The Reaper in June

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

David March

On unexpected moments, the reaper brings misfortune as it visits disguised as a catastrophe – slashing at almost the same time the life of not just one but many. Apologia to my editors as this space accommodates story-tributes of people who shared special chapters of their lives to their love ones.

This time of the year is every so often called the “Merry month of June” and “June bride”, referring to nuptials that are so often scheduled in the month. But for the families, relatives and acquaintances of seven departed souls, it does not seem.

An unforeseen visitor, the June reaper quietly dropped by and harvested the souls of at least seven men. Five of them senior citizens, and two who were in their prime.

Victorino Endiquez Tampoa, 83; of Mankayan and La Trinidad started as a miner in the company of mine workers from Benguet, at the defunct Batong Buhay Gold Mines in Pasil, Kalinga. This was cut short due to insurgency so he had to move to Balatoc Mines in Itogon. He was promoted years later as Mine Superintendent for Benguet Exploration and eventually became president of the Benguet Miners Union until he resigned due to health problems. In his private life, friends and relatives from the mining communities in Benguet did not stop coming as they needed guidance and important advice.

Mining gold from the bowels of the earth is definitely a job that is physically too taxing even for able-bodied men. It was partly due to this that he had to undergo a major medical operation. His back had to be supported by a metal column. Since he could no longer do back-wrenching tasks, Lakay Vic as he is fondly called, concentrated on breeding top quality game fowl in the late 70s to the early 90s. Maintaining a game fowl breeding farm proved successful that he always won in big cockfighting derbies.

For five years from 1995, he stayed in the US for medical treatment while taking care of his grandchildren at the same time. He was a cancer survivor for eight years after an operation in 2010. On June 15, 2014 he silently passed on.

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Jaime AgalpasGalasgas, 85; traces his roots from Mankayan and Bokod. His public service began as a World War 2 guerilla fighter in Bokod. Shortly after the war he went back to school and later chose to be a teacher in a small school in Tu’jak, an unfamiliar community in the tri-boundary of Bokod, Benguet; Kiangan, Ifugao and Nueva Viscaya. He lived with the Kalanguyas for quite a long time and was able to learn their dialect before he was reassigned to teach at Bolo Elementary School in his hometown. He later transferred to Pito Elementary School as head teacher.

His sister Adeline said, his teaching reassignments were unexpected due to the fast retirement of teachers in many public schools that time. After his stint at Pito, he taught at Bila Elementary School. He again transferred to Bokod as prinicipal before retiring as OIC District Supervisor of Public Schools in that municipality.

In 1995, the retired DECS district supervisor ran for public office and won as board member for the Benguet. He served as board member for one term only. Last April, former board member Galasgas fell ill and was bed ridden till he expired on June 20, 2014. He is survived by his sister Adelin; five children, sons and daughters in law, seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

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A trip to Asin Hot Springs once in a while is rewarding and funny too. Traveling down to the resort sometime in 2012, Cousin Roger and I stopped at a house before the first tunnel at Sipitan. At the driveway sat his uncle David Losnong, the husband of Candida Dalisdis, the youngest aunt of Roger on his mother’s side. As we approached, he offered us barako that signified a warm welcome.

Uncle David quickly opened a conversation about his exploits as a guerilla soldier in the last world war until it reached a point when he shifted to relating stories about Yamashita’s hidden gold. I just sat there listening to him, wondering what topic he would talk about next. Then he brought out a pen and paper, and with trembling fingers that could barely hold the pen, started sketching a map of roads and mountains. The talkative Uncle David made me listen more. He was telling us that during the Japanese occupation in Baguio and Benguet, he saw six trucks loaded with 42 tons of gold.

Uncle David’s story was interrupted when another visitor dropped by. Roger and I took that chance to slip away from his “tales of gold” without him noticing us. And we could not stop laughing as we continued on to Asin. He died last June 18, 2014 at the age of 96. Bless his soul, Uncle David finally found his “gold”.

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I met uncle Romeo Suayan, 73; for a few times. According to my mother Prospera, his cousin, he was active in the Scouting Movement and used to visit our house at New Lucban in the late 70s. If I ever saw him in the house, I may have been too young then to be able to recall that. What I know is that we met at the project office of my late cousin Nelson Fernando at the defunct Vallejo Hotel where one of the DENR offices was located then.

Uncle Romeo and Nelson were then busy with a reforestation project that was contracted out to their group GRINGO, the acronym for Green Initiative Non-Government Organization. Then I met him again at somebody’s blowout or birthday celebration at the DENR “watering hole” in Pacdal where we shared common glasses. That was the last time I saw him.

Last June 21, 2014, Uncle Romeo was rushed to the hospital. But while he was fighting for dear life, his younger brother Leonardo Suayan had a heart attack and died. Leonardo, 53; was the principal at Pito Elementary School where I last saw him. We first met at Tuba National High School where he was the principal for the elementary department, along with his wife Teresita who was then the high school principal. His older brother Romeo died five hours later. Two deaths for a family is not easy to bear. Our family feels bad for such heartbreaking incidents.

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At a prime age of 43, no one would suspect that Benguet Sheriff Henry Longay would leave us last June 19, 2014. Maybe that is what men in white cloak mean when they preach that “God controls our lives.” I knew Henry as a hardworking sheriff, telling me stories of the difficulties in performing his job.

We were there a few years ago at the violent confrontation between the Lepanto Mines representatives and those opposed to mining. I have seen his sweat drip as he convinced a misbehaving community into accepting conditions in a court order. I knew that he knew that there was something wrong in the order. But he was a dutiful government worker and was there to perform a job. I will not forget him. Go in peace Henry.

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After our meeting at the NCIP office last June 25, 2014, Roger and Karen Sinot said they had to travel to Sison, Pangasinan that afternoon. They said, they had to because, Karen’s uncle RufinoOligo just passed on at age 79. My condolences to his family and relatives. After Roger’s uncle David’s passing, this time it’s Karen’s.

Two uncles. Siblings Romeo and Leonardo, and two war vets. What coincidences? Without any doubt, the Reaper came in June.