Retraining (Pugad Baboy story arc)
Encyclopedia
Retraining is an adventure story arc
of the Philippine comic strip series Pugad Baboy
, created by Pol Medina Jr. and originally published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
. This particular story arc lasts 45 strips long. In 1993, the story arc was reprinted in Pugad Baboy 4, the fourth book compilation of the comic strip series.
, spiked gauntlets
, a riding crop, a guard dog and a bodyguard - definitely not standard military issue equipment.
The troops go to Mt. Makulot one day for a jungle and mountain orientation course. In learning how to survive by living off the land, the men stray into a mountain stream where an NPA
amazon (a female fighter) is doing laundry. The troops are captured and taken to the NPA camp. The government soldiers are terror-struck; the NPA seem to be getting ready to execute the lot. However, it so happens that Ka Noli, the good friend of Tomas in Pugad Baboy, is among the NPA's in that camp. The soldiers are released and are invited for a drink with the NPA's.
While the new-found friends were happily drinking their training time away, they heard an aircraft fly overhead; Ka Noli mentions that he had heard rumors of a secret airstrip somewhere in Mt. Makulot. Tomas and Ka Noli decided to look for the airstrip and see who was using it. To their horror, they discover that the airstrip is being used by foreign pedophiles to smuggle children out of the country. Tomas radios headquarters asking the commanding general for permission to attack the camp, but is rebuffed; on the contrary, Sgt. Reynantes is ordered to detain Sabaybunot. The NPA's however, restrain Reynantes and Tomas is given access to the NPA's armory. Both Tomas and Ka Noli prepare to assault the airstrip.
Heavily armed, the duo turn the pedophiles' planes into smoking wrecks full of holes. The foreigners' Filipino contact, Fabian, however, takes refuge on top of a hill and reveals that he had a hostage - Tomas' only son, Paltik. Tomas and Ka Noli are forced to surrender. The mastermind of the whole operation arrived - it was none other than Gen. Cresendo Lagumbay, alias Sendong Langib. The Pugad Baboy gang would have been in a perilous position but for the timely arrival of Polgas, in the guise of Robin Hound - Prince of Fleas (a spoof of Robin Hood
, Prince of Thieves). Polgas manages to disarm Fabian with an arrow that tweaks away his revolver; Paltik is able to escape and the bound Ka Noli and Tomas manage to evade their captors. In the confusion, all the pedophiles, Sendong Langib and Fabian board a helicopter
and attempt to escape. Polgas, however, brings the chopper crashing down with an arrow tied to a tree on the ground. They all fall into quicksand
and Tomas is able to extract a confession from Sendong Langib. Sgt. Reynantes is also able to extract a small measure of vengeance from his erstwhile commanding general; he makes the general do ten million push-ups.
As a reward for the capture of Sendong Langib, Tomas is made flight leader of his unit.
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
of the Philippine comic strip series Pugad Baboy
Pugad Baboy
Pugad Baboy is a comic strip created by Filipino cartoonist Apolonio "Pol" Medina, Jr. The strip is about a Manila community of mostly obese people - "fat as pigs", so to speak ....
, created by Pol Medina Jr. and originally published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Philippine Daily Inquirer
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
. This particular story arc lasts 45 strips long. In 1993, the story arc was reprinted in Pugad Baboy 4, the fourth book compilation of the comic strip series.
Synopsis
Sgt. Tomas Sabaybunot receives orders from higher command to the effect that he has to undergo military retraining under Article of War 105. His flight instructor is the short, skinny, buck-toothed Sgt. Reynantes who takes the men through the traditional military tradition of breaking down the individual's sense of independence and attempts to instill esprit de corps by having them "carry the mountain", "consume everything" and "squish da banana". Their commanding general, Gen. Cresendo Lagumbay, one day pays the training troop a visit, speaking of having an open ear for their complaints, but nonetheless sporting a katanaKatana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
, spiked gauntlets
Gauntlet (gloves)
Gauntlet is a name for several different styles of glove, particularly those with an extended cuff covering part of the forearm. Gauntlets exist in many forms, ranging from flexible fabric and leather gloves, to mail and fully articulated plate armour....
, a riding crop, a guard dog and a bodyguard - definitely not standard military issue equipment.
The troops go to Mt. Makulot one day for a jungle and mountain orientation course. In learning how to survive by living off the land, the men stray into a mountain stream where an NPA
New People's Army
The New People's Army is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. It was formed on March 29, 1969. The Maoist NPA conducts its armed guerrilla struggle based on the strategical line of 'protracted people's war'.The NPA exacts so called "revolutionary taxes" from business owners...
amazon (a female fighter) is doing laundry. The troops are captured and taken to the NPA camp. The government soldiers are terror-struck; the NPA seem to be getting ready to execute the lot. However, it so happens that Ka Noli, the good friend of Tomas in Pugad Baboy, is among the NPA's in that camp. The soldiers are released and are invited for a drink with the NPA's.
While the new-found friends were happily drinking their training time away, they heard an aircraft fly overhead; Ka Noli mentions that he had heard rumors of a secret airstrip somewhere in Mt. Makulot. Tomas and Ka Noli decided to look for the airstrip and see who was using it. To their horror, they discover that the airstrip is being used by foreign pedophiles to smuggle children out of the country. Tomas radios headquarters asking the commanding general for permission to attack the camp, but is rebuffed; on the contrary, Sgt. Reynantes is ordered to detain Sabaybunot. The NPA's however, restrain Reynantes and Tomas is given access to the NPA's armory. Both Tomas and Ka Noli prepare to assault the airstrip.
Heavily armed, the duo turn the pedophiles' planes into smoking wrecks full of holes. The foreigners' Filipino contact, Fabian, however, takes refuge on top of a hill and reveals that he had a hostage - Tomas' only son, Paltik. Tomas and Ka Noli are forced to surrender. The mastermind of the whole operation arrived - it was none other than Gen. Cresendo Lagumbay, alias Sendong Langib. The Pugad Baboy gang would have been in a perilous position but for the timely arrival of Polgas, in the guise of Robin Hound - Prince of Fleas (a spoof of Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
, Prince of Thieves). Polgas manages to disarm Fabian with an arrow that tweaks away his revolver; Paltik is able to escape and the bound Ka Noli and Tomas manage to evade their captors. In the confusion, all the pedophiles, Sendong Langib and Fabian board a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
and attempt to escape. Polgas, however, brings the chopper crashing down with an arrow tied to a tree on the ground. They all fall into quicksand
Quicksand
Quicksand is a colloid hydrogel consisting of fine granular matter , clay, and water.Water circulation underground can focus in an area with the optimal mixture of fine sands and other materials such as clay. The water moves up and then down slowly in a convection-like manner throughout a column...
and Tomas is able to extract a confession from Sendong Langib. Sgt. Reynantes is also able to extract a small measure of vengeance from his erstwhile commanding general; he makes the general do ten million push-ups.
As a reward for the capture of Sendong Langib, Tomas is made flight leader of his unit.
Miscellaneous trivia
- Like some Pugad Baboy story arcs, this one has an instance of characters breaking the fourth wallThe Fourth WallThe Fourth Wall is a 1992 play by the American playwright A.R. Gurney.It was originally produced in the United States in regional theatre...
. While being held captive by Ka Dina, Tomas tells Sgt. Reynantes that she is definitely a member of the NPA, starting from the red headband, the medal bearing the seal of the Communist Party of the PhilippinesCommunist Party of the PhilippinesThe Communist Party of the Philippines is a leading communist party in the Philippines. It remains an underground political organization since its founding on December 26, 1968 and has been operating in clandestine manner since its founding...
, and even her conjunctivitisConjunctivitisConjunctivitis refers to inflammation of the conjunctiva...
. During the conversation, Tomas even tells him that if the comic strip there are on were colored, Ka Dina's clothes would have been colored red, too. - Another play of words occurs in this story arc. Sgt. Reynantes instructs his troops to "consume everything" on the table. Tomas indeed consumes everything, plate and all. Reynantes then tells Tomas that when he says "consume everything," the plate is not included.
- Tomas is only one of two residents of Pugad Baboy who successfully lost their weight, only to regain it sometime later. In the end of the story arc, Tomas returns to Pugad Baboy buff and muscular because of the retraining, to the amazement of Bab and Dagul. However, he goes home to eat dinner; his meal stretches so long that by the time he rejoins the two, he is back to his old obese self.
- The other person to successfully lose weight and gain it back is his wife Barbie, this time through liposuctionLiposuctionLiposuction, also known as lipoplasty , liposculpture suction lipectomy or simply lipo is a cosmetic surgery operation that removes fat from many different sites on the human body...
("liemposuction" is the term used). Even Tomas wants to touch her, but she refuses to be touched because she still has wounds from the surgery. By the time those wounds heal (which is three weeks), she has become much more obese than before the procedure.
- The other person to successfully lose weight and gain it back is his wife Barbie, this time through liposuction
- Robert JaworskiRobert JaworskiRobert Salazar Jaworski , also known as Sonny Jaworski, Bobby Jaworski, Robert Jaworski, Sr. or simply Jawo, is a former Philippine senator, basketball coach and Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association and PBA basketball player.Known as The Big J and called The Living Legend...
, who was a player and coach of the PBAPhilippine Basketball AssociationThe Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
Añejo Rhum 65 teamBarangay Ginebra KingsThe Barangay Ginebra Kings is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 1979 and owned by the Ginebra San Miguel, Inc., a subsidiary of the San Miguel Corporation...
at the time of story arc's publication, appears in this story arc, telling Tomas and Ka Noli about their "game plan." - When Tomas and Ka Noli invade the airstrip, they shout "Pigabanga!" "Pigabanga" is a spoof of the expression "Cowabunga," popularized by the Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesThe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
. The rest of the Pugad Baboy gang use "Pigabanga" in a later story arc, Ang Hiwaga ng DueñasAng Hiwaga ng DueñasAng Hiwaga ng Dueñas is an adventure story arc of the Philippine comic strip series Pugad Baboy, created by Pol Medina Jr. and originally published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. This particular story arc lasts 52 strips long and ran during the first quarter of 1992...
. - Likewise, in the story arc, Tomas is assigned to "Flight Pigtrot, Braboy Company." "Pigtrot" and "Braboy" are derived from "Foxtrot" and "Bravo," both part of the NATO phonetic alphabetNATO phonetic alphabetThe NATO phonetic alphabet, more accurately known as the NATO spelling alphabet and also called the ICAO phonetic or spelling alphabet, the ITU phonetic alphabet, and the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet, is the most widely used spelling alphabet...
. Medina has a penchant of attaching words relating to swine for comic relief. - Most of the names the NPA cadre are derived from FilipinoFilipino languageThis move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
words. Ka Mison (kamison, a type of clothing), Ka Boothie (kabuti, for "mushroom"), Ka Dina (kadena, for "chains"), and Ka Matthis (kamatis, for "tomato") all illustrate this point.