72. THE CASTRO FAMILY'S TALK-OF-THE-TOWN CHRISTMAS LANTERNS 1980-1983

1980, STEVE OWLSEN LANTERN

O OWLY NIGHT: THE LANTERN THAT STARTED IT ALL-- OUR "STEVE OWLSTEN" PAROL, Christmas 1980. I remember the day when our holiday home decorating took a turn for the strange, the outrageous, and for many of our neighbors—the bizarre. Three years before the infamous E.T. lantern, we siblings, conceived of a way to transform our roof into a veritable Christmas display a la Manila C.O.D. We resisted all traditional lantern forms— star, Oriental-inspired, box lanterns---and decided to come up with an animal-inspired lantern to rival our previous Santa’s reindeer display.  We did not have to look far for an inspiration. That year, we caught an OWL that strayed in our backyard---and that was how the queerest of birds became our pet (we had a pet monkey before that).  We named our pet owl “Steve Owlsten”,  after 6 Million Dollar Man’s Steve Austin (played by actor Lee Majors), which was still a big hit on TV that time. But alas, our big-eyed  bird Steve died in captivity---and as a supreme tribute to the wide-eyed fowl, we crafted a lantern in his likeness, fashioned from used cardboard packaging. It had super big cellophane eyes which could be lit from the inside, if I remember right. And it was kinda tall, with pointed ears that made him looked like a cross between a horned carabao and a bird. As soon as we hanged our STEVE OWLSTEN Parol creation outside our 2nd floor window, it became our neighbors' conversation piece. Maybe it reminded oldtimers that once, Pampanga had fish-shaped lanterns---the fish being a symbol for Christ. But an OWL lantern? Well---we just tell people that “ the wise bird is the symbol of the 3 Wise Men, haller, don’t you know that??!”

1981, MEDUSA LANTERN

BE GOOD, FOR GOODNESS SNAKES:  OUR MEDUSA PAROL, Christmas1981. If looks could kill, our Medusa head lantern from Christmas 1981 would have killed the  whole neighborhood, or turned the neighbors to stone. We were inspired by our favorite 1981 movie, “Clash of the Titans” to create this Gorgon head---the serpentine hairstyle was fashion from coconut inflorescences—those clump of flower twigs  that look like slithering “snakes” from a distance. In the Greek myth, Medusa was beheaded by Perseus—here, acted out by my brother Michael Castro—who only needed a P.M.T. sword to do the job. For our many horrified neighbors, this Medusa head was their worst nightmare before Christmas!!!!

1982, HANGMAN LANTERN

NO CHANCE OF PAROL(E): OUR HANGMAN LANTERN, Christmas 1982. This is the lantern that sent our poor Mother screaming bloody hell and left her so upset!  I recall her ordering us to bring it down immediately-but to no avail. I think our holiday decorating reached its dismal, abyssmal depths in 1982, with this tasteless, totally improper human parol, complete with blood and tongue sticking out. My siblings probably figured that if mistletoes, stockings and ornaments were meant to be hanged, why not a person with a death sentence? At the way our neighbors reacted to our Hangman Lantern (morbid!!!) , we could say that the "execution" of our parol was outstanding!  The next year, we reprised the "hanging" parol idea using E.T.!

1983, E.T. LANTERN

OUR PAROL GOES EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL.Christmas 1983. Had the Pope seen our parol hanging in the front of our house in 1983, he would have excommunicated us. Even my poor Mother was mortified, and begged us to take our “parol” down. Our neighbors along the street would whisper about those “Castro kiddie weirdos”. We didn’t mind; on the contrary, we thought our lantern was uniquely cute! It was 1983, and the worldwide hit movie "E.T. The Extraterrestrial" had just been shown in Philippine cinemas. And we were hooked on the adorable alien. We thought E.T. would make a better, moe engaging lantern than the very common star parol. Both aliens and stars are from outer space anyway. Why, even Manila C.O.D. had space-themed Christmas displays! So, my brothers fashioned a papier mache E.T. mask, which was put on a body, complete with feet in rubber shoes and boxing gloves (the hand with individual fingers was too laborious to make in papier mache). Since we couldn’t make our E.T. lanterns stand on our roof landing-we hanged it by the neck. When we lit up our E.T. lantern in December, our neighbors stood transfixed, but mostly in shock, with eyebrows raised. Our house was the cynosure of attention that Christmas of 1983. Looking back now, our E.T. parol was, indeed, in such bad taste, fit more for Halloween than Christmas. But we succeeded in what we set out to do: to make our Christmas decoration the most talked about in the neighborhood. If KMJS had only been  around in 1983, Jessica Soho would have phoned us home, and featured our E.T.parol on her show!!

71. I SURVIVED ONE YEAR OF RETIREMENT! 30 March 2015

HAPPILY RETIRED, 30 MATCH 2014

Same time, last year, on March 30, I "disengaged" from my ad agency of 19 years and the ad industry for good--a life-changing decision. 

Today, my pockets may not be as full, but my heart always is--gaining the freedom to pursue the things I love best: I taught, got invited to speak in a national literary conference, gave talks on various aspects of culture in schools, became a consultant for a university, wrote major chapters for two books, provided creative recommendations for the relaunch of the Clark Museum, moonlit for an ad agency, set up a museum exhibit, attended art fairs, book launches and award ceremonies, sat as a member of the board of trustees for Kuliat foundation, won a Xmas essay contest sponsored by the Inquirer, judged various provincial festival contests, appeared on TV, gave museum tours, got recognized for my work in the arts by the provincial government, and most of all had more time to stop and smell the roses. 

Now that wasn't so bad, isn't it?

70. 2019: THE YEAR THAT WAS: Looking at Life From Up and Down

As we start a new decade, I look back at 2019 and realize what a mixed bag of events and emotions it had brought us, and me personally, as I struggled with some health issues ( I am coughing as I write this) and many personal losses this year. But I am still thankful that I weathered the year, and ended it with a better sense of purpose, thanks to a leadership that brought back some optimism to our dispirited city that has been mismanaged for over 2 decades.

INDELIBLE IMAGES FROM 2019

JANUARY began on an ominous note with the passing of my aunt Imang Auring Samson-Castro  on Jan. 3 in Baguio. She was our go-to person when I and my sibling went to school in Baguio (my sister Celine even became their ward), and it was sad to see her go, as this left our 99 year old Imang Elsie (the eldest sister of my late father)—the only surviving senior Castro in the family.

On our way down from going to her memorial service on Jan. 5, we met an accident in Sison, Pangasinan, where a motorcycle rider veered to our lane and crashed his bike on my car. Thank God, he came out of it with just a broken toe, and no one was hurt. How’s that for a double whammy?

Some  days after, our nephew Robby Castro Dizon and girlfriend Macel Bermudez, finished their month-long visit to Pampanga and returned to the Auckland, New Zealand on Jan. 16.

On Jan 17, award-winning GMA TV journalist Howie Severino interviewed me for  his “I-Witness” documentary “Unang Reyna”, that touched on the legacy  of Pura Villanueva, the first true national beauty queen of the Philippines.

I turned 62 years old on Jan. 21, an uneventful number. I had not planned on celebrating my birthday, but my friends at the Center for Kapampangan Studies wouldn’t let me—so they threw a small party for me at the university, bless them!

On Friday, Jan. 25, the second Holy Angel University-produced film ARIA, written by Robby Tantingco and directed by Carlo Catu, had its premiere at SM Clark.

FEBRUARY was a month of reunions and endless get-togethers, beginning on Feb. 3 where the Mabalacat Elementary School Alumni Association held a grand motorcade—and our batch’s float—Class of 1969—led the way!!  Our Golden Jubilee Homecoming happened on Feb. 9, at the Venmari Resort. It was great to reconnect again with my dear elementary classmates, many of whom I have not seen for 40 years!

In contrast, the evening event held at the Aseana Conventon Center in Clark was a formal, but well-attended affair. On Feb. 24, at Lola Nor’s. it was the turn of Caballeros— 1973 Sacred Heart Seminary High School Batch--- to have our mini-reunion. Classmates from Mabalacat, Angeles, and U.S.-based balikbayans attended the spur of-the-moment, but super fun affair!

MARCH was uneventful, but on March 19, I had to go to the Medical City Hospital to have my problem trigger finger checked up as it was getting worse and giving me constant pain.

APRIL has always been a busy month for me, mainly because of the annual observance of Holy Week. On Holy Wednesday, April 17, our Mater Dolorosa was already on its decorated carroza when heavy rains fell, prompting the cancellation of the evening procession. Thankfully, the freaky weather cooperated on Good Friday, April 19, and our Sta. Maria Jacobe—plus 4 more of my santos (Oracion, Christ at the Column, Sta. Salome, Captive Christ) —wended their way around the city without a hitch and we all went home dry.

In the afternoon of April 22, while I was at work on my computer, the hous started shaking and I realized it was an earthquake---and a strong one! By the time I had stepped out, the rumblings settled, but the intensity 6.1 quake had leveled a supermarket in Porac, trapping people inside.

MAY, my trigger thumb was finally operated on by my orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Peter Papio,  at Medical City- Clark on May 8. My troubled thumb was in bandage for 2 weeks! I was well enough to vote during the city election conducted on May 13, at my precinct in Mabiga.

 By May 14, the counting was done and a new leader emerged-my candidate Cris Garbo was proclaimed as the new mayor of Mabalacat, beating his opponent by a landslide. Most of his councilors, too, won their seats, thus putting an end to the 2-decade term of Boking Morales.

On JUNE 23, we marked our Mothers’s (Ester del Rosario-Castro) 10^th death anniversary.

JULY was not particularly busy, but on  Jul. 12, together with CKS friends Robby and Myra, went to Manila to be at the launch of Claude Tayag’s watercolor book at the National Museum. The movers and shakers of the local art and culture scene were all there at the historic and picturesque venue, and needless to say, we had a great time.

Jul. 14, I attended the first Mass of friend and now Rev. Fr.  Jude Belnas, who had planed in from England to officiate his homecoming mass at the Divine Grace Church. In Jul. 27, I toured former Health Sec. Manuel Dayrit at the CKS Museum, who had Angeleño Del Rosario in his lineage,  which made him a relative!

On AUGUST 8, it was back to Manila to join an important meeting at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Center upon the invitation of CDC Chairman Mr. Ping de Jesus. He wanted to rainstorm on possible ways to improve  the displays at the Martial Law Museum housed in their Quezon City building . The get-together was significant in that me, Robby and Myra managed to meet some of the most well-known victims and oppositionists of the Marcos regime-from Bobbi Malay, Susan Quimpo to Joy Jopson-Kintanar ( widow of late detainee and victim Ed Jopson)

A major project that Golden Jubilee Class of 1969 undertook and which I conceptualized  was the heritage coloring book of Mabalacat, entitled “Bale Matua”. The 20 page book, illustrated by local artist Dodjie Aguinaldo,  featured 18 coloring pages of  ancestral structures. On Aug. 23, some 20 Mabalacat Elementary School alumni , led by valedictorian Elvie Almazar, were on hand to distribute the books for free to select Grade 4 and 5 students, during the Buwan ng Wika celebration. The event was covered by leading local papers and TV stations, as the project was the first of its kind in the region. More coloring books were later donated to the San Francisco Elementary School.

SEPTEMBER marked a family milestone with the Wedding of my beautiful niece Trisha Castro to her longtime boyfriend JC Paras, held on Sep. 14 at the Sacred Heart Parish in San Fernando. Trisha is one of two daughters of my late brother, Christopher Eric Castro, with Fe Bingcang. Reception was held at the Country Garden which was magically transformed into a veritable garden of flowers with crystal accents. I was honored to have been one of the Principal Sponsors. My brother would also have been proud! Long may they live and prosper!

 Clearly the highlight of the month of OCTOBER, and perhaps the whole year for me happened on October 7, when the City Government of Mabalacat, led by Vice Mayor Geld P. Aquino, presented me with a copy of Resolution No. 06, recognizing my contribution to the cultural,artistic, moral and spiritual upliftment of the city, primarily for the song, “Bayung Mabalacat” which I co-created and which was used as the campaign song of the new Mayor’s , and which has now become the new anthem of Mabalacat. I never felt so proud to receive such honor!

Like all Pinoys, NOVEMBER started with a trek to the cemetery on Nov. 1 to remember our dear departed loved ones, in my case my parents, younger brother and both paternal and maternal grandparents.

On Nov. 6, I had my passport renewed at the local DFA. Five days later, on Nov. 11, it was back to the Medical City-Clark again as I am disturbed by these floaters that were affecting my vision. Well, the ophthalmologist said that there’s nothing pathologically wrong—floaters, she says, naturally occur with age. Ouch, that hurts!

My brother –in-law, Nilo Dizon,  landed in Clark from Auckland, New Zealand on Nov. 21 for a month-long vacation. Since he is a certified tramper, I arranged for a trek to Mabalacat’s next best tourist attraction, the hidden Haduan Falls in faraway sitio Haduan. We began our trek in the early morning of Nov. 28,  which required us negotiating a hanging bridge, navigating a rocky river trail, and climbing a steep-ledge to reach the falls. Death defying, but still worth it, despite a bruised rib, scrapes and spills.

The month ended with a bang with the start of the 30^th SEA Games on Nov. 30. The Parade Ground of Clark-Mabalacat was the venue for some of the sporting events like Dancesports, Rugby 7, and Archery,

Before we knew it, it was the Christmas month of DECEMBER!  First thing I did was to have my san Fernando lantern repaired, and it was soon up and blinking! On Dec. 11, I attended the 448^th Pampanga Day’s Most Outstanding Kapampangan Awards at Royce Hotel in Clark. Our two nominees, entrepreneur Mrs. Elvira Machuca and swimmer Kayla Noelle Sanchez won their respective categories—for Business and Sports, respectively.

 As the Christmas week neared, I was suddenly plagued with cough and fever, seems like there’s an epidemic going on, and I am still recuperating as I write this.  In the morning of Dec. 23, we brought my bro.in law to the Clark Airport—for his return flight to NZ, in time to join his family there for Christmas.

I missed this year’s Maytinis in Mabalacat, so I went to Clark for my Dec. 25 morning mass at Our Lady of Remedies Chapel. The rest of the day, I was coughing miserably, so I just spent the rest of Christmas at home and went on an online movie marathon.

I had a reunion lunch with some of my santo-aficionado friends in Malolos on Dec. 29, hosted by friend Leo Cloma. I got to see again their Museum of Incarnation, which was full to the brim with ecclesiastical arts and processional santos.

So now 2020 has arrived, I have all but junked the idea of making my New Year’s resolutions. I guess at this point in my life ( I turn 63 next month), I will just start each day unplanned, relishing what great things each day gives, and accepting whatever news that comes my way, sad, bad or glad. For sure though, I will continue my regular swimming, movie watching (I have breezed thru all episodes of Lucifer, The Hoarders, Gotham, and now, The Witcher)  and my writing, this time for the widely referenced pop culture online blog, FilipiKnow. And we’ll see what happens after that!

 IN MEMORIAM 2019

I will hold dear  the memories of these  relatives, friends and colleagues who all left this mortal world in 2019. May their souls rest in peace.

1.      AUREA Samson CASTRO (+  January 3, Aunt, married to my uncle Mateo Castro)

2.      RENE TIONGQUICO (+ Mar. 29, age 62,  Elementary classmate, died just  a month after our 50^th alumni reunion)

3.      JUSTINO Palao CASTRO (+ Apr. 10, age 66, Cousin)

4.      FR. HENRY GROENEWEGEN (+Jul. 2, age 85, our High School Prefect of Studies, Sacred Heart Seminary, Angeles City)

5.      NORLITO Sanchez DEL ROSARIO (+ Oct. 11, age 77, Uncle)

6.      LUISA del Rosario TINIO ( + 8 Dec. 2019, age 64, First Cousin)

7.      JOSEPH Guazon LAGLEVA ( + 19 Dec. 2019, age 59, MassComm school mate St. Louis University, Baguio)

8.      TINA Isidro ISORENA (+ 20 Dec. 2019, age 56, officemate at Jimenez D’Arcy)

30.Bale Matua: The DELA CRUZ-LIM HOUSE

An uncle of mine died this week, Tatang Emiliano “Bending” de la Cruz, who lived to the ripe age of 93 years. Tatang was married to my aunt Elsie Castro, 89, sister of my late Dad.

Both Tatang Bending and Imang Elsie were the last of their siblings, outliving all their younger ‘kapatads’, in the case of my aunt. Though longtime Manila residents, they've always remained true to their Pampanga roots, and it was in Mabalacat, their hometown, that the family chose to have Tatang’s wake.

 The death of my uncle gathered our Kapampangan relatives, and the funeral wake turned into another mini-reunion, and an occasion to revisit old memories of the grand De La Cruz-Lim House, where my uncle lay in state for 3 days.

This is their family residence, an imposing structure built in 1932, by his father, Don Vicente Dizon de la Cruz (Apung Centi), a prominent businessman and sugar planter, and his wife, Dna. Felipa Tuazon Lim (Apung Pepang), whose humble beginnings belied her enterprising spirit.

As a youngster, Apung Pepang sold water to passengers of the the Manila-Dagupan railway, which passed thru the town. In later years, local people would call her the “Nora Aunor of Mabalacat”, despite the obvious anachronism.

I had written about this house in my local history book, but never got around to seeing it this close. I remember a few, short visits here—it is a town landmark because of its tall tower—when one says you have reached the “bale ng Apung Pepang” (the house of Lola Pepang), it means you have reached the town proper.

 The house stands right along the corner of the Sta. Ines Expressway Exit and MacArthur Highway in a spacious prime lot. It has a distinct art deco design, right down to the iron grill fence.

The house was among the few featured in the “Pampanga Social Register” book, published in 1936, which paid tribute to Pampanga’s prominent people in business and society.

According to the write-up, the house was constructed with Rizal Cement, furnished with Puyat Furniture and finished with Bondex paint by contractor A.B. Villanueva & Sons.

Well-kept through the years, the house had only minor refurbishments, which included re-painting and a change of wallpaper. It is fronted by a garden and a small lawn featuring a grotto-like centerpiece with some figures in cement.

 The covered entry features a contemporary plaque that identifies it as the De la Cruz-Lim Residence, Constructed 1932.

The names of the children are listed with along with the names of their spouses: Enrico (m. Cristina D. Antonio), Constancia, Vicente Gonzalo Jr. (died young), Emiliano (m. to Elsie M. Castro), Heindelberto (m. Clarita G. Velasquez), Ubaldo (m. Caridad G. Garcia), Felicisima (m. to Judge Noli P. Quioc) and Adelaida (m. to Francisco A. Olalia).

The spacious receiving room (where the wake was held) is richly-lined with narra wood panels while the two-toned flooring is made from long wood strips.

The tall but narrow sliding windows of clear glass are protected by beautiful art deco grills of floral design.

There are two rooms to the left, one of which is Apung Centi’s office. There is also a larger room next to the stairwell, used as a living quarter.

The second floor is accessible by a short flight of stairs with wooden steps and iron grill balusters. It leads to the commodious living room that has retained its 80 year old Ambassador style furniture made by Puyat & Sons.

The two-toned floor motif and the wooden paneling is repeated here.

An unusual portrait of the De La Cruzes hangs in the sala. It is that of the couple in their late 50s, cut-out photo oleos (painted studio pictures) and assembled to give a 3-D effect, an early and unusual example of tole art.

 Going to the dining room, one sees an arch with low relief carvings representing the prosperous sugar business of the De La Cruzes. It shows a sugar mill (Apung Centi was a stockholder of the Mabalacat Sugar Mill), sugarcane crushers, a pilon and other mill appurtenances.

 A matching arch is shown on the opposite side, with the initials of the owner and carvings of a vast sugarcane field, a cane crusher and the solitary figure of a farmer hauling off sugarcane stalks in a gareta (carabao cart).

 The dining room also retained much of its furniture, vintage Puyat, in streamlined Ambassador deco, a favored and popular 30s style.

High windows keep the dining room cool, and an occasional bat would often stray into the house through the sliding windows.

To the left are the kitchens and other utility areas, where househelps spend most of their time preparing the food and cooking dishes using old clay ovens.

There is an old fashioned banggera here, and a modern San Miguel refrigerator.

Opposite are rooms sandwiching a short hallway that leads to a veranda. One room is used to store the antique images of St. Mary Margaret Alacocque and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which are lent to the church for viewing on the Feast of Sacred Heart.

The most famous feature of the house is the tower, which is accessible through a narrowing and a spiraling flight of stairs that lead to the top, a small space with windows, good for just a small seat.

There is a town legend that daughter Constancia used to hang out here, which has a commanding view of the town, in the hope of catching a glimpse of a beloved—a religious, so they say. The truth was, Constancia had bad lungs, so her father built the tower for her so she could take better whiff of the fresh, pure air available at high altitude.

Today, the beautiful Deco house is under the care of the children of the late Felicisima de la Cruz-Quioc, a number of whom reside here . I am privileged to have grown up with some of them-- two boys were schoolmates at Sacred Heart Seminary, while the eldest daughter is married to the culinary artist Claude Tayag, another high school classmate.

 While we were once more reunited under a sad circumstance, I am somehow comforted by the thought that Tatang Bending (he is the young boy on the right, in long white pants), who spent his early teenage years living in this grand old house of many memories, is once more home in the town he loved the most, this time, for good.

13. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, IMA

Ima, my mother, finally surrendered to God’s will after putting up a valiant fight against lung cancer, the same disease that claimed my father eleven years go. In the 6 months that she battled the disease, she found comfort in my old Star Wars bedsheet—still soft and serviceable after all these years. My siblings from abroad sent her all kinds of brand new blankets—but it was this galactic sheet that she clung to, even as she was sustained by our love and prayers and buoyed by visits from family and friends.

 In the end, not even her favorite security shield could save her life, but her spirit remained unbroken throughout her ordeal. Her humor kept our faith alive and the strength of her will was incredible. Several times, on the brink of death, she miraculously bounced back, astounding even her doctors. But on the night of June 23, at 8 p.m, my Ima, spent and weary, decided it was time to join my late father Gerry and brother Eric in eternal life. Though physically gone, Ima lives in our hearts. Godspeed, Ima, wherever you are, may the Force be with you. (1 July 2009)

 WE REMEMBER IMA:  ESTER DEL ROSARIO-CASTRO

 (b. 13 Aug. 1928- d. 23 Jun. 2009)

Exactly a year ago today, our Mother, Estrella del Rosario-Castro, joined our Dad and brother Eric in eternal life. I miss her cooking, I miss her laughter in the house, I miss watching telenovelas and game shows with her, I miss Saturday Masses with her, and I miss our monthly dine-outs at her favorite Chinese Restaurants. But Ima lives on, loved and remembered for always in our minds and in our hearts!

 You were there when we took our first steps,

 And went unsteadily across the floor.

 You pushed and prodded: encouraged and guided,

 Until our steps took us out the door...

 You worry now "Are they ok?"

 Is there more you could have done?

 As we walk the paths of our unknown You wonder

"Where have my children gone?"

 Where we are is where you have led us,

 With your special love you showed us a way,

 To believe in ourselves and the decisions we make.

 Taking on the challenge of life day-to-day.

 And where we go you can be sure,

 In spirit you shall never be alone.

 For where you are is what matters most to us,

 Because to us that will always be home...

 (22 June 2010)