I BELIEVE you saw that Oscar ceremonies in Hollywood recently wherein actor Will Smith smacked comedian Chris Rock. I saw another thing aside from that. No one in the crowd was wearing mask. No social distancing either. If you follow the NBA games, everything it seems caution was already thrown to the wind. And same here in our country, there are many big events already wherein health protocols are no longer observed.
Let’s revisit what were my thoughts last year which was the most depressing period of our lives because of the coronavirus. Two years we can’t socialize. Many “imprisoned” themselves in their homes. Even the rich can’t find haven because the whole world was encircled by the virus. Talagang parang coronang tinik ang nakapapatong sa ating mga ulo. I remember seeing it on a Facebook wall written by a senior who was in his twilight years. According to him as an octogenarian he experienced and witnessed too many calamities more than what he expected. He heard the bombs dropped by the Japanese invading army when they targeted Clark Air Force Base as World War 2 exploded following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 8, 1941.
Already a grown up in the fifties when the dissident groups led by then Huk supremo Luis Taruc roamed the countrysides and ambushes of government soldiers were waylaid. Those were dangerous years. The Huk movement nearly toppled the established government and only was averted when Ramon Magsaysay, a popular figure among the masses was elected president. The succeeding years the country enjoyed tranquility until in 1972 Ferdinand Marcos wanted to perpetuate himself proclaimed martial law. His political rivals were jailed. Closed down media outlets. Imposed curfew, thus there was curtailment of movement and basic rights were clamped.
Comes the so-called Edsa revolution. People were overjoyed when Marcos left the country and influence of his cronies and minions and power was transferred to the widow Corazon Aquino. The country was badly managed and there was dramatic increase among the jobless. For two years the pandemic was raging and the sick were filling the hospitals and the vaccines were not enough. Sickness and deaths were tallied by government daily. How sad.
Me, I witnessed both the bad and good years. The best years are those years when I was I growing up with the music of Elvis Presley and the Beatles. There was also one disturbing political news then. Me and my friends in Porac and barkadas in Angeles City were not really affected by the rivalry of then President Carlos P. Garcia of Bohol and Vice President Diosdado Macapagal of Pampanga, but were all admiration on President John F. Kennedy of the United States of America. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino of Tarlac, Ferdinand E. Marcos of Ilocos Norte and Gerardo Roxas of Capiz were the rising political stars. They were the senators when senators are real senators.
Here are more throwbacks: Charito Solis, Gloria Romero and Paraluman were the model pin-up girls on calendars. Fernando Poe Jr., Romeo Vasquez, Lou Salvador Jr. were screen idols. Gabriel “Flash” Elorde vs Harold Gomes fought at the new Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City. Elorde knocked out Gomes in the first round and won the world junior lightweight crown.
The exchange rate was two pesos to one US dollar, and money scrips were still legal tender in cities like Angeles and Olongapo. Miguel Cuaderno was the Central Bank governor. Henry Sy was selling shoes in Carriedo street near the Quiapo church. Plaza Miranda in front of the church was London's Hyde Park where political meetings were held. There were no party list members of the House of Representatives. The Senators were brilliant and honorable.There were no pork barrels for lawmakers, and Janet Napoles may not have been born yet.
Upong dyes lang po' was a sign below the rear view mirrors of jeepneys. There were few buses plying in Metro Manila. The buses plying Pampanga were the La Mallorca Pambusco of Geronimo “Hitler” Enriquez and the Philippine Rabbit owned by the Buan and Paras families of Tarlac.There was no North Luzon Expressway yet, but President Macapagal in 1962 tasked the Bureau of Public Highways to build the highway. There were no tricycles yet, but horse drawn calesas.
“Those were the days my friend, I thought they never end...”