4 Scriptum Issue No.

12 4th Quarter 2006

Immaculate

SCRIPTUM
bahal man lang ang naa sa Sevilla. . . Naa kuno diay pud
Henesey didto galling kay wrong spelling lang. Mora
Heart of Mary
Class Notes diay'g DVD ba nga made in China Mao diay!
ooOoo
Nox (partly hidden),
Liklik during the first
Seminary,
Taloto,
visit of Juntabs. Taken
Seminarian again. Finding contentment under Liklik's
The Juntabs Visit. Papal Nuncios are not the only ones who
care, JunTabs found reason to attend (again!) the
inside Mr Choi’s. Tagbilaran
go on visitation. Juntabs tried to prove this to his former batch
Australian-sponsored HR seminar in Ortigas. So for a
mates when he announced his arrival on the 13th of September in week, he became a "seminar-ian" once more. (As the wise The Unofficial and Unauthorized Newsletter of the IHMS Batch HS 80 and College 84
Manila. Good thing, none of them was triskaidekaphobic like Ingents would put it, "gulong ng palad" or life goes in
Erap, lest his visit would have been seen as an unfortunate event circles.) He texted the usual people that he was coming and
having fallen on an Issue No. 12 4th Quarter 2006
that he would be happy to meet with them again, even
unlucky day. if they were not happy to see him again (especially
Liklik Akiatan was Liklik). So the usual people gathered in the usual
kind enough to
accommodate him,
place at the usual time last Oct 18. And guess what?
The usual people (Liklik, Soc and Nox) came and the
Though they may look EDITORIAL SCRIPTUM, I, nt.
alike, Juntabs and Soc
taking note of the usual person (Kriss formerly known as McAbs) was (posing here for the something written.
concerned messages sent
by the others: "Bantayi
absent. Yes, even if, according to JunTabs' text
message, "Kriss formerly known as but now
cellphone inside Choi’s
Kitchen) are not twins.
Remembering Christmas in IHMS
gyud na kay ilaronon ra unknown" wanted to meet him in person.
ba gyud na.", "Basi'g Most of our memories of Christmas in IHMS are always fun. Contact Us
ooOoo
magutoman 'na ha kay di
Tagbilaran . On the occasion of the 1st death The class preparation, the caroling, the evening program, the
ra ba kahibaw party and, of course, the overflowing drinks, and the most If you belong to any of the batches, whether
anniversary of Nox's mother (see Scriptum #9, 1st Qtr you lasted for one day or eight years, please
m a n a g a l o g . "
"Nagasadya ug 2006) and his father's 9th death anniversary, the anticipated of all, the Christmas break--all these make up our contact us.
Using the wall-mounted mirror and a cell traditional prayers were said. On Oct 29, Sunday, the
nagahimaya ang akong phone, Soc, Liklik (hidden), Juntabs, and dynamic duo, AlPats and JunTabs, came to attend not image of Christmas in this hallowed seed-box. Email:
kasingkasing sa imong Nox took their own picture during dinner the partaking of the holy meal but the actual meal But behind the veneer of fun lies the other side that can only be frsoc@yahoo.com
pag-abot. Anus-a ka at Bacolod Inasal. described as lonely. manuelarcamo@yahoo.com
mouli?" itself. Soc texted that he was in the vicinity and would
drop by. Unfortunately, the hectic schedules of the After the festivity, when we turned off the music or when we Visit:
To mark the occasion http://egroups.yahoo.com/group/ihms
a gathering was held at dynamic duo would not permit them to stay longer. By traveled back to our family for the holiday, we quietly went on Postal:
Mr Choi’s Kitchen inside Robinsons Pioneer. The group the time Soc arrived with Fr Ben Pelias, MSP and Alvin our own. It was a lonely path we took. c/o Fr. Soc Mesiona,
converged at 5:30PM. Chinese food was served, making JunTabs Mosqueda, they had already left. Looking back, we realize that life then was a sink or swim. We MCPO Box 1006
uneasy at the Chinese names and characters. He finally mustered ooOoo
And Again. As if to help the international sponsor to had to steel our feelings in order to survive. We always tried to Makati City, Philippines
enough courage to point at something, not knowing what it was.
After a hearty dinner, the group settled for coffee and tea at the waste more money on training, JunTabs came to Manila The empty chapel viewed from the sacristy, a familiar hide our emotions. We enjoyed the attention of females, but we You may get your copy of Scriptum at
again for the third time in such a short span of time. On the site to solitary souls who wander either to pray or to
Coffee Beanery, where Wifi access is free.
third week of November, he was happy to announce that he
tried to feel aloof and detached. Never bothered. We thought Libro Bohol Bookstore
There JunTabs was deluged with brotherly advice from his feast on unleaven bread stored in the cabinet. 75 J.A. Clarin St. , Tagbilaran City
emotion was a sign of weakness. We were acting our age, yet we
former classmates who admonished him on a lot of things like: was staying at Liklik's house again. The usual group Tel: 411-2164
"Ayaw pag-escalator diri nga side kay mahal ang bayad. Didto planned to meet for dinner on a Wednesday. Unfortunately, had to rise above our feelings. Or, download them at
sa pikas kay mas barato.", "Naa pu'y bayad sa CR ha." They it did not push through when the group started asking, We did not know if that was the best way to cope with life. But it certainly made us survive through all those egroups.yahoo.com/group/ihms/files
wondered what took him so long to use the CR which was only a "JunTabs, asa man ka mang-libre?" years. And those who couldn't manage, faltered along the pathway.
few meters away. ooOoo
IHMS on Wikipedia. The largest online encyclopedia Msgr Cabajog at the center with Fr Soc to his left We were supervised by young priests who must have been going through their own emotional processes, too. Sponsor
But he empressed them all when he brought out a Sony Vaio enjoying dinner hosted by RamCims and his Japanese
laptop that he kept in his backpack, prompting Soc to ask, "Unsa is called Wikipedia, which surprisingly is maintained by a So we trudged down the path mostly on our own. No wonder people would always say that we were less equipped
loose community of contributors. In fact, anyone wife. The two priests on the left side of the photo are emotionally. After all, we were mostly on our own, in a rather unusual environment. In the previous issue, we took out
man kuno'y ngan ana 'bi?". And Liklik, "Moandar ba pud na?"
After a careful scrutiny, Nox issued a verdict that in fact it was (registered or just a casual surfer) can edit any page on the
the MSP priests assigned to Japan. this section since all we received
site. It seems to be an ingredient for chaos, but, amazingly,
This is the other side of our memory of Christmas in IHMS. When the fun subsides and night settles down, we
a laptop and it was working. remember the lonely time we spent as we walked back to the dorm or as we head for home for vacation. were nothing but pledges. Surprise!
there is order on the site. An entry on IHMS has been posted
JunTabs stayed with Liklik in Valley Verde. A bad boy at that, donated $50 for
and constantly being updated. You can access the site by It was a lonely walk. But it strengthened us, helped us survive, and made us who we are now. (MSA)
OoOoo Messages the printing of Scriptum. I am sure
On a Friday the 13th. No series of unfortunate events led Fr pointing your browser to this URL or site: you remember "Bad Boy" Mesiona
Soc Mesiona and Msgr Yiets Cabayog to the house of Ramir http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IHMS. Words of wisdom we caught during the exchange of
(HS '81)--no not the Socrates that we
Cimfranca who served as host for the two on October, Friday the ooOoo emails on the IHMS Yahoo eGroup.
And Still Another. Another of our batch mates, Arnold Pitogo on My Mind load and unload the cargo and know, but "Bad Boy" himself who
13th. Good thing that none of them was superstitious, except for From: Yodie Pacudan
Soc who always had been a worrier besides being a Cespon, who is based in Tagbilaran, texted Liklik that he Date: Dec 17, 2006 3:33 PM
baggage. No wonder buses plying actually is good by donating.
hypochondriac. They came from different routes, one by way of was in Manila to attend the San Miguel Corporation
By Soc Mesiona that route were described as (Please, don't ask us why he's called
Okinawa the other by way of places that sounded like Japanese, Christmas party held last December 18. Unfortunately, the We are all laborers in the vineyard of the Lord. We are to The Parish Aid Campaign was a seminary program "kusog modagan pero dugay Bad Boy.) Thanks, Bad Boy. May
into the welcoming arms of RamCims. Msgr Yiets and Fr Soc festivities in Metro Manila peak in December as corporate be source of inspirations to one another, not competition. moabot." your tribe increase! And may the
parties are held a week before Christmas. Thus, plans to that sent seminarians to the different parishes to make
stayed overnight with the Cimafranca family, in a 4th floor Tokyo We belong to the same body. We work and pray for the alumni emulate your bad--er, good--
apartment that Soc described as huge and elegant. RamCims is
meet up with his batch mates fizzled out as his batch mates
glory of God. According to Msgr. Peling Dompor we are
an appeal for aid, both cash and in kind. When we reached Ubay, it was
participate in their respective company's celebration. deed!
said to have been working as an investment banker for an
ooOoo like seeds (semen) in the "arium"(box), nurtured to grow We were 4th year college seminarians then when already dark. So Kriss formerly
international bank based in Tokyo. So night out in the super
TIPASI on Yahoo. In December, Ariel Dominguez, the to be priest primarily and then once matured transferred to Kriss formerly called McAbs and I volunteered for known as McAbs and I decided to
expensive city like Tokyo meant bottles and bottles of Hennessey
TIPASI president, sent an email announcing the creation of another place. So from the seminary it is not a question if Pitogo (formerly named Lapinig and later Pres Carlos seek shelter for the night at the rectory and take a Writing Scriptum
XO "nga tinuba pag-tagay ni RamCims", according to Soc who you became a priest or not, left the priesthood or not. We
resented being zombie-like the following day due to a terrible
the TIPASI Yahoo eGroup. TIPASI is the name of the
are transferred in another place, time and work for the P Garcia Island), a tiny island across the sea of Ubay. banca for Pitogo the following day. Fr. Boyles, the Each batch is unique, a world of its
alumni association in Tagbilaran City. The eGroup is parish priest of Ubay, was gracious enough to provide own. There are jargons--for example
hangover. Days later, Soc still felt repulsion at the smell of
accessible through this URL: glory of God. We have the same Lord, the same Spirit, but Both of us were excited because it was going to be
alcohol--”leftover" memories of an unfortunate drinking
<http://egroups.yahoo.com/group/tipasi_bhl>. different ministries for the glory of God. Pareho ra tanan our first time to go to Pitogo. But our excitement did us accommodation. Before retiring to bed we were in our class--that evoke lots of
experience with an expensive cognac. Wa 'tawon maanad kay Dong kalahi lahi lang ug mga buhat sumala sa atong gasa told that we could take the banca after breakfast. memories but which are utterly
not come from the idea of getting aid for the seminary
sa Espiritu Santo. meaningless to the non-members. A
In baptism we share the three aspects of Christ--priest, but rather for the sheer adventure of going to an The following day, Saturday, after breakfast, we
king and prophet. Although some theologians would like unfamiliar island. went to the pier to catch the boat to Pitogo. The banca simple incident can mean a lot to us
who knew the long history or series
SCRIPTUM Newsletter SCRIPTUM is published quarterly by the IHMS HS batch to distinguish ordained priesthood from ministerial It was Friday after lunch when we were excused was of modest size, enough to accommodate about of stories related to that incident.
80 and College Batch 84 for the purpose of continuing the priesthood, para nako basta gasunod ta sa mando sa Ginoo from community activities, as we prepared for the twenty passengers. Having grown up in the interior
nga mao ang paghigugma sa Dios ug atong isig-kaingon Thus, writing on Scriptum makes
“storytelling” that we always loved to do. It is given free to all
sakto na 'na. long trip to Ubay. part of Bohol, traveling at sea was quite an experience us recall those little incidents and the
members of the two batches. It is also open to contributions A little past 2:00 PM, we boarded a St. Jude bus for me. I was so thrilled every time the banca rode the people involved in them. Looking
from its members. If you want to sponsor an issue, please bound for Ubay, which was around 124 km from crest and trough of the big waves. back we always feel that it was a
email us. It will not cost you much. It was noon when we touched the shores of Pitogo. different world all together that we
Yahoo eGroup Message #1182 of 1235 Tagbilaran City. As the road zigzagged along the
From: Roel Lungay eastern coastline, we relaxed and started to enjoy the What caught our attention were the cases of San lived in--too different and too
EDITORIAL BOARD: Date: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:27 pm
trip. The skies were clear and quiet, in stark contrast to Miguel beer, piled up high on one side of the crude distant.
pier. We found out later that the people had the We had our own world, with our
Editor-in-Chief for Life: Al Patenio Thanks for inviting me to IHMS eGroup kay nangaraan the blue seas that rushed towards the shore and broke own set of experiences, different
Circulation Managers: Juntabs, MarJals and Arnold naman unta ta ani pero karon paman ko nakabalita bahin into white froth. Our souls were not only enriched but tendency to live like one-day millionaires. Whatever from that of the other batches. With
sa atong IHMS. Maayong pagkalipat da. LoL. L better also soothed. they earned from fishing (we were told that they would this newsletter, we share our world
Cespon. than N. Hey, Manox, I enjoy reading Scriptum. Keep it
Business Managers: Kriss (formerly known as McAbs) and The only distraction was the bus stopping every even reach as far as Palawan and Batanes fishing), to you. We invite you to share yours
up! You're the last of the breed, hehehe. (Wala naman
Juntabs tawn ang ISDA, ISDAmerica, etc). We start feeling even now and then to load and unload passengers. they would spend them everything on beer, as if there with us.
Contributors (nga hangtod karon wa pa gihapon maka- older when we lose sight of the past and lose the current Sometimes the loading would be prolonged was no tomorrow to look forward to. Thus, beer was
contribute): Members of HS Batch 80 and College Batch 84. connection. I really appreciate! (Roel Lungay) depending on how quick the conductor could help good business on the island. (Continued to page 3. Pitogo. . .)
(Castellar and Times New Roman fonts used)
 2 Scriptum Issue No. 12 4th Quarter 2006
The Person Behind That Name
By Manox Arcamo
December 1983. The first time I heard her name, I did not
bother. I was too engrossed in a book inside my room in Dorm A,
on the side occupied by the 3rd year college students.
My cubicle was near the chinning bar that Olaer loved to use.
It had a single wooden vertical window that opened up to the
second floor corridor.
It was the only window of my cramped existence that
surprisingly fit a single steel bed, a table set against a wall with
barely enough space for my elbows, a chair and an open cabinet.
But it afforded me a good view of the flagpole, rotunda, and the
high school building. And if I keep it open at night--which I
always did even if passers-by could easily intrude into my
private life--I could see the stars above the canopy of avocado
leaves. I think it was the evening star that always lulled me to
sleep as I lay down
on my bed.
There was a
commotion when a
vehicle entered the
Seminary gate late
that Friday night. I
h e a r d t h e
seminarians, both
the seniors and
juniors, scrambled
f r o m t h e i r
respective cubicles Second floor corridor outside Dorm A. Note
to get a good view of the third window from the left.
a passenger inside.
"Guwapa kaayo si
Anne (not her real name, of course), bay"--I heard someone brag
at having had the good fortune of seeing her when the car passed
near the lighted area. She was said to be with a group of Divine
Word College students who were taking part in some school play.
They brought home Fr. Joesum after the practice. I just glanced
from my window but didn't bother to see the object of their
interest. The poetic musings of a Filipino Jesuit about the
despicable social injustices committed by the Marcos regime
were far more fascinating. I went back to my reading.
The Grandfather’s Clock
By Manox Arcamo
1980. The Morning
Prayer at the chapel was
always a difficult time for
many of us who were in high
school. Although we were
on our senior year, we
hadn’t really outgrown our
dread of waking up early
a n d w a l k i n g
absentmindedly to the
chapel.
While others preferred to
take the auditorium, I would
sometimes venture to the college building where an old
grandfather’s clock stood on the second floor landing.
A huge pendulum swung in front of three metal
cylinders that acted as weights. I was fascinated by the
clock and enjoyed listening to its chime when it struck the
hour.
I don’t remember a glass protecting the pendulum and
the interior gears, it must have been broken years before.
So it was easy to tinker with interior parts.
Well, it sort of became a habit of mine to tug at the
weights when the pendulum stopped swinging. I would
gently nudge the pendulum and it would continue to tick.
One time noticed that I could actually make it chime by
tinkering with the gears. I can’t remember which gear it
was, but it worked. And how I loved to hear that sound!
One day I overheard some college students talking
about being spooked one morning. And they started to
exchange stories of the grandfather’s clock that sounded
its chime sometimes endlessly and most often at odd
hours in the morning. I never had the nerve to tell them
that I was responsible.
Scriptum Issue No. 12 4th Quarter 2006 3
The next day, however, I was curious. I also learned her
family name.
to stop what she was doing. She came near us at the gate.
I started explaining our purpose, the caroling, our batch, and usa ka Chancellor sa Diocese of Tagbilaran. Ambot lang down."
It was almost Christmas break, and our class was
preparing for the caroling. I was put in-charge of collating a
the jail apostolate. Juntabs would butt in to fill in some details.
The explanation took more than 10 minutes, until JunTabs and I
Jokes in Time kun niadtong Chancellor siya kun diha ba'y usa ka
bantan-ong seminarista nga nakahigayon ug singgit,
Sus, nakalusot na pud si Castro maski na nga
gipaningot.
list of potential families to visit for our caroling. It was then had nothing else to Kini tinuod nga mga panghitabo niadtong High School pa kami.
that I decided to look up her family name in the phone Ambot lang kun unsang tuiga. Pero naa ra tunga-tunga sa 1976 ug 1980.
"CHANCELLOR", sa iyaha. Makumpleto na unya ang
say. I looked at
directory. There was only one entry under that name. I took cycle. KAWOT SA ULO
Juntabs hoping that Mao nay giingon nga singgit-singgit pa, da na karma Tungod sa kwarto ni Manox sa dorm A, adunay
down the address and during our free time, I together with he would continue
JunTabs volunteered to deliver the letters to the families in GABBYLIBARAN lagi! chinning bar. Mahilig mag-chinning ang mga 3rd
where I left off. He
Tagbilaran. Summer apostolate kadto niadtong kasikatan pa ni year ug 4th year college nga seminarista nga
also looked at me
To save on cost, we walked. We did not mine. We were Gaby Concepcion. Sa ato pa mga 1981. Si Ramir, Juntabs WA KATINGOG nakapuyo sa dorm A. Kada labay sa chinning bar di
hoping that I could ug Rene didto na assign sa Albur. Usa ka gabii niana,
young then, all rearing for adventure. I remember Juntabs think of something Si Dra. Fe maoy doctor sa seminaryo adtong mosipyat ang uban nga molukso ug dayon gunit sa
making a comment, "Baskoga pud ka molakaw, Nox, oy!" midayo sila sa usa ka disco, didto sa usa ka baryo nga panahuna. Bisan walay sakit daghan magpakunsulta sa tubo ug unya exercise.
else. There was
And I would counter, "Dili oy. Gagmay man lang ka'g bukid na kaayo. Kun sa kinaraan bayle ang tawag, adtong iya kay "gwapaday" man. Si Juntabs ug RamCims nga Adtong panahuna, 4th year ang grupo nila ni
nothing else to say,
lakang." but we wanted to
panahuna gitawag kini sa mga kabatan-onan ug discoral daghan ug binuang nagpa-konsulta. Olaer, Bobong Morgia, Ping Nunag ug uban pa.
Well, it gave us a reason to "escape" the four walls of the View of the HS Bldg with the flag pole at the stay some more. I kay gikural man lang ug kawayan ang ilang gisayawan. Si Juntabs adtong panahuna bag-o lang gi-operahan ug Study period na kadto pagkahuman sa angelus.
seminary. And we were so happy. We enjoyed every center of the rotunda, taken from the second started laughing at Abog-abog ang lugar samtang nag-disco ang mga batan- hernia. Si JunTabs nag-warning kang RamCims nga dili
moment of it--visiting the homes and delivering the letters.
Hilum na kayo ang mga seminarista nga anaa sa
floor corridor of the college building. our folly. Juntabs on. Si Rene nga Manila boy na kaayo ang gawi ug ipanabi ang ijang operasyon kay maulaw kuno sija. ilang mga kwarto kay hadlok makasaban unya.
Of the number of letters in our possession, we set aside one too cracked his sinultihan, kay lagi nakatungtung na sa San Jose Seminary Aduna lang kuno laing sakit ikonsulta.
letter for last. Gikan si Olaer sa banyo, naglakaw balik na sa
trademark laughter that flushed his dimpled cheeks and sulod sa Ateneo de Manila, miduol sa usa ka dalaga aron Pagduol nila sa doctor, si Ramir mikalit ug pangutana: iyang kwarto. Pag-agi sa chinning bar kalit dayon
Soon, we were down to the last letter. Juntabs and I smothered his eyes. makigsayaw. Apan sa wala niya damha, gibalibaran tawon "Juntabs, unsa gani 'tong imong gipa-operahan?"
started to inquire around, but no matter how much we tried siya'g kumbayot sa chinning bar sa dihang kalit
She was surprised at why we suddenly burst into an siya. Si Juntabs nga nakuratan wala makatingog. miguho si Fr Migs Peredes ang istrikto kayo nga
we really couldn't find the address. Juntabs thought I had uncontrollable fit of laughter. We were at a loss for words. We Rene (suya kaayo nga nagbagotbot): "Wa tingali
erroneously copied the address. We wanted to give up, but Dra: "Gi-operahan diay ka? Unsa may gi-operahan Prefect of Discipline. Wa kalihok si Olaer samtang
did not know what to say. Finally I decided to tell the truth, kahibawo tong babayhana nga Atenista tong mi-guyod nimo?"
we decided to try one last time. We then realized that we "Nangatawa 'mi kay ang amo man gud nga tuyo sa pag-anhi gabitay sa chinning bar.
were searching on the wrong end of Torralba Extension. So niya da!" Namula si JunTabs nga wa katingog. Ambot kun (sa Fr Migs, sa kusog nga tingog nga pinagulat,
aron makita ka." I added that we heard a lot about her in the
we walked back to where we came from. RamCims: "Gipakita pa nimo sa imong ID sa Ateneo . . . wala damha) nahiling ba ang ijang operasyon adtong "Unsang orasa na man, Olaer!"
seminary, but never had a chance to see her. That's why we went
We finally found the house. It was not by the roadside. " tungora. Pangutan-on unja nato. Kagurog si Olaer, wa katingog, samtang gabitay.
through all the trouble of delivering the letter. Juntabs: "Kay ngano man? Kaila ba diay na sila sa
That was probably the reason why we also missed it. She must have been taken by our candidness. She invited us Nangawot sa iyang ulo samtang gabitay gunit ang
A young boy was playing on the small lawn that Ateneo?" TOURIST SPOT chining bar sa iyang tuong kamot. Wa mohulat sa
into the house for a glass of water. We were more than glad to
separated the gate from the house. We hesitated. Then we Nangatawa na lang sila. Tae-kwon-do champion ang among maestro sa Social tubag si Fr Migs nga kalit mitalikod ug lakaw.
heed, of course. We did not only get to drink cold water--which
asked the boy if it was the residence we were looking for. He I swear was sooooooo sweet. We also got to play the guitar and
Juntabs: "Ren, mora diay ka'g si Gabby" Studies niadtong 1st year college pa 'mi tuig 1980-81. Mao
said yes. So I handed him the letter. sang songs with her. We stayed for more than two hours, and we Rene: "Unsay Gabby? Gabby Concepcion?" nga dili gyud 'mi tigbinuang sa ijang klase kay hadlok MUSICALLY INCLINED
Juntabs was straining his neck hoping to catch a glimpse didn't even notice. Juntabs: "Gabby-libaran ba!" man. Ang among lesson adtong adlawa mahitungod sa
for her. But there seemed to be no one else there. JunTabs
Mahilig sa music ang among klase maski na nga
Well, the caroling at her house turned out to be much mga tourist spots in the Philippines. Nakit-an ni Mr
was persistent, "Naa lagi 'to sa sulod! Pangutan-a." way hilig ang music sa amoa. Panahon 'to sa uban
anticipated by our classmates. But I wasn't as excited anymore, NA KARMA Dungyapon nga galurat ang mata ni Nick Castro, lawom
So I asked the boy if he had a sister by the name of Anne. namong klasmeyt sa pagkaplag sa ilang singing
for I had known the person behind the name that they always 1977-78. Second year high school kami adto ug ang kaayo ang huna-huna. talent kunuhay. Mao nga aduna silay gihangad nga
He said, "Yes". Our hearts jumped. I grabbed the letter from spoke about. [Postscript: You should ask Oloy her real name.] among classroom mao ang Room 102 nga daplin sa
his tiny fingers and told him to call her, which he did. Mr Dungyapon: "O, Castro, give me an example of a mga idolo sama sa gikabiliban ni Oloy.
kalsada. Adtong panahuna si Fr. Benito Manding ang
When she peeked from the door, smiling, our jaws famous tourist spot in the Philippines." Oloy: "Bilid gyud ko kaayo ni Jovito mo-kanta,
Chancellor sa diocese ug nagtudlo'g philosophy sa
dropped. We were speechless. I could only manage to raise Where the 1st and 2nd Nick, nakurat, galutok: ". . . aaahhh, Mayon, sir!" bay, kay mora'g gi-kapohan ang li-og. Ug kana pud
Year Students once seminaryo. Kanunay siya molabay sa among classroom Gangisi-ngisi kay naka-swerte ug diha'y naghung-hung. si Jojo, bay, kuyaw kaayo, mora'g naay tweeter.”
my hand holding the letter. Her hands were covered in white
lather. She was washing, she said, but she was kind enough lived and where the inig ka buntag. Ninglingkod na unta apan . . .
creepy “bagol” used to Usa ka buntag niana, milabay ang kotse ni Fr. Mr Dungyapon: "Ok. What else?"
haunt, the H.S. St John Manding. Si Oloy nga nakabantay mikalit ug singgit, Nick: "Aaahhh . . . matay . . ." (Gahulat ug hunghung.
Bosco Dorm never fails "CHANCELLOR!" Dayon kalit ug tago.
to evoke lots of Way laing nahuna-hunaan kundi) ". . . Pasig river, sir!"
Naglingi-lingi intawon si Fr. Manding kun kinsa 'tong Mr Dungyapon, ning-hilum, nag-huna-huna. Abi
memories from past
mitawag sa iyaha. Lanog ka ba kayo ug tingog. Apan
Class War residents who happen
to pass by. wala gyud niya makit-i si Oloy nga nag-hupo-hupo sa
namo'g karatehon nija si Nick kay gabinuang.
"Psst, polluted man kayo na!" Nag-hung-hung ang naa
By Manox Arcamo pagtago. sa ijang tupad. "Matay, ayaw'g binuang lagi! Suko na,
Apan ang dagan sa kinabuhi dili gyud matag-an. knock-out gyud ka ana karon."
It was “customary” for the higher years to bully the seminarians in the lower years. But in 1979 when we were in 3rd Pagkapari ni Oloy, wala damha nga nahimo pud siyang Mr Dungyapon, kalit miingon: "Very good, Castro! Sit
High School, we got fed up.
In the H.S. Dorm B, the juniors and seniors were together. The juniors were near the entrance, the seniors near the
lavatory. My bed was by the window facing east, near the corner of the dorm, in between the beds occupied by Ramonito
and Loel. I used to argue a lot with Loel about petty things like chain letters and others. In fact, we enjoyed arguing just
before lights out.
A row of lockers was set against the wall near Ramonito’s bed. It was behind one of the lockers where he caught a Pitogo on My Mind. . . (Contnued from page 1.)
gecko one afternoon. He preserved the poor animal in a bottle filled with formalin. It should still be in one of the biology
collections together with the stuffed dog and turtle. I had heard that several of my classmates were smarting at the
bullying of the seniors. Mga abusado kuno. I wasn’t particularly affected since I was one of the silent ones. The noisy At the parish rectory, we were welcomed by Fr. dagway, tunga 'ta. Ako, first mass. Ikaw, second
and the tough were usually the ones being bullied. It was sometime in December when we spent the rainy afternoon in
Boy Paloso. He was very warm and mass." We agreed.
Taloto looking for shrubs or even branches to use as our Christmas tree. We appealed for support for the seminary
I noticed some classmates preparing pieces of wood and surreptitiously hiding them between the trees that we accommodating. He showed to us our room and
brought to the seminary. It was supposed to be for something special that night and that I should likewise find my own-- told us to proceed to the dining room for lunch. during the two morning masses. We were given
Like long-lost pakners enjoying the good life, Efren Bata este
just in case. I wasn’t really sure what they meant. But I felt that they were preparing for war. Although we hadn't warmed up yet, so to speak, ten minutes each mass to deliver our piece about AlPats (our beloved Editor-in-Chief for life) enjoys a good laugh
We brought them together with the Christmas trees and spirited them up to the dorm, under the mattress or inside the we were served beer. It was a good appetizer, we the responsibility of the faithful to help the with his sidekick, JunTabs (our other beloved and ever constant
locker. year-in year-out class president), at the residence of Manox
realized, especially with seafood on the table . . . seminary as it was the heart of the diocese. Arcamo in Tagbilaran last October 29. Soc, the 3rd pakner--to
The plan was simple. After lights off, we were to continue talking aloud. If the seniors complained, then we would Fr. Paloso informed us after the second mass complete the triumveriate unta--arrived late and wasn't able to
continue talking. If they bullied us, then we would take up arms and fight. Somebody who was near the switch would nga maoy kinaham ug ampay gyud kaayo namo.
that we would have our lunch at the beach. "Ugma meet up with them.
turn the lights on and we would attack. That night there was a sense of excitement. But there was also apprehension. Nick The round of beer during lunch was not the
was toying with his belt that had a huge, heavy metal. On the other hand, he was holding a key chain that also had a heavy last. In fact, it was just the beginning, for the namo sa buntag sayo mouli kay dili na 'mo kaabot
metal attached to it.Leodegario was making fun with his club. The others tried to conceal their anxiety. It was the whole afternoon till evening, we were served sa biyahe para Tagbilaran kun karon 'mo mo-
anticipation of war that silenced many. more beer and more seafood. Of course, we gikan," he told us. We were more than willing to
Then the lights were turned off. We conversed aloud. We laughed aloud. I heard somebody from the seniors’ side near enjoyed every bit of it to our hearts' delight. oblige. tired after the weekend of adventure, work,
the lavatory say, “Shhhhh… Hoy!” It was greeted with laughter instead. Then somebody shouted, “Hoyyyy, lights off And so we enjoyed the whole afternoon . . . on and pleasure.
Young and energetic, we were like hungry "lions
na!” There was more laughter. Another one said, “Hilum na mo diha bay.” More laughter. Somebody seemed to stand
up as the steel bed squeaked, “Unsa man mo diha!” This is it, I thought. Somebody moved towards the switch, but waiting for someone to devour". the beach. An endless course of seafood and We arrived at the seminary late in the
before the lights were turned on, I heard the sound of glass shattering as it hit the wall near the main door. Ferdie, a senior, The following day we woke up early and got supply of beer were served. It was a timeless afternoon, tired yet satisfied for we had
was the one who threw the glass. Lungay followed, brandishing his CAT sword. moment, as we exchanged stories and jokes, fulfilled our task. We were welcomed by our
ready for the mass where we were supposed to
We were not prepared for the involvement of those who were not bullying the class. But the lines were drawn. Nick unmindful of the prospect of going back to our classmates who were happy to see us back as
make our parish aid appeal.
stood up with his weapon. My other classmates, seeing Nick, also stood up pulling out the sticks they brought that structured and cloistered life in the seminary. we narrated to them our experiences on the
afternoon.
Before the mass, I told Kriss, "McAbs, ikaw na
lay sulti kay daut bitaw ka, mas daghan ang Early Monday morning, Kriss formerly known island. For Kriss formerly known as McAbs
Then, suddenly, a loud crash (wood against wood) reverberated as the dorm entrance opened. The voice of Fr Tungol,
the Prefect of Discipline, bellowed, “NGANONG SABA MAN ‘NI!” maluoy. Mohatag gyud dayon. as McAbs and I left the island of Pitogo and traced and me, we knew Pitogo would always
All lights were turned on. We all froze. I can’t remember how it ended, but the war suddenly ended before it even But Kriss formerly known as McAbs protested, our way back to the seminary. This time the trip remain on our minds, distant and idyllic.
began. There was an investigation. But I can’t remember what happened after that. I don’t even recall anybody getting saying: "Haa…binuang! Luoy bitaw pud ka'g was uneventful as we slept most of the time, dead
punished. I can only recall that we became very close with this senior class, especially in College.