Bapa's Notes

THE SILENT SITIO POLIPOG

Goingtopolipog

When using the Bunawan-Mahayag-Gatungan Road, you will reach the mysterious place of Sitio Polipog, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Panabo City. That moutaintop readily seen below the barangay outpost of Gatungan is where Sitio Polipog lies. Once inhabited by numerous households, Sitio Polipog is now a haven of many grazing cattles. On my way to the Tribunalo's and the Coroña's I took some shots of this grazing calves that get on my way:

 

Calf

Because of a month- long draught, the green grasses turned pale orange and  brown. In Sitio Polipog most idle lands were now used as grazing place for a score of cattle raising farmers because of the abundance of carabao grass. Polipog is a bisaya term for stunted coconut. Although seldom anyone could see houses in the place because most of the settlers live downhill where abundant water is available from rivers, streams and deep ponds. Sitio Polipog was once a busy community of settlers but the rise of communist insurgency during the 1980's have displaced many of them. Some have gone to the nearby barangay of Callawa in Davao City, others went to Bunawan, Davao City to seek refuge from the danger caused by the arm conflict between the insurgents and government forces. One edifice that reminds about those days of elusive tranquility is an abandoned chapel of Sta. Cruz, with a few religious relics still in place.

 

Sta.cruz

Relics

 

Chapel

Recalling their ordeal during those days, these survivors get sentimental. During skirmishes, as they recall, some have lost their love ones,  others were hit by stray bullets. The most vulnerable helpless victims during those hour of crisis were the civilians. Today, amidst the current quietness of Sitio Polipog, many barriofolks dreadfully remember the havoc that marred their dreams and aspirations, aspirations of raising up their family through diligence and industry, dreams of uplifting the lives of their children, preparing them for future responsibilities. Shattered dreams, caused by such a decade-long conflict. Our helpless Polipog farmers were like a Ping Pong ball batted to and fro by a two opposing political forces, which denied them the right to leave peacefully and productively. It was a ploretarian political ideology clashing against the dictatorial regime of the late President Ferdinand Marcos and our farmers in Sitio Polipog became the sacrifical lamb- their lives, their dreams and their quest for peace. Today, the place Sitio Polipog, known by many residents of Davao City as Lagnas, but as part of Panabo City as Brgy.Santa Cruz, is an odd remembrance of the restless days of the Marcos presidency. Above this place, its a plateu, with vast area of grass land and a few shrubs. If one wants to hike all the way to Sitio Manaklay of Callawa, Davao City you will be amazed by the aged rain forests growing along the road, the broad leaves providing comfort and shades to hikers from the heat of the sun. The road is passable by a sports motorbike only during dry season. Its difficult to maneuver any type of motorbike during wet days, the soil, rich with gypsum materials can make motorbikes tire completely immobile. I'll blog more about this great adventure into the recesses of Sitio Polipog some other time.

A PLACE CALLED BUENAVISTA

On my visit to Brgy. Buenavista of Panabo City, I wonder how this place got its name. I got one clue and its all drawn from the name itself, Buenavista. From the two Spanish words, buena means good  and vista means view. Buenavista literally means good view. A view of what? Here are some of my discoveries:

Refreshing

Upon reaching Brgy. Buenavista, I got this shot of the Davao Gulf with the Island of Talikud of IGACOS. It was indeed a good view of the precious Davao Gulf. Another discovery is that people in this barangay are mixed of indigenous tribes of Samalnon, others of Muslim like the Tausug and Maguindanao. Majority are sitll of Visayan origin. I am happy to have an old folk, on his 90's graciously hosted my visit and willingly intimated to me his interesting journey from Negros Oriental during the prosperous years of 1930 in this forestal place of Brgy. Buenavista then. He was in his prime age then and the youngest among 10 siblings. He came in this place because of the lucrative work in abaca plantations owned by Japanese entrepreneurs during those days. It is interesting to note that before the 1942 Japanese Occupation of the Philippines, there were already many thriving Japanese capitalists here in Davao Province. After finishing his 5th grade in elementary in his Negros hometown, he decided to venture here in Mindanao together with his elder siblings.

 

Storyteller

Mr. Crispin Jaboc, one of the pioneers here in Barangay Buenavista, shared some of his stories and adventures. He emotionally related to me about their family's survival during the Japanese occupation where one of his brother was executed by the Japanese soldiers on suspicion of harboring Filipino guerillas. Today, Mr. Jaboc, a widower with his six children and 30 grandchildren still enjoys peaceful and properous living in this part of Panabo City. Mr. Jaboc built his house at the top of a hill just beside a provincial road that connects Panabo City to a nearby Barangay Callawa of Paquibato District, Davao City. In military tactics, Mr. Jaboc's place is strategically situated above the road where any motorists passing his place can be seen 1 kilometer away, anyone can analyze all this through this shot I took from his house:

 

Roadbuenavista

This is why this place is called Buenavista which means, good view. Many of the pioneer settlers are still living and like Mr. Jaboc, they too have many untold stories that are still kept in their memories. Maybe someday, their grandchildren will also take time to unfold and tell us those stories and eventually do some blogging about them. These speculations are not impossible to happen in the near future. These pioneers of Brgy. Buenavista are just waiting for anyone to listen to their stories, about their lives, about their struggles and eventually on their triumph in rasing up their children in this peaceful place of Brgy. Buenavista, the place for good viewing of the past and the vintage days.

Desk Officers' Desk

Desk Officer in Police Station

I went to a Police station today and tried to log with the desk officer in the blotter section about a lost belongings. I think it is important also for our law enforcers to be adept in their writing skills. I have been to a blotter section of several police stations on different times and I have observed enough that if the desk officer has limited skills in writing, he or she will find difficulty in putting the right words into his/her report and sad to say there are situations when clients or complainants will aid some pity desk officers in preparing their narrative report. The blotter section is where all the documentation starts concerning any civilian complaints and these records are of significant value for any legal as well as civil actions to be done by our Police force. Our Police force in the blotter section should be trained hard not just on physical defense but also in their literary prowess. It was a myth to say that only lawyers and journalists should be a skillful writers and police officers have to be content with mediocrity. I don't think our police force would agree on this. Currently, our police force are still battling against the tainted public perception as being corrupt, inept and perpetrators of crime. There are many in the police force that are sincere in their service to the public, but there are also some wayward personnel who tainted the image of our police force.So much on this, I also have a peculiar observation about our police stations. I am wondering on why does the Desk Officers' desk is anyman's bossom height? I remember our deskchair during elementary schools, it was a deskchair so we have to sit on it. The Desk Officer's desk has no place to sit on maybe because it is a Desk Officer's desk and not a school deskchair anyway. On lodging your complain before the Desk Officer in the blotter section, you have to stand althroughout and look up to the desk officer that sits higher than you in answering his/her questions. If somebody comes to the blotter section and is shivering in fear, will it be okay for such person to tell her/his ordeal while sitting? Is that a standard operating procedure (SOP) for all police stations all over the country for their complainants to stand before the Desk Officer's desk and lodge their complaint? For some it is an uncomfortable situation, a civilian complainant, standing and looking up before the desk officer who does the interview and writing in the logbook. It was like a scenario of having one soul standing up before the judgment throne of his Creator. Well, if you have not gone to any police station yet, you will never know all these things. Our Policemen, are our civilian protectors against lawlessness and public disorder.

A Tribute to School Publication Staffs

Typewriter

I still have time to reminisce those days in campus journalism during college. My good companions in the school paper who passed away, and I will try to pay tribute to them through this blog. Our Editor-in- Chief, Graly Ulep (1972-2008), he was the one who gave me assignment to write on feature story about the first ever national election for SK officers, where many of USEP students have found their way into politics after leaving college. His death was a great loss to his family and friends. His idealism during our days in the school paper was contagious, he kept reminding us that our works eventhough voluntary in nature, will always be our legacy as we all leave the campus. I also recall those days that we have a neophyte writer Ms. Eden Madrio(1974-1996), although still freshman, but she impressed upon us all, her dedication to write and beat the deadlines. Her death was a mysterious one, after college she went away as far as Cebu and there she met her final destiny. I also have time to recall Joel Montano(1974-2001), our layout artist and cartoonist, he was fun to be with. His jocularity was amazing, he got lots of jokes and can easily invent quips on any given situations, his wit to crack jokes made him a campus figure and a guy that most girls in the school always admired. He was not handsome as many girls admitted then, but those jokes made him very popular in the campus. Many called him in bisayan dialect, walay libog . Joel graduated from college and got married. He died just a month after the birth of his first child because of a terminal illness. I also have time to remember Ate Marites Caboverde (1968-2009), she was our circulation manager then. She finished college together with Graly Ulep our Editor- in -Chief. Ate Marites is the eldest among the publication staff then, she has been around the publication a bit longer than most of us in the group. In fact, our editor in chief would always sought her advice every time some difficulties cropped up relative to our monthly publication. Ate Marites died because of a vehicular accident that happened just a meters away from her workplace, the Barangay Hall of Magugpo North. They were my friends and I pay tribute to them through this blog. We were the staff of the Light Publications of USEP Tagum campus of the School Year 1990-1994.

CONSUMERISM: THE DRIVING FORCE

Retro Television Set

30 years have passed and one could observed the flooding of different household electrical appliances at a very affordable price in each ones home nowadays. I remember when the black and white television set was offered at installment basis by a lone appliance store in Tagum some 3 decades ago, many were still unable to acquire one. During childhood, we have one neighbor who owned a black and white Cathode tube TV set. And the whole community would flock altogether to watch those 1970's vintage movies shown by a local TV channel then. During Fridays, our family would have our dinner earlier so that we  could all watch those professional wrestling matches at our neighbors place until 9 o'clock in the evening. On the mode of transportation, bicycles were very expensive then and owning a motorcycle was a bit odd during those days. Only those at high income level could afford to buy motorcycles then. Today, everything becomes very affordable and easy to acquire. Does the age of materialism seems unstoppable nowadays? Every household has a variety of electronic gadgets, name it and they all have it. There are numerous appliances stores that are offering low downpayment for every costumers looking for household appliances. All these massive consumerism is a product of complex playing and counter playing of elements in economics that dictates consumers and producers alike. And demands were created through the mass media appeal,

Buy Button Concept

the marketing messages that dominates the air time of every known media outfit in the country. They have succeeded in conditioning the minds of consumers and awaken the entrepreneurial spirit of the few. The colored TV set became the main door for creating this consumer demand for trendy products, upgraded versions of any existing electronic gadgets, those unnecessary junk foods appealing to the tastebuds of our children, the latest health craze pill or drinks, all of these were downloaded to our minds and sub-conciousness as we sit down and watched in front of our colored TV sets. Indeed, my professor in economics was right, unless there is no demand, no one would bother to produce goods. By creating the demand, mans' insatiable appetite for materialism will never end. Some would say, this is beneficial to all of us because competition has tamed the exurbetant pricing of products by the sellers, well the health statistics has reported otherwise, more and more people are affected with diseases like diabetes, heart ailments, high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, sexual addictions, drug addictions, and those lists goes on and on. My assumption is that the more people becomes materially affluent, the more his longevity is at risk. Materialism could be an agent of massive annihilation of humanity for the next decades or more. This is my hypothesis.