[This photo courtesy of Brod Danny Daguio (shown at center being sandwiched by girls seated at front row) was taken during his 16th birthday. They (together with Brod Bobby Brillantes, standing 6th from left, the one who is touching his chin; and the pretty and statuesque Vida Doria, the girl to Brod Bobby’s left) were members of the Project 6 Junior Cursillo Club.]
When I became an officer of the UP Pi Omicron Fraternity during the term of Brod Jamil Lucman (Batch 66) as Tyler Omicron, sort of a Sergeant-at-Arms, (that is what that position is called in other organizations), I was tasked by Brod Jamil to scout for a muse as we were then planning to hold the annual induction rites of the new set of officers at Eugene’s Restaurant in Cubao, Quezon City. I was still then a new member and I felt as though I were still a neophyte and must quickly obey the demands and directives of the senior brods.
Thus, with all celerity, I quickly scouted for a muse thereafter. And I was able to befriend a mestiza looking beauty by the name of Monique Duncombe Elizalde, who was then a freshman coed. She looks like Solenn Heussaff, but a little bit on the chubby side.
Monique readily agreed to be our muse and Brod Jamil was amused that I was able to speedily scout for one. I attended the Eugene’s rites sans any partner as I was tasked to wait on Monique and sort of served as her attendant, she was however brought to the venue by a kin which lightened my burden as Brod Jamil told me to insure Monique’s attendance then.
I know that Brod Noel Nable of Batch 65 courted Monique but after a year of college however, I was told that Monique with her kin migrated to the U.S.
Brod Jamil’s consort during the Eugene’s induction rites and who eventually became his girlfriend was a dusky beauty whose first name is Josefina (the surname I can no longer recall however) and Brod Jamil would endearingly call her “Jo”.
Jo is a member of the Delta Pi Omicron Sorority and in the ensuing wooing and courtship between Brod Jamil and Jo, I and our now famous sis, Lolit Solis, served as go-between. Sis Jo would convey what she feels unto Sis Lolit, while Sis Lolit conveys it to me or directly to Brod Jamil, except that Brod Jamil is sometimes hard to find. This was because on hindsight, it turned out that Brod Jamil will later emerge as Commander Jungle Fox of the Black Shirts.
Thence, I would convey it to Brod Jamil as Brod Jamil would at times emerge on campus late in the afternoon or in the evenings when Sis Lolit is not anymore around. Brod Jamil is one person who believes that exciting and magical things happen in the evenings and all through the night.
Indeed, though Brod Jamil looks like a real BARAKO too, plucky and intrepid, in the English language, he is a gentleman with respect to ladies, broads and dames. Brod Jamil seemed so sheepish, shy and bashful during the initial face-to-face trysts with Sis Jo. Eventually Sis Jo became at ease with my presence and I became the partners’ sole go-between.
I eventually had a girlfriend from among the Delta Pi Omicron, whose first name is Cynthia and whose nick name is Chin. I had a crush however upon a younger sis, who became the Asst. Dean of the UP College of Law, Dean Patricia Salvador Daway. Brod Gabriel “Bing” Martinez (Batch 65) also had a crush on her, Sis Pat, and because of seniority, I had to give way to Brod Bing. Though, I believe that they, Sis Pat and Brod Bing, were in a relationship during those days, Sis Pat eventually got married to a debonair looking lawyer then too, who is now Regional Trial Court Judge in Quezon City, the eminent and illustrious Judge Reynaldo B. Daway.
But what truly intrigued me was when I had a talk with Sis Lolit just recently. Sis Lolit confided to me that her crush actually was Brod Bing as she told me, she could feel the rush of blood in her inner being and would swoon and sway from the sight and nearness of Brod Bing, whenever they would chance upon each other at the frat’s hang out. But Sis Lolit told me that she kept it to herself particularly about her craving and crush on Brod Bing. According to Sis Lolit, she got so infatuated to Brod Bing because of his tantalizing and inviting eyes.
But the acknowledged PABLING (i.e. playboy) of the fraternity was no other but Brod Washington“Bobby” Brillantes (Batch 68). During those years, when Vida Doria who was crowned Miss Philippines was Brod Bobby’s GF, Brod Bobby was also dating TWO (2) other dames. Due to Brod Bobby’s philandering ways, the BF-GF relationship between them invariably went on an ON and OFF basis.
Indeed, Brod Bobby was the acknowledged PLAYBOY of the fraternity. I remember, I think it was Brod Ariel Corpuz (Batch 68) who once jestingly quipped, though idiomatically with ribald overtone however, that: “SA BOSES NA BOSES PA LANG NI BROD BOBBY; LAGLAG NA ANG PANTIE NG BABAE.” [English translation: “WITH BROD BOBBY’S VOICE ALONE, A LADY WOULD SURELY GIVE IN TO HIS AMOROUS WHIMS.”]
Truly, Brod Bobby has a baritone voice which is so modulated and is seemingly alluring, in fact seductively enticing.
Brod Danny Daguio (Batch 68) who is Brod Bobby’s neighbor in Project 6 told me however that Brod Bobby during their childhood days never had that marvelous voice. Brod Danny narrated to me that he would customarily see Brod Bobby under a guava tree in their community memorizing some lines from famous declamation pieces and would utter and recite them with a baritone version of a voice. Eventually, Brod Bobby became a baritone-voiced lothario. Thus, this routine of Brod Bobby ineluctably calls to mind the story of Demosthenes, a Greek statesman and famous orator of Athens. Legend has it that Demosthenes would practice oratory on the seashore over the roar of the waves just as to strengthen his voice.
In the fraternity, we also have those faithful lovers, and those whom I consider as faithful and loyal were those who married their ONLY sweethearts during those exciting and fascinating years in the UP Diliman Campus, namely: Brod Alex Ramon “Alex” Cabanilla (Batch 71), who married the love of his life, Phoebe; Brod Honorio “Nory” Palarca (Batch 68) who married the apple of his eyes, Helen; and also Brod Romeo “Omy” Matias (Batch 71), who married his dream girl, Sally; among others. Brod Omy cannot forget however the masterful stroke done by Brod Alex when he endeavored to impress his love of his life, by bringing their TWO (2) cars on campus. Thereafter, Brod Alex had to ask/plead Brod Nory for succor, as he cannot drive the TWO (2) cars alone in one sweep back home.
But the most likable and desirable dame of them all is one who was some kind of a VIP guest in one HAIR gala presentation with whom Brod Ronaldo “Ronnie” Manalastas (Batch 66) served as consort.
Also, there were those seeming inseparables too, who was always together as though they were Tarzan and Jane, but never got to be married to each other. And I will dwell on those in my next BLOGs!
