On July 9, 2024, Mr. Horacio "Zaldy" M. Marasigan Jr., Ciara Marasigan Serumgard, Kirk Escudero Serumgard, Kirby and Kieran Marasigan Serumgard made a second visit to Sr. Maria Aida Magtibay Velasquez, O.S.B. at St. Benedict's Home, Marikina. This conversation was recorded at that time. Special thanks to Sr. Pauline Triviño, O.S.B. for arranging the meetings. 

Sr. Maria Aida Magtibay Velasquez, O.S.B.: “There are very few original places left now in Batangas. Please keep them. Take care of them. Take care of them very well so that the other young ones can see also San Juan. You know, my father would go from Laguna to Batangas to visit my mother whom he was courting. That was how it was. So I’m very glad that your children can still see San Juan, Batangas. How it was when it was during their days. Congratulations to all of you who made the book.

Barangay Imelda has been far from the mainstream of the Batangueños so it’s beauty has been preserved for you all, for all of you young ones to see how San Juan was. Congratulations everybody. Congratulations everybody. You still have a San Juan, Batangas to keep. Please keep San Juan, Batangas. Please keep San Juan, Batangas for your children. For your grandchildren please. 

I think it’s a beautiful name. People should know more what barako means.”

Ciara Marasigan Serumgard: “What does it mean?”

Sr. Maria Aida Magtibay Velasquez, O.S.B.: "Barako. Barako. Macho. Very strong in determination. Very brave. Barako. Yun ang pangalan ng Barako. Hindi takot sa natatakot. Hindi siya madaling matakot. Yan ang barako.”

Ciara Marasigan Serumgard: “And we have women who are barako too like you.”

Sr. Maria Aida Magtibay Velasquez, O.S.B.: “Of course. Of course. Barako. My mother is from San Juan, Batangas. My grandfather was from San Juan, Batangas.

I think there were plenty of times to be courageous. Otherwise, we would not have accomplished much in San Juan, Batangas or in nearby places. You have to be courageous to do what you think is right. That was San Juan, Batangas for us.

At that time, no, not many people were minding the issue of environmentalism but Horacio was one of the first to be very much concerned with the environment in San Juan, Batangas and the mamay, you know mamay, lolo, mamay was staying in that area of San Juan, Batangas. So my mamay, my mamay was introduced to Horacio Marasigan. And that was how we started our close relationship. Horacio Marasigan and the family of my lolo, my mamay met. That was the start of a beautiful and fruitful friendship with the Marasigans. And Horacio Marasigan was a very faithful and very, how would you say, powerful advocate of the environment of San Juan, Batangas. That was how it was with Horacio Marasigan.

I am very, I am very, very proud to have met Horacio Marasigan. At that time, he was not known as Horacio. He was not popular but Horacio Marasigan really popularized San Juan, Batangas through his help in meeting other, other people also working for the environment. That was Horacio Marasigan. And you are related now. You are part of the young generation of the Marasigans. Even in the states, you are part of that fiery environmentalist called Horacio Marasigan. 

And that was how everything started when I met Horacio Marasigan and he asked for help in San Juan, Batangas and my mother is from San Juan, Batangas. How could I have refused? My mother…repeat…is from San Juan, Batangas and Horacio Marasigan was asking for help for the many barrios in San Juan, Batangas near the place of my mother. That was how it was. And Horacio Marasigan was very much concerned with the barrios near the beach in San Juan, Batangas. That was how it was with Horacio, with all his determination to stop the destruction of the beaches, beaches, near their place in San Juan, Batangas. Yes. That was the start of our friendship. Horacio Marasigan bringing, coming to me.

From being destroyed by the quick work of Horacio Marasigan coming to St. Scho and talking to me, and we trying to mobilize people, people who can prevent the destruction we were seeing that may come in San Juan, Batangas. That was Horacio Marasigan who was a very unstoppable man in protecting his beaches in San Juan, Batangas. Horacio Marasigan was a non stoppable figure in the work for the environment in San Juan, Batangas.

Horacio Marasigan is the man who can rally people around an important, a very important undertaking. That was Horacio Marasigan. What did he do? He went to St. Scholastica. And Sr. Aida has plenty of, well, a good number, a good number of people working also for the environment. And so our, his friends and my friends were, came to meet each other. And that was the start of the work, the work done in San Juan, Batangas with Horacio Marasigan getting the others to help, to help in protecting the environment in San Juan.

So Marasigan could get many others to help support his cause. That was Lolo Horacio. And congratulations everybody. You have a Lolo Horacio who was very much concerned with the environment even at that very early time. That was Papa Horacio Marasigan.

Batangas and its beaches. Congratulations everybody. Congratulations for your Lolo Horacio who had the indefatigable desire to stop anything that will destroy his beautiful San Juan. His beautiful beaches in San Juan. That was Papa Horacio Marasigan.”

***

Sr. Pauline Triviño, O.S.B.: "Sister Aida gathered the barriofolks of San Juan at the basketball court of BEA, now called Batangas Eastern Colleges, and explained to them very simply but clearly the danger of having a copper smelter plant in our town. For her explanation, she used two glasses filled with water. One had plain water in it; to the second glass, she added the chemical solution that will get into the air coming from the copper smelter plant. She dipped a leaf into the two glasses. The leaf put into the glass with plain water remained fresh but the other leaf dipped into the glass with the solution withered. Seeing this, the people were convinced they will say no to the government's proposal that a copper smelter plant be put up in San Juan. And so it happened. It was put up in Leyte. This was a victory for us. Thanks for all those people greatly responsible for this victory. Let's thank God."