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.