Pag aeaw-aeaw
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October 21, 1942, for the people of Banga, it
is one of the special day because the town’s Mayor Lorenzo Duran Jr. and Atty.
Jose Urquiola informed the townspeople that there will be a “Pag aeaw-aeaw” for
the visitors that will come in the town, the Japanese Imperial Army. Before the
sunrise, the eight years-old Edgar Orola with his father Perfecto, half-brother
Diogenes “Genes” Rentino and his cousins Frederico Jr. and Rodolfo Rigodon go
to the crossing and preparesome stuffs. At 7:00 am there are about 300
welcomers from different barrios of Banga came. By 7:30 am, Genes and Luis
Macahilig divide the people into two groups. The first group was being led by
Genes, Luis Macahilig, Frederico, and Luciano Trompeta, while the second group
was being led by Macho Trompeta, Perfecto and Rodolfo. Edgar is on his father’s
group. By 8:00 am, Genes group go to Barrio Libas and the group of Perfecto
stay in the crossing.
As the first group sees the soldiers, they
wave the Japanese flags and shouts “Banzai! Banzai!” The soldiers instruct the
20 Banganhons to fall in line. Genes is at the head of the line. Their hands
are tied behind their backs while the other members that are not included in
the 20 are shot with machine guns and stab by bayonets. Molong witness what
happened to Gene’s group so he runs to the crossing where the rest of the
welcomers are waiting for the Japanese soldiers. At 9:30 am, he reports to the
people in the crossing that the people in Barrio Libas were killed by the
Japanese soldiers. Nobody believes him instead they get angry on him to the
news he is spreading. The people shout at him and called him buang, and then
they continue to their different businesses and ignore Molong. The women are
preparing the soldiers some foods like pinaupo sa asin na manok, biskwit,
nilagang saging, mani and tuba, while the others sells inihaw na mais and
kakanin. The men are arranging the seats for the soldiers and children are
playing.
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o Pag aeaw-aeaw: to welcome.
o Banzai: a Japanese word use to welcome
a visitior/s.
o Buang: insane
o Pinaupo sa asin na manok: a whole
chicken boiled in a hot water with salt.
o Biskwit: a crunchy light food that is
eaten as part of a meal.
o Nilagang saging: banana that boiled in
a hot water.
o Mani: a brown nut that is cover by
shell and belong in root crops.
o Tuba: a wine from coconuts that is
usually drunk by both men and women.
o Inihaw na mais: smoked corn.
o Kakainin: a famous Filipino food that
usually sticky.
By 10:30 am, 10 Japanese soldiers reach the
rotonda and the townspeople shouts, “Banzai! Banzai!” The Japanese captain
together with his interpreter steps forward while the soldiers ready their
machine guns. The Japanese captain talk
to his interpreter and the interpreter then say to the people, “Who have guns
in their balays? Do not be afraid because we will not do anything to you.”
Macho Trompeta who is one of the leaders of the second group raise his hands.
The interpreter tells him to go near the soldiers. His daughter Sianing then
shout, “Tatay, im coming with you!” then she go to her father. Their hands are
tied by the two soldiers. Gene Robi, another resident, begins to sense that
something terrible was about to happen. He jumps from his bangkong kahoy and
run, but unfortunately, he is shoot by a soldier that causes his death. The
people start to feel nervous and cry. The interpreter asks again the same
question to the people but no one answer. The Japanese captain sign to the
Japanese officer. The Japanese officer then waves a red flag and shout, “Ready,
fire!” The soldiers shoot the townspeople. Edgar can hear the cries and shouts
of the people. Hundreds of people lay lifeless at the rotonda. The bloods are
like a rain that spurts in his innocent face. He was not shot so he pretends
that he is dead. With eyes half-opened, he can see how the soldiers shoot his
father. He stops his emotion so he can be safe and no one can recognize him. As
the shooting stopped, he can hear heavy steps that come to his place. He sees a
soldier kick the dead body near him and stab it by bayonet. It seems that the
soldier was checking to make sure that everyone was dead. The soldier then goes
to him and he is stab many times by a bayonet. He screams because of pain. He
is kick also on his back. Edgar stops moving and pretends to be dead even
though he is in a lot of pain.
After making sure that everybody is dead,
the soldiers proceed to Barrio Bacan to search for more people to kill. When
they were afar, Edgar decides to move slowly. “A-Aray! Help! Tatay, wake up!”
He shakes his father to wake it up. He recognizes that someone is trying to
move too. He helps him to stand but the man said that “Edgar, you should have
run right now before the soldiers back.” Edgar felt pity with the man but the man
pushes him to go. Despite of his bleeding wounds that makes him weak, it is a
miracle that he can able to cross Mantac road and climb Manduyog Hill where he
sees one of their helper, Oyo, with his rooster.
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o Rotonda: a place where two things
usually the car cross each other.
o Balays: a place where people lived.
o Tatay: used to call the father.
o Bangkong kahoy: a chair made with
large wood.
o Aray: use to express when someone is
hurt.
“Where
are you going Oyo?” asked Edgar.
“In the sabungan. I and my friends will meet
there to fight our roosters.”
“What? You’re still going there when the
people in the rotonda were already killed by the Japanese soldiers?!” Edgar
shouted. Oyo did not believe him so Edgar shows his wounds that he got. Oyo
decides to bring him home to heal the wounds. When they get home, Edgar tells
to his mother about what happened in the rotunda. They cry because of their
father’s death. His sister is the one who heal his wound by the use of lampunaya
and other herbals.
After a day, Edgar and his family plan to
evacuate in Barrio Torralba. When they are going to evacuate, they see Genes
running towards them. His mother cries because of happiness that her son is
safe.
Genes tells to them that after the Japanese
soldiers went to the rotonda, by 4:00 pm, they backed to Barrio Libas and
brought the 20 Banganhons to the municipality of Balete. Some of them fainted
because of hunger but instead of giving them water, the soldiers kicked and
forced them to stand up. They reached the municipality of Balete by 11 pm and
they were brought into a kubo. Genes tried to escape but Luis Macahilig stopped
him because he may be shot by one of the soldiers.
The next day at about 6:00 am, they were
told again to fall in line. Luis Macahilig was told to put his head on a
railing, and then his head was cut off. 10 of them were killed that day. The
remaining 10 included Genes were returned to the kubo. Genes prayed to San
Rafael, the patron saint of Balete whose feast day was to be celebrated on
October 23. By midnight, Genes felt his arms comfortable and untied. He helped
the two people who were nearest to him but he was unable to help his cousin
Frederico. They planned about their escape. By 4:00 am, they did what they
planned. Genes together with his companion walked through the bukid of Balete
and finally reached the crossing by 6:00 am. He found dead bodies eaten by
dogs, cats, and rats. Genes luckily reached their house safely before Edgar and
his family evacuate to Barrio Torralba.
Edgar Orola, the little boy who is luckily
survived the massacre and tells to us the story during the World War II is
still alive and now is 83 years-old.
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o Sabungan: a place where the roosters
fight.
o Lampunaya: a violet leaf used to heal
wounds.
o Banganhons: use to call to the people
who lived in Banga.
o Kubo: a small hut.
o Bukid: a mountain.
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