Last Monday, at past 12 o’clock, Ah Kong mounted the overpass starting from Maharlika building, in Baguio City, thought of proceeding down his way to his destination, City Hall, when he spotted an acquaintance standing alone at the overpass, seemingly waiting for someone.
He was Macky Magpile. If Ah’s senile mind serves him right, Macky previously worked with Radio Mindanao Network (RPN), Baguio, as radio announcer and with another radio station Ah couldn’t remember.
Magpile saw Ah, too, and happily blurted, “Bony, kumusta! Nabayag di ka nakita! Nag-retire kan ba iti government service?” And many other queries that naturally comes from a someone you haven’t seen a long time.
Now, to be equally fair: Magpile, like all humans prone to error, may have, in the course of his life, caused offense, that such offended party would readily frown upon Ah mentioning Magpile in this column.
Por favor! Ah’s point here is: Magpile never committed an offense against Ah. That being the case, Ah has no reason whatsoever not to be a human being and converse with Magpile that Monday. Magpile is a friend, period.
We, all, have skeletons in our closets and they rattle in the dark.
Ah would rather relate with all co-humans, like Magpile, if only to learn. For a sage once said that poor relation is the most irrelevant thing in nature, a piece of impertinency and a displeasing value.
It got so the duo got to talking about old times, personal health, about co-workers in media like those who have now gone to the Happy Media Ground in the Sky. Bless their good and cheerful souls.
Yes, for the colleagues who went before us, they have the rarest privilege of the rest of the just. Rest! How sweet the sound!
Rest is song to the ears, slumber as an affectionate for the bosom, radiating forth lively spirits which hum through all the pulses of the soul.
Rest for our colleagues who went before us, means to Ah, for them, that their souls were separated from the human bodies that started anyway beyond the bounds of creation, yet the merry souls of these colleagues find themselves within the embrace of the Creator, and encompassed round with the immensity of the Godhead.
Rest, friends, you’ve earned it!
Then there colleagues still alive, kicking, ready to raise hell to anyone who mars our good community.
Magpile, older than Ah, suddenly pointed at Ah’s chest and suddenly blurted, “Panunot ko lang, Bony, sika ti maysa kadagiti last of the vanishing breed.”
Apparently, Magpile particularly referred to those who worked in the print and broadcast industry starting in the 60’s or 70’s, left this world, or retired and are now senior citizens, or who opted to follow other work endeavors.
Ah, more known for his blank mind, couldn’t remember the names of those who worked the press beat during those times.
So last Wednesday, he asked help from Bong Cayabyab from the Public Information Office of City Hall, who came to his rescue, including Art Tibaldo, now with the Department of Trade and Industry – Cordillera Administrative Region (DTI-CAR).
Their names, at random: Benjamin Salvosa; Nene S. Bowman; Peppot Ilagan; Art Galace; Noe Villanueva; Edna Anton; Eric de Castro; Bernie Okubo; Mike Leonen; Nathan Alcantara; Cris Bartolo; Sly Quintos; Vincent Atos; Vincent Cabreza; Romeo Concio; Doming Cawis, and; Doming Dacanay. They worked with the defunct Gold Ore, weekly Baguio paper.
Sinai Hamada; Steve Hamada; Cecile Afable; Silvestre Afable; Ofelia Dimalanta; Ben Rillera; Kathleen Okubo; Domc Cimatu; Oswald Alvaro; Ramon Dacawi; Edilberto Tenefrancia, and; Bernardo Okubo. They worked with Midland Courier, weekly Baguio paper.
Ompong Tan; Mark Perez; Tommy Hafalla; Bong Baskinas; Wig Tysmans; Charlie Ng, and; Art Tibaldo. They were engaged in news photography.
Professor Rudy Abastilla; Robert Domoguen; Micheal Bengwayan, and; Victor Luacan. They worked for the internationally-renowned DEPTHNEWS Philippines, DEPTH news Asia, DEPTH news Arjuna and DEPTH news Science Service. They were the most paid highly, that time.
Ben Moga; Ben Feken; Juan Dait, Jr.; Gualberto Lumauig, and; Jaime Paul Panganiban. They worked for the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).
Eliral Refuerzo; Pedrito Sanidad; Bagnos Cudiamat; Roger Salibad; Peter La Julian; Prescelliano Bermudez; Dave Rullan, and, others. They excelled in Ilocano writing.
Ah worked the press beat in the middle 70’s, became correspondent for DEPTH news Philippines, later as senior correspondent for DEPTH news Asia, DEPTH news Arjuna and DEPTH news Science Service, but later transferred to government service for communications. That’s how he came to know of press people in CAR and Region 1 and rubbed elbows with them.
“Last of the breed?” Somehow, Ah felt a funny feeling, hearing Magpile.
Now, what was Magpile trying to give as message to Ah who couldn’t even put on his trousers without being whipped?
Standing with Magpile at the overpass, it came to Ah that somehow, Magpile was saying all along that when mortals pass from this world, not only from its charms, but from the more serious works, knowledge and company of goodly co-mortals, we must no longer come along the living but must proceed where we are destined to proceed – towards the twinkling stars.
Goodness, gracious! But Magpile chose a fine Monday morning to wax too poetically serious about vicissitude in life, when Mr. Sun, was contented by smiling at mortals.
Yes, yes, one vicissitude in life is about aging, or age, that marches on to diminish life’s contentment and, on the other hand, increases our desire to go on living.
Yet, on the other hand, we must be contented, living.
Know, ye, fine readers that contentment is Almighty’s gift, and although it can be propagated, can also be difficult to acquire.
What say, you, that contentment is like happiness, accounting for the small amount of happiness lying loose around corners without any owner?
Ah doesn’t believe one whit that humans were made to be contented, or to be happy on earth, for if were made to be so, why in dang tarnation are we hankering for the other world beyond, eh?
It makes Ah have this queer feeling that when a mortal is thoroughly contented, he/she is either too lazy to want anything.
Show Ah a thoroughly contented person and he will show you a useless one, ha!
For contentment, Ah would rather favor the egomania, jealousy, petty ambitions, backbiting and gossiping in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Region 1, not because Ah thinks they are wonderful, but because they stir up men and women, give them the bounce by cultivating their venom and unreason, thereby proving what brilliant fool a mortal may be, and proving at the same time what miserable fool a mortal is.
Just take a glance at what Ah saw years back in Ar-arampang, a barangay in Balaoan municipality, La Union, Region 1 when, barangay officials, discontented at the backbiting and gossip contentment of many constituents in their barangay, posted in their barangay billboard thus:
“Maipaka-ammo, apoh, nga ti aldaw ken oras ti tsis-misan ket kadda Lunes engga Biyernes, alas nuwebe ti agsappa, engga alas siete y media ti rabii.”
“Nu Sabado met ket unlimited a tsismisan.”
“Nu Domingo ket inana ti ngiwet, wenno Mouth Rest Day, tapno makasagap manen ti baro a tsismis para nu Lunes.”
“Kasanu agbalin miyembro ti tsis-misan club (Membership), wenno kwalipikasyones ket dagitoy ti kasapulan:”
“Umuna, nalawag a panag- matmata, tapno makita na uray sipnget ken sulsulinek dagiti tao nga i-tismis na;”
“Maikadwa, natadem a lapayag, tapnu uray addayu, mangeg na ti pagsarsaritaan ti dadduma;”
“Maikatlo, Napigsa a boses tapnu mangngeg amin ti ka-miyembo na;”
“Mai-kauppat, nalaing agi-tuddo it assinnu a tao;”
“ken ti udi ket salawasaw, nga di na ammo ag-amin ti basul na uray bistado isuna.”
“Ken udi a palagip, daytoy a mensahe ket para babae ken lalaki, tapnu kontento amin a pada-pada.”
Ah tried to get the side of the barangay officials there regarding the reverse psychology billboard of theirs and the officials said, so far, “Awan pay met ma-kontento nga umay ag-palista.”
Contentment aside and going back to what Magpile said of the last breed, Ah refuses to call his colleagues who worked the 60’s and 70’ beat, “last of the vanishing breed,” but rather, “not the last of the vanishing breed.”
These news reporters who rode into the blue yonder may be gone from the earth, but Ah compares them to the moonlight that comes around switching off and on around CAR mountains, hills, Region 1 flatlands, slipping into the clouds and vanishing into poetry.
For that’s who they were; “they came, they saw, they reported to the people news and events, as they happened and where they happened.”
And suffice to say, like “old soldiers who never die; they just faded away,” like faded pages of an old book, remembered, but had seen its useful time.