The Gacuras of Looc, Tablas (Romblon)…my family away from home

The Gacuras of Looc, Tablas (Romblon)

…my family away from home

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

To connect on the same day with my HS-711 flight to my first PAL assignment in Tablas after my training, I took an earlier flight from Davao, which I took upon arrival from my town. I left our place at dawn to ensure that I would be in Davao much earlier than my flight departure to Manila. As my habit when traveling over dusty road, I wore “tubaw”, a Muslim head kerchief to protect my hair from the dust. I failed to take it off when I arrived in Davao, so I took the flight for Manila still wearing it and still forgot to remove it when I was waiting for my flight for Tablas.  A lady at the pre-departure area took notice of it – nervously.

 

She got more nervous as I took my place behind her when we were boarding the flight at the tarmac, and she got more nervous when I sat beside her on the plane. Upon disembarking, she went straight to the office of the station Supervisor, Bien Alvaro to report about a “Moro passenger” and in her excitement failed to notice that I was trailing behind her. When I handed my letter of introduction to Mr. Alvaro, she was so pale which made me pity her. That evening, the whole staff was gathered for a meeting at the house of Mr. Alvaro over rounds of cheap rum, purportedly to “welcome” me, but I found out that it was the first that he did it as the rest did not experience similar “welcome”. He used the occasion as an alibi to kid me not to wear the “tubao” while in Tablas.

 

In Tablas, I took the place of a colleague who was hurt by the local mayor. The airline pulled him out of Tablas but I was not told about it. Fortunately, the mayor and his son became my friends. In time, I have developed friendship with the local retirees – a judge, a police captain, a physician, uncle of an actress, and a former businessman. I became a member of their group that took pleasure in whiling time away over glasses of tuba (coconut sap wine) at Barusbos. And, in time, the lady who got frightened at the sight of my “tubaw” realized that I was a good guy.

 

The lady was Mrs. Nena Gacura, whom we  (PAL staff) called “Mommy”. Her husband (Genaro/Aro), we called “Daddy”. One time, at the airport, she invited me to visit them for dinner. I was introduced to their children, Bel, Toto (Job/Bogs), Mari (Marissa), and Nonoy. Bel was later married to another PALer, the late Boy Loquias, Toto Job is happy with his family abroad, Mari with her own, but unfortunately, the youngest, lost his life in Iloilo….he used to perform in Boracay restaurants as a folk singer.

 

The Gacuras became my family in Tablas…our family, as the rest of the PAL employees in Tablas were treated as members of their close knit and religious family.

 

Several years after I was taken in by the Tours and Promotions Division of Marketing and Sales-Philippines in Manila, I went back to Romblon to make an extensive survey of the whole province that consists of three main islands- Tablas, Sibuyan, and Romblon for TOPIC Magazine, the airline’s tool in promoting local tourism. Two years afterward, I went back to make a circumventing attempt on foot of Tablas Island during which I surprised my adoptive family with a quick visit. That was the last time that I had a talk with Mommy and Daddy.

 

When my path crossed again with the Gacuras, it was during a lunch hosted by Celso Dapo who was also assigned in Tablas, but the family was represented only by Bel, her son, and Mari. Boy, Bel’s husband has been long gone, followed by Mommy. And, lately, I was surprised to know from a short message from Bel about Daddy Aro’s demise. My terrible regrets is that I failed to retrace my steps to Looc and their home while Daddy was still happily alive as shown by his photos posted on facebook and despite the reminder of Toto Job to do it soonest. I failed to decipher his message.  I underestimated the happiness on the face of Daddy in the photos that I viewed. I took my time….which was a big mistake.

 

The Gacuras as a family is one of a kind, as I may say. They were so accommodating whose hospitality had no tint of any pretense. They shared whatever fare they had on their dining table. They never failed to invite us PALers to even a simple occasion in their home to make us happy while we were away from our families. Every Sunday, they would walk the several kilometers of distance to their Church as one whole family, and which later included Boy, a former Catholic, the husband of Bel.

 

I admit that they had been among my inspirations, every time I was wanting of humility and tolerance due to my undesirable shortness of temper. They personify sincere friendship, real happiness and heartfelt satisfaction that many fail to do. They are real people….Christians to the core!

 

Dahil Sa TubaW

Dahil Sa Tubaw

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Noong makapasa ako sa training ng PAL pinadala agad ako sa Tablas station (Romblon) para punan ang bakanteng pwesto. Dahil nasanay na akong gumamit ng tubaw (Muslim head covering/kerchief), nagsuot pa rin ako nito papunta sa Manila Domestic Airport. Sa pilahan ng check-in counter, and sinundan ko ay isang babae na napansin kong namutla nang lumingon sa akin. Inisip ko na lang na baka excited siyang sumakay ng eroplano kaya namumutla. Pagkatapos niyang mag-check in, tiningnan pa rin ako bago siya naghanap ng mauupuan. Lalo siyang namutla nang pagkatapos kong mag-check in ay sa nag-iisang bakanteng upuan sa tabi niya ako umupo. Siksikan ang mga tao sa pre-departure area kaya no choice siya kundi umupo na lang, subali’t panay ang buntong-hininga. Sa kamalasan niya, sa likod niya ako sa pilahan naman nang tawagin ang mga pasahero upang sumakay sa eroplano.

 

Pagdating sa Tugdan airport ng Tablas, halos nasa likod niya rin ako sa pagpasok sa terminal, hinanap ko agad ang office ng supervisor upang mag-report. Nandoon din ang babae at dinig ko ang sinabi sa supervisor na, “Bien, may pasahero kayong Moro, ninenerbiyos ako… at baka….”hindi pa siya tapos magsalita, sinenyasan siya ng kausap niya upang lumingon at halos himatayin nang makita ako na nakangiti ng ubod tamis! Hindi siya nagpaalam dahil sa hiya at dali-daling umalis.

 

Nagpakilala ako sa supervisor, si Mr. Bien Alvaro at ibinigay ang letter of introduction galing sa head office. Winelkam niya ako at nahalata kong tipid ang mga salita niya. Nang ma-dispatch na ang flight, ipinakilala niya ako sa iba pang mga tauhan sa airport. Kinagabihan, pinatawag niya kaming mga regular staff at naglabas ng bote ng alak. Nagulat ang mga kasama ko dahil alam nilang hindi umiinom ang supervisor, lalo na at kilalang Protestant minister din. Pang-welcome naman daw sa akin kaya okey lang. Nagpasaring ang iba kong kasama na first time niya daw ginawa yon, dahil yong iba, wala namang pa-welcome. Sa kalagitnaan ng “party”, sabi ni Mr. Alvarao, “Bot, pakiusap lang, baka pwedeng huwag ka nang magsuot ng tubaw”. Ayon….! Kaya pala. Kaya sabi ko walang problema dahil wala namang masyadong alikabok sa lugar pwera lang kung pupunta sa airport mula sa ticket office.

 

Maliit ang mga bayan kung saan nag-opisina ang PAL. Ang inabutan ko ay ang nasa Alcantara, at ilang buwan ang nakalipas inilipat ang opisina sa Looc. Sa pangalawang araw ko sa Alcantara, sinubukan kong pumunta sa palengke pagkatapos ng flight upang “mag-explore”. Tinginan ang mga tao, iilan lang naman. Nang magmiryenda ako sa isang karinderya, hindi nakatiis ang may-ari at tinanong ako kung ako yong Moro na bagong empleyado ng PAL. Sabi ko na lang, “oo, ako yong mabait na Moro…sino ang may sabi sa yo?” Sinabi niya ang pangalan ng babaeng nakasakay ko sa eroplano. Kalat na pala ang balita…nagkaroon ng Moro sa lugar nila. Naging best friend ko ang may-ari ng karinderya, kaya tuwing kakain ako ng  paborito kong “tilik” o yong mahal kung kainin sa Japanese restaurant na sea urchin roe, ay halos umapaw ang platito.

 

Sa kapapasyal ko naman sa tabing dagat, madalas kong madaanan ang isang grupo ng matatanda na nag-iinuman ng tuba. Sa umpisa tinginan lang muna, subali’t sa kalaunan, inimbita na rin nila ako. Mga retirees pala sila, ang isa judge, ang isa doctor, ang isa ay tiyuhin ni Dorothy Joy na artistang kasabay ni Nora Aunor. Doon ko nalaman na kilala pala nila si Daisy Romualdez, artista rin kasabay naman nina Susan Roces at Amalia Fuentes, at taga- Sta. Fe na hindi kalayuang bayan. Kapatid ni Daisy Romualdez si Blanca Gomez na kasabay naman ni Rosemarie Sonora. At, kainuman ko ang tiyuhin nila! May hindi nakatiis sa kanila at nagtanong na, “ikaw ba yong naka-turban na sabi nila?” Obviously, nahiya siyang magbanggit ng “Moro”. Inulit ko na naman ang pagsang-ayon. Nakilala at naging kaibigan ko si Daisy Romualdez noong na-assign ako sa Manila dahil barkada siya ng boss kong si Archie Lacson. Pinapasyalan si Mr. Lacson ng magkabarkada na Amalia Fuentes at Daisy Romualdez, kung minsan kasama si Alma Moreno.

 

Mga ilang buwan ang lumipas, dahil pinilit kong matutuhan ng dialect nila, naging matatas ako, kaya marami sa kanila ang natuwa, pati na ang ilang mga estudyante sa Looc National High School na naging kaibigan ko. Nang magdaos ng convocation sa school nila, inimbita akong maging guest speaker. Nagpakita ako ng gilas sa pagsalita gamit ang dialect nila. Sa katatasan kong magsalita ng Loocnon, meron nang ayaw maniwala na hindi ako taga-roon, lalo na at may kamukha pa raw ako! Biniro ako ng supervisor namin na kung ilang taon na daw siya sa Tablas, maski sa maliit na umpukan hindi siya naimbitang magsalita, pero ako na ilang buwan pa lang dumating, sa national high school pa naimbitahan. Sabi ko na lang, ini-promote ko ang mga flights ng PAL. Okey rin pala ang pagkaimbita sa akin dahil kainitan noon ng information campaign ng PAL para makilala sa mga probinsiya.

 

Dahil sa tubaw, nakilala ko ang kinikilalang pamilya Solidum  na ang isa sa magkakapatid noong panahon na yon ay gobernador ng Romblon. Naging close ako sa kanila lalo na sa kanyang misis na kung tawagin ko ay “Tiya Nene”. Si Yvone Solidum na pamangkin nila ay ang kauna-unahang “Miss Aviation”, isang beauty title na noon ay kahanay ng “Miss Caltex” at “Miss Philippines”, ay naging kaibigan ko rin.

 

Kalaunan, ang babaeng nataranta at ninerbiyos nang unang makita ako sa Manila Domestic Airport ay naging foster mother ko si Mrs. Nena Gacura, ang asawa niya, foster father ko naman at kapatid ang turing sa akin ng mga anak. Subali’t ang talagang original na “adopted”  ng pamilya na mga taga-PAL ay ang mga dinatnan ko na doon na sina Celso Dapo, Sonny Santiago at Oswald Alamo.

 

Nang dahil sa tubaw, nagkaroon ako ng foster family sa Romblon, nakapagsalita bilang guest speaker sa isang convocation ng Looc National High Schook, naging barkada ng mga retirees na ang paboritong pulutan sa tuba ay nilagang kamote, napainom ang dating hindi umiinom na supervisor namin, nakilala ang kauna-unahang Miss Aviation na si Yvonne Solidum….at palaging busog sa “tilik” o sea urchin roe!