They were
rich, poor, professionals, farmers, artists, husbands, handicapped, athletes,
religious, well-dressed, and happy-go-lucky people. They were the TTM (Tulay
Tenders of Morong). The towns-people, tongue-in-cheek, called them kanto
boys. They were istambays.
They "owned"
a small portion of the Morong bridge - their hang-out. Sometimes they staked
their place in various papags located in major stores and restaurants along
the main four-corners of the town's center -- at the plaza or at the old
municipal building. At night time Tio Impyong's sastre belonged to them.
The four
corners are the kantos. Never before in the history of Morong had there
been a microcosm of individuals with friendship as solid as the TTM. Although
they all differed in political preference, religious beliefs, club affiliations,
and social strata, when they met at the bridge or the kantos they were
one.
People's
perception of TT was sometimes not very nice. They often times related
to TT as Kanto Boys. Some people branded TT as jobless, lazy, womanizing,
uncultured (bastos), and all that. Others looked at them as a group of
professionals having fun. Compared to the present drug and gang activities,
the TTM were saints!
Of course
there were some TTs who were not officially a TTM member but wanted to
be recognized as one. And they were those who had crossed the law in one
way or the other. TTM on the other hand had converted many would-be TT
into the right side of law.
TTM: Their Culture
They developed
a common interest -- well, shooting the breeze at either end of the bridge
or at the kantos. Their trade mark was there -- polished shiny cement guard-rail
made possible by non-stop sitting and horse-back-riding-style which resulted
in many torn pants' seats and back pockets. Nobody knows when the practice
started. The bridge was there. I was there.
And the rest is my story.
My association
with the TTM dated back to 50's and early part of 60's. The 50's were the
years the TTM bloomed. By some grace of luck the TTM were almost the same
age, went to the same school, shared the same sports, and volunteered for
many town activities -- town fiesta, cordero, prusisyon during mahal na
araw, Christmas and New Year's festivities, to mention a few. They were
always together, yet unbeknownst to co-TTs they were probably also magkabato
-- prospecting the same lady.
They played
basketball like it was a national championship game. At stake was a block
of ice in a bucket of water. Some basketball players managed to get into
the game while they were waiting for their turn at the puso. Their parents
knew they were supposed to be fetching water (remember the pinggahan?)
from the town's drinking well which was located near the basketball
court. The corner line was actually at the timbaan. I won't be surprised
when they go home tired, sweating and with their pingahan and balde of
water would accept their mother's compliments, "Aba ay kawawa ka naman
at nahirapan sa pag-igib." (Oh my gosh, you poor thing is tired from fetching
water all afternoon). Nakapag-basketbol pa, nakapag-igib, at napuri pa!
During
summer time they met at the town's only resort, the Uugong Falls. With
a bag of rice, a can of sardines or corned beef, and a stolen watermelon
from the late Uncle Nongnong's plantation, the TT's day was complete. How
they cooked the sardines or corned beef nobody wouldn't want to know. But
it tasted good! They had their own recipe of sinigang na sardines or corned
beef. All the veggies that went into the cauldron were of course courtesy
of nearby vegetables patch.
All day
long, they swam, dived from the 100 feet tubo, bulls___ a lot, and slept
under the big cavernous hanging rock located at center of the falls. Before
the day ended they would walked back to town via some plantation for a
snack of sugar cane or mabulo fruit.
Like any
other established culture, the TTM had their own language, aside from English
and Tagalog. Their language was spoken backwards whether it was English
or Tagalog. Some words were a concoction of terms borrowed from the jargon-of-the-month
based from TV shows. If a TT approached and said, "Erap alaw ka bang atik?"
it meant, "Friend do you have any money?" or somebody across the
bridge hollered for "Yosi" - he meant to throw him a stick of cigarettes.
The "yosi" better have been a blue seal - stateside that is.
Another
term used very loosely was the word "slide." It meant hatset, tsika, and
inka which is backwards for kain -- which literally meant to eat.
"Slide"
became famous when a Bostonian parish priest became an honorary member
of TTM. He was well known for going with the TTs to various punsyon --
from wedding, baptismal, and even katapusan, where they could "slide."
Until his departure to another assignment, he was called Father Slide!
The TT
also developed a communication system by whistling. They had their own
trademark, sing-song whistle which identified them as being from Morong.
In Manila, if you heard a whistle that you were familiar with, you would
look around and a TT would be right there. They called this palapitak a
moniker for a former Spanish priest.
TTM: Customs and Tradition
Their customs
and traditions were borrowed from the town's history, whether it be in
religion, family, politics, or social. The observance of All Saints Day
for example was one complete tradition, from the cleaning and painting
of the tomb to the palimusan (sort of pre-Christmas caroling) to raise
money for a project or for the club's social activity.
During
All Saints Day the TT moved their session to the cemetery - mainly to one
with a kubol where food is in abundance. When stereo sound was just being
introduced TT gathered four transistor radios, placed them on four different
tombs, tuned in two different stations playing the same music, and, presto,
we had the first surround sound ever in the middle of the cemetery!
One practice
that did not fall into a tradition category but was more of constant annoyance
to the aggrieved party was the sistihan. This was a custom to talk about
someone (in the group) who was either wearing a mis-matched attire, lost
a girlfriend, wore unpressed pants, or anything that the TT noticed unusual
or different about of the person. More often than not the person being
ridiculed (in a fun way) lost his temper and either countered with the
same sisti or just walked away and cooled off with a bottle of Pepsi (the
TT's favorite soft drink) and a stick of Salem or Lucky Strike.
It became
a custom to show up at the bridge/kanto with nothing to be noticed. You
had to be almost perfect or you didn't go to the bridge/kanto.
TTM: The Clothes They Wore
The
culture was also represented by the clothes they wore. When the sun set
at any given day, the TT assembled at the bridge in their newly-ironed
pair of pants and shirts. In those days t-shirts are not in vogue. Their
shoes (moccasin "Walker-brand" was the preferred TT shoes) are polished.
A two-inch rolled-up cuff on the pants revealed either a contrasting argyle
socks or ones that matched the shirt.
Levis (sent
by relatives abroad) and Tio Impiong or Doming's cloned-Levis were matched
with white trubenized or a Hawaiian shirt (Hawaiian Togs brand preferred)
bought in Escolta, Manila. They wore their shirts either neatly tucked-in
or di-bohol knotted at the front.
Their
haircuts were the same - neat, short, and held down by a pack of famous
brand pomade. Some sported the famous flat-top style haircut copied from
the movies starring James Dean. At one time there were five TT-James Deans
on the bridge!
They
were in full James Dean's attire -- cloned Levi's and white t-shirt with
the sleeves rolled up. Under one rolled-up sleeve was a pack of Camel or
Lucky Strike cigarettes (most of the time an empty pack!). The clincher
was an imitation Rayban sunglasses. Sikat! Tsebeht! That's 'The Best' -
backwards.
TTM: Their Values
As a culture
they had their values. They were God-fearing people, mother-loving sons,
and showed great loyalty to the family.
They were
always their sisters' keepers. Nobody talked about somebody's sister or
they found themselves at the other end of the bridge -- alone, although
they get a kick out of joking around, calling each other bayaw -- brother-in-law.
After many years some jokes became real. Friends married friend's sister.
Their family
is true to the well-known and practiced doctrine of, "The family that prays
together, stays together." A very closed-knit extended family, where even
neighbors were given due respect in titles ranging from Tata someone to
Ka- someone yet they were not even blood related.
They valued
friendship to the hilt -- they would fight to defend a friend. They would
not die for it though! They would rather settle than fight it out.
TTM: Their Music
As far as
the TTs were concerned, the music of the 50's was the best, from the hip-pelvic-wriggling
rock and roller Elvis Presley to the crooning and swooning voice of Sinatra,
Como, Anka, Fabian, and Peggy Lee, to the rhythm blues of Duke Ellington,
and Sachmo, to the local music of young combos and the Friday night impromptu
rondalla concert at Tata Ando's shoe shop.
If everything
else failed, the TTs hanging around Tio Impyong's tailor shop would crank-up
the volume of his old radio and accompanied the music with make shift instruments
- the sampayan as a base, always played by Bano Garrovillas, the tom-tom
drum played on a broken rattan chair by Ben Taba, and the clapping of hands
and "pap-pa-rarap" background by Peping Palaka, Tom Claudio, Dosing Trinidad,
Bob Samson, Robert Atendido, Manoling and Pat, Tsakak, Ever Garro, Cesar
Mariano, and the late Dr. Compos Alfonso.
The rest
of the TTs were just "mirons" - the young and upcoming TTs - Flor Aquino,
Cacho Nora, Danding, late Lino San Jose, Jorge Atendido, Do Angeles, Barok,
Loy Mariano, Bastian, Agoy, Oca Claudio, Ben (the "uwian" Navy), Tom Garro,
and many others. I dare say the TTs music culture is something to be treasured.
From time
to time on a Sunday afternoon when the TTs were at the (Old Municipal building),
they settled themselves on an old wooden bench located by the "puso" (well)
or at the late Tia Titang's store and listened to the late Dr. Atendido's
hi-fi playing the 1812 Overture, Blue Danube, Sousa's Marches, and other
light classics.
The majority
of the TTs also joined the Holy Name Society Chorale -- conducted by Francing
Feliciano now a well known figure in the music/art circle of the Philippines
as the conductor of Philippine Symphony Orchestra. Tio King Orig (RIP)
and his wife Tia Luz coordinated the rehearsals and the concert.
The most memorable
concert was held at the De LaSalle College, San Juan. Their repertoire
included excerpts from Carmen, South Pacific, Arias from famous classics
and Pilipino Kundimans.
Often times
when there were enough TTs assembled on the bridge passersby were treated
to an impromptu rehearsal -- "a capella" style.
A younger
version of TTM were the members of the Flat Top. After their various escapades
they formed a combo -- Uncle Ed SM Sanga (Edyok), Titoy Tupas, Bano Claudio,
Ben Taba, Mike Patag, and others. Edyok was considered the Elvis Presley
of Morong! They enjoyed a short-lived popularity around Manila after they
were featured as the hypnotized band at the famous Opera House. The Flat
Top group is another story. Perhaps Uncle Ed SM Sanga could chronicle it
someday.
What
a breed of music-loving-people -- from rock and roll, to classical music!
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