Visiting The Old Town

by Ronnie Tolentino 

(as published 4 years ago in MVP)

Had I known I would be writing articles in this website I would have taken a lot of pictures around Magsingal and gone more in-depth in re-discovering the place where we all grew-up and giving us the bond that tie us together.

I was there December to January to visit my mother Emilia Tolentino, formerly of Manzante and North Central School. She died on my second day. Like most old people, she is living alright but she fell off her bed and went fast after that. After her accident, she can still talk straight, a few days later, she talked like she drunk a couple glasses of vodka and a few days later, comatose.

All these happened late November to December. We never expected this to happen. We planned our holidays months before that. We really wanted to go to Japan because my children love a lot of things Japanese. And I have been there in Kyoto some years back for training and would love to enjoy the place again with my family. But both me and my wife have aging mothers and losing their minds to dementia fast and we felt that was our last chance to have meaningful conversation with them.

My wife’s father suddenly died on November after we bought our tickets home for December and January and had to make a separate trip to Manila three weeks before our departure. Our holiday funds were severely dented. And in my mind without telling my wife I said to myself, ‘there goes my fine dining everynight’.

Also, if you remember my Uncle Juning Farinas who was Chief of Police when someone shot him, he also died a few days after my mother was buried. I am glad I was able to talk to him before he expired. Didn’t you notice the number of deaths that happened once we planned our holidays?

If anyone of you remember, there was a young doctor by the name of Clayton Udarbe and he practiced medicine in San Clemente near the Town Hall. He left for the States almost 20 years ago and never came back.  He was there for a flying visit with his family because he got his citizenship recently and came to Magsingal soon after that. He is my cousin and my Mom is his mom’s best friend.  He was showing his children the place where their grandparents grew-up.

Our children who grew-up abroad tend to think of  themselves as more of an Aussie or American or Canadian than Filipino and we really need to show them their roots so they get to know their personal history more intimately. Like I showed my kids North Central School, the cemetery where their ancestors body are. Experience the house we lived-in.

Sydney is very beautiful but Magsingal can be very beautiful too if things are not too late yet. Our kadilian (coral reef) is a mess. The constant use of explosives have rendered the reef and the beach almost useless.  The villagers could have earned more money hosting visitors than fishing anyway like they do here in Australia.

There are so much of us Magsingalenos abroad already plus the thousands more in Manila. What discourages us sometimes to go there for holiday?? Nothing much to do! But if they have Nipa Hut lodging places in Manzante or Miramar and the fisher folks accompanying us for line fishing in the reef for a fee with their banca and then cooking the catch for us then that would earn them a lot of money.  That’s what they did in Pagudpud in the early days. I brought our entire finance group to Pagudpud and they enjoyed it immensely. The villagers cooked for us and opened their house for lodging. We also set-up tents in the beach for a fee.

There are lots of earning potentials from visitors like us and out-of towners who will learn about it from word-of-mouth. I wont come to Magsingal to look at the Town Hall or Public Market. Our town is famous already for its Galiera and cock-fighting tradition. I was buying eyeglasses in the Mall of Asia and a fellow next to me overheard my accent and he asked If I was from Magsingal. He is a Mammallot from Cagayan who have been there. Also a Pinoy I met here In Sydney who is an avid fan of the sport. He’s been to Magsingal also for the cockfights.

People can come to Magsingal, enjoy their sport and have a seaside lodging for rest and recreation. I am sure we still have a lot of ‘Hilots’ in town. How I wish I could have someone massage me when I am in holiday there. We could well afford the luxury. I pay 20 dollars here just for 20 minute shoulder massage. That’s a lot of money in Magsingal peso.

Just imagine it! Drinking young coconut juice and then eating the young meat, feeling the gentle sea breeze…And then kilawen kambing or fresh sashimi from the day’s catch plus cold San Miguel beer. We will give employment to coconut and goat farmers too.

I am giving away my business model/plan now. Vic will again accuse me of going commercial ha-ha-ha. But isn’t this worth a look by someone? Someone there should build something that would make our stay in Magsingal more enjoyable for the kids. We will pay a handsome fee. You will earn big bucks. Dole my friend, gather your thousand of mates and start brain-storming. I hope I get the first stay FREE as compliments.