The Land That Time forgets

THE LAND THAT TIME HAPPILY FORGETS:
Victorino P Mapa

As we continue our trip northward along the western coast of Panay island one sees the Master painter’s handiwork: Rich, lush green rice fields stretch from the sea’s edge to the upland ridges; a tranquil beach is ever visible to the left, thinly sheltered by swaying coconut trees. The mountain cordillera of Panay to the far right shows its silhouette as the paved road undulates through a gently undulating vista that equals the South Paicific edens that famed story tellers as Melville, Stevenson and Michener enthused about. The people set a never ending pattern of tilling the land, nursing and reaping a harvest and tilling it again, a cycle of life that no ideology turmoil or calamity has changed. It has been so for centuries and will remain so for centuries to come. They perpetuate the scene of a beautiful land suspended in its own time. Once in a while a huge , fairly new concrete house incongroulsy appears amid a row of thatched huts by the roadside. “ The owner has gone to Saudi” is the explanation of our driver, meaning, the native son has gone overseas to work in the Middle East and saved enough to fulfill his ambition of building a hoem that he can live in happlily ever after.
The Southeast Asia Fisheries and Development research center at Tigbauan gave us brief interruption. The ongoing research work at the center does not exactly enoucarge sightseers. But we were only a carload and the unavoidable Ilonggo hospitality opened its doors and a guide was provided for a quick tour. The Center is the only one of its kind in the Philippines and is only one of three in Southeast Asia. The next town has a major must-see attraction in the fortress-church of Miagao (Mee-yag-aw). In a less populated era the church commanded a view of the horizon. Its vantage point explains why it served as a refuge against marauding Muslim pirates. It took a second look to discern that the façade’s ornate frieze was of a native garbed St. Christopher with the child Jesus on his shoulders. St Christopher is holding on to a banana tree with its leaves radiating outward for support. The church-fortress has been declared a World Heritage site by the United Nations. A new University of the Philippines sits by a sea breezed ridge at the edge of town.
A sudden shift from a gradual to a steep ascent brought us to a bend of the road where the Iloilo highway ends and the road to Antique Province begins (The triangular shaped island of Panay is divided into four provinces – Iloilo, Antique, Aklan and Capiz).We parked beside four roadside cafes that also served as mini-marts, ala 7-ll located at the edge of a cliff. The promontory that balanced the cafes rendered a breath taking panorama of Panay island’s southern tip and the road just travelled. It was a clear day and we could see forever. With the sea directly beneath our feet we ordered an ala carte lunch for three: the Ilonggo Kadyos beans with veggies just snapped from the garden, two fish entrees from the catch of the day and rice – a kingly feast for the paltry sum of P110 (almost US$3.00!)., a round of San Miguel beer included. The beer was warm but with the view, the meal, my shoes off and the feeling that all was well with the world, I would have drank it boiling hot.
Tiolas is not shown nor mentioned in any road map and maybe Ilonggos like to keep it that way – Iloilo’s best kept secret. It can be yours too. The memory and the greeting that the café owner gave in that melodious Ilonggo accent, “Ma Ayong Aga, Totoo!” still lingers on .

loss of innocence

THE LOSS OF INNOCENCE :

Victorino P. Mapa

            “Smiling, happy, Philippines” was the title of a National Geographic magazine  article  which appeared during the closing days of 1941. To be appointed  High Commissioner to the Commonwealth of the Philippines  was a plum much sought after  by American officials. The archipelago  was the idyllic , serene Pacific paradise  populated by  a people imbued    with an exhuberant hospitality and  a  joie de vivre   not experienced  anywhere.  When the commissioners ended their tours and  departed they left their hearts in the islands.  We had leaders that were  giants : Quezon, Roxas, Paredes, Recto, Laurel, Yulo, Osias. Their names and deeds now leap out from our history books.

            I was enrolled at the “Colegio de San Juan de Letran” Located inside Intramuros, the Walled City A part of the walls embraced the school and  a rampart fronted  the school’s main entrance.  We would play on the grassy knoll atop the walls during recess. We lived inside the Walled city and on weekends we would take a stroll across the Walled City’s north gate to the Mehan gardens  behind the Grand Metropolitan opera house to visit the zoo. A street car ran along the entire length of Rizal Avenue, to Plaza Lawton, curving behind the City Hall  to San Marcelino street and ended  at Singalong.(the American expats pronounced it “Sing Along)The ride from end to end cost five centavos.

            . Our educational system was second to none in Asia. We studied from books prepared and printed in the USA. While we learned  of our origins as a people, our innumerable revolts against Spain and of Rizal, Bonifacio and Aguinaldo we also studied the 13 colonies,. The Civil War  and George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln as well.  We got accustomed to saluting two flags and singing “Philippines my Philippines in Englsih  Word for word the song was the anthem of the state of Maryland. Everyone could sing  the national anthem . The words were entirely in english. (“Land of the morning, child of the sun returning……..”) With his English the average Filipinos’  ambition was to leave  and reside in the United States. One could walk straight  to the counter in the US High Commissioner’s office  (It wasn’t the US Embassy then – we were still a Commonwealth) apply for a visa and have it granted within minutes.

  Many college graduates and especially the children of  the more affluent did not share the same ambition. Jobs were plentiful, the Peso held steady against  the dollar and the standard of life was far superior than what one could find in the United States. Why travel to the United States at all and  be hired  as farm hands, bus boys or waiters when one could easily  test for civil service eligibility  and/or take  the fast track to executive positions in fast  growing companies? What does the United States have that we could not have  in the Philippines? . We saw the latest American movies,  had soda fountains, hamburger joints and Magnolia ice cream; Florsheim shoes cost  the same and we smoked Lucky Strikes, chesterfields, camels and Piedmonts.  And haven’t you heard? . Corregidor island has openings for civilian employees and they pay in US dollars! We were living the good life and  we had no doubt that we shall continue doing so  when we became independent. Nationalism was in full swing. America pledged to grant our freedom  in 1946. Uncle Sam  will do everything to help prepare the country for Independence

General Douglas MacArthur retired from the US Army  and was hired  by the Philippine Government to help it train and create its own army .MacArthur proclaimed himself Field Marshall.  With the Philippine Scouts and the Constabulary as the core He estimated that the Philippines would have a viable Armed force by 1946. In December 7 Japanese planes  over Pearl Harbor. Because of the International date line the war came to the Philippines the next day. Japanese Zeros  came and destroyed  the planes at Clark Field and the US Navy ships at Cavite.  When the  bombs fell it shattered  more than the planes, ships and implements of war. It also destroyed that which was more precious and irreplaceable. -a grace and an  innocence and a way of life that would nevermore exist.