MY FATHER: SOME UNTOLD STORIES

‘He that is slow to wrath is
Of great understanding.’

- Old Testament


‘A father who will encourage
his children in pursuing as
many of their goals as
possible,  and will get his
kids bandwagon in such a
fashion can make a crucial
difference in their lives.’

- Alan Loy Macinnis


INTRODUCTION

At the young age of twenty-one (21), my father, LOPE BAGASBAS FERNANDEZ (1916-1990), aka ‘Oping’ married my mother, GUADALUPI SOLEVIN TIJAM, only eighteen (18), aka, ‘Poping’ (1920-2000).

LOPE was the second son of the late Eusebio Francia Fernandez, a farmer and the late Raymunda Regaspi Bagasbas.  Both were residents of San Ramon, Nabua, Camarines Sur.  The place was estimated to be 10 kilometers from downtown Nabua, Camarines Sur.  Poping was the third daughter of the late Felomino Tijam of Manduriao, Iloilo and Victoria Federes Solevin of San Nicolas,  Nabua, Camarines Sur.

A. PRE-WAR LIFE:
According to my cousin, William Yu Solevin, eldest son of Amparo Solevin (daughter of Felomino and Victoria) and Jackson (Ricardo) Yu, a Chinese, Poping was selling bars of soap in the public market of the town while Lope was also selling ‘maritatas’ (various articles needed at home like cooking oil, candies, sangkaka’, which was made of sugar cane juice, ashes of coconut palm and the soft part of the trunk of papaya tree, boiled to make it sticky, etc.

My father was tall and good-looking.  Brown complexion.  He was known as ‘palikero’ or playboy even in his married life.  No wonder, he charmed many young lass, Poping who was the very young.  It was love at first sight.

From the records of the family, and as researched by the writer, Lope and Poping were married in 1937.  According to William, aka ‘Nonoy’, ‘Poping’ mother, Victoria did not want her daughter to be far from her.  She was still too young and knew very little of house chores.  They also have no house of their own.  By that time, they were living in barangay San Nicolas, Nabua, Camarines Sur.  Felomino and Victoria were living in the house of the Federes family (note that Victoria’s family name was Federes).  Nonoy William himself was born in barangay San Nicolas, Nabua Camarines Sur.

When Atty. Eugene Solevin (Poping’s uncle) was appointed as Municipal Judge (Juez de Paz) of Bato, Nabua and Iriga, he urged her sister, Victoria to help him in their house.

Nonoy William informed this writer that Victoria also urged Lope and Poping to live with them in Bato, Camarines Sur, (rented the house of the Corralde’s).  At that time, there were very few lawyers yet.  Judge Solevin and wife Benita Fordan were childless, so they informally adopted Teofisto (another nephew) to live with them.  With Judge Solevin’s help, he supported the schooling of his nephew who later became a University Professor.

Even if they lived in Bato, Camarines Sur, Lope and wife Poping needed to visit the family in San Ramon, Nabua, Camarines Sur.  Barangay San Ramon was in the boundary of Nabua and Bato.  So it was easy for them to travel.

While they were living in Bato, Jackson (Lope’s brother-in-law) continued as a sales agent of the soap factory in Sto. Domingo, Nabua, Camarines Sur.  Nonoy William told me that his father, Jackson, was no stranger in ‘langtad’ (the forested part of Nabua) as he would sell soap in these area.  He had many men, accompanying him.  They were all knowledgeable in martial arts.

Jackson as a soap sales agent and his wife, Amparo lived for a while in Talisay, Camarines Norte.  Lope stayed close by.  The second child of Jackson and Amparo (named Angelina) was born in Talisay, Camarines Norte.  She was born in 1937.  Incidentally, Victoria’s husband, Felomino, an employee of MRR (Manila Rail Road) died in Talisay, Camariens Norte.

Judge Solevin suffered ailment of his feet.  It was the result of placing his feet on a basin of cold water.  He did not want to get sleepy when making a court decision.

According to Patricia (Pesing), Lope’s youngest sister, they would stay long in San Ramon.  They would bring their eldest son, Avelino.  Pesing and young Avelino were playmates.  Their age was closer to one another.

With the support of a cane, Judge Eugenio Solevin walked with it.  But, long before his death in 1944 (Japanese time and nearing the end of war), he was able to buy a residential lot in San Miguel, Nabua, Camarines Sur (infront of the Nabua High School).  The lot was originally owned by a certain Leon Ferandez.  According to William Solevin, the Ferandez lot extended from the road going to San Nicolas (now owned by a certain Tang Panong Fajardo up to the place of Regalado’s).  No wonder, the immediate neighbor of Judge Solevin was a certain Eutiquio Ferandez.  A brother or a cousin of Leon and heirs Severo Ferandez and his sister Constancia Ferandez Obrero.
 
B. World War II:

Taken over by the Second World War, the family of Eusebio (wife Raymunda died in 1941), decided that the whole family, including Lope, Guadalopi and son Avelino evacuated to the forested area of Nabua.  The place was so popular by the name ‘langtad’ (barangay San Roque).  They went to this place to avoid the Japanese Imperial Army.  The land which was heavily forested was owned by the family of Balatan.  Eusebio was the family’s ‘encargado’.  The family preferred to live in ‘langtad’ because it was abundant with fruit bearing trees like ‘carson’ or ‘tipong’ (young coconut), palay, camote, wild pigs, mountain deer, monkeys, etc..  There were also fishes in the rivers.

However, as the war went on (according to Nonoy William, the Japanese ordered that all civilian Filipinos return to their homes, last, they will be considered as ‘guerila’ by the Japanese.  The families of Eusebio, including Lope and Poping (she was pregnant at the time.)  They went home and the second son was born and was christened as Virgilio.  He was born in 1943.

They stayed long in San Ramon, Nabua, Camarines Sur until the next son was born.  The fourth son was christened as Romeo.  The second son died while still an infant.

After liberation, Lope and family returned to San Miguel, Nabua Camarines Sur.


C. My Father’s short Stint in the Military:

Note:

See story No. 521: A Collection of Jokes and Short Stories; written by Romeo Tijam Fernandez; 2013; Book 5.

With Certificates:

a. Certificate of the United States of America honoring him (my father) signed by William J. Clinton; President of the United States of America.

b. The Unites States of America honoring the memory of Lope R. Fernandez, signed by William J. Clinton; President of the United States of America.


FURTHER NOTED:  Lope used ‘R’ instead of ‘B’.  For a long time.  ‘R’ stands for Regaspe, his mother’s middle initial, instead of ‘B’ which stands for Bagasbas.  Bagasbas was the family name of Lola Rayminda.

 
D. Contract Worker of the Bureau of Forestry:

There was a time when my father, Lope, felt miserable.  He turned to be hot headed.  In the 1950’s, he was jobless due to the closing of some transportation companies where he was either the conductor or the inspector.  But my mother understood him and she was patient.  He had no stable job to feed his family.  All of them were in school.  He said that they were so poor that they cannot left something to them, except education.

But in order to help my father, my mother opened a store selling fried bananas (called in vernacular as ‘sinapot’ and in Bicol-Naga ‘baduya’); ripe avocado; boiled corn and pomelo.  She was more known for her ‘kos-kos’ or flavored scrapped ice.  Cost per glass full was five centavos (regular) and ten centavos (special).  Her stores and the earnings of my father saw us until college.

My father had many friends in town.  Some of them were college graduates and employees of the Bureau of Forestry.  But, unlike his friends, he was unable to apply to a government job.  He had no civil service eligibility.  Much more, he finished only elementary grades.

At that time, there were openings as laborer in the construction of roads going to the town of Balatan (known before as Siramag).  He applied and was accepted.  But, when the project was finished and there were no more projects, he was again jobless.

He applied to the Bureau of Forestry.  But, not as an employee but as a contract laborer.  His job was planting trees in the mountains of Minalabac, Camarines Sur.   He stayed long, in fact for many years.  There atop the mountains, he slept with lowly people.  He was caught by several strong typhoons.  Always, he thought of his family.  On one occasion, he waded in a waist-deep and shoulder deep water from the town of Minalabac passing through the shoulder-deep flood water in Milaor just to see his family in Naga City.

Regularly, he went back home every week and be back to the mountains of Minalabac in the afternoon of Sundays or early mornings of Mondays.  It was better that way than going to Naga City everyday of every two days.  As a tree planter, there were sacks-full of seeds deposited at home.

The seeds were of Narra trees, butterfly trees, etc.  They planted forest trees and took care of them until they sprouted (not like today).  Students and or government men today, planted seedling and did not care if they grew or not.

Then, there were complaints of planters against their Supervisor.  My father was suspected as the brain of the group.  The written complaint was in English.  He can write but in Tagalog or Bicol languages.  However, many laborers looked upon his as their leader.  Many were unschooled.  But, he was the only elementary graduate.  Some even were familiar at home.  Some ate at home.  Some slept at home.  Perhaps, other persons wrote the complaint for them.  But, if he was really the brains, we would be proud of him.  We could have supported him.  There were many irregularities in the bureau at the time.

He resigned. He was jobless again.

E. As a Bus Conductor/Inspector:

In 1952 (I was in Grade II), my uncle, Abelardo (I called him Bado) bought a second-hand passenger bus.  Papa Lope became its first conductor.  The car stayed with us for several years.  I did not know why it was sold.  My father was jobless again.

My father found out that he can be a good bus conductor. He loves his work.  He loved his job very well.  He served the following transportation companies either as bus conductor or inspector:

• ALATCO Transportation Company
• PANSIT Transportation Company
• VICTORY LINER
• And some other small bus companies
which I could not remember


All these bus companies are no longer existing except for VICTORY LINER.  Previously, it had the Naga-Legaspi route.  Now, they are concentrated to the Manila-Ilocos Norte route.  All these transportation companies had no Social Security System before or any form of insurance for their employees.  Papa Lope received no pension.

I still could remember when I was still in the grade school.  Our house was a little one kilometer away from the ’parada’ or town’s parking area.  As a young boy, it seemed to me that the ‘parada’ was too far.  It must be because of the narrow road.  The road was still made of asphalt, with pot holes everywhere.  The width was still eight meters.

I was to go home from the town center when a fast-running bus passed my way.  It was running too fast, even exceeding the allowed speed limit.  I was at the right side of the road.  Our elementary grade teacher instructed us to always walk at the right side of the road.  Until now, I observe the instruction.

When evening came, my father told us that I nearly got hit by their bus.  I was unaware of it.  As told by Papa, the driver reportedly told him ‘ligison ko na lang’.  But, Papa told him that ‘iguin ko yan’ (he is my son.)  I escaped being ran-over but I knew that the car was over speeding while I was on the right side of the road.

Papa always came home from work (as a bus conductor) between 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  By that time, there yet no electric services.  It was very dark at night.  The only light came from the moon or stars or fire flies.  There were glitters of light in every house or from sari-sari stores.  But, all came from kerosene lamps.  Only very few have ‘petro max’.

F. On Wine and Cigarettes:

Papa Lope was not addicted to liqueur.  He drank only by the necessity of event.  Only for socialization.  But, he would buy cigarettes (brand B-29).  But, he was not addicted to smoking.  What he did was chew the tobacco of the cigarette (a term in Bicol as ‘nagmamama’).  Sometimes, he would chew ‘buyo’ (a kind of green leaves);  bettle nut and ‘apog’ (white powder material resulting from pounding of sea shell).

G. Typhoons and Floods:

In our younger years, we stayed in the ancestral house of our grandmother.  Before and until now, the place is a low land.  When it rained hard, the rain water from Mt. Mayon flows to the low land of Albay and Camarines Sur.  Likewise, the rain water from Iriga (we call it Sumagang) also goes to the low land of Buhi, Iriga, Nabua and Bato.  Unfortunately, the rain water from the Bicol River and Lake Bato goes to our place, infront of the Nabua National High School.

During the typhoon and floods, we took refuge either in the house of the Fajardo Family (Tang Panong and Yang Idang)  or to the house of my father’s second cousin, Severo Ferandez.  We call the house of the Fajaro family as the White House because it is entirely painted with white (until now).

Usually, the rain water was waist-deep (in the sala) or more than eight feet outside the house.  Papa Lope did not know how to swim.  But, he would carry us on his shoulder either to the two houses.  He would walk in the flood water.

H. Circumference of Mt. Mayon:

Computation of numbers was very easy for my father.  And he patiently, taught us (especially additional, subtraction, multiplication and additional).  I learned mathematical computation from him.

When I was in grade school, he was hired by the ALATCO Transportation Company to prepare its monthly income to be submitted to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).  He would consult the stubs of ticket for each month and we would help him by adding the fares.

I. Love of the ‘Estribo’ (Baggage Compartment):

His expertise was as a bus conductor and/or Bus Inspector.  Even if he was already retired and even with his ailment (diabetes), he felt lively if he saw the car ‘estribo’.  He felt young and alive and seemed wanted to jump to or from the ‘estribo’.

Now, the doors of passenger buses are in front.  Before, from the front seat up to the last seat were open.  He loved to jump from the ‘estribo’ even if the car was in motion.  Even running at 5 to 10 kilometers per hour.

J. My Father was a Joker:

Another remarkable trait of Papa Lope was his tendency to make fun of others, especially, his young nephew and nieces.  Edna Gornal (Daughter of Aunt Mancing), now a public school teacher would recall that during her high school days my father would make fun of her and her brothers and sisters.  They would felt hurt but Edna would just smiled at them.  She explained that they were only jokes.  Papa Lope did not want to hurt them.

K. He Was A Sickly Man:

In the 60’s, he was brought to the hospital.  By this time, the family moved to Naga City.  Our eldest brother was working with Singer Sewing machine.  Another eldest joined the US Navy.  He was treated with hernia.  He said it was painful while urinating.  But, in the hospital, he never complained to us… only to our mother.  He did not want to disturb us from our schooling.

I was then a second year college student when Papa Lope was brought to the then Provincial Hospital.  My obligation was to provide him company in the hospital.  But, even at his sick bed. He would keep on reminding me of my studies.  He asked us not to worry about him.

Operation for other illnesses was already familiar to him.  Being brought to a hospital was alright to him.  In the 50’s, he was operated with acute appendicitis.  And now, he was sick with diabetes, which he inherited from his elders.  Majority of his children and grandchildren have this dreadful illness.

Already old and with diabetes, he should not have engaged to tedious work.  But, he wanted to show that he was still strong and capable of doing hard work.  It was reported by his daughter-in-law, Zenaida, which he carried or even dragged a bamboo pole from an estimated one kilometer from our house.

Zenaida, even reported that he like to wear dark pants.  He had no more control of his urination.  She said that one time, he came home… with wet pants.  Nobody noticed that he urinated in his pants while in the ‘sentro’ of Naga City.

L. He Was Also A Good Samaritan:

In 1983, we started building our house through the SSS Housing Loan scheme.   There were times that I planned to see a movie.  The pay before was only P0.25 per person.  But, upon approaching the ticket seller.  I stepped back.  I thought that the P0.25 could still be used in the purchase of a kilo of nails.  Many times, I stepped back from the ticket seller and did not see the show.  To further economize, I helped my laborers straighten nails.

I was really broke (no money).  I needed it so badly to pay my laborers, just for a day or two.  I approached him.  We were at the Plaza Kinse Martires.  He lent me P4, 000.00.

But, later, to my surprise, he told me not to worry paying him of the P4,000.00.  I thanked him.

M. As A Volunteer-Teacher:

San Ramon, Nabua Camarines Sur had an elementary school.  At the time (after the war), there were very few graduates in Education.  Many had only Teachers’ Certification (ETC).  The Naga College (Naga City) and Mabini College (Iriga City) had many of these teachers.

After the war, many Filipinos (under graduates) were more knowledgeable than today’s college graduates.  They could talk and write.

If my father could be believed, he told us that he only reached Grade VII but was allowed to teach (for a short time in La Opinion Elementary School).

I now dedicate this short poem to him:

“Usually parents who are lucky
In the kind of children they have.
Have children who are lucky in
The kind of parents they have.”

- Author unknown



-end-