Ode to Cabangan

And because it's my 27th birthday today (cheers!), I think it's just right to pay homage to my birthplace-Cabangan, Zambales.

When we were younger, all of our summer and holiday vacations were spent in my parents' hometown in the quiet town of Cabangan in Zambales. After two months, we'd go back home to Quezon City and wait before the school starts. Up to now, I would rather spend my summer vacations there than in the crazy urban jungle of the mtero, because life is simpler and happier there. 

I love how provincial life is so chill and laid-back. I could still remember when there were still no television sets and other gadgets. After lunch, you would hear loud transistor radios from each and every house playing the "soap opera" series of Matud Nila (I could still remember a few lines from its theme). And as a routine, we had to sleep after lunch so that we can play in the afternoon. 

My cousins and I would fake it 'coz if you're a child, who wants to sleep, right? Waking up after a fake sleep is the best. You get to go out and play with other kids. Our childhood games included siyato, tumbang preso, taguan, patintero, piko, playing with carabaos, goats, frogs, and we loved going to the beach. You will never get tired and bored. Everything seems (is) right and happy.

And now that I'm older and probably wiser ('di ako sure sa part na 'yun), I still don't get tired of Cabangan, especially the beach. It's where I learned how to swim, to make sandcastles, to chase kurukoy (baby crabs), and other stuff. I always bring my friends and they enjoy the simplest things of life there. No grand resorts with infinity pool, no fancy restaurants. Just us and nature. 'Yun lang talaga. Sakto na. Steady lang.

There are some resorts in the area. But don't expect it to be as "luxurious" as you may want it to be. You can go to different barrios for the beach. But the most popular ones are the San Isidro and the Felmida beaches. No entrance fees whatsoever. Just park your car and go straight into the shore. The color of the sand is somewhat greyish (I guess from the ashes after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption) and it is coarse. And the sunset, just divine. 

Ako'y napapangiti kapag naaalala ko ang mga nakaraan, maging ito man ay mapait o masaya. Ako ay lumaki at nagkaisip sa siyudad ngunit hindi pa rin mawawala sa akin ang munting bayan na ito. Ang bayan na aking sinilangan. Kung saan pinili ng aking ina na iluwal ako sa kanilang tahanan, sa kama na akin pa ring nasisilayan hanggang sa ngayon at sa bayan na kanila ring sinilangan ng aking ama. Nakaukit na sa aking puso ang bayan na ito. Ang bayan na nagturo sa akin kung paano mabuhay at kung ano ang importante sa buhay. Ang bayan na nagturo sa aking magmahal at mahalin. Ang bayan na kumupkop sa akin at nagmulat sa aking kamalayan. Ang bayan na hinding-hindi ako mapapagod balikan. Ikaw lang, Cabangan. Kailanman.

Enough of the drama, I think this comes with age. Okay, Lemme share something from the OPM band Sugarfree (try to watch this in YouTube to give justice to the lyrics). This song is about a person's longing for his hometown.

Los Banos

Sugarfree

Take me back to my home

To a place where i belong

Times have changed, and so have i

Now i long to go back home

Because i've seen a million faces,

I've been lost in many places

I've laughed and i've cried

I've lived and i've died

But it's always you i run home to

Take me back,take me home away from here back to where

I am free

When i'm tired of the noise

I go back to the age of toys

Where my grass is green

And my thoughts were once clean

Because i've seen a million faces,

I've been lost in many places

I've laughed and i've cried

I've lived and i've died

But it's always you i run home to

Take me back,take me home away from here back to where

I am free

Kalayaan sa ating lahat

Peace Y'all. Happy vibes! :)