Born out-of-wedlock
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
AFTER the race that I organized and directed last December 18 sponsored by Excellent Noodles in conjunction with the celebration of my 77th birthday, many cycling fans especially the young ones and a few of my age contemporaries were curious why I look like a foreigner, a mestizo, and not a natural Filipino looking hombre, them knowing me that I was born and raised in Barrio Buenlag, Mangaldan, Pangasinan. I told them I was sired by a U.S. military serviceman with Mexican blood named Jesus Rivera Garcia of Pharr, Texas, U.S. A. and by a Filipina lass of Barrio Buenlag, Mangaldan named Adelaida Morales Aquino, that I came to this world because of the Second World War.
My bachelor father was one of the members of Gen. Douglas MacArthur liberation forcers that landed in Lingayen Gulf on January 9, 1945. I explained that some members of the U.S. infantry battalion (including my father) landed at White Beach in Barrio Mabilao, San Fabian and built a temporary U.S. camp in Barrio Buenlag where he met my mother. According to my father when I finally met him personally for the first time on April 22, 1978, they cohabitated secretly and that resulted in my seeing the first light of on December 18, 1945. I also told them that I was born out-of-wedlock because my mother was lawfully married to the late Pastor Habacon of Barrio Banaoang, Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan with whom she had three children, Ernesto, Lolita and Gerarda. They all lived as a family and eventually legally separated each other before the war broke out.
During my adolescence when Filipinos were still conservative people, I still recall the many times I was bullied, belittled, discriminated at for being a son out-of-wedlock. Several of my barrio mates called me, “souvenir or bastardo.” Being young, I always cried every time I was called out as such. But God knows it was not my fault for being born a bastard. The people who discriminated at me only began to view me differently, respected me when I started to bring laurels to our province, especially when I bagged the first of my three championships, the fabled 1973 Tour of Luzon. The cycling ditty titled “Buhay Siklista” which I composed and recorded under the Vicor Music Corporation label pushed me further to become a national figure as a recording artist. I recorded 24 songs and 12 of them were my compositions under my banner ‘Buhay Siklista,’ the most popular among my 24 songs included in my Long Playing (LP) album. This song became the unofficial national cycling anthem of our cyclists today.
Meanwhile, here are the top five winners of my birthday cycling road race who received cash prizes and medals from Excellent Noodles proprietor Alex Billan:
MASTER DIVISION (35-49 years old): Champion –Vernon Amadanto (Excellent Manila). 2nd Place–Arnel Aves (Excellent Manila). 3rd Place–Raul Ellasus (Mangaldan), 4th Place–Manny Mendoza (Manila), 5th Place–Ryan Mendoza (Binmaley).
GRANDMASTER DIVISION (50 and above years old) Champion-Romeo Camingao (Excellent Marikina), 2nd Place – Jhun Garcia (Manaoag), 3rd Place-Joe Maramba (Dagupan City), 4th Place-Juancho Bumagat (Excellent Guimba), 5th Place-Toti Carpizo of San Fabian.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ISAIAH 9: 6
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