Remembering Bohol as it Was (Before the Quake)

I was fortunate that right before the big quake, I was able to bring my current partner, Toni to see Bohol sometime in November 2012. This time I took a different route; flying directly to Tagbilaran, I engaged Rod’s services once again and made sure we got to go around all the important sites. We opted for lodgings within the city where there are now numerous fastfood restaurants to choose from to cut our travel expenses. Since I actually had official work to do the next two days, we had to schedule our tour as soon as we arrived. It was Toni’s first time in Bohol and she had always wondered about the beautiful churches I was telling her about. Since we both believed in making three wishes whenever one visits churches for the first time, we headed straight for Baclayon Church. Unlike before, strict dress codes have now been imposed to visitors. And since we were both in shorts, Toni was compelled to borrow a sari of sorts from the manangs to cover her legs before entering the church. I was allowed my short pants since mine were below-the-knee board shorts. Proper church decorum was now required – tourists may still take pictures inside but a few meters away from the altar; too much giggling or talking aloud is prohibited, and visitors are encouraged to say a short prayer instead. We still got to see the Baclayon museum and its old religious artifacts dating as far back as the 1600s, but the statuettes seemed fewer now. What are attracting tourists now are the three images that seemed to appear on the outside walls of the church itself – a side view of Padre Pio who has a full-size statue inside, a figure of Mother Mary and the child Jesus, and a frontview of an adult, soon-to-be-crucified Jesus. Signs like these were normally considered as warnings by religious Filipinos, and visitors and Boholanos alike thought something really bad was going to happen soon. Looking back now, could these have been signs for the big earthquake that would devastate the island province of Bohol? At Loboc Church, we were not allowed in for some reason that it was closed. We also didn’t get to see its museum or hear the Loboc Chidren’s Choir practice. Of course, I have to explain to Toni why the belltower was so far from the church proper, and why there is a ghastly unfinished bridge ruining the skyline. After all these years, no one has thought of simply removing that eyesore. Maybe they want it as a reminder of how foolish some government officials can be. But now, as an afterthought, I was hoping that it should’ve been the one completely destroyed by the earthquake instead of the heavily damaged Loboc Church to save everyone the trouble. So after a few snapshots taken outside, we headed across the river to ride the famed riverboat cruise. The whole system of getting passengers now seem more orderly with fees being paid to the agents who arrange for which boat you will ride. The boats now seemed sturdier and safer, of about uniform size to accommodate a reasonable number of customers with no fear of capsizing due to overcrowding or overloading. I could now leisurely eat my buffet lunch while enjoying the on-board music, now also a standard entertainment provided on the cruise. In between, we pass by large rafts with locals doing their own version of musical entertainment complete with song-and-dance routines. The foreigners absolutely love this kind of attraction – what with the performers colourful costumes and obvious talent, this brings back the times when Filipinos were really proud of their cultural traditions and loved showing off for guests. I was told the groups are actually locals representing different barangays near the river. The attraction was both an incentive and a means of livelihood for the communities. Kudos then to the local officials who thought of this. To cap off a heavy meal, there is now the popular ice cream shop nearby where you can try unique ice cream flavors made from products of the Bohol Bee Farm. Though a visit to the Bohol Bee Farm is now one the recommended tours, one can have a taste of its products just as you get off the boat. Popular fruits ranging from coconut, mango, and pineapple, to exotic avocado, ube and pandan, were combined with our truly Filipino flavors of cheese, mantikado, and halo-halo, all utilizing the locally-made honey as natural sweetener. Another highlight of Loboc is its newly-established adventure park. The still unfinished facility is already being visited in droves by tourists who want some physical excitement. While its zipline is nowhere near as long as Dahilayan’s in Bukidnon, or as deep as the one in Lake Sebu, it’s short run still gives one an amazing view of the Loboc river, its mini waterfalls, and its outlet to the sea. We were told that over those same forests and hills, are the natural habitat of the mini-marsupials, the very cute tarsiers of Bohol. We then proceeded to the other usual tourist “haunts” – the Bilar man-made forest and the Chocolate Hills. Toni found these nature treasures of Bohol quite fascinating. We risked causing heavy traffic in Bilar just so we could take picturesque shots of the trees. At Carmen, being much younger and limber than I am, Toni effortlessly climbed the steps. I never knew then that those pictures of her at the viewing deck, beside the bell or the wishing well, would preserve for posterity our memories of Bohol; because less than a year later, the earthquake would damage this overlook site to an almost unrecognizable state. On the way back, we dropped by another latest spot on the tourist rounds – the so-called “ShipHaus”. Seen from the highway itself, this residence of a longtime boat captain was constructed to look like the exterior and interior of a ship. The balcony was designed to look like the bow, an anchor dangling from its side down to the garden below. Inside, rooms are furnished like cabins, with the grandest being the captain’s quarters. However, this attraction is more fun for kids rather than for adults who have been on-board actual boats and ships. Being the probinsyana that she is, Toni has a true affinity for “wide, open spaces” like me and quite a penchant for various flora and fauna. So it was imperative that she gets to see the tarsiers and meet Prony, the famous python of Bohol. At the Tarsier Conservation site, Toni again had the advantage of being physically fit. Constructed over the hills and its usual vegetation, tarsiers are now more comfortable and less stressed. No direct contact means no petting or close-up fotos; there is no longer insect-feeding unlike before. Photography with flash is still prohibited. But tarsiers here are now more numerous; they are of different ages and are now coded and named. This still gives one a more “personal” connection with them. The briefing at the start of the tour, complete with flyers and a short video, is also quite helpful; it is more “professionalized” such that visitors are compelled to “behave”. Being nocturnal animals, tarsiers sleep during the day when most tourists come to visit, and the noise with all the excitement bothers these poor creatures, not to mention people’s insistence on touching the animals. Upon visiting Prony, who was bigger than ever, I also noticed that the entire enclosure has been expanded. There is now more space for moving around and animals’ cages are better arranged. There are more local birds on display, including chickens and ducks, that an entire aviary of its own can now be made. Lesser known Philippine wildlife can now be seen and I bet to the delight of kids; there are iguanas and monitor lizards, local civet cats we call “alamid” and “musang”. Yet Prony and her caretaker “tranny” are still the “superstars” here. Marimar is an all-out transgender now, who sometimes dons a bikini made from Prony’s molted skin. I was also glad to have visited Prony one last time, because a few months before the big quake, Prony would follow Lolong, the giant crocodile of Agusan, who died earlier in the year. For Toni and me, that Bohol trip was like a bridge between the past and present. I desperately wanted her to see the beauty of Bohol as I had known it and I am glad she got to see most of its treasurers before the earthquake. Taking Toni along on my travels was both an opportunity for us to get to know each other deeper, and to discover new places and experience new things together as we made our own memories.

Bohol's Churches and Museums

Bohol’s Churches and Museums The next time I visited Bohol, it was with some senior citizens because of my official work with DSWD. While we took in some of the usual tourist spots, we steered clear of the ones which required too much walking or climbing around. Thus, I discovered the other historic sites of Bohol worth visiting – its churches and museums. By the time I returned to Bohol with my family, I made sure my senior citizen Mom and my sisters also saw the old churches. Being from the Ilocos region, my family and I were reminded of our own Augustinian-designed churches in Ilocos Sur. It may sound stereotypical, but my Mom enjoyed looking at the churches so much we stayed quite a while. In fact, she noted that Bohol could be a perfect Holy Week get-away; the sheer number of churches and their accessibility would make the minimum 7-parishes Visita Iglesia quite easy.

Thus we discovered that Dauis church actually has a well-spring underneath its altar flooring and its waters are said to have healing powers. Baclayon church, on the other hand, has its own museum with quite a collection of ancient relics and artifacts. They date back to the time when statuettes of angels and saints had heads and hands of pure ivory, while priestly vestments were ornate and made of expensive material. A little known fact about Baclayon is that it actually has a dungeon where Boholanos deemed to be violating certain rules of the church were tortured once upon a time.

Meanwhile, Loboc church also has some of the old features of parishes then. Heavy wooden pews, confessionals, pulpits built high up on one of the pillars, plus a bamboo organ to accompany the choir in their Sunday singing. It is actually beside its museum area where the famous Loboc children’s choir practice. I noted some markers on a side wall of the church – two lines which indicate how high the flood waters reached when the Loboc river overflowed during two recent typhoons. Meanwhile, in Tagbilaran City is the St. Joseph the Worker church. Situated in the city proper, it is one of those originally established by the Jesuits in the 1700s before being turned over to the Recollects. From a church made from simple materials, it was expanded and reconstructed in the 1800s until additions like its convent and belltower were put up. Unfortunately, it does not have that “old world look or feel” to it anymore since much of its design is already quite modern, most especially its facade. Now referred to as Tagbilaran’s Cathedral, the only remaining ancient aspect to it is its location. Another heritage site that also lost its unique historical flavour is the ancestral home of former Philippine President Carlos P. Garcia. This little known museum was rarely visited by tourists who would rather explore Bohol’s natural treasures rather than travel down memory lane. Besides family heirlooms and Presidential memorabilia, the old Garcia home also displayed some strange archeological finds within the islands. I remember the Chinese porcelain and clay pottery presumably carried by traders on their Chinese junks, some heavy silver, religious relics and artifacts to parts of cannons loaded on Spanish galleons. There were a variety of seashells which can be found in the beaches of Bohol and the skeletal remains of some ancient Boholano who happens to be a prehistoric female. The great thing about coming back to Bohol is that each time there is always something new to do. At the Chocolates Hills, senior citizens who could no longer climb up to the viewing deck opted instead to have half-body massages offered by some enterprising locals at the waiting area-pavilion. At the tarsier enclosure, flies and other insects attached on long sticks were offered for “feeding” the cute marsupials. And Prony, the python, was now being introduced by its caretaker – a transgender nicknamed Marimar after the popular telenovela, who will even perform a song-and-dance number for additional donations. Because my sister desperately wanted to go dolphin-watching as well, we discovered an affordable beach resort along the famous white sand beaches in Panglao island. Dumaluan beach with its even even coastline and pristine waters was comparable to Alona beach and could give Boracay a run for its money. I would keep coming back to this place either for overnights or daytrips just to get a taste of Bohol’s picture-perfect beaches. In the next few years, I would be back in Bohol with colleagues, family members and new lovers. I would see many changes to Bohol as it transformed into the truly eco-tourism destination it aimed to be. The tarsiers would finally be moved to a conservation area with a bigger space and more like their natural forest habitat. Prony, the python now had a few other animal friends, species that are also endemic to Bohol like birds and lizards. The municipality of Loboc would now have its own zipline that will fly across a panoramic view of the river. There’s the Extreme Adventure Tour (EAT) in Danao town which features a zipline, a “plunge”, wall-climbing, rappelling, river-tubing and kayaking among others. And yes, as time passes, many things change. Bohol held many reminders for me, from successfully accomplished tasks, opportunities lost or taken advantaged of, loved ones who are no longer in my life. It would have been quite painful to have such reminiscings while visiting Bohol again. But I always believed that even with the same old places, what is important is that new memories should still be made – sort of “exorcising” the past. And so, I kept doing just that. I had always loved Bohol and it held too many good memories for me not to share its beauty with someone significant in my life.

The Beauty of Bohol Series: First Impressions, 2006

The Beauty of Bohol Series: First Impressions, 2006 After the big earthquake that devastated much of Bohol, I regretted not ever having written anything about this beautiful place. Maybe because it was one of my favourite hide-aways that I refused to divulge its secrets to others. But now, I am sad that I never spoke about the many reasons why people should visit Bohol at least once in their lifetime. They will never see it as I saw it then, as it was evolving as a prime tourist destination and must-see vacation spot. Bohol first captured my heart during a visit in 2006. I was still recovering from the end of a long-term relationship, and travelling was my only consolation. I did not know what the island had to offer in terms of tourism then, and I would’ve been happy to simply have an airconditioned room, with a bathtub, cable TV and room service during my entire stay there. But the rental car guy I contacted was too enterprising a businessman, that not only did he find me great and affordable hotel, he also doubled as a “tour guide” of sorts. And that was also the beginning of a lasting friendship with my “suki”, Rod. Over the years, I would keep recommending his services to both family and friends visiting Bohol. So there it is: one of Bohol’s great treasures is its wonderful people. First travel tip I learned in going to Bohol – you can double it with a side trip to Cebu. The plane fare is much cheaper to Cebu from Manila than going to Tagbilaran City directly. So take a day-tour or stay a few days in Cebu, before crossing over to Bohol via ferry boat from the port. One can have an itinerary much like a trip to Northern Mindanao’s Camiguin Island, where you can fly-in from Manila to Cagayan de Oro City, enjoy CDO’s sites or maybe drive over to Bukidnon for a day, before sailing off to have some beach fun at the island. And so it is that Bohol is famous for its nice beaches in Panglao island in particular. But for my first visit, I went to see its caves and hills, its various flora and fauna, just as its own kind of “eco-tourism” was being advertised then. Rod’s services includes airport or pier pick-ups, before dropping off your stuff at your lodgings. Travel tip No.2, if you aren’t there to enjoy the beach anyway and will just be spending most of your time checking out the different tourist spots all day, accommodations in Tagbilaran City proper area would suffice. There are a lot of bed and breakfasts, pension houses and motels you can choose from with clean, spacious and airconditioned rooms at a much cheaper price range. City-based hotels also abound and some of them have swimming pools which more than compensates for the lack of a beachfront view. Preliminaries over and done with, Rod whisked us off on a 7-spot tour right away. Our first stop was the Hinagdanan Cave in Dauis, Panglao Island. This underground tourist attraction boasts of a freshwater pool where people can take a quick dip. Be warned though that the stairs going down are quite steep and sometimes slippery. Hence, if you are with elderly companions or people afflicted with arthritic or weak knees, you can skip this tourist site. An underground cave, it has a few electric lights but having your own flashlight can still be useful if you wish to have a clearer view of its limestone stalactites and stalagmites.

Next up is the Blood Compact memorial which features life-size bronze statues depicting the historic meeting between the island’s chief, Datu Sikatuna and the Spaniard Miguel Lopez de Legaspi. Here they performed the ancient ritual of “sandugo” to forge peaceful and diplomatic ties. They say blood is drawn, not from the arm, but from the chest - just above the heart, and the blood is then collected and mixed with water or wine and equally divided to be drunk by the primary parties. Residents here believe the actual site of the blood compact is nearer one of the rivers, probably Loay, where Sikatuna and his party personally met Legaspi and his men. So this marker, for all its historic significance and appropriateness for photo-ops because of its great view, may not be that accurate after all. Next stop is Baclayon Church or what is actually the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception parish. Admittedly one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, it was originally established in the 1500s and was used by the Jesuits. The Augustinians eventually took over and its reconstruction into the classic coralstone building is now their most valuable contribution. Like most churches, it was constructed utilizing forced labor of the locals. Boholanos were made to cut the coral straight from the sea and haul them inland to be mixed with eggs and molasses to bind them together. These carefully selected materials made for a strong structure that could endure the ravages of time. Till now, you can see corals and seashells imbedded in the limestone flooring near the façade of the church. Further on is another old church, Loboc’s the Church of San Pedro. This is where the Spanish friars moved their parish after realizing that Baclayon church’s location near the coastline exposed it to Moro marauders or pirates. The length of the Church of San Pedro spans a portion of the Loboc river and provides an awesome view of the waterway from the main road. However, the overflowing waters have flooded the church many times.

Near Loboc Church’s distant belltower, an unusual structure stands; an eye-sore of an unfinished bridge mars the landscape because of some government officials’ lack of respect for their Boholano heritage. Had the construction project pushed through, it would have entailed the demolition of one of their most popular parishes. By the river are boats that can be rented to give you a few minutes ride to the small waterfalls, or to the other end where the brackish water of the river meets the saltwater of the sea. The “Floating” Restaurant meals are “a-must” though, and most tourists take advantage of the midday break to enjoy the spot. Besides a relaxing boatride on the river and a buffet meal, there is likewise on-board singing to entertain you, so the reasonable fee they charge is well worth it. After taking in lunch at Loboc, we soon left to see the famous Chocolate Hills located in the distant town of Carmen. On the way, we passed by an area planted to numerous mahogany trees. A tree-planting project in the 1970s by the local Boy Scouts, it has now grown into a splendid forest known as the Man-made Forest of Bilar. Perfect for some outdoor picture-taking, it actually gives one a feeling of being in Europe or in North America. More than three decades since that seemingly irrelevant outdoor activity, the Bilar forest now seems a worthy natural investment. Still far from the actual look-out point of the Chocolate Hills, approaching the town of Carmen from the long winding road already gives one a glimpse of the curious mounds rising out of the plains. Several hills dot the landscape which in summer look like giant chocolates, but which in the rainy season appear verdant like avocado ice cream scoops. Travel tip No. 3, one must be physically fit or healthy enough for much of the walking and climbing to be done. Once again, one’s knees must be in tip-top shape to climb the hundred-or-so stairs to the look-out ridge. You can get about the same scenery at several rest-stops before the top if you’re not up to climbing all the way. The only difference is besides a “panoramic” view of the Chocolate Hills, there is also a bell and wishing well at the top which adds material to your photo album/scrapbook. On the way back, I told Rod I had to see Bohol’s unique marsupial, the tarsier. The Philippine Tarsier is such a rare animal and it is believed to be found only in the province of Bohol. Fortunately, the souvenir shop where we went also had a Tarsier Reserve of sorts. The cute creatures were no bigger than one’s hand and clung to tree branches, peacefully sleeping the day away. Once it gets dark, that’s when they move around and scavenge for their food in the forests. Since they are so sensitive, tourists can’t touch or pet them. We had to content ourselves with photos taken from our cellphones or cameras with flashes turned off. Since there was still some daylight left or because he likewise enjoyed touring me around, Rod took me to two other “tourist” spots worth visiting, but not really known to the other tour guides. The Hanging Bridge souvenir shop is where also the “buko-eating superman” lived. This middle-aged local man was already featured on Filipino television with his ability to crush open and shred a whole coconut with his bare teeth and hands only. For a small “donation”, he will show you his unique talent. A few kilometres away was also Prony, the over-sized pet of a Bohol resident. Caught from the wild as a young snake, this reticulated python grew so fast in size and was now a several inches thick and several meters long...unusual for its age. I was asking Rod so many questions about Bohol’s tourist spots and he gamely answered all my queries. Clearly, not only was he proficient in his home province’s unique features, he truly loved the places and things he grew up with and was proud to share them with visitors.

I would be back in Bohol many times over with family and loved ones, for leisure and for business. And each time, Bohol would have something new for me to see.

Secrets of Secluded Tuburan

The next day, we left early again. This time, it was in the opposite direction as we travelled to Tuburan, a coastal municipality on the other side of Cebu province. To cut our travel time, we were to cross over a central mountain range in the middle of the island. But we had to time our trip carefully so as to avoid the dangerous fog that made visibility difficult on the tortuous path. As we zig-zagged through the roads, the altitude likewise changed and we encountered some expected fog along the way. It made for some cool, even extra chilly, weather that reminded me so much of Tagaytay and Baguio during the rainy season. Tuburan is a small municipality which served as a port area for those travelling from Cebu to the neighboring island of Negros. Facing Tanon Strait, its pier is primarily for fishing-related activities and small vessels crossing over to Negros Oriental to ferry passengers. We proceeded to conduct our interviews at the office of the local social welfare officer. At least the seniors of Barili had their own building although they shared it with Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and the kids of Day Care. Tuburan’s elderly had no such facility and we were all cramped in the Social Welfare Office, within hearing distance from each other. I saw one of the Lolas take my partner, Toni’s hand and volunteered to go first. As with our experience in Barili, we needed a Cebuano translator for our questions. Fortunately, I understood a little Bisaya and some of the seniors can understand English, but Tagalog is a language not quite useful in these parts. Like Barili, Tuburan is a “poorest of the poor” municipality and its populace are not of the “educated” sort. Most of these elderly only reached elementary education. Consider also the generation of these seniors whose parents put them to work in the fields and fishports as soon as they could to help with their family’s subsistence. Besides workforce considerations, I assume “early marriages” also contributed to the numerous children of these elderly. Most of them have an average of 8 to 9 kids, believe it or not. Yet we also found a possible candidate for the Centenarian Act gratuity award – an elderly woman who was past a 100 years old. As is my wont, after the interviews, I asked to be shown what Tuburan was all about. Fortunately, nearby was their “mini-museum” of sorts. Being the hometown of Gen. Arcadio Maxilom, a known Cebuano revolutionary who fought the Spaniards, a library and mini-museum is housed in a portion of the Tuburan municipal hall. With just a handful of artifacts and antiques that barely filled the room because most of the donors decided to bring home their family heirlooms, the townspeople clearly recognize the importance of their Cebuano heritage. Even the municipal hall itself with its original hardwood stairs and flooring could very well be a part of the historical displays. Afterwards, the municipal tourism officer went with us to guide us to their tourist nature sites. In Tuburan, it is not only human beings who can last long and grow to a ripe old age. They boast of a century-old tree that is so big, it is also known to be the palace of creatures from another world. Even the dry riverbed beside this giant tree is known for many supernatural stories such as the shining, golden ship that traverses it whenever waters flood this old waterway. Walking on this old riverbed with rocks that ranged from baseball size to basketballs, and a thick vegetation of deep forest trees all around, the scene can come straight from the pages of the “Lord of the Rings”, I tell you. Tuburan got its name from the numerous springs that abound in the area. One famous freshwater mountain spring is Molobolo which appears as a natural swimming pool beside a hill still planted to its original forest trees. This “bukal. is found so close to the coastline, its waters empty into the nearby beach and its saltwater sea. While there are a few huts and a canteen for food and beverages for visitors, the place can still do with a lot of improvements for its facilities to attract tourists. A cool dip in these waters – freshwater spring or the nearby beach would be so inviting to anyone in the summer heat I am sure. On the way back to Metro Cebu, we couldn’t resist the fresh fruit and vegetables for sale along the road. We got some very sweet bananas and yellow corn for our meryenda. After all the chicharon the previous day, this was a welcome diet, of course. Reflecting on our interviews the past two days, everything I heard from the seniors, and all I saw of the Cebu countryside, I felt very fortunate once again to have met new people and to have seen places not many visitors to Cebu get to see. What started as an unwelcome assignment became another experience to be cherished in my memory.

Quaint and Historic Carcar

Carcar City is a perfect example of how socio-political and religious life were so intermingled during the Spanish era. In the olden times, the municipal center is where the parish, its convent or rectory, the plaza, and a school usually converge. The nearer your residence is to the church, the higher is your family’s status in the community. So one should always be mindful of where you ancestral home is located. Today, the heart of Carcar City is the area where their old church, St.Catherine’s parish, the St. Catherine Catholic school, the public elementary school, and the city museum are situated. The old church alone is a sight to see and is comparable to the churches of Ilocos, Iloilo, and Bohol. St. Catherine’s has the same elaborate artwork on its ceiling, its interior lined with numerous images of saints, and its pillars marked by names of illustrious members of the community long –deceased. The traditional pulpit from where Sunday sermons are given still stand, perfectly preserved. And while the new pews have been commissioned to serve the parishioners, a few classically-designed pews made from solid Narra wood are still around. After gazing in amazement at the wondrous surroundings, I made my token three wishes for being a first time visitor at the church. At this point, I found Toni buying some candles from a little girl in a student’s uniform. After a short chat, I saw Toni pay her and give her a little extra cash. Later, Toni would tell me the little girl just came out of her classes but regularly sells candles by the church to help out with family expenses. Being a working student herself at one point, I understood why Toni sympathized with the child. Our next must-see stop was the Carcar Museum. Known as the Old Carcar Dispensary, it was a puericulture center once, a small nursing hospital which had a dispensary for giving out medication for women and children. Its very purpose and unique architecture speaks of the American influence on the township. It boasts of ornately-decorated balconies, mini-canopy- roofings and latticework straight out of the movie “Somewhere in Time”. It’s immaculate white paint completes the picture of a circa-1920s infrastructure, but inside are artifacts and antiques that go as far back as the 1800s. Depicted inside is the history and evolution of Cebu province, its indigenous culture, the Spanish and American influence that resulted in its unique Cebuano heritage. Before exiting Carcar, we just had to drop by for its famous chicharon. At the roadside pasalubong cum reststop, you can choose from pork rinds that have been perfectly “puffed”, salty, spicy, and sour chicharon, with or without “laman” or some vestige of meat attached to the skin, pork “cracklets” as well as the traditional rice puffs or “ampao”. So much for my midnight snack that evening.

Bucolic and Peaceful Barili

Arriving at the inconspicuous municipality of Barili, the local social welfare officer had made all necessary preparations and our elderly interviewees were patiently waiting already. After a brief introduction, we immediately proceeded to conduct our interviews which was made quicker because my partner, Toni was helping me out. I thought the day would pass uneventfully until the staff shared a story about a recently deceased senior citizen who claimed his social pension. I laughed, thinking it was a joke, until I saw they were actually serious. Apparently, we were discussing a supernatural encounter that still gives them goosebumps until now. They explained that the sick senior citizen wasn’t able to claim his pension during the previous pay-out and a week before the next quarterly pay-out, his family already informed the LGU staff about his passing. However, on the day itself, they were too busy to remember his death that the social welfare aide didn’t think any of it when she guided him to a chair and the municipal treasurer handed him his 1,500 cash. Only when they were finishing up did the old man’s daughter approach them and complain that she hadn’t been called to receive her father’s pension. It dawned on them that all of them actually saw the old man and lo and behold, even their attendance sheet contained an actual signature. However, counting their cash again, they discovered they still had the 1,500 that his daughter was entitled to. Weird you say, but the old man’s family is rumoured to be involved in some supernatural practices, including keeping a unusual animal as a familiar. Ah, the folklore in these parts! Before leaving though, I asked to see some sites their locality is proud of. Immediately, the MSWDO brought us to their old church. The parish used to be a district head, a “cabeza del partido” which had jurisdiction over other churches in southwestern Cebu and was only one of two secular parishes outside the city. It was smallish and the interior clearly had been remodelled already. It retained some of its original limestone foundation and walls though, some capiz shell windows and I suspect, the original bronze bell cherished by most churches as much as their statuettes and other relics. Dedicated to St. Anne, the original parish was built near the river but natural calamities kept destroying it. The present church was built around 1889 on a donated lot in its current location. Here we bought some candles to light from a few old ladies. Peddling their wares near the church, these female senior citizens find efficient use for their time finding a source of income for their families, at the same time being able to socialize with their fellow elderly. Next was their Mantayupan Falls, an easily accessible nature preserve and possible source of hydro power. It consists of three “miniature” waterfalls and a medium-size falls, but with the amount of water flowing, one can guess the power it can generate. There are also basic facilities for those who want to swim, reminiscent of Hinulugang Taktak in Rizal, but the real beauty of the site is to enjoy nature in its most raw form. I particularly appreciated Mantayupan Falls not just for its waterfalls, but for how close it can bring you to nature. On the way back, I convinced Ms.Temie to drop by Carcar if we had the time. Our driver graciously acquiesced to my request and I learned Carcar had more than just tasty pork rinds to be proud of.

Off The Beaten Path Series: Cross-Country Cebu

Off the Beaten Path Series: Cross-country in Cebu When people talk about going to Cebu, it’s usually about going around Cebu City proper and its nearby beaches in Mactan Island. It’s rare that people get to know the rest of Cebu as a province. Early this year, we were rushing to finish a research on the implementation of the Social Pension Program for seniors. I got assigned some far-flung municipalities in Cebu as well as Bohol. While I once did a “cross-country” trip of Negros island, I had never done so in Cebu. Touching down in Cebu, I quickly headed off to our Field Office to discuss our itinerary with the Focal Person for Senior Citizens, Ms.Temie. She said the towns of Tuburan and Barili were in opposite directions and we have to allot one day each for said visits. Travel time from Cebu city proper would average two hours each, so we had to leave at around 6:30 or 7:00 AM each morning. I guess I am one of the lucky ones who manage to do official work and still have time to appreciate the places I visit. Maybe it’s the adventurer in me, or the smart traveller, that makes it a point to make each trip worthwhile by seeing something new all the time. So we left early the next day, and headed south in the direction of Carcar City, a name synonymous with tasty Cebu chicharon. We took the coastal road that sent us across the port areas and gave a view of the channel as well as the open sea. We traversed Talisay City to San Fernando for a view of the rest of Cebu before we cut across to Carcar City. Always with an eye for old, turn-of-the century houses and colonial Churches, I observed how the rest of Cebu was touched by the Spanish occupation.