101. 12 AMERICAN THOMASITES IN PAMPANGA & TARLAC

The American contribution to Philippine education began with the arrival of Thomasites – a band of American teachers who came to our shores in 1901, lured by a sense of adventure, prospects of employment in the exotic Far East. and a genuine will to serve and build a new nation. Here is a select group of these pioneering teachers who served in Pampanga and Tarlac.

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1. GEORGE N, ANDERSON, Arayat, Candaba

George N. Anderson’s commitment to advance education in the islands was so total, that when the school in Candaba was razed to the ground , the supervising teacher shelled out Php 500 from his own pockets as his contribution towards the rebuilding of the school. As a pioneer teacher in Arayat, Anderson put up an intermediate school to teach Grades 4, 5 and 6 students (a primary school was already up, that took in Grades 1-4 pupils). Established in 1909, the intermediate school would be named in his honor: Anderson Intermediate School, which operated under that name from 1909 to 1974. It then became Anderson Elementary School, offering complete Grades 1-6 classes. A fellow teacher by the name of Carrie E. Anderson taught in Arayat at the same time as George did; she may have been his wife.

2. ALFRED ARNOLD, Apalit, Arayat

Thomasite Alfred Arnold  was assigned as a primary school teacher to handle Grades 1 to 4 classes, in Arayat. He is well known for taking the extra step to win over Filipino officials who were indifferent to the idea of public education propagated by the U.S. The assiduous teacher organized and staged special programs of entertainment at his schools to interest the native town heads and gain their support and cooperation.

3. WILLIAM M. CARRUTH, Betis, Sta. Rita, San Simon

A young graduate of Cleveland, Ohio, William Carruth arrived in Betis in 1901 and was immediately besieged with problems---all the books in the school where he was supposed to teach were in Spanish. He wrote to the Dept. of Public Instruction for help, and soon, the right supplies arrived and school operations began to run smoothly—until he fell ill. But  Carruth carried on, even making himself available to teach geometry, algebra and physics at a teacher’s program in San Fernando. The Betis school was abandoned due to poor facilities and financial constraints.  Carruth, thus, moved to Sta. Rita, where he began anew to organize the primary school, plus 2 barrio schools. Faced with incompetent teachers and apathetic town officials, he finished his term in 1903, and then moved to San Simon. Carruth was an efficient, professional administrator, but the of support from his superiors and the community, perhaps wore him down to frustration. Carruth did not renew his 3-year contract and returned to the U.S.

4. W. HUSE CHAPMAN, Angeles, Zambales

W. Huse Chapman, of Connecticut, was a civil servant of the U.S. Bureau of Education and worked as a Thomasite teacher among the Negritos in the Philippines, in the Zambales region. He was deployed to Angeles, Pampanga as Supervising Teacher. While there, Chapman took an interest in photography and took ethnographic portraits, of  Negritos, their customs; activities; dwellings, structures and other material culture; and natural surroundings. Specific subjects include basket weaving, a burial, scarification, and a group of hooded self-flagellants. These 163 photos compiled in 1909, are in the Bancroft Library of the University of California Berkely.

5. ADAM C. DERKUM, Mexico, Tarlac, Zambales

Born in 1874, Adam C. Derkum studied and graduated from the University of Southern California. He was appointed to the civil service on 30 December 1903. On 1 March  1906,  Dr. Adam Derkum, together wife Agnes, were assigned to Mexico, Pampanga. He became a supervising teacher then rose in position to become  a Division Superintendent of schools in Zambales and Tarlac. He had a new building erected at a new location in 1915 after the Tarlac Provincial High School had incurred much damage wrought by usage and time. He also organized  training programs for students,  through teacher camps and educational missions. As part of the American effort to promote physical education and national fitness, Dr. Derkum help found the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation, along with Manuel L. Quezon, Camilo Osias, Regino R. Ylanan and Jorge R. Vargas. He was chosen as President  and Chairman of the 1926 Pampanga Fair and Provincial Garden Day, This was to be one of  his last major activities as the Derkums and their four Philippine-born children, returned to America where they would spend rest of their lives in California.

6. LULU LONG HIGLEY, Bacolor

Born on 1 Oct. 1874 in Lagrange County, Indiana, Lulu Long-Higley and her husband Levi Campbell Higley (b. 1871/d.1959) taught together at Bacolor and at the Pampanga Industrial School. Lulu herself, taught industrial arts. Husband Levi was the assigned to an industrial school in Lipa, Batangas, and assumed the position of principal of the secondary school. Lulu Higley remained in Bacolor, where eldest son Phillips Isidors was born. When Higley returned to her husband’s home state, she gave birth to two more sons: Ralph and Erwin Isaac. She passed away in Genesee county on 21 Mar. 1951 at age 76, and she is interred with her husband at the county’s Springvale Cemetery.

 7. WILLIAM S. IREY, Magalang, Bataan

Pennsylvanian William Segner Irey was born in 1872, in West Chester county, an education graduate of West Chester State Normal College.  After a 13-year teaching stint in his home state, he would joined the contingent of teachers sent to the Philippines in 1901. He was stationed in Magalang, where he is credited with establishing the elementary school in the poblacion. Irey would be moved around Pampanga, living in Mexico and San Fernando, and also serving in Bataan as a 3^rd grade supervisor. Irey was also an inventor of some sorts; obtaining patents for such ingenious creations as a cigarette-producing machine, a cooking apparatus, change-speed gearing and  improvements to kerosene lamps.

8. KILMER O. MOE, Magalang

Upon arrival in the Philippines, Thomasite Kilmer O. Moe, from Hoople, North Dakota, was assigned to teach in Magalang. His interest in agriculture was piqued when the “Granja Modelo”, a pilot agricultural school founded in 1885 by Spaniards, and later renamed “Estacion Pecuaria” became idle. Together with Assemblyman Andres Luciano, Moe—now a district supervisor-- initiated its reconstruction in 1917. The Bureau of Education threw its support behind its reopening and Gov. Honorio Ventura donated more funds to aid the project. Thus, the Magalang Farm School was born. Moe was also involved in the restoration of the Central Luzon Agricultural School which opened in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija on 10 Jun. 1909. After suffering typhoon damage in November, Moe initiated changes such as the use of strong materials for the school buildings.  Additions included student dorms, a superintendent office, a house for American teachers, a machine shop and a sawmill. Kilmer O. Moe wrote many treatises about various aspects of Philippine farming, including rice and sugar planting.

9. JOHN W. OSBORN, Angeles, Magalang, San Fernando

John W. Osborn is known for being the first principal of Pampanga High School in 1908, the most revered institution for secondary education in the province. PHS would produce  a president,  eminent scholars, writers, politicians, military leaders, lawyers, and builders of  our nation. Osborn was from Bringhamton, New York,  a 1901 graduate of Western Reserve University, Ohio . Before his assignment in the capital town, he was minding the affairs of the elementary schools in Magalang (1904) and Angeles (he rented the ground floor of the Gomez/Masnou House with Marion Huff, another Thomasite). PHS originally was located at the Eusebio Residence located near the town plaza, with classes opening in 1908. Enrollment was so low that it was unable to form a senior class until 1911-1912. As student population grew, the school was transferred to a new building near the Provincial Capitol. It was Osborn who chose future Justice Jose Gutierrez David to deliver a speech before  Secretary of War, William Howard Taft and presidential daughter Alice Roosevelt, during their visit to San Fernando in 1904. In his unpublished memoirs, Justice Gutierrez recalled that “Mr. Osborn  was quite satisfied and elated judging from the manner he congratulated me. For me, that was enough”.

 10. LUTHER PARKER, Masantol, Arayat, Bacolor

The most high-profile Thomasite Pampanga, Luther Parker was born in Missouri to James R. and Mary C. Parker, in 1872. A graduate of the State Normal School in Chico, California, he arrived in the Philippines  in 1901, and served in the Bureau of Education for twenty-five years, the last 7 years as division superintendent of schools. His first assignment was Masantol, then in Arayat as Supervising Teacher, and the town postmaster. He was also a regular contributor of articles for Manila Times. Parker’s accomplishments included writing a “Diccionariong Ingles, Kapampangan at Kastila," in 1905, studying Philippine linguistics, and initiating the writing of town histories. Parker became the Principal of the Bacolor Trade School in March 1907, as well as General Inspector of school shops in the country. He was assigned from 1914-1916 in San Francisco to oversee the  Philippine exhibit of school industrial work. For his achievements, Kapampangan officials proposed to adopt Parker as a son of Pampanga province. Parker also served in Pangasinan  ( 1918, promoted food production campaigns and gardening), Ilocos Norte,  (1921, organized Bands of Mercy , mainly a children’s group that championed kindness to animals) and Nueva Ecija (1922-26). He retired and lingered in the country until 1931, when the Parker family left the country for good. The Parkers took up residence in Santa Cruz, California. He passed away in 1948. His collection of pictures, memorabilia, albums of clippings are kept in the University of the Philippines.

11. CARROLL A. PEABODY, Mabalacat, Tarlac

Thomasite Carroll Peabody, a fresh graduate of Western Reserve University in Ohio, was first assigned to Mabalacat in 1902 where he became a “maestro Americano” , teaching his Kapampangan pupils in nipa and bamboo classrooms.  He later  became a supervisor, then a Division Superintendent in Tarlac. His wife, Emma, was also a teacher. Also assigned there was Joseph L. Flaherty, a Supervising Teacher as of 1906. Peabody documented the hardships of setting up schools and keeping them running despite inadequate supplies (billiard cue chalk were sometimes used as blackboard chalk), in his unpublished memoirs, “Personal Reminiscences of Early Days, 1898-1902”.

12. FRANK RUSSELL WHITE, Tarlac

Thomasite Frank Russell White  was born in Millburn, Illinois on 8 June 1875. He has the singular distinction of opening the first provincial high school in the Philippines—Tarlac High School on 1 Sep. 1902—and was its first principal. The high school had an initial enrolment of 35 students which grew to 93 before the end of that year. White served for 2 months, and then appointed Division Superintendent for Tarlac province. The high school he founded would have a permanent 2-storey building of  Oregon pine, a 76 feet long and 42 feet wide. It was built though the initiative of his successor, Mr. S.C. Campbell,  at a cost of Php 48,000. It opened in 1904. White rose to become the 4^th Director of Education of the Philippine islands, but died an early death due to an illness on 17 Aug. 1913.  Unfortunately, the heritage building was razed by fire on 28 Oct. 2015. For years, tales of a “white ghost” haunting the high school were often heard—but this must have been simply a reference to the teacher who made history in Tarlac—Mr. Frank Russell White.

A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF THOMASITES ASSIGNED TO PAMPANGA & TARLAC

Albright, Henrietta M., Tarlac, Tarlac

Anderson, Carrie E. Arayat, Pampanga Intermediate

Ansbro, Lucinda, Tarlac, Tarlac

Bass, James H. Apalit, Pampanga Supervising Teacher

Briggs, George N. Surigao, Surigao, Cagayan and Misamis; San Fernando, Pampanga and Bataan Division Superintendent

Campbell, S.A. Tarlac, Tarlac; Cavite Division Superintendent

Carleton, Charles W. Bacolor, Pampanga Industrial School

Derkum, Agnes M. Mexico, Pampanga Intermediate School

Flaherty, Joseph L. Mabalacat, Pampanga Supervising Teacher

Franke, Walter E. Florida-Blanca, Pampanga Supervising Teacher

Gambill, J.M. San Fernando, Pampanga Supervising Teacher

Gammill, J.A. Iloilo, Iloilo andAntique; San Fernando, Pampanga and Bataan Superintendent

Gascon, Osmond Guagua, Pampanga In Charge Barrio School

Higley, Levi C. Bacolor, Pampanga; Lipa, Batangas Industrial School; Principal

(Secondary school)

Howard, Joseph G. Apalit, Pampanga Industrial School

Huff, Marion Bacolor, Pampanga Industrial School

Manns, Alys E. San Fernando, Pampanga Provincial High School

Manns, Thomas F. Balanga, Bataan; San Fernando, Pampanga Principal, High School (in charge)

Mayo, William L. Tarlac, Tarlac Provincial High School

McGee, Fannie, Tarlac, Tarlac

Preuitt, William E. San Fernando, Pampanga and Bataan Superintendent

Reimold, O.S., Tarlac, Tarlac

Rudy, Abraham Macabebe, Pampanga Supervising Teacher

Russell, Florence E. Tarlac, Tarlac Provincial High School

Russell, H.C. Laoag, Ilocos Norte; Tarlac, Tarlac Principal, High School

Shearer, Lucy B. San Fernando, Pampanga Provincial High School

Vaughan, William T. Candaba, Pampanga Supervising Teacher

Williamson, Katherine P. San Fernando,Pampanga Provincial High School

Young, Katherine M. San Fernando, Pampanga Provincial High School

SOURCES:

Alan Derkum, Carroll Peabody, John W.Osborn : www.viewsfromthepampang.blogspot.com

Lulu Long-Higley: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25692851/levi-campbell-higley

Frank Russell White: http://www.tarlachs71.com/about_tarlac_high_school.php, 

Photo of Kilmer O. Moe's calling Card: Doris Manlapaz, Magalang Historical Society

Photo of Luther Parker in Arayat: John Tewell, flickr.com

Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 25. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/p/philamer/acp1028.0001.025?rgn=main;view=fulltext

Dizon, Lino L., Mr. White, A Thomasite History of Tarlac Province 1901-1913, in Honor of Frank Russell White. Published by the Center for Tarlaqueño Stduies and the Center for Kapampangan Studies, 2002.

Larkin, John A. The Pampangans,: Colonial Society in a Philippine Province © 1972 The Regents of the University of California, 19913 Edition by new ay Publishing. Pp.143-157.

Gutierrez-David, Jose. The Story of my Life, unpublished memoirs

53. 20 FOLK GAMES THAT KAPAMPANGAN KIDS DON’T PLAY ANYMORE

Before the age of computer technology that brought us Tetris, Counterstrike, Super Mario, Dota, Angry Birds and Final Fantasy, it took very little for children to have great fun during their leisure hours. There were a lot of folk games to choose from, that did not require batteries, and complex gadgetry —sometimes it would just take a hole on the ground, two bamboo sticks, or even stones and shells to amuse one’s self. In the 1950s, Kapampangan writer E. Aguilar Cruz noted, “In my time, we children were still familiar with the rhymes learned from our elders and used them at play. But already, I must admit, the old games were being played less and less. Tubigan and sala-salaginto seemed too rustic for young moderns  even for their names alone.” Here’s a look-back at some of the old time games Kapampangan kids in the neighborhood played.

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BENDING. Children carry a slipper in all sorts of manner—balanced on top of the head, or on an outstretched arm, tucked under a bent arm or leg—across a distance without falling it to the ground.

BUKINGKINGAN. The local name of “pitik-bulag”. Player A covers his eyes with one hand.  Player B, his opponent, flicks the covering hand of Player A, while he holds up his other hand with a number of fingers. Player A releases his hand cover and quickly holds the other hand up. The number of fingers  he holds up must match that of Player B.

GILING-GILING ISTATWA. Participants intone “Giling-giling istatwa…Ing galo ya ing taya” (Go round and round the statue. He who moves is “it”!). After which, everybody stand immobile; the first to move becomes the “taya”.

HOLEN. Games involving marbles include rolling them in sequence into holes dug on the ground; or putting a number of marbles inside a drawn circle—the objective of which is to dislodge the opponent’s marble from the circle, by hitting it with another marble at an angle (“boljak”)--, which oftentimes cause pockmarks on the marble.

JAKENPOY. The hand game of “rock-paper-scissors” is played between two people using hand shapes to symbolize  a  "rock" (closed fist), "paper" ( flat hand), and "scissors" (fingers in V-shape). In this best-of-3 duel, rock beats scissors, paper beats rock, and scissors beat paper.  Our version is derived from the Japanese “Janken Pon” game, which means “starting with a stone”, which basically has the same mechanics. It is often called today in Pilipino, as “Bato-Bato-Pick”.

LABAN BABAGWA. Also known as “saputan babagwa”, this is a spider game fight conducted on a “tingting” stick. Positioned on the opposite sides of the stick, the spiders approach each other and attempt to enwrap each other with their web. Game ends when one spider gets fully enveloped with the web (“saput”). Spiders are often kept in empty posporo boxes, fed with chili pepper (“lara”) leaves to make them aggressive.

LABULAN GOMA. The simples game involving rubber bands is “labulan goma”. Two rubber bands are placed some distance apart on a table. Players alternately blow their rubber bands to get them closer to each other. A player wins when he blows his rubber band on top of his opponent’s “goma”, which he then collects. Other rubber band games: Sungkitan goma—rubber bands are buried in a sand mound. Players alternately fish for rubber bands by sticking a “tingting” into the sand; Tirisan-goma—a knotted rubber band is laid on the floor and players alternately step or crush the rubber band to get it unknotted.

LUKSUNG BABI. Literally means “jumping over a pig”, or piggyback jumping. Participants try to jump over the bent back of a player (the back of the “pig”) . If everyone succeeds, the “pig” increases the height of his back, by raising himself up. The jumper who fails to clear he distance becomes the next “pig’s back”. Tagalogs call their version “luksong baka”.

MARO. This is the Kapampangan name of the game popularly called “agawan base” (stealing bases) by Tagalogs. Two groups  try to protect their bases, and each base has an assigned guard. Members try to penetrate each other’s  base so it can be stolen by tagging it, but when the members themselves are “tagged” by their opponents, they become prisoners, who are lined up front as bait. A prisoner can only be “saved” and released  by a fellow group member by tagging him, allowing him to return to his base.

PIKU. The local “hopscotch”. A playing court is first drawn on the ground, consisting of squares and a home base—a pit stop where one can rest both feet. The game involves transporting a “batu” gamepiece--which may be a flat stone or pebble , a pottery shard—from one square to another, until the course is finished. This must be done by hopping, skipping or tripping the “batu”, forcing it to move to the next square without touching the drawn lines. Variations: pikung baru, sampaga, bale.

SALIKUTAN. Hide and seek game. Players conceal themselves in the neighborhood, to be found by one or more seekers. Th player designated as :it” or “taya” closes his eyes, and tart counting up to 10, while players hide. He then begins to look for the hidden players, shouting “Pung!” as he finds them. The game can end in many ways, but the most common is when the “taya” locates all players. The first to be found becomes the next “taya”.  Another salikutan variation has the seeker guarding his "home base"; the hiders can come out of hiding to race to home base; once they touch it, they are considered "saved”.

SINTAK. Sintak means “to throw with some force”. It is also the name of an old game played by Kapampangan girls as early as the eighteenth century. It is similar to jackstones—minus the bouncing rubber ball. The game of skill is played with five stones, in which one stone is propelled upwards, and while still in mid-air, another stone is picked up and the falling stone is caught at the same time. A variation is the Tagalog ‘siklot’, where the back of the palm is used to catch the stones.

SISINGLE. This is a singing variation of “talanan dutung”. It starts with a line of  children holding hands, with the lead child holding fast to a wooden wall, gate, tree trunk, or nay wooden object. With held hands swaying, they sing—“Sisingle, sisingle, dakal lang anak single, salibatu, salibatu, buntuk ng Kapitan Besyu. Boom-boom! Mamakbung!”. The last kid on the line now marches under the arm of the lead child touching wooden wall; this causes the arms of the first child to be crossed. The march continues, until all the children in the line have their arms crossed, and only then is the singing finished. At the last note of the song, the players break the line and scamper to look for a wooden object to touch. A player who fails to do so becomes the next “taya”, who calls for the next change of position.

SUNGKA. Sungká is ancient strategy board game that has versions all over the world—from Africa, North America to Asia—where it is known by names like mancala, chongka, congkak, bao, and oware. The board is played on a sungkahan, a carved length of wood with seven pits and two larger pits at both ends designated as “bale” (house). The game involves distributing the shells or pebbles around the pits, by dropping them  into the holes one by one, including putting one in his “bale”.  The objective is to empty all seven pits on one side and the player with the most number of shells in his “bale” wins. Old sungkahans, often carved with designs, are seen more in antique shops than in homes today.

SYATUNG. The tools of the syatung are two bamboo sticks, one at least a foot long, and the other, shorter by a third. The players take turn at hitting the shorter stick with the long stick, placed in a crevice on the ground. This causes it to somersault, which then is hit again in mid-air by the long stick. The object of the game is to land the shorter stick at a farther distance, which is measured by the same stick. The losing player has to run this distance while shouting “syatuuuuuuuung”, until he reaches the game’s starting point—the crevice on the ground. Variations of the name: syatu, shoktung.

TAMBUBUNG. Known as “patintero” in the Tagalog  region, it is the most widely played native game in the country. A playing field is drawn on the ground—3 sections, divided by a line in the middle. There are 5 players in each of the 2 competing teams. The object of tambubung is to get past the lines, which are guarded by players of the opposite team; one guard can traverse the middle line. Team loses when all its player gets tagged by a guard, and are eliminated.  The team then exchange places. “Tambobong” means a barn, or a granary. It is also the old name of Malabon.

TEKS. Teks are small playing cards with  illustrations of superheroes, comics, movie and TV series characters. These are used for trading, as well as for toss-up games, and were avidly collected in the 1960s-70s. Players bet on which side the teks card will come up, and the outcome is decided by flicking the teks in the air. Players often have favorite cards that they use for flipping;  all others are basically used as betting currency.

TILTIL-BAGUK.  This hand game with a fanciful name (“Dip in baguk” or salty shrimp relish)”is played by two children. One player holds his palm up in front of his opponent, and the other player “dips” his pointing finger in the middle of the open palm. The player then chants “tiltil…..baguk!”, after which he closes his palm in an attempt to entrap the opponent’s finger.

TOMPYANG. Children form a circle, put their hands on top of each other, count “metung, adua, atlu”, raise them up in the air, and bring them down again, some palms up and others palm down, eliminating whichever is the majority, until one hand is left. The object of this process is to choose either the “mano”(leader)or the “taya” (“it”, the dunce or pursuer) of the succeeding game.

TUKUPAN-SILIMAN. Kapampangan version of “Blindman’s bluff”. Tukupan-siliman means " to darken by covering eyes with cupped hands"The player designated as “taya” ( “it”) is blindfolded and tries to find his co-players gathered around him. The co-players move about, bluffing the blindfolded “taya” by calling out their locations and issuing misleading directions.

SOURCES:

Adapted from Dr. Lino L. Dizon’s article, ‘games Children Don’t Play Anymore”, Singsing Magazine, vol. 2, no. 1

Castro, Alex R., “Toy Stories”, Views from the Pampang, www.viewsfromthepampang.blogspot

PICTURE SOURCES:

Bukingkingan (pitik bulag): Francis Nollan Photography, https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/1a/8f/99/1a8f99d109fdf049567be4e25e3235b2.jpg

Giling-giling istatwa: https://yogainmyschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/dancing-kids-statue.jpg

Holen: https://www.pinterest.com/bafeey/filipino-games/

Jak en Poy: http://www.philja.com/bbs/pds/philhobby/1350959791.JPG

Laban-babagwa: Fililipino Heritage, vol, VI. Felta Publishing.

Labulan goma: https://www.flickr.com/photos/teachertina/1463408226

Luksong babi:  http://picturesify.com/gallery/luksong+baka+game/3

Maro: http://www.traveling-up.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/aeta-youth-fest-game-agawan-base-2.jpg

Piko: http://www.istockphoto.com/vector/girl-playing-hopscotch-gm165805264-19924809?esource=SEO_GIS_CDN_Redirect

Sisingle: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/200000/velka/children-holding-hands-silhouette.jpg

Syatung: https://mcclydeabenoja.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/old-school-games/

Tambubung: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/112097478194894854/

 Tiltil Baguk: https://previews.123rf.com/images/jjayo/jjayo0902/jjayo090200068/4374324-hand-pointing-finger-inside-palm-over-white-background-Stock-Photo.jpg

Tukupan-Siliman: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/128211920616319627/
Bending, Salikutan, Sungka, Teks, Tompyang: Alex R. Castro photos