History of My Life - Part F: Detour to 1970 – Miss Red Feather Part B

TAYUM was our first stop on our motorcade to the northern towns. Mayor Carino also delivered a DANIW for Jojo in the Provincial building during her reception in Bangued, had all the school children and town's people turned out to meet us. We were invited by the Catholic priest to see his new organ and have a sister play it for us. He also showed us a baptismal font made of hard wood around four feet in diameter and several hundred years old. At the balcony of the Catholic School Jojo received the people's acclaim and applause.

LAGANGILANG - had a banquet prepared by the school teachers in the Agricultural School Building. There was lechon, fried chicken, big fishes, all kinds of vegetables and fruits and cakes on the long table. The celebration stared as we boarded with our carsthe bamboo ferry across the Abra River. There I met some relatives and friends, the Lopez family, Nona Idang, Manag Oscor, wife of the Town Treasurer, Manong Pepeng Lopez.

DOLORES - was our next stop. They had floats and brass band ready that brought us to the town plaza. Jojo was asked to sing but she honored their request with a dance on the stage. congressman Barbero's home town showed a lot of progress. The bridge across the Abra River was not yet completed. He said that with the asphalted roads, one can now walk on high heels from Bangued to Dolores. My relatives there are Manang Ancion. Torqueza and his wife, Manang Yayang, my cousin.

SAN JUAN - was our next stop with my former Grade VII teacher, Mayor Balaaro, leading the people, students and everybody at the Plaza to welcome us with speeches and a short program. It was my first time to see San Juan although I sued to hear about it before during the Provincial Fair or town fiesta in Bangued.

PENAROBIA - was our first stop the following day. All the school children and townspeople lined the street to greet us. During their brief program I was asked to deliver a speech. I said that in this town were born many beautiful women whose names were Josefina, like Jojo. They were Josefina Tandingan, our cousin, wife of Col. Pedro Bersola. Josefina Abaoag, my former classmate in the Abra High School and Josefina Padaoil, who passed by our house every time she walked to and from the Catholic School.

BUCAY - was our next stop for the day. There, Mayor Torres, brother of Susana, my former classmate, led the town's welcome. They had a very well prepared program prepared following our town around the town. We were shown the Relics of the old Spanish Gate indicating that Bucay was formerly the Capital of Abra when it was a sub-province of Ilocos Sur. I did not know this before. That is why I thought of writing this story because by now or later, those reading it will find it entertaining and interesting and informative. I also did not know that the Abra River passed close to the town and was the means of transportation to Ilocos Sur then. There I met Peping Navarro, my relative. He gave us lots of sweet "santol".

SAN JOSE - was headed by my close friend Mayor Celedonio Javier. He was Physical Education Director in the PMA when I was a law instructor there in 1957 to 1965. He was our idol in the early thirties when he became the National Champion in "Sanggol". He met us with gong-beating, dancing, and almost naked natives or Igorots at the Abra River crossing. They prepared a very sumptuous banquet in the school house. He showed us his project of building a market place with Abra River stores. The big refrigerators he got from Clark Air Base through my help were used by him as storage for brooms and office files. He was a Mayor without pay because he donated his salary for the improvement of the town. He is a retired Major, AFP, like me.

PILAR and VILLAVICIOSA were our last scheduled visits as per agenda prepared by Fina Valera Aquino who escorted us around the Province. It was here where Don Juan Valera, Fina's father has a large land holding planted mostly with tabacco before the war. Hence, they had a tobacco factory called La Flor de Pita. It was here where we met the mother of Jojo's "yaya", Nena. Manang Ibang was hearing Jojo's name in her radio set and she said she wished to see her. Her wish came true. I've never been here before.

Everywhere we went food was always served. The typical Filipino hospitality was noticeable with lavish display of love, affection, praise and appreciation. Pat and I have been pinching ourselves to be sure that we were not dreaming. We were used by God to unite political enemies, unite all people of Abra. congressman Barbero said: WE ARE A POOR FOURTH CLASS PROVINCE BUT UNITED, WE HAVE BEATEN RICHER CITIES AND PROVINCES!

Jojo was invited by the Abra Valley College. Manong Pitong Borgonia, President, extolled the beauty of Jojo as the awakened Sleeping Beauty pointing at the mountains west of Bangued which have the contour of a sleeping maiden. I didn't realize that before. When I was asked to speak I said: Abra is blessed by God with Talent, Strength, and Beauty. Talent with President Borgonia as the youngest Principal Teacher during his time, strength with Major Javier as the Sanggol Champion in the early thirties, and beauty with Jojo as Miss Red Feather Philippines! They had a short program for us demonstrating a block busting with a sledge hammer on top of the stomach of a strog man. He also had picture taking by a professional photographer.

My alma mater, CSC (Colegio del Sagrado Corazon) now called College of the Sacred Heart Academy also invited us to a program where I was again asked to speak. I said, "I am reminded of the time I studied here and depicted the Life of Father Alonso in our graduation program. Now I am back as the father of our Miss Red Feather. You may also be interested to know that I am also the father of a PMA graduate who is now a ranking officer in the Philippine Navy. I also have a son who is a seminarian in Christ the King Seminary. I thank God for having blessed me and my wife with beautiful, wonderful and good children, seven in all!

The Seminary in Pidigan also became our host. There the seminarians gave us a short program. Later on our son, Ernesto, was assigned to this seminary.

The Jaycees of Bangued was also our host. Jojo delivered her speech which was later on broadcast on the radio. Doctor Paragganan who heard it came to see Jojo personally saying he admired her speech. I was asked how I came to have a beautiful daughter. I said, "When a husband and wife love each other so that the two become as ONE, then God will bless that marriage with beautiful children." Pat was also asked how she became the mother of a beautiful daughter like Jojo. She said, "All that I know is that God gave us our children who are all beautiful and I thank Him for these fruits of a lovely marriage."

We both witnessed for the glory of God! Praise the Lord!

The Jaycees of Vigan also became our last host after our tours in Abra. They met us with fireworks and a brass band at the Quirino Bridge then a motorcade around the town to various scenic and historical spots in Vigan. We saw the pottery factory in Bo Burmay, the Quirino home, the Crisologo Antiques, etc. Then we had a banquet after which we heard speeches by Chavit Singson, President, and others extolling the beauty of Jojo. In my speech I surprised them by revealing that my roots are in Barrio Kapangpangan, Vigan, where my father was born. And so Jojo is also a representative of Ilocos Sur in the beauty contest. Her victory is equally shared by the Vigan Jaycees just as it is shared by the Bangued Jaycees. They all agreed!

History of My Life - Part F: Detour to 1970 – Miss Red Feather Part A

It was there in 1970 when my daughter, Jocelyn, was being honored for winning the beauty contest as Miss Red Feather Philippines as Abra’s representative that I got an accolade from a beautiful daughter of our late neighbor, Ex-Governor Bienvenido Valera, saying: “Magpintas laketdin ta anacyon, Momon Siniong!”

It was the late Tata Benid, her father, who said to me in 1950, upon meeting me in Manila, “Ken abogado ka payen aya? Ania laketdin nga ragsak ni Insiongen no ada a biag itan!” “And so you are now a Captain and a lawyer. How happy would Insiong (my father) be if he were alive now!” That was the best compliment I ever received, especially considering the fact that when I was playing with his daughters as a child he told them not to play with my brother and I. He would drive us away from his yard because we belonged to a poor family, the sons of a slipper-maker while he was the “Presidente” or Mayor. Or maybe it was because we were quite dirty compared to his immaculately clean children who had maids to take care of them.

Ironically, he never knew that my late father wanted me to become a lawyer to recover property from him. Over the years his fence encroached closer and closer to our house posts until eventually a common boundary tree was beyond our reach from the fence. The same was also true of our back fence which was already several yards from a common well and an Acacia tree that, according to my mother, used to be a part of our fence. The owner of the property behind our house was the common-law wife of Tata Benid. I could have easily reclaimed our original boundary because I saw that when my grandfather sold the property to my parents, he was one of the witnesses to the Deed of Sale that contained the lot measurements. Instead of going to court, I just sold that property to avoid trouble with the neighbors.

I was very fortunate to be in Bangued during the opening ceremonies of Victoria Park and hear the speeches of prominent politicians mentioning the Forestry Director, Mr. Viado; Tobacco Director, Mr. Aquino; Don Quintin Paredes and others who contributed to the completion of the project. To me it was a dream come true, but it marked the turning point of the Paredes Political Dynasty for honoring a person instead of dedicating it in honor of the Virgin Mary or St James (Santiago), the Patron Saint of Bangued. From that point on the Barbero Political mill started grinding down the Paredes Political faction.

It was in the house of the late Congressman Carmelo Barbero where my daughter, Jocelyn, was brought to meet the prominent Abranians from Manila, headed by Professor Procopio Boromeo. The house on the side of Casamat Hill overlooks the town of Bangued and commands a good view of the entire community. There, Congressman Barbero asked Jojo to sing, Professor Boromeo, the foremost Pilipino guitarist, tried to accompany her, but could not get the right music because it was a new song entitled “I’ll never fall in love again.” So my daughter, who knew how to play the guitar, took the guitar from Professor Boromeo saying “Siac langen Tata,” and accompanied herself.

I was thinking of Ham Tuazon when Jojo was singing because he was madly in love with a Josephina Abaoag, our classmate. When she married another man, he never fell in love again. Ham was there and he told me that he would help with the candidacy of Jojo as the representative of Abra for Miss Red Feather Philippines. He didn’t know that Jojo’s baptismal name was Josefina.

Pat and I were Congressman Barbero’s honored guests and he placed us closest to him facing all the other guests that included all the prominent Abranians having a reunion in Bangued. We were met by the Treasurer of Abra Province at Tangadan who placed a lei of flowers around Jojo’s neck and escorted her to the High School building where the reunion was being held. From there we were brought to the house of Manong Meling (Carmelo Barbero) at the foot of the Casamata Hill. Pat and I were bursting with pride and joy as we never expected such a thing to happen in our humble lives at all.

The following day we had a picnic with all the famous Abranians in Borobor, the source of the water system of Bangued at the Alzate Park. We swam in the cool swimming pool where I alone used skin diving gear, to the amazement of all the guests, who, I guess, had never seen one before. Jojo was also an eye-opener and a great attraction in her swimsuit, especially in the pool on top of the Casamata Hill. The people of Bangued gathered to see the Miss Abra who was a candidate for Miss Red Feather Philippines. She was highly publicized in the papers and on the radio of Manila and Bangued, where she sang and delivered speeches. Those were glorious days for Pat and I, beyond our wildest dreams, being mentioned as the parents of Jojo, the most famous beauty of Abra Province, who united all political parties, clubs and people. Governor Patroning Seares predicted, “The first and only Jocelyn of Abra will win!” He was right.

When Jojo won the contest, Vice-Governor Aquino offered us the Victoria Park Guest House where the beds and mattresses I gave him were readied for our use as VIP’s. But we preferred to stay with Manang Salome and Dariang and Attorney Balleras who always welcomed us during our visits to Bangued.

One early morning we were awakened by the loud conversation of merchants boarding a bus about the parentage and ancestors of Miss Red Feather. We heard the names of ISIANG, INSIONG, SINIONG and PATRING mentioned. So we concluded that we were the talk of the town! Pat and I were both tickled to death. Everyone claimed that we were their relatives or friends, notwithstanding the fact that Pat and I were practically nobodies and unknown when we left Bangued years ago. When we returned with Miss Red Feather, we were greeted by school children and teachers from Tangadan, Pidigan, Palao and Bangued waving small flags and shouting “Welcome Miss Red Feather!” Then we heard the bells ringing, rockets bursting and sirens blowing as we entered the town. It was a triumphant return to Bangued!

Governor Seares asked everybody to pay respects to Jocelyn the First saying, “Agrobab tayo amin ken Reyna Jocelyn!” I saw the Congressman, the Governor, the Mayors and everybody bowing towards my daughter, Jojo, inside the Provincial Building! That was the highest point of recognition one could get. I guess nobody else ever received such an honor in Bangued ever. Jojo was wearing her crown and scepter as Queen Jocelyn the 1st with her tall trophy from the President of the Philippines.

Similar honors were shown in the towns of Abra where Jojo was presented to the public by their respective mayors.