My Father's Day.

LEFT - One of the things that belonged to my father which I kept. His Barong Tagalog.



Father's Day did not get celebrated when I was growing up. It was just made a special day recently. So now, after a week has passed, I am finally writing about it.

Why late? Maybe because my own father is no longer here; he passed away nine years ago, on July, 2000.

But I got to thinking about him just now. Because when I saw my sisters a couple of days ago, we got to talking about family, about our father.

When my father succumbed to a heart attack in 2000, I was supposed to see him in the hospital.

I travelled to Manila in mid-July and arrived late at night and immediately proceeded to my mother's house. My little brother later reminded me that we had to go to the hospital where my father had been confined, and was already waiting for me. I told my brother that I would see our father in the morning.

The next morning, though, my sister delivered the sad news: our father had a massive heart attack at dawn.

It was as if he only waited for me to arrive and when he knew I was there, he simply had to go. I took it as a sign that he really wanted me to take care of his farm and let it flourish because for the last fifteen years of his life, he devoted much of it on his farm.

I'm sure wherever he is today, my father is happier.

What I like to remember about him was his being cool and collected; a savvy lawyer.

I do not recall him being fazed. I do recall when he got mad at me and at one sister a couple of times; that's why I thought all fathers were emotion-less.

But what I fancy most about my father was his eloquence. His debating prowess and his singing.

He taught a sister declamation when she joined an elocution contest. He used to sing while driving during our trips to Nueva Ecija, and even when he campaigned for some "politicos" in our small town.

He would burst into delivering "Ang Pamana," a lovely poem, and singing "La Paloma" to my mother.

On my trip to Ohio last week, we recalled how my eldest sister and my father used to recite Ang Pamana, a nostalgic poem about a parent bequeathing small items and property to the children who would be left behind, and marvelously, my sister could deliver some of the lines, still.


Ang Pamana
Ni Jose Corazon de Jesus
(Huseng Batute)
Jose Corazon de Jesus also composed "Bayan Ko."

Isang araw ang ina ko’y nakita kong namamanglaw
Naglilinis ng marumi’t mga lumang kasangkapan.
Sa pilak ng kanyang buhok na hibla na katandaan
Nabakas ko ang maraming taon niyang kahirapan;
Nakita ko ang ina ko’y tila baga nalulumbay
At ang sabi “itong pyano sa iyo ko ibibigay,
Ang kubyertos nating pilak ay kay Itang maiiwan,
Mga silya’t aparador ay kay Tikong nababagay
Sa ganyan ko hinahati itong ating munting yaman.


Pinilit kong pasayahin ang lungkot ng aking mukha
Tinangka kong magpatawa upang siya ay matuwa,
Subalit sa aking mata’y may namuong mga luha
Naisip ko ang ina ko, ang ina ko na kawawa;
Tila kami iiwan na’t may yari nang huling nasa at
Sa halip na magalak sa pamanang mapapala,
Sa puso ko ay dumalaw ang malungkot na gunita
Napaiyak akong tila isang kaawaawang bata
Niyakap ko ang ina ko at sa kanya ay winika.


"Ang ibig ko sana, Ina’y ikaw aking pasiyahin at huwag nang
Makita pang ika’y Nalulungkot mandin,
O, Ina ko, ano po ba at naisipang hatiin
Ang lahat ng munting yamang maiiwan sa amin?”
"Wala naman,” yaong sagot “baka ako ay tawagin ni Bathala
Mabuti nang malaman mo ang habilin?
Iyang pyano, itong silya’t aparador ay alaming
Pamana ko na sa iyo, bunsong ginigiliw.”


“Ngunit Inang,” ang sagot ko, “ang lahat ng kasangkapan
Ang lahat ng yaman dito ay hindi ko kailangan
Ang ibig ko’y ikaw ina, ang ibig ko’y ikaw inang
Hinihiling ko sa Diyos na ang pamana ko’y ikaw
Aanhin ko iyong pyano kapag ikaw ay mamatay
At hindi ko matutugtog sa tabi ng iyong hukay?
Ililimos ko sa iba ang lahat ng ating yaman
Pagkat di ka maaaring pantayan ng daigdigan
Pagkat, ikaw O Ina ko, ika’y wala pang kapantay.”