insights of the things i did, 365 days ago, started pouring in, like rain, a slow drizzle at first then a heavy downpour while i was listening to songs of indigo girls. lucky for me, i recorded some of the minute events in my IBON 2002 Planner (opo- i buy planners a year too late, they are cheaper that way- just change the days.. haha).
november last year, i made a decision that changed my life. i stopped going to school and volunteered for a non-government organization - The Rural COncern Network. It was either that, or organize youth in Bohol. As much as i would like to go to Bohol and unite the youth, i knew i didnt have the confidence to do the job and get it done right, so i chose being a documentalist for the lowly but willful NGO.
it was one fine day in the first week of november (11/9)that life and love bloomed in my life. i was at a crossroad waiting for the bus that would take us to towns north of cebu. With someone who just professed love for me inviting me for lunch on one hand, and the masses who has been calling me since time immemorial on the other. i chose the latter as i was assured and encouraged that my
rumbar will be there when i return. we are both in the same movement anyway. It was on november 8, that the closest of my friends had our last tagay of the month- together- at myx in Ramos St. and it was on the same night, that rumbar told me to stay. but loves me still even if i go.
my work first took me to carmen, specifically baranggay ipil. the first few days ran smoothly, we went from house to house interviewing people and their livelihood. and educating them a bit about their rights. there was one thing i noticed in them though. they all had fear, for the intruders that invaded their
kapilya (baranggay chapel) and turned into a base- they were the AFP. This was a clear violation of the International Humanitarian Law. No military installation should be established within 200 meters of residential areas. And this rather cozy military base was right-smack in the middle of the baranggay. As a farmer informed us, "Hadlok mana sila sa NPA, maong nagtukod ug base sa kapilya kay kibaw man sila nga maglisod ug atake ang NPA basta daghan sibilyan" (
they are afraid of NPAs, that why they took the chapel as tehir base because they know, NPA hesitate to attack detachments too close to civilians).
three days later we moved to the most remote baranggay in the municipality of carmen- sitio caorasan. before we even stepped into the baranggay with our bums still sore from the hour-long
habal habal ride, people became weary of us. it was almost they were afraid FOR us. we headed to the baranggay captain's house who welcomed us with a rather hesitant filipino hospitality. we asked his permission to interview some of his constituents and an hour or two later we headed back to the kapitan's hut to call it a day. while comparing notes with my other colleagues, we caught sight of the kapitan coming from the towncenter with a sad look on his face. he told us that the military, (who also installed a detachment in the middle of the baranggay) wanted to talk to us, wanted to know why we are here. and talked we did. it was going fine, the conversation were friendly inside the baranggay hall and we headed back to the kapitan's house. Until just 15 minutes later. we were met with a platoon of armed military and paramilitary men... armed and ready to shoot. they sorrounded us and pounded us with questions.. insinuating that what we were doing was illegal and that we were NPAs. I could still see the barrels of their m16 (m16 ba na ila) pointed directly at us, while some of them indiscriminately took photos of our group. the military leader (i forgot his name) told the baranggay captain "adto na sila pakatulga sa baranggay hall para masinati nila ang nasinati sa among mga kauban" (let them sleep in the baranggay hall so that they'd experience what our friends experienced). he was pertaining to three military officers killed in an encounter with the NPA just three months before. i told myself, "this was it." i might as well die happy. i thunk of happy thoughts and one of my colleagues started joking, i couldnt help but laugh a bit. fortunately the military didnt hear me, because if they did, who knows, i might have aggravated them more.
It was getting dark and finally, after constant begging from the kapitan that he accompany us until we get on the habal-habal again and go back to town, the leader agreed but ordered five fully armed CAFGUs to follow in the bushes. by then , i could see the headlines,
"USC student along with four others shredded to pieces in the mountains of carmen" after an intense 30 minute wait, our ride arrive whisking us to security in the center of carmen and in the house of nanay.
that incident shook our team up, we had to re-assess our goals for two days before moving on to the next baranggay in the next municipality - TUBURAN - a highly militarized zone of cebu.
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November 12- Sitio Malubog, Baranggay Ipil Carmen
The councilor of the baranggay was so afraid of the military that he was so afraid to let us sleep in the house. he handed us pillows and blankets and directed us to an open hut close to a rushing stream. i could care less for all i wanted was to rest, as i felt a fever coming down on me. my body was exhausted from too much walking, an activity a city mouse dont do very often in the city?
so before i shut my eyes, i scribbled words in my planner:
rising body heat
throughout my tired being
lying on a bamboo seat
unwelcomed guests
lulled by the rushing stream
and the dark of night
dreaming of home
family and close friends.
