*139. PAMPANGA AT THE 1937 INTERNATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS, GUAGUA PARISH. As a prelude to the 1937 International Eucharistic Congress, parishioners of Guagua Parish held their own eucharistic event, with their cura parocco, R. P. Cosme Bituin, who would be a speaker in the Pampanga section of the 33rd Congress. Dated 1936.

In 1937, the 33rd International Eucharistic Congress—billed as the greatest and most glorious spiritual event ever witnessed in the Orient—was held for the first time in Asia. It was a proud moment for the Filipino people when the Philippines, the only predominantly Catholic country in the Far East, was chosen as the venue for this world-renown gathering.

The idea of Eucharistic feast was conceived by a French woman, Emilie Tamisier, supported by the Bishop of Lille and a pious layman, Philip Vrau. These events were meant to inspire spiritual revival through a program of prayer, processions, religious assemblies, pontifical masses and other activities The original intent was to have a simple national religious affair, but the response was so enthusiastic, supported even by Pope Leo XII himself. And so, the First International Eucharistic Congress was held in the city of Lille, France in 1881, attended by an unprecedented 3,000 people.

The first editions of the Eucharistic Congress were held in Europe. In 1883, Ghent, Belgium hosted the event with 10,000 participants the world over. In 1893, the Congress was held in Jerusalem, the first to have a Papal Legate, Cardinal Gossens, in attendance. Rome was the fitting venue in 1905, and in 1910, the event traveled outside of Europe, to Montreal, Canada. For the first time, America hosted the event in 1926, with Chicago as the site of the 28th congress. In 1928, it was Australia’s turn and over a million devotees came to Sydney. Africa hosted the 1930 event and in 1934, pilgrims came in full force to the capital city of Argentina, Buenos Aires, the third largest city of the new world.

The idea of making Manila the seat of the next International Eucharistic Congress was launched by a layman, Benito Soliven during a sectional meeting of the First National Eucharistic Congress in 1929. (Kapampangans were avid participants of this national congress and a triumphal provincial arch was even erected for the said event). Met with approval, the members of the Philippine hierarchy brought the matter to Manila Archbishop Michael O’ Doherty who, in turn, submitted a letter of proposal to the Secretary of the Permanent Committee of the International Eucharistic Congress, Count d’Yanville. In 1933, the Archbishop went to Rome to plead before the Permanent Committee and soon after his return, he finally received a letter of unanimous approval for the holding of the 33rd International Eucharistic Congress in Manila, from February 3-7, 1937.

Committees were organized with Most Rev. Gabriel M. Reyes D.D., Archbishop of Cebu as Honorary President. The Auxiliary Bishop of Manila, Most Rev. William Finneman was named President. Manila gave a thunderous and warm welcome to its honored guests led by the Papal Legate, His Eminence Dennis Cardinal Dougherty, Archbishop of Philadelphia, who had first come to the Philippines in 1903 as the appointed Bishop of Nueva Segovia (Vigan) and later, Jaro. One and a half million Catholics from the Philippines and from 54 other countries—including Serbia, Malta and Yugoslavia-- poured into Manila for the event, and in one mammoth procession, 600,000 participated. Pontifical masses held in Luneta and especially the one celebrated by the papal legate on the last day of the Congress were swarmed with hundreds of thousands of devotees and communicants. A magnificent altar was constructed for the occasion and the tabernacle alone cost Php2,200 minus shipping expenses from Canada.

Of special interest to local pilgrims were the Philippine Sectional Meetings of the Congress. These were held in different Manila venues, officiated by eminent religious leaders of the region and conducted in Tagalog, Visayan, Bicolano, Ilocano—and Kapampangan. There must have been a large representation of Kapampangan delegates to merit a separate meeting at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros. Moderating the 2-day sectional meetings was Rev. Fr. Jose Pamintuan, a Kapampangan priest assigned to the Sampaloc parish. The speakers for the February 1 meeting were Frs. Vicente de la Cruz (parish priest of Mexico) , Esteban David (Minalin) and layman Marcelino Aguas of San Fernando, Pampanga.

On the second day, February 5, Rev. Cosme Bituin, then the cura of Guagua, gave his talk. He was followed by Mabalacat-born Rev. Jose Dayrit of Sapangbato. (Eventually, Fr. Dayrit would leave the priesthood and start a family.) The last speaker was Mr. Juan D. Nepomuceno of Angeles, a town leader, noted businessman and one of the founders of Holy Angel Academy (now a university, the largest in Central Luzon).

When the XXXIII International Eucharistic Congress came to a close, words of praise and acclaim for the Philippines and its people reverberated throughout the city and beyond. Rev. James T. Gillis, editor of The Catholic World, summed up his experience in these words: “ One who has not visited the Philippines and has not known the religiousness of its people will be awed to find that his conception of the spiritual life of this country has an estimation of it far below the real thing. The Eucharistic Congress just closed will live in my memory as an event which is exceeding in its manifestation of the consuming devotion of the people to Christ in the Holy Eucharist”.

*138. ROSARIO MANUEL, Miss Pampanga 1927

ROSARIO MANUEL, Miss Pampanga 1927. A beauty of renown from Bacolor, made it to the national finals of the 1927 edition of the Manila Carnival.

True to its title as the “Athens of the Pampanga”, Bacolor was not just a cradle of culture, it was also the seat of beauty, echoing the fabled reputation of Greece as the land of beautiful goddesses--Hera, Aphrodite and Athena—who figured in perhaps, the 1st documented beauty pageant of ancient times, as judged by Paris.

Bacolor belles like Luz Sarmiento, Paz Sanchez, Consuelo Santos and Elisa Gutierrez were regarded as the town muses in the mid 1920s-1930s. A more notable titled beauty however was Rosario Manuel, crowned Miss Pampanga 1927. She was the daughter of Generoso Manuel and Gliceria Lacsamana of Cabambangan, now the town’s poblacion.

With her victory, Rosario gained the right to represent the province in the 2nd National Beauty Contest sponsored by The Philippine Free Press. Doe-eyed Rosario went to Manila for the competition to make her bid for the Miss Philippines crown. It was a tall order for Rosario, as among the previous year’s winners was a kabalen—Socorro Henson of Angeles, who reigned as Manila’s Carnival Queen of 1926.

In the 1927 edition held from February 12 to 27, 28 beauties from around the country participated. Two of the contenders that year were Amelia Romualdez, Miss Leyte, who bore a striking resemblance to her first cousin, Imelda Romualdez and fellow Kapampangan, Luz Besa of Tarlac. The judges were reminded that “in the selection of the most beautiful ladies, (you) shall consider, besides physical beauty, the personal charms and the general refinement and composure of candidates”.

In the end, Luisa Marasigan, Miss Manila, won as Miss Philippines. Her court included Miss Luzon, Iluminada Laurel (Batangas), Miss Visayas, Lourdes Rodriguez (Cebu) and Miss Mindanao, Nora Maulano (Sulu). Even then, Rosario Manuel’s beauty was immortalized in a special commemorative booklet issued by Free Press magazine. Rosario Manuel settled back in Bacolor, remaining unmarried and adopting young relatives to serve as companions for the rest of her life.

*137. BLESSED BE GOD: The Religious of Betis

SEMINARISTAS DE PAMPANGA. A group of Kapampangan seminarinas from San Carlos Seminary pose for a souvenir picture. Future priests Andres Bituin (1st person on top row) and Felipe Roque (4th from right, 2nd row) are from Betis.

The people of Betis have always been proud of their town’s reputation of having produced the most number of Catholic priests than any Kapampangan town. Betis, in Guagua town, has been described by Bishop Emilio Cinense as “a model parish, a truly Christian parish, a peaceful place to live in..”, a bedrock of Christianity as evidenced by the intense religiosity of its residents, then and now.

Among the first Filipino founders of capellanias (pious trust funds) in 17th century Philippines were Don Pedro Lumalong, Juan Panganiban, Francisco Gutierrez, Martin Tandang, Dna. Francisca Biguiad, Geronima Matig, Cathalina Lindon, Ines Julir and Isabel Taolaya—all from Betis. The perpetual grant was usually in the form of agricultural lands, the income of which was used to support a priest (capellan, or chaplain), who, in turn, was mandated to offer Mass for the soul or intention of the founder.

Also a resident of Betis is Don Macario Pangilinan (1800-1850), who is credited with translating the Tagalog version of Via Crucis into Kapampangan: “Ing Dalan a liualana ning Guinutang Jesucristo quing pamamusana quing mal a Santa Cruz”. The Archbishop of Manila, F. Jose Segui, granted an indulgence of 80 days to those who would pray it.

The first Filipino Doctor of Theology also is an accomplished Betiseño—Dr. Don Manuel Francisco Tubil (b. 17 June 1742/d.6 Sept. 1805). He earned his doctorate from the University of Santo Tomas in 1772. He eventually became a priest in 1770, and rose up the ranks of the church hierarchy, an accompished Indio among Spanish religious leaders.

A 1959 listing of the sons and daughters of Betis who chose religious vocations include the following:

1. Rt. Rev. Msgr. Cosme P. Bituin D.P. (1929 Parish priest Angeles, Bacolor)

2. Rt. Rev. Msgr. Santiago Guanlao D.P. (1929 Vicar Forane)
3. Rt. Rev. Msgr. Andres Bituin D.P. (1920 Vicar Forane)
4. Very Rev. Msgr. Serafin Ocampo P.C. (1945 Diocesan Secretary of Lourdes, Angeles)
5. Very Rev. Roberto Roque (1916 Vicar Forane, San Ildefonso, Bulacan)
6. Very Rev. Felipe Roque (1920 Vicar Forane, Betis)
7. Rev. Jose Bondoc (1929 Parish priest, Candaba)
8. Rev. Genaro Sazon (1930 Parish priest, Porac)
9. Rev. Melencio Garcia (1936 Paish priest, Mexico)
10. Rev. Jacobo Soriano, (1936 Parish priest, Capas, Tarlac)
11. Rev. Bernardo Torres, (1916 Parish priest, San Rafael, Bulacan)
12. Rev. Florentino Guiao, (1938 Parish priest, Dinalupihan, Bataan)
13. Rev. Pedro Capati, (1939 Parish priest, San Rafael, Macabebe)
14. Rev. Hermogenes Coronel, (1930 Chaplain, Balayan, Batangas)
15. Rev. Pablo Songco, (1939 Parish priest, San Luis)
16. Rev. Francisco Mendoza, (1944 Seminary professor, Apalit)
17. Rev. Julian Roque, (1955 Parish priest, San Isidro, Guagua)
18. Rev. Norberto Coronel, (1947 Seminary professor, Apalit)
19. Rev. Alfonso Ducut, ( 1949 Parish priest, Anaw, Mexico)
20. Rev. Felipe Pangilinan, (1949 Parish priest, Mariveles, Bataan)
21. Rev. Victor Serrano, (1949 Parish priest, Maypajo, Caloocan)
22. Rev. Domingo Gullas, (1951 Parish priest, Laur, Nueva Ecija)
23. Rev. Fr. Gregorio Torres, (1951 Parish priest, Del Carmen)
24. Rev. Vicente Coronel, (1954 Asst. priest, Angeles)
25. Rev. Alejando Ocampo, (1954 Asst. priest, Betis)
26. Rev. Jose Guiao, (1955 Asst. priest, Macabebe)
27. Rev. Teodulfo Tantengco, (1956 Asst. priest, Arayat)
28. Sr. Rapahel de Jesus (Rosario Pangilinan), professed 1932
29. Sr. Celina de Marie (Asuncion Legion), professed 1949, St. Paul de Chartres, St. Paul College, Manila.
30. Sr. Jeanne Mary of the Holy Wounds (Ignacia Guanlao), prfessed 1953. Carmelite Discalced, Yule Island, Papua, Oceania, Australia
31. Sr. Cecilia S. Gozum, professed 1953, Religiosas Hiyajs de Jesus, Pototan, Iloilo.

All these Betis religious have apparently taken to heart their patron’s calling by following in his footsteps. After all, Santiago de Galicia, one of the 12 apostles, was also called by Jesus to preach the Gospel around the globe. With him as inspiration, these men and women of the cloth have stood fast in one spirit, with one mind, laboring together for the strengthening of Kapampangan faith and fidelity in the Lord. In Betis, many are called, and many are chosen.

*136. IN FINE PRINT: Kapampangan Periodicals

ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO PRINT. A young Kapampangan man peruses a newspaper for the news of the day. Ca. 1920s.

Every day, as sure as the sun rises, most of our daily reads come in the form of national newspapers and tabloids that carry the latest bad news, showbiz chismis, sensational crime stories and political exposés. The big three, in terms of readership and circulation, include PDI, Manila Bulletin and Star. National magazines are even more varied and target specific—there’s a magazine for him, for her, for cuisine fans, for Manila’s 400, for entrepreneurs, call center agents, advertising people and even pet lovers. Whatever your interest, there’s a publication today that is certain to appeal to you.

Just a little over a century ago, Kapampangans only had one local newspaper that they read from cover to cover. El Imparcial/ E Mangabiran (The Impartial) was the first bi-lingual Spanish-Kapampangan newspaper that came out in the region, published by Mariano Lim in 1905. The local paper, it was said, was an offshoot of a national conference of newspapermen that was held in Bacolor the year before. Some contend however that the paper was circulated to boost the gubernatorial ambitions of the publisher.

E Mangabiran was a 4-page publication that came out thrice a week. The Spanish section had Jose Maria Rivera of Tondo as its first editor, while the local section was edited by well-known Kapampangan men of letters that included Crisostomo Soto, Felix Galura and Aurelio Tolentino. It is no wonder that literary pieces were included with regularity on the pages of E Mangabiran. The prose narrative, “Lidia” of Galura, for instance, was serialized in the said paper, delighting its loyal readers who were titillated by the love triangle of Lidia, Hector and a secret admirer known only as F.D. In 1912, the publication of E Mangabiran was transferred to Manila and it was around this time that Justice Jose Gutierrez David joined the editorial board.

E Mangabiran lasted until 1916, but another local paper, Ing Catala (The Parrot) took its place and became the most popular newspaper of Pampanga from 1917 to the 1940s. The independent weekly paper was published in San Fernando under the editorship of Atty. Serafin de Ocampo. Another paper that came out of Bacolor was Ing Alipatpat (The Firefly), which made a brief appearance from 1917-1919.

By the 1930s, Pampanga had seven newspapers—indicative of the intellectual activity and literary bent of the people. Aside from Ing Catala, there was also the weekly Ing Katipunan of publisher-owner Pedro Sison. Ing Katiwala, another weekly, was also published in San Fernando with Justino A. David as managing editor.

Angeles had its own Ing Cabbling, a weekly newspaper edited by Jose F. Sanchez. Ing Catimawan (1929-1940) was the first know Pampango magazine that came out fortnightly. It was published in Manila by Faustino Pineda Gutierrez. With a huge circulation of 10,000 copies, it was Pampanga’s answer to the popular national magazine, Liwayway. Ing Catimawan was the first to introduce writers’ fees as a favorite section of the magazine includes contributed literary materials from reader-writers. Also coming out from the presses of Manila were Timbangan, a vernacular paper published twice monthly, and Ing Capampangan, a fortnightly paper edited by E. Y. Cunanan.

The war put a halt to the publication of Kapampangan newspapers, but in 1957, The Voice of Central Luzon was established by Armando Baluyut, husband of renown poetess Rosario Baluyut. Today, it still is in print, known simply as The Voice. The late Fyodor “Ody” Fabian was one of its most recent and most fiery editors. The Observer is another popular tabloid in English published in Pampanga. In 1974, a Kapampangan magazine—Ing Campupot—was launched. The national newspaper chain Sun.Star launched Sun.Star Clark that eventually became Sun.Star Pampanga.

The rekindled interest in Kapampangan culture in the new millennium gave rise to a host of publications with pure Kapampangan slant like Pampanga Magazine and the more recent K Magazine, with Elmer Cato as Founder-Publisher. K Magazine folded when diplomat Cato was assigned to the United Nations in New York. In its stead came Singsing, the official magazine of the Center for Kapampangan Studies of Holy Angel University, which continues to enjoy local, national and international following, with feature articles ranging from light to scholarly reading.

“To read is to lead”, one contemporary adage says, and there is no better time to pick up a Kapampangan newspaper or a magazine than now. It is not just about getting updated about current events, but it is also a special way of rediscovering the beauty of our language, the tie that binds us as one Kapampangan nation.

*135. HISTORY IN A BOTTLE: Reyna Soft Drinks

QUEEN OF ALL BOTTLES. A rare Reyna softdrink bottle with old ads from the 1930s Pampanga daily, Ing Cabbling.

Now here’s a bottle that’s considered the Holy Grail of local softdrink bottles—Reyna Softdrink, a pre-war softdrink brand concocted and bottled in Angeles by the Nepomucenos. Behind the seeming ordinariness of this bottle is an extraordinary story of family spirit in times of peace—and war.

The Nepomucenos of Angeles, led by the patriarch Juan de Dios Nepomuceno and wife Teresa Gomez, have always been instrumental in charting the progress and growth of Angeles. Their many enterprises—ice and electric plants, a high school that grew into a university, numerous prime residential and commercial developments-- helped define the future of Angeles by generating long-term livelihood opportunities, drawing students by the thousands from all over Central Luzon and reshaping the town’s layout.

One other homegrown business that they ventured into that is largely unknown is softdrink manufacturing. In 1928, the Nepomucenos opened a softdrink outlet along Sto. Rosario St., with 2 brands: the more affordable 2-centavo “Aurora”, (named after one of the couple’s daughter ) and “Reyna”, sold at 5 centavos. The drinks came in Orange, Strawberry, Cream Soda, Lemonade and the all-time favorite, Sarsaparilla. Root beer then was thought of as a health-giving drink, which explains sarsaparilla’s popularity. Family members and household helps capped and paper-labelled the bottle manually. The cases of softdrinks were delivered by trucks to outlets all over Pampanga and in Bataan.

Somehow, “Reyna Softdrinks” wide popular appeal worried the San Miguel Brewery, makers of “Royal Softdrinks”. The giant company filed a suit against the provincial factory, claiming that “Royal” was losing market share in the region because consumers could not distinguish the logos of the Nepomuceno’s “Reyna” from San Miguel’s “Royal”—as both brands started with a capital “R” with a similar curly “y” treatment. The case was amicably settled, with the Nepomucenos agreeing to re-spell their brand to “Reina”.

But the family’s softdrink business was fated to falter from the start. The bottles alone, imported from Belgium, cost 8 centavos a piece, while with contents—5 centavos. But since the business brought jobs to locals, the Nepomucenos could not bear to close it down.

However, in the early days of the Japanese Occupation, the Nepomucenos evacuated to Tarlac and upon their return, they found their machines destroyed and almost all the bottles smashed. They had no choice but to shut down the business permanently. Apparently, one bottle survived the rampage of Japanese soldiers, and today, this small, greenish bottle with the name “Reyna” in relief, has truly become the “Queen” of bottle collectibles.

*134. STA. RITA'S GRAND FIESTA OF 1946

MISS PEACE BE WITH YOU. Town beauty, Consuelo "Conching" Mangalus of Barrio San Juan, one of the major winners of the 1946 Sta. Rita Town Fiesta. 22 May 1946.

In 1946, from May 21 to 22, Sta. Rita held its fiesta of all fiestas—a Victory Fiesta to mark not just the feast of their patron, Sta. Rita de Casia, but also to celebrate the independence of the Philippines, finally granted by the United States and scheduled for July 4, less than 2 months away. Pampanga was still rising from the rubbles and ashes of World War II, but with peace in the country, progress was imminent. Sta. Riteños, under their Alcalde Municipal German Galang and their Cura Parroco Rev. P. Pablo Camilo, planned their most lavish fiesta yet, an event now remembered for its pageantry and nationalistic fervor .

A 1946 souvenir fiesta program detailed the activities of the town and its people, starting with the ‘aldo visperas’—May 21. A recitation of the novena to Sta. Rita kicked-off the annual feast day, with a Novena Cantada starting at 4:45 p.m. A little earlier, local bands from San Basilio, Sta Rita and nearby Sasmuan made their entrance to the town at 4 pm. In the evening, the coronation of the major beauty contest winners was held with local color and glamor—Miss Victory (Milagros Dionisio of San Jose), Miss Peace (Consuelo Mangalus of San Juan) and Miss Progress (Lourdes Jingco of Becuran). On hand to crown the royals were Congressman Amado Yuzon, Hon. Zoilo Dizon and the King of Crissotan, Sergio Navarro, who paid poetic tributes to the lovely town belles. A Coronation Ball at midnight capped the first-day festivities.

On the much-awaited fiesta morning of May 22, the church bells rang early in the morning at 4, to announce the start of the day’s events. An hour later, the Misas Rezadas began and at 6 a.m, two Misas Cantadas followed, officiated by Fr. Jose de la Cruz and Fr. Monico Pineda. At 8 a.m, a Misa Dalmatica was held with Fr. Casto Ocampo leading the congregation.

The morning once again saw the musical bands making the rounds of the streets of Sta. Rita, simultaneous with the holding of athletic competitions from 9 a.m to 2 p.m. Then, a spectacular Floral Parade took over the main roads, led by Miss Victory, Miss Peace and Miss Progress, and trailed by the Miss Barrios: Miss Sta. Monica (Bienvenida Zapanta), Miss San Agustin (Francisca Macasias), Miss San Matias (Teresita Ticsay), Miss San Vicente (Lutgarda Guanzon), Miss San Basilio (Tomasa Sangalang), Miss San Isidro (Beatriz Layug) and Miss Dila-Dila (Pilar Amio). Also joining the entourage were Miss Sta. Rita Institute and Miss Sta. Rita Elementary School. The floats bearing the town muses also vied for the “Best Carroza” prize.

In the evening, the century-old image of the town’s titular patron was honored with a candle-lit procession at 8 pm. At 10 pm, a Serenata featuring the bandas de musica gave stirring performances. The winners of the different ligligan (contests) were announced and prizes were given to the deserving participants.

Sta. Rita’s much-talked about 1946 fiesta owes much of its success to the different committee heads and members who discharged their duties with maximum efficacy: Mrs. Irene Pineda for the Funciones Religiosas (Religious Functions),Mr. Alejandro Tayag for the Concurzo de Belleza (Beauty Contest), Mrs. Miguela Lopez for the Decoracion de la Iglesia (Church Décor), Atty. Ramon Miranda for the Decoracion e Iluminacion (Décor and Lights), Mr. Diego Valencia for the Coronacion y Parada (Coronation and Parade), Mr. German Galang for the Juegos Atleticos (Athletic Games) and Mr. Anterio Cruz, who headed the Committee of Manila-based Sta. Riteños. Pulling off the town’s grandest post-war fiesta was certainly a victory for all.

*133. GRADUATION DAY, REVISITED

STA. ANA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CLASS OF 1926. Dr. Alan C. Derkum, a Thomasite, is shown on the upper left hand side. The pencilled names of the school personnel identified in this graduation photo include: (from top to bottom , L-R), include a certain Mr. P. Gutterrez, Mr. M. Yap, Miss P. Aguas, Miss C. Pabalan and Mr. R. Pangan.

An all-important rite of passage every student undergoes is the graduation ceremony. Graduation is a life-changing moment that means not just fulfilling all academic requirements, but also leaving the comforts of the school, its hallowed halls and classrooms, and the company of classmates-turned-comrades. But before one gets to assume the new responsibilities and challenges of this milestone, one has to go through frenetic months of pre-commencement exercise preparations that can leave one exhilarated and dazed for days.

The attendant rites of a graduation were conceived in Europe, but it took the American teachers to formalize a program here when they helped set up a public system of education for the Philippines—integrating graduation marches, valedictory addresses and honor ribbons to the whole ceremony. Elementary school graduations were not exempt from these mandatory rituals and practices as I recall my very own Class of 1969 graduation from Mabalacat Elementary School.

I knew graduation was fast approaching when I saw my teachers busy sewing ribbons for honor students in their lounge. As our our school simply could not afford medals., simple doilies were sewn instead , on which were attached a short ribbon strip. On this, a teacher would type or write with a felt-tip pen, the name of the student, his class and section, the teacher-in-charge, and the honors earned. Simple and cheap these ribbons may have been, I always swelled with pride every time I receive one or two—never mind if the handwriting was smudged or if the doily was not a perfect circle. I still have most of my elementary medals tucked away inside a desk—fraying badges of honor and symbols of my young life’s accomplishments.

The obligatory class picture also had to be taken moments before the actual commencement event. As early as 1 o’clock on a hot March afternoon, girls would be up and about to have their hair set, make-up applied and dainty graduation dress tried on. Boys had few worries because a typical graduation outfit would be just a white shirt and a dark pair of pants—all readily available from one’s wardrobe. An optional bowtie is easy to find. One just needed to make sure that his black leather shoes are neatly polished.

That momentous day, I remembered how my white, starched trubenize fitted me like a T, but my pair of pants was a disaster. It was tight at the crotch and was hopelessly kuto (short), a flaw that was highlighted by the white socks I was wearing. It was “grin and bear it”, all the way from the photo shoot to the stage.

Marching in cadence to the taped music of “Pomp and Circumstance”, our batch strode proudly to accept our diplomas as our beaming parents looked at us from their seats. (Years later, in high school, the graduation song of choice was the Beach Boys’ “Graduation Day”, while graduates of the ‘80s marched to the song of Raymond Lauchengco’s “Farewell”, from the Bagets movie).

I remember how disappointed I was when I got my “diploma”—it was just a rolled paper bond tied with a flimsy blue ribbon. The real parchment paper diploma was only released 2 weeks after our graduation march, together with my souvenir class photo, preserving forever an image of me, a 12 year old graduate in ill-fitting pants.

My graduation photo is not unlike this snapshot of the 1926 Graduating Class of Sta. Ana Elementary School, but this one is more creatively rendered and specially designed to pay tribute to Thomasite Dr. Alan C. Derkum, (top left photo) who was once a supervising teacher in Pampanga, particularly in Mexico. Together with his wife, Agnes, Alan Derkum, who hails from Wayne, Indiana, sailed to the Philippines on the transport Thomas and worked tirelessly in the country as an educator and a civil servant. He rose to become a district superintendent in Tarlac in 1918, while his wife taught at the Tarlac High School. After over a decade in the country, the Derkums—with 4 children, all Philippine-born—returned to the United States in 1925.

It is hard not to wax sentimental when one recalls the end of carefree schooldays and the start of a new, but uncharted chapter in our lives. As the song goes, “no matter where our paths may wind, we’ll remember always—graduation day!”. Indeed, the images of our school-age youth—the Gabaldon elementary building that I walked to daily, the faces of classmates and mentors, the scent of crayons, colored paper and library glue—all these are not just preserved in yearbooks, school journals and class photos, but are indelibly etched in the heart.