Diego C. Valenzuela: "I am proud to be Dr. Pio Valenzuela's son!"

Left to right: Dr. Diego C. Valenzuela, Mrs Marciana De Castro-Valenzuela, Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Dr. Rosalinda Garcia-Valenzuela.
Two children: Sonia Valenzuela-Quast and Ambassador Oscar G. Valenzuela
Photo taken in 1947 in Polo, Bulacan

“I’m Proud to be His Son”

Diego C. Valenzuela, M.D.

Youngest son of Dr. Pio Valenzuela and Marciana Valenzuela.

Written as preface for the book “Dr. Pio Valenzuela: Misunderstood Patriot” 

I was born in the early hours of November 12, 1921, the day of our town fiesta whose patron saint is San Diego de Alcala, hence, I was named Diego. As customary, the fiesta was celebrated with handa and lots of guests, many of them politicians. The celebration became extra special for the proud parents who were congratulated for their newly born son.

Tatay’s house straddled about one-third of a 2000-sq. lot. There was a good size sala that led onto huge “comedor” with a cistern and a connecting open porch (“azotea”) with another cistern. The windows were made of wood and capis that were fashionable at the time. In the sala, there was a single piece of round wood table and a set of camagongchairs and sofa. The dining room had a one-piece long hard wood table used during fiesta. Tatay also had an ornately carved “aparador”where he kept a revolver that was given to him by Bonifacio. The backyard had several fruit trees: mango, macopa, duhat, chico, rimas, siniguelas, suha, guyabano,and avocado(which in my early teens I used to bring in bayongs to sell at a restaurant in Rizal Avenue; the restaurant owner wanted them because of their creamy yolk texture and huge size. We also had pakiling(leaves that are nature’s “sand Paper”, coconut and betel nut trees, and“ikmo”for Nanay’s (Mother) nganga. Tatay believed fruit bearing trees provided not only shade, but were also a goodsource of supplemental income.

Hence, he had the main road in Arkong Bato to Palasan planted with mango trees on both sides. Every summer, the municipal government would send one or two bushels of mango to Tatay as a token of appreciation. In the yard, there was a stone enclosure, which served as stable for the horses and not too far was a natural spring well. Tatay likewise raised guinea hens that lay thick-layered dotted eggs, which I used in “basagan ng itlog” competitions. My competitors could never break those eggs, which they thought where Rhode Island Red hen eggs because I sanded the dots from the guinea hen eggs. Tatay also bred other varieties of fowl, Plymouth Rock hens, Rhode Island Red hens, White Leghorns, geese and native chickens.

As a boy, I remember a lot of people who visited and talked to my Tatay about the Katipunan I was amazed at his memory giving dates and day of events asked, as if those events only happened recently. I remember one of the writers who visited often, Teddy Agoncillo. And despite repeated interviews, his narration never changed. There was also an American Captain, William Landers, working on his thesis on the Philippine Revolution who came to our temporary house in Mabolo, Polo, Bulacan.

Tatay had anecdotes of his Katipunan days, which he often shared with interested family members. My first wife, Rosalinda Garcia who is also a medical doctor, was often his captive listener. He spoke of his visit to Jose Rizal in Dapitan, Zamboanga, and the “magical” cane Rizal gave him as a souvenir. Tatay’s fellow passengers in the boat on his way back to Manila thought the cane had magical powers because the rough seas calmed after Tatay tapped the side of the boat with the cane. Another amusing story happened at the gathering of ill-assorted troupe in Pasong Tamo when the Katipunan was launching the revolution. Emilio Jacinto was among the group. Although he was not a horseman, Jacinto tried to ride a horse several times and fell each time. The intensity of the moment was temporarily broken and brought amusement to those around Jacinto including Tatay. Tatay also told of the time that he was a prisoner in Madrid. Although imprisoned, he was treated with great respect. In fact, his breakfast was brought to him by a “señorita” who knitted his socks. “Colored” people (he was brown) were much appreciated by the “white” Spaniards. During the earlier part of his imprisonment, he was with another Filipino fellow-prisoner named Antonio Luna. Luna was a pharmacist but he studied the war techniques while in Belgium. Luna was released by the Spaniards and was allowed to go back to the Philippines on condition that he swore he would not take up arms against Spain. Before he left, Luna told Tatay aside, “That’s what they think. Who says I should not fight?”

Although I was my Nanay’s (Mother’s) pet, I was always in awe of my Tatay. He was not demonstrative but I knew that he loved all his children. I never heard him raise his voice to Nanay, although when pissed off he would say in a loud voice, “Punyeta!, Conio!, Carajo!, Caramba!” I didn’t know what those words meant, but everybody became quiet. I, too used those words without knowing what they meant. Tatay tried to give me lessons in Spanish, but later he realized I wanted to play rather than learn so he said all right. And this until now is one thing that I regret.

Tatay loved his grandchildren and was fond of giving everyone a nickname. He even had a pet name for me, his youngest son. I was “Diegong Abac.” However, if any of my contemporary nieces and nephews used the name, they were in for a fight. Since I was just a few years older than the oldest grandchildren of Tatay, I was always blamed as capural whenever there was any fighting. There were times when I was punished with his sinturon (belt) on my behind.

A significant number of politicians always came to the house whenever elections were nearing. They loved talking politics with Tatay. He was a reluctant politician when he ran for Governor. He was cheated when he first ran for office and he protested. While he won the protest, Tatay went into debt and had to sell much of his properties. There was only a few months left in his first term of office when he was declared the winner. However, he ran for second term, and handily got reelected.

Tatay got a lot of advice on how to readily recoup his financial losses/expenses from his election protest. He, however, was so straight and honest that he did not listen to any such advice. He had a strong aversion for all forms of gambling including “jueteng.” I remember we had a lot of paraphernalia for “jueteng” that he had confiscated. I even played with them at times when the coast was clear.

On the next election (third term), Tatay’s political allies became his political enemies. They opposed his candidacy and did not allow him to run again for Governor, because he would not let them commit unlawful practices. He prosecuted everyone for wrongdoing, including political friends.

I remember Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo came to our house several times for events where both he and Tatay were invited . He came in a nice chauffeured car. The General always offered to pay when they dined out or had to buy something. He would often take out a hundred-peso bill, which the storeowner could not change. Tatay, on those occasions, had to open his “thin wallet” and ended up paying.

Another story Tatay told me was that on Good Fridays he would go around town in his carriage with a lot of bells and made as much noise as he could in the churchyard and around the church grounds. The friars were not happy about this. But the feeling was mutual; he had deep-seated feelings against frailes. 

When Tatay set up his practice in Polo, he had patients coming from neighboring towns like Obando, Meycauayan, Marilao, and even Bigaa. He kept a ledger on which he noted his patients name, diagnosis and treatment, and never the amount he was paid. He gave definite instructions for his patients or for whoever  was taking care of the patient at home. Tatay followed up his cases to see how the patients were and whether his instructions were carried out. And if they were not, there was hell to pay. He minced no words. Nobody was spared; not even his daughters-in-law (Gerarda and Concordia), if they failed to follow his instructions to the letter. On the other hand, he was exceptionally polite. Tatay always addressed his patients or anyone who came to the house, no matter the rank or age, with a “po.”

He had some patients who went to the house with facial paralysis. The treatment then was an equipment that generates galvanofaradic current which runs by rotating a handle that makes electric current that goes to metallic tubes with handles, and the tubes are applied to the face of the patient. The procedure took at least 15-20 minutes and had to be repeated several times a week for several weeks. I was the one who turned the handle while he applied the tubes. The problem was if I turned the handle faster, the stronger the generated electric current became and the patient would wince. But for me this was a very tedious job. When I tired, I would turn the handles faster. He would then tell me to go and he would do the treatment by himself although it was quite difficult to do with only two hands.

            Tatay had a lot of patients; he never refused anybody day or night, bad weather or not. He took the caritela or even thebancagoing to Binauangan in Obando, Bulacan, an islet in Manila Bay. At night Nanay worried, especially when the weather was bad. I was once allowed to go with him to Binauangan for the banca ride. When we arrived at the place, everybody came out to greet him. They would consult him even if they were not the original patients who wanted his services. He gave away medical samples and did not care how much he was paid. A lot of times he was paid nothing. Sometimes he even gave his money from his own thin wallet for medicine. What made him angry were people who would not buy medicine; but borrowed money for a grand funeral when the patient died.

Tatay always wore a white suit with a butterfly tie, which he could tie even in the dark. The Japanese occupation did not deter him from wearing his white suit and tie. There were scary moments during the Occupation, but Tatay seemed oblivious to them. While the males in the family left the house and hid whenever there was a tip of “zona”, Tatay remained with the women and little children. Thus, when the dreaded “zona” happened, everyone was scared that he might be harmed. But thank God, he was not molested nor taken by the Japanese when they stormed into the house. Something made them respect him. However, Tatay was not spared from the ill fate of war. He witnessed his house burn to the ground when bombed by the Americans.

In his aging years, Tatay was a pack rat of the first order. He collected any and everything from pieces of string, scissors, empty boxes, pens, pencils, neckties (he had hundreds), old newspapers! So that if anyone wanted anything, say a piece of string to spin the top or fly a kite, he had the right length needed. This made whoever asked for this thing (usually a grandson) extremely happy. If anyone wanted a pair of scissors  -- long, short, curved, pointed, blunted, you name he had it. And he would give the asked-for scissors wholeheartedly. Then, he would go out to replace the one he had given away and buy a dozen as replacement -- to the great chagrin of Nanay.

Townspeople had anecdotes about Tatay, who has seen daily as he strolled to Poblacion (roughly 3-4 blocks away from his house) and chatted with Mr. Antonio and Mang Cario Suatengco, a friend and the town’s pharmacist. My cousin-in-law Judge Jose Alejandro shared an anecdote saying that the people in Polo referred to Tatay as “Totoo” meaning someone who was always honest and true. When Tatay was housebound and not allowed to go to Poblacion anymore (lest he fell and broke some bone), he cut up his neckties and sewed pieces together-a delightful patchwork he intended to make into a bedcover.

Tatay wanted his sons to follow his footsteps and become doctors. However, unlike my oldest brothers, I was the only one who wanted to be a doctor. I managed to finish high school in three years. Despite tight finances, I finished medicine through scholarships, and help from my brothers and sisters. I finished in the top ten of my class and was 4^thin the medical board exam.

Tatay was very happy when I became a full-pledged doctor and could take over his practice. He wanted to retire so he could rest. But his old patients knew me when I was a boy and did not seem to have confidence in me. There were times when I felt that some patients of ours would get cured using Doctor/Mang/Don Pio’s placebo medication versus my prescribed correct medication. Such was their faith and belief in my father. Some patients would tell me that my father did not ask payment for medical services and in fact even gave them needed medicine. I sometimes would reply that if it were from my father’s earnings alone, none of us could have finished college. Besides I could not afford to offer my services for free. I already had a family to feed at that time.

Tatay read voraciously all medical books that were available to him, including those in English which he had no problem understanding. He had what is called a “clinical eye.” By asking the patient questions and seeing how the patient looked like, he could make the right diagnosis.

After four years of trying to practice in Polo, I found I could not support my family. I then decided to apply, and was accepted, for training at the North General Hospital. I specialized in OB-Gyn with Tatay’s blessinf. However, this meant he had to continue practicing medicine in our hometown.

Nanay was 16 when she married Tatay, who was 15 years older. She bore him 10 children; three died in infancy. I was still in her womb when the three died in span of 20 years. I know they loved each other very much. When Tatay died, Nanay said she had been praying that he should go before her. She was worried that no one would take care of Tatay should she die first. After Tatay’s death, Nanay seemed to lose the will to live and she died two years later.

I hope this short memories have shown Tatay as a dedicated physician, an upright and honest man, one who stood up for his rights when he was cheated. I am proud to be his son.