RIZAL @ 151; “YT” @ THE

PLAZA

CITY OF CALAMBA – After Rizal’s sesquicentennial, a nondescript old model car negotiating the pavements of his cradle town almost always gets curious second looks from observant eyes. More so from jogging enthusiasts when the car is parked in the early morning on weekends within the Plaza, the two-hectare park under the vigilant watch of Rizal’s tallest monument in the world.

The area has become the regular circle of “The Plaza Joggers/Runners.” City Councilor Luis Vergel “Bong” Baroro joins its members from all walks in life. See photo below taken by Negrense Jose Maylando “Botchok” Villanueva, jogger/tennis enthusiast, a resident at nearby Villa de Calamba.

The Jogger onlookers: Danny Decena showing the biblical fish; Konsi Bong Baroro (6th R-L)

The car is YT. It is a Mitsubishi Lancer, ’86. An old car with fading wash-over psychedelic design painted over its original dirty white color. The psychedelic design was to cover dents and scratches allover.

YT is Jejemon text for whitey. Whitey is shortcut for Dorothy White Bangs, the name given by its acknowledged owner. This foreign sounding lady means dirty white bangas. Bangas in our dialect connotes dents and scratches on a car.

This nondescript motor vehicle has long been inviting this septuagenarian Calambenio to present an issue out of it. The time has come this month of June.

June is the 6^th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of the four months with a length of 30 days (en.wikepdia.org). June, dubbed the wedding month, also gives us the Fathers’ Day on its third Sunday. Typhoon season usually starts in June in our country; and ironically, the opening of our school calendar also begins.

Historically, the month of June provides every nationalistic Filipinos a double whammy in national celebration – Independence Day and Rizal Day.

In both occasions YT fits in. Her psychedelic design invokes both spiritual and nationalistic fervor. The biblical fish and the Holy Spirit in a flying bird are revealed upon close scrutiny. The color combination in our national flag accentuated in the bird’s tail cannot be missed by the human eye. Above all, on her front hood is the punch line: “Pilipino Dangal ng Saling Lahi.”

Who else among Filipinos past and present epitomizes such punch line but our very own Dr. Jose P. Rizal?

Calamba once again has been dotted and indelibly marked in the world map when Rizal @ 150 his tallest statue was officially unveiled by no less than the bachelor president of the Republic of the Philippines, His Excellency P-Noy.

Today, Rizal @151 views with sullen eyes just across the street the very seat of governance in his place of birth amid the background of Mt. Makiling.

Could Rizal be invoking the legendary Maria Makiling to lead scrofulous and unscrupulous city hall employees and city residents into the straight path of governance? Would he not be looking at how each lowly casual employee performs assigned duties and responsibilities, including performance of those regular employees and consultants (?), and most in particular those at the helm of the city administration? Could they be counted in adhering to this 114^th Independence Day theme: Pananagutan ng Bayan para sa tuwid na daan (Sacrifices of the Nation on the Straight Path)?