By Mortz C. Ortigoza
It was an eleventh hour invitation and I found myself with my college classmates at the seafood’s house nestled near the pristine brackish water with mangroves bakawan trees in Dagupan City.“When you used the words Rose Inn with a red rose on your signage, was in the mind of your brother-in-law the myth behind the words Sub Rosa or Covert as used by the spooks or the intelligence community?” I asked lawyer Alex Lomboy who was seated across my table.
Alex’s wife is a part owner of a popular motel’s Rose-Inn in Pangasinan whose branches can be found in the cities of Dagupan and Alaminos and Sison town.
The myth of Sub Rosa or Under the Rose in Latin my Facebook's friends saw me post it there twice since last year.
Since time immemorial the rose has often been associated with secrecy. In ancient Greek mythology, Cupid gave a rose to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to keep him from telling Vulcan about the legendary infidelities of his wife Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, who have extra-marital relationships with other gods like Mars, Bacchus, Mercury, and the mortal Adonis. Ceilings of dining rooms have been decorated with carvings of roses, Maximo V. Soliven wrote on his column’s By the Way at the Philippine Star, reportedly to remind guests that what was said at the table should be kept confidential. Roses have also been placed over confessionals as a symbol of the confidentiality of confession.
 |
| TRSYT. Couple in a tryst inside a motel. Photo Credit: Cosmos.ph |
“Iyong Gateway na dating pangalan ng Rose Plaza Inn ay Motor Inn na siya noong araw. Bale ang mga nag-manage before nag take over ang bayaw ko ay mga kaibigan din ng father in law ko,” he explained.
He added that the Department of Trade and Industry told them that somebody was already using the business name’s Rose Garden.
“Ang problem noong ginawa na naming motel iyon na print na sa mga towels, bed and pillow sheets ang name na Rose Garden kaya we reapplied the name of Rose-Inn and was approved by the DTI,’ he told me about the story behind Rose Plaza Inn - place of tryst whenever a couple found themselves near the cities of Dagupan and Alaminos.
“During the early years of Rose Inn it was only competing with Inawa Inns (branches of motels in Dagupan City, Calasiao, and Lingayen towns owned by the illustrious Primicias family) now there are countless of motels in the province that sprouted like mushrooms,” he cited.
“Ang problem noong ginawa na naming motel iyon na print na sa mga towels, bed and pillow sheets ang name na Rose Garden kaya we reapplied the name of Rose-Inn and was approved by the DTI,’ he told me about the story behind Rose Plaza Inn - place of tryst whenever a couple found themselves near the cities of Dagupan and Alaminos.
“During the early years of Rose Inn it was only competing with Inawa Inns (branches of motels in Dagupan City, Calasiao, and Lingayen towns owned by the illustrious Primicias family) now there are countless of motels in the province that sprouted like mushrooms,” he cited.
Damn, who could not resist promiscuity, I told myself upon hearing Alex telling me motels breed like rabbits, too!
***
I told the lawyer that in my entire years as columnist I just learned the difference between a Home and a Motel in Tagalog.
“Ano iyon? He posed to me.
Ang Home pala ay Tahanan while and Motel pala ay Tira-han (or shooting place in English).
According to our classmate Angelito Cuevas the short time which is three hours of stay cost the patrons P250 to P300 in a room composed of a bed, shower room, small dining table, garage, and the ambiance brought by an air-conditioner.
“Malaki na rin ang tinaas ng motel rates,” I commented
“Mura iyan pard,” National Bureau of Investigation’s Special Investigator-3 Richard de Guzman answered.
“Ganoon ba? Kasi noong panahon ng lolo ko sa Binondo mga 1960s iyon sabi niya doon sa Jirjir Ongpin Motel iyong aircon short time P120, iyong electric fan P85, iyong walang electric fan pamaypay lang P25. Noong tinanong daw ang lolo ko ng batang batang chick niya saan sila, sabi ng lolo ko doon na lang sa P25 para may pambili pa sila ng cerbeza negra at balot,” I narrated the anecdote of my grandfather who is now 120 years old.
“Nasaan na iyong mga Discount Cards niyo noong binigyan ko pa kayo sa College of Law?”
Alex asked my classmates where some are executives of the NBI, PhilHealth, and the Department of Justice who were eavesdropping on our conversation.
Everybody there denied they received a tiny card that one can shove to the face of a bellboy in Rose Inn.
“Baka iba iyong nabigyan mo Lex, 50 tayong mag ka classmates noong late 1990s li-lima lang tayong kalalakihan dito wala kaming natanggap” I hollered to Alex so the wives of these classmates who were partaking our sumptuous lunch heard it and would not lose their appetite.
(Send comments to totomortz@yahoo.com)
***
I told the lawyer that in my entire years as columnist I just learned the difference between a Home and a Motel in Tagalog.
“Ano iyon? He posed to me.
Ang Home pala ay Tahanan while and Motel pala ay Tira-han (or shooting place in English).
According to our classmate Angelito Cuevas the short time which is three hours of stay cost the patrons P250 to P300 in a room composed of a bed, shower room, small dining table, garage, and the ambiance brought by an air-conditioner.
“Malaki na rin ang tinaas ng motel rates,” I commented
“Mura iyan pard,” National Bureau of Investigation’s Special Investigator-3 Richard de Guzman answered.
“Ganoon ba? Kasi noong panahon ng lolo ko sa Binondo mga 1960s iyon sabi niya doon sa Jirjir Ongpin Motel iyong aircon short time P120, iyong electric fan P85, iyong walang electric fan pamaypay lang P25. Noong tinanong daw ang lolo ko ng batang batang chick niya saan sila, sabi ng lolo ko doon na lang sa P25 para may pambili pa sila ng cerbeza negra at balot,” I narrated the anecdote of my grandfather who is now 120 years old.
“Nasaan na iyong mga Discount Cards niyo noong binigyan ko pa kayo sa College of Law?”
Alex asked my classmates where some are executives of the NBI, PhilHealth, and the Department of Justice who were eavesdropping on our conversation.
Everybody there denied they received a tiny card that one can shove to the face of a bellboy in Rose Inn.
“Baka iba iyong nabigyan mo Lex, 50 tayong mag ka classmates noong late 1990s li-lima lang tayong kalalakihan dito wala kaming natanggap” I hollered to Alex so the wives of these classmates who were partaking our sumptuous lunch heard it and would not lose their appetite.
READ MY OTHER ARTICLE:
Docs are easy to tax than lawyers, moteliers
(Send comments to totomortz@yahoo.com)
Follow me on Twitter Send me a secure tip.
MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA
I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials's idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.
