A Glimpse of ELYU’s Fondest Summer Memories
By: Cherry Garcia Dacpano, La Union COMMunity Press Corps | Photos By: PIO | Date: April 25, 2025
Back in the good old days, in a small barrio in La Union, school children eagerly anticipated the coming of the summer season. The swishing and scratching sound of Nanang’s broomstick at 6 AM, the chuckling of the hens pecking grains, and the sunbeams peeping in the Capiz shell windows were the wake-up signals that another beautiful, sunny day adventure was yet to unfold. Nanang could have already prepared the kinirog (fried rice), boiled egg, tuyo, and coffee. Sometimes, it was just plain coffee with rice for breakfast and the same for merienda in the afternoon.
As a kid, summer was my favorite season of the year. It was the happiest two months of school break – waking up late, playing, and chit-chatting with friends. Right after breakfast, I would go to the backyard to gather caimitos. Besides the stiff neck I got from looking up while twisting the fruit stem and the whitish sap I got around my mouth after eating, caimito is my favorite summer fruit. Aside from that, mangoes are also a hit during summer. My mouth waters as I remember my siblings’ favorite sawsawan made with soy sauce, sugar, paminta, and chili, as we could not afford sweetened alamang back then. We would climb up the rooftop and pick, peel, and eat mangoes there. When the mangoes are nakunig (yellow and near-ripe), they’re the best.
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In the hot, sunny afternoon, we often go to Tatang’s farm in Pagbiitan to gather sarguelas and damortis or climb up the mountain to get duhat and bayabas. I couldn’t help but laugh now at our childish act of guarding the trees for an hour from other children. At times, we would also go near the school to watch Lolo Dolpo’s carabao spinning around the dapilan, squeezing the juice of the sugarcane to be made into sinam-it. We would go under the shade of the tamarind tree, and the boys would climb up and shake the tree as we gathered the kalangakang (ripe tamarind). Nanang would often peel and sprinkle them with salt, put them in a garapon to preserve and be used for sinigang.
Sometimes, we also go to the river to dip our feet in its cold waters and gather gusipeng or piwis. There were also days when we went up the mountain at Lolo Pido’s kallapaw and enjoyed the breathtaking view of Damusil and Linapew, surrounded by the gigantic mountains of Benguet. When we get home after a tiring day of adventure, we would immediately rush to drink cold water from the burnay or drink immediately from the bubon. When we luckily spot “ubbog” along the way, we drink there.
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Children often help on the farm to earn money during the summer. We would go to Papa’s farm and dig kamote or gather mais to sell to the market vendors. We could also help our Aunts and Uncles uproot and gather peanuts under the scorching heat of the sun in their field across the river, and bring with us our part of the harvest. I had also tried going with Grandma in picking and stitching tabako leaves (Panaggatod and panagtudok) so I can have free merienda. But, the most profitable summer activity I did was putting up soil in black plastic pots to be planted with mahogany seeds. My Uncle, who works for DENR, would give us one peso for 10 plastic pots. I often receive fifteen pesos to buy Ice candy, Pop Cola, and tsitsirya. The most challenging part of going home after a day’s work on the farm was running as fast as I could because there were times when we were chased by cows and carabaos. I remember I once saved my lame cousin from a close carabao attack. That seems simple, but extremely dangerous.
When the clock strikes 4 o’clock, it’s time to go to the neighborhood and call for playmates. We play shatong, patintero, luksong baka, sigking, ginnuyod tali, Chinese Garter, sipa, holen, teks, and agaw-base. In those simple street games, we established friendship and sportsmanship. We went home either winners or losers. The fun and laughter have remained with me until now, 30 years later. I never regretted being super active in playing games back then because they were the happiest childhood memories I had. When the sun sets, we head home with tired feet but happy hearts.
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Amid the busy and fun-filled summer activities, I vividly remember that we had to pause and be quiet for a week. My Aunts working in Manila would go home to La Union for Holy Week with a can of Rebisco biscuits for pasalubong. We’d gather young coconut leaves and twist and twirl them for Palm Sunday. The adults would tell us not to shout and behave on days like Holy Thursday and Good Friday. We should also avoid climbing trees, playing, or getting wounded. According to them, wounds acquired during the Biernes Santo would take a long time to heal.
We would go to mass and join the Stations of the Cross and processions. Nanang would make grated coconut and cook it on the noon of Good Friday, which will be blessed during the mass on the evening of Black Saturday. We never went to the beach during those days. On the dawn of Easter Sunday, I’d wake up early to join the Church‘s angels in singing hymns for the Sabet and go for Easter egg hunting around the church. After the mass, that was the only time we’d go under the trees by the river to have our picnics. Uncles would do the “panagburak ti rama” or bird hunting using a palsiit. Then we’ll enjoy a pot of sinigang na kinammelan for lunch. We’ll spend the day in a hammock, enjoying the summer breeze and listening to radio songs and dramas.
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These memorable summer activities in La Union greatly shaped my personality and perspective on life. I learned to be contented and appreciative of the things I have, to work hard for the things I want, and to enjoy every moment before it turns into memories. Time ticks so fast that in a moment, it’ll be monsoon season once again. Take time to soak up and enjoy the sunshine of life.
