Ms. Maria Teresa Magtuloy-Evangelista, a poet from Sasmuan, Pampanga, Philippines was born on the 29th of August, 1962 at De Ocampo Memorial Hospital, Manila, Philippines. I am the daughter of Mr. Faustino Luna Magtuloy and Irene Mercado Magtuloy, also a poet and writer and the direct grand daughter of Don Monico R. Mercado, the First Congressman of Pampanga in the First Philippine Assembly who was also a poet in his lifetime. I grew up with a deep love for poetry because as early as the age of 6, my mother inculcated already in my mind the essence and beauty of poetry by reciting to meloudly her favorite poems of St. John of the Cross. At the age of 9, I started writing simple poems. I’ve got a gook-length collection of poems since age 9 to date, entitled In Solitude, of which some of them are published.
I’m married to Lt. Vicente Manaois Evangelista, a retired military man of the Philippine Air Force. From our wedlock, we have two daughters, namely: Mary Angela Terese M. Evangelista, born 2nd of October, 1995 and Mary Queenie M. Evangelista, born 10th of February, 1998.
By career, I am a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Masteral Degree Holder in Business Administration (MBA). I am a Senior Partner to Atty Magtuloy Law & Accounting Offices and for 26 years I’be been teaching college accounting subjects at the Guagua National Colleges of Guagua, Pampanga and for 5 years at the University of Assumption at an Fernando, Pampanga, Phils.
Maria Teresa Magtuloy-Evangelista may be contacted at mtmevangelista5678@yahoo.com
*TATANG
Para king pakamalan kung Tatang
Faustino Luna Magtuloy
Neng Maria Teresa Magtuloy-Evangelista
Tatang, kapilanman pane kung gaganakan,
Manibat inyang kanakung kamusmusan,
Lingap mu anti kung maulagang pibandian,
Aku ing kabud perlas mung pakamalan.
Ing bie tamung milabas e ku kalinguan,
Nung makananu mu keng ingat-ingatan,
Ing malablab mung lugud, alang angganan,
Para kang Indu’t ikaming anak mu ngan.
Neng ika at Indu, atin pikagulwan,
Nung mangiak ku iya mong pigaganakan,
King isip mu, malati mung kaluguran,
Tabug mu kang Indu, agad nang gulutan.
Oras-oras ing lugud mu aramdaman,
Balamu mamaus, yaku panenayan,
Lakuas mekatni iniang king kekang ketuan,
Balamu metingkad at e kinupas man.
Indat sisilim kekatang pipagkwentuan,
Maglua mung mata atiu la malautan,
Kilub mung pusu, keka pang titinapan,
Na sana y Indu e ya pa meko man.
Ing lugud ku keka anggang katataulian,
E lumbug, nune atyu pane aslagan,
Liningap daka king agyu kung paralan,
Madaliseng lingap keka, yang inampang.
O Tatang, pusu ku ngeni manamdaman,
Dinatang na aldong mako ka kailangan,
Sana, ika at Indu, e yu ku likuan,
Uling lugud yung babie, kakung kailangan…
*Ginale nang MTMME king radyu ning Parnasong Kapampangan 91.9FM, Marso 27, 2010.
*DADDY
for our beloved father
Faustino Luna Magtuloy
By Maria Teresa Magtuloy-Evangelista
Daddy, I will always remember,
Since I was your little girl,
The way you treasure me ever,
I am your most precious pearl.
Those olden days I remember,
How you took care of us,
Your flaming love ever,
For Mommy and all of us.
When you and Mommy quarrel,
You check on me if I’m crying
You always think of your little girl,
Then you back out from leaving.
All the time your love I feel,
As if calling me and waiting,
Louder in your old age and still,
Your love knows no fading.
When we chat in the evening,
Those teary look you cast faraway,
In your heart you kept yearning,
That Mommy still here to stay.
My love for you until the last day,
Isn’t waning but a shining sun,
Cared for you in my own way,
The best loving way I can.
Oh Daddy, now it breaks my heart,
The day came you need to leave,
Please, you and Mommy, don’t you part,
I always need that love you give.
*Delivered at GNC Auditorium, Pampanga February 26, 2010
PABUSTAN MU
Mayo 25, 2010
Nung ing bukas malabug ya pa king lulam,
E pailingasngas kaiisip malalam,
Matormentu ka mu king kekang gagawan,
Pabustan na mu, sarili e palasan…
Nung atin a dalanan taung kasoran,
Uling keyang ugali kekang kasnukan,
Map pang isipan obat aldo mu siran,
Pabustan mu nia mu, e me mas pasayan!
Atin kang aryan at ika migkamali,
Paisora ka man ala nang malyari,
Mayapang ayusan at e paisumami,
E na ka puputak, pabustan na’t maili.
Pamamirapal mangising kapalpakan,
Tatalnan mung bage akwa pang kalingwan,
Palpak miragdag pauli ning kabusitan,
Nia sisti mu na mu ing ika magulyan.
Anti ngening susulat kung kawatasan,
Masosora ku man asna king lisangan,
Atin kung agawa nung ila akaparan,
Patdan ing kuryenti aldong kabilugan?
Masampat abalu ing pamag-pasensya,
Kapibabatan neng talilis ing obra,
Nanu man ing pupusanan panulu ya,
Ot e na ka mu pasiuk at magtumaila?
‘Nia nung ding bage e ta la asukmaman,
E ta paibusit, nung nang agyu yang gawan,
Santing ning pangadi mekad a remedyuwan,
Nung alang remedyu keka nang pabustan…
LET IT BE
May 25, 2010
If tomorrow is blurrier than cloudy,
Don’t be distressed by thinking uselessly,
With that you’ll get tormented only,
Stop torturing yourself, just let it be…
If someone annoys you along the way,
Because his character disgusts you really,
It’s best to think why spoil your day,
Let it be, don’t make him more happy!
Had an error at something you’re finishing,
Getting too upset, won’t remedy anything,
Better fix it rather than keep sulking,
Smile, let it be and stop complaining.
When rushing, more often failure wakes,
You even forget what you already hold,
Your irritation will add more mistakes,
Just kid yourself that you’re getting old.
As I am writing my poem today,
It’s terribly hot, though irked all along,
Is there anything I can do if they—
Put off electric power all day long?
It’s good if we know how to endure,
Have patience when things get wrong,
For stressing burden it’s the only cure,
Why not just whistle and sing a song?
And so if things are beyond your control,
Don’t be mad, just do what you need to do,
The wonder of prayers might fix it all,
Or let it be, if no remedy to you…
SILIM
Lawe ku matingid king aldong paibalag,
Mapupupud makapadurut nang aslag,
Nung atuknang ku mu keyang pamibalag,
Ing dulum tuknang na sanang miraragdag.
Antimo ing bie, e ku mu rin apigil,
Inawa ning pusu sig’radung makitil,
At sikanan ku sulung yang magigitil,
Alang tuknang, kapupusan makarikil.
Ing tepangan ku a sadiang makasulud,
Ditak-ditak lulubak na’t mapupupud,
Pane manimuna masias kung galudgud,
Ditak-ditak lalagitik ne tulatud.
Dulum ning bengi tajimik nang manuyab,
Mata kung matundu, king tundu mesabsab,
Painang katawan mananabung sinayad,
Mainawa’t matudtud anting alang patad.
Misan pa, dakpan ko ding bulan at tala,
Ban tudtud ku den paninap at pagasa,
Karing rejas ning bie e na migising pa,
Nune nung nu ing aldo e ne magpalya.
EVENING
My constant eyes watching at the sunset,
The scattered rays around it are waning,
I can’t stop its fall, my only regret,
Or else darkness can stop from increasing.
Like this life, I too can’t stop from going,
My heart I can not teach to keep breathing,
And my strength I can not stop from ebbing,
Stop nothing, all will course to an ending.
The bold courage I used to be clothe with,
Little by little, loosening, fading,
So with my hard backbone that always lead,
Little by little, creaking, withdrawing.
And so quietly night and darkness yawn,
My sleepy eyes being eaten by sleep,
My tired weakling body now sinking down,
Shrinks for rest, as if in a slumber deep.
Once more, I’ll catch-up at the moon and stars,
To give my sleep a beam of hope and dreams,
That I shall not wake behind life’s dark bars,
But where the sun shall rise in endless beams.
