By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
Our route to Christmasses of Yore
We miss those days when our grandparents and parents were alive, paving the way for every Christmas celebration where we always had a get-together in our ancestral home in Baliaut, Baclayon, Bohol. When Oyong Ando and Oyang Tiva left for the Great Beyond, they also left a legacy: Our gathering around the belen and the Christmas Tree which became a tradition.
I remember that our land caretakers, then, would just bring to the ancestral home, their harvest like ubi, apale, camote, gabi and other products. Apan subo nga palandungon nga sa ilang pagtaliwan, ang among mga kahigalaan nga nagbantay sa gamay namong kayutaan, dili na man muanhi panahon sa Pasko. Bisan anino na lang sa kagahapon, dili ug wala na gyud namo makita.
This year, the 5th and 6th generations of Tan Akoy will initiate a Christmas activity called “Cheers to the relatives of our grandparents and parents”. It is just spending a day for precious memories. With a St. Jude bus, off we will go visiting.
This is our route to the Christmasses of yore:
Starting point is Taguihon, the place of our great great grandmother, Silvina Iyog. who married Marcelo Tamayo Villamor of Baliaut.
1. Anding Laling Real’s Place:
Bitoy, Mandang and Gabi Iyog are relatives whom my Lola Danday hold dear. Bitoy is the mother of Nang Dinay; Mandang is the mother of Anding Laling Real; and Gabi is the father of Anding Pasing Batoy. Bitoy, Mandang and Gabi are siblings. We just knew recently that Pepe Ong (the son of Anding Laling Real) and the late Judge Tony Uy of St. Jude Transportation Company are double cousins on the Iyog and Oppus-Real side. We will stop by Ricardo and Corazon Batoy’s place when we are at the Poblacion area.
2. Carmen and Nang Salud Gatal’s Place:
With our close association with Nang Mameng Gatal, I never knew that her great-grandmother is the eldest child of Marcelo Villamor and Selvina Iyog. She was Francisca, married to a Tumalom and her child, Carmen, married a Gatal and Nang Mameng is named after her. We will have to see Mam Ekit (Butalid) later if ever we can get out of Baclayon.
3. Nang Loring Valeroso’s Place:
The only surviving in-law of Anding Pasing is Loring Valeroso. Anding Pasing used to work for Mercedes Gatal Butalid of the old Tagbilaran hotel. That’s where she met Atty. Ramon Binamira, then a manager of Bohol Land Transportation Company. They have 3 love children, and when I was engaged to be married to my husband, these were the words of Anding Pasing: “Follow your heart.”
From Nang Loring’s place, we will go to Nang Maming and Nang Salud’s place. And, of course, to the next door, to visit Dodong ang Marilyn Oppus.
4. Dr. Asuncion Villamor’s Place:
Next visit is at the house of Dr. Asuncion Villamor, a retired dentist of Holy Name University. She and my Manang Aurora were boardmates at a place in Urgello, Cebu. They both studied at Southwestern University.
5. Uphill to Cambanac and Tunga
Then we will go uphill to Cambanac and Tunga visiting Dessa our long time caregiver, cook and everything. She does it all. Then there is Nang Leona, the trusted help of Tio Meling and Tia Daddy. All I could remember was her delicious putong kamoteng kahoy.
Going down, we will visit Corazon and Cardo representing Anding Pasing, the daughter of our grandmother’s cousin, Gabriel Iyog, who is the brother of Bitoy and Mandang.
6. Aghoban Area
We will also go up to Aghoban for Rosario Bolofer who was with us at Baclayon Trading. After finishing college in Bohol, she went to Davao until retirement from DPWH. Her sister-in-law, Aquilina Dologuin, a cousin of ours, married the youngest brother of Rose. Behind their house is the house of Conie Ayaay, who deserves our visit, too.
Just across Rose Bolofer’s place is the home of Norma Sayon and Ralph Castillo. Norma’s mother is one of the children of Huwes Anoy Oppus of Corella; Huwes Anoy is the brother of Miguel Oppus, whose wife Guadalupe is my Lola Danday’s sister.
7. Buhion’s Place:
There are two whom we have to visit at the Buhi-on side: Weni Samson Parco and Sendoy Guingging. We will go to Weni’s place after our Asuncion Villamor’s visit. Then we will pass by Sendoy’s place on our way to Myrna.
8. My BFF’s Place
I will have a special session with my two (2) BFFs. They are my relatives by affinity but the bond between us is stronger than sanguinity.
Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year to one and all.
