sariaya

if i'd be ask what my hometown is, the quick answer would be manila. during the most important phase of gaining consciousness and building the adult that i've become, it was in manila that i began each and every discovery. i know its every narrow and wide street, its every high and low end watering holes, and i have a friend in perhaps each of its congressional districts.

but the first twelve years of my life was spent in a small town 120 kilometers south of the capital. in the province of quezon lies sariaya, a large municipality by population and land area, but a small one in terms of economic development. in its only catholic primary school, i had my first taste of sectarian education. despite its small and almost rustic environment, st. joseph's was big on language instruction. what public education lacked in communication skills, my primary school had a strict and somewhat harsh policy on making sure we grow up fully conversant in the king's language. and it was, and perhaps still is, famous in that regard. under the guidance of our not-so-friendly franciscan nun teachers and one very outstanding lay instuctor by the name of ms. cornejo, i began to cultivate an aptitude in both english and filipino. and this sophisticated skill i started nurturing in the little town of sariaya proved very useful when i ventured into the big city. my communication skills were so valuable when i lacked the time and disclipine to labor in the details of medical education. this too was a pivotal tool i used in establishing important connections when i joined the university's official paper, the varsitarian. the varisitarian, being the training ground for the country's foremost journalists and political leaders, played a crucial role in emphasizing discipline in both our oral and written language. a skill that is sorely missing even among today's so-called national leadership.

while i didn't stay long enough in sariaya to truly experience how it is to be a native, i understand and deeply appreciate its idiosyncrasies and uniqueness. straddled between batangas, laguna and bicol, we have an accent that at first would sound similar to batangueno. but over time, one would realize that it has a distinctive character all its own. although sariaya is now often overshadowed by lucban in its pahiyas festival, this tradition is truly original and has almost ancient roots in my hometown. my parents both grew up and lived (my mother is still alive) there all their lives so we have been in constant touch with the hometown i missed growing up in.

but not a lot of people know me in sariaya. in fact a lot of people there think my sister is the only child of my parents. my years in high school, college, medical school and the early period on my medical career took its toll in my establishing lasting relationships with the people in our town. when i come home after long months in manila, i hardly recognize the faces i saw in the streets and perhaps the situation was mutual. they didn't know me either. perhaps the only people who still know me until today are my former classmates in st. joseph's. and there's not a lot of them. and i'd be honest too, except for those who have been my classmates since kindergarten until grade 6, i don't remember most of them. the last reunion i attended some 20 years ago were filled with faces i can only faintly recall. maybe they were my classmates' classmates after i left for high school. or maybe they just matured quicker. or maybe i just have amnesia.

my twelve years in UST are still the most defining period of what i have become and what i still aspire to be. for myself and the larger society. even as i live in america now, i still appreciate the quality of education i obtained in its hallow classrooms and everything i've learned in the varsitarian. i am also particularly proud of its illustrious history and the contributions it has made for my country.

but three hours south of manila is sariaya. my true hometown.