Ang Alamat ng Tems

“Tems” -- yan ang tawag natin sa mga mini bus na ang routa ay Sta. Cruz – Olongapo and vice-versa. The word “Tems” (always with an “S”, singular man o double), according to Pico Espino is a distinct Sambale coined word, and we associate it with words like ZAMODCA and YUL-RENY. Tems is the cheaper and friendlier alternative to Victory Liner – kung ang konduktor ay nagkataon na kakilala pa ay talagang Lucky Me dahil siguradong libre ka. Pero kung hindi, nilaki mo! Mamayar ka!

Noong panahon ni Imelda Marcos, pinauso nya ang Love Bus sa Menila, dapat din siguro pinauso natin sa Sta. Cruz ang Love Tems. Papatok kaya ang Love Tems kaysa sa love team nila Dingdong at Marian, John Lloyd at Bea o ang love team nila Richard at KC? Eh, ang love team ni Kagawad Eric at Melen Tongson, bakit kaya di sila nagkatuluyan? Magkapitbahay naman sila sa Eliazo Street. What happens to the old saying -- "Mirarani, milalabi."? Nalayo tayo sa topic.

Ang tanong nga ni Pico Espino -- exactly where in the world did we get the word “Tems” or coined it from?????? Ayon sa pagsasaliksik ng ating batikang PDIC lawyer na si Romel Barrera, he came across a print advertisement in the early 50’s of a certain brand of a bus which goes by the name "Thames". Perhaps that’s where the word "Tems" was derived. Thanks to our natural hard tongue (read as: Bisaya), “Thames” became “Tems”, just like “Beach Walk” became “Biswok”.

Pero bakit walang Tems na diretso papuntang Ibali?

(From Raul Urbano) Thames ang mga unang mini-bus na nagbiyahe ng Olongapo-Santa Cruz. Ang kapitbahay namin na si Naro Bernal had one or two. “Thames” (as in River Thames of England) is pronounced by the British the same way as we Sambali do “Tems”. Kaya inadvertently, we pronounce it right.