My Own Natan-ok Forebears

Years ago, I toyed with the idea of making a documentary of truly great locals in our city. I noticed that some streets in Laoag were named after people who were heroes or noble in their own right. But there was one name I thought didn't bear much to be honored with a street name.Maybe politics worked that out. Then it struck me...why haven't they thought of my grandpa who has authored books on ichthyology, traveled the globe and served this country as a scientist? He graduated from the University of Washington and is in the list of American Men of Science but opted to come back to his home country to work at the Bureau of Fisheries until he retired and succumbed to cancer. I still remember how the front page of Manila Bulletin appeared with the headline (not the banner head though)FILIPINO SCIENTIST DIES. I felt so proud of him. I still feel the same. While writing this post, memories are running in my mind. I treasure the years I grew up under his and Grandma's care in Project 6, Q.C. I still remember the Sundays he'd hold my tiny hand as we all entered the church. He would be in his suit. On weekends, we'd both trim the yard with his small grass mower, catch fish from the big fishpond at the backyard and just laze around with the family in the little bahay kubo he put up just beside the pond. That was his way of letting us have a taste of Ilocos right behind the main house which was a modern concrete structure that looked like all the houses on Forestry Street in Vasra Village. Oh how I love the task they gave me...that of waiting at the gate for the milk lady to deliver 3 bottles of fresh milk in the morning. More memories are flooding me now: bedtime stories, evening prayers which he and Grandma led ("Now I lay me down to sleep,..."), sumptuous meals( a mix of American and Ilocano), occasional servings of large "boogie" (fish eggs or caviar),big tortoise shells and stuffed fish as wall decors, books and television (kids in the hood would come and watch cartoons in the house). I can mentally see him in his chair and me lying in my small bed while watching "Flintstones" and "Mission Impossible". He had a way of "forcing" us to taste anything new or weird to our taste. He'd say, "You don't know good food!" Well, he is Natan-ok to me and I think he deserves to have a street in Laoag City to be named after him. You might think this is all coming from an airhead but I dare you to google his name GUILLERMO J. BLANCO and maybe add the word FISHERIES or ICHTHYOLOGY and you'll know I have a point. Another name comes to mind: CELESTINO PERALTA. He served as Mayor of Laoag City and was also an author of a Spanish book with Ilocano translation. At least, he has a street named after him already. And more: TORIBIO PERALTA,former Governor of Ilocos Norte and ELVIRO PERALTA (Judge and father of Supreme Court Justice Diosdado Peralta. Toribio and Elviro are sons of Celestino. The person who was truly proud of the aforementioned names was my dad, RUBEN PERALTA BLANCO. He was also a politician who served Laoag City as Councilor for 3 terms. Dad took after his father Guillermo Blanco's fortitude and no-nonsense attitude. Dad stood against the corrupt politicians. He also took after his grandpa Celestino Peralta's adherence to law. His mom (ROSARIO PERALTA and Don Celestino's only daughter) was a teacher. I am humbled by what my forebears have achieved. Their legacy gives me inspiration. I just pray that our generation can keep up with their being truly NATAN-OK.