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By Perry Gil S. Mallari
Photo by KJ Rosales, Additional pictures courtesy of the Cua Family
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Steven T.
Cua |
The Mabuhay Rotonda (originally The Welcome
Rotonda) is a towering monument at the boundary of Quezon City and
Manila. Architect Luciano V. Aquino built the structure in 1948
during the term of Mayor Ponciano Bernardo to greet visitors of the
newly established capital of the Philippines. From that time on, the
monument has become a silent witness to the influx of change on the
borders of the country’s two foremost cities.
The old monolithic structure hardly attracts the
attention of pedestrians and commuters anymore, except when
demonstrators in protest of the government assemble in the area or
when some lunatic climbs on top of it. But this year, in celebration
of the 60th anniversary of the monument, Steven T. Cua, a descendant
of one of the first settlers in the area decided to chronicle and
showcase to the public the history of Welcome Rotonda (Rotonda is a
Spanish term for “roundabout”) as seen through the eyes of his
family.
“My late father, Benito Cua Sun Sing,
established a refreshment store here, a stone’s throw away from
the rotonda in 1948,” he narrates, referring to the present
location of the Welcome Supermart that his family owns up to this
day. Cua, who grew up in the 60s and now runs the business, has put
up an impromptu historical exhibit at the entrance of his store,
displaying memorabilia from the business’ beginnings 60 years ago
including original sepia photographs and receipts. He believes that
it is his small way of educating the public on the rich history of
the place. He clarifies though that he is not a historian by
training, “I am a management graduate from Ateneo and I believe my
interest in history stems from my love of philosophy,” he points
out, adding, “I have an eye for details and I remember things
without even trying, like the memories of my first day in school.”
Quezon City was declared as the nation’s new
capital on July 17, 1948 (it remained so until 1976) and the older
Cua started establishing his business with nine other partners in
February of the same year. “I presumed my father has seen the
construction of the rotonda and believed the place is good for
business,” Cua relates. “My father, who was an overseas Chinese
was originally into farming,” he adds, continuing, “With a
farmer’s instinct latent in him, he chose this spot where our
business now stands because of its high elevation, making it safe
from floods during the rainy season.”
Cua adds that Quezon City has a hilly terrain
that explains why most of the streets near the rotonda, which is
toted as the city’s highest point, were named after mountains.
Among the streets he mentioned are Apo, Mayon, Kanlaon, Banawe, Agno
and Pulog. “My father said there were just about 10 houses in this
area during that time and you can see the mountain range of Marikina
from this point,” he relates.
Based on the narratives of his late father, Cua
reveals that the site around the rotonda has become the informal
terminal of the newly invented jeepneys during that time plying the
routes from Quezon City to Manila and back. “The passengers from
Manila were usually thirsty and hungry when they get off at the
rotonda and our store, then named Rotonda Grocery and Cold Store, is
where they get their malamig [cold drinks],” he narrates, with a
whim of nostalgia in his voice.
Cua also adds that it is interesting to note
that the original owner of the lot where their store was built was a
prominent person, “The land once belonged to Jose Valero, a former
president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce,” he reveals. The
newly opened residential city had also become the new dwellings of
prominent and opulent families, “The Tuazons and the Zamoras were
the original residents of Quezon City,” says Cua. He also
emphasizes the isolated and bucolic nature of the place during that
time, “It is an interesting fact that the Quezon Institute [where
the victims of tuberculosis were being cared for] was built in
Quezon City.”
Cua’s father, then known as Mang Susing or
Kabise, had become a popular friendly figure in the area and even
acquired the unofficial title “the little mayor of the rotonda.”
Explaining the etymology of the term “kabise,” Cua explains,
“It was derived from the Spanish word ‘cabisera,’ which means
‘the head of the table.’ The word “kabise” essentially means
“boss” or “head honcho.” He says that even now, he still
bumps into some men who grew up in the 1960s in the area who have
fond recollections of his father, “Si Kabise binibigyan ako ng
champoy noong bata pa ako [Kabise used to give me champoy when I was
still a kid],” one guy told him once.
The rotonda and their family business have been
part and parcel of Cua’s childhood memories and he talks details
from that blissful past like a child would of his favorite toy. He
remembers well his joyrides in their sturdy Chevrolet delivery truck
with their driver Manong Mariano along the length of E. Rodriguez
Avenue (originally Espańa Extension), “Minsan hinahabol pa kami
ng pulis [Sometimes a police car would chase us],” he says with a
chuckle.
Cua describes objects in their original store
with vivid imagery, “We have an old-style steel cooler then, the
type where cold water churns continuously inside, cooling the soft
drinks bottles. Kids love to dip their fingers in the ripple, you
know,” he narrates, laughing. The jovial businessman turned
historian even named some of the popular refreshments that are now
long-gone, “We have this fruity drink called Canada Dry available
in strawberry, grape and orange flavors and of course there’s
Chocovim [a milk-chocolate drink].” Cua proudly states that he
literally grew up inside their store, “Ang sabi ng iba Chinese are
very entrepreneurial pero in my case nasa sistema ko eh [Some people
say the Chinese are very entrepreneurial but in my case it runs in
my system],” he says explaining his upbringing as a businessman.
Welcome Rotonda was renamed The Mabuhay Rotonda
on May 17, 1995, during the term of Mayor Ishmael Mathay, a
development that Cua did not resent. “Mabuhay [Long Live]” as
the new name of the monument is definitely more Filipino,” he
comments. Recalling the old look of the rotonda, Cua narrates, “It
has a pond and a fountain around it surrounded by four lions.” The
monument was built of solid blocks of marble piled upon one another
though it barely resembles that material today because the structure
was coated with white paint that has caught dirt and grime. “They
should have just polished the marble,” Cua opines. When asked what
his motivations are for this endeavor, he explains that knowledge of
history brings appreciation and pride. “Each one has a story to
tell like your lolo [grandfather] or your tatay [father],” he
says, adding, “If the person goes—the story goes. When they pass
away without somebody chronicling their accounts, then those who are
left behind can only speculate what really happened.”
Broadening the scope of his discourse, Cua
stresses the importance of leaving behind institutions that will be
a source of pride for the people. “There’s a wanton destruction
of historical sites in the Philippines today and it’s a sad fact
that personalities reign rather than institutions even in our
government,” he laments. He intones that the humble historical
exhibit he put up at the entrance of his store could be a
springboard for a grander initiative. When requested to comment on
the possibility of him writing a book on the subject, Cua ponders
for a moment, before answering. “Why not?” He says smiling,
throwing a pensive glance at his beloved rotonda.
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