MIGRATION: TENNIS, SHOOTING, AND COOOKING; AND FEASTING ON THE PESTS

In every tennis club hereabouts and elsewhere, there will always be good players, good shooters, and good cooks. It is rare, however, that a tennis player would be “3-in-1;” all those three traits in one person. Here in the cradle city of our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, we have five tennis clubs. But only the Bukal Kay-Tala Tennis Club, SEC-registered and known as “Looc Tennis Club,” (LTC) boasts of having all the three assets of a sportsman rolled-up into one in its three members – “The FPJ Trio.”

Blessed are we, indeed, in the LTC for having these three as member-plenipotentiary; inherent to play, shoot, and cook. The FPJ trio is: The seasoned-citizen lay-minister Fanny de Vera, the young-blood business entrepreneur Paul Palaganas, and ex-seminarian Joseph Oppus. Each of them has all the above traits - champion tennis player, acknowledged rifle sharpshooter, and good cook – an epicure and a gourmet.

Destiny has it that our summer vacation tennis tournaments this 2011 would showcase the FPJ trio’s hidden extravaganza to the delight of the generally gourmand tennis enthusiasts.

Little did we know of their summer nocturnal meetings planning early morning trips with Fanny’s kitchenomics aboard Paul’s Big Van and Joseph’s rent-a-motorboat concession to a far away undisclosed bird hunting place somewhere along the shoreline of Lake Taal.

Sometime this April, during the regular after games noontime fellowship in the citywide “First Lazaro Cup” at LTC, Lolo Fanny opened the caldero of his hot and spicy Adobong Ibon. Its soothing aroma instantly permeated into our nostrils; and snappily PNP Inspector Jocelyn “Joc” Cariño announced on top his military commanding voice – “MATIK NA!, let the fellowship begin and taste that finger-licking, aromatic exotic pulutan.”

“Tsalap pulutan” echoed retired Nestle supervisor Raul Marinas and seconded by Atoy Co look-alike – Ed (Atoy) Loon.

“Tagay parekoy! I believe for you,Tita Fanny,” briskly egged Ase Baroro and Noel Brual - the “African Brothers” of Calamba City. Naturally, we all enjoyed such lasting camaraderie with two long-neck brandy and cases of beer; and would never forget “Joker Vinz” Vencio Realon’s beer case throwing incident hurled at B1 (the youthful balding transport contractor Melchor Carandang, Jr.) after drinking to the max.

This was the club’s first encounter with Lolo Fanny’s big bird, enjoyed no less by ExPres Arman Mabunga and his tennis playing brood (Marlo, Ti, and Yani). Arman’s family has migrated to Canada April 2011.

Reportedly, the FPJ trio hauled five sacks of the game birds – locally known as Bakaw Pulo (Night Heron) - in that summer game shooting trip. Lean bird hunting trips would follow since the migratory preys would have gone to their native land, and would only return in our lakes and swamps to escape the unbearable frosty winter in their far-away-continent, wherever.

The four-season weather condition in the Philippines serves as the ultimate come-on to migratory birds across the globe. Hence, the lakes and swamps in this archipelago become regular seasonal tourist-bird destinations. These tourists seek their suitable haven in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao sanctuaries during their sojourn.

Host bird-haven communities treat them differently. To bird lovers and bird watchers, they are most welcome treat; zoom cameras and telescopes become handy to their delight. To fishpond entrepreneurs and fruit tree farmers, they are most unwanted; these birds are real pests in the business. The flying migrants are, indeed, both bane and boon to many.

To the Taal lake shoreline villagers, mixed feelings they have. Village leaders have to invite bird hunters to decimate their numbers since these visitors prey on the fish pond potential harvest. The migratory birds are pests to the fingerlings, small, medium, and large fish.

The start of our so-called “-ber-months,” opens the sojourn of the migratory birds once more. The recent long weekend holidays (Aug 27-30, 2011) provided the FPJ trio to once more pursue their clandestine hobby beyond the tennis arena. After their bountiful heroes day bird hunting, each served the participants in the “Col. Angel’s Cup” (Aug-Sep) at the Calamba Riverside Tennis Court beside the city plaza with exotic bird pulutan. Each took their turn to showcase the finished products from their cache.

But first, let us have an insight of this once in a decade event, the 2^nd in-house club level encounter hosted by millionaire security and trucking magnate retired Colonel Angel M. Opeña. Following is an in-depth dissertation from the mind of Banker-Millionaire Madz Resurreccion, 'The Man'.

"The intended format had the pairing of senior-fiftyish among Nebo’s court regulars. In the scramble for sure-winning tandem, oddities are expected considering player character, senility, agility, respectability, and sheer luck. Younger players become participants.

"And in the course of the rainout playing days: The peevish tandem of the proud Drug Lord Colonel from India-Pakistan Border and supercilious speedy-oldie-ex-tailor millionaire (JOCOBERT / TSONGARCE) hug the limelight exacerbated by flying 'DARNA.' Closely watched is the performance of the Angel / Devil pare-team, the Church-and-the-State duo, the Catholic-Baptist laymen combo, the Llamado Pares (VERDASCO / ALRASHID), and the 'undefeated tandem' of yesteryears now trying hard to win. Top-seed teams remain on top and the winless already looking for special 'Kalabasa Award' sponsor. Championship match before September ends would probably be 'El Cura Paroco y Padre Señor contra Decipulos'.”

Back to reality, let us feast the pests. Lolo Fanny treated our palate with his usual saucy-hot-spicy-salty adobo. Paul, a seaman-chef in his womanizing days, presented his regular savory dried adobo, not so tender yet delicious to the last gritting bites grinding to the max the protein-rich bird meat. Joseph of Bohol Agricultural College Varsity and a top salesman during his prime, after marinating his bird meat for days with complex mixture of foreign condiments topped with brandy and cooking wine brought his concoction for on-the-spot grilling beside the tennis court. Pulot boy King Bañadero obligingly followed the grilling assignment, twice moving the grill to hide the burning embers from the drizzling rain.

But only a few feasted the pests at Nebo’s clubhouse. The unpredictable sudden downpour that day distracted most participants. Plentiful, Joseph’s exotic bird concoction had to be chop into bits for others to savor and flew to the shoreline barangay Looc, home of LTC, where Ase, Atoy, Prof Vic Santos of La Salle Alabang were stranded by the heavy rains. We feasted on the pests with brandy while waiting for Makati exec Lando Villanueva and invocation speaker Bro. Ofreng Caluya; their coming however was aborted by the rain.

Joseph’s exotic pulutan were much more delectable this time with vinegar-garlic-chili-sauce which Atoy prepared to the enjoyment (also) of pulot girl Joy Alinsunurin and the rest of the ball boys. The thoughtful Atoy even saved some of the delicacy for his beauteous songbird lovely wife Vicky.

While migratory birds have been visiting the Philippines seasonally, some LTC players have migrated to Canada permanently. We all miss you Arman, Marlo, Ti, Yani, and of course their beautiful mommy Nurse Cynthia of Zambales Province. Incidentally, Leilani “Ate Lai” Almoro-Naredo and family migrated to Canada a year earlier; followed by Mon Lira and family. Noel Brual, lovely wife RoseLyn, with daughter and son (NorLyn, Noriel) would also be migrating soon.

Regretably, we also miss the court presence of our Big Bird Rafael “Ral” Hilao and Heron-slim Jeffrey Co; who might have both flown separately like migratory birds to unknown comfort zones (you are welcome back, guys, to settle our games in court anytime).

Of course the club always longs for longer homeward vacation of LTC pioneer Jun Matanguihan. Felix Tolentino Matanguihan, Jr. is an Adamson mining alumni. Eldest in the family, education of his siblings became his priority. He grabbed the first OFW opportunity to serve family and country. He never was a licensure examinee. Like a migratory bird, Jun has been flying across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa in various foreign assignments as a Filipino unsung-hero. He never looked back until recently; now he has a fallback dry goods outlet at the new Mercado de Calamba in his home town Calamba City. This soft-spoken, well reserved bachelor still at his prime would someday find his "Shamcey Supsup" and add more mileage in "flying hours" with his lifetime partner.

Play with us more often, “Jun M,” in your next court touchdown. While our multi-citizen Jhay Dinulos (Fil-Can-Am) come-and-go on short tennis vacation like those migratory bird preys of the “FPJ Trio.”