Pride and joy of Mangatarem

By Al S. Mendoza

I AM PROUD once again for being a son of Mangatarem. 

For that matter, everybody should take pride and joy in his/her land of birth.  Every hometown has a spot that is special to all its residents.

I am saying this again after I had visited Manleluag Hot Springs last Sunday, January 21.  It’s been years since some friends and I went there for a picnic. And what a rewarding trip it was.

Not only did I immensely enjoy the place, my classmates in The Spirit of ’67, many of whom are balikbayans, also did.

Everybody was gushing, saying endlessly that, truly, we are blessed. Manleluag is but a breeze coming from the town proper and, hence, it’s so easy to go there for a picnic. 

The two swimming pools there, what with their warm, mountain water, are soothing to the nerves and soul. 

The picnic huts and grilling areas are perfect in a setting embraced by Mother Nature.

I have yet to hear of a place in Pangasinan that has a hot spring as beautiful as Manleluag.  When we talk of hot springs, it’s always Los Banos that easily comes to mind. 

In my case, there’s only Manleluag in my mind when it comes to hot springs.  Since childhood, Manleluag has nurtured me.  I remember my parents bringing me there for a dip at the pool—which was still very small then—every time I had a cold or a fever.  Folks always believe the water in Manleluag is medicinal.

I’m glad our own Manleluag has been properly maintained all these years, thanks mainly to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).  I raise a glass to Manleluag’s Parks Area Superintendent Merlito Villar, his assistant Diony Fernandez and front-desk chief Nonie Agbuis of Cabarabuan. You are all doing a great job, fellas, insofar as keeping Manleluag in top shape all year round.  No wonder people from as far as Laoag in Ilocos Norte and Bagabag in Nueva Vizcaya come to Manleluag to enjoy our own brand of frolicking with nature.  My heart skips a beat each time I hear of such lore.

As everyone knows, Manleluag Hot Springs is now a national park, which should all the more warm the heart of every Mangataremanian. Our own town officials, notably Congressman Teddy Cruz and his brother, town mayor Nelson, and Kuya Gil Cuaresma, deserve praise.  They are at the vanguard of helping preserve the beauty of Manleluag. 

May your tribe increase, fellas.

***

Best wishes and congratulations to Al and Shirley Cuaresma for renewing their marriage vows.  Twenty-five years after they walked down the aisle of the Mangatarem Catholic Church, Al and Shirley (Jugueta) gallantly came home from their abode in New Jersey, USA, to retrace their wedding footprints on January 20 amid a sea of white roses and tulips.  Live chamber music rented the romantic air during the solemn rites.

Al and Shirley, may your next 25 years be a union of eternal bliss—as always.

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/general-admission/)

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