Mangaldan's Unsung Heroes

by Djoma de Guzman

I recently took a four-day side trip to visit our hometown Mangaldan to take the first steps of a mission to document our culture and history . . . before it is lost in the so called pace of development. Aliguas Mangaldan has so far been a forum for celebrating the life of Mangaldan migrants, often referred to by our kabaleyans who remain in the town as, the better-off Mangaldanians. The brief sojourn into our barrios (barangays) shows the grit and determination of our kabaleyans at home as they keep their heads above the water and continue to provide for their families.

I wish to thank my very close friend Konsehal Arthur Leo Moulic Fabia and spouse 'Mare Noemi for hosting me in those four days in Mangaldan, providing me with a car to move around. Likewise, my gratitude to Poblacion Barangay Kgd. "Jojo" Jose Yap Fabia for driving me through the barangay roads to look for "Mangaldan's Unsung Heroes".

They keep the economy going. Some of them are the remaining guardians of a culture and history that is slowly disappearing: manag-asin, manag-barang, papay makers, patupat and nilatik bakers.... Deep into the night, the town's slaughter house is in a hectic pace preparing the meat supply for the following day. At midnight, the vegetable and fruit vendors unload their produce while the nilatik, puto, patupat and casava cake bakers deliver their goods to retail outlets. In the early morning hours, vegetable gardeners cultivate their fields, the asin makers light up their 'pogons' while the barang and papay makers sharpen their tools to start their craft. The day comes to a full cycle in the late afternoon as the 'ingkalot' and the 'tupig'  are laid out in the main street to provide the people's evening food fare.

There was another discovery in this trip. One of 'Tio Demy's" (Demetrio Gonzales) students in Bari Elementary School (1983-84) is now a Music and Arts teacher at Mangaldan National High School. Jerome Guba Estrada was kind enough to provide Aliguas Mangaldan with a marching tempo version of Tio Demy's "Abante Mangaldan". I have used this beautiful score to provide the background music for a slide presentation of Mangaldan's Unsung Heroes.

Turn on your computer's audio and view the presentation. Double click on the image bar. If you have a broadband connection, things should play out easily. If you are back home, in our town, you may have to wait for a full minute before the presentation opens.

If you wish to have a copy of this presentation just click on this link: Download UnsungHeroes.2.wmv

Comments

[Djoma]

Dindo,

Wala ni ray omtombok ya articles. I stayed only four days in our town, but from dawn to dusk, I was scurrying from barrio to barrio talking to our people. That meant missing the opportunity to touch base with many friends in town.

And more videos showing in detail what was described in overview in the "Mangaldan's Unsung Heroes". I heard several kabaleyans in North America expressed a longing for a material to show children and grandchildren borned in the adopted country about the origins of the migrants. Aliguas Mangaldan will try to address that need with the documentaries.

Keep on following Aliguas and kindly relay the information to our other kabaleyans.

[Djoma]

Mon,

Tricyles and thames? I remember them and that also reminds me of a much earlier mode of transportation, the caromata, that I would take from the train station in Salay on the way to my grandmother's house in Esperanza (now Frianeza) near the public market.

Talking about onas for merienda, I used to hunt down camachile and lomboy at the then spacious fields of what is now the MNHS. No junk foods then, just plain summer fruits.

Aliguas Mangaldan is about our culture and history. There would be more articles to follow even before the next trip back home.

[Djoma]

Atchi Marie,
Thank you for the encouragement to document our local culture in Mangaldan. There would be more articles to follow describing in detail day-to-day events in the lives of our kabaleyans in the barrios.
In the 1990s, I undertook a personal project to conserve some of our plants in the town. I succeeded in propagating the "pekak" (family of the "kamansi" and "langka") as well as a cousin of the silag (whose name I could not recall at the this time of writing). We can actually undertake a project to conserve and propagate the indigenous trees and plants of the town.

[Dindo Idio]

So, that's where you were, Djoma! I've been wondering about you. Thank you so much for the nice and touching video. I had tears to my eyes. Great touching memories. Yes, our hardworking kababayans all over not just in our hometown but everywhere. The day to day struggle to survive. My family was in the same predicament. Like the rest, we never quit and we kept on going. I wish we have a government system that is more responsive to the poor and the needy. We have a beautiful country that is rich in natural resources but is not being utilize to it's advantage. I hope to go back there someday, stay forever and be like it used to be. Thanks again, Djoma, for the nicely done documentary. I'm sure that you would have like to cover some more but this was just awesome. Are you back in Canada now then? Take care!
Dindo

[Mon Orap]

Djoma

Fantastic work! It is about time we need to see more of the activities in the background. In the early days when there were only tricycles and a few thames? (now jeepneys) lurking Bari, all we could hear whilst passing that place was "ping..ping" and the splashing of water to cool down the hot red metal which will magically turn into a nice "barang". I used to push those huge blowers which makes the flames get angry and softened down this metal. Lots of sweat and hard work from the older guys then.The easy part when it was merienda and the kiniler and unda unday would pass by. "Aring" the senior guy was just contented with his stick of Hope cigarrete. My childhood mate Boy Almonte and I would anxiously wait to ambush the 3 oclock shift of a passing truck full of onas. If you pull more than 4 onas and shared with your friends you were considered a hero and a provider.I was very young then to understand all of these but yes Djoma you are absolutely right.. these things go all together.. barang, kiniler , unda unday. onas for patopat.. were all reflected in your feature..somebody has to push the economy in a more traditional way ...I wish the unsung heroes all the best and hoping we can continue this legacy.... Great job Djoma..

[Marie Aquino Junio]

My dear Djoma ,

I am so proud of what you did , capturing in pictures what most people take for granted . What we see in the market are just the finished product . We are not aware of " behind the scenes " preparations before we see them in the markets . These are what Mangaldanians are made of , the truly unsung heroes who keep the wheels of small businesses running and the economy better than what is expected of a developing country . Cottage industries are very important in our economy . I hope the younger generation will see the article and the video and be receptive and appreciative of the good old ways or the traditional way of life in our town . Modernization is good and acceptable but appreciating and accepting the traditional customs and traditions of our forefathers are important aspect to be truly a Mangaldanian . We still crave for those food done in the traditional way . We can never have a "pindang dueg" or "patopat" ( simmered in sugarcane ed darapilan ) and other delicacies , anywhere except in Mangaldan . For most of us who left Mangaldan many years ago , we still miss what we used to see and enjoy in our town . I miss the "sinamet" from the "silag " trees which just grew infront of our house in Bari . Without the sinamet , the kineler won't taste the same . I think that industry or source of income in Mangaldan vanished because we ran out of the big and tall "silag " trees . I guess nobody thought of replanting the big "silag ".

Thank you , Djoma for spending time documenting those traditional ways and means of livelihood before they vanish and taken over by modernization .

Atsi Marie