A RETRACING OF THE PLAZANS: A Personal Account: The Early Juvenile Gang Years

Consider this brash first-person scribblings of a now hazy segment of a time past. It could have relevance and would make sense only to those people who figured in and shared with the carefree bucolic times during the idyllic youthful years in the old hometown. To them this little piece of nostalgic history is addressed and dedicated.

While some may have already reduced to print or committed to writing some accounts pertinent to what might loosely be called a retracing of the Plazans, if one is earnestly serious then one has to point deeper, especially into the early beginnings of the Plazans, and it necessarily will have to go way before the word itself even got into the vernacular.

Now, to really be all-inclusive about it, we could also trace even deeper into the earlier times when many adult residents also regarded Plaza Divisoria as their favorite trysting place, an unlikely haven where they could unwind, smoke, and even feel cool during hot summer nights. And maybe more expectedly, hear or exchange relevant news of the day. And since political gatherings typically originated in the plaza areas, then the plaza too was where political Demostheneses pitted and honed their oratorical and argumentative skills with others. The name of perennial mayoralty candidate Totong Pangan readily comes to mind. Thus many old-timers can also be counted as regular nocturnal denizens of the plaza.

And what's more, there was a point in time when a fire truck was stationed in the plaza at night time as a critical early warning device in the city's serious fire prevention program, the plaza being in the center of the poblacion. And so, nightly firefighters also allocated for themselves benches in the plaza during their graveyard duties.

But in my personal judgment, we should limit our little historical adventures to the kids and adolescents who served their voluntary stints as tenants of the plaza since we are after all tracing the evolution of the present connotation and definition of who or what a Plazan is.

As both participant and eyewitness to this unfolding development, I am attempting to recount the seminal events as they happened. And if we put a timeline, to the best of my recollections, we would have to go back to the year 1956, because that was when we first formed ourselves into a determinate group called a gang.

But the Bellboys predated us. This I know because they were already then quite formed and knitted closely; and had already claimed that part of Divisoria Plaza, the Andres Bonifacio section, as their usual meeting place and istambayan. Named after Freddie Bell and the Bellboys (featured in the 1956 movie, Rock Around the Clock, with Bill Haley and the Comets), their members were MicMic Roa, Billy Alegarbes, Bueno Pimentel, Nato Valmores, Tutti Neri, Patuting Neri, Baludoy Veluz, Roque Gaerlan, Tito Yee, Bong Cabe, Ed Chaves, and later on joined by Dixie Jongko, the last one at some point was also in our own gang.

We had formed our own, most of us a year or so younger than the Bellboys, and called ourselves Winchesters ‘73 (I like to take credit for the name because even that early Western movies had already cast a mesmerizing spell over me) The Western movie of the same title starred James Stewart and was made in 1950, and probably got shown in our local theatres some years later.

Our original members were a closely-knit group mostly classmates in Ateneo. We had Arturo Anolin, Nazar Chaves, Eddie Acero, Boy Fernandez, Babe Fortich, Ernie De Leon, Boy Ramos, Baby Ramos, Roy Gaane, me, of course, Dixie Jongko, Jaime Waga, Jessnar Falcon, Rogelio "Butch" Bagabuyo, and Nonie Rivera, forming the core group that met regularly; though at some point or other, we also had others joining in like Iraido Aguilar, even Filamer Artajo and Gerry Agbulos, Tonito Rivera and a few more.

For some inexplicable reason that part of Divisoria, where the Bonifacio monument stands, has always been regarded as the official locale of the groups that would later on be collectively called The Plazans. I suspect that because even then trees there were already mature and tall enough to provide the needed shade near the benches, it became the place of choice. And ideal locale for shielding us from the unyielding sun during the daytime and the equally harsh tun-og during the night. Add the fact that for the Bellboys that was the most convenient locale for them to meet. For members like Tito Yee who resided along Pabayo Street; Tutti along JR Borja; Billy Alegarbes and Patuting along Filipinas St.; Bong Cabe from Cogon Subdivision usually brought along his jeep; Roque from across City Hall; Ed Chaves, as with a number of us, along Victoria St. or thereabouts.

Thus, so it was that the Bonifacio monument became identified with the Plazans, though there are four other subdivisions of Divisoria Plaza, from the amphitheatre near the river to the Masaysay monument dead-ended by the Xavier University grounds.

And many a day and night, we spent huddled together astride the dirty concrete benches, telling our stories, amusing and regaling ourselves with funny anecdotes, and trying to fight the night cold by sharing cigarettes 50-50. And in this regard, Tito Yee was specially regarded because he always smoked the more expensive Philip Morris, compared to the cheaper brands like Winfield, Fatima, Snowman, Newport, etc. that everybody else smoked. In fine, in a grand display of carefree adolescent chatter and time killing best describes how we spent whiling away our idle hours.

Then as I recall our days in the Plaza started getting rarer and less frequent when most of us approached the waning months of 4th year high school and that would be in 1958. At least for me personally, how it eventually ended was when high school came to an excruciating end.

In this regard then, I enjoin the others to continue on with their own stories as Plazans, with the earnest hope that a complete chronology can be established. And thus make more meaningful and coherent, the past and ensuing reunions that are being held. Especially because as you may have noticed even in the few names that I have detailed, a number have already passed on.

Lastly, I shall post this entry also in my own personal blog. Thus visitors can leave comments of correction, clarification, or addition.

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UPDATE  July 5, 2020

We have a list of other gangs with their members, as reported by those eyewitnesses who were also members of gangs.

Blue Boyz – Rogie Lim, Tom Aguirre, Billy Walter, Benjie and Edgar Gorospe, Maning and Jesus Roska, Tony and Nandy Rodriguez, Dolfo Dolores, and an unlikely, Pacifico “Dodong” Pelaez.

James Dean Gang – Harry Willkom, Popoy Martinez, Lionel Mandig, Garby Aguirre, Francis Rebolos, Ricky Jonayon, Bobby Mutia, Manoling Jaldon.

Remingtons (short-lived) – Pondol and Ronnie Dadole, Benjie Gorospe.

Stalag (after the movie, Stalag 17, starring William Holden) - Danzig Sambaan, Loloy Gaabucayan, Paking Mercado, Carlos Yamut, Rudy Avancena, Ben Chaves, Nap Tayanes, Yoyong Gabutina, , Andoy Kong, Loloy and Leo Pabayo, Tony Orqueza, ( to be continued)

Lunars

Leathernecks (later in time) – members coming from other gangs.

HiFi Gang -  Jose “PePe” Balaba, Monix Lim, Felix Almerol, Buddy Blanco, Adrian and Leo Pabayo, Fidel and Le Grande Saa, Orlando V. Neri, Ramon V. Neri, Apolinar “Boy” Velez, Victor Guitarte, Loloy Pimentel, Manny Valdehuesa,

                                                                      

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Anonymous1/09/2023 10:59:00 AM

There was a younger group used to stnby at Dv Soria & along Filipinas st.,now T Chaves St. They were called THE PANTAK a fish family of HALUAN fish. 

They are The WILLKOM BROTHERS & cousins Joseph, George (Gemgem) Edgar Wilkom, Mike & Eddie Wilkom, Our mentors Russell & Gerald Willkom, Boy Laplap, Teddy Garcia, Tata Hernando, Bonbito Ruita, Ben Tan, Bebe Caharian, William Boy Willkom, Onching Roa, Sammy Ortes, Junsam Sambaan, Boy Pabillore & many, many more!

       

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UPDATE; March 12, 2023

Continuing the tracing of the history of the Plazans and the origin of the name itself, getting into the next decade after ours.  Plazan Francis Rebolos of New Mexico has now provided some account on the origin of the name.  Their gang (The Ruggeds) came in the decade of the 60's and Plazan Ricky Jonayon of Nazareth is now being attributed as the originator of the name Plazan(s).

Here is the account of Francis Rebolos in the vernacular addressing his comments to  viewers who asked:  

Ging, karon pa naku ni nabasa. Maayo sab nga nangutana ka ug ngano nga gitawag plazans. Its a long story pero to make it short nag sugod ni sa among grupo nga "Ruggeds" ang among stambayan ang Bonifacio,ang mga magulang namo dito sa Magasaysay, 

Adto nga time kaming mga Ruggeds dili na maayo ang dungog as labi nga si Ricky Jonayon pala away sige lang kita ug sumbagay, paregla ,out of control siya. Daghan na nanghawa kay lagi dautan na among dungog, mga babaye man labay sa divisoria singitan ug dili maayo, did-an na sa mga ginikanan mo tampo sa among grupo. 

So nag decide mi nga alisdan ang among ngalan from "Ruggeds" namili mi ug ngalan starting ni Magsaysay to Bonifacio, hangtud kang Rizal. pero walay napilian ni suggest si Ricky nga tungod kay diha man mi sa Bonifacio ga tambay dugangan nalang ug letter "N" bonifacian lugar pero joker man paminawon ingon si Ricky nga tungod kay diha man mi sa plaza ga estambay sumpayan na lang ug letter "N" ang word Plaza hence nahimong Plazan wala pai "s" sa nadugay tungod kay ang klase klaseng grupo diha man magkita nahimo na dayong "Plazans"....hence na Plazans na gyud.

Yes Toy , una inyong group if my memory would serve me right mga 1968 or 1970 tu . It was Ricky Jonayon that coined the name "Plazan"

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A number of us, including me, often wonder whatever happened to Rogie Lim, who was quite popular during our time as a pugilist.  I learned that he was the eldest son of Dulo Lim, who was for many years the manager of the local William Lines, located at the de Lara building in No. Divisoria.  His family lived on the upper floor of the same building.  Learned also that Rogie had lived quite an interesting life during his youth away from Cagayan de Oro.

Do we have any more stories about the Plazans we used to know?

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