Childhood Memories - Politics

The family had a taste of politics in the middle of 1930’s. Father was a regular member of what was popularly known as the “Acacia Club”. The group was composed of retired professionals, businessman, barangay leaders and some men who just wanted to sit around at the plaza to gather what was to be heard. A number would play Chinese checkers or “dama” while numbers stood around. The favorite venue was in the shade of an acacia tree in front of the presidencia.

The biggest and most lively crowd was usually gathered on days of scheduled sessions of the Municipal Council. Council members hang around to engage in small talk with citizens there, hold informal discussion on town affairs. It was not surprising therefore that Council meeting were held more under the acacia than in the Municipal Hall. Father was an active and very vocal participant in these talks.

With the knowledge and awareness that he had long been an informal council member, perhaps he decided he should be in the proper session venue. He run for and won a council seat. Later he also became a Vice-Mayor. He wanted to be a Mayor and became a candidate, running against the incumbent Mayor Laureta. He was banking on the votes from Santa Fe, Mother’s birth place, and support of the clan.

As practiced by elective candidates up to the present, voters have to be wooed with favors. So our house was always open, food and drinks always available. Father and his loyalists were out every night. At public meetings however, Father was not as eloquent as his opponents. In his younger days as teacher and principal it is said that his big voice could be heard over the baseball field. When he was older, his voice unfortunately became tremulous and ineffective. This must have been one of the causes if his defeat.

On the night of the ballot count, we all felt the burden of disappointment as runners arrived to report the results to him. He suffered wordlessly and we respected his silence. It was months later that he brought out his sentiment not over his defeat but over the information that his near relatives had helped his opponent instead. He never ran again for any position.

Mother’s political career was minor and short-lived. With Mrs. Maria M. Arriola, she sat in the council during the Mayor ship of Juanito Colorado. During sessions, she would wear her saya with train tucked waist level and camisa with stiffly starched butterfly sleeves. She wore this with a headed “corcho”.

She was the Number One Councilor having garnered the highest votes and therefore presided over council meetings. We were doubly proud whenever she told us that the mayor was out and she would be in charge. When her term ended though, she, like Nana Maria opted to quit politics and just be homemakers. The family settled to the peaceful task of setting up and working for the achievement of economic and educational goals.