Edener Benitez Fabella
19 Oct 2007

 

The recent breakfast event at Tiffanys besides the murky Pasig River attended by well dressed mendicants who came in Rolls Royces, Escalades, Lincoln Navigators, Suburvans etc. got me driving down memory lane again.

In the 1950’s Pantranco was the king of the road while McArthur National Highway the only route from the north to Manila. One can’t help feeling proud as a Filipino the minute you see the imposing Andres Bonifacio monument in Caloocan city. You feel a rush like a sirocco knowing everything starts from this point onward.

There was a popular eatery near the monument rotunda called ‘Jack’s Place’. I was a regular patron and among those willing to wait hours just to taste their ‘tapang baka’served with ‘sinangag, achara, itlogs, custard pie. Plaridel’s longaniza, Binan’s kesong puti and choice of fresh brewed Chase & Sanborn coffee or Lucban’s madre de cacao tsokolate blended and stirred with gatas kalabaw. It was well before the advent of Tapsilog, Tusilog, Bansilog, Longsilog etc.

 Like Malacanang breakfast club, people going to Jack’s Place drove in style. You’ll see Chevy BelAires, Mercury Montclairs, Ford Crown Victorias, International Harvester Scout, TravelAll etc.

Me? I get off a Pantranco bus but could care less if I was on a Schwin bike to get there. I was determined to have my breakfast at Jack’s until hell freezes over. But at 15.00 pesos a pop, I thought it was the most expensive breakfast on earth. No kidding in the 50’s it was a big tab enough for you to forget a movie or two along Avenida Rizal for a week.

It was exciting reminiscing days gone by until you read one not only get to enjoy a full breakfast course in Malacanang free, one also get paid to come?

How much? It depended on what cologne you are wearing. If your scent stunk to high heavens, you get half a million pesos. If you smell lightly rotten you only get 200,000.00 pesos.

If you happened to use coconut oil thinking Mrs. Jose Pidal’s nose isn’t going to pick up on it, it’ll be your lucky day to meet her generals practicing their skills at the firing range.

With deals like this, I will not be surprised if Jack’s Place has been replaced by a mortuary. It’s big business these days under this maladministration.

An acquaintance of mine once told me how a Kapampangan would describe Mrs. Jose Pidal – “ALA YANG MARINE”.

I don’t know what it means but if someone asks me how a Pangasinense is likely to describe her, regret, I will have to leave it to kabaleyans more prim and civil than I am to fill in the blanks. I am afraid what I will say isn’t going to get printed!

Finally, judging by what kind of wheels these honorable people use to hobnob with the big spender, I tremble thinking what if a Congressman Fabella tried entering Malacanang in a 1949 Desoto or a 1952 Studebaker?

At the rate the big spender is dishing out people’s money, it won’t be long now when our country will be re-named Philithieves!