Vicente Alcover

Epifanio Alfafara,
Title: Ang dose pares sa Pransiya

Author: EpifanioAlfafara

Publisher:

Sugbu : Bag-ong Kusog, 1930.

Summary: The third Carcar Lecture held last April 13, 2013 featured “Gaba in Epifanio
Alfafara’s Short Story” presented by Fely Letras, and “No Apologies: Si Sinforosa
Alcordo ug ang Mahait Niyang Dagang” presented by Sonrisa Samson. Gaba is our
concept of God’s punishment or the Filipino counterpart of karma, while dagang is
Cebuano for the writing pen, hence mahait nga dagang means sharp pen.
Epifanio Alfafara (1882-1933) was a politician (Bise-Presidente and Presidente of
Carcar in the early 1930s), juez auxiliary of Sibonga, and an orator. His political
campaign was always on good morals. He translated from Spanish to Cebuano the
works Doce Pares de Francia, El Conde de Monte Cristo, Flor de Luna, and La Pasion
del Redentor. His original Short Story, “Si Naldo, ang Buang” was the focus of the
presentation. Naldo was the son of a well-to-do family who lived an abundant life and
never developed a sense of responsibility. He spent a lot of money on his vices and
fooled around with different women. When his parents died of cholera, he continued his
extravagant life until nothing was left. He became very poor and all his friends and
neighbors humiliated him which made him leave his hometown to start a new life.
Remorseful, he lived a life of a “crazy” man believing that all his misfortunes were his
punishment from God or his “gaba.” He blamed the women for his misfortunes. The
topic of gaba generated a very animated discussion. A question was raised regarding
gaba as very negative. How can we make gaba work positively? Someone replied that
gaba works positively when it serves as a deterrent to a prospective wrong doing –
“Sus, ug dili pa lang ko mahadlok og gaba, ako na unta tong gikulata tong tiguwanga.”
(If I weren’t afraid of gaba, I would have beaten that old man.)
The second lecture “No Apologies: Si Sinforosa ug ang Iyang Mahait nga Dagang”
featured Sinforosa Alcordo (1905-1996) who was recognized as one of the first to
venture into journalism, then “a new field for women” in the pre-war years. On Aug. 31,
1969, the Lubas sa Dagang Bisaya or Ludabi recognized her significant contribution to
the development of the Cebuano language. She married at a young age her former
elementary teacher, and had 13 children. She used the pen name Sola when she wrote
extantly for The Freeman which together with Bag-ong Kusog and Ang Suga were the
dominant periodicals in the pre-war period. Based on her published works, Sinforosa’s
strength was her role as a social commentator rather than as an expressive writer, no-
nonsense attitude especially when it came to her ideas on ethical issues and human
relationships. She emphasized certain matters such as relations between men and
women, proper conduct and behavior, etc. She seemed wary regarding the issue of
women’s suffrage and its possible adverse effects on the home and family. In her
columns, she wrote about the tragic consequences of rumor-mongering, strongly
condemned the double standard which excuses a man’s actions but punishes the
women in similar circumstances. She questioned the force of social convention that
legitimizes which is highly oppressive and unfair to women: “Kung lalaki gani ang
matumba sa natad sa kahilayan, bangonon ug tahoron gihapon sa katilingban. Apan
kung babaye ang mapukan, ‘oros na lang,’ wala’y usang molingi.” In her column,
“Unsay Makapalagot Nimo,” she expressed her disgust for men who “sow their wild
oats,” then refuse to acknowledge paternity of their offsprings. She also hit the next-
door neighbor with the “keeping up with the Joneses” attitude, or crab mentality.
She was ballistic against certain women who were hypocritical.
In another column “Malingaw Kag Dili,” she gave an unsolicited advice on the notion of
an “ideal” mate.She had a preference for men with a golden heart, not necessarily
good-looking, very understanding – “Kung kaloy-an mo ako, panggaon ko gayud ikaw
ug maayo. Tudloan ko ikaw unya sa pagpanursi, paglung-ag, pag-utan, pagpamunak ug
pagkutaw sa tubig sa litse nga ipainom mo unya sa atong ‘Baby,’ samtang ako tua sa
sine.”
In the didactic pieces and works expressing her opinions on social norms and
relationships, she struck her readers as a forceful, unapologetic social commentator
made more memorable with her sharp insight, her excellent command and creative use
of Cebuano and her rootedness in her native Zaragosa (boundary between Carcar and
Aloguinsan).
Congratulations to the presenters Lety Letras and Sonrisa Samson and to the Cebuano
Studies Center headed by Dr. Hope S. Yu and the Literature Department of the
University of San Carlos for a commendable project. The fourth lecture will feature
Brigido Alfar and Galileo Varga and this will be held on the last Saturday of May.

Maria “MandingKarya” Alcordo-Cabigon

(14-Jan-1878 )
Daughter of Alfonso Alcorisa Alcordo and Filomena Gonzales Molina from Barotac
Viejo, Iloilo.

Author;

Prodigious writer; her works first found publication in 1902 when it was an all-male world
(using various masculine pen names); wrote drama, novels, poems and essays; except
for mega-hit advice column in Bisaya, chose to be a freelance writer; her weekly Panid
ni Manding Karya received an average 20 letters a day seeking advice (a thousand
internet hits today?) which she tried to answer personally (and mailed to the person)
those that could no longer be accommodated in her column.

Married to Filomeno Tapia Cabigon of San Fernando with 4 children two of whom died
in infancy. I was delighted to read in the Marriage records of 1897 that one of the
witnesses to their wedding was Gliceria Tapia, my maternal great-grandmother.

Vicente Alcoseba,

AngKamatayonni Leon Kilat

Talagsaong binuhatang nakita ni Joven sa pag buka sa iyang mga mata. Daw birhen,
daw anghel ang hitsurasa babaenga nag-atiman sa iyang mga samad sa abaga ug
bukton. Taas ug taliwtiw ang iyang ilong, nipis ang iyang ngabil, taasang buhok ug
putiang pamanit.

NiighamsiJovenugniingon, “Pasayloako, senyorita,

apanmangutanalanguntakokonanaanabakosalangit?”

Mipahiyomangbabayeugmitubag, “Aniakasabalayni Don Florencio Noel,

AlkaldesaKabkad. Akosi Beatriz,
bugtongniyanganak.NakaplagankaugsiHeneralPantaleon Villegas
niadtongmiagingadlawsasapaluyosa among lagwerta.
Kamongduhawalaymgapanimuotbusadalimonamonggiamuma.”

MitubagsiJoven, “Kumosta man siHeneral, senyorita?Ugunsa man diay ta

karongadlawa?” Matodni Beatriz, “Huwebes Santo, Abril 7, 1898. Si
Heneralmaayora.Daghanogbuslotagisabalasaripleangiyanguniporme,
apanwalagayuytatsa o samadangiyangkalawasan. Kahibulongankaayo!”

MihinayhinaypagbaliksapanumdomanniJovenangpanghitabosamiagingmgaadlaw;
angilangpagsulongsaCota San Pedro
ngamaoysimbolosakagamhanangEspanyasatibuokSugbo.
Klarokaayosaiyangpangisipangduguongkumbati,
angmakalilisangpinusilayugmanomanongatinigbasay;
anghilaksamgasamaranughimatyon;
uglabingatatawkaayosaalimpatakanniJovenangkaisogniHeneral Villegas
nganiunapagdasdassamgaKatsila; angiyang way kahadlokngapag-
asdanghangtodngasiyanatumba. NagtuosiJovenngawalanaangheneral –
nadisgrasyana.
UnyasasunodsiplatniyanibangonangheneralugdalinganiawhagnilangtanangmgaKatipun
erosapagsinggit, “MabuhiangKatipunan!”

Maoragkilatangpanglihoksaheneralnganakig-away samgaKatsila.
Tukmagayudangiyanganggànga “Leon Kilat.”

Saduhakaadlawnilangpakig-engkwentrosamgamalupigon,
tulokahigayonnganakitasamgamataniJovenangpagkaigougpagkatumbasaheneral.
Katingad-ankaayonganibangonrakiniugmopadayonpakig-away.
MimandolangkinisiyaogatrasdihangdaghankaayongmgaKatsilangsundaloangnangabotgi
kansa Iloilo aronpagrelibosaCota San Pedro. Apansapag-atrasnila,
nihukomanglidersamgaKatsilangapuohongayudangmgarebelde,
busagigukodsilangadtosa San Nicolas unyadidtonasilanagkatibulaag.
AngubangmgaKatipuneronanungassabukidsa Guadalupe;
angubansaSudlonugTabunan. SilasiJovenugHeneral Villegas nipadulongsaKabkad.
GisundangihaponsilaugwalayhunongsilanggiatakesamgapuwersasaEspanya.

“Ugasana man siHeneral, senyorita?”PangutananiJoven.“Atuasiyasabalayni Don Julito

Sato nagpahulay. Angakongnahibaw-an
duólnadinhisaKabkadangmgasundalongKatsilanganangitakaninyougdaghansilanganag
dalaogmgakanyon. MakuyawangkahimtangkanatongtananngaaniasaKabkad.”

“Konmao kana, maayotingalingamoikyas kami ugmopaulinasaBacong, Negros.”

Padayonngagihaplasanni Beatriz angmgagarassakalawasanniJoven.

Iyanggisukitsukitbahinsailangmgakaagisapakigbisog. Si Jovennganadanisakaanyagni
Beatriz
walayduhaduhanganiasoysamgapanghitabongaangnagsulsulmaoangilangdamgo:
kagawasansatanangmga Pilipino. Sataudtaodnilangkulukabildo, nahibaw-an ni Beatriz
angsekretomahitungodsakatingalahangabilidadniHeneral Leon Kilat –
angiyangpagkakublanadunaykalabutansapanyong pula
ngakanunayniyanggihabaksaiyangliog.

NianangpagkagabiisabalayniKapitanTiyoyBarcenilla,
nagtigomangtanangmgahaligisalungsodubossapag-awhagni Padre Tationg Blanco.
KadaghanannilamestisoKatsilaugbisansila may dugong Pilipino ug gusto
usabnilangamobuwagsaEspanya, anginahangnasod, apandilisila gusto ogkagubot.
Dilinila gusto
ngaangKabkadbombahansamgaKatsilangamoresultasadakongkadaotugmokalassadagh
angmgakinabuhi. Gawas pa, silaangmgaillustradosalungsod; silaangnanag-
iyasatanangkatubhanugkahumayan, kalubihanugkamaisan; silaangnagpatumansa
‘obraspias’ aronmatukodangmgadagkongedipisyodinhi. Busa,
nagkahiusasilangtananngapatyonsi Leon
KilataronipakitasamgaKatsilangaangKabkadwalamoalsabatoksaEspanya.
Ilangisakripisyoangkinabuhini Leon Kilataronmasalbaranglungsod.
Nakahibalosilangalisodsiyangpatyonapannitahosi Don Florencio Noel ngaang anting-
anting ni Leon Kilatmaoangiyangpanyonga pula sumalasagibutyagni Beatriz kaniya.

Pagkasunodadlaw, Biyernes Santo,

ilanggipakaonuggipainomogmakahubogngailimnonsi Leon Kilat. Pagkahubogniini,
dalinilanggilabniangiyangpanyong pula, gidumog,
uggitabanganpagdunggabhangtodngakininamatay. Gidalanilaangdugu-on
ugpataynglawasniHeneral Leon
KilatsaplasaaronipakitasanagsingabotngamgaEspanyolngaangKabkadmidapigsaEspan
ya.

Dali nganiikyassiJovenpagkahibalosagidangatansaheneral. Ugsaiyangtumangkalagot,

siyamibahad: “MgaKabkadanon,
akongisaadsalubnganansaakongmgaginikananngaakomobalikugmanimalossainyongpa
gbudhiugpagluibkangHeneral Leon Kilat! MgatampalasangHudaskamongtanan!
Mahibaw-an rasatibuokkalibutananginyongmakauuwawngabinuhatan. Oo,
mobalikkodinhiugpapasonnakosamapàkininginyong law-ay ngalungsod!”

SapaglabaysamgakatuiganangKabkadnahimongCarcar.

Celestino Tagimacruz Alfafara

(22-May-1899 – 12-Dec-1990)

Son of Maximo Poncardas Alfafara and Ana Rama Tagimacruz.

Pioneer Filipino rights crusader in the United States; Bachelor of Laws (National University,
1925); 1929 left for San Francisco, U.S.A.; 1931 established The Pen, a monthly magazine in
Stockton, CA; won landmark 1945 case (California State Supreme Court: Alfafara v. Fross) for
Filipinos to own property in California, if not as citizen but also not an alien, rather as a U.S.
national because the Philippines was a territory of the U.S. and thus its people owed allegiance to
the U.S.; 1931 also joined Caballeros de Dimas-Alang, and became its Grand Master from 1943-
1958 (4 terms).

Married to Juanita Cayton with 2 children.

(from a writeup by his granddaughter Lisa Suguitan Melnick, 17-Oct-2013)

-Marcel M. Navarra (1914-1984)

- is known as “The Father of Modern Cebuano Literature.” He was born in Tuyom,
Carcar. He spent most of his life writing almost 80 short stories which were published in
Cebuano magazines; namely, Bisaya, Alimyon and Bulak.

His first story, Tungod sa Kayagang, was published in Nasud in 1931. His best-known
story is Ug Gianod Ako, a Bisaya prizewinner.

Marcel Navarra also became editor of two of the most popular Cebuano magazine –
Bisaya and Bag-ong Suga.

Marcel Navarra stopped writing after he wrote his last work entitled Si Zosimo in 1955.

-Brigido B. Alfar was a teacher, writer (Bag-ong Kusog), editor of Southern Quarterly
Review, Mindanaw-Bisaya Magazine, and translator. Paper presenter Haidee K.
Palapar featured Brigido Alfar as Romantic through and through and she took a cursory
look at the poetry of Bribal (the pen name of Alfar). From the sample poems of Alfar, I
find interesting “Dagat sa Siquijor”

-Pedro Dayagro Calomarde

(23-Feb-1905 – 23-Jul-1986)

“There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and to shame the devil –
remain detached from the great” –Walter Lippmann

Son of Petronilo Laoronilla Calomarde and Eugenia Dayuta Dayagro;

Newspaper publisher and editor (Morning Times); street in Cebu City named after him.

Manuel was born on June 17, 1900, son of couple Fernando Salomon Manalili Yap
(from China) and Rufina Bondaco Porcia (of Mabolo. He was born in Carcar, Cebu.
Manuel is said to be the first Carcaranon bishop.

Ordained as a priest on Sept. 29, 1929, he later served as parish priest of Mandaue. He
was later appointed Bishop of Capiz on Feb. 13, 1951 and ordained Bishop of Capiz on
May 1, 1951. Capiz was made a separate ecclesiastical jurisdiction from Jaro on Feb.
15, 1951 making Monsignor Manuel the first bishop of Capiz. Transferred as Bishop of
Bacolod on Mar. 5, 1952.

Transferred as Bishop of Bacolod on Mar. 5, 1952 and died serving the diocese on Oct.
16, 1966.
Bishop Yap initiated the strengthening of the Chinese Community into the Catholic
Church. When he was appointed bishop of Bacolod he requested that priests of
Chinese descent be assigned to his diocese. In 1954, fathers Joseph Wang and Peter
Tsang were assigned as assistants of Monsignor Antonio Y. Fortich (also of Chinese
descent) the parish priest of Bacolod City. A year later, two others came to assist the
growing need of taking care of the Chinese in Negros, they were fathers John Liu and
James Liu.

On May 9, 1957 the Chinese Catholic Center was inaugurated by Bishop Manuel Yap
and Governor Alfredo Montelibano Jr. The lot that housed the two-story building was
donated by Don Alfredo Montelibano Sr. It was a half hectare lot near the then Capitol
Shopping Center. Years later, the Chinese Community and the Sacred Congregation for
the Propagation of Faith built the Queen of Peace Parish Church.

Bishop Yap was the first to translate the Bible to Cebuano. Other Carcaranons who
became bishops were: Monsignor Teofilo Bastida Camomot, Sincero Barcenilla Lucero
and Jose Ricare Manguiran.

Vicente Alcover

was a well-known dramatist. He was born in Carcar in 1907. After his elementary
schooling in Minglanilla, he went on to earn a BSE degree from Southwestern University
in Cebu. He taught in the public schools for two years, at the Southwestcoast College in
Badian and at the Barili Academy. In 1951, he was principal-director of St. Peter’s
Academy in Alegria. He later became teacher-principal at St. Thomas Academy in
Siargao, Surigao and a councilor of Carcar in 1938.