Afternoon Delights

WE CAN'T avoid feeling gushy once in a while and find ourselves thinking about the times when as kids we had no qualms about environmental concerns like the ozone layer, the air, and other posers. TV programs like Savage Earth and the like were years away from that time.

Due to its unavailability or its remote access, cable was then a reason you had to head downtown to catch live basketball playoffs, boxing bouts, and figure skating competitions.

In the early 90's, Plaza (along Bolton Street in Davao City) was one of the best places to have fun with long before the "berks" and "jologs" were coined.

There's so much to enjoy during those years even if we had our eyes turn red (what with Eye-mo ready inside the medicine cabinet) feasting on programs, thanks to free TV.

Our Hitachi set -- an heirloom with wooden casings and speakers now collecting dust -- served it purpose for quite awhile, it deserves a place in our hearts and our home.

TV watching while chomping on a 1-peso worth Chippy with one family size Pepsi at P2.40 was a cool diversion which only glitch was when a line crawls below the screen and went: IT'S NOT YOUR SET FOLKS! and you'd go nuts!

We never liked sleeping in the afternoon because before MMK and Magpakailanman, there was "Lovingly Yours, Helen" and its very familiar theme and hard to find background tunes. The late Helen Vela (I know that you know, she's Princess Punzalan's mother) was a refreshing sight and a soothing sound on those hot afternoons.

But Helen's angelic voice, which can be likened to that of the late Karen Carpenter's, gave our Sundays a different feel.

Coney Reyes Mumar Drama Studio was a staple for Saturday viewings, which brings to mind Eddie Ilarde's "Kahapon Lamang" lording the evening with his letter reading on Mondays. Not to mention "Damdamin" (with Tina Loy) and "Gulong ng Palad" (which starred Caridad Sanchez and the young Romnick Sarmenta) which were dominant TV soaps that made the seventies unforgettable.

In between, I remember my cousins having a date with komiks following the adventures of Zuma and Galema. If you remember keping copies of Tagalog Klasiks, Aliwan, Pinoy Komiks, Happy, Espesyal, Hiwaga, Darna, Lovelife, Horoscope and TSS komiks. (I chuckled when on Game KNB, Kris grimaced when one contestant mentioned "Tapusan" instead of "Wakasan" in answer to her komiks trivia quiz.)

My mother used to rent out those komiks for 25 cents. At the Panacan Public Market komiks stall, I'd remember the "No Free Reading" sign either telling or testing whether you can read or not.

But I'm sure it's to tell you to read for a fee while enjoying the serialized stories of Darna, Captain Barbel and Panday, enjoying the novels and short stories altogether of Mars Ravelo, Jim Fernandez, Carlo Caparas, Gilda Olvidado and then neophyte KC Cordero.

Of the illustrators, we have loved the "dibuho" of Mar T. Santana, Louie Celerio, Nestor Malgapo, Clem Rivera and Vincent Kua.

I also recall the time when "Kambal Sa Uma" (which movie version starred Ms. Rio Locsin) and "Cara" (that story about sisters whose three heads shared one body. Literally!) were serialized, if I remember it right, in Kislap or in another big-sized mag.

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Let's not skip the mail: We have a mom online and this is what she wrote: Hi Skipojack, thanks for your informative column at Sun.Star.

I like your trivia, its very helpful. You featured Dj Monica last week and I am glad to know a little about her, she's just a year older than my eldest son and I like her shows.

Even before I accidentally entered this radio talent thing, I loved listening to all radio stations here in Davao until now. I also listen to dzRH, (laughs). Nabasa ko rin from you that you used to work here at dxSS and you'll gonna have a sort of reunion, please write what transpired in your party. I've seen you once at Lucy's Kainan (where was that? -- jack), matagal na yon..Thanks...P.S. I also like your story on Dj Sweet. She's really sweet. Regards! -- MomSue

Trivia: Screen Names versus real names -- Francisco Dumagoso (Iskho Moreno), Dorothy Jones (Nida Blanca). Aurora Villamayor (Nora Aunor), Gina Alitiit (Gina Alajar), Pablieto Sarmiento (Babalu), Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino (Kris Aquino)