In February 28 and
29, 1939, General Paulino Santos landed in the land of what is now known as
General Santos City. The land was originally taken as a settlement for the
second world war. People all over the Philippines were brought to GenSan to
work for the government and populate the said land.
Luis Belthran Sarcon
Majaducon a young man from Santa Barbara, Iloilo went to GenSan in 1940 to work
and to study with his siblings. During his first year in General Santos City
(at that time was still a municipality) he joined in the 116th guerilla force
in combat to the Japanese.
Times were hard
during the first decade in General Santos Municipality. In 1949, Luis's wife,
Elena bore their first child, my father, Herman Majaducon. In early 1951,
Conlu, one of Luis' friends started a business concerning livestock (pigs). Luis worked for Conlu as a driver.
Through the years,
Luis and Elena had more children. Their friend, Conlu had one of the most
convenient store in GenSan. During the time when Luis was working for Conlu,
every item that his children require were easily acquired in this store through
deduction from wages.
All of Luis'
children studied in Lagao Central
Elementary School (the first elementary school in GenSan to offer the
whole grade school course). Herman
studied high school in Notre Dame. During this time, the Marist Brothers had
already divided the famous Girls and Boys campus located in San Pablo Street,
Lagao.
As told by Herman,
the only times when the boys and girls were able to mingle were during the
holidays. Christmas parties were the only allowed time for the boys to invite
the girls to a small gathering where boys would chip in to buy viands like
lechon and the sorts. Girls of their time would do the same, preparing cakes
and salads.
In 1968, Luis sold a
parcel of his land in Rivera St. This land is now known as the Amadeo Compound.
The money that was acquired was used to buy a jeep. He quit his job in Conlu's
business and started to drive his jeep from GenSan to Malandag. During this
time, gasoline for a round trip would only cost three pesos. Costumer fair
would only range from 70 centavo to one peso.
trivia: Jeeps did not have routes before in GenSan. Every passenger was delivered straight to their home.
In 1972, times were
hard for Luis. During this time, he wanted to settle in his remaining land in
Rivera St., Lagao. He sold his jeep and one of his cows for cash to build a
house. Luis had been gathering wood from his jobs since 1963. These wood along
with the money that he received from his sold items, were used to build the two
story building that still stands in Rivera St., Lagao, now known as the
Majaducon compound.
Luis' eldest son, my
father, Herman, took up liberal arts in Notre Dame (Marist Brothers Campus) in
his first two years in college (school year 1965-1966; 1966-1967). Herman, took
his studies to Davao. He studied Criminology in the University of Mindanao for
two years (school year 1967-1968;
1968-1969).
He stopped studying
to work various jobs. In 1981, after more than a decade of working for
different companies, he finally met my mother, Nenita Bonda Sarillosa in
Koronadal City (Marbel). Nenita, at that point, thought she was going to marry
her boyfriend; but for some reason, she broke up with him and Nenita ended up
marrying Herman.
"Mabilis si
Boy" as stated by Herman. (Boy was a very famous nickname during his time)
Trivia: most
Filipino families have a "tito boy".
In December 18,
1982, Herman and Nenita engaged in wedlock. Their first child, Lowill was born
in May 28, 1983 - May 28, Herman's birthday.
In the first years
of their marriage and life as a full family, Herman and Nenita worked as
vendors outside the gates of Notre Dame (Dominican Sisters campus).
"Banana candy" or better known
as "minatamis" were
their first products sold.
On the second day of
January year 1985, Alexander, their second child was born. Times became much
harder for the Majaducon family. To cope up with the expenses, Herman started
to work double time and overtime. Nenita, even though a mother was squeamish in dealing with "dirty" laundry.
Because of this, Herman had to "take care" of the "dirty"
laundry every night after work (during these times, diapers were myths).
In late 1988, Herman
and Nenita had earned enough money for capital to start a business. The couple
decided to engage in the world of ice cream making. These business started out
by order and pick up - a costumer orders and picks up his/her order at Majaducon
compound.
During the first two
years of their business, Nenita recalls a friend that really helped them rise
above the odds. Their neighbor Beth Ng was a kind and helpful woman who worked
for the canteen of Notre Dame (Marist Brothers Campus). Aware of the current
status of Herman and Nenita, she offered a job to work inside the canteen of
Notre Dame selling ice cream by scoop.
After two years of
business, Herman and Nenita had already
regained their capital and had earned enough money to make renovations for
their house.
Originally, Herman
and Nenita was staying in what is now known as the Oranza compound in Rivera
St., Lagao. In the year 1985, Herman started to build a house in the Majaducon
compound by hand - working only every weekend mixing cement and stocking hollow
blocks and wood. After months of hard labor, "Boy" had finally
finished his hand made house with some help from his siblings and in-laws.
In March 4, 1990,
Blas Herman Luis, was born. He was the first child in the Herman's family to
stay in the Majaducon compound. At this point, the ice cream business was
starting to boom and expenses were very moderate.
Three years later, I
was born. Supposedly, my name was John or David, but my father thought it would
be better to name me after a king of war; so he named me Arthur. In May 9,
1993, the last child of Herman's family was born and named after a war shocked
King.
Almost a decade
later, year 1997, Herman bought a truck. This truck was used to make massive
delivery of ice cream and ice. In early April of 1998, during a trip to
Kidapawan, Herman's family was involved in an accident. Our truck, had a slight
break malfunction, no one really remembers what happened but that accident took
one of my cousins and almost killed my brother Alex. It rendered Herman, my
father a handicap, almost breaking his arm off. But blessed as our family is,
God favored my father to keep his arm but almost completely paralyzed (for some
reason, there was no scratch on me, lost my slippers though)
In 2000, our family
completely recovered from the accident financially, mentally and physically.
Almost a decade later, Herman's family, moved to a land that was for
lease. In November 2009, Herman's family
lived in separate houses. The house in the Majaducon compound was occupied by
the education students namely, me and Alex. The house in Mercado, the one for
lease is called the Ice Cream House occupied by the Marketing students, Lowill
and Blas.
Year 2012, the Ice
Cream Business called "Lowill and Alexander Electro-mix Ice Cream"
still stands in Ice Cream compound in Rivera St., Lagao being one of the oldest
businesses in General Santos City.
Herman's eldest,
Lowill, married in 2005 to Elena and was borne Luisa Dorothy Psalm. Luisa is
the first grandchild of "Boy'. Luisa was born on July 2, 2004. Her name
was taken from Luis, my grandfather, who died in July 1, 2004.
Alexander was
married recently in 2012 to Mira. Herman's second grandchild is expected to be
born this January.
Me and Blas are
still studying undergraduates. Blas, a marketing student in Notre Dame of
Dadiangas University and me an education student in Ateneo de Davao University.
Alex is currently undergoing is Masters degree course in Ateneo as well,
working on weekdays in GenSan and traveling to Davao every weekend.
I write this, in the
hope of letting the next generation of our bloodline know how we came to
General Santos City and what we did to survive and how God blessed our Family
time after time.
God bless our family
more.
