*327. TONY SANTOS SR.: The Actor's Actor

TONY AWARD. Tony Santos Sr., stars as a sea gypsy with fellow Kapampangan Rosa Rosal, in the 1957 classic movie, "Badjao". He immersed himself in this role, even going to the extent of treating his hair with hydrogen peroxide to achieve that sun-bleached look.

 “Oras ng ligaya, halina tayong mag-saya”..so goes the theme song of the popular TV variety show in the 60s that starred celebrity icons Sylvia La Torre, the late Oscar Obligacion, Vic Pacia and Eddie San Jose. Viewers would occasionally see the director of the program—Tony Santos Sr.--make regular appearance on the show, wherein he coached and coaxed would-be child stars through a hilarious “tawa-iyak” performance exercise . 

But long before he became an acclaimed director, this half-Kapampangan was known for being a superb actor, known for portraying assorted characters with vivid realism and dramatic intensity. Antonio “Tony” Santos Sr. was born in 1920 to parents Dr. Gregorio Santos, a Caviteño and Aurelia Pineda, a Kapampangan from Sta. Rita The eldest, Santos was raised in the strictest Victorian way, together with his six brothers and five sisters. 

It was no wonder then that four sisters (Remedios+, Montserrat, Rita+ and Anunciacion) became nuns. In Tondo, where he grew up, he was sent to school ran by Belgian religious sisters, who noted his incorrigible behaviour and his involvement in street brawls. He only shed his nickname--“Terrible Tony”—when he left the environs of Tondo to begin high school at San Beda College. 

After finishing high school though, he drifted back to his Tondo ways. He couldn’t keep a job, and worse, the coming of the War dashed all prospects of earning a decent living. Santos discovered that he could dance, and he put this talent to good use by joining a dance troupe that performed at the Life Theater during the Japanese Occupation, for PhP 20 weekly. 

Santos led a double life during the difficult wartime years, performing onstage and involving in guerrilla activities at the same time. In 1944, Tony joined Hunter’s ROTC guerrillas, saw action in Laguna and rose from the ranks to be a 1st Lieutenant. Upon Liberation, he pursued his love for the stage and joined a performance group organized by Rogelio de la Rosa that performed around the country. He assumed different roles—one day, he was in the chorus line, the next day, he was the musical director, and the next, an errand boy. 

It was Director Gregorio Fernandez, also a Kapampangan from Lubao who gave him his break as an actor, casting him as a cop in the stage play, “Magtiis ka, Puso”. Soon, he was in demand as a thespian, and made the rounds of stage houses like Orient Theater and Manila Grand Opera House, playing title roles in such plays as “Stevedore”, “Judas”and “Tondo Boy”. 

It was but a matter of time that he made t a leap to the movies, in 1946, then still a small industry struggling to rise from the ruins of a devastating war. He made an indelible impression in his first film “Garrison 13”, where his performance as a counter-spy earned raves for the newcomer’s expressive face and natural acting skills. His output in the next years was incredible; there was one day in 1948 that he reported for the shooting of 3 films for 3 different roles, shot in different locations. In the morning, he shot his scenes for the horror film “Doctor X”, in the afternoon, he was a villain in “Misterioso” and in the late evening, he played second lead in “Kontrabando”. 

Santos was such a versatile player, appearing as an old man in “Krus na Kawayan”, as a villain in “Singsing na Tanso”and “Talisman”, and was a comic foil in “Miss Philippines”. In no time at all, the awards came in: a Best Supporting Actor Maria Clara trophy for “Hantik”, in 1950. In 1956, he starred as a disabled war veteran in the Lamberto Avellana-directed “Anak Dalita” that won the top Golden Harvest Award given by the Federation of Motion Pictures of Southeast Asia. To feel what it was like to be a cripple, Santos held his left arm immobile even while off the set. For his role as a sea-faring gypsy in “Badjao”, he dyed his hair for a sun-bleached look, earning his second Maria Clara Supporting Actor Award for that LVN classic. In 1959, “Biyaya ng Lupa”, a family drama set in lanzones country, teamed up Santos with fellow Kapampangan Rosa Rosal for the third time (after”Anak Dalita” and “Badjao”) and earned more raves for the gifted actor. 

Santos never forgot his love for directing and writing even when he was acting; by 1957 he had already completed “Banda Uno”, “Troop 11”, “Dama Juana Gang”and “Chaperone”—all moderate successes. By the time the television medium reached the Philippines, he was all set to give directing for TV a try. Here too, he left his mark, and couch potatoes would remember him for megging TV cult hits like the aforementioned ”Oras ng Ligaya" and many more for ABS-CBN. He continued to act through the 80s in such movies as "Sakada" (1976), "Ang Alamat ni Julian Makabayan"(1979"), "Sister Stella L."(1984), "Tagos ng Dugo" (1987) and "Huwag Mong Itanong Kung Bakit"(1988). 

With his passing in the 80s, this half-Kapampangan left a void in the world of Philippine entertainment that only a few artists could fill—an artist who gave life to every character portrayal, performing with real grit, spirit and soul, delighting and thrilling an audience for over four long decades.

*326. FLORES DE MAYO, FLORES DE MARIA

PETAL ATTRACTIONS. "Parada Floral" or Maytime floral parade to honor the Virgin Mary, with town beauties as participants. Sta. Rita, Pampanga. Dated 21 May 1937.

Festivals revolving around flowers have been around for centuries; the Floralia was an ancient Roman event held in May to honor the goddess of flowers, Flora. Cypriots also observed Anthestiria, a flower carnival dedicated to the wine god, Dionysus, that was first celebrated in Athens. Then, there's the world-famous Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California (began in 1895) that features fantastic giant floats made with millions of roses and other flowers. Valencia, in Spain, boasts of its "Batalla de Flores" in July, while Belgium has its "Flower Carpet". More recent, and closer to home is Baguio’s “Panagbenga’, which, like the Pasadena event, also showcases themed floral floats using the colourful blooms of the mountain city as main decorations.

One traditional festival with strong ties to the Blessed Virgin is what is popularly called “Flores de Mayo” (Flowers of May). Today, it is still celebrated in many towns and provinces, ever since its inception in the 1870s. Believed to have originated in Bulacan with the printing of Mariano Sevilla’s book of devotion entitled “Flores de Maria (Marikit na Bulaklak na sa Pagninilaynilay ng mga Deboto kay Maria Santisima)", a translated work that affirmed the 1854 dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Held in Marian month of May where the blooms of the country are at their brightest. “Flores de Mayo” is marked with the recitation of the Rosary every afternoon at the parish church. In Sta. Rita town, grand floral parades (Parada Floral) were once held regularly in which barrio muses, with bouquets in hand, troop to the church accompanied by the faithful and a music band. Upon arrival, they would lay down their floral offerings at the foot of Mary’s altar, beautifully decorated and heavy with the scent of sampaguitas, rosals, camias, roses and dama de noche flowers.

Other Central Luzon towns had children participants, who, in their Sunday best, sang Marian hymns and also offered flowers to the Virgin by strewing the church aisles with fragrant petals. Bouquets were then presented to Our Lady as evening fell and votive candles were lit.

The rites of “Flores de Mayo” has been intertwined with “Santacruzan”, a processional pageant that recalls the finding of the True Cross by Empress Helena. Today, the two have been collapsed into one Maytime event. For us Catholics, when words are not enough to express our praise for our Holy Mother, we say it best with God’s own fragrant creations--we say it with flowers!

*325. SEE YOU AT THE CLUB!

 OFFICERS' MESS. Interior of the Officers' Club, located in the perimeter of the Clark Parade Ground, was a favorite haunt for officers who looked forward to nights of unwinding and socializing. Along with the NCO Club and the Airmen's Coconut Grove, the clubs were main sources of entertainment for many military personnel of all ranks in the late 50s.

Back in 1959, “see you at the club!” was on almost every Clark personnel’s lips after the day’s work was done. Officers, NCO’s and airmen alike trooped to the 3 main clubs located at the base—to hang loose, socialize, and bond with buddies and families. A Clark Air Base guide printed that year, unrtyiduced in glowing terms, the 3 social centers to ‘newbies’—just arrived at the headquarters of the U.S. Thirteenth Air Force.

 The Officer’s Club, located by the Parade Ground, was “a tastefully furnished, air condition club with a schedule of events that can’t be beat”. Regular features included dances, variety shows, special game nights with prizes, buffet and exclusive family dinners, stag nights with entertainment, bridge tournaments and several monthly functions for officers’wives. Downstairs in the club, you step into the quiet candlelit atmosphere of the “Rathskaller”, with its superb “charcoal-broiled” foods ( sirloin steak was the specialty!) and excellent service.

Adjacent to the main club building one can find amenities such as a barber shop, a beauty parlor, an outdoor patio with a service area, and a swimming pool that provides perfect relief from the hit, tropical weather. The Officers Club also maintains a club annex on the hill in the officer’s quarters area.

“Where every member is a V.I.P.”, was the boast of the NCO Club (along Dyeess Highway, near Lilly Hill), which also prided itself as “the finest in the Air Force”. The air conditioned indoor patio has a seating capacity of 1,100, and its main feature is a beautifully decorated bandstand where a 16-piece dance band (Iggy de Guzman and his band) regularly performs 6 nights a week, while Western music holds forth the other night.

 Other attractions include exciting bridge, pinochle and shuffleboard tournaments, two nights of games a week, highlighted with floor shows, contests (at one time, there was a hula hoop competition!) and special family menus (the onion rings were to die for!) A Stag Room and a barber shop—both air-conditioned—are open for use by patrons. On the drawing board at that time are a modern health room and a swimming pool with patio. In 1986, the NCO Club was moved near Silver Wing. A most relaxing feature is the T-Bar 3 Room, designed and decorated with a Western motif, complete with cattle horn wall hangings, authentic Western-inspired rug and a plush cocktail lounge.

Meanwhile, at the Airmen Open Mess, one can find the company of “lower four” airmen in the remodelled and modernized club that also has a Stag Room, cocktail lounge, TV and game room and a spacious ballroom with a tropical motif.

The recently-enlarged dining area has endless offerings for everyone’s leisure—from nightly dances, game events, special formal dances, weekly floor shows and special Sunday breakfasts. For members’ convenience, there is a barber shop and a gift shop located at the club. Weekly, the “Mr. Big Shot”contest is held in the club, with the winner getting a free, all-expense paid week-end trip to Manila.

All the fun came to pass after the Pinatubo eruption which buried Clark—and with it, all the fond memories of clubbing in-base. The building housing the NCO Club is now home to a call center company. The Officer’s Club, still at the parade ground, is also being used as an office while the Airmen’s Mess has become an adjunct of the casino. But for military servicemen assigned to Clark in the late 50s, the 3 clubs were the places to be and to be seen, where homesickness, boredom and other worries were momentarily forgotten, through wholesome leisure and safe entertainment, under the shadow of the legendary red-light district of Balibago just a few kilometers away.

*324. 1914 CHRISTMAS DINNER AT STOTSENBURG

WHERE ARE THE CHESTNUTS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE? The formal 1914 Christmas dinner for the members of the 2nd Field Artillery Regiment featured a range of delectable dishes--from roasted turkey and salads to glorious desserts. Personal Collection,

What’s Christmas dinner like for hundreds of American servicemen and their families, in a tropical Asian country thousands of miles from home? This Christmas Day menu for the officers and men of “Battery F” 2nd Field Artillery stationed at Camp Stotsenburg (now Clark Field) in Pampanga, gives us a glimpse of the holiday fare specially prepared to give everyone a taste of home.

At that time, living conditions at the Camp were still not exactly up to par, and the troops were experiencing low morale. In fact, a Lt. Bentley Mott, who served in the 2nd Field Artillery Regiment, had packed up and left the year before, complaining of boredom and the abject lack of available amusements. Determine to improve the service, a special Christmas menu was prepared for the regiment, which was actually copied from a selection served the previous year for the officers of the Jefferson Barracks .

Americans who pined for the flavors of home started their own version of “noche buena” with a piping-hot soup made from pureed green peas. There was also fresh celery stalks, olives and pickles to munch, in preparation for the piece de resistance: Roast Turkey laced with Oyster Oyster Dressing and Cranberry Sauce. The succulent fowl was enjoyed with sidings of Mashed Potatoes,Candied Sweet Potatos and Succotash. The turkey meal could also be slathered with Giblet Gravy for a different taste experience. Also for one’s delectation are Cold Sliced Hams and Cole Slaw with French Dressing.

The Christmas desserts featured your choice of Mince Pie, Peach Pie and Fruit Cake—all-American holiday staples, not readily seen on Filipino tables. An assortment of Cheese and Crackers rounded off the heartwarming dinner. As a fitting finale, hot cups of Coffee were served and fine Cigars were distributed to partakers of the Christmas meal.

The sumptuous Christmas Dinner of 1914 would have certainly warmed not just the tummies but also the hearts and minds of these soldiers, rekindling memories of Christmasses past in the mainland, and of their own Yuletide traditions totally unknown in this alien country. By the 1920s, with the Americanization process effectively in full swing in the colony, the Philippine—even without Turkey dinners, snows and mistletoes-- had become the top choice of most officers wanting to be assigned overseas.

*323. BEAUTIFUL BABIES OF 1929

YOU'VE GOT THE CUTEST LITTLE BABY FACE. Carlos "Bolet" Salvador Gomez Jr., firstborn child of Carlos Ramiro Gomez Sr., and Paz Dionisia Dizon. He is descended from the Masnou-Gomez family that expanded to include other well-known clans like the Nepomucenos, Mercados, Abad Santos and Dycaicos. 

Nestlé dairy products were known to Filipinos as early as 1895, imported by Sprungli and Co. Bear Brand Milk (“Marca Oso”) was the first milk brand to be enjoyed by Filipinos, made popular due to brilliant marketing. For example, the brand had its own float during the first ever Manila Carnival of 1908, one of the first examples of clever promotional gimmicks in the Philippines.

It was only in 1911 that Nestlé and Anglo Swiss Condensed Milk Co. was established formally in the country. This paved the way for the introduction of more milk products—and more unusual marketing initiatives.

Milkmaid Sweetened Condensed Milk was one such milk brand from Nestlé that made full use of promotional premiums and print advertising. To drive sales, it gave away collectible tableware marked with their familiar icon—a Swiss milkmaid. Another popular gimmick that engaged its audience was its search for the country’s most “Beautiful Babies”, a print campaign launched in the late 1920s. Readers were encouraged to send pictures of cute babies and the chosen “beautiful babies” appeared on the pages of The Philippine Free Press, the leading newspaper of the day.

One lucky winner in 1929 was a bouncing Kapampangan baby boy, Carlos Salvador Gomez Jr., of Mabalacat, Pampanga. Born on 7 February 1929, Carlos or “Bolet” is the firstborn of Carlos Ramiro Gomez Sr. and Ma. Paz Dionisia Dizon. The senior Carlos is the son of Salvador Ma. Leon Pedro Gomez, a prosperous sugar planter, and Amalia Teresa Gomez---first cousins— both descended from the Spanish Masnous of Valladolid. In fact, Amalia is the granddaughter of Fray Guillermo Masnou OSA, a former priest of Angeles, who fathered a child with Sto.Tomas-born Patricia Mercado. Their son, Esteban Gomez, is Amalia’s father.

In the 9 November 1929 print ad, the healthy-looking Carlos Jr., is featured alongside other winners, Roque Abentino (San Juan, Rizal), Lourdes Domecillo (Cebu, Cebu) and Marciano Romero Jr. (Nueva Ecija).

Carlos Jr.’s siblings included Romeo Ismael, Ben Hur Angel, Carmelo Pompeyo Melchor, Mar. Julieta Arlette and Pedro Edgardo Tadeo. When Carlos Jr. came of age, he married Zenaida Novak Feliciano of Magalang on 14 March 1950. They had 10 children: Butch, Stella, Marc, Gina, Nella, Gabby, Lisa, Carla, Noel and Paola. Carlos Jr. died of brain aneurysm at age 68 on 31 October 1997.

The imposing gated white house (renamed "Tubigan")  where the Gomezes currently reside still stands, beautifully preserved along the national highway in Barangay San Francisco. It was bought by the late Kokoy Romualdez, brother of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, who married into the Gomez family. Once sequestered by the government, it has since been returned to the Gomezes. It is a reminder of a time now gone, when the world was younger, more innocent, just like the little Mabalacat boy Bolet, once adjudged as one of the country’s most beautiful babies for 1929.

*322. His Seminary Yearbook: BISHOP TEODORO C. BACANI, JR.

IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE. The future bishop of Manila, as a fresh graduate of Philosophy of San Jose Seminary, 1961, Teodoro C. Bacani Jr. of Guagua.

The first time I came face to face with Bishop Teodoro “Ted” Bacani, Jr. was when he officiated the memorial mass of my uncle, Msgr. Manuel Valdez del Rosario, who passed away in 1987. A longtime priest of San Roque Parish in Blumentritt, Padre Maning had been a bosom friend of many known personalities and celebrities, including Bishop Ted, a fellow Kapampangan, who was originally from Guagua. Bishop Ted provided a light moment amidst the somber atmosphere by recounting how, upon alighting from his car, a crowd had looked and pointed at him, screaming: “Yoyoy Villame is here!”. The people inside the church chuckled at his anecdote, knowing well that Bishop Ted was popular in his won right, a powerful voice who never feared of speaking up in the days of People Power.

Born on 16 January 1940 in Manila, he went to various schools in Manila; at age 6, enrolled at the Instituto de Mujeres (Roseville College). Upon graduation, he went to Letran and earned his High School diploma in 1956. he entered San Jose Seminary in 1956, and began his priestly training, earning a Philosophy degree in 1961. He remained in San Jose to pursue his masteral degree in Philosophy for two years. On 21 December 1965, Ted officially became a priest with his sacerdotal ordination at the Manila Cathedral.

His first assignment was as an assistant parish priest at San Antonio, Zambales, a post which he held for two years. His superiors took note of his promise, and the next year, he was sent off to Rome to study Dogmatic Theology at the Angelicum University, finishing his doctorate in 1971. Upon his return, he resumed his ministerial duties in San Narciso, Zambales till 1976, when he became the Parish Priest and School Director of St. James, in Subic, from 1976-79.

After that stint, Fr. Ted became a professor of Theology at the San Carlos Seminary, assuming the deanship from 1982-83, on top of being a Theology consultant of the Archdiocese of Manila. On 6 March 1984, he was appointed Titular Bishop of Gauriana at age 44, and his ordination as Bishop took place on 12 April 1984. His consecrators included Archbishop Bruno Torpigliani, Bishop Amado Paulino and Archbishop Paciano Basilio Aniceto.

 As Bishop of the Ecclesiastical District of Manila, he was involved in many major activities—from chairing the Archdiocesan Commission on Marriage and Family Life Ministries (1984) and the National Pastoral Planning Committee (1985) to serving as a parish priest of San Fernando Dilao of Paco and acting as the Spiritual Director of the Mother Butler Guild. In the heady days of the People Power Revolution, Bishop Ted was the Chairman of the CBCP Committee on Public Affairs in 1986.

On 7 December 2002, he was appointed Bishop of Novaliches. On April 2003, his personal secretary filed a sexual harassment case against him which forced him to resign his post, later that year in November. While remaining a bishop in good standing with all rights and powers as bishop, he was not given charge of any particular diocese.

Unfazed by these turn of events,the now-retired bishop emeritus remains an authoritative force in the church, speaking his mind about current issues--from the RH bill, divorce law to boring sermons and over-emphasis on Santa Claus. Recently, Bishop Ted challenged politicians to pass a law against political dynasties to prove their sincerity in serving the country in the 2013 elections.

*321. ADOLFO "Chito" FELICIANO JR. : Shooting Star, Dancing Star

POINT AND HE'LL SHOOT. Adolfo "Chito" Feliciano, Olympian marksman, fencer, dancer, TV host, archer and military man, with roots in San Fernando and Bacolor.

No single word can best describe Kapampangan Adolfo “Chito” Feliciano—after all, he took on many roles and excelled in all—as an Olympic marksman, world-class fencer, archer, military man and TV dance host.

It is in the sports of marksmanship and in the art of dancing however, that he found national fame, two unlikely disciplines that he pursued with passion in his relatively short life.

 Nicknamed Chito, he was a great grandson and a direct descendant of Valentin Ventura of Bacolor, a Kapampangan personality closely associated with the national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. He was raised by parents Adolfo Sr., and Faustina Castro Cuyugan in Manila, where he spent his elementary years at the Ateneo Grade School (Class of 1941). He continued his secondary years at the same school, until his graduation in 1949.

 He opted to enroll at the University of the Philippines for his Fine Arts course and it was here that he discovered the sports of shooting. Earlier, he had also dabbled in fencing and even became a national champion. But in his sophomore year, he was asked to try out for the U.P. six-man shooting team. When the trials were over, he was ranked no. 1 in a field of 80 students. In his first year of competition at the national open, Chito did not even place.

This setback did not faze him ; in the next 2 years, he topped the 3-position rifle event. His performance qualified him for the quadrennial Asian Games, held in Manila in 1954. Entered in the small bore rifle, 3-position, Chito had to fight for top honors to the last bullet. Way below in the morning shoots, he was able to pip his rival just by one point—who turned out to be his team mate Martin Gison.

 At the end of the Games, the Philippine team had garnered 15 golds—the most for the country since 1951—and 4 of these were courtesy of the Philippine shooting team led by the sharpshooting Chito Feliciano. In the next edition of the Asiad in Tokyo, Chito again won gold for the same event. Chito’s next stop was the 1960 Rome Olympics, which was every athlete’s dream. Pitted against the world’s best, he could only place 51st among 54 shooters in the small-bore rifle with 1,083 points in three positions.

Upon his return, Chito took a respite from his demanding sports by hosting a Sunday variety dance show on DZBB Channel 7, a station founded by American Bob Stewart. Stewart was married to Loreto Feliciano, a relative of Chito. Aside from being a sharpshooter, Chito had already established himself as a dancer of great skill in Manila’s social circle—adept at Latin style dancing. On 29 October 1961, “Dancetime with Chito” hit the Philippine airwaves for the first time. Chito and his group featured dances like chacha, tango, rhumba and ballroom dances. His pioneering dance show was an instant hit and helped Channel 7 pull in more viewers and advertising revenues.

 Chito hosted the show until 1964, when he had to leave again to represent the country at the shooting events of the Tokyo Olympics. He competed in the small-bore rifle prone in 3 positions—a demonstration sport—and came in 2nd. His winning streak continued at the World Shooting Championships in Germany in 1966, winning a Gold, 2 Silvers and a Bronze. He upped his medal harvest to 2 Golds and a Bronze at the next year’s championship in Phoenix, thus earning him the distinction as the country’s top marksman.

The Mexico Olympics in 1968 would be his last Olympiad, finishing 22nd of 30 shooters in the Free Rifle event. After his sporting days were over, he put his sharpshooting expertise to good use by joining the Philippine Navy as head of the Sniper Training Unit during the Marcos Administration.

As a marine officer, he rose to the rank of a Major, tasked with honing the skills of Philippine marine snipers. In one such military exercise in 1972-- in which he was supervising combat maneuvers of Marines, Maj. Chito Feliciano’s helicopter crashed killing him instantly. He left behind his wife, Julie Murphy and daughter Joannie Feliciano, herself an accomplished actress-dancer-singer-painter-sportsman.