Gaserang Ilawan

My father said it was since circa 1960 that the nearby Poblacion of Guinayangan has already been electric powered. But our humble Barangay –Manlayo, it was 1979. Almost two decade of groping while the nearby town were already out from the shadow of limelight. I was born during the early 70s and when the decade was nearing its end, we were almost forsaken to experience such glorified days with the early use of Edison’s inventions. It was in 1979, the earliest I knew of when I experienced the glow of incandescent and fluorescent lamps.

My fellow kids were rushing and they were whooping! –“Magkakaroon na ng kuryente sa atin!”. Yoohoo! . I was just inattentively watching the commotions while gnawing the hardened candy cane (Tootsie Roll) much like our local candy that we call ‘Tira-tira” and all the melted pieces were sticking to my messy face. While I was nibbling the remaining pieces, I jumped and descent from our bench and rushed to go with them to the main street. The street of Manlayo is stretched from the Main road through and end with the Don Diego’s residence, almost a quarter of a mile. I saw towering crane trucks that were entering the mid length of the road while another truck loaded with wooden post followed it .For every 25 meters, electrical post was erected. I can still recall the smell of asphalt like chemical that treated the wood. Elder said it’s “Tigsakot/Tigsa Coat” or alkitran in Tagalog. These would prevent termite build up and prolong its life. It is the reason why it has withstand the harsh years that gone by.

Though I still wasn’t attending grade school that year for I was just six years old, a sloppy shy boy without a care in the world. Every weeknight, I always saw my elder sisters were reading their lessons and were making their assignments under the glow of “Pirok Pirok” or “Gasera” .It’s simply a Kerosene Lamp we just uniquely called it that way. I believe it is an adjective word in Visayan Language meaning blinking light, because I often heard it from Visayan Fisherman. Other country called it wick lamp, probably because it uses wick or a cord twisted that draws up fuel to the flame by capillary action. I was leaning elbow clasped to a table and my chin touching my wrist while I was looking at the kerosene gently wicking through the cord. All my sisters were muttering phrases from lessons and occasionally were looking at the ceiling as if they were memorizing something. Under that glimmering light my other sister were coloring a book, a project in art perhaps. No wonder in the morning my sisters had to correct the overlapped edges of the coloring book before submitting it to class, because their crayons overlaid the line of the art drawings.


Kuliman or Petromaks (Mantle Lamp)

Our small living room has more illuminations because of “Petrol Lantern” a mantle lamp that my father usually utilized during fishing; colloquially it was called “Kuliman”or “Petromaks”. I recently knew its etymology and I have drilled down the name to “Coleman” and “Petromax” two of the most reliable brands of Petrol Lamp during those days. Most locals in Quezon usually associate brand with its actual name. Just like brand “Colgate” to a toothpaste. In Quezon we commonly heard buyers in a sari-sari store” Pabili nga po ng Colgate na Pepsodent!” . The store would always grasp the order and handed the Pepsodent toothpaste without any doubt nor corrections of its use. I would always like the Petrol lamp, the lights were as bright as today’s lumen of incandescent lamps, I was amazed how that small braided cloth called “ gas mantle” or “welsbach mantle” made up of oxides like “thorium” that incandesced and never burned out or charred to pieces when heated. I would errand for some spare when it worn out to a nearest store where they knew it by Tagalog name as “gasa”.Amazing physics inventions that had been very useful in common fishing activity called “Largarete”, which was my father’s source of living before the “Basnigan” during the 60s.

For my bedroom I preferred the “pirok pirok” to light up my room. I don’t know, but the gentle gleam of shimmering lights waving through the dark adds a more snooze feeling to my mind. I was mesmerized by its light as it tremulously cast the shadows of our curtain, then I was always in deep slumber. “Tak Talaok!(Cock-a-doodle-doo)… Ahh! What a fine morning ( I missed that sleeping habit).I squinted my eyes a bit, rose up and begun to perk up my day. But wait I have to check my nose for the kerosene residue deposits that sticks to my nostrils. I always use a clothes edge wrapped around my little finger and gently nose picked and turned to scrape all the “agiw”. My sisters would always pinch me for making a habit of using white clothes for that. I don’t know (My Bad!)I like looking at the “agiw” scraped over white clothes (Mga poor Ate).
poste-sa-amin



Electric Post

Months after and the last transformer post with bright street lamp were erected. When they lit up it was like a giant lantern to our eyes. 1979 became one of the most memorable years of my life I was spell bounded by warmth of my own curiosity. That was the very first time I witnessed such a bright electrical lighting. My young eyes were captivated by sheer emotions of joy and frenzied heart from experience I will never trade for anything else. Weeks after that, feeder circuits to our street were laid down to power our neighbourhood. Finally, we jumped and overjoyed seeing the fluorescent lamp lights up like crystal balls. What a glorious day! I couldn’t describe the happiness it brought to us. We cheered and eventually astonished by the light that reflects down on our varnished shelved living room. Our dinners couldn’t be more appetizing, for we clearly see all the ingredients that savoured our sumptuous dishes we had every day.

It’s a start of a new age for us, a dawn of advancement. More months after that, neighbours had been starting to invest electronics appliances, Radio Cassettes, Radio Phonograph and of course the idiot box “TV” or Television that marked the beginning of electronics craze. The only problem we had was we couldn’t keep up with the race of investing appliances, my humble dressmaker mother was only proud to invest a Radio Cassette. A Sanyo made cassette playback-recorder because we couldn’t afford to buy a TV set. Nevertheless it’s an amazing piece of equipment, for you could hear back your recorded voice audibly clear (Wow!). We were just contented to watch over to the nearest neighbours like “Bardaluza”, Pura and Manalo family that time were situated in front of our elementary school. Right after my classes, I crowded with the older kids to have the best angle to peek and watched the “Kaluskos Musmos” and Sesame Street. Even though it was just black and white TV, its indescribable feeling that bewildered our young minds. Then a colored TV came, it was blissful joy to our already astounded eyes. Our “larong taguan” couldn’t been more livelier . That lamp post became our base for every game we had every night “agawan base”, “patintero”, “piko” you name it we played it all.

I am proud that I was raised during the 80s though we never grew up with the internet. I was lucky to have a career in data communication and I.T field (So you cannot tease me of being old timer). I was more like a living witness of the technology evolution in the process. (LOL) .We all must realize how lucky we are today for we have everything at our reach. Though I haphazardly ventured to advanced technology career , my age (no doubt) we’re the first to use Mobile Telecommunication, we’re the first to use Digital video and TV, and we’re the first to use the Internet. One must treasure every childhood memories for there is nothing more memorable than the years that was. There is no sure way of measuring happiness to define and gauges one’s enthusiasm. In my humble opinion we are exceedingly blessed and proud with all being the first.

:by Cornelio Cenizal

Its my own plagiarism of the story “What then Señor?. Though author is unknown. But the story actually spirited by philosophy of Chuang Tzu.

A Manileño was at the fish port of a small coastal village of Guinayangan when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.
Inside the small boat were several large Maya Maya and Lapu Lapu. The Manileño complimented the Guinayanganin on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The Fisherman replied, "Mga 3 to 4 hours lang."
The Manileño then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?"
The Fisherman said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."
The Manileño then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, play (Tong IT)poker, stroll into the village(Maglilimayon) each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my tropa, I have a full and busy life."
The Manileño scoffed, " I can help you, If you don’t mind I have a Masters Degree in Business. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Gumaca, then Lucena and eventually Manila where you could run your ever-expanding enterprise."
The fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"
The Manileño replied, "15 to 20 years. If that you already had the Masters Degree that Ive got from Ateneo. With his hand fixing his collar sarcastically"
"But what then Manong?" asked the Fisherman.
The Manileño laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."
"Millions?...Then what?"
The Manileño said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, play poker(Tong its),stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your friends."
Ganon ba Manong? . It will take 15 to 20 years.At saka yong MBA ano po ba yon nakakain? LOL! Para lang maranasan ko ang nararanasan ko na ngayon. ????

Dami pang paikot ikot. Eh ganon rin pala lahat pangarap natin eh. Mga kababayan hinay-hinay lang po. Magtira po tayo sa mga nagmamahal sa atin.

GOD TEACH US HOW TO LIVE, NOT TO MAKE A LIVING!!

-by Cornelio Cenizal

Repost from simpleoddmind.wordpress.com

We Were So Fortunate After All


Raw Scallops, Top Shell Filled Off

Sometimes you don’t consider you self lucky until someone or something realize it for you. Have you experienced feeling odious on consuming something? hat peculiarly tends you to find to consider other food as your lunch. Well, back in our small coastal place Manlayo, where Guinayangan has it as the seafood’s gate for tasting rare Scallops shell fish (not knowing it was). My father was a trawl fisherman then, I was about 9-10 yrs old, when I could barely eat much of things to consider as rare dishes. Trawling is a form of dredge fishing that the nets actually scoop everything out of its path, hence the word “trawl”. Scallops are sea bed shellfish catch that my father use to take-home, segregated as “dyako” or fish meal from shrimps, crabs, and “hoyas” rare fish (i.e. Lapu Lapu, maya maya,malakapas, etc.)Yes you heard me segregated to process as fishmeal, my fellow Manlayohin could attest to that. My father, with his willingness to offer us a chance to study and live a good life, large size scallops with about 2 to 3 inches diameter shells would become our meal for the day just to save other catch to be converted to cash. Half basket full of brown and white shells would become our dishes for the day. My older sibling became expert in cooking these. Sautéed’ scallops, Steak scallops, Grilled scallops and sometimes Seviche’ or “Kilawin” in Tagalog other country called it Ceviche,or Cebiche. Did I mentioned odious, for scallops, not actually, I was just telling a monotonous meal that my young taste then had been consuming to the point where me and my dismayed sisters don’t want to have it anymore. Why? To our young minds those days, we look to ourselves as so unfortunate, that my classmates in school use to telltales about our dishes for the day. We sarcastically uttered “Ayon,Capis na naman, buti pa kayo Manok” Trans: As usual, Scallops again, it’s good that you had Chicken. Though unhappy, but we love what our father use to bring in, it is his sweat, his catch for the tiring overnight trawling.

Baked Scallops

My Old Hobby and Recollections



Recently I just finished my Japanese friend's business website hdivesunbeam.com. I was amazed by underwater scenery these people are seeing. Everytime I edit the photo contents , I was mesmerized by the colors, hues and its magnificent underwater photography. I remember when I was a kid my father use to take me near the PALAD atoll at Guinayangan Quezon. It helps me thinking that this kind of business could be applied in our depressed town. I had numerous elderly friends back in Manlayo, a barrio in our town, where I spend almost half of my life who were divers that time. I just found out while I was doing the site that a license is required to be able to dive in Open Waters, an Organization name PADI. Every diver requires BCD for Bouyancy, Air Tanks, Fins and goggles. Back to my hometown neither a fancy goggles nor expensive type of fins is used. Instead people tend to use their creativity and replaced fins with cutout board, goggles where curved from piece of wood. We dived using compress air locally called "Kapandra" . The safe limit of diving defends mainly on how your eardrum would be able to tolerate. Probably my slight hearing deficiency contributed by my frequent dive near the Atoll. But sure it was fun with my old buddies usually in 40s where I was in my 20s. Ill be coming home this year end perhaps introduce to them the use of these new safety gadgets.

:by Cornelio Cenizal


Repost From Simple Minds

I remember my first trip in this barrio/sitio for the closing program in the Dancalan Elem. School where my aunt taught (on a brief assignment) and where I danced the hula--topless at age 6. He he he.

Fondest memories were waking up to the sound of "tuko" (gecko lizard) and eating my first 2-yolk fried egg.





Wish to see here the Mangrove trees in the old Mambinga beach... How are they, I wonder?







Hmmm, maybe I didn't check out the coconut trees enough near the beach before (sa linang) that's why I didn't know there were lizards this kind.







The commom bubuli or talikakas














Speaking of food, this is where I like their tinuto, or laing in Bicol--dried taro leaves cooked in coco milk w/ dried dilis. And how about the spiciest candingga, or bopis, pig lungs chopped finely and cooked adobo style w/ bell pepper and lots of black pepper and siling labuyo. Labet! Walang diet-diet whenever I go home there for a visit.









Hmmm, this is where you can find the best tasting and freshest seafood--crabs (alimasag), shrimps (swahi, white premium kind), squids, and lots of big fish variety my grandfather use to bring home from the market. They're not the very big or huge kind pleasing to the eyes but the most tasty kind that needs no complicated cooking to bring out the fresh flavor--unmatched in Dampa or anywhere else, I bet. Mainly because Guinyangan is within the Ragay Gulf and not in the open seas like the South China Sea (Cavite area) or the Pacific Ocean side (Lucena, Aurora, Bicol areas). That's why you need to preserve the seas there, guys, or you lose it for the next generation.

Ahh, I miss those growing up days when life was simpler and everyone knows each other in that small and use-to-be sleepy town.

Mabuhay kayong mga Guinayanganin!!




:by Cherry Lomarquez

Repost From Guinayangan Republic's Facebook Photo CommentsPhoto Courtesy of photonoob's and lilspot25's Multiply

My happiest birthday ever.The year was 1988 .All I remember it was 6 to 7 bottles of Ginebra (Gin Bilog) as we called it during the days. My guests were VIPs sila Doods,Ruel,Efren,Orly at si Nonoy. 'Heck! I didnt even spent it in my house. Kina Dodong kami nag suka! este nag inuman. Kahit "bilog" ang iniinum ay Crabs naman ang pulutan.As I vividly recall it most of our inuman ay doon nabubuo ang mga kuwentuhan namin. Doods and I are no doubt would venture to Seafaring dreams. Efren would go probably in militaristic type of work. Ruel and Orly never ever spoke about their future. Emotional burst here and there, along with endless swarm of pukes.But to tell you frankly of all my birthday celebration I ever had, 't was the grandest ever.It is when the last time I saw my self drinking with dreams and plans in my mind swirling with dizziness of gin spirit.LOL.

Suddenly years past.I looked in the mirror, and hey "What the hell happened?" Doods and I give up the long lost dream.Efren dreams turn to a not so distant path with his plans. Nevertheless Ruel, among us probably took a nicest way to his dreams.But his well deserved plan.His one of my friends that never look down on you.We met last summer and still the old Bebot we remembered.Doods, I guessed were to much for a plan! LOL. But hey! Doods and I were good!Still struggling but good!.If it turns out the other way around we would probably end up forgetting each others.

Our birthdays, perhaps were traditionally invented to recall our old ways.Sometimes a milestone of our lives.The right things to call it would be "Umpisa Uli!". For Doods and I a centimeter of another receding hairlines LOL!.The positive way to look at it is "gaining face" instead of "loosing hair"LOL!

By Cornelio Cenizal

Repost From GAHSBATCH89 Photos Courtesy of ISO Archive