Even Santa Claus will be stopped at the gates
This is a flashback. This is a story good to tell because it happened years ago. This was before the pandemic and the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991. I will retell it once again. Even the forty years of age will only have any faint memory of what was Clark Air Force Base, the largest military installation outside of continental America. We were neighbors. (
The Americans settled in this country at the turn of the century after vanquishing the Spaniards in the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898. They were neighbors since Fort Stotsenberg in 1902 until their sudden departure in June 1991).
Pinoys home have suman ,nilaga and other dainties(kakanin). They were the common table fare for us. And the eclectic parols from San Fernando brought more color to the holiday season. The American families celebrated their Christmas very different from us. Their homes were decorated featuring Santa Claus and the reindeers and Mr. Snowman. I remember when once ,me and another friend the late Romy Yusi were invited by an American master sergeant in their home and witnessed for the first time how westerners prepared for the holidays. In the living room there stood a tall Christmas tree with gifts wrapped in boxes of several sizes. Apples, oranges, chestnuts, ham and a whole roasted turkey. It was a spectacle that I can't help but swallowed the saliva watering my mouth. With that strange smell, the 'nilaga and malagkit ' at home were no match.
During those years access to the base was so restrictive. Privileged local people were issued the so-called Commander's Pass. The CP was a very much coveted identification card that will give you access to the base, and will even allow you to dine at the Officers Club and other restaurants and cafeterias. At the Kelly cafeteria, Pinoys were allowed to buy a pair of apple or orange. And that’s it. If you are known to a cashier, you can get a bar of chocolate candy. Romy was a small time contractor on vegetation control inside the base. In those years he together with handful of workers were issued passes. I was communication cum PR man of his company together with the late Ram Mercado. We had workers passes. They were better than the press passes issued to reporters. Media persons were escorted by a personnel of their information office when inside the base.
Normally issued the passes were elected officials of Angeles and Mabalacat and selected towns, including some governors and congressmen. No hoi poloi.
Aside from the privilege by having the commander's pass to dine in their restaurants, there was an entitlement of making a purchase for few oranges, apples and chocolates. Filipinos were feeling good just to have some few of these goodies. We love then and proud to have US servicemen and their families as our neighbors. We were separated by a fence and patrolling military police (MPs) with their ferocious dogs.
Not even the holidays will the Clark entrances be opened to the public. You need an escort.
Even Santa Claus will be stopped at the gates. Today everyone has an access to the former American military installation. It is now Clark Freeport. The so-called PX stores are still there like Puregold, Oriental and others. There are now five star hotels where those who love to throw parties have venues. Golf courses and casinos for the rich. Tiendas and Korean restaurants that offer unlimited Samgyupsal and shabu shabu. Except for the buildings which were headquarters of US Air Force officers which are still prominently standing facing which ironically still called parade ground and give traces of an American occupation. The said buildings are now used as corporate offices for workers of Clark Development Corporation. How time changed. And Christmas celebration was also drastically changed during this pandemic.