Caroling

I was never allowed by my parents to roam around the streets of Binangonan morning, noon and night so unlike the little children of the new generation now, I did not have many happy memories of caroling in the neighborhood. Except twice when I was already in high school and 25 years later, when my friends and I tried raising some funds for our get-together. Of course it wasn’t worth my gasoline (coming from 26 km away), my time (an hour traffic), and I couldn’t express my feelings when that house gave us P20 kasi daw wala siyang barya. I was the one standing right there at their gate when she handed-over the P20. I wanted to ask her, ano ba ang definition mo ng barya? Didn’t you notice, ang tatanda na namin, bibigyan mo kami ng P20? Sana P50 man lang (hehehe). Walang barya ba kamo? Meron kaming panukli. I actually joined them not for the prospect of raising some money. I went to show my support, na marunong akong makisama. After the caroling, pinakain ko pa sila ng lugaw.

My recollection of caroling in Binangonan is my father holding a used can of del monte pineapple juice, puno ng barya, where he would get the coins whenever there were carolers.

Kids were smart. Not all houses gave money. More than half shooed them away. Our house had been identified as “Dyan, nagbibigay yan”. So every night, they come one after the other, madalas sabay sabay pa silang kumakanta. Some are smarter than the others, one would sing first, then two, then another one, but same group, they just rotate.
Sometimes I would hear my father “ay, ikaw rin yung kanina”.

There were a few times when my parents were probably having some financial problems and my father was not in the mood to give away money to carolers. It broke my heart every time I heard the kids say “Tao-po- tao poooo, ay walang tao”. One time I went out and gave the kids some coins and my father told me “kaya namimihasa yang mga yan binibigyan mo”. He probably had a terrible day. Maybe we had financial problems that we his children weren’t aware of”.

Edmund and I chose to live in a gated village here in Manila and because of security reasons, no carolers are allowed to just hop from one house to another. A permit must be secured beforehand and organized institutions or groups send out letters ahead of time. They would even call to follow-up, but we normally do not want that kind of thing. It’s too much responsibility for us.

I miss the voices of little children singing “Ang pasko ay sumapit”, I miss “thank thank you ang babait ninyo”. I miss the sound of cans filled with coins used as their background musical instrument. I miss the probinsya ambience. They always say, ” you can take away the girl from the province, but not the province away from the girl”. High society women or yung pa-high society kunwari say that with disdain. What they really mean is even if umasenso ka, ang kilos mo pang probinsya pa rin. But I interpret that as referring to someone who is deeply rooted to where she came from. Someone who is always grounded and do not act or pretend to be someone else other than what truly is deep in her heart. Someone who can adjust to her surroundings and environment and the people around her. Someone who appreciates the memories of her childhood, someone who accepts where God placed her in the beginning. Someone who values traditions.

I went out of my way to visit Binangonan last night. It had to be at night so I could catch some children singing Jingle Bells.
I brought a lot of coins I scooped from my alkansya. I also brought some gifts for my relatives.

I am not familiar with this song P5 each

Sampaguita vendor P20

Sa may bahay ang aming bati… P5 each caroler and P5 each for the bystanders

I want to make sure they get more than the standard talent fees. I asked a guy how much they give to carolers, sabi nya malaki na raw piso. The kids said It’s first time they got P5 each. Wow, I am so galante hahaha.

The smallest girl could be the future Jessica Sanchez

He’s my favorite. I gave him P10.

A trip to Binangonan normally takes an hour although it’s actually not very far. But last night, it took me a good two hours but it was well worth my time, and my gas.