Kit Bungo Of ARMAGEDDON: The Lost Interview Tapes - Remembering The Greatest Obscure Band Of 70's Pinoy Rock

by Gregg Casis

"It has come to my attention the existence of a truly evil and corrupting influence over the young and impressionable minds of our society." (--President Ferdinand Marcos, Presidential Address, 1976)

Many Filipino Rock fans can name the legendary greats that helped shape Pinoy Rock Music. Comprised of bands formed during the mid 60's and flourished throughout the 70's, these bands left their mark in Filipino pop culture, and provided a profound contribution to OPM's golden era. Recognizable names such as "Abracadabra", Pinoy psych-rock's trippy drummer Edmond Fortuno's "Anak Bayan", "Bad Machine", famous for being the opening act for the Rolling Stones' Rizal Coliseum concert in 1976, Olongapo's pride "Horoscope", lead by drummer Lito Marcos, the "Drug Cult" band with Eddie "Manok", "Maria Cafra" known for their epic rock concertos with Resty Fabunan on lead guitar, and legendary music producer Snaffu Rigor on drums and percussion, and the crowning glory of Pinoy Rock, "Juan De La Cruz", with Mike Hanopol, Wally Gonzalez, and the larger-than-life persona of Joey "Pepe" Smith.

Pinoy rock was undoubtedly a huge staple throughout the 70's, although its impetus was not limited to mere commercial popularity. Away from the spotlight of mainstream music, underground bands proliferated spanning a rich genre of experimentational sounds. Formed during the height of the "drug culture", these rock groups seduced the youth with its rebellious subterranean sonics and howlings. Christened with more sinister band names in comparison to their commercial counterparts, with names like: "The Devil's Playground", famed for their deep psychedelic rock jams, "The Apocalypse Band" of lead-guitarist Sammy Climaco, "Empiyerno" of lead guitarist Rolly Roldan and bassist JC Aspiras, are samples of the alternative choice for adventurous music fans who were eager to venture away from the commercial acts that dominated the airwaves.

But the most treasured gem to ever come out of this period is an obscured mystery that is remembered by only a handful rock historians, true audiophiles, and industry insiders; a group called Armageddon. Hailed as the true harbingers of Heavy Metal (before it was commercially made popular by British imports), this menacing trio was feared by the public as the original horsemen of the apocalypse. The band's catalogue of music is as fascinating as its mysterious origins. Forged by an early childhood friendship between eccentric lead singer Levi "Leviathan" De Los Santos and fiery lead guitarist Kit Bungo, the group's rise to underground notoriety was greatly supported by what came to be known as their "invisible army" of fans; the group garnered so much infamy for becoming the only musical act to have been blacklisted from participating in local Filipino entertainment's commercial market structure - the reason being that they were classified as a "social threat" by the Marcos regime during the mid 1970's; "It has come to my attention the existence of a truly evil and corrupting influence over the young and impressionable minds of our society." (--President Ferdinand Marcos, Presidential Address, 1976)

The Devil's Axe Man: The last known photo taken of Kit Bungo in 1988, during the band's final reunion show in the province of Capiz. Photo courtesy of Jess Marasigan

Formed in 1973, guided by an omnipotent and unseen force that the founding musicians refer to as their true father, Armageddon (or "Geddon") capitalized on hits classified as demonic-sounding music by commercial radio station DJs and local music publications. Hellish tunes heavily embellished with frightening lyrics and song titles such as: "Hardin Ng Halimaw", "Kampon Ng Kadiliman", "Sa Dulo Ng Impyerno", "Ipapako Kita", "Sungay Niya Sungay Ko Rin", "Langit Sa Ilalim Ng Lupa", "Haplos Ng Apoy", "Mapulang Dagat", "Sunugin Ang Mundo", "Madilim Na Bukas", and the highly controversial "Ang Huling Araw" (censored by the National Board Of Censors months before its release) - invokes omenous imagery influenced by the cultural myths and superstitious tales embedded in Filipino folklore.

Although their legacy resides within the dark corners of the memories of those who remember their short-lived reign, the band's fascinating story of sorcery, sacrifice, and alleged devil worship, is encapsulated in one of the recently resurfaced interview tapes of Armageddon's lead guitarist Kit Bungo. An interview recorded during their 5th Anniversary US Tour in Michigan in 1986, by local Filipino radio personality Al Alcantara of DZHJ, Radio Bayan. The tape provides an intimate peek into the world of obscure rock legends that for many decades have been cloaked in mystery, until now.

Let us examine the band that Mike Hanopol refers to as "Black Magic", the tempestuous personalities that inspired Joey Pepe Smith to coin the phrase "Anak ng demonyo!"; this is the true story of Armageddon.


Kit Bungo Interview PART 1 - Track 1
Kit recalls the group's early formation days - rehearsing in a basement studio underneath a bakery in Cubao. Their fateful trip to bassist Rotsen's province of Capiz, where Rotsen receives his mystical name as a gift from the underworld, facilitated by a mysterious cult minister the band simply refers to as Tito Eddie. Details of the cult's cave of worship, and the group's induction into the world of mysticism and their monastic practice of the black arts.

Kit tells of his childhood friendship with lead singer Levi, and tells the story of Levi's extraordinary birth - feared by local villagers as an ominous event, and Levi's unspoken unearthly powers that led to the blinding of a Catholic priest, which later resulted in the banishment of Levi's family from their hometown.


Kit Bungo Interview PART 1 - Track 2
Details about the mysteries that surround the birth of Geddon's lead singer Levi - Kit retells the chilling tale of Levi having been born with unnatural growths that seemed to resemble devil horns, as well as the lead guitarist articulating the group's bond to Levi's alleged "father of darkness".


Kit Bungo Interview PART 2 - Track 3
Kit discusses the rise of Armageddon after being signed to the now defunct Orion Records (a then rogue subsidiary of Alpha Records) in 1976, via the label's talent scout Edwin Manalo. The group records the lengthy and self-indulgent instrumental epic "Ipapako Kita", which clocks over 3 hours of music, carving its own rightful place in rock history.

Their first hit single "Duyan Ng Demonyo" mesmerizes the public, but the cult classic "Blusang Itim" becomes an instant underground hit, selling an unprecedented one million copies, two thirds of which are accounted for by a Japanese bootleg sold to a small Japanese outfit via a deal unknown to the group's management at the time. This feat catapulted the band into an international cult phenomenon. Favorited among contemporaries such as Mike Hanopol (whom to this day highly respects the band for their artistic integrity and genious), the song paved way to inspire a feature film to be made a decade later by director Emmanuel H. Borlaza.

According to legend, Borlaza had acquired a copy of the song from a houseboy he had employed in 1984-1985, around the time Borlaza directed a horror short entitled "Baso", featured in "Shake, Rattle, & Roll" - it was said that the director became fatally obsessed with the track that it almost drove him to madness.

Unknown to many, the director had mysteriously disappeared from his home, only to emerge almost eight months later with yet another masterpiece. This elegantly filmed macabre love story is Borlaza's tribute to the tune that haunted his artistic desires. A bonafide boxoffice success in 1986, "Blusang Itim" starred 80's matinee idols Snooky Serna, Richard Gomez, and Joel Alano.


Kit Bungo Interview PART 2 - Track 4
Kit cites the highly controversial track "Ang Huling Araw", censored by the board of censors months before its release. The band's prophetic rise to fame in the year 1976 - Kit breaks down the year's mystical significance via the Numericon: a cryptic method used by 14th century mystics to foresee auspicious events with the aid of a medium. Rotsen challenges Levi upon the authenticity of his birthright as the true "Devil's incarnate".



Technorati Tags:70s, nostalgia, music, rock

Drive Around 80's Manila Video

Here's a really cool video uploaded by our friend trese3057 which features a cool car ride around 80's Manila to the tune of our favorite Mike Francis track Let Me In. See if you can recognize the places the car drives through and leave comments. Enjoy!

Many thanks to trese3057 for uploading.

Technorati Tags:80s, nostalgia, music, video

Pasko Sa Amin - 'Nung Bata Pa Ako

By: Corazon F.

"Pasko na naman,
O kay tulin ng araw,"

Kasabihan sa atin sa Pilipinas, pagpasok na ng buwan ng Disyembre , talagang nalalanghap mo na ang Pasko. Sabi ng Lola ko, amoy pinipig ang hangin. Kasabay nito ay ang pagpasok ng lamig. Marami ng nagsabit- sabit na mga parol at wala na kaming pinakahihintay kung hindi ang dalawang linggong walang pasok sa iskuela.

Ang unang tanda ng Pasko sa aming bahay ay kapag inilabas na ng Tatay ang malilit na ilaw para sa aming maliit na Christmas tree. Para sa aming magkakapatid, napakaganda ng mga ilaw,, may mukha ni Santa, may Snowman, may candy cane, may star, kaya ingat na ingat kami na huwag mabasag. Siempre, lalagyan namin ng bulak sa ilalim, parang "snow".

Ang mga palamuti sa bahay ay isa-isa ng kukunin ng Nanay sa kahon- may isang Nativity set, mga sabit sa Christmas tree na madalas ay gawa ni Nanay at saka gawa namin sa iskuela. Simple lang , meron kaming "streamer" na ang sabi"MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR"---iyan, unahan lagi kami kung sino ang magsasabit.

Ang pinanabikan namin sa panahong ito ay kung anong parol ang gagawin ng lola ko. Sa aming karsada, tanyag ang lola sa kanyang mga parol, ibat- iba, may estrella, may hugis bulaklak, may hugis kandila, lira at marami pang iba. Ang kawayan, kinakayas mabuti para sa tamang lambot upang mabuo ang baskaga. Papel de Hapon at almirol ang pandikit, tapos ang palara ay binibili para sa buntot ng Parol.Hindi pa uso yung mga parol galing sa Pampanga. Kapag nakasabit na sa aming bintana ang mga parol ng Lola, lahat ng napapadaan ay tumitigil, sa labis na paghanga. Maraming gustong magorder sa Lola ko, pero ang laging sagot- talagang pangpamilya lang siya. Siempre pa, sumusunod din sa uso ang Lola, ng lumabas na ang iba-ibang kulay na plastic, lalo siyang sinipag. Kapag naman malapit na ang bagong taon, ang Lola ko rin ang gumagawa ng mga 'sulo', para sa "Torch Parade" sa bayan. Lahat ng iskuela, highschool ay kasali dito.

Ang Tatay at Nanay ay pinalaki kami na naniniwala kay Santa Claus. Sa bisperas ng Pasko, nagsasabit kami ng lumang medyas ng Tatay ko sa flower box ng bahay namin. Maaga pa ay matulog na daw kami dahil hindi darating si Santa kung gising pa kami. At saka kailangan talagang matulog ng maaga para sa Noche Buena sa hating-gabi. Natutulog kami sa himig ng mga kantang Pamasko na inaawit ng Nanay sa kusina habang naghahanda ng Pancit Molo, Chinese ham, Pandesal at Queso de Bola. Kapag malapit ng hating-gabi, gising na, takbo sa medyas!!!!WOW- ako, mayroon maliit na manika, ang Ate ko , may chocolate, ang bunso may laruang kotse. Tanong ng bunso, "paano nakarating si Santa sa amin"-- sagot ng Tatay, "may sariling sasakyan siya na nakakapunta sa buong mundo-"-bilib kami lahat sa Tatay- siempre matalino yata siya.

Sa araw ng Pasko, lahat bago ang damit at sapatos. Pagkasimba, punta na sa bahay ng Lola, para magmano-- . Ang bigay sa amin, ay malutong at bagong limang piso bawat isa. Bago matapos ang araw, ang tingin ko ba ay ang yaman ko.

Ang mga kakanin na handa ng Lola ay talagang napakasarap. Suman sa lihiya, bibingkang malagkit, palitaw, matamis na ube at leche flan. Hay, ang sarap ng buhay!!!

Ilan lamang ang mga ito sa maliligayang alaala ng Pasko ng aking kabataan.Ito ang aking kinagisnan, mga tradisyon na sinimulan ng aking mga ninuno at magulang.

Ngayon, ang aking sariling maganak ay mayroon din mga tradisyon. Isa dito ay ang laging paghiling ng aming anak na isalaysay ang mga alaala ng Pasko sa Pilipinas, kahit paulit-ulit ay hindi niya pinagsasawaan.

Patuloy ang takbo ng buhay at nakatutuwang isipin na darating ang araw na ang aming anak naman ang magiingat ng mga masasayang alaala.

Also by Corazon F: Nights of Long Ago

Technorati Tags:Christmas, nostalgia

A GATHERING OF AMNESIACS (In defense of Freddie Aguilar, a true Pilipino artist)

By R.N. Rigor

“I recorded the song Bayan Ko (My Homeland) in 1979---seven years before the revolution. I felt that foreign culture was beginning to swamp local pop music. I thought that maybe a patriotic song would jolt back those who were starting to forget who we really are. Bayan Ko was the best I could think of…

When I was singing that song, without accompaniment, beside the coffin of Ninoy Aquino, I broke out in goose pimples. I was thinking, “I am full of conceit. All I do is talk. This man gave his life.” From then on, I became part of the protest scene---all the way until the revolution, still singing Bayan Ko.”

(Freddie Aguilar, quoted from People Power, an eyewitness history, 1986)

In the past month, our nation mourned the passing of Tita Cory, laid her to rest in the most fitting solemnity due one who has been known as the icon of Philippine democracy. Every Filipino across the globe must have witnessed the outpouring of the masa, the presence of every well-healed politico and entertainment personalities paying tribute to the wife of Ninoy, himself a national hero whose life and tragic end propelled Tita Cory to her niche in history.

For many of us who can remember, the slaying of Ninoy Aquino in 1983 was the beginning of the end of the Marcos era. That was three years prior to the biggest and most revered People Power movement that not only shocked the whole world, it also offered the people of a nation a new beginning. It made every Filipino proud.

It was during these challenging moments in our history when one of our most prolific and perhaps the closest to every Filipino then, because of his daunting songs and unabashed national pride, sang a nation to action.

Bayan Ko - Original Sound Track
Freddie Aguilar was known to have stirred the hearts of even the most jaded when his song ‘Anak’ aired the Holy Week after his Metro Manila Pop Music Festival debut. The year was 1976. The more popular singing personalities of the very first government-sponsored festival took the major awards, overshadowing the lilting song from an unknown Olongapo folksinger. But, the song’s message cannot be denied. Not from his own people. Not from the world.


Anak - Original Sound Track
For the very first time in the history of Philippine pop culture, a Filipino song cascaded across the globe in its original version. Every Japanese can sing the song from the heart---in Pilipino. Every European can recognize the song, in more than a dozen languages. This song spurred the “golden era of the seventies”, as pop artist/songwriter Rey Valera would eventually refer to, with original Pilipino songs and compositions lording its way not only in Asia, but even as far as New York. Pinoy songs would end up taking major awards in Asian festivals; local disco’s “Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko” was a favorite of Diana Ross at Studio 54 in New York.

Through those years, Ka Freddie, together with his cadre of folk artists (the likes of Florante, Asin, Banyuhay, Joel Ayala, PenPen, etc.) challenged the nation of the political reality of the times. Not only did the people listen, the government’s media authorities did not like what was being addressed. Unknown to many, Ka Freddie’s winning entry to the Second Metro Pop Festival, my brother Snaffu’s composition “Bulag, Pipi, at Bingi” (The Blind, the Mute and the Deaf), was eventually pulled from further airing as it suggested a subversive undertone according to the Broadcast Media Council.


Bulag, Pipi, at Bingi - Original Sound Track
This did not stop Ka Freddie from doing what he does best, to write from the heart and through the heart of the masa. It is unfortunate, and frankly, it is borne from sheer ignorance that some commentators would refer to this pop icon as one whose songs are “only heard by beggars”, as one who is a “sour grape whose time has come and gone”…

These comments from amnesiacs have completely put aside the fact that the guy singing for Tita Cory’s cause during that infamous snap election in 1985, the eventual People’s Power march 0f ’86 that hurled the nation to its new-found freedom was Ka Freddie and his version of what became the people’s anthem, ‘Bayan Ko’. Sure, it is the beggar’s song, but it was the masa of “beggars” that made possible the very freedom that careless commentators like these are enjoying these days.

Ka Freddie’s absence in all of Tita Cory’s last hours before she was finally laid to rest, with echoes of his rendition of ‘Bayan Ko’ and the memory of People’s Power coming alive among the multitude of masa along the funeral cortege, is really ironic.

Perhaps, because of late, Ka Freddie made an unpopular remark regarding several of today’s entertainers who have carved their presence globally. I can understand his argument. True, we are a nation of gifted and talented entertainers, who provide others the delight of hearing songs sung or seeing acts closest to the original. But, in the same breath, we have just as much Pinoy creativity to unleash, much like what “Anak” had done for Freddie, or what Pitoy Moreno has done in the field of fashion, and the many talented local artists in the visual arts. I believe that this is what he is trying to make clear.

Nevertheless, doing great mimicry is far from being original, indeed. Ka Freddie is an original and will not refrain from speaking his mind. His reference to the “unggoy” (monkey) is a stark caricature of the current trend of Filipino popular culture. Truth can be very abrasive sometimes.

He once made his nation proud. Those who forsake him because of what he envisions a nation’s gifted talents to be are the very people who will continue to make the Philippines a nation of beggars.

R.N. Rigor
From 1976 to 1980, a Project Coordinator with the Popular Music Foundation of the Philippines (the producer of the Metro Manila Pop Music Festivals), and is currently a teacher in an alternative school for social justice in the state of Washington for the past 15 years.




Technorati Tags:70s, 80s, music, nostalgia

Memories Of An 80's Childhood (Part 2) By: Citizen J.D.C.

By Citizen J.D.C.

Just because I was a kid doesn't mean that I do not watch shows starring real actors at all. Heck, I do remember watching Iskul Bukol and was laughing at the antics of the Escalera Brothers and their latest caper that usually ends in disaster, for them at least. I also loved T.O.D.A.S ( Joey De Leon, Val Sotto, Spanky Rigor, Frieda Fonda, Maribeth Bichara and later, Jimmy Santos) especially their knock-knock jokes, gags and sketches. That show lasted for, I think 11 years before Bubble Gang broke their record just recently. How about Champoy with Subas Herrero and Noel Trinidad? I loved that show. Bet most of you remember Ora Encantada, shown every Sunday with Luz Valdez playing storytelling grandmother. Following that was Happy House, a family sitcom starring Tito Sotto, Sandy Andolong, Isabel Granada, Aga Muhlach and Laura Hermosa. Then when nine o' clock strikes it time for my all time favorite comedy show of all time: Sic O' Clock News, with "anchormen" Jimmy Fabregas and Ces Quesada, together with Junix Inocalla, Wilson Go, Rene Requiestas (deceased), Errol Dionisio (also deceased), Ching Arellano and other names I couldn't remember.

That's Entertainment? Well, I remember that, but sorry, I'm no fan of love teams; most of my female cousins were. Eat Bulaga? Of course! Tito, Vic and Joey? They were my heroes then. Drama? Hmm, the only drama that I remembered was Lovingly Yours, Helen with the late Helen Vela. How could I forget that: my mom used to watch that every Sunday afternoon right after GMA Supershow. Wait! there was also Maricel Drama Special on channel 2... how could I forget about that? Okay, hmm I think I'll mention Discovery Drama Special hosted by newscaster Angelique Lazo. You know, the show that works like a some sort of a laboratory for up and coming actors. Well, the only actor who I can still remember is Dennis Balthazar. I wonder where the rest of them are doing now? Sitcoms? Aside from Iskul Bukol which I had mentioned, I remember Chicks to Chicks, Sitak ni Jack, Barrio Balimbing, Manok ni San Pedro, and... and... darn, that's all that I could recall!

Superseryes has become a regular staple in today's TV, but to be frank, it's not a new novel idea. Let's be honest: some of us recall Kapitan Kidlat and Darna over PTV 4. Twinbill? I'm not a Kapamilya, for your information, and I am very aware that rabid Kapusos out there will come out and lynch me for this, but as I recall ABS-CBN came up with a similar format, a short-lived one, if I recall correctly, starring Robin Padilla (as a superhero whose moniker I no longer remember) and Manilyn Reynes (as a dead girl turned guardian angel). Fantaseryes? Hmm, aside from Ora Encantada, most agree that Okay Ka, Fairy Ko was the prototype of the fantaserye, and I hope that I'm right. Horror Stories? Gosh, Regal Shocker (GMA) and that other show on channel 13 scared the ghost out of me (no pun intended).

Hey, how about shows that came from the other side of the world? GMA used to air a lot of them during that time, especially on primetime. I loved watching Knight Rider just because I was amused with the talking car KITT. Punky Brewster, occasionally. A Different World, St. Elsewhere, Miami Vice, China Beach, Baby Boom, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Knot's Landing et al, never watched a single episode. The Cosby Show watched once, never followed... couldn't fathom the humor. All Star Professional Wrestling, OOPS! That was on channel 13, but that was the first time I watched grown men in their underwear "beat the hell out" of each other. That's where I was introduced to Hulk Hogan, Iron Sheik, Andre the Giant, Ricky Steamboat, Tito Santana, Ric Flair, Don Muraco, Ronnie Garvin, etc. McGyver, I wished I had his improvisational ingenuity. Imagine building an aircraft out of bamboo and a motor, making bombs using common household cleaning materials, or turn a fountain pen into a gun. That's so cool.

Also read: Memories Of An 80's Childhood (Part 1)

Technorati Tags:80s, memories, stories, nostalgia

Memories Of An 80's Childhood (Part 1) By: Citizen J.D.C.

By Citizen J.D.C.

There are some times when I am alone with my thoughts doing nothing, procrastinating or just engaging in my confined soliloquy, or read some books for the nth time, or snoozing; but besides all that I mentioned, there's this one pastime that I would consider my most favorite; going on a trip back memory lane. Being a nostalgic fool that I am, going for a sentimental journey has become my hobby. A trip where I don't have to be physically out of my house. Where my time machine is my recollection about the past and my experiences that comes with them. Where all it takes is to hop in and go with the spiral and spin, spin, and spin around, and around, and around, and around....

"Pagmulat ng mata, langit nakatawa sa Batibot" Ahh, how could I forget that song. And the place. The neighborhood every kids my age wished they lived. Where they can play with the childish, hulking Pong Pagong and the gravel-voiced Kiko Matsing. Where they can listen to Kuya Bodjie's stories. Where they can learn their abc's... or in this case, a-ba-ka-da from Ate Siena. And the puppets: the siblings Ningning and Ginging, Irma and Tikyo, the bickering aliens Sitsiritsit and Alibangbang and other crop of characters whose names I can't recall anymore. All in all, Batibot is perhaps the fondest memory every 80's kid like me has in our respective childhood. And don't forget, Batibot is shown twice a day, everyday; the morning run is aired over channel 9, the afternoon run is aired over PTV 4. Weekend kiddie variety shows means either Uncle Bob's Lucky 7 Club, Pen Pen De Sarapen or Star Smile Factory.

Cartoons. There were lots of that on TV then than now. Especially during weekday afternoons. When ABS-CBN resumed broadcasting after the EDSA revolution it showed robot cartoons every, if I'm not mistaken, 4:00 o' clock in the afternoon. The daily roster is as follows: Monday, Mekanda Robot; Tuesday, (damn I forgot!)... but that is my most favorte among all (I know that it involves computers, that is the clue); Wednesday, Daimos; Thursday, Voltes V. Friday, on the other hand, is for the live-action super sentai Bioman. That was also the time when there are cartoons being shown on primetime. Bet that you could remember watching The Real Ghostbusters every seven o' clock in the evening on channel 2

Weekend Saturday mornings mean Saturday Fun Machine on channel 9, not to mention the adventures of the Superfriends which is light and campy in demeanor compared to the edgy approach of the recent Justice League. Other Saturday staples include channel 7's M.A.S.K and Spiral Zone and channel 2's Pole Position and Visionaries. Channel 13, which was the dominant station of the time, had Looney Tunes, Transformers, G.I. Joe, Denver the last Dinosaur, Widget among others. When primetime comes the fun didn't stopped, rest assured that I have my fill of the Thundercats and Silver Hawks on channel 7.

To be continued...

Technorati Tags:80s, memories, stories, nostalgia

"Gagamba": Mini Gladiators From The Past

By Agapito P.

Many years ago for us young pre-teeners living in Little Baguio, San Juan, Ortigas Avenue was not like what most would remember it to be---a bustling stretch of condos, offices and the Unimart complex. What was to become the Greenhills Shopping Center, for us at one time, Ortigas was just a lonely stretch of cemented road amidst fields of talahib and rice paddies where herds of carabaos were a common sight.

It turned out to be a favorite option of a playground especially on moonlit nights. We'd be playing patintero, tumbang preso or just be biking along this luminous white stretch that has yet to be opened to the frenzy of city commute connected to "Highway 54", EDSA’s original name, at one end, and Santolan Road at the other end.

It was along Ortigas Avenue where we’d have an abundance of resource for one of the most exciting past-times that has become quite rare among kids these days---labanan ng GAGAMBA!

Wow, iba-ibang klaseng mga gagamba ang nahahanap namin noon sa mga kasulok-sulokan ng mga talahiban at mga puno sa Santolan, Ortigas at Greenhills.

First off, for us na naging mahilig sa gagamba, kelangan meron kang dala-dalang pag-ba-bahayan ng mga ito. And what better way to keep these mini-gladiators---siempre, sa loob ng isa, o dalawa, o tatlong nagpatong-patong, naka-lastikong kahita ng Posporong Gitara!! They don’t make match boxes like these anymore---imagine, gawa sa maninipis na kahoy ang kahita ng posporo noon! (Pwede ngang gamiting pang "toothpick"! Ngayon, gawa na sa cardboard paper…)

Ingenuity taught us to apportion the inside of the posporong gitara, para sa ganun, may mga compartments ang mga naglalakihang mga gagamba. Kung baga, meron kang kahon for your "prized fighters"----mga nagpupulahan o mga maiitim na gagamba. Kung gagambang bahay lang, sa low-income housing sila dahil mga pangkaraniwan lang ang mga ito.

Of course, a good match is not complete kung hindi patpat ng walis "tingting" ang gamit. There is nothing like the smooth, sturdy length of a tingting that makes the gagamba match a thing to marvel at. It's just that no other stick could show the full length of a gagamba's mastery of an opponent.

Sa haba nitong Ortigas Avenue noon nagdagsaan ang mga iba’t ibang uri ng mga gagamba. I suppose, it was where one would be able to lure in a gagamba that when one asks, "Anong klase yan?" You’d answer with "gagambang talahib" or, "gagambang mangga", or "gagambang koryente", "gagambang bayabas", ad infinitum. It was a naive way of naming our not-so-common Filipino arachnids.

Kasama sa sarap ng laban ng gagamba ay yung pasikatan na nangyayari pag-lumabas na siya sa kanyang tinutulugang bayahan. Minsan, may takip pa ang kanyang section ng posporo para hindi magising yung iba. Pipitikin mo lang ng kaunti yung ilalim ng posporong kahita, lalabas na yung pasikat mong pang-laban. Kung gusto mo namang bumalik sa tulugan, hihipan mo lang at tahimik na ulit siya…

Pero, ang labanan noon ay walang kapareho kapag nag-pakitahan na ng kani-kanilang mga panlaban…kadalasan, sa kulay pa lang, at sa laki ng gagamba, umaatras na ang kalaban. Doon lumalamang ang mga laki sa Ortigas dahil iba’t ibang mga kulay ng gagamba ang nadidiskubre doon: may pula, may itim, dilaw, brown na mapula, dark brown, at meron pang ibang parang may mga markang tattoo sa likod…parang Mike Tyson!… One of the most interesting find among our collection of gagamba na naging sikat sa mga manlalaro dahil bago ngang klaseng gagamba, ay yung naging sikat na "gagambang pitik". Siya ang pinaka-kung-fu master ng mga gagamba. May iba't ibang kulay din ang gagambang pitik. Pero, pare-pareho silang pumipitik lang at hindi masyadong masapot.

May mga baguhan sa larong gagamba na kung nakita nila na maliit lang yung nilabas namin, agad silang matatawa at akala nila, kawawa naman ang maliit na gagambang inilabas kong panglaban. Saka lang siya matatanga kapang "napitik" na ng aking kung fu master ang kanyang prized gagamba. Hindi magalaw ang gagambang pitik. Tatayo lang sa dulo ng tingting at aantayin ang kalaban. Minsan malapitan ito, isang matinding pitik lang, bagsak na ang kalaban. Hindi natatalo ang gagambang pitik, at kaya naman ang mga batikan sa laban ng gagamba, kapag si kung fu master na ang ilalabas, "Wow, gagambang pitik yan! Wag na lang kung yan ang ilalaban mo! Ano 'ko, tanga?"

What is more interesting is hindi naglalabanan ang dalawang gagambang pitik. Pormahan to death lang silang dalawa dahil nag-aantayan lang…hindi mo masulong-sulong na sumugod dahil hindi gagalaw, di gaya ng ibang gagamba na pwede mong isulong para sumugod. Kung gagambang pitik against gagambang pitik, manigas ka! Draw sigurado ang laban.

Such was the game. You’d see a hot game going when at school playgrounds. You'd see a bunch of kids, heads huddled together, seriously watching ever so closely, an intense face-off between two prized gagambas. Only to end with an eruption of glee, except for a few heads scratching, that somehow, is quite rare these days.

Surely, it's because there are only a few places now that could very well be a discovery ground for the not-so-common arachnids.




Technorati Tags:60s, 70s, games, nostalgia

Nostalgia List #39

"Pare, matindi and 1st five ng YCO! Walang tatalo!"
Nostalgia Lists contain various fun memories of the '60s, '70s and '80s. Everyone is encouraged to participate and add to these growing lists. Send in your list items to nostalgiamanilamail[at]yahoo[dot]com, and those chosen will be added to the next list. Please make sure to check past Nostalgia Lists to see if your list items have already been posted.

233. Ang simpleng sipa ay gawa sa tingga at wrapper ng Stork (green) o Halls (white).

234. Fat & Thin (Pat en tin) brand ng Champoy. Ang logo ng packaging ay ang classic comedians na sina Laurel and Hardey.

235. Ang star player ng YCO Floor Wax basketball team ay si Freddie Webb. YCO 1st five: 1) Webb 2) Tolentino 3) Gomez 4) Reyes 5) Canent

236. Masarap ipalaman sa Tasty Bread ang Carnation Condensada.

237. Johnson's Baby Cologne commercial: "Bagong ligo ang pakiramdam, sa Johnson's baby cologne."

"I want my Nostalgia List #39!"
Craving for more Nostalgia? Read: NOSTALGIA LIST #38

Technorati Tags:70s, 80s, nostalgia

Nostalgia List #38

"Pagkatapos mo magligo mag Johnson's Baby Powder ka para presko!"
Nostalgia Lists contain various fun memories of the '60s, '70s and '80s. Everyone is encouraged to participate and add to these growing lists. Send in your list items to nostalgiamanilamail[at]yahoo[dot]com, and those chosen will be added to the next list. Please make sure to check past Nostalgia Lists to see if your list items have already been posted.

228. Johnson's Baby Powder commercial: "Johnson's baby powder ikaw lamang, wala nang iba."

229. Masarap ang Kropek crakers pag may sawsawan na suka.

230. Yung mga laruan mong Tonka ay mabigat at hindi nasisira dahil gawa sa die-cast metal.

231. Ang Vicks candy ay nabibili sa carton at hugis triangulo ang candy. Panglaban mo sa makating lalamunan at pesteng ahem!

232. The Tigers ay ang dance group ni Jojo Alejar. Regular silang dance group ng Penthouse Live! ni Pops Fernandez at Martin Nivera.

"Wow bitin! Saan na kasi yung Nostalgia List #39?!"
Craving for more Nostalgia? Read: NOSTALGIA LIST #37

Technorati Tags:70s, 80s, nostalgia

The Ultimate Vilma Santos Scrapbook

There was a time when a fan's devotion to his or her idol wasn't measured by how much they've spent on all the advertised merchandise made available to the public. Not every fan was able to afford the style of clothes sported by the stars, let alone be able to purchase the latest glossy magazine with their idol's perfect smile on the cover. It was a time when making a scrapbook was enough to call one a devotee. Chosen photos collected from all sorts of publications were recycled, and carefully pasted on a simple spiral ring notebook. This would be one of many treasured volumes of personalized scrapbooks that would be shared, traded, and admired by other adoring fans. Here's a look at an original late 60's scrapbook made by a Vilma Santos fan.

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Many thanks to our good friend Edward De Los Santos for sharing scans of this amazing Vilma Santos scrapbook. For the best source of classic records, vintage magazines, and other amazing vintage collectibles, visit his Ebay stores: philippine.music (Ebay Philippines), and oldbestseller (Ebay USA).

Technorati Tags:60s, filipino celebrity, photo, nostalgia

Nostalgia List #37

"Bilis! Dumarating na ang Koga Ninja!"
Nostalgia Lists contain various fun memories of the '60s, '70s and '80s. Everyone is encouraged to participate and add to these growing lists. Send in your list items to nostalgiamanilamail[at]yahoo[dot]com, and those chosen will be added to the next list. Please make sure to check past Nostalgia Lists to see if your list items have already been posted.

223. Kumakain ka ng Star Kist cheesie snacks.

224. Family Toothpaste commercial: "Father, mother, brother, sister, how do you brush your teeth?"

225. Kilala mo ang mga pangalang Gingkero Mumuchi at Lord Sadonobu dahil nanunuod ka ng Shintaro The Samurai sa IBC 13. Pagnaglalaro kayo ng mga kaibigan mo, kungyari Iga Ninja ka at kalaban mo yung mga Koga Ninja. Sinusuot mo yung kamiseta mo sa ulo mo at tinatali mo sa likod para mag-mukhang ninja mask.

226. Ang nagdi-deliver ng gasul sa bahay mo ay Shellane, o Esso Gasul.

227. Mga leather shoes na pangeskwela: Ang Tibay, Gregg, at Bata Shoes.

"Where naman is my Nostalgia List #38?!"
Craving for more Nostalgia? Read: NOSTALGIA LIST #36 Halloween Special

Technorati Tags:70s, 80s, nostalgia

Kung-Fu Nostalgia: Jackie Chan 'Spiritual Kung Fu' (1978) and Leung Kar Yan 'Sleeping Fist' (1978)

Remember those lazy afternoons sitting around the house with nothing else to do? It was too hot outside to be playing or hanging out with your friends, and it was too hot inside to be taking an afternoon nap. Unless of course you were privileged enough to be comforted by the cooling buzz of an air conditioner.

You'd go to your living room and turn on your tv set every now and then to check if there was anything on that would grab your interest. You'd turn the knob clockwise (yes! most television sets in those days had knobs and only a few had buttons); you'd check all the channels to see if there was something good enough to watch. Boring show after show, then you'd switch over to channel 13... what's this?! A Kung-Fu movie on tv?! A rush of excitement fills you up and you find yourself running to the kitchen, hoping to find some snacks to make watching more fun. You settle for a plate of Fita biscuits and a cold glass of Tang.

Here are two memorable movies that made lazy afternoons more fun:

Spiritual Kung-Fu / Quan jing (1978)
Jackie Chan stars as a goofy class clown in a shaolin temple. Jackie isn't one of the best students flunking all sorts of tests. The temple's best kept secret is stolen. All is lost until Jackie discovers and makes friends with the dancing ghosts with bright red hair who haunt the library. These funny ghosts teach him secret Kung-Fu styles which will defeat his ultimate foe.

There is a scene in this movie everyone remembers very well. It's when Jackie shows off this new style (he's still trying to learn) to a very good female fighter. It goes something like this:

Girl: "What's that?"
Jackie: "Oh, you wouldn't know that. That's the famous crane style."
Girl: "Really? Well, you look like a teapot. Pouring tea!"
Jackie: "You insult my style?! I'll show you!"

If you were a kid in the 80's playing pretend Kung-Fu in your schoolyard or in your neighborhood, that "You look like a teapot!" line was what you would use to insult your opponent. Everyone knows who has seen this Jackie Chan movie knows this line very well!


Sleeping Fist / Shui quan guai zhao (1978)
After being beaten by some thugs, police officer Chin Tai Ba (Leung Kar Yan) learns the Sleeping Fist style from martial arts master Chung Yiu (Yuen Siu Tin). After mastering his training, Chin sets out with his teacher and Cub (Wong Yat Lung) to get even.

Everyone loved this trio of late 70's Kung-Fu stars who introduced unique fighting styles like "The Sleeping Fairy" and "The Sleeping Monkey"!



Technorati Tags:70s, 80s, movies, tv, kung-fu, nostalgia

My Grandfather's Strange Neighbors

By: Elena A.

The year was 1969 and the world was changing. The Beatles broke up, man landed on the moon, a new jet called the Concorde made its first test flight, the Vietnam war was in full swing, and Ferdinand Marcos wins a second full term as President of the Philippines. It was an eventful year, but those big events seemed hazy in comparison to my vivid memories of what I experienced as a young girl visiting my grandfather's house in the province that year.

I was born and raised in Pasig, Mandaluyong. This year my mother had decided for us to visit her birthplace. My grandfather sent us a telegram a few weeks earlier and lovingly told my mother how much he would love to see his daughter and his only grandchild. A few days later I found myself on a bus headed for the countryside. It was the most exciting feeling for a ten year old who had never been anywhere outside the city.

My grandfather lived in a small town called Cansadan in San Jose, Antique. It was a small town that had a few houses, and a very narrow road that ran through it. My grandfather actually lived in the outskirts of town right by his farmland where he grew and tended his own crops. Every morning my mother would take me to the market where we would buy fresh fish and vegetables to cook for the day's meals. Every night after dinner, I would sit by the window and stare out into the open fields that were surrounded by huge mango trees. There weren't any lights around like how it is in the city, but somehow you could make out the dirt roads because the moon above illuminated everything else. I've never seen such a clear sky with so many stars. The gentle country breeze would tickle my cheeks, and I would always take deep breaths inhaling the scent of fresh mangos. It was a beautiful place.

It didn't take long for me to find playmates as the locals were so friendly. I met this girl named Maya who immediately became my best friend. She and I were the same age, and though I had a hard time understanding her because I didn't speak much Visayan, we were inseparable. Kuya Bong who was 18 at the time, helped my grandfather with the planting and pretty much everything; he was my grandfather's right hand man, and he was instructed to be my personal bodyguard.

One cloudy afternoon while Maya and I were out chasing beetles by the fields, we noticed a girl watching us from the dirt road that led to my grandfather's house. She had long hair, a very pale face, and wore a black dress that came down to her ankles. She was barefoot and seemed like she hadn't bathed for days. She was much older than Maya and I, probably in her teens. We were so frightened by her appearance that we ran home screaming. I told my mother what happened but she dismissed it as my imagination running wild. I didn't get much sleep after that little scare.

A few days had passed, Maya and I were tailing Kuya Bong wherever he went. We told him about the girl we saw. He smiled and assured us that it was probably someone who lost her way. There was something about the way Kuya Bong spoke that was always comforting. Pretty soon we forgot about the whole thing and had a great time playing in a nearby stream.

The next day I was all by myself washing some vegetables my mother had brought home earlier, when I heard this beeping outside. I looked out the kitchen window and saw Kuya Bong waiving at me riding a motorcycle. I ran outside to see him and almost immediately hopped in front of him to go for a quick ride. He revved the engine and we sped up heading for the dirt road that led to town. It was dusk and the sunset looked very pretty. Kuya Bong had this big smile on his face as he told me how his friend loaned him the motorcycle for the weekend. As we passed this big group of trees, something startled Kuya Bong that almost made him lose control of the bike. The same girl Maya and I had seen earlier was standing there wearing the same clothes, looking straight at us with a cold expressionless look on her face. Kuya Bong started asking her questions. I understood very little, but had an idea that he was asking her who she was and if she needed help. I was so frightened that I couldn't look at her. I started to cry and told Kuya Bong to take me home. The girl didn't speak a word. She slowly turned around and disappeared into the woods.

It was getting dark so we headed straight back home. That night Kuya Bong told our story to my mother and my grandfather during dinner. My mother kept on dismissing it as none sense. I looked at my grandfather who was silent all evening and had a worried look on his face. He was usually an animated kind of person, always entertaining us with funny stories, but tonight he retired early and didn't say a word.

I was helping my mother wash dishes while Kuya Bong was serenading us with his guitar. He felt that it would help me sleep and calm my fears. He was so sweet and had such a great singing voice. He got up and started singing louder and my mother and I began to laugh, and that's when we heard it! This loud shriek, this painful scream... tt sounded like a woman, or it could've been an animal, we weren't sure. It sounded pretty close. I was so terrified with the sound that I held on to my mother real tight. Kuya Bong leaped for his bolo and a kerosene lamp and ran outside to investigate. I heard him frantically screaming at someone outside, so my mother and I came to the front door to see what was going on. It was pitch black and all we could see was Kuya Bong holding a lamp with one hand, and waiving his bolo in the other, screaming at someone or something in the woods. All my crying wouldn't pacify the fear I felt when two figures slowly moved forward and emerged from the woods. It was the girl and a young man who was dressed in a black shirt and black pants. They had blood on their hands and were standing deathly still as Kuya Bong ordered them to stay away from our house.

He told my mother to take me inside, which she did, and I immediately hid under my bed covering my ears. I heard the voice of my grandfather who was awakened my all the commotion. He stepped outside to see an exhausted and frightened Kuya Bong sitting on the steps. He told my grandfather what had happened: "They came from the woods... I kept on asking them who they were and what they wanted, but they wouldn't speak to me. They had blood on their hands! And they were just standing there... I yelled at them telling them to go away! But they just stood there! I asked them what they wanted and they just pointed at our house. I told them that if they stepped any closer that I would kill them!"

My grandfather rest his hand on Kuya Bong's shoulder and told him to calm down. None of us got any sleep. My mother kept me close to her telling me that it was just people who wanted to steal my grandfather's livestock. Kuya Bong kept a watchful eye and would walk around our house every 30 minutes, then he'd doze off for a few only to get up again to look around.

The next day we were asked by a relative to attend a special mass in town. Someone's son had gone missing. They said the boy was last seen playing near where we lived, and had been missing for three days now. After mass we went straight home and my grandfather cooked up the most delicious meal. After dinner he got up and simply told us he was going to talk to some people; he did not specify whom he was going to be talking to, or where he was going. He strapped his bolo to his side and headed out into the dark with his kerosene lamp.

Kuya Bong's nagging curiosity would not escape him, so he took his bolo and his lamp, and headed in the direction of where my grandfather went. My mother tried her best to make him stay and guard the house, but he was worried that my grandfather was unaccompanied. He had never taken off like this, ever. A nervous Kuya Bong followed a narrow trail for almost an hour that led him deep into the woods which eventually led to a river. There was a small man-made bridge he had never seen before which he crossed, and on the other side were huge trees and thick overgrown bushes that had a faint light glowing from within them. He turned off his lamp and slowly crept up towards the light. He could hear the faint voice of my grandfather who was speaking to someone in a very authoritative tone. He hid behind a fallen log and observed.

My grandfather was standing in front of a small hut that was built right next to the mouth of a cave, and he was talking to a man who was standing at the entrance of the hut. Kuya Bong couldn't make out everything my grandfather was saying, but he understood most of it. "I know what you did you bastard!", my Kuya Bong had never heard my grandfather swear before. "You stay away from my house and my family! That's my family! You tell your children that my granddaughter is not to be touched! If I see you or any of your children wandering by my home, I will kill all of you! Do you understand?!" The man didn't say a word and headed back into the hut. My Kuya Bong ran straight home to find me and my mother asleep in our bed. He patiently waited for my grandfather as he had so many questions to ask. They stayed up all night as my grandfather told him everything there was to know about the strange family that didn't live too far from us.

According to my grandfather he has known of their existence for many many years. He said that before he married my grandmother, he witnessed strange rituals that occurred in the cave. He says the family feasted on raw meat, organs of dead animals, and possibly even people. One day he was discovered spying at them, but they let him go. There have always been rumors in town about a family of aswang that lived close by, but for some reason my grandfather never mentioned what he saw. It was sort of like a simple unspoken agreement between my grandfather and the aswang. He left them alone, and they left him alone. My grandfather swears that they never seemed to age, and they are never seen in the company of other people from town. There have been many disappearances of young children around San Jose as long as my grandfather could remember.

The next day we left for Manila. I was so relieved. I had enough of strange provincial life and I was ready to come back to a busy city where spooky things only happened on television. I often received letters from Kuya Bong, and after three years he came to live with us in Pasig after my grandfather passed away. I often ask him if he ever saw the family of aswang again. He said he once tried to revisit the place where they had lived. But the hut was long gone, the cave was empty, except for strange markings on its walls, and small fragments of bones scattered all over the floor.

Technorati Tags:60s, halloween, scary story, paranormal, nostalgia

Paranormal Folly

By: Totoy Time Machine

Something happened to my friend's brother that we still couldn't explain, let alone have his family explain it. This happened in Makati back in the 80s.

The "utol" was a young man attending college in the university when he came home late one evening. He said that he just couldn't quite get home. He was so disoriented that he had been commuting around Manila for several hours before he finally found his way home.

The days that followed was a flurry of "weird happenings". Utol hardly slept at night, preoccupied by discomfort and strange sensations going through his body. He also had a hard time swallowing food because he felt that something was "blocking his throat". His limbs and joints wouldn't cooperate so much so that he walked funny and slower than usual. He was practically invalid and was unable to go to school and function on his own at home. Although he was a grown man, another family member had to give him a bath and force-feed him. It was a struggle to feed him because he would almost refuse the food and water that was given to him. Something seemed to control him from nourishing himself. The family saw that Utol grew thinner with each passing day. His lips were very dry and cracked, and his face and body had a deathlike pallor.

There was a time when the family brought him to church so that the priest would give him holy communion but Utol also refused to swallow the blessed host.

A family friend confided that her husband was a "spiritista" and offered to help find answers to the family’s dilemma. The couple came to the house and brought with them another person, a woman who they said would also help out.

So it was one fateful evening in a typical home in urban Makati that our friend called the rest of the barkada over to a bedroom on the second floor of their home to witness what promised to be an actual séance, or possession, or whatever we wanted to call it.

It was still early in the evening, around 7 or 8 pm, judging from the noise of a neighbor's primetime TV show we heard from the open window. The kids were shooed out of the bedroom and someone was instructed to accompany Utol as he was also kept out of the room. This meant that only adults were left behind : there were four of us in the barkada, two or three other family members, our friend's parents, the "spiritista" and his wife, and their guest who was a flight stewardess. Let's call her "Tess".

The spiritista began to advise us that he will try to discover if there was a supernatural explanation to what was bothering Utol. Tess volunteered as a sort of medium and came along because she said that what Utol was going through also happened to her but she was cured by this spiritista. This time she felt she wanted to help out.

The spiritista brought out his paraphernalia from a duffel bag that he brought with him. There were assorted empty wide-mouth bottles and caps, and candles. He didn't caution us to be silent but as he went through the motions of praying quietly while lighting a candle, our excited chatter slowly died down. After some chanting, he melted wax from the candle into a shallow basin and directed us to look closely at the shape or figure that materialized as the wax hardened.

One of the women in the room gave a sudden shriek. She said that she saw the face of a scary old man in the hardened wax. We all crowded around the basin the spiritista was holding out. I eagerly looked closely and saw the lines of what appeared to be a bony face of an old man, with wiry, long hair (Parang si Impakta doon sa Darna movie! hehehe…). Others couldn't distinguish these images from the squiggles and lines they saw.

Convinced of a supernatural creature behind Utol's torture, the spiritista instructed Tess to lie flat on a long bench. As he started chanting and calling out for the creature, he also directed many of us to stand guard around Tess. We positioned ourselves strategically near her arms and legs holding them firmly as we were told that she has gone under a trance-like stage. What was very strange was that right before our very eyes, wrinkles and lines started appearing on Tess' once flawless face. Her eyes were still closed shut as if asleep but a few minutes later she began to struggle as we tried our best to pin her down.

At this stage, the spiritista explained that he was able to send the spirit into Tess’ body. He started to probe the underworld creature trapped in Tess' body.

"Sino ka ba talaga?!"

"Anong kailangan mo kay Utol?!"

A cracked voice, almost hesitantly, came out of Tess' mouth. The words that were uttered were in a foreign language. The spiritista cursed obscenities and shouted at Tess that he couldn't understand him. ( Translator, we need a translator here…)

The spiritista was holding something that he would poke around Tess' flesh and he did this several times when the spirit refused to answer properly or cooperate. Tess would cry out and try to wiggle out of our clasps. There were at least six of us who would alternately hold on to Tess during the struggles. She was a very petite girl but the strength fighting us back was that of a stronger man.

Meanwhile, the spiritista continued his probe until he was able to elicit more familiar words from the stubborn creature. This time, the creature spoke in Spanish. We understood that he was 300 years old and living in a tree along a lane right outside the university Utol passes by everyday to school.

He took a fancy of Utol's weak and somber disposition and wanted to take him to his world for his companion.

After the spiritista was able to draw out all that he wanted to hear, he instructed all the people involved to hold Tess even more firmly because a final, much stronger struggle would take place.

The spiritista continued his chants and rituals, commanding the spirit to give up on his evil designs. The spirit in Tess' body expressed his rage by twisting and turning as we continued to hold her down. He tried to address his captors and distract us from holding on as we avoided direct eye contact with him. I tried not to think too much of the wicked look in Tess' eyes. Tess was spewing out saliva freely at this point. One of the barkada got hold of the spiritista’s tool, a shiny flat stone, and began pushing it into Tess' flesh, as if to hurt her as was done earlier. To this Tess would writhe in pain.

The spiritista asked someone to uncap one of the bottles. A family member handed out the bottle and cap to the spiritista and then we were told to assist in sending the spirit to the bottle by praying quietly on our own.

After what must have been two hours of struggling, Tess let out a final moan and as sudden as the struggle started, fell back limp on the bench. Her profuse sweating made her clothes stick on her body like second skin and her face was covered with slimy, disgusting saliva.

The spiritista firmly sealed the bottle he was holding and expressed smugly that he succeeded in trapping the spirit haunting Utol in that clear glass bottle. He was even holding out the bottle to us for a closer inspection but we didn’t actually see anything with in the space inside the clear glass.

So what did actually happen here?

Technorati Tags:80s, halloween, scary story, paranormal, nostalgia

Nostalgia List #36 Halloween Special

"Nabalitaan ninyo ba yung na-posses sa Pasig? Patay na!"
Nostalgia Lists contain various fun memories of the '60s, '70s and '80s. Everyone is encouraged to participate and add to these growing lists. Send in your list items to nostalgiamanilamail[at]yahoo[dot]com, and those chosen will be added to the next list. Please make sure to check past Nostalgia Lists to see if your list items have already been posted.

223. Pumunta kayo ng barkada mo sa Magnetic Hill sa Los Banos. Nilagay ninyo ang sasakyan ninyo sa "neutral" at unti-unti itong hinila pattas ng kalye. Sinubukan rin ninyo kung hihilahin pataas ang ibang mga bagay kaya sinubukan ninyo ang bote ng Coke solo. Hindi kayo makapaniwala sa nakita ninyo dahil pati tubig gumagapang pataas ng Magnetic Hill!

224. Hindi ka makatulog matapos mo panuurin ang unang "Shake, Rattle, And Roll".

225. Nabalitaan sa mga local tabloids noong 1985 na may isang barkong puno ng aswang na nakawala sa pier ng Maynila.

226. Noong 1979, balitang-balita sa radyo na may isang dalagang na-possess ng isang masamang ispirito sa Pasig. Matapos ang dalawang oras na pagdadasal ng mga pare at spiritista, ay bigla nalang nakunan ng buhay ang dalaga.

227. Hindi mahuli ang sikat na hoodlum na si Nardong Putik ng taga Cavite, dahil sa kanyang anting-anting. Kahit napaligiran na siya ng mga autoridad, ay nakakatakas pa rin siya at bigla nalang nawawala.

"Hoy! Where's my Nostalgia List #37?!"
Craving for more Nostalgia? Read: NOSTALGIA LIST #35

Read last year's Nostalgia List Halloween Special: NOSTALGIA LIST #9

Technorati Tags:70s, 80s, nostalgia

Nostalgia List #35

"Mama! Papa! Punta tayo sa Fiesta Carnival!"
Nostalgia Lists contain various fun memories of the '60s, '70s and '80s. Everyone is encouraged to participate and add to these growing lists. Send in your list items to nostalgiamanilamail[at]yahoo[dot]com, and those chosen will be added to the next list. Please make sure to check past Nostalgia Lists to see if your list items have already been posted.

218. Ginagaya mo sina Leon Guerero, Julio Valiente, at Geronimo.

219. Madalas magpa-picture ang mga bata doon sa malaking kalabaw sa Fiesta Carnival.

220. Batang kano ang kalaro ni Jaworski sa commercial ng Alaska milk.

221. Ang area sa San Juan where Santolan meets Ortigas was known as Little Jungle.

222. Isa sa pinakamasarap na Chicken Mami ay nabibili mo sa mga cafeteria ng UP Diliman.

"Kasi kasi kasi naman! Give me my Nostalgia List #36!"
Craving for more Nostalgia? Read: NOSTALGIA LIST #34

Technorati Tags:70s, 80s, nostalgia

Playing King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table

I was so thrilled to feature a lost gem in this week's Cartoon TV Rama. Surely you guys remember watching King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table on IBC 13?! It was actually called Prince Arthur then. Man, I loved that show! Whenever summertime came around and school was over, I would spend the entire day at the neighbor's house. The show would come on in the afternoon, and we'd all sit around the living room and watch the show while eating some Fruitella or Sugus candy snacks. When the show was over, it was time to play play King Arthur!

The show was so popular that there was so much Prince Arthur bootleg merchandise in circulation. I had a Prince Arthur t-shirt my mom got me from Unimart which was one of my favorite t-shirts at the time. The most popular merchandise that was sold wherever you went, was of course Prince Arthur swords! I remember you could buy these Prince Arthur bootleg toy swords from Divisoria. There were all kinds of swords you could buy. The most popular one was a plastic sword that had a gold grip or hilt, and a red plastic gemstone at the end of the pommel. The most expensive Prince Arthur sword set actually came with a shield and a helmet. The helmet had wings on the sides just like Arthur's in the tv show! God I wanted that so much... although I never got it for Christmas or my birthday. My mother always made sure that I wouldn't be playing with toys that advocated violence. Little did she know that my playmates and I were busy making our own little armory out of Legos!

We made our own swords out of Lego pieces. It was I that suggested making swords out of Legos to make our sword fights more interesting. My reasoning for this was that if your sword wasn't made well, it would break or shatter into small pieces, just like what Arthur's sword would do to his enemies' swords in the cartoon! Even as young children we were already conscious of inserting drama into the battle scenes we would reenact in detail. You had to be quick making your sword, because everyone fought for the flat Lego pieces. You had to use the flat pieces to make a strong sword. I always felt sorry for the guy who ended up with bricks. He would always have his sword shatter into tiny little pieces once his challenger swung his sword at him. We'd all burst into laughter (including the guy that just lost his sword) as it was quite a funny sight for five year olds.

I was the best sword maker out of the bunch. I always took the best flat pieces to fashion a strong but aesthetically cool looking sword. The strongest sword I'd make would obviously be called Excalibur. One of the cousins of my neighbor would always pretend to be the lady of the lake, and it was her duty to guard Excalibur. Whoever played Arthur that day would always have to find the lady of the lake. Just like the cartoon, it was a mini-quest to find her and the sword. She'd go hide, and we'd all try to find her, whether she was hiding inside the house, or she was somewhere out in the yard. They had a pretty big house that had what seemed like a million places to hide. The quest didn't easily end once we found her, as we would all dramatically reenact the scene when Arthur takes a boat to the middle of the lake to claim Excalibur. Avoiding the monster whirlpool that would easily swallow his tiny rowboat, he would try to steer his boat away from it and try to reach for the sword. We would all be watching from shore cheering on for Arthur to get to the sword. Shore was naturally on top of the sofa, as the entire living room floor was dark lake water.

We were all directors and actors at the same time, always perfecting scenes. Whenever my neighbor's younger brother would sneeze, or go for a pee break, the older brother would get so mad, just as a genius director would with some imbecile who just ruined a scene that was being filmed.

The maids would be furious with us kids as we'd always use blankets as our capes, and we'd run around the backyard getting them all dirty. I always pretended to be Lancelot. I always thought he was the coolest one for using his harp to launch his arrows. I would always be sitting on the windowsill that leads to the roof of my neighbor's house. That was our watchtower, the highest point of our fortress. And like Lancelot perched on the highest turret, it was my duty to let everyone know if Camelot was being invaded. Of course it was being invaded every ten minutes.

I'd yell out "Invaders from the East!", and the other knights outside geared for battle would start yelling and charging at the hordes of invisible foes that wanted to claim our castle. Mind you that his bloody battle was happening as one of the maids tried her best to concentrate on her cooking in the outdoor grilling shed, while listening to the day's hits on AM radio.

The knights would usually yell for my help whenever they were outnumbered, but usually I would coolly stroke the strings of my harp, playing a sweet tune, just as Lancelot did in the cartoon.

Technorati Tags:70s, cartoon, nostalgia

Remembering Ethic Faces

By: BigBadJamMan

They straddled the bounds of New Music and indigenous ethnicity. I'm making it sounds so complex, but the 80's band Ethnic Faces was ahead of its time. Way ahead that not everyone got the gist of their music. Okay no one, so there. But here and now, we celebrate the fusion of the old and the new with a blast from the past.

Ethnic Faces. An amalgam of talent that paved the way for other bands to follow. Born out of two pioneering Brave New World bands, The Zoo, later renamed Ocean Zoo, to avoid confusion with an Australian band of the same name, and The Lost Boys, Ethnic Faces was a band that fearlessly tread where other bands cowered and buckled. But before Ethnic Faces, there were then two.

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The Zoo. Guitarist Jolt. Edgrr 5, their keyboardist/bassist, drummer Zebra and singer frontman Jack B. Quick played barebones punkish keyboard-driven poppy un-chong New Wave. The first of their kind, in more ways than one. No other band looked like The Zoo. No other band had stage presence like The Zoo.. and no other band played like The Zoo.

They were also one of the first to have released an independently produced 7" EP entitled Animal Party. Resplendent in its hot pink sleeve and cartoon cover drawn by singer Jack's nephew Ari, Animal Party was a first. Yes, local punk band Chaos, later renamed Third World Chaos, also produced and released an equally independent single, The Zoo was different. The Zoo took Punk's raw energy, re-channelled it and spit it right back with a New Wave angst that fit right into the predominantly Punk Brave New World underground movement.


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The Lost Boys. Leader vocalist and bassist Rhany Torres, drummer Bojie Gabriel and their guitarist whose name eludes me at the moment were also ahead of their time. Way ahead. The Lost Boys were a Ska band. Think Ska with a Punk attitude minus the trademark horn section, add on the angst and you have The Lost Boys. Their single Krrz Kraze was popular to those who religiously listened to Howlin' Dave over RJAM back then.

Then sometime in 1984, these two bands decided to join forces and become one. Ethnic Faces. Rhany Torres on bass. Bojie Gabriel on drums. Edgar Ramos on keyboards. Boyet Miguel on guitar and Jack Sikat on vocals. A band to be reckoned with. Borne out of the ashes of The Zoo and The Lost Boys, Ethnic Faces brought a new face and a new facet to the burgeoning 80's Underground music scene.

Initially formed as an entry to the Pepsi Punk Band Contest, a battle of the bands tilt powered by the softdrink sponsor, and televised over PTV 4's then-noontime variety show Ito Yun, Ang Galing!, Ethnic Faces, a New Wave band, braved the Punk Band competition and ran away with the trophy. Though some contestant bands, as well as the contest itself had its share of lopsided moments, it was a shining moment for Ethnic Faces. Their winning piece, Within Tribes, with its conglomeration of New Wavish rock and ethnic overtones, put them on the musical map, as far as the Underground was concerned. Post-Punk Band contest syndrome was yet to set in.

Though its tumultous history and rumored infighting seemed to overshadow its very existence, Ethnic Faces weathered the times, through numerous line-up changes and stylistic variations. They managed to release a now-rare, out-of-print single of Within Tribes b/w Back Home Shangri-La. They also saw two of their now-classic cuts from the local late 80's New Wave compilation Ten Of Another Kind, Balikbayan and Golden Boy, even managing a major label album Dekada under the now-defunct Octoarts Intl. label in 1995. And though some of its members have gone onto different paths, playing differing genres, Ethnic Faces remain, as I once wrote in the liner notes to their 90's album release Dekada, "..alternative, long before the term Alternative was coined."

Technorati Tags:80s, music, new wave, nostalgia