Feb 26 2006
Mendoza Family, Not for Hire
No, it’s not my family that’s “not for hire.” That’s the signage on the door of the jeepney which my family owned when I was a child. The sign was to prevent commuters from entering our jeepney and calling out, “Mama, sa Quiapo nga ho!”
Yes, we had a jeepney. It was a nice looking jeepney… or at least nicer than the usual passenger jeepneys plying Espana Avenue. At the very least, it didn’t look very much like the tin can it was and it was much cleaner. It was cream-colored with artsy brown, orange, and yellow vertical lines across its body. On the ceiling inside, just above the two parallel benches which faced each other were our names written in blue paint with monotype corsiva font. On one side… Adele, Chinky, and Jun-Jun. On the other side… Marisa, Roland, and Tonette. Attached to the dashboard in front was a rusty metal sign which says “Francisco Motors.” When it rained, our driver Mang Sergio (pronounced sehr-yoh) would attach the plastic cover with clips to the windows. However, there was no plastic for the back part where the door was. So when it rained very hard, the whole family had to squeeze near the driver so as not to get wet.
Every morning at 5:30, Mang Sergio would first pick up the sleepy Tucbang boys in their khaki shorts. He would then go back to the house and pick us up and bring us to school. The girls went to St. Joseph’s College (St. Jo) and the boys and the Tucbangs went to Lourdes School. Since I was the youngest, I was the only one Mang Sergio would pick up at 11 AM from St. Jo. At that time, since I didn’t know better, I was very proud that we owned a jeepney. I thought that we were very rich. Other big families I knew owned Hi-Aces and Town-Aces where you couldn’t face the person you’re talking to without contorting your body. You also couldn’t lie down flat on your back without bending your knees. So I would beam with pride when Mang Sergio would smile at me his toothless smile, pick up my bags, and allow me to sit on the front seat of our jeepney. I wished that all my classmates could see me. What I didn’t know then was that my classmates thought that Mang Sergio was my father. Then, Mang Sergio would bring out a brown paper bag, and with one large bare hand with cigarette-stained long finger nails, he’d bring out a pandesal and give it to me. We would always pass by the Morato Building in Tomas Morato where Mang Sergio would place his jai-alai bet while I’d happily munch on my dirty pandesal.
Not all of my family though was happy with our mode of transportation. At that time, my sister Chinky was already in college and she was studying in posh snooty Ateneo. She didn’t want to be caught dead riding in the jeepney (which she couldn’t deny either as her name was painted in blue inside) by her classmates inside the school campus. Whenever the jeepney would bring her to school, she would duck whenever she saw her friends. She would ask to be dropped off far from her her building.
In the afternoons, the jeepney would drive us to Quezon City Sports Club where all six of us were members of the swimming team. The jeepney was just one of the things that distinguished the Mendoza family. The others were that we were the only swimmers who wore homemade two-piece bathing suits and used karate suits as bathrobes.
During weekends, Dad would pack up all six kids, my Mom, and yayas in the jeepney and we would take the six hour (yes, six!) to Matabungkay. The road was still very rough and dusty then. By the time we got to Matabungkay, we all were all covered in dust and looked like the espasol they sold in Tagaytay.
Our jeepney had no air conditioner, it was always breaking down, the floor was rusty and nakakangilo when you rubbed your feet against it, and it most certainly lowered my teen-aged siblings’ pogi points. But the jeepney took us everywhere… school, swimming, mass (the 9:30 AM mass every Sunday where the Bungang Himig Choir would sing), shopping, Matabungkay and other provinces, and anywhere we might want to go.
However, after years and years and just one too many break downs, Dad finally sold our jeepney. I must say that it was not too soon either as I was about to go to high school in Maryknoll. Mang Sergio, who at that time was bumping the jeepney on a daily basis, also got fired. The last straw was when he bumped into tree which was just standing innocently by itself on the sidewalk. So we finally became a normal Filipino family and went around in a car. Yup! All eight of us, three in front and five at the back … in a small Toyota.
- Matabungkay, Part 1 (the Journey)
- How Not to Get a Traffic Ticket
- Debut! The Pinoy Way
- Araw ng Kasambahay
- Kamuning Market and other Trivia on Kamuning
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Tonette, you are mistaken. The sign outside the jeep said “Mendoza Store” not “Mendoza Family”! Sergio could whistle without pursing his lips because he had buck teeth
Been reading your blog…and I have been enjoying it! Gusto ko rin sumama sa Amazing Race…My son, Jamie, when he found out that there is an Amazing Race Asia Edition told me he wanted to join! Hahaha…Anyway, we all have good memories of the Mendoza jeepney…Thanks to all of you
Ollie
Mendoza store? Really? Did we sell choc-nuts and flat tops in the jeep?
Hi Ollie, thanks for reading and commenting on my blog and my other e-mails.
Your blog is really entertaining!
Jim
This is a funny entry Tonette! I love it!
Mabelle
Hi Tonette. I was just bored at work so browsed through some of your old entries. Tawa ako ng tawa with this jeepney blog. I love hearing stories about all of our familes!
cuzin Rosanne
Thanks cuzin Rosanne. I was looking at my sitemeter and saw that your ip address is San Francisco State Univesity and I remember that you work there. Dinno may be interested. I’ll e-mail probably for inquiries.
Sure, Tonette. Will be happy to help Dinno.
cuz Rosanne
[...] – “Mendoza Family, not for Hire” – This is one of Toe’s earliest post — written a month before I became a regular [...]
i’ve read the 5 blogs already.
verns – 213th celebration – funny (especially the last blooper you mentioned, hello ate pala! haha!
atticus – capacity to buy fish. i love fish, and i will take your tips on how to handle my sweldo (yung credit card di ko muna tatanggalin, sayang ang miles – pang travel din)
BW – grabe single guy ang pingpong niyo ng comments. singleguy, galing! BW, (recent post) atleast my job is not in that list, haha!
TOE – we dont have a jeep, but we have an “owner†kaladkarin pero kasya kaming buong familya (5 siblings), ngayon buhay pa rin yun owner, pero hindi na kami kasya lahat. haha.
ABANIKO – what’s in a name? smart ka, dont worry i will not change my name kapag naging * ka na, i know the reason why, lol
snglguy: thanks for making this blog. another learning experience for me being a newbie in this wonderful world of blogging.
syanga pala, for some unknown reason hindi ako makacomment sa sites nila using this laptop (javascript: void) buti na lang pwede kay singleguy. so ipinapagpaalam ko na po na “i already placed you in my linkin park†(awa ng Diyos wala namang mataray sa lima na bawal magpalink)
and yes, nadagdagan na ng lima pang brilliant blogger ang linkin park ko.
sorry single guy, haba na ng sulat ko ha. *wink
Hmmm . . . I was doing research on my old choir, the Bungang Himig, and I found your blog. I think you may know me as I was with BH for 8 years and I think I sort of remember you . . .
Jhicky, of course I know you. You were the guitarist of Bungang Himig. And I know the other Bungang Himig members… Aggie, Fortune, Toto, Margie, etc.. I hope you remember me too. And I’m sure you know my sister Ichay. She has a blog you can check out and say hello to her here… http://luntianbags.wordpress.com/
If you’re still confused, check out the photo of my sisters here. http://kurokuroatbp.com/?p=1468
Hi Toe, you brought up really old memories… I used to ride your jeepney when mang sergio fetch SEBB… you can really remember things so well parang nasa hard disk lang ba:-) he he he… Hi Jhicky, I also remember you… at first the name sounds familiar and I could not recall the face … now I can clearly picture you… regards… are you still with NASA?
Mertoy, hahaha… nakasakay ka din pala sa jeep and you even remember Mang Sergio.
I don’t remember you from all the way back though… I only remember Pen-Pen. 
NASA? Jhicky is in NASA? How cool is that? 
Diba pinsan siya ni Nicky?
Mertoy, I don’t think I remember you . . .
I actually worked with Rocketdyne, a Department of Defense contractor, that built the three main engines of the Space Shuttle. They’re know part of Boeing. I left Rocketdyne in 1990.
Jhicky, Mertoy is a Del Rosario. They live right across the church. I think Nicky is your cousin. They live just a few houses away.