The old church in Palompon

For more than forty –years, early Palomponganons labored for the construction of this towering structure.

Some 300 native forced laborers including skilled mason Balarisay, Tumbalasay, and Alha constructed the church from coral stones, which they took from the sea, cut into square blocks, and piled on to each other. They used bamboo to move and lift the stones in position, and used the white of a million eggs as to cement them together.

A walled stone was built around it. And the belfry was separate from the church (near the present location of the acacia tree). It has big and small bells, that were heard even to faraway villages then. Here, the Spaniards were said to be collecting taxes from people who were very poor.

The church, when constructed was buttressed by artillery pieces in defense against the Moro raiders (pirates). The weapon is now prominently displayed at the plaza, to remind us that long time ago, our forefathers fought against the invaders and generously shed their blood to protect this place from the invasion of the Muslim bandits many hundred years ago.

The church was finally completed in 1784, the same year, Palompon gained parochial independence from its mother parish – Hilongos.

It housed many important relics, like the century-old statue of St. Francis placed in a wooden and glass urn brought by the Jesuit missionaries in 17^th century.

Unforgettable stay in Manila

I sometimes (or oftentimes) eat goto along the sidewalks for only P 12, just to save some penny.

Roaming around in this crowded city

It was four years ago when I visited Manila for the fourth time, and this time at the age of 24 I am already finding my luck in this big and crowded city.

I first visited this place in 1988, when I was still 8 and no other things in mind but to roam around and made some lakwatsa and pasyal elsewhere in Big Bang sa Alabang, (No SM in Las Piñas at that time yet), RFC, Uniwide, Sangley Naval Base in Cavite where my uncle, Papa Juan worked as soldier, Manila Zoo and many other places of interests in this beautiful place? (that was my first impression of this city, some hundreds of miles from my hometown in Leyte).

All that I’ve seen in Manila was the imposing structures, sophisticated vehicles and machines, everything that is high –tech (at age of 8 I have not visited the places which is the other face of the city). I thought then that Manila is all beautiful and all people living here were rich and riding in their cars.

My uncle, Daddy Vic has his own car, (he is a bank executive in Makati) and he drove us to Jollibee or Mac Do or anywhere we wanted to.

1995, I am back in Manila, with my family. I am already in my highschool but since our relatives live in a posh subdivision in Moonwalk Village, I have not (again) seen some other places in this city where ordinary folks live and work. All that I see is the grandeur and spectacle in this lively place on Earth. I’ve heard about traffics, brownouts, no water, or flooded places in this city, but did not care to listen since I didn’t experience those things in this place. We live in the house of an affluent family and we have everything in my uncle’s house.

In 2002, we made a short visit again in Las Piñas for two weeks and our activities limited only to visits of our relatives and some shopping at SM Southmall.

But my most unforgettable stay in Manila was in 2004. At this time, I am no longer accompanied by my Mama or any of my brod or sis. I travel alone and stayed for few weeks in a military camp in Sangley Air and Naval Base in Cavite City.

I meet the woman whom will be my life’s significant other, the 18-year old Ritchel “Cheng” Caabay from Palawan (who is 6 years younger than I am). We’ve met some three or four years ago, and it was just a simple, unfussy acquaintance. Now she’s is our house taking care of our one –year old baby girl, Johnill May (Angel).

The tragic twists of events and the indifference of my relatives in Manila compelled me to stand on my own feet. I don’t want to be enslaved anymore by anybody or I don’t want to be hurt by a relative, if they discriminate us of being poor then I’d better find a way to survive here in this city.

It was truly very unexpected. My Mama and her siblings were very close. We received any gifts (almost everything) from them without knowing that they have hidden agenda against us. I must admit that they accommodated me in their house, where I stayed for weeks or even months but instead to hear pleasant things from them, it turned out to be a disaster. I pray to the Lord that I can forgive them, so that I will be forgiven too.

They did not help me to find a job instead they used me in doing everything (errand) and pressured to do what they wanted. I cannot rest, I spent some sleepless nights, and I am depressed. Wa ko kahibawo sa akong buhaton.

In those troubled times, I frequently visited the Baclaran church with very small of money on my pocket but I spend time in praying and asking for God’s guidance. I asked the Lord for his grace, I prayed and told Him that I am about to surrender, I did not know what to do, and I am nothing without Him.

During noontime, I will spend P 8 for my lunch of goto or any streetfood in Baclaran and along the sidewalks in Las Piñas. Sometimes, fishballs, or squidballs would be enough for my lunch or dinner. Nag practice ko nga mag tipid because I know that sooner I will leave the house of my uncle. His son (my first degree cousin) has already packed his bags and I did not where he is. Those difficult times were spent in reflections and prayers. I roamed around the city by foot looking for any job hiring posted on the walls, but it often ended in nothing.

This things lurked in my mind, I been helping my uncle in their house and whatever he instructed me to do, but he did not bother to help me in looking for a job. He has the connection, and friends ang nakapait kay iya ko gisultihan, kaya tika nga pasudlon sa kompanya sa akong mga amigo, pero dili ko kana buhaton.

It turned out that going away from this palatial house would mean blissful freedom on my part. I did not depend from anyone else’s help I do my own work and ask some help of my friends. It was my first time to do such thing in my entire life. I live in a friend’s house, I help them in household chores, and earn some few barya for a living.

My sorrows then turned to joy. My friends shared with me their angst and sentiments in daily lives. We eat together, drink together, sing at the videoke, and talk everything in this crowded place and the houses are dikit –dikit. Garbage are everywhere in this place, the old dumpsite was cultivated for pechay production and the people here plant camote and other vegetable.

I was happy, but my concern is that I don’t have any money. How can I survived. For several days I was given food by my friends usahay kung asa ko agdahon adto ko mokaon, unya anha ko matulog sa gawas sa balay, sa bilyaran (outside their house) nga gitabilan ug trapal.

Pagka pait sa akong kinabuhi. I left my uncle’s house with only P 20 on my pocket. The good thing is that Cheng helped me and we shared our meager resources, since she also packed her bags to escape her boss’ (a lady physician) maltreatment. We stayed in one house, there in the squatter’ area where I live (in Pulo, I forgot the name of the barangay I think it was Talon 2, near BF homes). We rented a room in a very crowded, messed up neighborhood near the creek. And since then we live together in one house, and the rest is history.

I find a job as merchandiser/ management trainee in an international company DS Max and we sell imported merchandise at very low price. But since it involves house-top-house selling di gyod ko kaagwanta, dili sab ko mahalinan, naay higayon nga nahalinan ko ug more than daghan my commission reaches more than P 200 pero kausa ra to mahitabo. The rest of my experience was really a disaster. Alkanse gyod. You need to spend your own money for the fare going to the area (sometimes Cavite, or Muntinlupa, one time we were in Bicutan, and then we also have some house-to-house in BF, Parañaque), then spend some money again for the lunch and pamasahe bound to the company’s office in Las Piñas and then pamasahe again for the homeward bound –PUJ. Usahay alkanse gyod kay ang gastos nako all in all let’s say P 40 unya kung ang commission nako inig ka hapon is only P 30 how can I recover that. I left because of the unfair practices and violations of our rights (gihurat pa ko sa among boss) his name is Ramon, I forgot the family name somebody from Zamboanga.

Looking for a job in this city was never easy. Pagkapait gyod sa akong kinabuhi pero ing ani man gyod ni. I and Cheng was planning to go to our home provinces pero unsaon man? We have meager resources nga igo lang gani sa among pagkaon.

I got sick in Pulo (still in squatters area) and was in bed for almost two weeks. I did not know what happened to me. But I suspect napasmo ko kay magpalipas man ko sa gutom o basin sab overfatigue. I thought it would be my end. But thanks God, He gave me another life.

My second work in Manila, as agent of Powerex energy saving device has saved me. I worked in Las Piñas for more than 1 month and I tried to perform well to become close to our boss, Sir Wayden and Mr. Dee. Then since the group will go to a provincial sortie (caravan) in Biliran and Leyte towns, naniguro ko nga makakuyog.

It was also during this time, when Cheng discovered the address of her elder sister, Liit in Zapote and we live there for few weeks. When I have already earned some money in the caravan (siguro mga 5,000) ako na siyang gikuha sa Manila and I brought her to Leyte this time.

My childhood days

I grew up in 1980’s in Palompon, which was a small coastal town some time ago. My father (Gerardo) and my namesake was a teacher first in Lomonon national high school (7 kilometers from town proper) then transferred to Colegio de San Francisco Javier (CSFJ) and finally in Northern Leyte College (NLC). My mother (Nimfa Molon Codilla) was an engineering student in Arellano University in Pasay but chose to stay at home as plain housewife, taking care of my Papa and the six of us (I am the eldest of 6). We live beside the ancestral house of the Codilla (My mother was the eldest of eight siblings, and the rest of them are studying and working outside Palompon) My grandfather (Papang Juaning), a retired soldier, was left alone at the ancestral home, my grandmother (Mamang Leoling) died in 1982, when I was still two years old.

The town was dusty and full of holes (libaong) almost in all streets of the poblacion, with exception of the main thoroughfare, known as Rizal street, where the terminal, public market, municipio, sentro, was located. Other known landmarks in this town during my younger days were the big house of Chinese businessman Diyong (Chiong) in Rizal street (still existing today), Kadiwa, near the public market (a coop operated by the government), the Lampakanay (floating restaurant near the wharf), ABC building adjacent to the municipio, another is Sentro (health center) near municipio, I could no longer recall its exact location, the store of Insek Jose (Soy Tsan, also known as Jose Sanchez) which was burned down in 1984 fire. Most of the businessmen in this town are of Spanish and Chinese progeny, like Hoga Lim, Bernardita (Liok), Byawha (is that the correct spelling) An Kok Yu (who own as bakery), Diyong (Chiong) owner of sea vessels, and many others.

There are old houses in Palompon during 1980s, some of those have already perished to this date (either gutted by fire, demolished, renovated or abandoned by owners). During my childhood, we can still see that this place is really a colonial town and the Spanish leave its mark on some of the structures here. The house of Esperanza Marilao (Tacan) was built before 1900 (still existing today), another old houses of Salvino in Ipil and one in Zamora (which is influenced by Hispanic architecture).Other old houses are in Libertad and Arellano streets, the Delgados house, Eamiguel, and the other one beside it (atbang ilang Dodong Selpa). Although there are existing old houses here, most of the residential buildings are built after the war (some others built before the war was spared from Allied bombings in 1944).

Riding in a pot-pot is indeed a bumpy and bouncy ride since the holes were filled with stones and gravel especially during rainy days (aron way pita nga maglatak sa karsada). Very few people ride on potpot and most of these vehicles preferred to traverse the concrete pavement along Rizal street. I remember walking from our house to the house of my grandparents, Tatay Oloy (Rufino Reyes) and Nanay Tesia (Patricia) in Washington corner San Francisco street (known then as Ipil, today Ipil was divided into 3 barangays).But people of Palompon before refer the southern part of the poblacion as Ipil while the northern part of the town proper as Guiwan and Look (now San Isidro). People as far as Guiwan preferred to walk in going to church and market (merkado) than to ride potpot.

Today, potpot were still there, but no longer traversing a muddy and rough road, the streets are already concreted and Palompon has changed a lot from my childhood days up to now. Daghan na kaayo ug kausaban. And I know that it will be a positive change as this town faces a bright future.

Palompon was a simple town then. And as I grow up I witnessed how it metamorphosed into a bustling town in this part of Leyte.

The acacia tree

The 225-year old church in Palompon and the acacia tree is a landmark in this place since I was a child. I grew up in Libertad St. Central III which is walking distance from the church and the acacia tree. (photo from Pa J, Palompon.multiply)

The church and the acacia tree. (pics from palompon. multiply.com)

(picture from Papa J)

The acacia branches spread far and wide to cast their willing shadow on a larger area. The tree has been there for more than sixty years. The old photograph of Palompon dated 1944 proved that acacia tree has been there even before the war era. The tree is less than twenty meters from the church, but the elderly recounted that the place where the old belfry of Palompon church is located is near where acacia tree stands today. The church in this town, which was constructed more than four hundred years ago is a mute witness of the town’s colorful history.

The church was partly destroyed during the conquest of Leyte of the USAFFE Liberation Forces in 1944. The belfry was smashed, and a part of the structure was reduced to rubble. The acacia tree was spared however. The bomb almost hit the young acacia tree then, but the tree survived and grows taller, and sturdier, becoming the brawniest trees hereabout.

After the war, the church physical appearance has changed, and yet the acacia tree is still there becoming more sturdy as the years past by. Transient vendors displayed their novena booklets, statues, rosary beads, necklaces and other wares under the acacia tree. They built their umbrellas and tents under it, especially during fiesta. Every churchgoers are familiar with the tree, and almost all people in this town. This is the only acacia tree within the poblacion, the other one is outside the town proper, in San Isidro (Lo-ok) one kilometer from here. It was believed that the priests or somebody from the church planted the acacia tree.

Today, the church details were very visible-its imposing stone façade and magnificent design that made compatible of its original architectural make up. Its antique characteristics was masterfully restored during the time of Msgr.Cesar Petilla, H.P. now in the United States, who was the parish priest in Palompon until 2005.

The church looks mysterious and magical. Unknown to many, it has been the place of refuge of the Palomponganon forefathers who was spared by the onslaught of Moro raids in the 16th and 17^th century.

My memory of acacia tree was when we celebrate the Biernes Santo. We gather at the tree in decorating the carro (carriage) of the Santo Entierro (Jesus of Nazareth) during that celebration. We look for flowers and lukdo-lukdo around and then helped other in decorating the carro. After that, Arroz Caldo is served or landang, which is common during Holy Week in this town.

Until now the acacia tree is still there, and it looks greener and greener. I hope that people will not remove or uproot it, whatever development that the Church will introduce in that area.

Playing at talisay tree

Outside our house, in Libertad Street, in Palompon town was a young talisay. A tree that usually thrives in coastal areas but it survived in our place, though some few hundred meters from the shoreline.

It has been our favorite place during my childhood days when I was only two years to twelve years old, perhaps.

Our parents has been strict and disciplinarian. They barred us in mingling with other street kids in our age, my siblings too. They said that they were bad influence to us and going with them would be disastrous, our parents described them as “maldito”. I could still recall our neighbor who often plays outside their house, anything they could do in the streets playing takyan, luksong tinik, tubig-tubig, dakop-dakop and other games. But since we are prohibited by our parents, we could only watch them under the talisay tree. I hold its trunk and feel its coolness while under it. I could not feel the intense heat of the sun because I am under the tree.

But the most memorable of all was playing with Japanese beetle (bakukang) every afternoon. I enjoy playing these little creatures and tied them with thread (tanud). And oftentimes, I look for bakukang and played them inside the house.

I cannot climb the tree, I cannot attempt to climb as well. My parents or my grandfather would reprimand me if I do so. My grandfather (Papang Juaning Codilla) was as strict as my parents, he is a retired air force sergeant and a pensioner at that time (he died at the age of 73 in 1996). He used to give me P 1 everytime he was from the public market (mercado). He is using hock and line fishing as his pastime and oftentimes has panghalwan or timbungan as his catch and we have it for lunch or dinner.

The talisay tree where I used to play was pulled out after my father’s death in 1991, when major renovation was made in our house by my uncle, Vic Codilla, my mother’s younger brother, who is working as bank assistant manager.

Now, the talisay tree is no longer there.

The tree on my way home

“Diha lang sa may dakong punoan sa kahoy”, this is always my instruction to the tricycle drivers everytime I am riding a homeward bound to my rented house in Barangay Can-adieng in Ormoc City.

The robust tree within the Tarroza compound in Rudy Rivilla Avenue in the said place is one of the common landmarks here. Whenever, my friends asked about the location of my rented house, I always answered “diha sa may dakong punoan sa kahoy sa may highway”, which is obviously visible even if it is within the wooden fence (inside the compound of the house). The tree is beside a steel electric post but is towering compared with other structures and old houses in the place. It even surpassed the tallness of two-storey residential buildings around.

Nery Tarroza, the owner of the house, who is already 75 years old said that it was her late husband Cesar Sr. who planted it after the flash flood in Ormoc way back 16 years ago. He got the seedling from Bantigue or Ipil, which is just 2-3 kilometers away, but she could not ascertain to the species or local name of the said tree.

It is already strong, stout, vigorous and visibly sturdy, its braches are extending outside and inside the house moving its way upward. Its’ lively dark green leaves proves that the tree is still full of life. Unlike in the nearby house, where it is always humid during sunny days, it is cool and breezy beneath the said tree. It is always a comfortable place because it certainly provides shelter, shed and coolants especially these days when trees are already disappearing.

Trees are definitely beautiful and attractive sight along the highway. It made the thoroughfare scenic and charming. I can see huge trees arrange in a line along the national highway near Leyte Park Hotel within the vicinity of UP Tacloban College and Provincial Capitol in Tacloban City, and it was truly a nice place to visit. In Ormoc, I like the setting near Codilla’s guest house in Toog (now Domingo Veloso highway) going to the Mother of the Redeemer Parish Church (they also call it, as Fatima Shrine) in Barangay Cogon. The trees there really beautify the surroundings, enamored and captivated every onlooker that passes through the said place.

From afar, you can have a glance with the said tree that is still towering and lively as ever. Whenever, I am already reaching the Tulay de Perdon in Malbasag river (near the Agua Dulce artesian well) I can see the said tree and then I whisper to the tricycle driver “dia lang ko ihunong sa may dakong punoan sa kahoy”.

September 3, 2008

Now I made up my mind.

My decision to resign as JO worker at Palompon –LGU has been final. Though I have not tendered my resignation yet (but it will be very soon) but definitely I am going to resign and transfer to Ormoc for good. I have been working in Ormoc for more than two years before I transferred to Palompon last January 2008. But since it would be more gainful on my part to be in Ormoc (so I made this decision) and I know God will never leave me.

My friend Arnel Villarente, (my co-worker at Palompon –LGU, who has been a close friend for ten years already) told me that I made a good decision. While others said I am about to be appointed to a position at Palompon-LGU (the one that I am applying, perhaps Draftsman or other available positions). But it was Arnel who again advised me not to be swayed by rumors, the hearsay about the appointment of Draftsman and other position is not certain or wa pa gyuy klaro, niya pa hanap pa sa alkitran.

I was saddened since I love my job at Mayor’s Office so much. But I need to consider the future of my family first, than any other things. Kumbaga kung akong gihatag ang akong pagsakripisyo, talento, ug kahago alang sa munisipyo ug sa Budyong, ako sab angayan hunahunaon akong kaugalingon. I worked because I want to survive and I want to give my family the brighter future. And if I might missed many opportunities, it would be disastrous. Manga-regular na lang silang tanan ako na lang ang mahibilin.

I already passed the Civil Service Commission, Career Service Examination (Professional) but I realized that I still need to complete my course in college, or else I will be left behind. I am planning to enroll this coming semester, and I always hope and pray that God will help me and my plans and ambitions will be fulfilled.