After everyone is seemingly ready
to mount and speed-up for a faster cadence on low-gear, following the
completion of the meticulous inspection of their bikes; checking its brakes,
air pressure, removal of the last bit of dirt, and everything for another day’s
action in the backwoods on a cross-country trail, someone just said, “Is Allan
with us?”
Oh! What a guy, despite of last
few seconds preparation before take-off that made others even forgot to fill-in
their empty bottles or grab a liter of energizing drink at a nearby convenience
store, someone had still managed to ask,
if Allan is around or not. What a blessed guy!
Although Allan is just an
ordinary guy, standing at most no more than at 5’3” or 5’4”, who is a bike
freak like us; there is really something in him that entirely is unique from
us, aside from his being soft-spoken though sometimes a “teaser”. For me, as if
he knows a little about everything, and could participate well in discussions
or planning. Actually, he is much younger than me; a classmate of my third
younger brother. But, as both of us have a common fashion – Mountain Biking
whether competitively, or just leisurely ride and sometimes extreme, I would
say we are not only “bike friends”, but really as friends in the strictest
sense of the word. His stories thrilled me with great interests; it encompasses
interesting topics, which I confess I do not have any faintest idea about it.
This is not only true to me, but my other friends - our group enjoys his
company, as well.
By profession, he is a Doctor in
Veterinary Medicine, an alumnus of a prestigious university in Northern Samar.
Certainly that is why his jersey’s back-pockets used to bulge enormously
whenever we had a ride; it’s a minute trunk for medicines and disposable
syringes. Someone asked him, “What’s that Partner – your back pockets are
bulging, “baon” or “food?” He just would smile and say, “No it’s not…who knows
if somewhere one fierce animal would block our way and needy for help; we would
be ready to respond without even receiving any call from 911, otherwise he
would eat us all.” He’s witty and also is well-organized.
In one of the adventure-packed
outings they had, and good that I missed to join them, they were on the longest
pure adrenaline cross-country trail ride. “At first, I thought Allan was
leading us right, as he normally did, but this time, I have the faintest doubt
that he is leading us to nowhere,” said Valeriano Tabamo.
Their adventures started when
Allan from the highways of Hermano suddenly headed left towards a steep
by-passed road, which they thought would be continuously wide until the plateau
of Danao. But as soon as they were still a quarter away from the summit, it was
reduced to merely a trail. They summitted; but, however were lost on the
rolling plains of Danao due to so many trail intersections. Asking information
from a lone farmer they met along the way, they said, “If we follow this trail,
where would it bring us?” “To I.S. Cruz,” the farmer replied. I.S. Cruz[ii] is
Pumat, a place that overlooks the Bay of Balingasag, where its inhabitants even
used to fetch drinking water at the grotto in Lourdes Chapel, in Binitinan.
They have beasts of burden to carry their containers.
This group of seven guys,
adventurous as they are, knew their way after being advised and they proceeded,
of course with Allan as the Lead Biker. He was a good bike handler, the fact he
started back in the ‘70s in his younger days when there was no BMX yet; and his
improvised bike with much larger front wheel than the rear cooperated with him
executes his crazy staunch. Allan knows how to “wheely” and he always executes
it well. So, by the time our bike group was formally organized where he, too,
is a pioneering member of Bulletsbiker Club,[iii] we classified him as a
Veteran Biker because he is neither a lousy nor a clumsy biker.
They went on negotiating varied
terrains in that rough country; the sound of oozing big river invited their
curiosity. Perhaps, it is the Cabulig and indeed it was, flowing at the bottom
between the mountains. Cabulig River naturally separates Balingasag from
Jasaan. On single tracks, they made their way through the side-cuts to Barangay
San Nicolas. They passed bravely on this trail; mounted on their bikes. Their
cautious words were “Ops, ops, careful, careful hit your brakes, slow down,
brake, brake, don’t go near me, wait for me… and so on” on this long-paced and
agonizing downhill from Pumat to San Nicolas area.
At last, the downhill was
through; some had bruises sustained during the maneuver. A spillway[iv] links
San Nicolas to Natubu, and from San Nicolas, again they began the never-ending
climbs to Beverly part of Claveria. Along Taparak before its summit, a cool
spring refreshingly quenched their thirst and they tried to relax under the
shed of a towering taparak nearby.
They reached Beverly and diverted
to the left a kilometer away or so from the provincial road to the ranch of
certain family, named Tan. While the six bikers were resting, the VetMed
started his work; he was injecting some cattle out of the few hundreds. Lunch
was served, it was sumptuous - “tinola nga manok inayan bisaya”[v], which made
them perspire profusely, as if they had just ridden another two kilometers of
hard climb.
After resting for a while making
sure the carbo-loaded and the delicious chicken stored in their bodegas, they
continued their journey and passed Lake Gumaod. To the right is the exit for
Ane-i that would join the Claveria-Villanueva Road; however they turned left
instead, and were bound to Plaridel. This place is adjacent to the mountains of
Linabo, San Juan and Samay; some houses from either side are visible within,
and the Cabulig Ravine separates them. Whether it was out plain stupidity or
for the love of adventures even if it was a kamikaze-way, they decided to cross
Cabulig River and climb the steep cliffs of Linabo because there is an existing
trail. If they would go back and take the Ane-i exit, they believed it was a
longer trip and doing so, and not taking the dare would made them as “chickens”
and not men, they thought. They have much confidence on themselves that no one
will sink, so they crossed the Cabulig with bikes at their back, wading like
ducks. Yes, they did it successfully, however the problem lies ahead – how to
climb such a cliff almost at 45 degree angle. “We are now in Balingasag below
this cliff, but how would we be able to climb this”, remarked Caleb Lagarto.
But bikers are always bikers, like boy scouts and mountaineers, they climbed
the cliff through “push one’s bottom style” – the slower climbers were pushed
from behind. These guys had crossed
their trainings from biking to mountain climbing, momentarily.
Apparently, the scary and
perilous climb exhausted all their energies, and metabolized the tinola
immediately in their bodegas. “Yes, I made it,” the general exultation
reverberated around for the place is serene.
Mounting again despite totally
drained, they continued to ride until they reached Rocha Farms.[vi] Finally,
they hit the Baliwagan-Claveria Provincial Road, and less than an hour later,
we were, too, surprised to see these guys nearly at dusk still in their cycling
outfits. They walked in to our hang-out at Perping’s Kitchenette; haggard as
they are, they managed to smile, conveying some message of contentment in their
faces and hearts. “Hey! Serve yourselves open those bottles.” “Thanks, not now,
maybe in the next round.” Still tired, they told us of their adventure or
misadventure, and pointed Allan as the culprit of that challenging, yet too
tiring to the bone.
Allan’s daring exploits to the
unknown trails gave us an edge over our adversaries in the race. A few months
later, JAMBA[vii] had their XC race along those areas. Despite not all the
routes were covered, we knew the trail because of Allan.
Having been employed with the
Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental at the Veterinary Office, our friend
moved to Cagayan de Oro City. We seldom see him anymore, except when he comes
to Balingasag or if there are races in Cagayan de Oro inasmuch as he used to
compete, too, using our club’s jersey – Bulletsbiker. Staying fruitfully at
about five years with the Provincial Government, he transferred in 2005 to the
City Government of Cagayan de Oro, as a Division Chief or a position of similar
statute.
Things have been seemingly fine
for them, but life really is fathomless to understand, Allan bid good-bye to
all his friends on 21 July 2009.[viii] Our Father called him back to His bosom.
He left his family – his wife Elsie; sons Stephen and Junjun; and daughters
Ay-ay, Erica, Josie and a little girl of two years old. His only sister is Ms.
Bernadette.[ix]
In the funeral mass[x] on 26th of
July, we saw his colleagues in the VetMed profession; members of the Rotary
Mother Club of Cagayan de Oro;[xi] his neighbors, friends, relatives and the
Abuzo Family; and his relatives from Ozamis City in the maternal side and many
attended.
We paid our last respect to our
dear friend; speechless, and with hearts apparently full of sighs to spill out.
With bowed heads and stooped shoulders, we trailed the mournful caravan to the
churchyard.[xii]
We know we would miss this guy
much, “A Friend named Allan.” Good bye dear brother. Your memory shall always
live in us forevermore, and may you have a special place in the heavens.
o0o
NOTES
[1] Allan
M. Blanco was born in 1957 from parents Vicente Blanco and Luz Moralla (all now
are deceased) of Poblacion, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. He was an alumnus of
St. Rita’s College of Balingasag, HS Class 1975. In his college days, firstly
he enrolled at Central Mindanao University, Musuan, Bukidnon in Agricultural
Engineering; but finding his inclination more on the field of medicine,he
shifted to a Baccalaureate Degree on Doctor in Veterinary Medicine in Northern
Samar, where he had his DVM degree. He variously worked with private
Agri-Veterinary firms such as; Vitarich, San Miguel, and so on. Thereafter, he
joined government service at the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental
under Governor Oscar S. Moreno. During his stays with the latter LGU, he was
technically trained for Meat Inspection under the National Meat Inspection
Commission. Having worked with the Provincial Government satisfactorily for
five years, he transferred to the City Government of Cagayan de Oro Veterinary
Office in 2006, holding the rank as a Division Chief or a similar position of
that level. Recently, before his death, he experimented on a “Theory of
Generating Electricity through Air Bubbles.” Although, this is certainly more on
a technical term for us to understand, perhaps the youtube can help us
understand what his experiments and theory are all about. Please search on the
worldwide web for “Air Bubbles”. He died
at Northern Mindanao Medical Center, Cagayan de Oro on 21 July 2009, at 9:00PM
more or less due to massive myocardial infarction.
[ii] The
Barangay was named after the former Government Official during the WW II, Hon.
Ignacio “Totong” S. Cruz of Jasaan.
[iii]
Bulletsbiker in the Worldwide Web or simply as “BULLETS” an acronym for
Balingasag Undistinguished Last Legion of Extreme TrekkerS.
[iv] A
concrete spillway with more or less 30 to 40 meters across the Cabulig River.
[v] A native fat laying chicken chopped into
mouthful slices and stewed with lemon grass, and other spices.
[vi] Owned
previously by Roque V. Chaves, however, a new owner has acquired it recently.
[vii] Refers
to Jasaan Mountain Bikers Association.
[viiIn
Cagayan de Oro, the wake was at the Divine Shepherd Memorial Chapels in Bulua,
where he was laid for three days and in the afternoon of 24th of July, he laid
in state at his residence at Poblacion Barangay 5, Balingasag until in the
early morning of 26 July 2009.
[ix] She is
the younger and lone sister of Allan; a registered nurse by profession and
married to Mr. Ricardo Q. Abuzo.
[x] Held at
Sta. Rita Parish Church with Fr. Nilo Aguiman, SSJV, the Parish Priest as
celebrant.
[xi] He had
been an active member of the Rotary Club (Mother Club) of Cagayan de Oro City
through the nomination and sponsorship of Mr. Dietmark Schugg of the German
Doctors, who, too, is an outstanding member of the club.
[xii] The
present Roman Catholic Cemetery is situated across the Kitagtag-Luguimit Stream
and is four blocks away from the church.
It was solemnized as a sacred burial ground in 1880 by Spanish Jesuit
missionaries after the first cemetery occupying partly a small area in the
present day Poblacion Barangay 3 was abandoned in favor for a much wider area
in anticipation of the town’s development. The old cemetery was previously
accessible by a small road named Iglesia Street, which fronted Calle Quience de
Septiembre. It was located on the north side of the church and was three blocks
away from the church. Iglesia Street is practically adjacent to the church. The
late Capitana Juana Valmores, granddaughter of Datu Mamerto Valmores donated a
parcel of land that has been used till these days as the present cemetery. Such
donation was conveyed to the Roman Catholic Church represented by Fr. Gregorio
Parache. Don Feliciano Moreno had helped much in the process of negotiation and
ultimately on its transfer. Fr. Gregorio Parache, S.J. was the first Jesuit
Missionary Parish Priest of Balingasag who replaced Fr. Francisco Arcya, a
Recollect Priest in 1877.
ooo
