Shannen E.

Sangalang Grade 11 Humss

Veronica V. Villanueva

RENATO DAYRIT TAYAGKatoks to family, friends,

enemies, Ferdinand Marcos and Ninoy Aquinois a well-
remembered man in Angeles City, his birthplace. On his birth
centennial on Oct. 9, his 12 children, the Center for
Kapampangan Studies (CKS) of the Holy Angel University
and Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan launched the revised edition
of Tayags Recollections & Digressions.

The books front and back covers carried a 1964 pencil sketch of
Tayag by Angeles historian Daniel Dizon and the first
editions portrait of Tayag by his long-time friend, writer
and painter E. Aguilar Cruz, and a blurb by editor Jose Luna Castro who completed the
famous triumvirate of their time.

Because he was born on a fiesta, they timed the book launch with the month-long
Fiestang Kuliat, for which three major feasts are celebrated for the Our Lady of La
Naval, Holy Guardian Angels and Apung Mamacalulu (Dead Christ).

How did Tayag get the nickname Katoks? That was care of his classmates at the
Pampanga High School. A defender of victims of bullying, they called him Katoks, after
the Roman statesman Cato. He pleaded with them not to forget the s because, without
it, the name would have meant someone who is crazy.

Remembering Tayag began immediately after his death on Aug. 13, 1985.

The then National Historical Institute (NHI) honored him in 1986 by installing an official
commemorative plaque at a wall past the front steps of the Angeles City library. A room
here displays his books, photos and other personal pieces.
 IN 1858, Jose Felipe del Pan made an unusual trip to
the provinces of Central Luzon, a trip he called
expedicion aventurerofilosfica . Considered until the
recent times as the Dean of Philippine Journalism, this
prolific Galician writer-editor later published his
reminiscences on Pampanga in the initial issue of his
Revista de Filipinas (1876): I have looked upon those
Pampangos with certain curiosity and sympathy. During
a brief stopover in the capital en route the Cabo (ship), I
have first read about this grand curiosity of the region
among many books, both old and current, interspersing major historical periods.

Here they were since I was supposedly speaking as I have met these natives in the
streets of Pampanga the loyal companions of our disgraces and of our glories. They,
and only they, were with us during the 1650s to the 1750s, in that century of frustrations,
whence we have been harassed at all fronts, not being able to sustain the farms
(terrenos ganados) and the honor of the flag, with Manila burning with ridicules and
sterile disaccords; they were there, in equal number with the Spanish soldiers, and
constantly with them, participating fraternally in their limitations, in their poverty, and in
their glories, guarding the fortresses, defending against the frequent assaults of the
Dutch, the Moros, the Igorots; acting as the perfect associate (contra diez) since they
presumed themselves to be the friends of these Castilians. Brave people! At that time,
Pampanga province did not even have one fifth of its present population, (yet) it gave to
the service of the army thousands of volunteers, including officials, petty officers
(sargentos), and soldiers, always disciplined and valiant, as attested by our historians.
Afterwards, we encountered some of them with Don Simon de Anda, the self-same soul
in the noble adhesion of our flag; until now, Pampanga has offered a most dignified
chapter in memory In Pampanga, there is so much honorable military history.

J. del Pan was musing about the relaciones of a century earlier, especially about the
British Occupation of the Philippines, where Kapampangan soldiers and the town of
Bacolor figured prominently in their loyal A cousin, Marcelo Hilario del Pilar of Bulacan,
also a partner in the Hilarios law firm, shared their hatred for the Spaniards after a friar
caused his suspension at UST and after his brother, a priest, was tortured and
deported. Following Jose Rizals visit to the Hilarios residence, Tiburcio was exiled to
Jolo, Cecilio to Balabac island between Mindanao and Palawan. Other Kapampangan
revolutionaries suffered similar fate (Maximino Hizon of Mexico, Felix David

Renie Salor The Center has started weekly poetry reading sessions involving veteran
Kapampangan poets and students in an effort to ensure that the Kapampangan
language survives in future generations. The sessions are being coordinated by Erlinda
Cruz, the Centers cultural activities coordinator, and Renie Salor, resident polosa artist.
In other developments, the Center will publish a book on culinary arts by Lilian M. Lising
Borromeo as well as a series of booklets on crissotan (Kapampangan verbal jousts),
folk festivals and other folk practices. These are cheaper to buy than books, so they
are more accessible, Robby Tantingco, Center Director, says. Hopefully we can
popularize crissotan again among students. The crissotans were composed by
Candaba poet Jose Gallardo, whose works have been turned over to the Center by his
family. The Kapampangan counterpart of balagtasan, crissotan is named after Juan
Crisostomo Soto, the prolific writer from Bacolor who is acclaimed as the Father of
Kapampangan Drama. Aside from booklets, the Center is also publishing plates of
Kapampangan heroes and historical events for classroom use in public and private
schools, as well as illustrated comics, maps and other instructional materials. CDs and
videos of folk festivals are also being prepared.