Crossing Cabanatuan

The route from Tarlac to Cabanatuan is a dangerous one, we're told, since NPAs abound in the area. But being young and thirsty for adventure, my friend and I turned a deaf ear, prayed hard, and followed our restless feet. By the time we made our stop in Cabanatuan, we looked at each other and burst out laughing. Without saying a word, and in perfect agreement, we went on to proceed to, where else, but another Jollibee -- a comfort zone.

If Tarlac looks like Roxas City in Panay, then Cabanatuan City-- the capital of Nueva Ecija-- can be likened to Iloilo. It's more spacious, the roads are bigger, and here, the jeepneys compete with the tricycles in number.

Because I was intimidated by the area on my first day, I hesitated to strike out on my own. I figured it would be better to tag along my friend as she worked and made her rounds to get a better view and feel of the place. So for a day, I crossed over Cabanatuan following the footseps of a med rep taking on the various hospital/clinic-routes. I was hardly dressed for it-- you know, the snappy outfit, big bags, and file folder on hand, but I managed to breeze through with a smile and kind talk. The med rep pack reminds me a lot of my internship days in the media. The camaraderie among reps even though they're from different companies, the wait outside the doctor's office, the "coverage", the chikka with the doctors-- all these are reminiscent of news sources and the reporters doing coverage on their different beats.

From Cabanatuan City, we went to travel as far to the northern outskirts -- Talavera, Muñoz, and San Jose. And to the south, there's Sta Rosa. The distance from one stop to the other is just like that from Cebu City to Liloan, or possibly Danao. But then people here seems to think nothing of 1-to-2-hour drives.We traveled via their jeepney equivalent-- which they call Ford or XLT. Two main differences are, the Ford's got a door at the entrance and has glass windows. Laysyo

When you're in a strange town, you discover that drivers are your best friend. What we usually do is that we look for a jeep with an empty front seat to be near enough to charm and pump the driver for details-- routes, nice spots, tips, where to go and not to go, a bit of history of the place, some culture and traditions, what to do and not to do in the place, and a bit of this and that. I know, I know, it's quite a lot, but save for jumping pedestrians on the streets, it seems to be the best place to know what you need to know. So you ask, and ask, and be friendly to the max. Some drivers may not answer you in kind. Some may even make fools out of tourists. But usually, most of them are helpful and would welcome the diversion. And I found out, that Cebuano drivers are even more protective when they know you're also from Cebu or a kababayan.

In Mayapyap Sur, Cabanatuan, I have an aunt who just got back from the states and settled here with her husband. Because she was there for such a long time, I've only seen here once or twice, and her husband never. So basically, I don't really know her that much though I remember her to be warm and kind. And when it's family, my mother tells me that you always have a duty to visit whenever you're in the area, so contact her I did.

Call it crazy but instead of asking to be fetched, I asked my friend if she was game to search for the house on our own even though we're complete strangers to the area. She was. And so we did -- armed with only the barangay name, house no., my aunt's family name. We found it without trouble-- with only the drivers as our guide.

Wow, the house was big and yet only my aunt and uncle lived there. The guest rooms were certainly better than any hotel room in the area or I've been in for that matter. And the food-- yum! We've been staying in my friend's dorm for two nights now but tomorrow, we stay in their home overnight before I say goodbye to Cabanatuan.

One thing weird here in Luzon is the common misconception about Cebuanos. My friend and I used to be taken aback whenever some locals asked us, "Segurado ba kayong you're from Cebu?" We answer, "Of course naman, ba't hindi?" They answer "Eh, ba't wala kayong punto (accent)?" or "Hinihintay ko yong punto nyo pero wala yata." And they really are amazed. Here once again is the power of TV on display. Because the Bisaya people they know from TV are the maids with accents, people automatically assume that we all speak the same. And so we educate them that that isn't always true. But two things people don't argue here are that Cebuanas are "maganda" and that Cebuanos speak good English. Hehe. That we totally agree on 100% (wink)

The people of Cabanatuan speak mostly Tagalog, though it's mixed with Kapampangan and Ilocano. Instead of "Para, mama" , here they mostly say "Tabi lang po". They are basically a polite people. The speak slowly and they call each other Ate, Kuya, Tito, Tita even though they hardly know each other. I was even warned by my friend that if you take out the "'po" in your statements, some would hear it as an insult. So "po" nalang ako nang "po" whenever I talk. I've lost count of the many "po's" I've uttered already since I got here.

On my second day, I felt confident enough to wander around on my own while my friend worked. After my Aunt and Uncle treated us to lunch at Max's -- the most convenient classy restaurant in the city -- I explored N.E. Pacific (?) Mall, the biggest so far I've come to since I got here. I'm happy to see that it looks a bit like Ayala Center Cebu -- though it's smaller with only two floors. And then I discovered National Bookstore and became delirious with joy. The only other mall here is Metrocenter. Haven't been there yet.

Before leaving, my aunt and uncle asked how I'm gonna get back to my friend's dorm on my own. I told them I'll be riding the jeep or tricycle. My uncle chuckled and joked, "Aba, parang taga-Cabanatuan ka na, ha. Alam mo na yata." Nah, it's just that I've learned not be afraid to ask questions and that I believe in the power of celfones. hehe. They were hesitant to leave but I assured them I'd be fine.

I don't know, but ever since I took this trip, I've been a friend to risks. I'm not done with this place yet. I mean to explore more and absorb as much as I can.

And then, on Saturday, we go to Baguio.