Mila Cipriano: Kauna-unahang Babaeng Alkalde ng Sablayan

 Pagkatapos ng EDSA

Sa panahon ng EDSA People Power Revolution noong 1986, itinalaga ni dating Pangulong Corazon C. Aquino si Godofredo Mintu na isang negosyante bilang pansamantalang alkalde ng Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro sa gitna ng deklarasyon ng revolutionary government ni Gng. Aquino. Ang pagpili kay Mayor Mintu ang bunga ng kanyang pagiging kasapi ng United Democratic Opposition o UNIDO na opisyal na partido pulitikal noon ni Aquino. Rekomendado si Mintu ni Peter O. Medalla Jr na mataas ang katungkulan noon sa UNIDO dahil malapit ito sa naging ka-tandem ng kapuwa niya Batangenyong si Vice-President Salvador “Doy” Laurel.

Nang humupa na ang pampulitikang tensyon sa buong bansa at nakapagbalangkas na ng bagong Saligang Batas, kailangan nang magdaos ng regular na eleksyon sa bawat lokalidad at sinuspinde na ng Malakanyang ang lahat ng mga itinalaga nitong OIC sa iba’t-ibang antas ng pamahalaang lokal.

Matapos na magpasya si OIC Mayor Godofredo B. Mintu na tumakbo sa regular na halalan bilang alkalde ng Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro sa gaganaping eleksyon noong ika-19 ng Enero 1988, itinalaga ni Kalihim Luis T. Santos ng Department of Local Government bilang OIC Mayor si Lorenzo “Lory” Ordenes na noon ay administrative officer ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) na nakatalaga sa Sablayan. Bago kasi pumasok si Ordenes sa DENR ay nasubukan na rin niyang maging appointed councilor ng Sablayan nang ideklara ni Pangulong Ferdinand E. Marcos ang Martial Law noong 1972.

Maliban dito, si Lory Ordenes ay naging municipal administrator din sa panahon ni Mayor Pedro Gonzales at dahil sa karanasang iyon kaya siya marahil ay napiling maging alkalde ng bayan that time. Pero hindi niya iyong tinanggap dahil kung tatanggapin niya ang pagiging OIC Mayor, kailangan niyang mag-resign sa DENR na ayon sa kanya ay hindi niya ginawa.

Lumabas ang kautusan ng Department of Local Government noong ika-1 ng Disyembre 1987 at ang lokal na halalan naman ay sa ika-18 ng Enero 1988 na mahigit na dalawang buwan lang ang pagitan. Dahil sa praktikal na kadahilanan at sariling pagpapasya, hindi naging alkalde ng Sablayan si Lorenzo “Lory” Ordenes, anak ng yumaong Mayor Leoncio Ordenes na nagsilbi simula 1960 hanggang 1963.

Itinalaga din noon ni Kalihim Luis T. Santos bilang OIC Vice-Mayor Mr. Nicolas “Nick” Alfaro na tumanggap naman sa nabanggit na pansamantalang posisyon na kanyang makakasama sa paggampan ng gawain ang kauna-unahang babaeng pansamantalang alkalde ng bayan.

Unang Babae

Dito nagsimula ang pag-assume ni Gng. Milagros Legaspi Gonzales-Cipriano na maging kauna-unahang babae at ika-16 ng alkalde ng Sablayan. Sa bisa ng Republic Act No. 6636 na nag-a-amend sa EO 270 ni Gng. Aquino. Sabi sa Section 1 ng RA 6636 in part, “All local officials, whether elected, acting or officer-in-charge who file or have filed their certificates of candidacy shall be deemed automatically resigned from their positions effective December 1, 1987, any provision of the law to the contrary notwithstanding. If the governor or the city or municipal mayor or the officer-in-charge of that office is a candidate and unless the Secretary of Local Government designates another person, the following local officials shall act as officer-in-charge of the position vacated in a concurrent capacity in the order herein below provided:

“a) Chief, Senior and Local Government Officers for provinces, cities and municipalities, respectively;

“b) Provincial/City/Municipality Administrator;

“c) Provincial/City/Municipal Health Officer. “

At sa kaso ng Sablayan noon, ang umaktong maging OIC mayor ay si Gng. Milagros Cipriano nga na siya noong Acting Local Government Officer (LGO)-III ng Sablayan. Sa matuling salita, alisunod dito, ang lahat ng mga lokal na opisyal noon, maging, halal, pansamantala o itinalagang manunumpang pinuno ay automatic resign sa kanilang katungkulan sa panahon ng kanilang paghahain ng Certificate of Candidacy para sa whatever local position in the government noon na hindi lalampas sa 45 days bago ang January 18, 1988 elections.

Nakasalig sa RA 6636, kaagad na lumusong sa katungkulan si Gng. Cipriano na may basbas ng kanyang mga opisyal sa pang-rehiyon nilang tanggapan at kaagad siyang nagpalabas ng liham sirkular sa mga department heads ng munisipyo, mga nakatagalang pulis at sundalo sa bayan, sa COMELEC at practically sa lahat ng mga government offices doon. Sa paglagda sa circular letter ng mga opisyal, pormal na kinilala si Cipriano na siyang OIC Mayor at agad na nga itong gumampan sa tungkulin upang magpatuloy ang daloy ng serbisyo ng pamahalaang lokal at sa ugnayan nito sa pamahalaang pambansa at hindi maipit ang bayan at mga residente sa bangayan ng mga nagbabangaang mga kakandidato at mga pulitiko noon at sa gitna ng umiigting na digmaan sa pagitan ng mga alagad ng batas, mga rebeldeng NPA at mga criminal element.

Sa Resolusyon Blg. 2012-GGM077 na iniakda noon ni Kgg. Roberto G. Dimayacyac noong ika-10 ng Setyembre 2012 na pinangalawahan ni SB Manuel P. Tadeo, binigyang diin sa kalatas na “Ang pagkakaroon ng itinalagang manunuparang pinuno sa Tanggapan ng Punong Bayan sa katauhan ni Gng. Milagros Cipriano ng (sic) panahong iyon ay pinalagay na sadyang mahalaga para maiwasan ang pagkakaantala ng mahahalagang gawain at tungkulin ng nasabing tanggapan.”  Sa pamamagitan ng isang liham sirkular, inihayag ni OIC Mayor Cipriano na sinimulan na niya ang paggampan sa tungkulin noong ika-17 ng Nobyembre 1987.

Panahon ng Krimen at Dahas

Ano naman ang mga signposts ng panunungkulan ni OIC Mayor Cipriano sa loob ng maikling panahon?

Tiniyak ni OIC Mayor Cipriano na magiging tahimik at hindi magulo ang darating na halalan sa pamamagitan ng tahasan at lubusang pagsunod sa noon ay mga umiiral na pambansang batas at mga kautusan. Inaatasan niya si P/SGT Beato T. Punzalan na noon ay Station Commander ng Integrated National Police Command dito sa Sablayan at nakipag-ugnayan nang maigting kay Election Registrar Norma V. Ordenes ng COMELEC-Sablayan, lalong-lalo na sa mga atas tungkol sa Firearms Ban at Use of Body Guards ng mga politiko. Inatasan niya si Station Commander Beato Punzalan na maigting na makipag-ugnayan noon sa Philippine Constabulary. 

Mariin din ang naging atas ni OIC Mayor Cipriano sa INP na ipatigil ang mga illegal na sugal na naglipana noon sa Municipal Plaza lalo na ang larong roleta na talamak noon dito. Upang hindi maipit sa crossfire ang mga dayuhang manininda noon sa plaza dahil sa kinakabahang muling pagsalakay ng NPA, pinakiusapan niya ang mga dayuhang negosyanteng ito na kaagad na umalis sa tulong ni PFC Alfonso Paz at binigyan niya ang mga ito ng kaukulang halaga na mula sa kanyang sariling bulsa para hindi na madamay ang mga ito sa engkwentro kung saka-sakali. Hindi nga nagkabula ang hula ni Cipriano dahil ilang araw lang ay nilusob na nga ng mga NPA ang detachment ng Philippine Constabulary sa downtown Sablayan (na ngayon ay ang lugar na malapit sa kinaroroonan ng Land Bank of the Philippines).  

Nagpakita siya ng kakaibang tapang sa gitna ng mga karahasan at kaguluhan na noon ay namamayani sa bayang ito. Ipinakita niya na kahit siya ay babae, kaya niyang manindigan laban sa mga masasamang elemento na gumagawa ng mga labag sa batas.

Bago pa man naitalagang OIC mayor si Cipriano ay nagkaroon ng isang labanan sa pagitan ng mga rebeldeng New People’s Army (NPA) at mga kapulisan ng Sablayan. Noong ika-16 ng Setyembre, 1987 bandang alas dos ng hapon ng pinagtangkaang pasukin ng humigit-kumulang sa 30 mga NPA ang istasyon ng pulisya at gusaling pambayan na pinamumunuan ng isang “Ka Dexter”.

Tumagal ng halos trenta minutos ang palitan ng putok ngunit hindi nagawang pasukin ng mga rebelde ang gusali dahil sa kabayanihang ipinakita ng tatlong magigiting na mga pulis na hanggang sa huling sandali ay ipinagtanggol ang kanilang hanay. Sila ay sina PFC Bienvenido Pacifico, Patrolman Revadilo Dapito at Patrolman Avelino Tendido. Tarantang umatras ang mga armadong komunista na hindi natuloy ang balak na pasukin ang istasyon at ang munisipyo.

Noong ika-24 ng Disyembre 1987, sumulat si OIC Mayor Mila Cipriano kay Col. Evaristo G. Cariño, Regional Commander ng Regional Command ng Philippine Constabulary (PC) na naka-base sa Camp Guillermo Nakar sa Lucena City upang irekomenda ang promosyon ng tatlong mga magigiting na alagad ng batas para ma-promote. Sabi ni Cipriano sa kanyang liham, “It is my deep honor and great pride therefore, to strongly recommend PFC Beinvenido D. Pacifico, Patrolmen Revadilo P. Dapito and Avelino G. Tendido for a spot and/or meritorious promotions to the next higher grade for a job well done.” 

Sa panahon ng panunungkulan ni Cipriano bilang alkalde dinukot ang ingat-yaman ng Sablayan na si Lito Atienza na noon ay tatakbong mayor at lima pa niyang mga kasama. Ginimbal din ng marahas na pagsalakay ng mga pinaghihinalaang mga NPA ang Philippine Constabulary detachment kasabay ang patuloy na mga insidente ng patayan sa mga barangay, may kinalaman man o wala sa lumalakas na pagkilos noon ng mga rebelde o ng mga masasamang-loob.

Bago pa man ma-assign sa Sablayan si Cipriano ay magulo na noon ang bayan. Noon ay pinatay ang barangay captain ng Burgos na si Eusebio Lampa ng mga kalalakihang de-baril. Kuwento pa ni Cipriano, may mga panahong sa harapan ng munisipyo ay nakalatag ang mga taong nasawi sa enkuwentro sa pagitan ng mga armadong grupo at mga sundalo ng pamahalaan.

Upang maging handa ang mga pamayanan sa anumang krisis, gawa man ng tao o ng kalikasan, na tatama noon sa bayan ng Sablayan na madalas maranasan noon, naisipan OIC Mayor Capistrano na itatag noong ika-11 ng Enero 1988 ang isang Crisis Consultative Committee na binubuo nina Judge Gaspar T. Bercasio, OIC Vice-Mayor Mr. Nicolas Alfaro, Mrs. Florazel Frogoso, Mrs. Mila Villena, Mrs. Norma V. Ordenes, Father Luis Halasz, SVD, Mr. Jose Abeleda Jr., Rev. Daniel Bandong, Capt. Teodoro Azucena, Sgt. Beato Punzalan at Mr. Delfin Tria Jr. Si RTC Judge Gaspar Bercasio ang itinalaga niyang chairman ng Crisis Consultative Committee na tutugon sa mga panahon ng, ayon sa kanyang atas, “emergency or unforeseen event that may lead in a crisis of serious enough proportions to require group deliberation and decision.”  Hindi naman kaila sa atin na noon, ang Sablayan ang sentro ng mga patayan at iba pang madudugong kaganapan sa lalawigan kaya nilikha ni Mayor Cipriano ang komiteng ito na talaga namang tumulong sa kanya para tugunan ang lumalalang problemang ito sa peace and order. Hindi pa kasama dito ang mga kalamidad tulad ng bagyo at mga pagbaha na madalas ding maganap doon.

Hindi natinag si Mila Cipriano sa sitwasyong ito at noong ngang ika-7 ng Pebrero ng sumunod na taon, isinalin ni Cipriano kay Mayor Mintu bilang bagong halal na alkade ang kapangyarihan at simula noon ay ganap nang pumailanlang sa kanyang bagong karera si Mayor Mintu at matapos ang ilang buwan ay umalis na rin si Cipriano sa Sablayan.

Limitado man ang kapangyarihang iginagawad ng batas sa mga lokal na opisyal na officers in-charge o OIC, hindi maitatatwa na dapat ay mapahalagahan at maisama rin sa kasaysayan ng bayang ito at makilala ang mga ginawa nito sa bayan at sa mga mamamayan noon. Ngunit may mga talaan na hindi siya isinama sa listahan ng mga nagdaang alkalde sa hindi malamang mga kadahilanan. Hindi naman dahil marahil sa kanilang pagiging OIC "lang" o pagiging babae "lang".

Maging sa Sablayan Museum ay walang larawang makikitang kumikilala sa dalawang babaeng naging OIC mayor ng bayan na si Gng. Milagros Cipriano at Dr. Susana Mangahas Diaz na number one councilor na naitalaga ring OIC mayor ng Sablayan noong 1998 dahil nag-file din noon ang kanyang certificate of candidacy si Mayor Mintu para sa posisyong vice-governor ng lalawigan kaya nabakante ang mayoralty position noon. Nanalo at naging vice-governor si Mayor Mintu noong taong iyon.

Noon at Ngayon

Bago naging kawani ng Department of Local Government and Community Development o DLGCD na nang lumaon ay naging Department of Local Government (DLG) na ngayon ay Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), taong 1970 nang siya ay nagturo sa San Jose National High School (SJNHS) na ngayon ay Occidental Mindoro State College na o OMSC. Nagsimula siyang magtrabaho sa DLGCD noong Oktubre 1974 at nagretiro sa edad ng 65 noong ika-28 ng Pebrero, 2014, na kanyang kaarawan. Naging Barangay Development Coordinator siya ng DLGCD sa San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, na-assign sa iba’t-ibang bayan ng Kanlurang Mindoro hanggang siya ay maging MLGOO ng bayan ng Magsaysay nailipat siya sa panlalawigang tanggapan sa Mamburao hanggang siya ay magretiro noong ngang 2014.

Tatlumpu’t-siyam na taong siyang nagtrabaho sa nasabing kagawaran.

Si Mila Cipriano na 72 anyos na ngayon ay ipinanganak sa Tibiao, Antique at nagtapos ng Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Major in English sa Central Philippine University (CPU) College of Social Science sa Iloilo City with 21 units in Education. Nabalo siya sa edad na 25 ngunit naitaguyod niya nang maayos ang dalawa niyang anak na lalake na ngayon ay may sari-sarili ng pamilya.

Sa kasalukuyan, siya ang dating pangulo ng Senior Citizens Association of Bagong Sikat (San Jose, Occidental Mindoro) at Federation Treasurer ng Senior Citizens Association. Aktibo din siyang Rotary Club- San Jose Tamaraw at siyang immediate past president nito sa panahon ni District Governor Liza Vicencio- Elorde.

Ngayon, bahagi ng kanyang adbokasiya ay ang pagpapalaganap ng mga katuruan ni John Calub na awtor ng aklat na The Abundance Factor at founder ng John Calub Training International (isang training and executive coaching company) and Success Mall (isang blockchain-powered e-commerce website para sa personal development).

Mataas na Pagkilala

Ika-22 ng Marso, 2021 kasabay ng pagdiriwang ng Pambansang Buwan ng Kababaihan ay ginawaran ng Sablayan si Gng. Milagros Cipriano ng Highest Legislative Leadership Award na iniakda ni Vice-Mayor Walter “Bong” B. Marquez ng Bayan ng Sablayan na inisponsor ng mga konsehal na sina Salve U. de Vera, Mark Anthony O. Legaspi at Roberto C. Lim. Ang parangal ay pumaloob sa ika-84 na regular na sesyon ng Sangguniang Bayan. Ginanap ito sa Batasang Pambayan (Legislative Building) sa Barangay Buenavista, Sablayan.

Sa kanyang paunang salita, ibinahagi ni VM Bong ang mga mahahalagang pangyayari sa Sablayan noong termino ni Mayor Cipriano. Sa kanyang acceptance message, pinasalamatan niya ang buong Sanggunian at sinabing matatalino ang mga taga-Sablayan at maraming mga mamamayan ang tumulong sa kanya noon kaya niya naitawid nang maayos at matahimik ang kanyang pansamantalalang tungkulin bilang pansamantala ring alkalde sa bayang kanyang minahal at pinaglingkuran bilang meyor at bilang local government officer.

Maliban sa plake, tumanggap din ng bouquet at token of appreciation si Milagros Legaspi Gonzales-Cipriano, ang kauna-unahang babae at ika-16 na alkalde ng bayan ng Sablayan.

Naniniwala ang awtor at mga isponsor nito at ang buong Sangguniang Bayan na kahit pansamantala lang at sa limitadong kapasidad lang gumampan ng pagiging officers in charge ang mga babaeng alkalde na nabanggit, dapat na isama rin sila at kilalanin at matampok sa lokal na kasaysayan ng bayan na kahit papaano ay kanila rin namang napagsilbihan.

When Trees are Endangered by Road Widening

 

The growing interest and clamor from different sectors in protecting the row of wonderful and grandiose acacia tree in Barangay San Agustin, Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro in lieu of the on-going road widening project traversing the whole Mindoro West Coast National Road is very much commendable. But is it really necessary? Maybe, in some aspect, yes.  Being an environmentalist myself, I am delighted of such a move by my fellow citizens. For reason that I am at present “detoxifying” or under hiatus from social media, my friend Philip Saligumba informed me of this which is according to him, already a trending issue in some FB pages and groups.

Why are those trees important not to cut? Aside from its aesthetic value, these trees are foremost important in terms of protecting, conserving and preserving our environment as what the protesters believe why they are against the felling of those trees in the pleasing woody portion in that area. This and other equally important and scientific, legal and moral reasons are included.

On the other hand, why are those trees needed to be cut? Well, logic requires that trees near a road could cause great harm and accidents to commuters specially during inclement weather. When uprooted or fall to the ground, they will surely cause accidents or delays in travel and other hazards. Generally speaking, trees belong to the forests or woods and not within the vicinity of a thorough fare or a highway due to said reasons. Is there an existing law now prohibiting the planting of trees along the highway?  

But it would be very unfair for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Occidental Mindoro District Engineering Office and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR) Occidental Mindoro if we assume outright that there was already a permit issued by the latter to the former. If the trees are really destined to be wantonly chopped. As per environmental laws, even the cutting of trees by DPWH needs a permit from the DENR. Did the protesters tried to inquire the two concerned government agencies on such a status as part of the campaigners’ homework? Do the campaigners have a doable alternative plan to present before the DENR and the DPWH? Did those who rant or comment about this cared to ask for the whole road widening project blueprint in our province? If we are serious about this concern, these important things shouldn’t be overlooked.

Talking of DENR and DPWH, why is it that in the past, when the former initiated tree planting projects along the sides of national road, why did the DPWH allow them to do such a thing then? I remember a similar project in San Jose in the 90s where trees are planted along the national road from Bagong Sikat to Central. Unluckily (or was it luckily?) no single tree seedling survived because of reasons only known to those entities and personalities involved in the project. 

Even in this small-scale struggle such as this, coherence and lucidity is important like what the officials of Visayan State University (VSU) in Tacloban sometime in July 2020 did. In that particular case, upon unrelenting protest of the university officials and students, the DPWH district office was moved by the opposition and did not push through with the cutting of the trees inside the campus. Instead of widening the road and cutting several trees, the DPWH agreed to construct another lane on its west side which will be used for traffic going southbound while the existing road is going to be used by northbound vehicles. I believe that this scheme can also be applied in that span in Barangay San Agustin if the concerned officials or bodies just present an alternative proposal to remedy the problem.

For those who are all-out to save the trees from road widening projects must remember that this struggle should not be confined only to social media. If it remained there, this effort will just burst like a delicate bubble. They have to show the world, both online and offline, that the concerned agencies must not sacrifice the trees for the sake of the government’s ambitious Build, Build, Build program. Indeed, there are innovative ways we can push for development while we also take care of our natural resources and that should be our way forward.

Let us take a look in another case. In Camarines Sur, since the DENR couldn’t stop the cutting of trees due to the road widening project at the Maharlika Highway in Pili, the DENR assured that in every tree cut, 100 new ones will be planted within the vicinity. On the other hand in Pototan, Iloilo, since the DPWH was given permit by the DENR to cut over 5,000 trees to give way to the project that covers 13 barangays also requiring DPWH to replace each tree with at least 100 seedlings. I do not buy this one. There had been left and right tree planting projects and Arbor Days now and in the past from down and above and there is also the National Greening Program but what now? Many planted trees but nobody lifted a finger to grow and take care of them. Just like the project in San Jose that I mentioned above.

Deforestation in Occidental Mindoro is threating then and now in a very alarming scale. According to Global Forest Watch, from 2001 to 2019, Occidental Mindoro lost 20.2kha of tree cover since 2000 and 7.39Mt of CO2 emissions. From 2001 to 2019, Occidental Mindoro lost 556has of humid primary forest, making up 2.9% of its total tree cover in the same time period. Total area of humid primary forest in the province decreased by 1.4% in this time period according to said global environmental group.

Of the two proposal and consequent solutions, I prefer the former. That one implemented in Tacloban. In whatever instance, it is imperative to know and to influence the stand of the local government unit, both the executive and legislative branches on the issue. In December, 2019 in Cebu City, the DPWH in Central Visayas proceeded with the rode widening at N. Bacalso National Highway after two months of break following the refusal of the city government to cut the trees in the area. The city council sought for the suspension of the DPWH project and requested for the reassessment of their project permit, especially the tree-cutting permit. 

The Cebu City august body assured that the DPWH should follow the guidelines of the DENR when it would come to the cutting or earth balling of the trees, which would depend on the width of the tree by making a legislation on that one. 

If those trees cannot be really saved, at least there should be a massive, well-funded, well-oiled and serious forest park or reforestation projects in areas far from the highways. Remember, there are still on-going road projects in the island traversing our forests and woods where thousands of trees are imperative to be chopped or cut down.

A dialogue towards this effort, or similar to this is imperative. Indeed, this issue can be elevated to respective LGUs specifically the local legislative board, - be it municipal or provincial. We need able-bodied "green" legislators for this one. 

Not just netizens, not just in social media.

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 (Photo: John Wenfred Mercene)

 

 

 

Yoyoy’s “Magellan”

 

My first happiest encounter with Magellan and Philippine history was through a popular musical genius named Yoyoy Villame.

If we are going to believe Yoyoy and many of distinguished historians, today is exactly the 500^th anniversary of “discovering” the Philippines. The iconic Pinoy crooner has this line in his song “Magellan”: “On March 16, 1521/When Philippines was discovered by Magellan/They were sailing day and night, across the big ocean/Until they saw a small Limasawa island.” Well, the song is about the Portuguese explorer who is sailing for Spain, who named the islands after King Philip. They were then called Las Felipinas. It starts with the arrival of soldier Ferdinand Magellan on 16 March 1521, and then moves on to his meeting with local leader Humabon in Cebu, to the baptism, to the battle between the soldier and Mactan leader Lapulapu, and it concludes with Magellan’s death. As we all know it, the song is about the attempt to conquer the islands, at least from our forebears’ perspective.  

Well, Yoyoy’s true name is Roman Villame and the song became his main vehicle to stardom. He first recorded Magellan in 1972 and the rest is history (no pun intended!), so to speak. Remember, in 1972, songs in English are the most popular in the country. Yoyoy defied that.

Villame was born in a fishing community of Calape, Bohol, Villame was the youngest of ten siblings. He was once a soldier-trainee of the Philippine Army and a jeepney driver. He joined many amateur singing competitions in Manila but always to no avail, reportedly due to his strong Visayan accent. But Yoyoy did not lose hope and finally hit the mainstream music industry in 1977 and became a national figure 5 years after his recording of “Magellan”. Later, he became a movie actor, a standup comedian, and a councilor in Las Piñas City.

Yoyoy’s first on-screen appearance was in Isla Limasawa, where "Magellan" was used as theme song. The movie was top billed by then ace comedian Chiquito and Pilar Pilapil, the Binibining Pilipinas Universe 1967-turned actress.

Since the time of Yoyoy’s “Magellan” what happened to the Philippines? Well, our geographical and historical attributes remain after his singing of “Philippine Geography” while Filipinos in general never give a damn if this administration wants to give the West Philippine Sea to China. Filipinos still live in the pages of Orwellian piece of literature where “animals” take the main stage like in Yoyoy’s “Hayop na Kombo”. The Philippines of today is eager to find a new language to everything we are experiencing. Like in Yoyoy’s “Butchikik”, we intend to invent languages that we do not even understand.

There are many inconsistencies in the late Yoyoy Villame’s “Magellan” compared to Antonio Pigafetta’s writings. The latter is the Italian scholar and explorer who actually witnessed the Battle of Mactan. In Yoyoy’s song, Magellan was hit on the neck but in Pigafetta’s account, Magellan was hit in the leg. And lastly, Magellan neither cried nor stumbled down during the actual combat. It was actually a poison-tipped arrow that killed Magellan. Was Yoyoy a historical revisionist?

According to Jocelyn Pinzon in “Remembering Philippine History: Satire in Popular Songs (2015), “Like other colonized countries, the Philippines has a history that makes the remembering uncomfortable, even obnoxious. …. The rhetorical devices such as burlesque, parody, irony and code-switching facilitate an amusing and humorous remembering.”

Maybe that is why I remember Yoyoy today, March 16, 2021.

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References:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.5367/sear.2015.0273

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoyoy_Villame

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJIUZapWUvs

Photo: Pocketmags