today, Mrs. Bantug lived a life dedicated to public service both in and out of politics. She was Mayor for 3 years when she was 82 years old – – a record holding achievement. Her name is associated with the many charitable projects she had initiated. A very unique and admirable persona. A dear one to many who knew her.

With grandson Cong. Albee Benitez, brother Mayor Severo Palanca and former Mayor Remedios Bantug

With a grateful heart: Thank you and farewell Mrs. Bantug

 

You were a wonderful woman, a blessing to all

symbol of generosity, kindness and inspiration.

You are loved by all, young and old, rich or poor

A dearly respected by one and all

 

Your smile was magic, your ears heard every cry

Your wisdom and wit touched our soul

Helping others was constant to you

Making people’s lives improved by you

 

You spent a lifetime of dedication and service

You offered yourself to family and neighbors

The love you have taught us is treasured forever

In our hearts you will live eternal

 

A religious woman, so caring and gentle

always there to extend a helping hand to others.

In thousands many other ways,

you have touched our lives so greatly

 

Now that you are gone, our hearts mourn so deeply

But never the less we are happy

For the woman we love is home finally

To be reunited with our Lord Almighty.

 

Many things have been said, good things about you

Allow me these simple words that come from my heart directly

For the things that you have done and words that you said

For touching our lives and the love you have shared

 

With grateful heart I say to you

You will never be forgotten,

your memories will live

For you have a special place in me

 

Thank you Lola Idiong, and Farewell. . . .

Albee’s Sugar Act Bill on the Rise

Cong. Albee Benitez

 

Finally, our country’s sugar producing provinces including our very own Negros Occidental is poised to enjoy the most awaited sugar act bill. The Bill will surely help improve the industry which is the Province’s main source of livelihood for the majority of its people.

 

I keep my fingers crossed, but I trust that Congressman Albee Benitez, in collaboration with the sugar industry stakeholders and the SRA, will pave the way to solve the problems of the sugar industry with the passing of the proposed Bill.

Ma. Regina Martin-Bautista, SRA Administrator

 

Concerns like the high price of the locally produced sugar, the high productivity costs, the foreseen drop of tariffs on imports by 5% in 2014 and smuggling, must be considered.

 

Also the Congressman’s recent visit to Thailand, with Sugar Regulatory Administrator Ma. Regina Martin-Bautista and other Congressmen and concerned parties helped conceptualized the idea of coming up with new policies, structural support and reforms that can be imposed in the Philippines to ensure the stability of the Sugar Industry and make it globally competitive.

 

There are also some important bills that need to be looked upon like the excise tax on imported sugar and bills that will assist bio energy.

 

Im glad to hear that talks and consultations are being conducted to make sure all productive inputs are being considered so as not to miss important concerns. I just hope that while these talks are being held, likewise they never miss to discuss the interest of the sugarcane farmers who work in the field and are often left behind when it comes to ensuring their benefits and wages.

Sugarcane workers in the field

 

Having come from the same town, Albee is known for his sincere service, dedication and righteousness, this bill will benefit not just the sugar producers themselves but likewise its workers.

 

Goodluck!

Hello world!

First and foremost, thank you for dropping by. I appreciate you for your time and effort. I hope you have a good day and my best regards to you.

As I start blogging, I belive it is important that my readers should have or atleast know a little bit about me. It will be brief but hopefully helpful and enough,haha.

The 1935 Victorias City Hall.

Victorias officials headed by Mayor Severo Acuna Palanca.

I come from a political clan from Victorias City, a descendant of Alejandro Acuña Yap Quiña – a Philanthropist of Chinese ancestry who donated his landholdings to the then Municipality of Victorias, now known as the City of Victorias. It is approximately 34 kilometers north of Bacolod, a 45 minute drive, more or less. Victorias City belongs to the 3rd Congressional district of the Province of Negros Occidental. It has a total of 26 barangays – 9 of which are in the poblacion, 9 are in the Victorias Milling Company (VMC) area and 8 are rural barangays.

A view of Victorias City main highway's Osmena Avenue.

My family's joyous memories.

My family came from a simple household, with less needs. My parents were mere employees and did not have much to bequeath to us but education. My siblings and I, grew up making turns in doing household chores. Mother would make good meals and gather us in the table. Father would always talk about politics and issues concerning government and people. This childhood experience is enough for me to say, I had such a very good and perfect family to have grown up with.

Aside from my parents, there is another person that I consider a mother. She took care of me like her own son. Lola Aling (Miss Rosalina Jaranilla Hautea) is not related to me by blood. A native of La Paz, Iloilo, she came to Victorias in 1950 to teach. She lived and spent the whole of her abling adult life with my Dad’s relatives, the Junsay-Hipolito’s of Victorias. Never married, she assumed me after my Dad’s Aunt Lola Oring (Mrs. Leonor Junsay-Hipolito) who took care of me died when I was 7 in 1983.

Governor Lito Coscolluela Sworning me in as SK Prov'l. Fed. President in 1996. Witnessing were V-Governor Roy Gamboa and my fellow officers.

At the age of 16, in 1992, I started my political life, when I was elected Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairman of my Village (Barangay V), and eventually as Federation President of the then Municipality of Victorias. As such, I became ex officio member of the Sangguniang Bayan (Town Council), while at the same time serving as the Provincial Federation Vice President, for the province.

The Provincial Officials headed by Governor Joseph Maranon and V-Gov. Isidro Zayco.

My term of office ended in 1996 and I was re-elected from the Barangay, to the Municipal and this time to the Provincial level as President of the SK Federation. As such I became an ex officio member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board Member), of the province of Negros Occidental. In the same term, I was elected National Assistant Auditor of the SK National Federation, thus making me a member of the SK National Executive Board which drafted the present SK Constitution and By-laws. During my incumbency, to name afew, I was member of the National Movement of Young Legislators (NMYL), Philippine Councilors League (PCL), and the Provincial Board Members League (PBML). Im proud to say, aside from our youth projects, in my varoius capacities as a member of Sangguniang Barangay, Sangguniang Bayan and Sangguniang Panlalawigan, most if not all, of the government infrastructures and laws in my city and province, during my term (1992-2002),that we see now, including the cityhoods of Sipalay, Himamaylan, except Escalante (of which I voted  “Nay”), my votes were part of it.

As Victorias Water District Director.

From 2005 up to the present (on leave status), Im serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Victorias City Water District, a GOCC.

I am also a member of the Rotary Club of Victorias, and chairs its committee on Youth Development (on leave status).

Nursing days

On my educational status, I have two Bachelor’s Degrees, namely Bachelor of Arts, major in Community Development Economics at the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod (1999), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of West Negros-Bacolod (2007). My other technical courses include, Certified Nursing Assistant Course at the Omega Health Care Technical School in Chicago, USA (2003), Computer office User Specialist at Learnet Academy in Los Angeles, California (2009) and Intensive English as a Second Language Course at California Coast Language Academy, San Luis Obispo, California (2010).

Life in the U.S.

Currently, at 34 years old, I live in Pismo Beach, California, with a wonderful elderly couple as their personal assistant and confidant. They are like a family to me, and they showed me the way how to live a life, beside politics. But public service always remains my passion.