Man for all seasons

By Al S. Mendoza

I GUESS THE MAN who still owns Dagupan City is Buloy Al Fernandez.

I saw it myself.

During the June 17 party to celebrate Buloy Al’s birthday, virtually all of Dagupan City was present. 

They were all there, from all walks of life so to speak.

If you saw the well-heeled come, fine. But the folk in slippers and sandals and T-shirts were as welcomed as well, partaking of the same menu the host had prepared.

From early evening to near-midnight, the feast was a sight to behold.

People from all the nooks and crannies of the city, they were all welcome.

It was a party to end all parties.

For one night, Inn Asia became City Hall. Public plaza. Auditorium. Tondaligan & Bonuan on Pista’y Dayat.

 Many came from the far-flung barangays of the city, many of them bringing food and drink for the celebrator who is still considered by even his peers as the best mayor Dagupan has ever had.

 Buloy Al was there for the taking as he remains, will continue to remain, the man for all seasons.

There were four roasted calves to begin with. 

“One even came from La Union,” said Mareng Mina, Buloy Al’s ever-caring wife.

Drinks flowed literally and my neighbors here, Jun Velasco and Gons Duque, stood their ground against an assortment of spirits.

Ging Cardinoza, the city’s new chief of the highly-respected dzRH, was in his usual somber demeanor. So were Hermie Rivera, TV boxing’s foremost analyst, and Boy Rayos from the family of learning institutions.

Boy Rayos said he missed being an adopted son of Mangatarem when Atchie Lilian Lopez turned down his amorous intentions. Atchie Lilian, a classmate of my Toronto-based Kuya Pepito, now lives in South Carolina – happily married and has a policeman for a son.

“We were not meant for each other,” said Boy, whose own son, a product of the Philippine Science High School, now holds a high-paying job in Australia.

In the spirited spurts of the evening, Gons and Alvin Fernandez, the city vice mayor, had a verbal swap but all in the name of freedom and democracy.

You don’t have freedom of speech or to speak, democracy is dead.

“I love the entire Fernandez clan in the city. From Primo Al, to Alvin to Alfie the new lawyer, they are the shining examples of what a great Dagupeno is,ö boomed Gons, whose column here a while back on city frats seemingly didn’t sit well with some City Hall officialdom that included Alvin the vice mayor.

But that’s Gons. Loves to play the devil’s advocate. Which is good because in so doing, Gons keeps the fires of democracy a-flame.

There’s definitely poison in Gons Duque’s pen.  In him, I remember Arsenic Lacson, the late Manila mayor whose acid tongue as a radio commentator, I was told, consistently drew applause from the masses of Manila.

Throughout the night, Buloy Al, whose other guests of note included, among others, Usec Bebot Villar and Binmaley Mayor Sam Rosario, was calm and dignified.

Buloy Al was born June 14, four days short of the June 18 birthday of Paul McCartney, known as the “Handsome Beatle.”

When Paul was 25, he wrote the song “When I’m 64 with John Lennon, the “Chief Beatle.”

While Buloy Al turned 63 on June 14, Paul turned 64 on June 18.

“If Paul writes a song with the title  “When I’m 84′ I’ll adopt that as my song for life,” said Buloy Al.

If Gons objects, call the guards.

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