Childhood Photos
My Childhood. A little trip to my hometown.
I grew up in the small town of Tarlac. It’s a metro-suburban area some 75 miles north of Manila, the most populous city of the {Philippines. At 15 years old, I finally settle in the main city to pursue my studies at the University of St Thomas. Left my hometown which prides itself as one of the rice granaries of rice in the country. Tarlac would have its own hometown president in Ninoy Aquino had he not died before he could be elected, His wife Corazon, however, took the reins of his political influences and became the 11th president of the Philippines. Their son Nonoy Aquino followed suit and became the 15th president of the country.
Paciencia and Maximino reared 5 children, me being the youngest, the E in the ABCDE-named children of the Melendez-Santiago brood. Arturo, Bernardita, Carmelita and Dalisay were my siblings. We stayed in Sto Cristo in the 50’s but our family settled in San Sebastian by 1964, a highly progressive community at the time. The two barangays are considered the most sought-after areas to live in as these are both centers of community activities of the town. It was in Sto Cristo Elementary School where I had my first state of education. Tarlac High was my secondary school.
