MEETING ALEX ROMERO last April 2010

Alex and Menchie Romero taken during their last wedding anniversary..

A long time friend whom I met in Asingan last April 2010 was Alex Romero, Pare Alex for short..I have known him since the early '50s when we were still studying at the Dupac Intermediate School. As a Grade 6 student, he was popular with the teachers because of his fine tenor voice. Good singers, like Pare Alex, were always liked by them because he could do some singing parts during those Christmas or Graduation ceremonies that mark the end of another school year.

I fondly and still vividly remember our graduation ceremonies that April 1954. Most of you, younger readers of this Blog may not even been born yet. Mr. Fabian Ballesteros and Miss Remedios Jose, two of our Intermediate Grade teachers recruited talents from the graduating class to put up a literary-musical program that would be something unforgettable to watch.

I remember Nueva Domaoan ( now in New Jersey ) being the emcee ( Mistress of cermonies? We have to be politically correct during these times, you know )and I would say she did a fine job.

Then there was this song-and-dance number. Alex did a song called ON WINGS OF SONG a very popular classical solo made for tenor voices. He sang without any accompaniment ( no karaoke yet during that time and figuring the guitar accompaniment for that piece would be a bitch ). And while he was singing, Aurora Pascua in an Arabian costume was doing ( surprise!) an Arabian Dance. Oh yes, I think Alex was also garbed as an Arabian Prince, complete with a head turban. It was one of the highlights of the program. It was the last get together of all Grade 6 students ( class '54 ) before going separate ways the next day...


Well last April, I met Alex again. He asked me to do a story about a quaint machinery which is not being used anymore in his premises. He does not want to sell it to the junk man since somehow, somewhere there would be someone who might have a good use for it..

So he tracked the original company which made the machinery. Lately he e-mailed me the photos ( it's really a rice huller which was a workhorse for polishing palay into rice during those years in Asingan.)and some results of his ardent research.

So here are the e-mails he sent after doing some research in the Internet concerning the machinery...

I have an old rice-huller(kiskisan). The ricehuller is very old, more than 120 years. I have been locating thru the internet the relatives or descendants of the inventor. His name is Evarista Conrado Engelberg of Piracicaba, Sao Paolo, Brazil.

I have located Mr. Alfred Engelberg and Mr. Stephen Engelberg. I sent messages to them but responded they were on vacation. Please help me find the relatives or descendants of Evarista Conrado Engelberg. Enclosed is my letter to Mr. Alfred Engelberg and Mr. Stephen Engelberg.

Dear Mr. Engelberg, I came across your name in the internet and i am writing you this letterto inquire if you are in anyway related or a descendant of the late Evarista Conrado Engelberg of THE ENGELBERG HULLER CO. OF SYRACUSE, NY, U.S.A. for many years now. The following data are embossed in the huller's cover.

THE ENGELBERG HULLER CO. 1925 86 MAY 22, 1888 APR. 1, 1890

Assuming that you are relative or a descendant of the aforementioned Evarista Conrado Engelberg, I am sending this information about this very old ENGELBERG ricehuller in my possession because i am interested to dispose of this rare huller. i think that if it be disposed at all, i would certainly prefer that it to be returned to a member or descendant of the ENGELBERG family. You can communicate with me:

mr. alexromero72004@yahoo.com

alexander p. romero #22 bauzon st., poblacion east asingan, pangasinan, philippines 2439

thank you very much.

sincerely yours,
alexander p. romero

PHOTOS OF THE VERY OLD RICE HULLER( KISKISAN )