Kankabatok Tacloban – Part deux

I looked up to the tiled ceiling and traced the outline of the rusty hexagon that was fixed on the varied hues of brown. It held the less ornate chandelier that had lit the main door of the Sto. Nino Shrine for several years.

It used to be the presidential house, built by President Marcos, along with 28 other rest houses. This one was specifically erected in Tacloban City because it’s his wife Imelda’s hometown.

Tacloban City’s patron saint is the holy child – the Sto. Nino. The reason for the transformation of the presidential rest house into a museum for religious items had not come into being. My perception is that there was an attempt to erase the ugly face of the martial law or the Marcos regime on that house. Those who were close to the dictator’s family had hidden that gloomy decade of political unrest and disgust on the government by changing this house at Rizal Avenue into a showroom for the devotees of the Sto. Nino.

I am still not convinced with the idea of trying to infuse religious theme into a house that showcased the lavishness and the misappropriation of wealth during that regime. The house was not built for the devotees. It was erected for those who were devoted to power and wealth.

Looking at the house now, I noticed its sullen atmosphere that would sometimes create a feeling of peace and tranquility. The silence was brought about by sheer misconstrued purpose of the Sto Nino Museum.

I asked people around and checked on how they would describe the museum and what’s inside. Most of them answered that it’s Imelda’s house filled with her shoes and stuff. A few people mentioned about the Sto. Nino and other religious items. 

Tacloban can be identified with Imelda and the Sto. Nino. Imelda and the devotion to the Sto Nino are two exclusively different events. Before I reached the Sto Nino Shrine and Heritage Museum, I had passed by the coral-colored church.

Sto Nino Church is located several blocks away at the corner of Rizal and Zamora streets. The church’s belfry dominates the skyline of Tacloban. The bell tower is attached to the church facade.I

It is also called the Church of Liberation. Some websites mentioned that the Sto. Nino icon that is still housed in this church was the same icon that was lost in January 1899 in the boat SS Luzon when it was supposed to be brought to Manila. The image was said to be discovered by fishermen in Semirara Island several months after. An article by Agnesdv in Bananacue Republic had made mention that the the ship had caught fire when it was on its way to Manila for vestment change and retouching for a fiesta. To save the ship, the crew had to unload the vessel by throwing off the heavy wooden crates to the sea. One these boxes contained the image.

The crate labeled “Tacloban” had drifted to the islands near Mindoro. A tribe had found the crate and in the records,  people from the tribe began to idolize the beautiful icon.  Negotiations were made to return the image to Tacloban and in June of the same year, about six months since it was deemed lost, the Sto. Nino returned home.

The devotion was strengthened when on June 30, 1899, the day of His return to Tacloban, the image was paraded on the streets of Kankabatok with people believed to be healed and the cholera outbeak that was believed to be stopped thru prayers to the holy child.

Facing the church is the Rizal Park and Kanhuraw Hill that houses Tacloban City Hall. Tacloban was chartered as a city in 1953 but its history could be traced back as far as the time when it was still a barrio of Basey, Samar. From that time until the first cornerstone  for the city hall was laid in 1954, Tacloban grew in economic and historical importance.

Balyuhan (Balyuan) Park is in front of the city hall. This green patch is overlooking Cancabato Bay. It slopes down the hill crossing Magsaysay Avenue. A bit down the hill is the Tacloban amphitheater.

It’s recently rehabilitated with a brand new cover installed not only for the June festivities but also for activities scheduled year-round. The steel and tarp cover was damaged during typhoon Frank in 2008. There used to be a Balyuan Tower that stood in the middle of the amphitheater.

It has become the latest symbol of Tacloban since its elevation as a highly urbanized city. At night the site is well-lit. Even when viewed from afar, the structure commands wonder and awe.

It’s looking out to the sea, towards the east where the sun would rise. Tacloban, just like the Balyuan Amphitheater, looks out to the Cancabato Bay, facing its future every single sunrise.

Kankabatok Tacloban – Part Un

I could have posted a story about my re-visit to Tacloban a few days prior yet there’s such a thing called memory collapse or data file corruption and it was too late when I realized that I lost a lot of my articles and office files from such disaster.

Now I am trying to reconstruct what I’ve written about this main commercial hub in Eastern Visayas. Tacloban City has always been subjected to unpredictable weather, often by-passed and left to grow on its own. But Tacloban has its certain place in the annals of history, the essence of liberation through the period structures and monuments constantly reminds not only those who witnessed the Second World War but also those who only knew about the certain moments of the past in the pages of history books.

Tacloban City, now elevated to the status of a Highly Urbanized City (HUC), is the most important center in Eastern Visayas. It is the regional center for trade and commerce, health, education, tourism and government. The significance of the city is not only observed and noticed at the present time. It’s importance could be traced way back when Tacloban was still Kankabatok. The official seal of the Province of Leyte reflects two important events in the island. One is the first Catholic Mass held in the Philippines by the Spanish conquistadores and priests in the 16th century. The other event is the Leyte Landing in 1944 at Palo with the return of the American troops led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur to liberate the country from Japanese occupation.

I have been presented with a wonderful opportunity to explore Kankabatok. While the new Merck distributor for Samar-Leyte area is being trained, I made time to visit some interesting city spots after the training hours.

I started with the beautiful San Juanico Bridge. This is still the country’s longest bridge of any kind at 2.16 kilometers. It connects the islands of Leyte and Samar, spanning the narrow San Juanico Strait.

 

One end of the long bridge is in Tacloban City, at least 20 km from the city center. It rises to a height of 41 meters above sea level, forming the letter ‘L’ for the Province of Leyte. After the highest portion of the span, the bridge snakes down to the other side, with the foot anchored in the town of Sta. Rita. It forms the letter ‘S’ to represent the island of Samar.

I used to believe that bridges could spur economic growth to the places they serve. Ferdinand Marcos may have dreamt about the progress when he had this bridge built as a gift to his wife Imelda. But 3 decades after, progress was contained only at one foot.  Economic growth came to Tacloban City but progress never crossed through Samar.

I must say, that the bridge has aesthetic value. The huge arc at the steel-framed section of the bridge reminds me of at least half of the logo of MacDonald’s. South of the bridge and through the arch, it would lead you to the protected waterfront of Tacloban City. The city’s lifeblood is attached with its port. From the waterfront, the daily buzz and economic activities spread inland to the city’s 138 barangays or local units. And in these many units, Waray – the tongue of the land – came into use.

At MacDonald’s I planned out my own city tour the morning after my visit to San Juanico Bridge. The training would end early in the afternoon and it would provide me much time to explore the city on foot.

I decided to make the provincial capitol as the start of my hike. Tacloban, being the capital of the province of Leyte, was at some point the seat of government of the Philippines. The capitol was a witness to that historic event when Sergio Osmena was sworn in as the president of Philippine Commonwealth Government in 1944.

Leyte Capitol is a white building that sits across Plaza Libertad. The structure was built from 1917 to 1924. The charming and imposing capitol underwent renovation and expansion during the term of Governor Norberto Romualdez Jr. in 1964.

  

Just like the Official Seal of the Province of Leyte, the capitol is adorned with two huge bas reliefs at its expanded wing. One depicts the scene of the first mass held in the islands, that which was believed to be celebrated in the island of Limasawa. The other bas relief is of course about the Leyte Landing. In between the the wall carvings is a fountain at the steps of the building. Huge neoclassical columns stood guard of the entrance to the capitol.

Across the provincial capitol is Plaza Libertad. It is at the corner of Trece Martirez Street and Magsaysay Boulevard. At the the center of the park is a tall white concrete tripod topped by a symbol of freedom in the form a woman with a torch.

Nothing much is said about the park. Its historical importance is still a point to ponder upon. If I google this park, it would lead me to the site bearing the plans for its improvement and landscaping, at a cost of almost one million.

The symbol of freedom is as white as the capitol. But the park needs to be improved and maintained. Compared to other parks in the city, like the Family Park, RTR Plaza and Plaza Rizal, this plaza is devoid of people.

Underneath the tripod is a seal or logo of one of the many international civic organizations. Maybe this group had something to do with the pair of lion figures resting in front of the provincial capitol. I looked up and saw how Filipino the statue of liberty was. I envisioned Imelda Romualdez Marcos on that tri-legged tower, holding a flaming torch under the rays of Kankabatok’s sun.

I walked a couple of blocks along Magsaysay Boulevard and reached the campus of the University of the Philippines. My next destination is the Family Park. For only six pesos, I hailed a tricycle and asked the driver to bring me to the seaside park.

Judging from the set up the park, its an irregularly shaped sloping lawn that connects with two other parks that may comprise the  Philippine-Japan Commemorative Monument.  The entire greenery faces Cancabato Bay.

 From the Family Park, I crossed Magsaysay Boulevard and climbed up the steps and reached the peak of Kanhuraw Hill. Here the wonderful crafted scrulpture of the crucified Christ was erected.

The structure was based on the form of the island of Leyte. One side of the landmark is a map Leyte. On the other side is the Crucified Christ without arms and feet. It’s an artisitic interpretation of the artist Nemesio R. Miranda Jr. The basic materials for this carto-religious landmark were concrete, fiberglass and steel.  The sun was almost down when looked up and stared at the crucified saviour. I took pictures of both sides of the sculpture.  It is said to be 45 feet tall. The base was a good viewpoint of the bay.

South of the crucified Christ is the garden of Maria Kannon. I went down the steps and levelled with Magsaysay Boulevard. I entered the half-open rusty gates of the garden. Maria Kannon was a carved figure, a Goddess of Peace that was a gift from the people of Japan. Maria Kannon or Madonna of Japan to some, was a symbol of peace and friendship.

It was to be my second time to see this gift from Japan. Back then, the sculpture was surrounded with lush greenery and colorful plants. Now the madonna was obviously neglected. What was once a colorful and lush garden has now lost its vibrance. The sacred garden has gone down to wilt.

As I exited the Garden of the Madonna of Japan, I almost stepped on a carved wooden wheel. It was lying on the path that led to the half open gates.

Comparing the wheel to the cycle that is the state of Tacloban, I tried to believe that the city had found itself at the lowest point for such a long time, I guess I was hoping that after all these slumber and flat growth, the city would be pushing itself out of the lows and it to the highs of progress.

Vingt-cinque (25) Encore: My Sci Hi

Off-shoot from the notes-tagging activity over at my facebook account, here are 25 random experiences and facts about me and my Science High School Life.

1. Five (5) Oplimo siblings got in and studied at Cebu City National Science High School:  Beverly, Myself, Karen, Ellen and Lester. Yes, we helped our parents save a bit of moolah.

2. I was a non-commissioned officer.  I was ambitious in spite of my height.  CAT officers gave me the MP post. I think I was the shortest MP ever.  I was cadet of the year and I didn’t ask why.

 

3. I belonged to Sections I- Earth (Ms. Conrada B. Guia); II-Jupiter (Mrs. Severina B. Chin); III-Pluto (Ms. Rebecca Langomes) and IV-Aldrin (Mrs. Canindo).

 

4. I made Mrs. Chin cry. She mispronounced the word Stretch as “STREEEEETCH” and I echoed what she uttered. She left the class, hid inside her office which she shared with Mrs. Conejos and wept like crazy. From then on, I called her “the Bride of Chucky.” And oh, I would never forget her CCNS “eeeech” S when she hosted the BB. Agham. It was classic.

 

5. I sported a moustache. Mrs. Creus, the principal, called my attention and demanded that I should shave and take off my moustache. I was in first year when I used the razor for the first time. I shaved both my moustache and my pubes that time.

 

6. The requisite SAYAWIT for Linggo ng Wika or Nutrition Month were hell times. We once represented the batch for the Sayawit contest and we were all dressed like kids, and we sang “Eh Kasi Healthy.” It was horrible.

 

7. Batch 95 was the last batch to organize the JS Prom and held it at the school grounds. We were also the first Batch to experience the PROM outside of CCNSHS at the Social Hall of the Cebu Provincial Capitol.

 

8. “It’s a shame to break TRADITIONS”: The frequently used excuse by the principal.

 

9. Foot mops were useless. We brought in dirt and dust inside the classroom all the time.

 

10. I never brought coleman jugs to school.  Ice cold water scavengers were rampant that time. I was one of them.

 

11. Diorama, scrap books and home reading reports rendered everyone sleepless, especially days before the periodical exams.

 

12. Nang Mely’s , Doria’s Kitchenette and the isaw-tongol-pungko-pungko had a lucrative food business. The school canteen was insignificant.

 

13. Foundation day was fun. But I was sure Kathy Talatala was hapless when she and I won the popularity contest for the King and Queen of Hearts. I guess it was nullified. Both winners were queens. The price was a dinner date or something, and an ube roll from goldilocks.

 

14. Mrs. Lumayno was a diva who could not even say SEWING MACHINE properly. She was a saddist. She takes pleasure in screaming and banging too. Her cleavage was visible even if you’re seated at the last row.

 

15. Mrs. Cabrera, the nurse was a non-entity in high school. I am quite unsure if she ever administered first aid or assistance to the students. Mrs. Josefina Paler, the librarian was significant only during clearance period.  The geese at the soccer field were far more interesting and visible.

 

16. Science Investigatory projects were taxing and costly. Felt papers and display boards and set-ups were done in a rush, in time for the Science Fair. Our projects were mostly about how to put an end to cockroaches and garden slugs.  We studied on organic pesticides. We wanted to eradicate some pests in the faculty too, and we failed.

 

17. They said the intelligence and the mental abilities of the graduating batch could be measured by the results of the NCEE or the NSAT. We were told that most of the batch got 98 and above grades in NSAT. Most of us were elated and the admin was very glad. Some who didn’t get 98 were devastated.  But we were misinformed. It turned out that the grades that were announced were from one subject only. The batch wanted to cut off the heads of the principal and the guidance counselor.

 

18. The “Prayer for the Nation” worked for and against our advantage. But most of the times it’s a great way to kill the time.

 

19. Most of our classmates did not bring any intermediate papers to school. So when the teacher announced spot examinations, classmates transform into vampires and monsters for a ½ lengthwise or crosswise paper.  After the exams, the teacher would say “finished or not finished pass your papers clockwise or counter clockwise . . . ready 1 2 3 4 5?”

 

20. The popular sports in high school were Sepak Takraw, Football, Soccer Baseball, basketball and volleyball. I am quite certain that I played football in my freshmen years but I stopped because I hated being baked by the sun. The school yard, the oval grounds especially, was not encouraging.

 

21. The Plutonians were responsible for the horrible plant box under the stairs of the science building (the one facing the school gymnasium). The whole class cut off the old bamboo and built the ugly concrete enclosure. We were not able to kill the vast network of bamboo roots. Ms. Langomes, the troll, was not amused.  By nature, trolls are unpredictable and hard to please.

 

22. Certain teachers sold reference books to their student’s parents. Some conducted sales of “ice candy”, blank composition sheets (sulating pangwakas), ballpens, snack items and even sanitary napkins in class.

 

23. Ask me to sing the school hymn and for sure I’ve forgotten the lyrics. But the song starts with “Oh School of Wisdom dear and great, to thee we bid adieu!” Sing the rest of the lines please.

 

24. I realized the DEPLETION and DEFLATION could sound the same, especially in the ECONOMICS CLASS of Mrs. Serundo. “ Am I right Wen (Wayne)? No, not you Wen (Wayne Seguerra), I men (mean) ahh you Wen (Rowena Mesola). You get the stek and you bet et, okeh?”

 

25. Classes on Fridays are often shortened for first Friday mass, Sayawit contests, Bb. Agham, and other school programs. Those were opportunities to leave school early.

 

Rounding Cotabato

Sometimes, stories heard in the news or in national broadsheets were exaggerated and over hyped. News on how unsafe or how dangerous the places in Central Mindanao were just ‘misdescription’ of the actual condition of the areas which are predominantly populated by our brothers of the Moslem faith.

Through the years, media may have delivered horror stories of strife and crimes in Maguindanao, Cotabato and ARMM. The news caused fear in us and the rest of the Filipinos. We were frightened that such troubles may fan out to nearby land and eventually spread out to the Visayas and Luzon.

The events of Mindanao’s past continued to dwell in the minds of those who were informed through the broadsheets and broadcasts. These have caused us to form judgments on how this part of Mindanao would never rise up from its sunken state.

Neneng (GLODIA) and Takeshi

Of course my personal safety and security is foremost in my mind. This is my primary concern when the dealer rep and I decided to take the road to Cotabato City for the very first time. It’s another first in my 2-year stint in my company. We took the less popular route that connects Koronadal City in South Cotabato to the seat of ARMM for a time, Cotabato City. The road was very good, except for the portions after a fork that leads to either the Awang Airport or the city center of Cotabato. 

After a day of covering hospitals and laboratories in General Santos City, we drove to South Cotabato’s capital Koronadal City and spent a night at a pension house. The capital is also known as Marbel and it started out as a town in 1947 and had progressed and made into a city in the year 2000.

Koronadal had its share of horrible stories. In May 2003, 10 people were killed while several others were wounded when a bomb exploded at the city market. People believed that the carnage was the result of the fallout of the peace talk between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (which was a rebel group).

In August of 2007, a twin explosion happened in a Yellow Bus Line Terminal in Koronadal killing 12 people. It was said to be an extortion attempt but eventually it was described as an attempt to terrorize the people of Marbel. But stories were revealed later on that the bombing was for the extortion, as the bus owner admitted that the extortion group Al-Khobar demanded 2 million pesos from him.

The present-day Koronadal is a grown city which was dubbed as one of the most competitive and business-friendly cities of the Philippines. With its prime location in the valley between the Roxas and Quezon mountain ranges enriched with resources from the surrounding rivers and lakes, the agri-based city had overcome the horrors of bomb explosions. Spending the night in Koronadal was a sound decision. The city is after all ready to grow a little bit further.

We left the city of Koronadal at 7am. A long stretch of highway commenced at the city rotunda that led to the adjacent province of Sultan Kudarat. The road, concrete and wide, cuts through fields of corns, rice paddies and pineapple plantation. Then a break from the tracts of crops we passed minutes after we reached the boundary of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat. From then on, there were no more crops. The untilled lands were dotted with small houses made of palm leaves, bamboo and local lumber.

We reached the city of Tacurong in Sultan Kudarat. I made several visits to this city before to cover clients in the academe and in the water treatment industry. It used to be called as ‘Pamansang’ then later changed to ‘Talakudong’ in reference to the Maguindanaoan head covering.  Finally, the place was called Tacurong and was made into a component city of Sultan Kudarat in 2000.

Just like Koronadal, the city of Tacurong had an awful history of bomb explosions, Five people were killed in a blast in 2007. Seemed that the bomb was intended for the politicians and the policemen who were having a meeting at the nearby building. The bomb went off in a billiard hall and at the passenger terminal building. This carnage was traced to the Jemaah Islamiyah group.

A year earlier, 4 people were killed from a blast in a crowded public market in Tacurong. Explosions also happened in the town of Makilala, North Cotabato and the city of Cotabato on the same day that brought the number of fatalities to 33. Jemaah Islamiyah was said to be responsible for both butcheries.

Passing through Tacurong’s vast plantation of palm trees, I could not help but ponder on the terror that the bombings had caused the people of Tacurong.  The city has suffered from the disturbance. But just like after any storm, lives had continued and Tacurong had shown how it could rise up above its suffering.

Tacurong is just a few kilometres away from Sultan Kudrat’s capital Isulan. The first class municipality boasts of its stunning capitol complex, a huge building that looked like a mosque. The imposing structure of the provincial capitol had a gold-painted dome and white arches. Taking a photo with the capitol as background makes one think that you travelled to countries such as Brunei Darrusalam or peninsular Malaysia.

Provincial Capitol of Sultan Kudarat

 

The province of Sultan Kudarat was formed when the rich-province of Cotabato was divided into 3 provinces in 1973. Out of the division emerged the provinces of Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat. President Marcos signed the decree to divide the huge province of Cotabato for the intention of handling political, economic and social concerns and to establish safe, stable and economically viable local units.

The province of Sultan Kudarat was named after Sultan Mohammed Dipatuan Kudarat who ruled over the Sultanate of Maguindanao in the 17^th century. Sultan Kudarat was deemed as the anchor for unity and freedom among various tribes and inhabitants in Maguindanao. A concrete statue of the ruler of the sultanate stood atop a round ball several meters away from the capitol.

Rotunda of Sultan Kudarat

 

Isulan was not spared from the troubles that plagued the rest of Cotabato. Last June 2008, 10 people were injured when a bomb went off at a drugstore and at an Iglesia ni Cristo complex.  Sultan Kudarat is one of the most ‘bombed’ provinces in the country. Six months after, an explosion happened at the town’s public market near the previously bombed Mercury drugstore, injuring more than 10 people.

Then we exited the province of Sultan Kudarat and entered the heart of Cotabato which is the province of Maguindanao. Most people would think that the road condition going to Datu Odin is poor and rough. We were surprised to see how smooth and good the highway was until the part when we reached Awang in Cotabato City.

Passing through a couple of towns in Maguindanao, one would be reminded of how the province was severely ravaged from the political, religious and cultural clashes of decades past. You would see several abandoned buildings, destroyed houses and empty shops. The province had huge empty lands that were not cultivated, contrary to fields of crops in Koronadal and Sultan Kudarat.

Passing through Maguindanao makes one think how the people missed the opportunity to grow crops on these lands. Maybe the Maguindanaoans were traumatized by the troubles from the past. Instead of crops growing from their lands, evacuation sites sprout like fungi which grow in colonies. The evacuees were the people of Moslem faith.

The displaced people live in makeshift houses and tents donated by the government and various international organizations like the International Red Cross, the United Nations and Japan-BIRD.  The evacuation sites had become a semi-permanent as the evacuees chose to remain in the sites out of fear that trouble may strike anytime they would return to their homes.

The portions before the town of Datu Odin Sinsuat had been the focal point of several military operations against terrorist groups. But after years and years of under the shadow of fear, hatred and trouble, Maguindanao has yet to start the road to recovery and healing.

Travelling through the towns of Maguindanao, fear became my companion. We passed by several checkpoints and military detachments and we’d seen several military armoured tanks and trucks loaded with soldiers and men in tropical camouflage uniforms. The presence of these elements could paint a picture of a land as a hot spot for operations and insurgent activities. Seeing these elements made me think that peace has not yet arrived in Maguindanao.

The Maguindanaoans had a passion for music of the Kulintang. A lot of records state that the fascinating culture of these ethnic group revolves around the music from the special type of gong that is used my both Muslim and non-Muslim groups in southern Philippines. After all, the Maguindanaoans are said to be the sixth largest ethnic group in the country. Their kulintang may be the symbol of their culture.

The music of the Kulintang may have been replaced with the sounds of war. Music from the rapid machine guns and mortars may have drowned the ears of many. The visions of military operations have driven them to temporary shelters and camps secured with wire fences and bamboo posts.

Maguindanao has then reduced in size when the 80th province was formed in 2006. The new province was called Shariff Kabunsuan, named after Shariff Mohammed Kabungsuwan from Johore, Malaysia who introduced Islam to the Cotabato Valley in the 15th century. The new province was short-lived as it was dissolved a few years after by the supreme court and the towns under the nullified province was returned to Maguindanao.

We passed by the town of Shariff Aguak. The road passing through this capital town is one of the less-travelled highways. It was once called Maganoy. Neneng of GLODIA told me that her parents were from this place. They used to have hectares of land here but they sold it and moved to Bukidnon to escape from the horrors of fighting. A couple of years ago, the highway was being avoided by motorist because of series of attacks done to civilians.

Shariff Aguak (Maganoy)

 

Five were killed and fourteen people were wounded in 2006 when a car bomb exploded at a roadside in Shariff Aguak . The bombing was aimed at the convoy of vehicles led by Gov. Ampatuan. The act led  to the military operations in the area in the attempt to capture the leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The heavy fightings in Shariff Aguak had displaced at least 2,000 people. Aside from the capital town, there were also heavy fighting in Datu Piang, Datu Unsay and Mamasapano towns. MILF had Camp Omar as their base. The militia had zeroed in on Camp Omar and had undertaken tactics to seize the camp and arrest the major rebel leaders of MILF namely Jamil Ombra and Sajid Pakiladatu.

The government and the MILF made several attempt to open peace talks to end the years of strife and heavy fighting in the ravaged Cotabato basin. Part of the peace process or the restoration thereof are the road projects that would open Maguindanao to the rest of island. Part of this road network is the stretch from Shariff Aguak to Datu Odin Sinsuat.

Datu Odin Sinsuat is the last town before one reaches Cotabato City from the Koronadal City. The town functions more as a major checkpoint that intercepts any plans to bomb Cotabato.

A commuter van was stopped in the town when the military discovered the bomb. Last month, an improvised explosive device was discovered in one barangay while two bombs were also discovered in another barangay of Datu Odin. These explosives were defused.

We passed by several checkpoints in Datu Odin. Several kilometres more and the road had gradually changed from excellent to poor condition. At Awang, traffic began to build up as we enter Cotabatao City via Sinsuat Avenue. This is the major road that passes through the heart of Kuta Wato.

We reached the city of Cotabato at past 10 am. It was once the regional capital of Central Mindanao. Back in the ‘70s, Cotabato City was at the forefront of economic development in southern Philippines. People from Luzon and Visayas migrated to Cotabato. This region is blessed with the a generally pleasant climate, away from the typhoon belt and protected by the mountain ranges in the north and in the southwest.

Cotabato had seen better days. Datus and sultans used to rule the land where people recognize their authority. Spain took a long time to penetrate this predominantly Muslim place. The Christian arm was able to put hold on the soils of Cotabato in the 19th century.  But it was only when a civil government was established in 1914 when Christians from Luzon and Visayas migrated to Cotabato City.

Cotabato Regional Medical Center

 

Progress came to the city after its liberation from Japanese occupation in 1945. Cotabato became a hodgepodge or melting pot of all ethnic, socio-cultural and religious groups. It had risen as a commercial and industrial center of Mindanao.

Now Cotabato serves as a seat of two regions: Region XII and ARMM. Eventually, government offices for Region 12 would be moved to either Koronadal or General Santos City in South Cotabato while the administrative offices of ARMM might either remain in Cotabato or in Lanao.

The Cathedral's Bell Tower Vs McDonald's Arches

 

Cotabato City will be celebrating its 50th or golden anniversary in June. With the 50 years as a city, the people of Cotabato had seen the ups and downs of growth and progress. It has its first mall, a couple of national fast food outlets, a new city hall. According to the author, Thomas Mackenna, Cotabato City remains the principal commercial center for the Cotabato basin.

A common sighting

He said that ethnic diversity is a noted feature of Cotabato City. There’s a strong migration activity that happened centuries before that resulted to a mix of Chinese, Cebuanos, Ilonggos, Tagalogs, Ilocano and the Maguindanaoan inhabitants. Because of the diversity, “Tagalog” is the primary tongue in use.

The Polangui or the Rio Grande de Mindanao that runs through the city is the only witness to how the city faced the passing of time. Some years in the past the city was plagued with bombings and fighting between the military and the MILF as well as other extortionist groups.

Last year, a bomb in a WEENA bus was exploded when the owner refused to give money to extortionists. Bus operations were suspended because of the incident that injured several people.

Cotabato was put to the limelight when a kidnapped Korean national was released in 2002 at the time when President Arroyo was in the city. Kidnapping and abduction activities in the early 2000 had been major discouragement for Cotabato’s road to progress and glory.

We spent the night in the city, at a hotel across the South Seas Mall. Contrary to what others thought about Cotabato, visitors could find peace and safety at night. I was able to get sleep without worries.

Old Steel Bridge

We left the city before lunch. We exited thru the dilapidated Quezon Bridge that spanned the mighty Polangui River. We passed by the strife torns town of Pigcawayan and Libungan as well as the deceivingly tranquil waters of Lake Labas.

Pigcawayan and Libungan, Along with the towns of Midsayap, Aleosan and Pikit were the sites of heavy clashes last year between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the military. The Moro rebels occupied these towns displacing over 100,000 people who fled for the lives and moved out to safer places. Several evacuation sites were put up for the displaces people of North Cotabato.

We drove as fast as we could and reached Midsayap at lunch time. Midsayap is one of the progressive towns of North Cotabato with a couple of big hospitals located at the center. We covered these two important hospitals and made a quick stop for a lunch of vegetables and ice cold coke ‘litro’.

Empty Coke Litro

We hurried a bit as we passed by the towns of Aleosan, Pikit, Kabacan and Matalam before we made a detour to the town of Mlang. We decided to skip the capital city of Kidapawan since the city was on a holiday to celebrate its charter day.

Mlang is an old town of Cotabato having been inhabited by the Bagobos hundreds of years before the arrival of the Spaniards. The town’s name was derived from the word “tamlang” which means “bamboo.”  A first class municipality backed by its agricultural foundation, Mlang is a major producer of rice in Mindanao.

Mlang, North Cotabato

We made a brief stop to the Mlang to visit my dealer’s clients. Mlang was heavily affected by flood and pests in 2007 which placed it under the state of calamity. In August of last year, a bomb was discovered in a public swimming pool and was detonated. Several others were found at a nearby school and a bakery. These bombs were believed to be planted by MILF elements in their objectives to wreak fear and disorder in North Cotabato.

Soon as we were done with our field work, we hurriedly left the town and hit the road again at 3pm. We took the east road towards the town of Makilala and bypassed the capital city of Kidapawan. Before dusk, we were already out of the woods of Cotabato.

Before we even made a right turn towards Bansalan, Davao del Sur, a convoy of SUVs, police cars and military trucks were behind us. Neneng and I were engulfed with fear as we pulled to the road side and allow the convoy to pass. We do not want to get near to any convoy of this type for they could make the convoy an easy target for rebel and extortion groups.

Them Soldiers

We allowed the string of government vehicles to proceed a hundred meters further before we went back to the road again. It was dusk when we emerged from the outskirts of Digos City, Davao del Sur.

We spent 3 days in rounding up Cotabato. In those 3 days, I came to the point of accepting that Cotabato has been trying its best to move on in spite the awful events of its past. I definitely agree that Cotabato was painted differently in the newspapers and by media as whole. The negative articles about these places had caused setbacks in their hopes of ever rising from the horrible events of fighting, of strife and of disorder.

In rounding Cotabato, I came to the point of hoping for an end to terrorism, to displacement of innocent people, to the suffering and fear caused by worthless fighting. The valley needs to experience peace and order once again.

I realized how lucky I was to live in a place where I could sleep peacefully at night; where I could go to public places without the fear of any explosions; where I could hit the higgway without fearing for ambushes or attacks.

In rounding Cotabato,  I began to believe that it still had chances to be better in the days to come.

Vingt-cinque (25) Facts About Moi

As an ‘ambush’ task, I came up with 25 ‘trivial’ or simple facts about myself.  I want to share these with you. I already shared these over at my facebook account.

1. My complete name is ADDISON PINEDA OPLIMO JR. Yes my father’s name is ADDISON too. In his birth certificate, his complete name is Santiago Adizon G. Oplimo. Dad hated his name because his initials were S.A.G.O. So he dropped the S in college and since then, Addison was his name. Eventually it was mine too.

2. I was born under the Zodiac sign of the Goat, the Capricorn. Like all the toggenbergs, the ibexes and the domestic grass eaters, I love to go to high and cool places like Baguio City, Dalaguete or Busay in Cebu, Bukidnon. I dreamed about Sagada and Banaue and the Cordilleras too. Capricorns love challenges. As much as I could, I would veer away from anything that demands great challenge. But in the end, I would find myself in the heap of the tasks.

3. I went to a sectarian school run by the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. I went to Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion from Kinder to Prep until Grade School. In CIC Mandaue, there were boys and girls in the primary level. Our school hymn was in Spanish and it was about the Inmaculadistas. Even after I graduated from elementary, I did not understand what the song was all about. But I remember one time that I mom and dad forgot to fetch me from school. The nuns took me in to their quarters. It was the first and only time that I saw the nuns took off their wimples and habits. I saw how their hair looked like and they were freaking scary.

4. I got 4 sisters and a brother. Mom was very productive from 1975 up to 1988. Reproductive health and family planning were farthest from my parents minds. I am second to the eldest and our youngest is my brother. After mom gave birth to the fifth child, out of curiosity, I took off the umbilical cord from my sister’s navel, thinking that it was just a dirty string. Mom was so horrified when she saw me remove the dark dehydrated cord. I hid behind the bed as mom’s step-in shoes flew in the air towards the back of the headboard.

5. I developed allergies from eating eggs. I mean, eggs from hens, not men, mind you. Back in CIC Mandaue years, mom would always cook eggs for breakfast and sunny side ups for lunch. She would insert the cooked eggs in my Tupperware® and everyday, it’s always like this. Sometimes a pair of sautéed shrimps would be inserted on top of the scrambled eggs to provide variation. It was no longer a surprise to my classmates. They became aware that I always had eggs for lunch. Mom was surprised though that one day, I asked her to fetch me from school because I saw redness and swelling all over my body. It was the first time that I learned that Histacort is for allergies.

6. I have an imbalanced hearing ability. Icould not hear much from my right ear. When I was young, I used to share a bed with my younger sister. Since our bed was small, I would always sleep on my right side. Back when I was I child, I often get colds. I think the fluids in my nasal cavity would go to the right sight of my head and filled up the spaces in my middle right ear. I remembered what it’s like to suffer from vertigo. I told my mom about my verigo and my hearing difficulties. She brought me to a specialist but my hearing did not improve after several intake of meds.

7. I am a leftist. I write with my left hand. I hold the spoon in my left hand too. When I play tennis or badminton, I do strokes with my left hand. It follows too that I jack off with it. My left hand is over-used. My left eye could see much better than my right eye. My right lobe seemed to function more than it should.

8. I am a product of a public high school. I went to Cebu City Science High School for four years. Our school was like 25 km away from our house. School starts at 7am. To avoid getting late for class, we would wake up at 4.30am everyday and leave the house before the sun even rises. My parents forced me to commute to and from school.

9. I hated basketball. I never developed the passion for the sport. Several times, dad bought me basketballs but I never get to use them much. I tried to dribble the ball. I even tried shooting it into the basket but even so, I told myself that I would never be a James Naismith fan. I like cheerleading more than basketball. I like synchronized swimming and figure-skating too.

10. I am a chemical engineer. I started in University of the Philippines Diliman but eventually, I transferred to University of San Carlos. I accepted the fact that I was no way smart with physics. After high school, I really wanted to take enrol in a medical school. I wanted to be a doctor but dad slapped my face and brought me to earth and made me understand that they could never afford to send me to a medical school. I chose chemical engineering for practical reasons and graduated in October of 2000.

11. If I were a girl, I would have been pregnant when I was 17 years old. Something happened 4 days after my 17th birthday. And because of it, we reached our 13th year anniversary.

12. I worked in Bicol (Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte) as a process engineer. I lasted only 4 months. I went back to Cebu, studied and took the board exams in November of 2001. Prior to the Bicol job, I worked at a credit investigation bureau and reported for just one day. I did not return to work and resigned the next day. Of course I did not include it in my curriculum vitae.

13. I was active in a socio-civic group before. I used to be a member of the Rotaract Club. At one point, I was made chairman of the Council of Rotaract Club presidents in Cebu. One of the highlights in my involvement in Rotaract was the activity we organized for HACI (the handicapped association of the Philippines). I would like to believe that my values were formed partly because of this club. Not to mention also the network of friends and people I met and talked with.

14. I was born on January14, 1978. Yes, I’m on my fourth decade. Who knows how many decades more I could experience? I am losing hair on a fast pace. Perhaps stress-related but then at 31, I am starting to worry about hair loss. I am a beaver. I have hair in almost every part of my body. And I regret using Mane and Tail on my head.

15. I was employed in a Petrochemical Manufacturing firm in Cavite for 5 years. I started out as a cadet engineer and worked my ass up and became the production manager. I stayed for 5 years because I wanted to gain that number of years of experience as a way to justify the 5 years I spent studying under the chemical engineering course. I am actually a five-year planner. Ask me how I would see myself 5 years from now and I would tell you that I would be in a different organization or a different career or a different lifestyle.

16. I like to learn languages other than my tongue and that of the Englishmen in New York. I used to study Nihonggo. I was fond of the hiragana and the katagana. I used to scribble the characters on blank sheets of paper. But now, Nihonggo is a blur. I could not remember the Japanese words except wakarimasen or chin chin taberu or okama desu ka. I have moved on to a European language. I got interested in the French language in 2004. Five years after, I still haven’t reached the breakthrough level. I used to study at Alliance Francaise de Manille. I’m taking French classes now at Les Amis de la France here in Cebu.

17. I have hepatomegaly. God knows what exactly it’s all about. My doctor said that I generally have a fatty liver. I have elevated levels of Cholesterol, triglycerides and lipids. I also have high level of uric acid. At some point in my life as 30-year old I suffered from gouty arthritis while attending a wedding of a high school friend.

18. I am now employed in Merck Inc., a chemical and pharmaceutical company. I made a career shift into sales after I reached five years in my previous job. I am already into my 3rd year of employment in Merck as a member of the dealer management group.

19. I met my first and only boyfriend when I was in UP Diliman. We were apart for several years and were reunited in 2004. My status has changed from “it’s complicated” to “in a relationship.” We treat ourselves as partners now. I call him Bro Bear and he calls me Kuya Bear. We don’t need Goldilocks and one more bear to complete the fairy tale.

20. I am half Ilonggo, half Cebuano. But I am also half-Filipino and half-Filipina. I don’t do cross dressing. I just like the way I am. I am satisfied with what I have.

21. I like to travel, even if I’m limited to the places all over the Philippines. My job allows me to be in places that I could visit. I’ve been to all the major cities and towns in the Visayas and Mindanao, I was able to visit places in Luzon, and of course, I got frequent trips to the capital. There’s a certain joy in travelling, and I could not forget a few wonderful trips with my Bro Bear like Corregidor, Boracay, our great Visayan road trip and not to forget our food trips. Most importantly, the domestic travels I made had opened windows for me to understand the history of the place and in the process; I get to meet people and friends.

22. I am alcohol-intolerant. Let me drink a bottle of San Mig Light and you would see me transform into a hellboy in a sec. Social drinking for me involves only an 8-proof red wine or bottomless iced tea.

23. I read books when I have the time. I buy magazines more than I buy books. The last book I read was Resil B. Mojares’s War Against the Americans. Books I want to read do not include Twilight and Dan Brown books.

24. I love to sing, even if my vocal chords fail me.

25. I believe that good things unravel when we least expect it. But the finer things in life are those that we worked hard for.