Page 2 of 2

They had to face her father Pedro who smoked cigars and was a pistol sharpshooter and her disciplinarian mother Maria who smoked filter-less cigarettes.

Several times, Carmen was the Reyna Elena, Queen Helena, founder of the Cross, the honored person during May’s street processions.  

During World War II when the Japanese conquerors demanded all young people must join field exercises, her elders defied and denied the order, risking torture or death by hiding her, in Bocaue, Bulacan, because they feared the enemy might find the 18-year-old too attractive.

If you wish to see what she looked like as an 18-year-old, look at the photo PowerPointed during these nightly prayers (pic attached).

Carmen had five children who reached adulthood.   

Vincent or Jojo married to Mary Ann Delorie now in Covington near Kent; Maria Teresita, Maritess, or Tess hitched to Dan Manesis who lives in California; Macario Bernard, Mac, or Boyet now in Arizona; Peter Ivan or Pete wedded to Cristina or Kitti of Beacon Hill, Seattle; and Marcelino Jude, Marce, or Nonoy, resident of Shoreline. Grandchildren were Patrick, John Vincent, and Christopher Macario.

Let us listen to the words of a California resident.

Gloria Santiago Castillo is a cousin of mama Carmen.  Gloria's and Carmen's are likely second cousins because their parents were supposedly first cousins.   Their parents’ parents were siblings.  If you are confused again, it means we are all getting better at being confused.  

02152021-251p



Zoom-shared by Pete on Jan.  23, 2021, during the nine-day novena following her January 19 passing. Part 1 of 2.

Mama Carmen was born September 11, 1923, in Manila. Part of her growing up years was inside Intramuros.  

In Spanish, Intramuros means "inside the walls." What walls? The original, much smaller Manila was enclosed by big walls as defense against enemies. Inside were government, church, and school structures.

In fact, her father Pedro Reyes worked for the government. The Commonwealth government during the American era.  He was an army accountant, a lieutenant, who served in General Douglas MacArthur's Intramuros headquarters. 

Her mother, the former Maria Santiago, of Bocaue, Bulacan, stayed at home supervising renters and managing the finances and household.

Carmen had three siblings who preceded her.  Marcelino or Totoy, a surgeon and hospital director; Florencia or Poye, culinary arts; and Norberta or Betty, fine arts and school- publication artist.

She met Vicente or Noni Guballa, our dad, through brother Totoy.  Totoy's wife was Sening.  Sening's brother was Macario. Macario was our father Noni's father.   If you are confused, so am I. You can ask me later.

Kidding aside, Carmen had dozens of admirers. They came by car or bus, walking, on horseback and bicycles, in horse buggies or carriages, across the river by boat.  I  am surprised if two or three rode on the back of the carabao or water buffalo. Or someone parachuted from an airplane above!

They had to face her father Pedro who smoked cigars and was a pistol sharpshooter and her disciplinarian mother Maria who smoked filter-less cigarettes.

02152021-1238p


Deepest sympathy and condolences to Pete & Kitti, Marce and the rest of the family of  Mama Carmen Guballa. She will really be missed. May God welcome  her in His kingdom and grant her eternal peace and happiness.

Mrs. Carmen R. Guballa
Saint Paul College
Bocaue, Bulacan, Philippines
Spanish, English, Girl Scouts,
  and Physical Education (folk-dancing and calisthenics)

Classes with Class
Part 3 of 3

She likewise was Girl Scouts chief in Divine Word and in St. Paul’s. PE sessions also involved calisthenics. Games included volleyball, badminton, and dodge ball. She flourished in having lines of teens do American; European, not merely Spanish; and Filipino folk dancing. In Music, it was imparting how notes are read, etc., although she was a polished pianist herself.

She concluded her teaching career at St. Paul’s College, in her hometown of Bocaue, Bulacan. Word got around about the school founded by the white-clad Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres (SPC), originally a French order. She was hired by robust principal Sister Marie Gonzague Makiling, SPC. Of her five kids, only Maria Teresita or Tess was her student since all four boys spent high school elsewhere. She was awarded Teacher of the Year by Sister Rosario Domitilla, SPC, assisted by Mrs. Gregoria Pascual and Ms. Zenaida Andres. When she left, Sister Maurice de Sacre Couer, SPC, was in command. She was on her way to becoming Dean of Students.

Reread this article. There are two or three lessons for us. She teaches us still!

03152015—946p


Part 2 of 3
CLASSES WITH CLASS

Miss Reyes or Mrs. Guballa never flunked anyone. She was compassionate. If someone cannot hack it, he or she was given a special project. Research, for example.  
Far better, she opined, than humiliation and expense by repeating the year. Thus, she deemed, does one earn dignity, hard work, and accomplishment. 

She never believed or administered corporal punishment although she was in the receiving end of ear-pulling as a pupil for roaming and giggling. Maybe she resolved not to repeat the treatment. When a student, for example, became too loud, she simply stopped what she was doing. If that didn’t work, the offender received that stony stare. It was always successful. She did not do classroom yelling, tongue-lashing, or scolding. She believed they were detrimental to competence and confidence. She talked seriously, softly, and succinctly to troublemakers one-on-one.  She went for affirmation and self-help. 

Not to say she was a pushover. When unruly behavior arose, she would abruptly stop talking. She could gaze at the disruptor who caused it so salient silence submerged the class. She must have drawn these techniques from her American high-school English teacher Miss Mary Tormey who, with her sister, taught in all-girls Colegio de Santa Isabel (Santa Isabel College) when mom was a preteen. The mentor was there to teach English when the country was a colony of the United States. She was the prim and proper type complete with a hat and invariably wore white. A stereotype of sternness, slimness, and strictness. She drove herself to work and Mass in the chaotic streets. No question who was the boss. Schoolgirl Carmen once turned and reached down to check her stuff when she suddenly noticed the room became tomb silent. Unblinking Miss Tormey was staring at her and asked, “Are you trying to stand on your head?"

Part I
CLASSES WITH CLASS
The education career of the author’s mother

Miss Carmen Reyes was salutatorian of her high school batch. A pointer-stick distance later, she majored in English and minored in Physical Education (PE), magna cum laude, in the University of Santo Tomas (St. Thomas) or UST. 

She never made it to the graduation ceremony because she was offered a job pronto. She didn’t finish her masters in English when she got married, but her credits qualified her to handle high school and college. 

She was overheard by Dr. Ricarda Sian, UST Dean of Education then, wondering with a co-graduate where to work. The dean summoned mama to her office. The official then directed her to Mindoro Island where the Society of Divine Word or SVD priests set up Divine Word College.

The president, the German Rev. Bernard Roos, interviewed her in the Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit) Church, Santa Cruz, Manila. Then off she sailed to Calapan, Occidental Mindoro, to teach college clusters. She stayed in Holy Spirit convent. Aside from her salary, the padre paid for her board and meals. 

The sisters owned a high school nearby and wanted her to join their faculty. Father Roos did not want her overloaded so thumbed it down. As in the other places later, she taught Spanish, English, PE, and Music (as an academic subject). She staffed the library, too. She could have had imparted piano lessons, too, if asked.

Attending an alumni homecoming one September, she yearned to be in her childhood haunt. “I want to teach here,” she told the head, Sister Maria Oandasan, DC (Daughters of Charity or Hijas de Caridad in Spanish). The nun was her lay instructor before and immediately accepted her. 

(Part 2 follows)


AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Carmen Reyes Guballa

11 septembre 1923 – 19 janvier 2021

Evergreen Washelli Funeral Home & Cemetery

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