[On February 25, 2017 at noon time, the celebration of MAMANG HAIDE’s 94th birthday will be held at the MANILA YACHT CLUB. It would be a day of reminiscing the good old days as FRIENDS and KIN will be trooping to the Manila Yacht Club on that day to pay homage and greet MAMANG HAIDE. Let’s all pray that MAMANG HAIDE would reach the ripe and golden age of 100 years old.]
Nakilala ko si Mamang HAIDE thru Kumpadreng JOEY1,
Kaya nga’t nakilala ko rin ang COOKIES nyang so DELICIOUS and CHEWY;
Maalalahanin si MAMANG HAIDE sa lahat ng TAO,
Yan ang dahilan kaya sya’y naging Barangay Chair TODO-TODO2 !
At ang kanyang pinakamasarap na DELECTABLE CAKE,
Ibang klase ang SARAP, makakaligtaan mo tuloy ang iyong AGE;
Kaya kung ikaw ay isang SWEET TOOTH FAIRY 3,
Malamang ma-pakyaw mo ang kanyang cake INVENTORY!
Siya ang bunso ng tambalang LAMBERTO at SOFIA,
Si LAMBERTO’y angkan ng TIROL4, ngalang mula sa rehiyon ng AUSTRIA;
HAPSBURG5 ng Espanya ang syang minsa’y namayani sa TIROL,
Kung kilatisin si MAMANG, mukhang CASTILIAN ang KOLOR!
Si SOFIA po naman ay angkang GONZALES na TOTOO,
Number TWO na apelyido at popular sa IBERICO6;
Kaya nga’t walang duda at “ES VERDAD”7,
Lahi ni MAMANG ay tunay na DE KALIDAD8!
Aba LATIN naman ang orihen ng SOLIDUM,
Na ang ibig sabihin ay MATIBAY, BUO at wala nang CONUNDRUM9 ;
Kaya nga sa totoo at walang ALINLANGAN,
Tunay na KASTILYAN may halo pang LATIN YAN…
Kung tutunghayan ang kanyang LARAWAN nung KABATAAN,
Para bagang sya’y isang taal na CATALAN10;
Pwede ring ang forma ay ala ASTURIAN11,
Talaga nga namang lahing IBERICAN!
Kaya nga ay palagiang nating si Mamang HAIDE’y IPANALANGIN,
At si Mamang HAIDE ay ating ding PURIHIN;
Naging uliran syang INA, GRANDMA at ESPOSA,
Lahat tayo’y mag-pugay ng TAAS-NOO sa KANYA!
Sa kaarawan mong ito na PAGA NOVENTA12,
Na-mi-MISS namin ang iyong CHEWY cookies TALAGA;
Subalit palagi pa ring naaalaala ang mga PIANO mong pang-PIYESA13,
Talagang PANG-OPERA at ang sarap na ma-KABESA 14!
Kaya DASAL namin sa selebrasyon ng KAARAWAN MO,
Patuloy na lumawig at humaba ang BUHAY na TOTOO;
Upang ang iyong mga APO pati na yong sa TUHOD15,
Patuloy na malasap ang iyong pagiging GRANDMA na so VERY GOOD!!!!
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[Legend: 1 – JOEY aka JOSE TIROL SOLIDUM is my Kumpadre, being the godfather of one of my daughters, Ma. Wincheska E. Young (“Cheska”).
2 – Mamang Haide has been the longest reigning Barangay Chairwoman in their place along Sylvia Street in Manila, from 1972 up to 2005.
3 – A SWEET TOOTH FAIRY is one who finances a specific undertaking.
4 – TIROL is actually a region in Austria which for a time during the 17th century virtually became part of the Kingdom of Spain as it was bequeathed to the reigning HAPSBURG family who reigned in Spain from the 15th to the 17th centuries.
5 – House of HAPSBURG – It was during the reign of Emperor Charles V (Carlos I of Spain), who ascended the thrones of the kingdoms of Spain after the death of his grandfather Ferdinand, when the House of Hapsburg controlled territory ranging from Philippines to the Netherlands, and was, for a time, Europe’s greatest power. This period of Spanish history has been referred to as the “Age of Expansion”. Although usually associated with its role in the history of Central Europe, the Hapsburg family extended its realm into Spain from 1516 to 1700, where the Hapsburg senior line reigned for that period. Under Hapsburg rule, Spain reached the zenith of its influence and power.
6 – IBERICO is another term for SPAIN as it lies in the Iberian Penisula.
7 – “ES VERDAD” is a Spanish phrase which means; “THAT’S TRUE!”.
8 – “DE KALIDAD” is a Spanish term which means; “HIGH QUALITY”.
9 – CONUNDRUM is a word which denotes some kind of a problem.
10 – CATALAN is an ethnic group in Spain which pertains to those people hailing from Catalonia proper, as well as even the other Catalan-speaking people, namely those from Andorra, Valencia, the Balearic islands, eastern Aragon of Spain.
11 – The ASTURIANS of Spain are those people nestled between the Cantabrian mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, in the northwest corner of Spain, as this region lies in the beautiful province of Asturias. Over a million people inhabit this land that is commonly called “The Little Switzerland”, because of its majestic mountains and green fertile valleys.
12 – Mamang HAIDE is now 94 years old.
13 – PANG-PIYESA is used herein as denoting the musical rendition via PIANO of the favorite pieces of PIANO music which Mamang HAIDE has been consistently playing during those nostalgic yesteryears especially “IN THE MOOD” which is one of her favorites.
14 – MA-KABESA means to commit to memory.
15 – APO SA TUHOD means the child of a grandchild.]
