UPLB’s Aggie, HomeTech Extension Majors Visit Foster Families in Coralan After 34 Years

12 June 2010. These ten Extension majors from the colleges of Agriculture and Human Ecology (Home Technology in the 70's) with their favorite professor Dr. P. Depositario, have their unique way of celebrating Independence Day 2010. They decided to go out from their normal routine, boarded a utility van equipped with native lunch prepared by themselves, and with no formal agenda at all, went away to Coralan, Sta. Maria, Laguna, trying to renew bonds with their poster families.

Led by classmate Saturnino Manalo aka Thurnie, the group tried to locate the houses of their respective foster family, and once found, did nothing but reminisce those 2.5 months stint in this once-upon-a-time remote and quite secluded village and haven of our NPA brothers in the 70’s. Yet, today, the entire Coralan is already accessible quite easily as road network is paved and electricity installed, as amenities of modernization period.

Yes, there is a highly visible progress in Coralan – most houses are concrete out of that proverbial “katas ng Dubai”, institutions are present like complete elementary school, a few small chapels, and ahhaa, a postharvest facility (mechanical flat-bed dryer) for farmers cooperative in the area. (Naturally, I take pleasure seeing one in the area as it is the flagship program of my past agency, the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension, now PHilMech).

As this recollection happens 34 years after, one can imagine how everyone is and looks now. In my foster family alone, our youngest “kinakapatid” twin was newly born when we arrived there in 1976, it’s no surprise to see them bigger and taller than me now.

The visit made us nostalgic but fulfilled. Many things have really changed in Coralan, but the warm and unique hospitality of the people remains. Many foster parents were already gone, and we were able to see only their children. Foster mom of one classmate, Pura San Valetin, is now a “kuba” (henchback) in her mid-80’s, but upon hearing the name of Pura, and upon seeing her face, something rings the bell . . . to everybody’s surprise, she turned straight bending up to 90 degrees (!!!), so Elah Lanceta-Caramihan exaggeratedly puts it.

Of the 42 members of our class, an only heart of our one lady classmate named Adela Valinado, was won by a man from Sta. Maria, who according to her was a former colleague at the Agriculture Office of Laguna, now a municipal councilor of the town. We dropped by her house before going back to UPLB. Typical of Filipino culture, she told us to come back anytime particularly on August 2, their town fiesta.

Finally as we travel back from that place where, as our former professor kept on telling us “if you can survive in Coralan, you can survive anywhere in the country”, our group unanimously concluded that fine memories don’t die, they may just fade away. And why on earth we did this visit only now after 34 years? Why not then when we were a lot younger when we have more stamina to make the bonding moments more significant? Is it an admission that we ourselves are also in the twilight zone already trying to maximize the good roads we once trod, and that we ourselves shall pass way sooner than later? (JSF Blogs)