Semana Santa 2026: "Ur-urayenka, Anakko'" (I am waiting for you, my child.)

 "Ur-urayenka, Anakko'"

(I am waiting for you, my child.)

Sarita ni Abe V. Rotor

Agladladingit ti langit. Nangisit ken lumabbaga ti tangatang, bumabbaba ti ulep.

Maisaak a Prodigal Son. Siak ni Inting.

Nasursurko ti uppat a suli ti lubong, binirbirukko ti makuna a Utopia ti las-ud ti innem a pulo a tawen – mamitlo't kabayag ti pannaturog ni Rip Van Winkle. Nagtungpal metten ti Cold War – lima pulo a tawen nga nabingay ti lubong ti dua a kampo a nagginginnura, nagsinsinnikap. Ngen saan pay la a nagun-od ti pudno a kappia.

Rembrandt Van Rijn's The Prodigal Son

Ket itan agawidakon ditoy ili a nakayanakak ken dimmakkelak. Simmabat ni tatang, aginnarakup kami. Ti ragsat saan nga maibalikas. Ket napaut ti panagkatkatawa ken panagtedted ti luami.

“Pakawanennak, Tatang.”

Ngen kunana, “Agragsat tayo. Nagbiag ti natay nga anakko. Partien ti katabaan nga urbon. Ayaban amin ti kakailian.”

“Ni Manong Tonio, Tatang?”

“Umayto. Adda diay taltalon.”

Agsangpet dagiti tattao.

Ditoy San Vicente nasapa ti panagbaro ken panagbalasang. Adu kaniami ti pimmanpanaw, sinursurotmi diay bangir ti Cordillera ken ballasiw taao dagiti ar-arapaap ti agkabanuag. Lumakay ken bumaket no makasubli kami - kaaduanna, balikbayan. Adu ti saanen.

Ngem sibibiag ni Apo Lagip - ti naglabas ken masakbayan kasla saanda nagsina. Naanos ti tiempo. Bassit ti nagbalbaliwan ti ili ken umili.

Saan a nagsukat ti abbong ti altar a naburdaan ti Ur-urayenka Anakko. Ubingak pay idi adda daytoy nga isu’t mangsabat ti mata pagserrek ti dakkel a simbaan. Agkupkupas ti kaaapros dagiti agraem ken ni Apo San Vicente Ferrer, patron ti ili.

“Ibagam man dagiti napnapanam ken nasarsarakam, Inting.” Kiddao dagiti kaubingak. Mammanudan.

“Nasapulam kadi ti puon ti bullalayaw, Inting?” angaw ni Belen, maysa idi a princesa ti komedia no agpiesta ti ili, maudi a martes ti Abril. Badong latta ni Badong, ti katuturedan ti klasemi ti elementaria. “Ania, umay manen ti gubat?” Sa nagmulagat. Maymaysa’t petsa ti pannayanakmi idi gubat.

Umad-adu ti tattao, awanen ti pagtugawan. Nagdalupakpak pay ketdin dagiti dadduma. Malutluto ti pagraramanan. Malang-ab ti maletletson.

“Denggentayo ti maisa nga anak ti ili.” Imbaga ni Mayor Simeon, apo ti dati nga alkalde. Sa immabay kaniak. “Mailiw dagiti umili kenka.”

Narigat ti agsarita no saan a naragsak ti ibaga. Kayatko a saritaen ti saan a nasayaat a rupa ti panagprogreso ti lubong. Ti siudad a balitok adda laeng ti arapa-ap. Ti Paraiso awan ditoy rabaw daga. Pantasia laeng ti Utopia.

Kasla mabasbasa ni Ven ti pampanunutek. Ni Ven ti valedictorianmi ti high school diay Vigan, daidi CIC, Divine Word College itan. Iniarisa-asna, “Istoria-em dagiti Four Horsemen of Apocalypse.” Naadalmi daytoy ken ni Mr. Rafanan, titsermi ti history.

Saan nga pantasia daytoy. Impakdaar dagiti propeta, kasta met ni Nostrodamus. Dagiti saan a namatpati ti umuna a biktima. Daytoy ti ibagbaga manen ni Alvin Toffler, autor ti Future Shock, ken da Naisbitt ken Aburdane, ti naggapuan ti tema a postmodernism. Kunada, “Ti panagprogreso saanen a malappedan ket dumardaras pay. Palab-og iti laplapusanan a panagbiag.” Kasla The Charge of the Light Brigade.

Immasideg, adu’t rigatna ni Lolo Silli, kalalakayan ti ili. Tinulonganda. Immasideg met ti Apo Padimi. Inyam-ammo na ti bagbagina. “Siak ti anak ti Bernardo Rada.” Kasinsinko daidi tatangna. Karuprupana.

“Kayatyo a denggen ti istoria dagiti uppat nga nakakaballo ni Apokalypso?” Bimtak ti iisemmak.

Dagiti ub-ubbing ti immuna a nagtung-ed. Ipagarupda a maysa a sine.

“Adda uppat a nakakaballo nga akukuyog. Ti umuna a nakakaballo isu ni Genie, ti higante nga awan bigbigenna nga amo no di laeng ti akin-iggem ti enkantado a lampara a balayna. Sibubutengen ti lubong manipud idi bimtak ti umuna nga atomic bomb diay Nagasaki ken Hiroshima. Ita ti armas nuclear napigpigsa nga adayo. Awan lisian ken pilpilienna. Iiaddadayo ni Apo, saan koma a maiggaman dagiti terrorista.”

“Dumanon kadi ditoy no bumtak dayta a bomba?” Sinongbatan met laengen ti kaabayna, ket saanen nga intuloy ti bumarito. Narigat a maawatan dagiti bambanag maipuon ti gubat no saan mo pay nabaddek ti paggugubatan.

“Ket ituloyko. Maikaddua a nakakaballo isu ti al-alia ni Mathus, ti nangipakdaar ti panagbisin ti lubong gapu ‘ta nadardaras iti panagado ti tattao ngen ti kabaelan a mangted ti supapat a makan. Rirriw ti mabisbisinan ket umad-ado. Saan a mabilang ti matmatay.”

Awan ti nagsaludsod. Naulimek. Adda manutbuteng idiay likod. Naka-abbbungot ti nangisit. Tinalliao dagiti tattao ingana’t nagsardeng isuna ket pimmanaw.

“Ituloyko. Maikatlo, ni Frankenstein, ti naka-aramid ti monster nga awanan puso ken kararua. Kasla daytoy a sientista makaaramiden ti tao babaen ti “genetic engineering” ti mais, soya, manok, ken sabasabali pay a saanen a natural – dagiti makuna a Frankenfood. Saan nga adayo ti panagballegi a makaaramid ti “human clone,” kasla ti karnero a Dolly, ti immuna a clone. Ag-agawentay ken ni Apo Dios ti panag-parsua, ken ti panang-paungar ti natay!”

Dimmadakkel ti mat-mata dagiti agdengdenggeg. Maysa kaniada ni Maestra Karing, titser ko ti elementaria. Inawisko saak nagmano. Inongngonak.

“Ket ti maika-uppat a nakakaballo isu ti nangpadakder ti Torre ni Babel, agdan a mapan langit. Napugipug daytoy. Nangatngato nga adayo dagiti torre a maar-aramid ita. Atitiddug dagiti rantay. Agtutuon dagiti kalkalsada ken reles. Riwriw ti luglugan. Dumaddadakkel dagiti siudad, ket umad-aduda. Dumaddadakel met dagiti makina ti industria. Amin dagitoy ti pagtaudan ti pollusion ken panagdagaang ti tangatang.

“Awanton ti lugar nga saan nga maabot ti komunikasyon. Kasla baryo ti kabassit ti lubong, awanen ti paglemengan. Napukawen ti karbengan nga agmaymaysa. Ket posible a makadanonto metten ti tao idiay Mars? Ammoyo kadi nga ti skylab nga umik-ikot ti tangatang agbalinton a siudad?

“Siak ni Superman! Siak met ni Batman! Flash Gordon!” Ikkis dagiti ub-ubbing nga agpipinnalsiit diay liklikudan.

“Agay-ayam kayo diay adayo.” Kuna ni Kapitan Inggo. Ket pimmanawda.

“Ay, dagitoy ub-ubbing, ay-ayam amin ti ammoda.” Adda gayam ni Basang, ti nalaing a mangiturturong ti sarsuela idi. Isu idi ti Carmen a nalaing a kumanta.

“Umay ti Armageddon. Magunao ti lubong. Agbal-baliw tayo.” Timmakder ni Tacio a mangakaskasaba. Pinagtayegteg na ti unina a nababa.

Saan nga agpa-udi ni Cosme, agpadi koma idi. “Quo vadis?” Ig-igananna ti dumaan a biblia. Binirotna ti pagina. Sakbay nagbalikas tinaliaonak.

“Maysa nga parbagon naglibas ni Pedro ket addan idiay ruar ti pader ti Roma. Sakbayna data binirbiruk dagiti soldado isuna. Ngen nakalisi ngamin nagsalawasaw - saanna kano nga am-amo ni Kristo. Sakbay a sumina ti sipnget, nakasabat ti maysa a lalaki nga nangdamag, ‘Quo vadis? (Sadino ti papanam?)’ Apagkanito nagpukaw ti lalaki. Nalasin ni Pedro – isu ni Kristo! Nagsubli isuna ket nagbalin nga martir ti Kristianismo."

Intultuloy ti dadduma ti nagsarita inggan’t oras ti pannangan.

Linukatan ni tatang ti iduldulinna a burnay ti basi. Intakona ti ungot. Pinaramanannak nga immuna. Kaiimasan met la ngatan a basi.

Binirok ko ti kabsatko ta paramanak met.

“Adda pay la diay taltallon,” sungbat ni tatang.

Binalonak ni Manong Tonio diay taltalon. Kaduana dagiti katalonan. Tallo a natatayag a mandala ti mangipakita a nasayaat ti ani ita a tawen. Saannak nabigbig daras. Sinallabayko. Nagsubli daras ti lagip di kaubingan. Kasla idi kalman laeng.

Nabayag ti panagin-innangawmi. Nagsadag kami ti mandala a nakasango ti bumabbaba nga unit.

“Nagbassit aya ti libong, Inting.”

Awan nangegna kaniak. Intuloyna.

“Malagip mo pay ni Mrs Villamor?’ Nalaing daidi dios-alluadna a maestrami ti literature.

“Malagip mo ti inpamemoriana a berso a naadaw ti obramaestra ni William Blake?”

“Uh….saanko malagip, manong.” Nalipatakon.

“Auguries of Innocence.”

Malagipkon. Nalaing a mannurat ni Blake, narigat laeng nga anagen ti pilosopiana maipuon ti panagbiag.

Nakigtotak idi ni-recite ni manong ti berso. Kasla umininom a kunada.

“Sarming ti lubong ket maysa a bag-giing laeng,
Ti langit agparangdiay ruot nga agsabsabong;
Lawa’t tangatan, ta dakulapmo umanayen,
Ti maysa nga oras patinggana’t agnanayon.”

Insaruno na.

“Sinno ti makaimatang ti lubong, wenno langit babaen ti dagiti babassit a bambanag a pakakitaan, wenno dagiti simbolo ti panagbiag? Aglalo no kaub-bingam, kabanbannuagam? Anianto ngatan nga maawatam ti patingga ti lubong, ti panagnanayon ti biag?”

Kasla umis-isem ni Mrs. Villamor ti abaymi. Nakababan ni Apo Init. Nalabbaga it annaraar na. Nakaawiden dagiti kannaway. Nagaponen dagiti manok diay sanga ti kaykayo.

Awan iti maibangak. Mariknak ti bain apay a naglibassak idi. Pinanawak da tatang ken ti katsatko. Linuktak ti bentana saak bimmaba ti maysa a parbangon, lima pulo a tawenen ti naglabas.

Tinipedko ti luak. Nagpangressak tapno mabang-arannak.

Saanen nga intuloy ni manong. Nakadlaw.

Ket intuloyko nga anagen. Nauneg daytoy a kapanunotan.

Narigat awaten ti biag. Isu nga awan ti sardeng ti panagadal. Bag-giing, bato agbalin nga bantay? Ti kabusbusor a ruot, apay a nakapinpintas ti sabongna? No saan nga ukraden ti dakulap kasano ti itutulong? Makigayyem? Makikappia? Apagkanito kadi ti biag tapno ammo tayo ti agraem, ken agpakumbaba? Pumanaw ti biag tapno ituloy dagiti sumarsaruno? Inggana’t kaano?

Kasla nabasa ni manong ti pampanunotek.

Kunana. “Maysa a libro ti biag, Inting. Ngen saan a kasapulan a napuskol daytoy.”

Itan malagipko ti kuna daidi Santo Papa John Paul II.

Kunana:

“Daytoy nga lubong nga kadadakelan nga pagadalan tapno mapunuantayo ti kinasarib, ditoy nga maimatangan ti progreso ti sibilisasion, manipud iti kinabaro ti sistema ti panagiwarnak, iggana’t sistema ti wayawaya nga awan tungpalna – daytoy a lubong, uray kaanunto, saanna nga maited ti kapupudnuan a ragsak ti tao.”

Immay ti panagtutudo. Simmaruno ti kalgaw. Awamen dagiti tallo nga natatayag a mandala diay taltalon.

Agladladingit ti langit. Nangisit ken lumabbaga iti tangatang, bumabbaba ti ulep.

Napintas unay nga dengdenggen ti kanta nga aggapu ti kuro! Dua kami ni manong Tonio nga abibiolin idi no dumanonen ti misa aginaldo. Paspasurutanmi dagiti babbaro ken babbalasang nga agkankanta.

Diay altar maiang-agin ti abbong a naburdaan, Ur-urayenka, Anakko. Agpaypayapay.

Lukatanyon dagiti bentana tapno sumbrek ti nalamiis nga agin nga aggapu’t daya. Ket bay-an dagiti kandela nga maiddep a saggaisa.

Simbrek ti nalamiis a pul-oy, kinuyog ti rissing ni Apo Init, ket sinurotda ti dua a medalla nga agbitbitin, agkilkilap, agtintinnupa kasla kampanilia. Adda iar-arisaasda. xxx

No ti mumalem ket nangisit ken lumabbaga ti tangatang, ken bumabbaba ti ulep a subaten ti sipnget, istoria-en dagiti lalakay ken babbaket nga makita iti aninag ti dua a tao diay puon ti dakkel a kayo diay turod. Adda met aninag ti tattao diay kataltalonan. Mangged pay kano ti katkatawada. xxx

Ababa a sarita daytoy ni Dr. Abercio V. Rotor, maysa a propesor ti UST, SPU-QC, UPHR; autor ti Living with Nature Handbook a nangabak ti Gintong Alkat di 2003, ken ti Living with Nature in Our Times a nangabak ti National Book Award idi 2005. Maysa isuna a pintor, poet, ken radio instructor ti Radyo Katipunan ng Ateneo de Manila University, ken instructor ti Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid, DZRB. Dati a director ti NFA ni Dr. Rotor. Nalpasna ti Doctor of Philosophy diay UST. Tallo ti annakda ken ni Cecilia Rojas Rotor – Matthew Marlo (pharmacist), Anna Christina (engineer) ken Leo Carlo (nagturpos ti Fine Arts, industrial design). Tubo ti pamilya Rotor ti San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.

Classic Presentation of Premium Wines: Basi and Sake

Dedicated to the Brewers of Basi and Sake

Classic Presentation of Premium Wines: 

Basi and Sake 

On display at the Living with Nature Center

San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

Dr Abe V Rotor

“Wine cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young, and makes weariness forget his toil.” - Lord Byron

 

Its label old and faded, forgotten,

for ten years in an unknown cellar,

hidden from sun and curious hand,

Eureka! Eureka! to a lost friend.

"Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life's most civilized pleasures." — Michael Broadbent

 

Tradition, tradition alive, legendary;

cheers of the pioneers in prehistory,

though nil remembered and honored,

they live with their crowning glory.

What then is man's goal in life, we ask,

but friendship in sobered harmony 

with basi and sake, other wines untold?  

Hurrah! wine is man's great discovery. 

 Age appears to be best in four things: old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read." — Francis Bacon

Basi and Sake - trade marks to be proud of,

imprimatur of your travel to Ilocos region,

the other to ancient and modern Japan;

each one deserves a classic presentation.

“Ask not what wine has done for you, but rather what you’re willing to do for wine.” - Anonymous

 

     

Sunset brings tired bodies and souls to pray,

     in simple rituals to thank the day;

happily from field with friends and family,

     find the world kind and aplenty.

 "Wine is bottled poetry," -  Robert Louis Stevenson, author and poet

  

Japanese guest Takehito Kabayashi visits 18th century basi wine cellar at the Living with Nature Center in San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.  Right photo, author presented a ten-year old bottle of basi.  In return his guest complemented it with a premium sake.  Both bottles became the subject of this article - Classic Presentation of Premium Wines - their indigenous manufacture, importance to local culture and industry - and their ancient origins, which remains a subject of continuing research.

Basi is a traditional Filipino fermented alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane juice, deeply rooted in the culture of the Ilocanos in Northern Luzon. It is fermented in earthen jars (burnay) using samak bark and leaves, resulting in a 10-13% alcohol content, often described as having an earthy, sweet-to-strong taste. It has been produced in Northern Luzon for centuries, predating the Spanish regime. Although then President Ramon Magsaysay did not formally declare basi as the official national beverage of the Philippines during the 1950s, historical records from the period indicate that the President was a major proponent of the local drink. Magsaysay, known as the "Champion of the Common Man,"  frequently used basi to exchange toasts with foreign diplomats, showcasing the local drink in state functions.  Serving basi and wearing the Barong Tagalog became a symbol of Filipino identity.

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Sake, saké, or saki, also referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Japanese people drink sake (nihonshu) for its deep cultural, spiritual, and social significance, treating it as more than just an alcoholic beverage. It is used to strengthen social bonds, celebrate occasions, and honor traditions—often acting as a bridge between people and the gods in Shinto rituals. Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)/ Wikipedia/Internet

ANNEX 

Basi Revolt 218th Anniversary, September 29, 1807:

                                               Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog 

   

Basi Revolt 1807 was fought along the Bantaoay River which runs

downstream through the towns of San Ildefonso and San Vicente,

 Ilocos Sur. Bantaoay is a barangay (village) of San Vicente.

Bantaoay River, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

 

                         Bantaoay River site of the Basi Revolt, San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

The Basi Revolt took place 400 km north of Manila where Diego and Gabriela Silang heroically fought Spanish rule 50 years before. It was precipitated by the declaration of Wine Monopoly by the local Spanish government that virtually took from the hands of small cottage brewers an industry the Ilocos region enjoyed long before Spain colonized the islands. Basi was a major item carried by the Galleon trade plying Ciudad Fernandina (now Vigan City) and Europe via Acapulco, Mexico (1565-1815). 

The final battle took place along the Bantaoay River that runs through the town of San Ildefonso down to San Vicente, some 4 km from the capital where the industry flourished. Scores of Spanish soldiers and natives were killed. Although the revolt spread to as far as Ilocos Norte, and Pangasinan to the south, it culminated on September 29, 1907 with the public execution of the captured rebels. 

Fourteen big oil paintings depicting the Basi Revolt, also known as Ambaristo Revolt (named after its leader) can be seen today at the Vigan Ayala Museum, which is housed in the original residence of Filipino priest martyr, Fr. Jose Burgos. The painter, Don Esteban Villanueva was an eyewitness of this historic event. 

Today, the Basi Revolt lives on with the fine taste and tradition of this unique product standing among the best wines of the world. Nine of the paintings in colored photos are shown in this article.  The original paintings may be viewed at the Burgos Museum* in Vigan.   

Basi Revolt 1807 - Paintings by Esteban Villanueva

 

 

 

  

Basi is the flagship of wine products of San Vicente Ilocos Sur which include fruit wine from chico, pineapple, dragon fruit, guava, and the like, and the popular sukang Iloko (Ilocos Vinegar).

Rotor Basi won the distinct BIDA (Business Incentives Development and Achievement ) award in 2000. It was an encouragement in the revival of a sunset industry in the Ilocos Region. Top photo, the late former administrator Jesus T Tanchanco (right) of the National Food Authority and Mrs Alice Tanchanco pose with the author after receiving the BIDA Award. Right photo, members of the winning team led by the author receive the cash award from BIDA, a joint project led by DOST and DTI (Small and Medium Industries), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), and Planters Bank of the Philippines.

    

Rotor Basi (made in San Vicente Ilocos Sur) has labels depicting the Ilocos Region's historical events, landmarks, and outstanding natives of the region - Ilocanos. Basi is a major attraction to tourists from different parts of the world. Basi is the only kind of table wine in the world. Basi as well as its by-product, Ilocos Vinegar (suka ti Ilocos, or sukang Iloko to the Tagalogs) meet rigorous European standards and US Food and Drugs Administration tests.

 

The distinct mellow taste of basi comes largely from its aging time in burnay (earthen jars) - perhaps the only kind of tropical table wine processed and aged in this respected age-old tradition. The jars are kept to as long as ten years in home cellars or buried in the ground, and sealed hermetically with hard clay. Basi was once an important article of commerce in the region, and when the islands were colonized by Spain, basi reached Europe via the Galleon Trade passing through Acapulco, the southern tip of Mexico.~

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*The structure known as the Burgos Museum is an ancestral house constructed in 1788, which was declared as a historical building owing to its association with the martyred priest, Fr. Jose Burgos (1837-1872), whose death along with two other priests sparked the anti-Spanish colonial resistance.

Basi and Local Fruits Wine 

Signature of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur Philippines

  

     

Basi wine keeps up with the evolving market.  Related wine products from chico, mango, caimito and other native fruits), and the famous Ilocos Vinegar (Sukang Iloko) proudly stand among local and imported brands. Samples of San Vicente products in tourists shops in Vigan, UNESCO Heritage City, and recently one of the new seven wonder cities of the world.  San Vicente town 3-km west of Vigan has been recently declared Heritage Zone of the North under RA 11645. **

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** Under RA 11645, the DOT, in coordination with the Province of Ilocos Sur, the Municipality of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur, and the NCCA and its affiliated cultural agencies, will also immediately prepare the development plan involving the preservation, conservation, restoration, and maintenance of cultural and historical landmarks, shrines, establishments, etc. 

 

                            Personalized basi labels: Left, historical sites of the Ilocos 

                                               region labels; wedding gift  

April Fools Day, April 1, 2026 Beware! Don’t Fall into the Modus Operandi of Opportunists and Rogues

  Don’t Fall into the Modus Operandi  of Opportunists and Rogues

Dr Abe V Rotor 

Beware. Don’t fall victim to impostors, opportunists and rogues. These are ten tips to protect yourself and other people.

1. Have presence of mind always.
2. Don’t be too confident and trusting.
3. Avoid unlikely places and hour of the day.
4. It is good to be with somebody or group you know.
5. Distance yourself from suspecting characters.
6. Dress simply and leave your valuables at home.
7. Screen and limit access of personal information about you.
8. Be prepared for contingencies. Be security-conscious always.
9. Keep emergency phone numbers and addresses ready at fingertips.
10. Attend seminars and workshops on safety and security.

I am writing this article from fresh memory of an incident in which I am a victim. I must admit I violated Rules 1, 2, 3 and 7 in the above list.

First I was too trusting and confident in welcoming a “new found relative” – one Mario B. Rotor, incoming president of “The Leagues of Young Educators of Regions I and II.” (See hand written note of the impostor.) Through phone call, my wife endorsed this person to see me at UST where I was holding classes. (He had introduced himself on the phone, first to my daughter, then to my wife, picking up information in the process.)

Second, with this added information beefing up his readings and researches about me, he was ready to meet me finally – “his successful ‘uncle’ whom he had been longing to meet personally.” When I met him he practically knew me from head to foot, giving me a genuine impression about him as a new found nephew. I remember Mark Twain’s “Tom Sawyer” and “Huckleberry Finn”. Quite similar to the story of the swindlers in these novels, he started greeting me “uncle”, with music in his voice and familiarity in ambiance.

The third rule I broke is that I was totally unsuspecting. And this is when opportunists strike. He came on a Saturday, just after noon time, met me at the entrance of the graduate school, greeted the security guard and everyone else, with profuse courtesy. I led him to my classroom where I was going to give final examination. He waited until I finished giving the instruction and questionnaire. I entertained him at the corridor.

“Thank you for accepting our invitation to be our inducting officer and guest of honor,” he said, handing me the invitation, which has yet to be printed. “I’ll come back to give you the final copy, with your permission to print your name.” He told me how happy our relatives in the province are about me, that he is thankful to auntie (my wife) for arranging for this meeting.

“Why it’s an honor!” I answered. Who would not like to meet friends from both the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley where I was assigned for many years when I was regional director of then National Grains Authority. “I am sorry for the short notice,” he said. It will be at the National Defense College Auditorium, Camp Aguinaldo, at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, which means the following day.

Now here is the climax of the modus operandi. I offered him even only the cost of my food in the affair. He refused. “You are my guest,” he insisted. “Just donate a trophy,” he said. “Or the cost of it,” which I gave. He told me he had to rush to Manila Bulletin. “I’ll see you there, uncle,” he said and left.

There was no induction ceremony, and the phone number he left is the operator’s at Camp Aguinaldo. I came to know it only after he had left. When I reached home my wife and daughter exclaimed, “We thought he is the son of Vicente, your cousin. His name is Mario B. Rotor, a teacher.”

Except for his extreme feminine nature – bodily and by his voice – he could pass for a polished conversationalist, quick in wit and in scribbling notes. He spoke Ilocano perfectly with proper intonation. We talked in pure Ilocano throughout. He is around 5’ 4”, slim, kayumanggi, stoops a little, shoulders are rather high, and has rather sharp eyes, bony checks and prominent jaw, nose and ears (typical features of Rotors and Valdezes, so I thought). I was looking at my uncle Manuel and Ismael in their younger days, except that he could be mistaken for a woman by his voice, even on the phone. (He called up UST twice, I received the second.)

I am relating this story to warn potential victims of this impostor. What if the victim is not in his home ground? Or a neophyte in the city? His original plan according to my wife was to invite me outside. He suggested a fast food store near Dapitan St., or anywhere outside UST.

Reading the Person through Handwriting Analysis

As I went over the notes this impostor wrote, I wondered if handwriting analysis or graphology can really tell the true character of a person, and thus tell us whether to avoid or welcome him, more so to be properly warned. I know that graphology is among the tools used in the recruitment process administered by certain companies in the US and Europe, but is it sufficient to give us a keyhole view of hidden motives, other general personality characteristics? 

It is interesting to note the following features I observed on the impostor’s handwriting which are as follows: 

1. His writing lies perfectly in between lines, the words rarely touching the lower or upper bars. (Sign of independence, cleverness, non-conformist)

2. Heavy writing. You can feel the back of the paper like Braille (serious, intense, violent tendency, risk taker).

3. Loops of letters f, g, p, y vary. A large loop is a sign of openness; while tight and sharp pointed loops show the opposite character. Lack of “tail” after each word means an inward, silent character, but the sharp and deep downward strokes (f, p, t, l, I) show emotional intensity.

4. Ambivalence is also shown by the inconsistent writing pattern, and inconsistent type and size of letters. There are letters, which cannot be immediately deciphered, or are missing. (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde syndrome)

5. The dot of letter i, lies too far towards the right. No dot is exactly above the letter i. The letter t lacks the usual cross line at the top; instead it is cut at the middle either by a short dash or line that connects the nearby letter. Note wide spaces between words, large margins, and empty lines. (procrastination, loafer, tamad)

6. Writing has a feminist touch, which explain his personality.

I have always been fascinated by graphology since college days and through books in the library and bookstores I have learned a number of basic signs associated with talents, tendencies, etc. I must admit that as a field in psychology, graphology faces many views and controversies (like Freudian and Jungian approaches in psychology), but with computers today, this new science can be developed into a potent tool in personality analysis. I remember our teachers in elementary and high school who used to remind us in class that handwriting is the mirror of ourselves.

A Plea for Help as Modus Operandi

I lived at Don Antonio Height 2 at our family residence way back in the seventies when the area was still sparsely populated. One late evening I was awakened by a pleading sound, and when I looked from the veranda I saw a man apparently bleeding from wounds, leaning under a street lamp across our house. He was groaning and repeatedly pleading, “Dalhin ninyo ako sa ospital,” (Take me to the hospital.)

Our neighbor was also alerted. As we had coded security communication, we cautiously observed the “victim”. We sensed something wrong. Apparently he was only acting. When he saw that we were armed and did not open our gates, he started walking away. There at the nearest curb he joined his companions, a jeepload of tough guys, apparently hold uppers.

After the incident the whole neighborhood arrived at a theory that the “wounded” person acted as a decoy. In the process of being helped, his companions rush in, and declare a hold up. This “pasok bahay” modus operandi is not new and has been modified into other varieties, such as “akyat bahay”. In this case the gang takes advantage of houses when the residents are on vacation.

This mutual defense strategy proved to be an effective deterrent of a would-be crime. You can modify this according to your situation. One is by having coded night light or alarm. The rule is that, “Do not lift the drawbridge or open the fort gate,” so to speak, if you are living in a pioneer territory.

Be Sure Your Car Doors are Locked

My cousin had a co-teacher at Ramon Magsaysay High School Manila who fought a hold upper. She showed me both her hands bearing the scars of multiple wounds from knife. “My husband was also hurt,” she said. “Thanks God we are still alive.”

This is her story. Every morning the husband drives Remy, my cousin’s co-teacher, to Ramon Magsaysay before proceeding to his office. He would pick her up in the afternoon. For years this became a routine.

One morning while waiting for the green light at an intersection along Quezon Avenue, an unsuspecting man passing as a pedestrian suddenly opened the car’s rear door and occupied the backseat. With a fan knife he declared a holdup. Resisting the threat, the husband fought. The wife tried to help the husband. The struggle attracted passersby and pedestrians. The hold upper escaped, leaving the wounded couple that was immediately brought to the hospital.

Lesson: Be sure to lock all doors of your car. Roll up the windows to a level no one from outside can unlock and open the doors. When parking, leave the car immediately after locking the doors. Be sure to put on the wheel or engine lock. Don’t linger around, more so stay inside and sleep while the aircon is on. You are an easy target of hold uppers.

When opening your garage when going out specially in the early morning, and upon arriving in the evening, look around first for any suspicious people around. My friend, director Ruel Montenegro, lost his GSR Lancer this way. His driver did not resist the hold upper who simply took the car from the garage. It was never found.

What rules did the couple violate? First, they were not security-conscious. And second, they lacked the presence of mind at that time. This is often the case when we are preoccupied with routine activities. Again, as in my case they were too trusting and confident no one would harm them. In this civilized world we are still living in a jungle – a jungle made by man himself. ~

Acknowledgement with gratitude: Internet images

"Bahay Kubo - Living with a Little of Everything."

"Bahay Kubo - Living with a Little of Everything."

Dr Abe V Rotor

Author displays fruits and vegetables harvested from his family's home garden.

Bahay Kubo Song

My Nipa Hut (Tagalog)

Bahay kubo, kahit munti

Ang halaman doon, ay sari sari

Sinkamas at talong, sigarilyas at mani

Sitaw, bataw, patani.

Kundol, patola, upo't kalabasa

At saka mayroon pang labanos, mustasa,

Sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya

Sa paligid-ligid ay puno ng linga.

My Nipa Hut

(English)

Nipa hut, even though it is small,

The plants that grow around it are varied:

Turnip and eggplant, winged bean and peanut

String bean, hyacinth bean, lima bean.

Wax gourd, luffa, white squash and pumpkin,

And there is also radish, mustard,

Onion, tomato, garlic, and ginger

And all around are sesame seeds.

 

Cucumber, mulbery

 

Guyabano, papaya, katuray

 

Mulberry, guyabano, papaya, watermelon, cucumber, 

mango, karamay, guava

 

 

Mango, tomato, onion, garlic.

 

Tanglad, malunggay

 

Alugbati, Kulitis                              

 

                                                                 Papait, pako' (edible fern)  

 

Soro-soro, gulasiman 

 

                                                                           Other wild vegetables

 

Backyard poultry

Part 1 -  Assignment: List down home products you can raise at home, and in your community (community green revolution).  Include herbals for home remedy, processing (e.g. salted eggs, vinegar, pickles, freshwater fish like tilapia and hito, and the like. Make your backyard truly a model of Bahay Kubo, philosophy and practical livelihood. ~

ANNEX

Reviving the BAHAY KUBO Culture

Dr Abe V Rotor

My Nipa Hut, oil painting by AVRotor (2000)

Draw an aerial view of an ideal Filipino home on the country side (homestead, meaning, the dwelling and homelot), based on the Bahay Kubo concept. Modify it to meet present situation, objectives and goals. Fit the lyrics of the song into your illustration. Label properly. On another bond, "sell" (social marketing) your obra maestra, in an essay or feature.

Why is the Bahay Kubo (Nipa Hut) and its variants in Asia and the Pacific Region (also in other parts of the world) gaining popularity? With eco-tourism and agro-tourism on the rise, economic difficulties notwithstanding, the bahay kubo is at center stage.

Tourists love it, and the bahay kubo bamboo craft industry is gaining popularity abroad. Bahay Kubo for export!

A bahay kubo is easy to make - structurally and aesthetically. It allows modification in size, dimension, design and make, usually with materials that are locally available. It is popularly affordable, a solution to the present housing problem.

No, it is not the shanty that is being pictured. The shanty, in fact, is the anti-thesis of the bahay kubo. It undermines its purpose and beauty, and most importantly, the pride and dignity of this symbol of Filipino heritage.

Today it is common to see city homes having a bahay kubo in their backyard, so with tops of buildings. At a distance one can glimpse a bahay kubo perched on a high rise building.

Vacation houses and beach cottages, also beer gardens and reception centers, are of the bahay kubo design and make.

Imagine the tree house of the Swiss Family Robinson, in a novel of the same title by Johann Wyss. Let's not get far. Filipinos like to build houses on trees. There's one in Rosario (La Union) perched on a huge acacia tree.

Bahay Kubo restaurant along MacArthur Highway, La Union

So with fancy doghouses and bird cages. Have you observed pig pens, poultry houses or sheds designed after the bahay kubo? But these are but decorative and fancy, although functional in many respects. They are offshoots of imagination to combine the modern and the native. They bring out nostalgic feelings and relief among migrants from the old barrio. They introduce to the young tradition and the ways of our ancestors they only know from books, TV and the Internet. They too, enliven the spirit of pre-Hispanic culture, of being oriental, and nationalistic. Or to be different by not going with the uncharted current of change. And there are other reasons. But why the bahay kubo revived? Evolved?

Going natural? Count the bahay kubo - no plastics, no paints, and the least use of non-biodegradable materials. It is a self-contained system of recycling.

It is energy saving, in fact independent, save some lighting. Fireplace is designed for firewood, windows allow sunlight and breeze freely. There's no need of vacuum cleaner, polisher, and other amenities of an urban home.

Nothing beats Going Natural by having fresh fruits and vegetables, clean air and water, adequate exercise from home and garden chores. And having trees and plants around. That's natural air conditioning.

It's tranquil and cool, no echoing walls and ceiling, in fact it is acoustically efficient to deaden noise. More so with the trees; they absorb sound and dust, and keep humidity and temperature stable. They serve as natural windbreak, and barrier of sudden gusts. The bahay kubo is a way to escape burgeoning city life - from heavy traffic, pollution, high tech, high finance, loaned amenities, busy lanes, to anxiety and depression. It cushions tendency of ostentatious living.

Move over American Bungalow. Here is Bahay Kubo revived and evolved.

Bahay kubo is the symbol of bayanihan or cooperativism. It is relocating a whole and intact house from one place to another in the same neighborhood, on bare shoulders, so to speak, in a festive and quaint atmosphere. It is our dream as a people to be strong the bayanihan way. And to live simply, naturally, happy, healthy, and long, with the whole family.

Mabuhay ang Bahay Kubo. ~

Bayanihan, painting by Lito Barcelona

Reference: Bahay Kubo, Living with Nature, AVR; 

Acknowledgment: Sheet Music Lisa Yannucci; painting by Lito Barcelona; photos from Internet.

Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio 738 DZRB KHz AM Band, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday

comment:

 Ria Salaveria said... A bahay kubo signifies simplicity (emphasis on the thought that it is made up of non-biodegradable materials). Its existence in the age of technology manifests simple living despite of the availability of high-tech gadgets and expensive living these days. SALAVERIA, Ria

4CA UST