Keeping the Ivatan spirit alive in Canada

Toronto, Ontario- It's summertime and Ivatans from all over Ontario, Canada, and sometimes from as far as Boston, Massachusetts, converge at the Chalet Shelter of Shades Mills Conservation Area in Cambridge, Ontario (one kilometre southwest of Kitchener) for the yearly reunion.

At the picnic tables during these occasions are the best of Ivatan cuisine, thanks to Chairperson Johnny Agsulid. He introduced to these gathering such Ivatan delicacies as the venes (dried gabi leaves), uvod (banana roots) and ñihamaan (sopas or yellow rice).

Nostalgia prevails at these gatherings and the Ivatans entertain themselves with their traditional songs and dance. For musical instruments, the Aguto family provides an array of electric guitars. On one special occasion two years ago (wedding reception of Raymond Agsulid), the Ivatan group contributed the La Jota and Fandango numbers that even the non-Ivatans danced.

A second picnic (camping) is usually held during the second long weekend of summer (August). The local has always been the beachfront house of Josie Ebina Rutherford in Bancroft. This is a three-hour drive from Toronto and not everyone could attend.

The Ivatans pitch tents on the well-manicured lawn of the house. The yard also has a large vegetable patch that provides all these greens needed to cook bulalo, sinigang, or pakbet. Last year, her Filipina neighbor Maggie provided a pig for lechon and a goat.

At wintertime, it's the Ivatan Christmas Party which, in the past few years, has been held at the Winchevsky Centre in North York. Last year's hosts were the Castillejos-Valerio families. They are the children of Mrs. Diday Castillejos vda. De Valerio. The children are Auring Valerio-Mangaliman, Lois Valerio Podador with husband Teming, and Jun Valerio. They have always been active members of the community.

Early this year, the Ivatans held a Post-Valentine's Day Party and "asalto" for a fellow Ivatan-Acting Consul General Olivia Palala who has always been active in Ivatan affairs. The party was held at the Monfort Restaurant in Brampton, Ontario. The restaurant is co-owned by Ivatan-Canadian Rosie Babalo Reda, daughter of former Mayor Agapito Babalo of Sabtang, Batanes.

Last year, Palala invited the scions of the Castro families in the States for a reunion at her residence in North York. The reunion coincided with the first Ivatan picnic for 1998 in Cambridge, Ontario. Those present were Mr. And Mrs. Dulio Castro and family and Aurea Castro-Nakamura from Chicago, Mrs. Cresing Castro Vega of New York, and Mrs. Vicky Castro-Sahadevan of Virginia. Mrs. Pining Castro-Valera, Olivia's mother, was visiting at the time.

For this year's third picnic to be held at the Scarborough Bluffs, the Ivatans will have the Cabal-Martinez families as their hosts. They are the children of late Dr. Jose Salazar Martinez, the first Provincial Health Officer of Batanes, and auntie Reling Cabal who now lives with her clan in Scarborough. Manolo "Nol" has a son and daughter with wife Wilma, while sister Lynne has two young sons with husband Joey.

The Ivatans in Toronto have grown in number with the latest additions: the Enfesta children (Shellane, Sherwin and Junior), and Max "Bogart" Babalo, younger brother of Rosie Babalo-Reda.

Lives lived

With good time come less than ideal circumstances. The Ivatans mourned the passing of the late educator Pelagia Acebes Aguto-beloved wife of former Mayor Jose Aguto of Ivana, Batanes, beloved mother of Ramon, and beloved grandmother of Gary and Melissa of Kitchener, Ontario.

The Ivatans also mourned the passing of Jesus "Dodong" Castillejos (father of Aileen, Boyet, Farah, Fe, Lino, Luchelle and Totoy). The Castillejos family has always been one of the main drivers of Ivatans happenings in Ontario.

From Ivatan Gazette/Canada(June 30, 1999)
Juan "Johnny Boy" Agsulid of Basco, Batanes
Chairperson of the Ivatan Community of Toronto (TICO)
E-mail: Ivatangazette@netscape.net