by Telly G. Ocampo
For JUNE 25, 2023
What I’m missing in my old hometown
I miss the church bells ringing!
I miss the ringing of the church bells that started our
day. The sound of the bells was our alarm clock and it
meant doing our morning chores. The ringing was loud
and clear but not polluted in its impact. Just like the
streets where only very few vehicles passed by every
now and then.
I miss the Central Bakery mini bus!
I can still remember the Central Bakery mini bus going
from one town to another to sell the crispy and hot pan
de sal. Dili gyud mi mosipyat sa pagpaminaw sa
dinahunog sa maong sakyanan. Managan mi kung
madungog na namo ang tingog sa makina ug
magpili lang mi sa: binangkal, bagumbayan, ug
“kopras” nga mura ug crackers. Basta “kopras” ang
ngalan. Up to this day, their pan de sal is still crispy and
tasty.
I miss the people on their way to church!
I always looked up to Sundays during my yesteryears. I
loved seeing the old folks in black baro at saya as they
would go to church. This was a common sight and my
Lola Danday did not go to church every day for she kept
the hearth burning for us since my mother had to go to
school for her teaching job. And we were in school.
I miss or freedom setting the directions of our
childhood!
We walked freely and playfully with the other children in
the neighborhood. We had fun playing biko-biko, bato
lata, maring maring, ug uban pa. We were not afraid
getting lost as we gathered firewood for the kitchen. We
had a wide and big swimming pool – the seas and the
shores. All these were for our use. We didn’t have to pay
any amount as we entered other shores. Everything
seemed to be ours.
I miss our respect for education and our teachers!
We enrolled by ourselves and we were not accompanied
by mothers to carry our bags. There were no helpers in
uniform waiting for the time we would go home. We
were free to greet and enjoy the company of our
teachers. They were always early to school and we were
happy if we were appointed to bring the teacher’s
bawnanan as we would go home. Maglumba pud mi
ug panagan sa blackboard aron maoy mo erase sa
sinuwat ni ma’am. We idolized our teachers and we
respected them a lot. We were happy to do errands for
them. Muangay mi mo eskwela ug musayaw ug
mokanta sa eskwelahan. Pero mahadlok mi ibtan ug
ngipon ug tusukan ug injection.
I miss our commitment to our responsibilities!
We never forgot our Saturday duty and that was to do
our laundry. Ganahan mi manglaba sa Baliaut Spring
ug dili namo ilugan ang tubig. Dihay lugar kung asa
ka manabon, ug kung asa ka mangwaswas. We were
not afraid to work and soil our hands tilling the ground.
Magkabuling-buling mi ug manghinlo sa lung-agan.
Magkasamad-samad mi ug kuso kuso sa mga sinina
inig laba. We had fun doing all these,
I miss our reverence to the Lord!
We were taught when to play and when to pray. The
value of the Angelus was instilled in our minds. We
knew how to respond to the sitsit ug taghoy from our
parents. These were signals for us to go home pronto.
We started to study our Catechism at an early age. We
greeted people on our way to church. Mo “bless” gyud
mi sa mga kamot sa mga edaran kung among
ikahinagbo sa dalan.
How about the present times? Pwede pa kaha nga
ibalik ang kinaiya ug pamatasan sa kaniadto?
Karaang Balay ni Tan Akoy at Baliaut, Baclayon, Bohol
Baclayon church