Davao City High School Batch 1988

Candido Alburuto writes:

Bay Rene,

Kining akong sulat ron, Bay Rene, pahinungod sa kasaulogan sa Adlaw sa Minatay, kon “kalag-kalag” sa umaabot nga Martes pohon.

Duna ko’y istorya mahitungod sa maong kasaulogan. Nahitabo mga duha na ka tuig ang milabay. Nahinumdom ka tingali, Bay Rene, kang Tiyo Ating nga akong uyoan nga ulitawong guwang. (Kadto gong bayoti nga niwangon, taas ug buhok ug gikulata sa lakra sa buti ang nawong?)

Adlaw sa minatay ug didto ko sa Comunal sa Buhangin niadtong tungora. Layo ang sementeryo ug wala mi mga kwarta, gani didto na lang mi sa balay ni Tiyo Lasyo nga maguwang ni Ating, nagmantener ug bahal ug sumsuman nga nilung-ag nga saging.

Kini si Ating dunay abilidad nga nakat-unan sa Cebu - kanang gitawag nga “spirit of the glass”. Pinaagi nianang maong dula o gimbuhaton, mahimo (kuno) ni Ating tawgon ang bisag kinsang kalag sa minatay ug istoryahon. Tungod lagi kay walay laing mahimo, ug tungod usab nga gipasigarbo ug maayo ni Ating ang iyang abilidad, ningsugot ko makigkuyog nila sa dula nga “spirit of the glass”.

Ningkuha si Tiyo Ating ug usa ka manila paper diin nakasuwat ang mga letra sa alpabeto, mga numero gikan 1 ngadto 10, ug mga pulong nga yes ug no. Giplastar ni Ating ang papel sa lamisa ug gipatong ang usa ka baso. Nanag-alirong mi sa lamisa - ako; si Tiyo Lasyo, asawa nga si Benyang ug anak nga si Dyopri; Tiyo Ating ug si Pokoy, pag-umangkon ni Tiya Benyang nga gianggaan ug Sirok kay samokan ug kusog mohabhab. Kibale unom mi tanan.

Gikuha ni Ating ang baso, gipaduol sa iyang baba, ug sa nagdahunog nga tingog, ningyamyam: “Si kulas, is kolurum sibum paktum eternum. Ame-e-en! Suwod sa baso, suwod sa baso kalag nga naglaag! Usa-usa lang kay basin magdasok mo! Suwod kalag nga nasaag! Sibum paktum eternum, am-e-e-en!” Ug dayon gipakulob ang baso.

Nanimbawot ang akong balahibo, Bay Rene. Gipangkuyawan ming tanan. “Itungtong ang usa ka tudlo sa lubot sa baso, dali!” mando ni Ating sa amoa. Tungtong pod mi ug tudlo. Hinay. Gaan. “Ayaw ituklod ang baso kay gabaan mo!” Mando ni Ating.

“Kinsa ka, espiritu!” pangutana ni Tiyo Ating. Ninglihok, ninglakaw ang baso. Nakurat ko. “Naay ningtuklod? Kinsay ningtuklod?” pangutana nako sa hinay nga tingog. “Hilom!” mando ni Ating.

Hinay, hinay, ninglakaw ang baso, tuyok-tuyok, sa manila paper. Hunong kadiyot sa letra R, dayon sa O-Q-U-E. “Si Tatay Oking!” siyagit ni Benyang. Nangluspad si Tiyo Lasyo - kalag sa iyang ugangan ang naa suwod sa baso.

Gihunghong ni Benyang ang sunod nga pangutana. “Okey ka lang, Tay?” Dagan ang baso sa pulong “No”. Kahilakon si Benyang. “Ngano man, Tay?” Dagan ang baso sa mga letra P-A-L-H-U-B-G; hunong kadiyot, unya sa mga letra L-A-S-Y-O-W. “Unsa to, unsa to?” dungan ming nangutana.

Naglisod gamay sa ispeling ang kalag sa tiguwang. Si Tiyo Ating ang ninghubad. “Wa malipay si Tatay Oking kay palahubog si Lasyo”. Giyabo ni Tiyo Lasyo ang bahal nga iyang gigunitan. “Ta-ta-ta-tay Oki-king”, pangutana ni Lasyo sa nagkurog ug hungaw nga tingog, “unsang kurso ang mahuman sa imong apo nga si Dyopri?”

Dagan na pod ang baso. A-B-U-S-G-A-D-O. “Ma-abogado ka Dong,” sulti ni Lasyo kang Dyopri nga 23 na ang edad apan Grade 3 pa. “Abogado ka Dong! Okey, olrayt!” Dili kaayo ko kumbensido. “Dili ba kaha to ABUSADO?” Gisigaan kog mata ni Benyang. “Dili man diay ka kamao mobasa, Candido,” singhag ni Benyang. “Balhin tag espiritu Ating!”

Balhin mi. Sunod nga ningsuwod sa baso si H-O-S-E R-I-S-A-L : wala mi ikapangutana. Sunod si B-O-N-I-P-A-S-Y-O : wala gihapon pangutana. “Kinsa toy pangalan sa imong silingan nga bayot nga bag-o pa namatay?” gipangutana ko ni Tiyo Ating. “Beethoven, Tiyo. Pasudla sa baso kay pangutan-on nato.” Apan wala makasuwod si Beethoven kay naglisod tingali ang baso ug ispeling sa iyang pangalan.

“Tyo Ating,” hunghong ni Pokoy Sirok, “ibalik kuno si Lolo Oking. Mangutana lang unta ko.” Gipasuwod na usab sa baso si Lolo Oking. “Lo Oking,” pangutana ni Pokoy Sirok. “Unsa ba intawon ang akong kaugmaon? Ma-teacher ba ko?” Maoy ambisyon ni Pokoy.

Dagan ang baso padulong sa T. Gikan sa T, padulong unta sa E apan ninglahos sa A. Nabuang kadiyot ang baso ngadto ngari apan sa katapusan naporma ang T-A-M-B-A-Y. Kahilakon si Pokoy sa kahiubos; gibasol sa iyang mga mata si Tiyo Ating. Wala nananghid, ninglakaw si Pokoy. Nagbagulbol. “Tambay bitaw! Tambay uroy!”

Padayon ang dula; apan nangundang mi sa dihang ningsuwod sa baso si S-R-A-T-A-N D-E-M-Y-O. Pwerteng hadloka ni Ating. “Yawa!” siyagit ni Ating, dayon gihayang ang baso. Gikuyawan ming tanan, labaw na si Ating nga pwerteng luspara. Lawom na ang kagab-ihon; dili na unta mouli si Ating apan amo gikataw-an. Bisag nahadlok, ninglakaw.

Walay pay minuto sa dihang nadungog namo ang makalilisang nga tiyabaw ni Ating. “Santilmo! Yawa! Demonyo!” siyaok ni Ating nga nagkaratel ug dagan ug gikuyapan sa tugkaran. Dagan mi pakanaog.

Tuod man, sa dalan nga naputos sa kangitngit, sa punoan sa sambag, dunay naglakaw nga dila sa kalayo - hinay, hayag. Santilmo! Kuha si Lasyo ug atsa; si Benyang, krus nga lukay. Gipunit nako ang flashlight ug giplaslaytan ang dila sa kalayo nga naglakaw sa dalan. Gilabay ni Lasyo ug atsa; giabog-abog ni Benyang sa krus nga lukay.

Ningpaduol namo ang kayo nga naglakaw. Kadaganon na mi, apan sa hayag sa flashlight, nakita nako si Pokoy nga nagpahipi sa punoan sa sambag, naggunit ug bao. Sa buko-buko sa bao dunay kandila nga perdon nga nakataod. “Komedya ra to, Tiyo,” bagulbol ni Pokoy. “Tambay uroy!”

Gidapog ni Tiyo Lasyo sa agtang si Pokoy ug gitabang namo si Tiyo Ating nga nagbilangkad nga nakuyapan sa yuta. Buntag na nabalikan ug panimuot si Ating. Wa na lang namo siya tug-ani nga ang “santilmo” kandila nga nakataud sa buko-buko sa bao.

Wala na lang mi magsaba, Bay Rene.

Sukad niadto, wa na usab ganahi si Tiyo Ating magdula ug “espirit op da glas.”

Sincerely,

Candido Alburuto.

Ricochet By Rene Ezpeleta Bartolo

Candido Alburuto writes:

Bay Rene,

Kining akong sulat ron, Bay Rene, pahinungod sa kasaulogan sa Adlaw sa Minatay, kon “kalag-kalag” sa umaabot nga Martes pohon.

Duna ko’y istorya mahitungod sa maong kasaulogan. Nahitabo mga duha na ka tuig ang milabay. Nahinumdom ka tingali, Bay Rene, kang Tiyo Ating nga akong uyoan nga ulitawong guwang. (Kadto gong bayoti nga niwangon, taas ug buhok ug gikulata sa lakra sa buti ang nawong?)

Adlaw sa minatay ug didto ko sa Comunal sa Buhangin niadtong tungora. Layo ang sementeryo ug wala mi mga kwarta, gani didto na lang mi sa balay ni Tiyo Lasyo nga maguwang ni Ating, nagmantener ug bahal ug sumsuman nga nilung-ag nga saging.

Kini si Ating dunay abilidad nga nakat-unan sa Cebu - kanang gitawag nga “spirit of the glass”. Pinaagi nianang maong dula o gimbuhaton, mahimo (kuno) ni Ating tawgon ang bisag kinsang kalag sa minatay ug istoryahon. Tungod lagi kay walay laing mahimo, ug tungod usab nga gipasigarbo ug maayo ni Ating ang iyang abilidad, ningsugot ko makigkuyog nila sa dula nga “spirit of the glass”.

Ningkuha si Tiyo Ating ug usa ka manila paper diin nakasuwat ang mga letra sa alpabeto, mga numero gikan 1 ngadto 10, ug mga pulong nga yes ug no. Giplastar ni Ating ang papel sa lamisa ug gipatong ang usa ka baso. Nanag-alirong mi sa lamisa - ako; si Tiyo Lasyo, asawa nga si Benyang ug anak nga si Dyopri; Tiyo Ating ug si Pokoy, pag-umangkon ni Tiya Benyang nga gianggaan ug Sirok kay samokan ug kusog mohabhab. Kibale unom mi tanan.

Gikuha ni Ating ang baso, gipaduol sa iyang baba, ug sa nagdahunog nga tingog, ningyamyam: “Si kulas, is kolurum sibum paktum eternum. Ame-e-en! Suwod sa baso, suwod sa baso kalag nga naglaag! Usa-usa lang kay basin magdasok mo! Suwod kalag nga nasaag! Sibum paktum eternum, am-e-e-en!” Ug dayon gipakulob ang baso.

Nanimbawot ang akong balahibo, Bay Rene. Gipangkuyawan ming tanan. “Itungtong ang usa ka tudlo sa lubot sa baso, dali!” mando ni Ating sa amoa. Tungtong pod mi ug tudlo. Hinay. Gaan. “Ayaw ituklod ang baso kay gabaan mo!” Mando ni Ating.

“Kinsa ka, espiritu!” pangutana ni Tiyo Ating. Ninglihok, ninglakaw ang baso. Nakurat ko. “Naay ningtuklod? Kinsay ningtuklod?” pangutana nako sa hinay nga tingog. “Hilom!” mando ni Ating.

Hinay, hinay, ninglakaw ang baso, tuyok-tuyok, sa manila paper. Hunong kadiyot sa letra R, dayon sa O-Q-U-E. “Si Tatay Oking!” siyagit ni Benyang. Nangluspad si Tiyo Lasyo - kalag sa iyang ugangan ang naa suwod sa baso.

Gihunghong ni Benyang ang sunod nga pangutana. “Okey ka lang, Tay?” Dagan ang baso sa pulong “No”. Kahilakon si Benyang. “Ngano man, Tay?” Dagan ang baso sa mga letra P-A-L-H-U-B-G; hunong kadiyot, unya sa mga letra L-A-S-Y-O-W. “Unsa to, unsa to?” dungan ming nangutana.

Naglisod gamay sa ispeling ang kalag sa tiguwang. Si Tiyo Ating ang ninghubad. “Wa malipay si Tatay Oking kay palahubog si Lasyo”. Giyabo ni Tiyo Lasyo ang bahal nga iyang gigunitan. “Ta-ta-ta-tay Oki-king”, pangutana ni Lasyo sa nagkurog ug hungaw nga tingog, “unsang kurso ang mahuman sa imong apo nga si Dyopri?”

Dagan na pod ang baso. A-B-U-S-G-A-D-O. “Ma-abogado ka Dong,” sulti ni Lasyo kang Dyopri nga 23 na ang edad apan Grade 3 pa. “Abogado ka Dong! Okey, olrayt!” Dili kaayo ko kumbensido. “Dili ba kaha to ABUSADO?” Gisigaan kog mata ni Benyang. “Dili man diay ka kamao mobasa, Candido,” singhag ni Benyang. “Balhin tag espiritu Ating!”

Balhin mi. Sunod nga ningsuwod sa baso si H-O-S-E R-I-S-A-L : wala mi ikapangutana. Sunod si B-O-N-I-P-A-S-Y-O : wala gihapon pangutana. “Kinsa toy pangalan sa imong silingan nga bayot nga bag-o pa namatay?” gipangutana ko ni Tiyo Ating. “Beethoven, Tiyo. Pasudla sa baso kay pangutan-on nato.” Apan wala makasuwod si Beethoven kay naglisod tingali ang baso ug ispeling sa iyang pangalan.

“Tyo Ating,” hunghong ni Pokoy Sirok, “ibalik kuno si Lolo Oking. Mangutana lang unta ko.” Gipasuwod na usab sa baso si Lolo Oking. “Lo Oking,” pangutana ni Pokoy Sirok. “Unsa ba intawon ang akong kaugmaon? Ma-teacher ba ko?” Maoy ambisyon ni Pokoy.

Dagan ang baso padulong sa T. Gikan sa T, padulong unta sa E apan ninglahos sa A. Nabuang kadiyot ang baso ngadto ngari apan sa katapusan naporma ang T-A-M-B-A-Y. Kahilakon si Pokoy sa kahiubos; gibasol sa iyang mga mata si Tiyo Ating. Wala nananghid, ninglakaw si Pokoy. Nagbagulbol. “Tambay bitaw! Tambay uroy!”

Padayon ang dula; apan nangundang mi sa dihang ningsuwod sa baso si S-R-A-T-A-N D-E-M-Y-O. Pwerteng hadloka ni Ating. “Yawa!” siyagit ni Ating, dayon gihayang ang baso. Gikuyawan ming tanan, labaw na si Ating nga pwerteng luspara. Lawom na ang kagab-ihon; dili na unta mouli si Ating apan amo gikataw-an. Bisag nahadlok, ninglakaw.

Walay pay minuto sa dihang nadungog namo ang makalilisang nga tiyabaw ni Ating. “Santilmo! Yawa! Demonyo!” siyaok ni Ating nga nagkaratel ug dagan ug gikuyapan sa tugkaran. Dagan mi pakanaog.

Tuod man, sa dalan nga naputos sa kangitngit, sa punoan sa sambag, dunay naglakaw nga dila sa kalayo - hinay, hayag. Santilmo! Kuha si Lasyo ug atsa; si Benyang, krus nga lukay. Gipunit nako ang flashlight ug giplaslaytan ang dila sa kalayo nga naglakaw sa dalan. Gilabay ni Lasyo ug atsa; giabog-abog ni Benyang sa krus nga lukay.

Ningpaduol namo ang kayo nga naglakaw. Kadaganon na mi, apan sa hayag sa flashlight, nakita nako si Pokoy nga nagpahipi sa punoan sa sambag, naggunit ug bao. Sa buko-buko sa bao dunay kandila nga perdon nga nakataod. “Komedya ra to, Tiyo,” bagulbol ni Pokoy. “Tambay uroy!”

Gidapog ni Tiyo Lasyo sa agtang si Pokoy ug gitabang namo si Tiyo Ating nga nagbilangkad nga nakuyapan sa yuta. Buntag na nabalikan ug panimuot si Ating. Wa na lang namo siya tug-ani nga ang “santilmo” kandila nga nakataud sa buko-buko sa bao.

Wala na lang mi magsaba, Bay Rene.

Sukad niadto, wa na usab ganahi si Tiyo Ating magdula ug “espirit op da glas.”

Sincerely,

Candido Alburuto.

Ricochet By Rene Ezpeleta Bartolo

DAVAOEÑO’S Yam Laranas creepy flick Sigaw got a loud scream from American viewers and critics as it made its Hollywood debut last Wednesday at the fifth annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival, the world’s biggest genre festival. The movie is one of the top contenders for the major award in tomorrow’s culmination night, facing entries from other countries.

American film critics hailed Sigaw (international English title: Echo) as “Asian Cinema’s Next Big Thing.”

Reviewer Kevin Thomas of Los Angeles Times and calendarlive.com declared Laranas’ “stylish chiller” as “a real stunner.”

“Laranas, a master at creating an ominous atmosphere, builds to an exceptionally rigorous, satisfying conclusion. The Echo could easily become a cult film,” said Thomas.

Filmcritic.com’s Keith Breese said Sigaw is a film that spins a traditional, though sincere, ghost story, albeit updated with modern effects and camerawork.

“I doubt the Hollywood machine will be remaking it any time soon. That’s a shame, because Sigaw is a subtle, human ghost tale that will haunt you long after you’ve forgotten Dark Water or The Ring,” Breese said.

Breese gave Sigaw a stunning rate of 3 1/2 stars out of 5. That’s the same rating the critics gave Batman Begins, and higher than the ratings of big budget Hollywood movies Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (3 stars), The Island (3 stars) and Fantastic Four (2 stars).

Rowena Aquino of Asia Pacific Arts, UCLA Asia Institute said Sigaw “proves that there are great talents in all aspects of film production in the Philippines.”

In a capsule, Aquino said the film should be placed alongside the Pang Brothers’ The Eye and Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s Séance, two of the most significant horror films from Asia.

Reviewer Gopal of beyondhollywood.com said Sigaw “sports impressive visuals that make it a treat to watch.”

While he cited that the movie plot may seem familiar to genre fans, Gopal said “the film is visually arresting and does a good job of building and sustaining suspense, as well as a palpable sense of constant dread.”

“While nothing new in terms of the themes it covers or its approach to the presentation, Sigaw is still worth a look for fans of the atmospheric horror genre,” he said.

Renee A. Mallett of Fantasticadaily.com shared the same observation.

“While at its core the plot is the pretty basic haunted house with an unwitting new owner story and is not without a few flaws, Sigaw is a really compelling piece of film,” Mallett said.

“The visuals are as lovingly shot as an art film, and the location used for the old apartment building couldn’t be any creepier. The overall atmosphere of the movie is so dark and foreboding that you can’t help but get drawn in,” the reviewer added.

Mallett also hailed the acting, particularly that of Izza Calsada who plays a policeman’s battered wife.

Richard Brunton of themovieblog.com said Sigaw is a scary movie with some excellently filmed moments and superb soundtrack that will keep you tense and jumpy.

“I admit Laranas had me freaked out,” Brunton said. He said the movie is a very enjoyable horror showing subtlety over slashing.

Reviewer Staci Layne Wilson of horror.com said Sigaw is not a feel-good horror movie.

“It’s not even particularly scary or thought-provoking, but there is something oddly compelling about it. While it spends too much time on the buildup and not enough on the resolution, Sigaw is definitely worth seeing at least once,” Wilson said.

She said Sigaw is a beautifully shot film with some truly interesting camera angles and clever use of negative space.

“The moody musical score adds to the feelings of foreboding and danger, and the ambience of knocking, crying, and clanking are stealthily woven in to create a creepy cloak of sound. Each of the actors does a believable job of conveying a real sense of dread. While the solving of the mystery comes as no surprise and some questions are left hanging, the writer and director do a nice job of making the audience care what happens to the characters anyway.”

Even harsh critic AnthroFred of slasherpool.com recommended the movie for horror fans despite criticizing the film.

Saying Sigaw is a wannabe Ring rip-off, he said “it has a pretty decent plot though and there are some good scares in it which will keep you entertained.”

“Even though it might not be the best Asian horror movie that I’ve seen, I still think you ought to give this one a shot, if not for the scares but for the fact that it’s one of the few Philippine horror flicks out there,” the slasherpool.com review said.

Hollywood producer Roy Lee — the man who brought Japanese horror movies such as The Ring, The Grudge and Dark Water to Hollywood and turned them into critically acclaimed international box office hits — confessed: “I found myself jumping at certain scenes and I have seen many other horror movies where that never happens.”

Sigaw was considered as box-office flop when it was released in the Philippines as part of Metro Manila Film Festival 2004. But it grabbed three awards. It also took some awards from two respected bodies, the Gawad Urian and the Film Academy of the Philippines.

Mindanao Times
By Chris Te Fabian
Published : 2005-10-22

DAVAOEÑO’S Yam Laranas creepy flick Sigaw got a loud scream from American viewers and critics as it made its Hollywood debut last Wednesday at the fifth annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival, the world’s biggest genre festival. The movie is one of the top contenders for the major award in tomorrow’s culmination night, facing entries from other countries.

American film critics hailed Sigaw (international English title: Echo) as “Asian Cinema’s Next Big Thing.”

Reviewer Kevin Thomas of Los Angeles Times and calendarlive.com declared Laranas’ “stylish chiller” as “a real stunner.”

“Laranas, a master at creating an ominous atmosphere, builds to an exceptionally rigorous, satisfying conclusion. The Echo could easily become a cult film,” said Thomas.

Filmcritic.com’s Keith Breese said Sigaw is a film that spins a traditional, though sincere, ghost story, albeit updated with modern effects and camerawork.

“I doubt the Hollywood machine will be remaking it any time soon. That’s a shame, because Sigaw is a subtle, human ghost tale that will haunt you long after you’ve forgotten Dark Water or The Ring,” Breese said.

Breese gave Sigaw a stunning rate of 3 1/2 stars out of 5. That’s the same rating the critics gave Batman Begins, and higher than the ratings of big budget Hollywood movies Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (3 stars), The Island (3 stars) and Fantastic Four (2 stars).

Rowena Aquino of Asia Pacific Arts, UCLA Asia Institute said Sigaw “proves that there are great talents in all aspects of film production in the Philippines.”

In a capsule, Aquino said the film should be placed alongside the Pang Brothers’ The Eye and Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s Séance, two of the most significant horror films from Asia.

Reviewer Gopal of beyondhollywood.com said Sigaw “sports impressive visuals that make it a treat to watch.”

While he cited that the movie plot may seem familiar to genre fans, Gopal said “the film is visually arresting and does a good job of building and sustaining suspense, as well as a palpable sense of constant dread.”

“While nothing new in terms of the themes it covers or its approach to the presentation, Sigaw is still worth a look for fans of the atmospheric horror genre,” he said.

Renee A. Mallett of Fantasticadaily.com shared the same observation.

“While at its core the plot is the pretty basic haunted house with an unwitting new owner story and is not without a few flaws, Sigaw is a really compelling piece of film,” Mallett said.

“The visuals are as lovingly shot as an art film, and the location used for the old apartment building couldn’t be any creepier. The overall atmosphere of the movie is so dark and foreboding that you can’t help but get drawn in,” the reviewer added.

Mallett also hailed the acting, particularly that of Izza Calsada who plays a policeman’s battered wife.

Richard Brunton of themovieblog.com said Sigaw is a scary movie with some excellently filmed moments and superb soundtrack that will keep you tense and jumpy.

“I admit Laranas had me freaked out,” Brunton said. He said the movie is a very enjoyable horror showing subtlety over slashing.

Reviewer Staci Layne Wilson of horror.com said Sigaw is not a feel-good horror movie.

“It’s not even particularly scary or thought-provoking, but there is something oddly compelling about it. While it spends too much time on the buildup and not enough on the resolution, Sigaw is definitely worth seeing at least once,” Wilson said.

She said Sigaw is a beautifully shot film with some truly interesting camera angles and clever use of negative space.

“The moody musical score adds to the feelings of foreboding and danger, and the ambience of knocking, crying, and clanking are stealthily woven in to create a creepy cloak of sound. Each of the actors does a believable job of conveying a real sense of dread. While the solving of the mystery comes as no surprise and some questions are left hanging, the writer and director do a nice job of making the audience care what happens to the characters anyway.”

Even harsh critic AnthroFred of slasherpool.com recommended the movie for horror fans despite criticizing the film.

Saying Sigaw is a wannabe Ring rip-off, he said “it has a pretty decent plot though and there are some good scares in it which will keep you entertained.”

“Even though it might not be the best Asian horror movie that I’ve seen, I still think you ought to give this one a shot, if not for the scares but for the fact that it’s one of the few Philippine horror flicks out there,” the slasherpool.com review said.

Hollywood producer Roy Lee — the man who brought Japanese horror movies such as The Ring, The Grudge and Dark Water to Hollywood and turned them into critically acclaimed international box office hits — confessed: “I found myself jumping at certain scenes and I have seen many other horror movies where that never happens.”

Sigaw was considered as box-office flop when it was released in the Philippines as part of Metro Manila Film Festival 2004. But it grabbed three awards. It also took some awards from two respected bodies, the Gawad Urian and the Film Academy of the Philippines.

Mindanao Times
By Chris Te Fabian
Published : 2005-10-22

How can one distinguish a Davaoeno to a Cebuano? Or to a Cagayanon?
Difficult? Easy. Davaoenos are one of the most unique people in the
world. We can easily stand out if we are placed in a crowd of
Filipinos from other parts of the country. And how, you say?
Language.

Davao City, aptly called the melting pot of cultures, is home to
many dialects. Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilonggo, Ilocano, Chavacano, Moslem,
Bicolano. Name it, we’ll speak it. If the Filipino language is a
composition of all the dialects and languages in the Philippines,
you might as well say that the language we speak in Davao City is the
real Filipino language, and not Tagalog.

However, since it is a hodgepodge of different tongues, it is
sometimes funny to hear our language “bastardizing”, for lack of
better word, the other dialects. Strangely, that distinguishes
us from the rest.

Try these.

In stating a fact, Manilenos say, “Talagang mabait si Weng.”
In Davao, we say. “Mabait bitaw gyud si Weng”.

Too assertive? One asks, “Ano nga `yong pangalan mo?”.
In Davao we say, “Ano gani `yong pangalan (or worst, ngalan) mo?”.

When somebody commits a mistake or surprises someone, we always never fail
to say, “Halaka!”. Duh.

We are fond of re-constructing the language.
There’s the GI+ verb, such as,”Gisabi kasi ni Helen na mag-absent si Bernerd bukas”, or “Ginanon ni Lalai si Belinda sa mukha”.

You’ll never find “ginanon” in any dictionary, I swear to God.
There’s the KA+ adjective, as in,

“Kaputi gyud ng mukha ni Yang-yang” or “Kapayat gyud ni Jason
ngayon.” The MAKA+ verb form, such as, “Maka-inis talaga si Albert,
uy!” or “Maka-uwi talaga ako ng matagal ngayon”.

The NAG+ verb, as in,”Nagsabi kasi si Tita Prescy na pupunta daw
tayo ng airport” or “Hindi pa man siya nagdating, uy!”

Adding new words or new meanings to old words to the dictionary is
one of our favorite past time. NAKIN: “Alam man nakin `yan ba!”,

“Saan nakin kita nakita gani?”. KU-AN: “Ku-an daw ang gawin mo”, “Si
ku-an kasi ano masyado”. (No sense at all.)

ANO: “Na-ano ka diyan, Bryan!”, “Ano man yan si Van, uy!”.
HA: “Lake-ha na ng tiyan ni Lulu uy!”, “Gwapa-ha niya uy!”
BEH: “Sige daw beh, dare!”, “Pakipasa daw ng ballpen ni Tzaris beh”.
KAY: “Huwag na, Wowie, kay nandito naman si Norma”, “Umupo ka muna
kay nasa-CR pa si Elma.”

To express disgust over someone, we utter,
“Gago kaba diay para maniwala sa kanya”, or “Ano man yan siya uy!”, or “Maka-inis man yan
siya, uy!”, or when pestered when doing something, you’d quip,”Huwag lagi ba!”

On the other hand, when we praise somebody’s extra special deed or talent, our Davaoeno tongue slips words like,”Kuyaw lagi `yan siya!”, “Galenga niya uy!”, “Ayusa niya uy!”,
“Kuyawa ni Orly uy!” or “Hindi ako makatu-o sa ginawa niya!” . Hay,
makatawa talaga. Ooops!

There are just so too many words to mention. Just check out the
words you speak everyday. Sometimes you just laugh at yourself when you
realize that you’ve just said those very words. No matter
how long you stay in Manila or in the States, the moment you’re back
to Davao, your tongue feels as at home as you do. Language is the
very soul of every being. You just can’t do anything about it.

Or as how we say it, “Anohin man natin yan?”

How can one distinguish a Davaoeno to a Cebuano? Or to a Cagayanon?
Difficult? Easy. Davaoenos are one of the most unique people in the
world. We can easily stand out if we are placed in a crowd of
Filipinos from other parts of the country. And how, you say?
Language.

Davao City, aptly called the melting pot of cultures, is home to
many dialects. Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilonggo, Ilocano, Chavacano, Moslem,
Bicolano. Name it, we’ll speak it. If the Filipino language is a
composition of all the dialects and languages in the Philippines,
you might as well say that the language we speak in Davao City is the
real Filipino language, and not Tagalog.

However, since it is a hodgepodge of different tongues, it is
sometimes funny to hear our language “bastardizing”, for lack of
better word, the other dialects. Strangely, that distinguishes
us from the rest.

Try these.

In stating a fact, Manilenos say, “Talagang mabait si Weng.”
In Davao, we say. “Mabait bitaw gyud si Weng”.

Too assertive? One asks, “Ano nga `yong pangalan mo?”.
In Davao we say, “Ano gani `yong pangalan (or worst, ngalan) mo?”.

When somebody commits a mistake or surprises someone, we always never fail
to say, “Halaka!”. Duh.

We are fond of re-constructing the language.
There’s the GI+ verb, such as,”Gisabi kasi ni Helen na mag-absent si Bernerd bukas”, or “Ginanon ni Lalai si Belinda sa mukha”.

You’ll never find “ginanon” in any dictionary, I swear to God.
There’s the KA+ adjective, as in,

“Kaputi gyud ng mukha ni Yang-yang” or “Kapayat gyud ni Jason
ngayon.” The MAKA+ verb form, such as, “Maka-inis talaga si Albert,
uy!” or “Maka-uwi talaga ako ng matagal ngayon”.

The NAG+ verb, as in,”Nagsabi kasi si Tita Prescy na pupunta daw
tayo ng airport” or “Hindi pa man siya nagdating, uy!”

Adding new words or new meanings to old words to the dictionary is
one of our favorite past time. NAKIN: “Alam man nakin `yan ba!”,

“Saan nakin kita nakita gani?”. KU-AN: “Ku-an daw ang gawin mo”, “Si
ku-an kasi ano masyado”. (No sense at all.)

ANO: “Na-ano ka diyan, Bryan!”, “Ano man yan si Van, uy!”.
HA: “Lake-ha na ng tiyan ni Lulu uy!”, “Gwapa-ha niya uy!”
BEH: “Sige daw beh, dare!”, “Pakipasa daw ng ballpen ni Tzaris beh”.
KAY: “Huwag na, Wowie, kay nandito naman si Norma”, “Umupo ka muna
kay nasa-CR pa si Elma.”

To express disgust over someone, we utter,
“Gago kaba diay para maniwala sa kanya”, or “Ano man yan siya uy!”, or “Maka-inis man yan
siya, uy!”, or when pestered when doing something, you’d quip,”Huwag lagi ba!”

On the other hand, when we praise somebody’s extra special deed or talent, our Davaoeno tongue slips words like,”Kuyaw lagi `yan siya!”, “Galenga niya uy!”, “Ayusa niya uy!”,
“Kuyawa ni Orly uy!” or “Hindi ako makatu-o sa ginawa niya!” . Hay,
makatawa talaga. Ooops!

There are just so too many words to mention. Just check out the
words you speak everyday. Sometimes you just laugh at yourself when you
realize that you’ve just said those very words. No matter
how long you stay in Manila or in the States, the moment you’re back
to Davao, your tongue feels as at home as you do. Language is the
very soul of every being. You just can’t do anything about it.

Or as how we say it, “Anohin man natin yan?”

First posted 09:58pm (Mla time) Oct 15, 2005 Inquirer News Service
Editor’s Note:
Published on page A2-4 of the October 16, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

LOS ANGELES—YAM LARANAS’ “SIGAW (The Echo)” is off to a screaming good start at the fifth annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival and Screenplay Competition which runs here until Oct. 23.
Los Angeles Times’ film reviewer Kevin Thomas declared the thriller of Laranas, who is now represented by a Hollywood talent agent, as “a real stunner.”
In a capsule review, Thomas said the Richard Gutierrez-Angel Locsin starrer was also a “stylish chiller.”
He added: “Laranas, a master at creating an ominous atmosphere, builds to an exceptionally rigorous, satisfying conclusion. ‘The Echo’ could easily become a cult film.”
“The Echo,” which won several awards in the 2004 Metro Manila Film Festival, including a Best Child Performer award for Janella Denise Guevara, will be shown on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m. at the Universal Studios Cinemas, 100 Universal City Plaza in Universal City.

*Yam Laranas is a Davao City (National) High School alumnus Batch 1985

First posted 09:58pm (Mla time) Oct 15, 2005 Inquirer News Service
Editor’s Note:
Published on page A2-4 of the October 16, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

LOS ANGELES—YAM LARANAS’ “SIGAW (The Echo)” is off to a screaming good start at the fifth annual Screamfest Horror Film Festival and Screenplay Competition which runs here until Oct. 23.
Los Angeles Times’ film reviewer Kevin Thomas declared the thriller of Laranas, who is now represented by a Hollywood talent agent, as “a real stunner.”
In a capsule review, Thomas said the Richard Gutierrez-Angel Locsin starrer was also a “stylish chiller.”
He added: “Laranas, a master at creating an ominous atmosphere, builds to an exceptionally rigorous, satisfying conclusion. ‘The Echo’ could easily become a cult film.”
“The Echo,” which won several awards in the 2004 Metro Manila Film Festival, including a Best Child Performer award for Janella Denise Guevara, will be shown on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m. at the Universal Studios Cinemas, 100 Universal City Plaza in Universal City.

*Yam Laranas is a Davao City (National) High School alumnus Batch 1985

Borja ignores pain, survives second Chicago
Marathon
By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
Sunstar Davao
Friday, October 14, 2005

MARLON Borja did it again.

Exactly a year after surviving his first Chicago
Marathon, Borja fought off excruciating pain and
mustered enough strength to emerge finisher anew
in Windy City.

Borja, who is from Davao City but is now based in
Madison, Wisconsin, was so inspired in running
the race that he registered a faster time this year
at a chip time of five hours and 57 minutes, or
eight minutes better than his clocking in 2004.

“Despite the pain, it was an honor to be running
and in part dedicate mile 20 to batch ‘85,” Borja
said, referring to his batchmates at the Davao City
High School.

The 37-year-old marathoner had earlier said he is
dedicating mile 20 in this year’s race to his
batchmates at the DCHS, choosing the number
because it’s been 20 years since the 1985
graduation.

“A major reason for my running was praying for
people, too. There was too much at stake, thus
not even for a moment did I consider giving up,”
Borja added.

Indeed, Borja never gave up in the 26.2-mile race.
With eight miles to go before mile 20, Borja
suffered cramps on both calves that forced him to
stop running. The pain now was unbearable.

“I had a very bad cramps on both my calves and
stayed down for at least 15 minutes before I could
muster the strength to stand, stretch and run
again,” Borja said.

Can he finish the race, or at least reach mile 20?
Summoning all the strength that was left in him
and leaving the rest to God, Borja went on to hit
mile 20 and then finish the race in what he called a
miracle run in Chicago.

It was another chapter in Marlon Borja’s life as a
marathoner, and his proud DCHS ‘85 batchmates
took him into their loving arms.

Borja ignores pain, survives second Chicago
Marathon
By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
Sunstar Davao
Friday, October 14, 2005

MARLON Borja did it again.

Exactly a year after surviving his first Chicago
Marathon, Borja fought off excruciating pain and
mustered enough strength to emerge finisher anew
in Windy City.

Borja, who is from Davao City but is now based in
Madison, Wisconsin, was so inspired in running
the race that he registered a faster time this year
at a chip time of five hours and 57 minutes, or
eight minutes better than his clocking in 2004.

“Despite the pain, it was an honor to be running
and in part dedicate mile 20 to batch ‘85,” Borja
said, referring to his batchmates at the Davao City
High School.

The 37-year-old marathoner had earlier said he is
dedicating mile 20 in this year’s race to his
batchmates at the DCHS, choosing the number
because it’s been 20 years since the 1985
graduation.

“A major reason for my running was praying for
people, too. There was too much at stake, thus
not even for a moment did I consider giving up,”
Borja added.

Indeed, Borja never gave up in the 26.2-mile race.
With eight miles to go before mile 20, Borja
suffered cramps on both calves that forced him to
stop running. The pain now was unbearable.

“I had a very bad cramps on both my calves and
stayed down for at least 15 minutes before I could
muster the strength to stand, stretch and run
again,” Borja said.

Can he finish the race, or at least reach mile 20?
Summoning all the strength that was left in him
and leaving the rest to God, Borja went on to hit
mile 20 and then finish the race in what he called a
miracle run in Chicago.

It was another chapter in Marlon Borja’s life as a
marathoner, and his proud DCHS ‘85 batchmates
took him into their loving arms.