Sandara as Maria

This is a photo of
Maria Christina Bacareza
from her Facebook Page
where she calls herself
'Ann Curtis'.

Maria Christina Bacareza was seating on a chopped log in front of her house at Purok 4, Sittio 17 when she suddenly perked up calling me, “HI GIRL! HI BESTFRIEND!” Maria approached in her peacock walk and pats me at the shoulder as if truly identifying me as her best friend contrary to the truth that we only occasionally meet. Maria or Sandara, as she is better known for, gave a teasing eye with a sincere amazement that for me in her mind was a thought: “finally I get to be the one visited”.

            Maria or Sandara, as one of the most famous person in the University of the Philippines in Mindanao, is known for her constant visits on every location in the university. From the habal-habal terminal, to the dorm, to the canteen, to the admin, to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Sciences and Mathematics, Maria or Sandara would arrive attempting a crip-walk or kick an exaggerated excitement.  But more than anything else, she is known, for her afro hair style and confident smile plus the unique accent and attitude of a genuine star.

            It is for this reason that when Filipino-Korean Sandara Parks became famous on television, some UP in Mindanao students joked around at Maria and called her as Mintal’s own version of the actress. Eventually, everyone knew her as Sandara that even Marichu, owner of the University Canteen, who constantly gives her free meals, didn’t know her real name. 

            Unlike the actress Sandara, however, the fame of nineteen year old Maria isn’t short lived as she constantly becomes associated with more than one famous young stars including Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition winner, Kim Chiu. Whenever she is teased to such actress, she would immediately cry, “Bok-Bok!”, mimicing the scene of the actress’ famous telenovela, Sana’y Ma Ulit Muli.

            But sometimes, Maria would transform into Justin Timberlake as she would dance to the funky hip-hop beat during Bayla Vinta practices. Sometimes, she hits it on at the middle of the UP Atrium whenever she feels like dancing. Her mother, Luceveminda Bacareza said that Maria once asked permission to stay up late because “her dance troupe“was going to have a rehearsal. In doubt, she didn’t agree to it, however, because Maria persists, she didn’t have a choice.

Luceveminda explained that Maria hardly does chores at home unless she wants to. Whenever she does, she would merely empty the arinola with urine or sweep the floor. But mostly, Maria just dances and sings to the beat of her family’s music collection together with the rest of the family who are all music lovers. 

            But after an hour of ecstatic jumping and singing, Maria would immediately shift to another recreational task. Being born with a psychological incapability on January 29, 1987 gives her a short attention span making it easy for her to shift from one fetish to another. When she was eight years old, her father Ricardo Bacareza wondered why after an hour Maria wouldn’t follow with his lessons on basic vocabulary. It was only after Ricardo consulted a psychiatrist, Dr. Irene Basilio, when Maria was twelve, that he became certain of Maria’s condition. “Indeed, she was a special child,” Ricardo said.

            Maria’s mother, Luceveminda recollects that perhaps the reason for Maria’s illness was because of the quak doctor that tested her high fever when she was still five months old.

            Formerly living in Bangkal, at the year 1988, Maria was left to her grandmother while Luceveminda flew to Manila hoping to find a job abroad as a caregiver. Ricardo was also busy earning as a City Treasurer government employee during that time. Hence, Luceveminda couldn’t asses to the truthfulness of the situation regarding the illegal doctor, “basin lang man pud (I’m just thinking that perhaps it is true),” she said.

            After realizing that Maria was indeed psychologically ill, Luceveminda immediately, advocated to the Born Again religion. She shared her faith to the rest of the family and they became active at Calinan eventually building a small church. Whenever they would go to Calinan, they would leave Maria to her grandmothers so as not to tire her. According to Luceveminda, the family didn’t think of sending Maria to a psychologist because they carried with them the hopes that prayers could heal her sickness.

            Now, with Ricardo retired and Luceveminda only working as a part time care giver, the family only have less income which is not enough to pay for Maria’s possible psychological therapy. Maria’s sisters, Anne and Rica’s income taken from their works as a manager in Cebu and as a cashier at SM Davao is also not big enough to cater extra expenses such as doctor fee. As a whole, the family’s income is only enough to pay their basic needs. They can only resort to loving Maria and accepting her attitude no matter how difficult it is.

            To the family surprise, however, Maria eventually grew up as a friendly child who knows how to make little conversations despite the swinging of ideas she makes. At five years old, she had already learned how to speak with the help of her Aunt Lilia Taba and her sisters, who were all Honor students. 

            During Maria’s early years, her parents tried to send her to Davao City Special Educational Development (SPED), a school for special children. But because one of her teachers tried to prick her, Maria’s parents decided that she would be better learning at home.

            During the first years of her home schooling, Maria hardly knew how to write even a single alphabet. Luckily, one of the few teachers from SPED who was compassionate enough, advised the family to ask Maria to cut strips of paper in order to practice her motor skills. Maria and her family took the advice seriously. Now, Maria is able to write the names of her entire family members in a notebook that she always brings inside her pocket or in her bag.

            Maria’s love for writing perhaps led her to attend classes at UP Mindanao including Prof. Genevive Jorolan-Quintero’s Prose Styles class. In the middle of the lecture, however, she would end up dosing off without even caring if people are already fooling around at her snore or her drooling saliva. She just stays in her place looking comfortable and fortunate enough to be allowed to learn at her own pace without even being asked to pay tuition.

            After the class, students would wake her up. With a sudden shift of mood into a sincere excitement, Maria would suddenly react “ay…hi crush” before she leaves to the path walk going to the Canteen or the EBL Dormitory.

             Sometimes, when she would mingle with students at the Canteen, she would call everyone her best friend or crush regardless of gender. In this, she exemplifies the fluidity of sexuality as she hugs and kisses both female and male person at the university.

Many would get annoyed by her and would immediately detour once she is seen approaching at their destination. Others, however, have the luxury to mimic her actions and unique accent.

            Fourth year Creative Writing students love to follow her actions to point that they are able to call themselves “girl” with the unique tone of Maria’s voice. Sometimes, Maria is dense whenever people fool around her. Most of the time, however, she jives with jokes which occasionally irritates people. 

            If one would tell her “Uy, gwapaha nimu Sandara uy,” she would wildly react like a man transforming into a super hero then she would fly around the entire university with a silly grin on her face. One could easily say that she has gotten into the cloud nine as she would reply in a screeching scream ,”Ay!!!”

            In more than one occasions Maria could be seen stopping over the Atrium to watch people play badminton and table tennis at early six in the evening. She would usually become the sole spectator of the athletes and the only reliable person to pick up a ball from a wasted smash. She would become too excited especially when she would see her crush around. Sometimes, it would seem as if every player and person in the neighborhood is her crush.

            During those many late hours that she isn’t home early, her family would inevitably worry. Her father, Ricardo said that because he is afraid that some mad person might take advantage of Maria’s friendliness, he would usually look for her around Mintal. Sometimes, he wishes that Maria would only stay home just to avoid the possible danger that she might face when she would stay up so late. However, he couldn’t stop her from doing what she wants since, whenever she goes out, Ricardo said, “it is obvious that she is happy.”

            According to Luceveminda, Maria, on few occasions, would arrive home in tears. During these times, the family would immediately know that Maria has gone into a fight after tambays have teased her.

            On rather distinct moments, Maria would be home crying after she would learn that her crush has a girlfriend or a boyfriend. Sometimes, her crush would fool around as a couple with someone just to shoo her away. Cristone Baltazar, one who is known as Maria’s crush, admits that he usually becomes irritated. “Luod man gud usahay (Sometimes, it becomes really yucky),” he said. However, Richie Raagas, another of Maria’s many crushes, said that” It’s ok, I don’t have a choice.” He added,” She’s harmless naman.”

            Whenever Maria would cry after believing that her crush already has a girl friend, her family would just leave her be. This is because they know that Maria would just change her mood into an excited “brat” any moment from that. In order to make sure that such events are avoided, however, her sister Rica or her father would look for her and fetch her wherever she has gone. 

            During my visit to her house, Maria accompanied me to the porch which was bracketed with DVDs that lead to where her mother, Luceveminda Bacareza, was singing with the Karaoke. She called every family member present and took the family albums under a wooden center desk.

            During the interview, she reacted with an irritated face as her mother sneaked a kiss on her cheek. Such was a rather unlikely situation because Maria hardly becomes irritated, instead, she is known to irritate. When I was about to leave, Maria asked her mother if she could visit UP Mindanao with me later that night. Her mother disagreed. When she persisted, I convinced her that there were not much people in the campus and that it would be boring that day. With this, she smiled and under silly giggles, she said, ”Ge lang… interview man ko…”

****this article was written 3 years ago for a MEDA class. It was published in Himati, the Official Student Publication of the University of the Philippines in Mindanao.