The sky is getting darker,and I felt it’s sadness.  On the other side of the mountain, another father is weeping because he is taking his son who was gunned down,  to his last destination. I know because I attended his last night and I saw his father’s pain. I just came back from their house before I embarked on this road trip. I met the kid a few years back because his father used to drive me and my close friend, his older sister, to our field site, which is my father’s homeland —> Magallanes,Sorsogon.

“Stop taking photos, it’s dangerous,” my sister warned me.  Insurgency especially in secluded areas is a major concern in this part of the region . But like I said, if your not an enemy, they won’t harm you.  The road we are traversing is unknown to many, a bumpy short cut where there’s no public transportation. Although there’s a few signs of  human existence, like a  few nipa huts along the road and a public school perched on top of the hill, as we went farther and higher through the mountains, not one soul, house or vehicle is in sight. Father said, there are even villages on the inner part of the hill. I can imagine how hard for the children and teachers to walk  kilometers after kilometers before they can get to their class more  so if the weather is not cooperating.

As I marveled at the top view of the green lush forest on each side of the road, I can’t help but ask my father ,”Don’t tell me this road is on top of the mountains because if it’s just on it’s side then how come I can see the view below on both sides!?“  He just smiled. From time to time, we had to remind my father of the steep mountain so he must keep driving  on the center of the road.  There’s some instances when my sister and I have to get off the motorcycle and walk a few meters since my father is having difficulties maneuvering his motorcycle on an uphill.

At long last, we reached a part of the road that’s cemented and the engine stopped.  Father pointed the perfect cone of  Mayon Volcano from afar.  And on it’s right, a hill is standing much closer to us where on it’s tip, the land given to him by our grandfather is his  “mana”.  My father jokingly said, “someday we’ll make it a tourist spot and a helicopter will bring us there.”

my sister Bluv and my father

After over an hour of hellish yet fun ride, we reached a village with houses lined up on the road, at that point, I know, we  have reached our father’s homeland,  Siuton , a quaint village in Magallanes, Sorsogon.

Welcome to Siuton!

The province of  Sorsogon was discovered by a group of Spanish missionaries led by Father Alonzo Jimenez in 1569.

At the mouth of Ginangra River in Siuton, there lies Gibalong, a village  that is now famed to be the place where the 1st Christian mass in Luzon was celebrated.

On the other hand, our hometown Bulan has long claimed that based on historical findings that an expedition led by Captain Luis Enriquez de Guzman and Fray Alonzo Jimenez led to the discovery of a small settlement of natives engaged in fishing and farming which is believed to be Otavi, a sitio in our hometown. For logically, the shore was the most appropriate site for the mass since it’s gonna be difficult and dangerous  for the Agustinian friars to go to the interior part of a village  just to conduct a mass and Gibalon is discovered to be an interior part of the old Ibalon village.    Gibalon‘s claim as the site where the 1st mass was held is backed up by the historical marker that read “ somewhere on this site, the Gospel of Christ was 1st preached.”

He then  took us to a refreshing  spring resort  just along the road called Bucal-Bucalan which looks like a pool of the locals of  Magallanes.  If only we weren’t pressed for time and we brought some clothes, my sister and I would’ve dipped on it’s refreshing water.

After passing by a series of rice paddies, we reached the town of Magallanes and we went straight to the port, the island which looks like a crocodile is where I spent my fieldwork in anthropology during our fieldschool in college.

Mt. Mayon can be viewed from the port of Magallanes, Sorsogon

We saw a  kid maneuvering a small pumpboat or what we call in Bicol as  “kumpit” . It’s full of  students  bound to go home in the island.

kumpit; "the bigger boat"

The boy asked us to wait because he will get a “bigger boat”, anyway it’ll just take about 5 minutes to reach Brgy. Lourdes in Bagatao. The 3 of us decided to eat  “ pinakro” at the carinderia, it’s a local  delicacy made up of  sliced banana, kamoteng kahoy and coconut milk.

pinakro

The boy returned with a “bigger boat” where only 4 of us could fit. Bagatao Island is a fishing village facing Ticao Island, it consist of 3 baranggays: St. Lourdes, where one can see the grotto , Brgy. Biga from the port of  Magallanes and Behia , the site of our anthropology field school in college. Bagatao  Island is reputed to be the biggest  Spanish shipyard in the Bicol region but was abandoned in the mid-17th century due to it’s exposure to the sea raiders.

The construction of the white lighthouse perched on the cliff in the island in 1616 served as guide for the vessels navigating through the San Bernardino Strait and Ticao Pass.  To date, historical deposits and artifacts has been stripped off  in the island and “Parola“  served as picnic grounds because of it’s white beach and coral reefs.

It’s getting late,  the boy started the engine of  the outrigger boat. And once again I’ve witnessed the breathtaking sunset  of  Behia on  my back , this time, I’m not standing on the cliff of  Behia nor sitting on it’s white sand with the locals.

And since the headlight of  my father’s motorcycle is defective, it’s dangerous for us to return to Bulan.  We went back to Siuton instead, my father decided to stay there for the night as he can’t risk our lives.

Staying there is nostalgic, I feel like a child again spending my summer days in this beautiful little town, life used to be so simple. Then  I dozed off to sleep tired yet satisfied. Sometimes I wish life is that simple.

Special thanks to papa and my sister Bluv!

ako at ang kalabaw! bow!

This my entry to Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival with the theme Quaint Places.

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