Attorney Clodualdo Buscato Luzano 1934-2007, former Vice Mayor of Santander, Cebu

We made it home to Santander, Cebu with Papa Clo riding Philippine Airlines via stretcher and ambulance transport the entire way there. He arrived and was extactic to gulp down some tinola sabaw (fish soup) as he requested a week prior. The journey was challenging but he made it with no complaints back to his home office which is now a converted bedroom. He realized he was home, was happy to be with his children and grandchildren again, and received visitors who were eager to welcome him back to Santander. After 3 days, he passed away peacefully in his sleep at 6:30am on May 26th, 2007.

Death is never an easy topic for anyone, and we all dealt with his departure in our own special ways. It was an honor in my life; to help grant the last dying wish of my uncle, who has touched and moved many people during his lifetime. And his funeral by the town of Santander was a large and beautiful service, with many coming forward to account how he had spent his life having helped those less fortunate than himself. He was a big part of Santander and to return him home was definately the right thing to do. We will miss him, but never forget him.

Pictures from the funeral service in Santander, Cebu are here. Thank you to Oseas ‘Boyet’ Gravino for taking the photos. Special thank you to all Tanonganon dontations to Atty. Clo’s trip home and to his family. Daghan Salamat.

Tanonganon VIP Returns Home to Santander

My Uncle, Attorney Clo Luzano and former Vice Mayor of Santander will be returning home from San Jose, California after immigrating to the US in 2000. My cousin Ann Ann (bless her soul) is accompanying his wife mama Nelly and I to bring him back via stretcher transport. After a few days of battling bureaucratic red tape and a probable almost certain future of hospice, we are now set to depart on May 20th, this coming Sunday. Please pray for a safe, smooth and speedy return. He is awaited by many and he dearly misses the place he’s known as home all his life.

The temptation of reaching America and better medicine had him make a decision to leave his Vice Mayor life in Santander in exchange for a life of no employment, overmedication, lethargy and loneliness. The American dream was painted by silent relatives on the US side…..why why why don’t they ever tell them the reality here? The discrimination, the high cost of living, the slavery of working low paying jobs…..I saw in his eyes, he was happy to reach here at first, the wonder of a new culture and way of life, the technology. But to exchange the quality of his life in the Philippines for what was here in America was not worth the trade in my eyes. The hope of returning home has brought life to him and he doesn’t stop talking about Liloan..wanting to go straight there to eat tinola and kinilaw. I honesty can’t blame him, Liloan is such a special place and I spend most of my time there whenever I visit. It’s a place of good times and good energy. (The photo above shows a sunset from Pebbles beach in Liloan, Santander, Cebu.)

I feel honored and blessed to have the opportunity to return him home where he belongs. And I am so thankful for the love and support of friends and family…you know who you are! I cannot thank you enough! You make me strong enough to handle anything that comes my way and I love you for it! This is no easy thing…….so please continue to pray for us. I will continue to update here in this blog. Thanks for reading. -Lynn

Photos from trip are here!

Ok, so i didn’t get to do do massive uploading while in Santander, but that’s ok. I’ve managed to post them now that i’m back in Cali. VIEW PHOTOS HERE

From Siargao Back 2 Santander

We’re back from the side trip to Siargao. Definately not enough time…3 and a half days. My board had a long crack in it but was able to get it fixed. Winds were strong and waves were not good in the nearby spots so lots of hanging around and meeting people and getting to know the place. My board now has a new home and a very happy owner named Jigs. He had seen it getting repaired and wondered who it belonged to. Their choice of longboards out there are very slim to none. He is a bone carver and makes beautiful jewlery out of carabao bone and oystershells which he traded a good handful in exchange for the board…including a very special piece. Thanks Jigs! Also met Minguin who has met a friend on mine out in Palawan before…was a nice little surprise . He also carves pieces from bone in the shape of the Igorot fertility symbol. Money is scarce there and the island is still pretty remote and provincial and not as booming as the internet has proclaimed….but also we arrived in low season so mostly locals only. Kai spent most of the day in the water (as he has become accustomed to) and rants whenever we get too far from the beach. We learned a new dialect spoken on the island called Suriganon. It’s like Bisaya but very fast and alot of the L sounds are switched out for J or Y sounds, so a little confusing at first but now i miss it…it was nice to hear it spoken. Definately want to get back there now that we’ve made local friends. The kids there are just begging for boards of their own. Would be nice to start some kind of charity for them. I’m hoping to go back and bring them more…….

So now we’re back to the Pebbles Beach Resort in Liloan (part of Santander) and I’m rallying my cousins and friends together to hang on the beach or whatever we decide to do. Fiesta is over but some visitors still remain. I am so happy to be back with family and friends and just enjoy everyone’s company. We keep commenting on how long it’s been since we’ve last hung out…like 10 years! Crazy. Thanks 4 reading. Till next post!

Tostado Fiesta winds down

Hello, i am still alive LOL. This has indeed been a social marathon. Somehow my cousin Tina has become the new President of the Tanonganon Association and I am the Vice President. I had also been appointed the temporary Mayor of Pebbles since we brought the sun up on that beach for quite a few nights in a row. The town of Santander has changed alot in the 10 years I haven’t been around. The Fiesta which used to be centered around the Patron Saint (presence of the Saint is still there) is now more centered around a cookie, the “Tostado” which is a cookie I remember my mom making when i was young. Anyways, this cookie is now the focus since it’s always been included on the fiesta snack plate for years….i think it’s a kind of tourist attraction viewpoint. Today there are many people on the beach cause it’s time to go home..all the visitors will be leaving going back to where they live. They are called the baliklungsods, meaning they return from other cities and towns in the Philippines.

There’s been some animosity about the balikbayans (which are people like us…who come from the town but have moved outside the country) being treated in a more special manner than the baliklungsods, which i can see to be true. We don’t want special treatment, but somwhow the fiesta event organizers had set things up that way. The fiesta felt very segrated…i’m glad I chose to defy the “formal” dress code…enabling me to join the local disco with no problem.

Anyways, i’m off to Siargao now for some surfing. Wish me luck on my journey, it’s quite a distance to go but I’m excited to go somewhere new! Ciao 4 now.

Still Goin’

My quest for Wi-Fi has not been successful, so sorry for no pics posted yet. Socializing and visiting with old and new cousins and friends has been a marathon of fun. Kai’s party was a success and was well attended by family, friends and loads of children overdosing on birthday cake and candy. Been discovering more and more new relatives every day and spending nights socializing on the beach till sun up. Swimming in the ocean is always a daily requirement for our survival here as it gets pretty damn hot. Fiesta entertainment is rotated nightly…dramas, dancing, variety shows and the Coronation of Miss Santander which sadly enough, does not give any chance for women of Santander to compete in (the girls are hired from talent agencies outside). I asked why this was and most of the replies i’ve gotten are because there are no beautiful women of Santander. I don’t believe that one much, it’s just sad to not even give a chance to the locals…..

Fiesta time is a time for uber-socialzing. And there’s more of it tonight, so time to go and i’ll update again soon.

New things I’ve tried: fresh sea urchin straight from the sea RAW. Diving 20+ feet for shellfish to eat. Videoke in Bunlan.

I’m here finally!

So the trip was rough but not too bad. Thanks to Steve for packing my surfboard so well and crafting a wheeled and strapped item for easy transport… it made all the difference after arriving in Cebu. At the airport, who happened to be there? Manong Kakoy Canete, Grand Master of Doce Pares Escrima. We were very excited to have the accidental run-in. I love when that happens, my trip off to a good start.

We’ve been staying at Pebbles beach Resort in Liloan, owned by my Uncle Jesus. We’ve swam and paddled out in the small outrigger boat (banka). He arrived last night and I had my first all nighter singing videoke and drinking Bahalina till the sun came up. Ahh, it’s good to be back! Today we just finished the Bunyag of Kai. He and his cousin Bien are now the best of friends, holding hands and sticking by each other’s side. I’ve always loved the closeness of the children and people here, it’s what brings me back over and over. I hear them running upstairs going wild. Our Bunyag after party has just begun.

I’m slowly tracking down folks I haven’t seen. Friends and cousins worry I do not remember them, but I assure them through funny stories of things we did and vice-a-versa.

Fiesta opened up yesterday and began with a motorcade procession. People are streaming in from all over. Happiness and festiveness is all around.

More to come, more to come……