Intro: Usahay, kining Tanjayanon dili masabut. "Aw, masabut man, pero lisud. Mabu-ang ka'g imo gyung sabton," Evalyna Señeris-Mantes.

The Letter: This self-explanatory letter was sent in late March to 100 randomly selected Tanjayanons here in the U.S. and Canada.:

       "More than a year ago when we floated the idea of sending our old clothes to the indigent families in Tanjay, we were cheered. Yes, it was the least we in America could do for our less fortunate brothers and sisters back home, we are behind you in this very laudable project, we were told.

        Very much inspired, we then arranged for the Rotary Club of Tanjay to co-sponsor - they were to take charge of the warehousing and, with the help of other civic-spirited citizens in our town, draw up the mechanics of distribution in July . . . When asked how many boxes of used clothing we would be sending, we confidently pledged "about twenty, the first shipment in February and then another in May."

        Committing 20 boxes was no big deal, because after all, I thought, we mail copies of the Newsletter to each and every one of the more than 200 Tanjayanons in the US and Canada, most of whom have stacks of old and used clothing hanging in closets and/or boxes in garages. They will be too glad to dispose of these and, in so doing, show in concrete deed that they haven't forgotten the folks they left behind. In fact, to me 20 boxes was even a conservative estimate, then.

        Well, that was more than a year ago. To date we have received only 3 boxes of used clothing. Of course, we were not able to ship in February. And May is almost here. And we are panicking!!! Where are the Tanjayanons? Where are their promises?

       This is now our final appeal. Please spare our less fortunate brothers and sisters back home a few minutes of your precious time. Gather your used clothing, send them to us and we will ship them to Tanjay. We have set April 30 as our deadline.

.        BUT, on the other hand, if you are too busy, and if you don't have the time for them and really care, it's okay. What can I do? As what a dejected Tanjayanon would say (with his head bowed down) "Sagdi lang. Unsaon ta man!" Just pretend you didn't receive this letter, and I will understand."

        Then on April 28, just two days before our deadline, the phone rang. It was an excited - almost breathless - Badingding on the other end. "Brad, nagpadala si Iking Cariño ug usa ka bundle. Unya ni-a pu'y la-ing box guikan ni Sonie sa Canada. Ni-ay tolo ka putos guibilin ra sa gawas sa pultahan, way ngalan. Ni-ay mga cheke para sa freight guikan ni Itang Real-Oruga, ug ni Willy Torres ug ni Col. Bert Sanchez sa Texas. Ni-a pu'y......

        And that was only the beginning.

        Within the next few days, nagpusot-pusot ang mga boxes and packages and bundles nga nangabut. They came in all shapes and sizes and color; they came from within California, from New York and from all over America, and Canada, - some with names, some without, - but all of them done up in lots and lots of love - that Tanjayanon kind of love which only God can understand.

        On May 10, Sonny & Ching Mercado, Annie Piñero, Edgar Arrieta, Danny & Badingding Gil, and Braddock & Alice Calumpang resegregated, repacked and shipped 12 bulging overweight balikbayan boxes to Tanjay. We counted an average of about 90 pieces per box, for a total of over a thousand items.

Pledge Redeemed: It's after the deadline, and we are still receiving phone calls from Tanjayanons offering to send more used clothing: Dr Inting Batiancilla assured us of about 3 more boxes he hopes to gather from among his fellow Rotarians in Connecticut (he will ship them directly to Tanjay); Lina Barot-Navas promised to have at least one bundle, Nene Muñoz Velarde Dingcong another bundle, Aida Samson a package, and so on. Danny and Badingding thought that the other loose items remaining will fit in two more boxes.

        So then, when we shall have gathered everything and shipped them, we shall have sent the following: first shipment 12, plus 3, plus 1, plus 1, and then plus 2.  Total 19. But we pledged 20! Fern Ann Teves-Cruz promised to do a second "clean-up" of her closets and this will generate at least one more box of "almost new" clothes.

        So all told, the total number of balikbayan boxes shipped: 20. Pledge redeemed.! Salamat, mga Tanjayanon! Viva Señor Santiago!!!

Conclusion: Usahay, kining Tanjayanon dili masabut ......!