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The Familiar Ride to Cabanatuan
Source: Manila Bulletin
Author: Chris Datol
Date: 2007-09-12
 
The ride, the route, and the destination were all too familiar. Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija, 116 kms. from Manila, is a bustling urbanity known as the “Tricycle Capital” with over 30,000 two-wheeled motor vehicles plying its roads daily.


It is also where the historic Pangatian Camp can be found, where American and Philippine soldiers were held prior to the infamous “Death March.” Cabanatuan City likewise happens to be my parents’ hometown, and in my childhood, my father drove us there for summers, All Saints’ Days, birthdays, and other special occasions.



So when our editor assigned us to take another bus trip to the north, the first town that came to mind was Cabanatuan, having made a brief stop there a month ago during our trip to Santiago City in Isabela. It was also timely for me to suggest my hometown, having written about different areas around the archipelago but not my own place of birth.

Trip back



Back then, a trip to the province always kept us grounded, reminding us where our family came from.



The three-hour journey to Cabanatuan on my father’s old Corolla always seemed like an eternity, as all long drives are supposed to be for children. Our normal route from Quezon City crossed A. Bonifacio, then Balintawak, and through the then undeveloped expressway. We would also traverse the charming towns of Bulacan, making quick stops to buy pastillas in San Miguel and chicharon at an old lady’s house in San Ildefonso.



The view of the countryside was always fairly, well, plain. The rice fields of Central Luzon always loomed on either side of our car seats – an eternal expanse of green, sometimes dotted by nipa huts, some billboards, and local animals. The road however would always have room for vehicles, even if they had to share one lane with palay being dried under the sun.



Along the journey we sometimes rolled down our windows to get a whiff of the provincial air. It usually smelled of wet grass, and carabao dung – a “refreshing” change for young urbanites who have grown used to the stench of Manila’s old alleys.



We also dreaded crossing a certain part of San Miguel, where a popular “haunted house” is located. More than one time, my father would pretend that his car has broken down right in front of that old house, and we would be terrified of the idea of seeking help from its occupants, and then being forced to spend the night there!



The same town however, would stop our journey to get our favorite arroz caldo at Sevilla’s Restaurant, which we patronized religiously each time we went to Cabanatuan.



Once we left San Miguel, which is the last town of Bulacan along the route, we knew we were getting nearer our destination. First town of Nueva Ecija is Gapan, followed by San Leonardo, Sta. Rosa and then Cabanatuan.



The novelty of our trips however waned as the years passed. My eldest brother started missing trips for school and his barkada. My father began getting busier with work and felt it a chore to drive all the way to his hometown.



Frequent trips got lesser as my siblings married into their own families, that at one point, I wondered if Cabanatuan had nothing new to offer its grownup children.



Bus ride



Perhaps it was time to rediscover my hometown, and the Cruising trip was the opportune time to mix work and leisure for my personal “mission.”



Riding a bus this time also made the journey a little bit different. On the day of our trip, I met my constant “bus-mate” Johannes Chua at the Baliwag terminal in Cubao, which is the usual bus liner of choice of my relatives. But seeing the relatively “old” Baliwag buses lined next to newer PUVs plying EDSA, Joe, who is a creature of comfort, was insistent on getting aboard a newer liner.



We opted for the terminal next to Baliwag, Five Star, which boasts of spanking new vehicles. We caught the 8 p.m. trip, chose seats in the middle section, and settled comfortably for a nap. I woke up after about 30 minutes when the conductor asked us to pay the fare at P158 each, and found our bus stuck somewhere along EDSA that busy Friday night.



Finally reaching NLEX, the smoothly paved highway lulled us more to sleep, the cold airconditioning urging everyone to cover themselves with a blanket or jacket. Next thing I know, we were already in the stopover terminal of Five Star in San Rafael, Bulacan, where most of the passengers got down to eat dinner or buy delicacies.



I got out of the bus and got another whiff of the grass and carabao dung-ish environs – a familiar feeling, but not as amusing already. Normally we would laugh as kids to these sensations; that night my immediate reaction was to cover my nose. Perhaps adulthood can take away that child-like fascination.



I also didn’t have the appetite to eat arroz caldo in that stopover called Double Happiness Restaurant. I only bought some pastillas and chicharon, only to find out the size of the sweet treat had seemed to shrink to half, while the pork rind had no fat but all air.

The bus left after about 20 minutes, and along the highway, I was confronted with more changes. There seemed to be lesser rice fields and more houses; more lighted portions than dark stretches which incited spooky fantasies in my youth.



Less than an hour later, we entered Nueva Ecija, and by 10:30 reached the “Crossing” – a popular junction in Cabanatuan where we alighted. It took us only two and a half hours to complete our journey.



Historic spots



We chose to spend the night at a resort called Nery’s, upon recommendation of a friend, and found its facilities to be apt for an urbanized city in the province. The sprawling complex, found in Brgy. Dalig, presents a hodge-podge of recreational facilities, including swimming pools, a fish pond, a concert stage with live bands, and a KTV bar.



Joe and I left early the following morning to start our trip around the city, going straight to my aunt’s house in Kapitan Pepe Subdivision. For breakfast my aunt served us the city’s staple dish called “binabad sa toyo” which is another treat my siblings and I looked forward to. It’s basically pork meat marinated overnight in soy sauce and salt, then boiled and fried. It’s among Cabanatuan’s popular local fare, along with the longganisa.



My cousin Haidee’s husband, Mhar Matias, volunteered to drive us around that Saturday morning. First on the list was Pangatian Camp, which was the setting of the “Great Raid” of January 1945 – wherein Filipino guerillas boldly rescued 512 allied prisoners of war. It even became the subject of a Hollywood movie starring James Franco, Benjamin Bratt, and Filipino actor Cesar Montano, shown a few years ago.



Located about 15 minutes from the city proper, Camp Pangatian began as a military training camp for 20 years until it was converted into a concentration camp for allied prisoners of war during the Japanese occupation.



Today, as a popular tourist destination among war veterans and other history buffs, the facility has been well-maintained by the Department of National Defense. A granite wall contains murals and names of the fallen soldiers, both Filipino and American, their heroism etched forever in history.



Another spot to visit was Plaza Lucero, which is by now a busy portion of the city since it faces the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Within the grounds can be found the General Luna Statue and Marker, erected to commemorate the assassination of the great military leader, Antonio Luna. Astride a horse, the general’s statue stands proudly on the exact spot where the assassination took place in 1899.


 

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