Flashback. Summer of '67. Zamboanga City, the City of Flowers. Zamboanga AE College.(AE for Arturo Eustaquio). Plaza Pershing. Zamboanga City was then a peaceful city. It's vibrant with hopeful joy. I love to visit the pier where I drown my doubts, my uncertainties, my pain on the unending friendly and hostile waves rolling to the shore. Etched on the horizon is a promising tomorrow. And, Zamboanga AE College was like a doting father to the children away from home. Students from all over Mindanao in particular and the Visayan and Luzon flocked to Zamboanga City for their educational thirst and hunger. Truly, Zamboanga City is the City of Flowers.
In the summer of 1967, as the president of the ZAEC Summer Student Council, I was given the responsibility to invite the late Mayor Cesar Climaco to be the College of Education Summer Graduating Class guest speaker. As he was not available, instead I requested Mr. Rodolfo Canivel, director of Philippine Muslim College of Jolo, Sulu, who was at that time recruiting teachers to teach in high school and college. That request paved the warm welcome of at least seven instructors to teach at Philippine Muslim College and immediately commenced my teaching odyssey.
I assured Mr. Canivel of those teachers who would be teaching English and Literature, Mathematics, Pilipino, Science, History, Band Leader/Instructor, and School paper Adviser.
Mr. Abubakar, the Mayor of Jolo gave the coming instructors a red carpet welcome accommodation. Reid Tallow was the high school principal. Meanwhile, Baryamin Jubaira, my great pal ( with whom I learned some writing skills), welcomed me by streaming an ad-lib on the only government radio station of Jolo, Sulu. The following week my classmates and schoolmates from the islands surprised me with a welcome visit.
Baryamin is the son of Ibrahim Jubaira, the first prolific Filipino writer to be known outside of the country, the Philippines Free Press short story awardee for his Uncle Syed's Goat entry, and the Philippines attache' to Kuala Lumpur during Emmanuel Pelaez vice-presidency.
I loved the Sulu Archipelago with its Muslim and Christian population, lovely islands, and beautiful seascape, the noted durian fruits, fresh fish, and homegrown brewed coffee. I walked the beach and saw at a distance the house of Princess Tarhata Kiram, who wrote the lyrics of the song Jolo Farewell-. In fact, I still remembered another song which runs like this: In Tawi-Tawi beach I know, the girl I can't forget...
And Simunol island, of Eddie Sappal's writings, of his brother, Abe Sappal ( Karl Dumas ) whose radio voice permeated Zamboanga city's airwaves and captivated young and old listeners. Together with Abe Sappal, Rommel Corro, and me; we trained a winsome Hadji ( sorry I forgot his name) of the island in public speaking and he won the college intramural speaking contest at ZAEC. Meanwhile, with the expertise and advice of Abe Sappal and Rommel Corro, we won the intercollegiate debate on the topic: That electoral campaign should be limited to 3 months. Education Dept. has the affirmative side whose members were 2 high schools valedictorians ( from Margosatubig, Zamboanga del Sur and the other from Basilan province and 1 salutatorian (me) from Zamboanga del Norte The first time in ZAEC's history that an Education Dept won over the Law Dept.
At Jolo's Philippine Muslim College, I met and befriended a kindhearted man whose name escaped my memory. He was the college security guard by day and moonlighting on the government radio by night. He has a terrific tongue for dishing out the Tausog's ballads comparable to the Tagalog's Balagtasan. This muscular friend graduated with his Bachelor's degree at the prestigious University of Sto. Tomas, Manila, the Philippines on a scholarship through his swimming prowess.
Dave Reyes was added to the list of friends. He is a dashing, well-read man who informed me of a soon available teaching position at Claret College of Isabela, Basilan City as Bob (Ulbert Ulama Tugung) is slated to take the bar in Manila. I grabbed the opportunity. I was accepted. Taught English and also as an adviser of the school's paper and a contributor to the Basilan Times.
Ulbert Ulama "Bob" Tugung was a very good friend. He is charismatic, humble, well-loved in Basilan and the islands. He smiled and waved his hands in a friendly manner among the pedestrians. He was fearless as he held high his honesty, dedication, and sincerity in the whole gamut of his emotion. He was truly a politician.
Those were the days when the Press and Radio or Media were well respected. And this refreshed my memory when I met Mr. Pamaran of the notable and influential Pamaran families of Lamitan of the Basilan province of the Sulu Archipelago. This happened when a classmate in college introduced me to Mr. Pamaran who (I was not sure) was the mayor or vice-mayor, that I was a journalist and at that juncture, he pleaded not to ruin his political career due to his not accomodating us three townmates for a ride from the wharf to downtown Lamitan. That incident added inches to my height, that a pen is mightier than a sword. (Greg In Trabanca)
