Enrique (Dick) Pineda

Daddy Dick, Tang Dick to close friends and relatives, but he’s plain Daddy to us. His grand kids sometimes affectionately refer to him as Lolo Groovy!

He’s known for his tiny, white ducktail. He’s almost bald except for some thin white hair on his temples; on the lower back of his head and of course, his ducktail, which he usually sports in a braid. He was always with us in our old house in Norwalk when we used to live in California except for a short period of time when he worked for an electronics shop in the Valley.

I’ve mentioned that we had the best looking lawn in our neighborhood the consequence of which was a really high water bill. He gets ticked off when he goes on vacation in the Philippines, comes back and finds his lawn either turning brown or with uneven splotches where I mowed it. He wore several hats in Norwalk: electrician, plumber, electronics technician, carpenter, mason, you name it, he can do it! My former co-workers are so jealous that I don’t do any maintenance around the house.

He’s seen the doctor once during the several years he stayed with us. He had Medical/Medicare coverage but he feels he takes advantage of the government if and when he goes to doctors for free for the common cold or even a slight temperature. His cure all? Tylenol! He has a headache, he takes Tylenol. A cold? Tylenol. Even if he has diarrhea, yup Tylenol. He wakes up early in the morning and walks about 5 miles. He refused to get an LA Times subscription preferring to walk and buys it himself. He’s always with his trademark Camels Soft Pack. I remember he was able to get a nice coat as a prize from sending out Camel cigarettes proofs of purchase during a promotion. He has one, maybe two Buds a night and just like everyone in the Pineda family, he loves Las Vegas and Pechanga.

He originally hails from Barangay San Isidro which celebrates its patron saint’s feast day every May 15th of the year. He never misses to go to church there during the fiesta, so last May 15, all of us went and heard mass at their small Catholic chapel. We met some of their relatives also there to hear mass. Daddy borrowed the small statue of St. Isidore from the chapel saying it originally belonged to their family but has since been donated to the chapel. We visited a house owned by his distant cousin. Since it’s their fiesta, they didn’t give up until they had us share breakfast with them. One of the nieces casually mentioned, "How about a family reunion?"


So last July 19, without his knowledge we invited all kinds of friends and long lost relatives to celebrate his 83rd birthday here in our place. It surprised him that so many of his relatives showed up. Leda baked a huge birthday cake for him. Atching Alice of Partyland came with a bunch of food courtesy of her brothers and sisters here and abroad who’re so close to Daddy.




Father’s Day ‘08

Last June 14, we celebrated a quiet Father’s Day here in which Leda baked a cake with the names of all the fathers in the family on it.

Cultural Potpourri

A few weeks ago I attended a seminar called Amlat at Kulturang Kapampangan held at the University of Assumption. It was organized by Joel Mallari and his group KATATAGAN (Katipunan da reng Talasaliksik at Talaturung Kapampangan). Joel is also CKS resident researcher and archaeologist.

Below were the lecturers:

Edwin Camaya – Capampangan identity


Lino Dizon – who covered a brief history of Pampanga


Ryan Santiago - diaspora


Charlene Manese - on various cultural legislations, national level


Francis Musni, below, got a lot of attention from the audience on Capampangan superstitious beliefs.


French geographer JC Gaillard was also there and he talked about natural disasters in the area and its effect on local culture along with Rod Sicat on the origins of indigenous Capampangan last names, Hermie Pineda on Capampangan art, and Joel Mallari on intellectualizing the Capampangan language. Another Capampangan advocate, Nancy Lagman Tremblay was with us in the audience along with several invited school teachers.

I also attended a short lecture by Japanese linguist and an expert in Capampangan language, Professor Kitano Hiroaki.

He discussed among others why Capampangan is a language and NOT A DIALECT, which for the longest time has been incorrectly taught to us. I think it’s sad and pretty ironic that an expert on our language is a foreigner. Friend Romy Rodriguez also attended the lecture held at the City of San Fernando's Heroes Hall.

Today another Capampangan language expert Anicia del Corro was supposed to deliver a lecture at the Holy Angel College. Unfortunately, I was told that she suffered a bad fall and injured herself so the lecture was cancelled.

Flashbacks - Fifteen Minutes of Fame

As some of you know, on a Saturday, last May 17, Aldo Ning Amanung Sisuan was held at the brand new state of the art theater of the Holy Angel University, in which three US based Capampangan poets, my brother Rafael Maniago, Renato Alzadon and Ernesto Turla, were crowned Poet Laureat. Despite a stormy Saturday night, the event was well attended. During the same night, a book of a collection of Capampangan poems by newly crowned Poet Laureat Renato (RBA) Alzadon, entitled Kasapunggul a Sampaga, was launched by ANASI and Holy Angel's Center for Kapampangan Studies. There was a short book signing by RBA at the lobby of the theater.


Holy Angel University's CKS did a superb job in setting up the momentous event with cool posters displayed all over the school and the city. Cong Paing's paintings were displayed by the entrance of the theater.


Lita and her husband were able to watch most of the show. They had to leave before it ended because her family were taking Fumio out for a farewell dinner.

Friend Mike Estacio made it as well but Tonette's vehicle got turned around by cops because of the heavy traffic created by a fallen tree off of McArthur Highway.

They served some snacks before the show and and a sumptous dinner was also served after the show.

The day after the event, local Cable Channel 8, Infomax interviewed all three new Poet Laureats in their talk show Personalan held at the lobby of the theater.

Weeks later, I tried to inquire from the station about a DVD copy of the show and was told it wasn't ready yet but was asked would I be interested to be one of the guests in another show Talking Points to discuss the plight of the Capampangan language. I said sure, thinking this can be my 'fifteen minutes of fame'.

The interview went really well. It was hosted by Personalan's Mau Aquino and another gentleman, forgot his name. They also invited friend Romy Rodriguez and CKS's Erlinda Cruz. Local Capampangan advocate Jason Laxamana and his Kalam co-director Diego Marx Dobles were also there. In the invterview, Ms Cruz and Romy discussed the recent passing of a provincial bill creating a Provincial Language (Capampangan) Council.

I don't watch a lot of TV so I really haven't seen the full episode of the interview but acquaintances have told me, "I saw you on TV the other night!" That's pretty cool for a non-celebrity like me!

Talk about TV, Mareng Myrna sent me a text message telling me to turn it on and put on ABS/CBN Pampanga. Friend Tonette and her sister Atching Claire were being interviewed about their family foundation, the IMMF, short for Innocencio Magtoto Memorial Foundation.

Various Events and Visitors..

Donna’s family's old ancestral house in Del Pilar deteriorated to the point it was almost unliveable. When my father-in-law and Sister Gay went back home from the US, he decided he’ll have it renovated. We were against the idea of pouring in money to the place but I guess it’s their old house and he wanted to have some sense of home ownership so we pretty much got ignored.

Sister Gay and nephew Francis Jr. (Dodong) have been living in it for a while. A couple of months ago the floor tiles finally got installed. Leda and Donna decided to help Sister Gay out to celebrate her birthday and have a formal house blessing. We told her to invite her friends and last Wednesday, Aug 13, she had a party in Del Pilar. Leda brought a lot of food. We brought fruits, ice, drinks, some dinuguan that Donna had schoolmate Pat cook earlier and chairs. Father Mon Torres came late in the afternoon and did the blessing. Ayrin (who brought the cake) and Migs came with Lynn. Len also came with her daughters Erika and Ems.

Leda and Donna played kwaho off and on through it all!



Ate Nita's Visit

We got a call from Donna's cousin Atching Nora and she said her sisters Atching Nita and Atching Del who're from California are in town for vacation and to be with their brother Cong Fred who's wife Atching Zeny passed away recently. These are classmate Boy Dizon's sisters.


I also got a call from friend Roger Catalan who was here through his church on some fellowship mission along with a few of his church members. We didn't get to meet because their schedule was too hectic. He left for California last Sunday, I believe. We should have visited him at SoGo, the hotel they were staying in right across from SM but I was out with the flu at the time.

Panlumacan Elementary Pre Get-Together

When we were in London last year, friends Ric Bondoc and Roland Canlas were nice enough to show us around. Roland is my grade school classmate from San Jose/Panlumacan Elementary School and he's here on vacation. We've been text'ing each other and I've decided to organize a small get-together along with our other classmates most of whom we haven't seen since 1966! Within the last few days, friend and classmate Myrna and I along with Abel Lim have been frantically making phone calls and sending text messages back and forth. One classmate Loreto (Boy) Tumang is the current Barangay Captain of San Jose and we've included him in the loop because most of our former classmates still reside in the area. We were going to have it at the clubhouse of nearby Queesborough Subd. but Boy said we should have it at the school instead because the clubhouse will probably be infested with mosquitoes due to all kinds of standing water next to it.

Yesterday evening we met at the San Jose Barangay Hall right next to our former school and we started driving around trying to locate people and inviting them to our get together on Friday. I got to see some of them last night but didn't recognize most of them - after all it's been 42 years!

Here's our first group picture, from left to right: Aurora Gueco, Aurora Simeon, Myrna Mercado, Abel Lim and Boy Tumang.


Here's Myrna and Consolacion Gomez.


Below is Ruben Yutuc, Lerma Lising and Myrna.


And here's Boy Tumang and Armando Salas.


Holy Angel College

I think I've mentioned in a previous blog that in all my time hanging out at the SM Clark, and lately we've been going to church at the Angeles City Cathedral, I have yet to meet any of my classmates from college. I just find it weird that I was at Holy Angel for four years and not see any of them. Donna tells me that perhaps I'm not looking in the 'right direction'.

Last night I got this text message:
Hi rey Where are you?r u in pi?i called vangie this am if u r in pi hope we can meet beth quito

Let me give you a quick background scenario. Beth is a college classmate and she married another classmate Amor Quito. They live in San Diego. Vangie, another classmate, married another classmate, my college buddy Joven.

You can imagine my excitement, this is what I've been waiting for! To think that the whole thing will come from the US is so strange. Anyway..

I text her back but got tired of waiting for her reply, I called instead. She says she's not used to sending text messages and she was still in the middle of composing her reply when I called! She and Amor are here in time to celebrate her Mom's birthday tomorrow. I dropped by real quick at their place at nearby Villa Julita (across from the Coke plant by Baliti). When I arrived, their two beautiful daughters were watching some Telenovela. Amor was out drinking with her brothers a couple of houses away. They arrived last week and are going back on Sept 5. Before I left she gave me an invitation for her Mom's birthday and I've already saved Joven and Vangie's cell numbers, just in case!