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| Vol. XX No. 47 |
January 31, 2001 |
Virac, Catanduanes |
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The Catanduanes Tribune Rawis, Virac Catanduanes, Philippines - 5001 Tel. No.: (052) 811-1267 or 811-2640 Fax No.: (052) 811-1267 E-mail:
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Publisher-Editor Edwin A. Gianan |
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Advertising- Circulation Manager Simeon G. Cueno |
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Web Master: Calgary, Canada |
INSIDE PAGE
by Fernan A. Gianan
Searching
for her roots
Early
this month, somebody who calls herself "Jocelyn P. Araneta"
contacted one of our website handlers (my brother Edmund who's based in
LA) and asked for assistance in tracing the living remnants of her
mother's family in Virac. The name may be false but the story she told
somehow rings true.
She
said that her mother, now in the twilight of her life, was taken to Manila
57 years ago when she was 12 by an aunt named Fausta who was married to a
Chinese. It turned the girl's mother died early and her father remarried
against the will of his wife's kin. Since then, she heard only a little
about the whereabouts of her family in Virac and has forgotten the names
of her other brothers (one allegedly owns a minimart) and sisters.
According
to "Araneta," her mother's parents were natives of Calolbon but
they settled at either Sta. Elena or Colawan. She remembers the Arcillas
in Colawan, including one who managed a band, and a Ms. Guerrero who owns
a botica (probably the late Sotera Guerrero or her daughter Adelaida). She
recalled that her family's house was opposite the Madrigals (was there
such a family here?).
Her
lineage as she remembers it: mother - Leoncia Manlangit; father - Pedro
Francisco; grandfather (mother's side) - Raymunda Lopez; grandfather
(father's side) - Ambrosio Manlangit; aunties (mother's side) - Gregoria
and Corazon Manlangit; uncles (father's side) - Victor, Alberto and Hugo
Francisco; sisters - Dolores and Violeta; and, brothers - Nazario,
Simplicio and Pedrito.
The
Tribune sought the assistance of former DECS division superintendent Dr.
Ricardo Francisco but he could not remember any of the names. We don't
have enough time to personally undertake an exhaustive search and we are
therefore calling on those who recall these names, or even the woman's
living relatives, to contact this corner to shed light on the matter.
"Araneta"
hopes the search would uncover the roots of her mother and eventually lead
to something like her mother being able to meet again her long-lost
relatives. "This would surely make her happy. She is now in her
twilight years, and I hope to make her happy," "Araneta"
said.
It
is unfortunate that Congressman Leandro B. Verceles, Jr. resorted to the
attempt to deny the public access to information - the now controversial
article on page A14 of the Philippine Daily Inquirer last Jan. 24, 2001 -
by buying up all copies of that issue here in Virac.
Not
only has he earned comparisons with the Senate's infamous Eleven but it
has lent a ring of truth to the article's allegations that he tried to
bribe NBI agents to stop linking him to the alleged P1.2-billion in ghost
projects in the province.
Instead
of preventing the public from learning of the bribery try, it achieved the
opposite as fax machines ran hot in Manila and Virac. Predictably, the
issue was exploited to the hilt by Gov. Hector S. Sanchez who immediately
distributed xeroxed copies to the curious public and deprived Inquirer
readers.
The
incident brings to mind the homily of Msgr. Ping Molina during the mass
said on the Jan. 19 prayer rally at Plaza Rizal. Said the good priest:
"The truth, only the truth. Dai nanggad pagtahoban... Hilnga so
nagtahob sa katotoohan. Ngonian may peligro na puloton sa kangkungan."
His word proved too prophetic, for Erap was gone the next noon.
Verceles
probably regretted his action and tried to make amends by going into a
press offensive. But it is too late. Let us hope the sight of a P500 bill
does not make voters forget that they ought to think twice in voting
onion-skinned humans into public office.
Last
week, young athletes from all over Catanduanes gathered in Virac for a
one-day (!) try-out to select the provincial delegation to the 2001 Bicol
Meet.
The
organizers' reason for cancelling the annual provincial meet is
understandable: there is not enough funds to pay for the cost of staging
the meet as well as training and actual participation in the March
regional sports competition.
With
the way the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has served its constituents stale
food on the budget table for the second consecutive year now, with our
politicians concentrating their funds on SOP-rich infrastructure projects,
Catanduanes has no hope of ever catching up with the other Bicol provinces
in producing national athletes.
We
don't even know how our athletes' times and distances compare with
national records. Are they mediocre or would their personal records stand
only some improvement for us to earn a respectable spot in the medal
standings? The public cares to know.
