Memories of Child Hood (Part 1 to 3)


Part I - When Day was Turned into Night

It was a normal day for us 12 year olds to sleep during noon, waiting for the sun to almost set at around 4:00 pm so we could play some traditional games like Tumbang-Preso , Patintero or Taguan (Taguan= Hide and Seek)... anyway, i slept at around 1:40 pm that day, and because i was sleeping so near the window....i was awaken 2 hours later because my eyes was irritated by somewhat sands like particles that landed in my face... when i open my eyes, i realize that it was dark already...i was very dissapointed at that time cause im really looking forward for a good afternnon of fun playing those games mentioned...

when i walk out of the room and look at the TV, i saw my cousin watching a local variety show that usually ends around 4:00 pm... not realizinfg it immediately, i went outside to go to my friends hous a few blocks away from our house..as i walk... i notice that im gathering too much dirt in my body, yet it was raining (actually, its more of a drizzle)...so as i reach my friend's house, i saw them watching back then a favorite tv series dubbed "Shaider" -its a japanese TV series translated to Tagalog)... i know for a fact that Shaider's air time is around 4:30 pm...so i look up in the clock and i was baffled cause the TV series did not lie...it is just 4:30 pm...yet it's so dark outside, you'll think its 9:00PM already... i then ask my friend uncle whats happening... is it the end of the world...why is it its that DARK when it suppose to be just 5:00 pm and we could still see the sun set... he laugh of the idea that the world is ending because we have an early nightfall... then i learned, from a breaking news... it is indeed the End of the World...well not for us...but to most of my countrymen living in Zambales/ La Union and Pampanga Provinces...

It was June 14, 1991...Mount Pinatubo...a Dormant Volcano, sleeping for the past 600 hundred years, erupted, blasting tons and tons of smoke and debri in the atmosphere, causing climate change and pouring sands and dust to nearby provinces and even countries... (there are even account that the explosion of Pinatubo promted the US to forget the renewal of US bases stationed at Subic and Clark Air Field... but of course i could not be sure with this)... the eruption cause the death of at least 10,000 people and injury of 100,000 more...

In that two days that the entire island of Luzon was engulf in that dark cloud, of ashes and sand... seeing the sun on the third day, is like witnessing the return of the messiah... really hope such experience (fear and confusion) will never befall to the next generations...

Part II - World War II Underground Base

I guess it was 14 years ago...

A friend of mine accompany to catch some fist in a pond ...about 700 meters away from our house. He brought along with him his dog named Blue Thunder (most probably base in that ol' TV series about a hilocopter with the same name)...

I was carrying a long bamboo stick (about 9 feet long) to be used in our fishing and preparing the nets... It was the 1st time that blue thunder venture in that area (most of the time he is lock up in my friend's house)

all of a sudden while we are walking, the dog stop and starts digging on the ground, we ignore him and continue on our way, but when my friend notice that the dog is not following us, we decided to fetch him... then... we notice that he have dug quite a deep hole...(around 10 inches or so...) i unmindedly strike the ground with my stick, and to my shock... in went straigh into the ground... and before we know it...a portion of that ground collapse, revealing a large hole in the ground (about 3 feet wide...) when we look at it... its a deep epty hole... i immedietly run to our house and look for a ladder...(back then, we are dreaming that it coul be a hiding place for some short of treasure. hidden by the Japs...: )

anyway, after gathering enough courage, we decided to went down in the hole...now it cant be naturally made, cause base on the markings it was dug using some digging tools that we call "Piko"... it was very obvious... the hole is about 9 feet deep...and has an extension of at least 10 to 12 feet long. ... we know it could be longer than that because it seems that a portion of that hole collapse due to the composition of the sediment wall and the top soil and rocks that block the end of the extension... not long ago, whne my father and a bunch of worker excavated the land beside our house, they found several networks of supposedly tunnels...and trench... but they didnt give much thought about it, and destroy everything... not it seems to me that what we discover back then was the main entrance for those tunnels... we found an old strap that resemble a rifle strap... a piece of i think a reading glass, and some thorn clothes... we didnt realize, that my mother have been looking for us... so when she saw the dog, waiting in the middle of the field, she come nearer, she was shock and very much angry when she saw us emerging from the hole... she asked my friend to go home and i took a beating after that... then she ask some help from one of the neighbor to cover the hole....

My father told me it could just been only a well or something... but i disagree... it seems the hole is leading to somewhere, except that a portion collapse that why it was block...beside... it just nine feet deep... it cant be just a well...

... 2 years after.... i manage to meet an old man that manage a carenderia near our school... i was talking about him how old he is... and what it was like back in the days when they were fighting the japanese (i assume he took part in the guerrilla fighting cause our place host a number of gueriila fighters back in the 40's) He told me he was 17 years old back then... they hardly engage the jap...they just monitor their movements... he even told me that even thou there is at least 60 to 70 member of their unit...only 30 or so has a rifle... and most of them are hidden in their hide out... beside the pond just across the subdivision... my face lighten when we mentioned it... and i narrate to him that we discover their hideout...

he told us that they bombed it after hearing that the Americans have already landed in Leyte, and they will took part in the liberation of Manila.

I told him we are hoping to take a look at their former hide out, but he discourage me, saying, he is not be sure if they did not left some ammunitions there... it is best that we leave it alone...

yet...I can't help it a place with so many historic significance could be forgotten, just because nobody care anymore about how those young men once took part in an effort to ensure we will be free from the Japanese oppressor

Part III - In the Midst of the 1989 Coup de Etat

Baguio is not a good place when a unch of rebelious Soldiers decided to seige the Presidential Palace...if i remebr it right, it was the morning of December 7th, 1989. two days after we arrive at the Northern City of Baguio that we heard in the news that Col. Gringo Honasan and his men have siege several media and Commercial establishment in the Metro Polis. Baguio is located at least 250 Miles away from the City, but the thing is, we are suppose to be going home that day... even in the midst of warning that we will be facing tons of Hassles in our trip, my Father decided to go for it and proceed with the 7 hours travel. It was a busness trip, those accompanying us were officemates of my Father in the Department of Agriculture. All were worried sick because most of them reside near where Hostilities have been reported occuring.

Thus we continue our trek, and even before we manage to leave the city of Baguio, we were greeted by APC and trucks of Soldiers...we are not sure if those soldiers are going to Manila to fight off the rebels or to join them, back then, i could not understand why are they trying to get rid of the Administration that Mr. Honasan help to be installed... all im thinking back then is, darn i need to take a crap but i could not find a decent bathroom

As we reach teh province of La Union, we were stopped by company of Army soldiers to inspect if were transporting more troops to the metropolis, luckily, the one incharge of the checkpoint knows my Father, fortunately, the Lt. in charge also hail from my Fathers hometown of Catbalogan, and incedently one of those that tried to court my Auntie... after a small talk, they let us pass thru and even gave me some sweets when my father introduce me as his son. He also offer us a route to take to avoid the other checkpoints that are stationed every 50 kilometers. As we reach the province of Tarlac, my father decided that we take our lunch in one of them carenderia, and as we order, we saw our countrymen fix on their TV sets listening to the hostilities happening in Manila and Makati Area. scores of soldiers have been killed and there was an incident where a certain army soldiered fired an anti tank rocket to the approaching APC and destroyed it, upon inspection he realized that it was his brother that was driving the APC who joined the rebel forces... he killed his own brother in an effort to protect the incumbent administration.

We continue our trip, is still tune in to the developments in the city... as we approach the province of Pampanga (it was pass 7:00 PM already...we left Baguio at around 6:00 AM) we end up in the stand still when we near the tollgate.. it was blocked by several Trucks, reports had it that earlier that day, 2 trucks of rebels pas thru that tollgate, and the poor guards is no match to face an entire company in their race to help their fellow soldiers fighting in the Capital. We stay there for another 2 hours, trying to sleep and gaining strenght... then my Father remember that there is a passage way from the express way to the McArthur hiway ...ut we need to pass thru the Pampanga river to be able to reach the other side. Checking the low tide high tide period, my father calculated that if we hurry, we could reach the river where it is still shallow... but due to the delay and due to the unfamiliar terrains, we reach the river, an hour later... but the river is still shallow, but we need to hurry, cause we could see it rising and the rapids is getting strong... as we proceed to cross the river, (were going on a slow speed) a pick up truck tried to overtake us in our right side...now...the reason while most of the vehicle is following a single line is becuase it is the known route where the river has a shallow part... in our surprise and to the pick ups horror, the vehicle plunge into a deep part, submerging the entire vehicle.... the rapids is getting very strong, but we could not live the poor man alone in his pick up becuase we are uncertain how deep his Pick up plundge into the river... we stop, and my father along with his office mates tried to save the man... and drag him from his pick up, that is now fully submerge... waters are already starting to get inside our VAN, but we manage to pull thru and a red light have been opened to signalled that the river is no longer passable...

another hour later, we reach my hometown... in the journey, youll see in our face the exhausting feeling, yet a sign of relief, that after a laborous 25 hour drive, im finally HOME.