ALORAN, a perspective THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

The family has, since 'peacetime-1945', lived in the western section of the Poblacion, Baranggay Ibabao, young ones nicknamed Uptown. Poblacion is divided into three, the other two are Baranggay Ospital, where the town market is hence, Mercado, nicknamed Downtown, and Baranggay Dalisay, formerly Da-o, a large da-o tree stood proudly by the riverside for ages, nicknamed Riverside. A typical small town, neighbours are extended families with the exception of a few. Next door to us was my paternal grandfather's sister and grandchildren whom she raised after they were orphaned at very young age and two houses away, across the street was my maternal grandmother living with my unmarried uncle and unmarried aunt. Uncles, aunties, cousins, relatives were literally a stone-throw away from us. A block behind us are the Roman Catholic Church and St Matthew's High School and on the block next is Aloran Central Elementary School or to us, just Central. Two blocks down the road are the IFI Church, Iglesia Filipina Independiente or Aglipay/Aglipayan. When you turn into the next corner is the UCCP Church, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, a protestant denomination children wrongly called then 'Portes'. Across the street from IFI is the Town Plaza and the Municipal Hall and right next to it is the Church in Aloran, Kristohanon. Another church within walking-distance is the Iglesia sa Espiritu Santo, Binanwagan. Some landmarks, like the Spanish Building, ABC Hall, the Stage and that circular platform, some two meters in diameter, five feet high and made in its entirety of Pagang, coral stone, that to this day, remains a mystery to the townfolks, are all gone. On their spots now stand the Marcos Farmers Centre, some offices of the LGU and the Municipal Legislative Building or Balay-Balauranan. And on that mysterious platform, a speck in the memory of many Aloranons of my generation. Having lived half of my life overseas, mainly US, I have adapted the lifestyle of those countries, at least to a certain degree. Food is abundant, cheap, and material consumerism is the thing. One thing though, that I used to enjoy back home that I seldom witness in the US is good...