Posted on 07:01 PM, July 17, 2014
Special thanks go to my sister-in-law's family's hospitality, and to her father for driving us around. Without such hospitality, this story would not have been possible.
By Jennee Grace U. Rubrico
Bohol, as the dust settles
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The broken highways, damaged hotels and the rubble that centuries-old heritage buildings have been reduced to continue to bear witness to the devastation wrought by what the Bol-anons dub kinagrabihan -- the worst catastrophe to hit Bohol in recent history.
Damage caused by last year’s earthquake to the Church of San Pedro in the town Loboc, Bohol. --
AFP
Eight months after the magnitude 7.2 temblor hit the island on Oct. 15, 2013, workers continue to sift through the ruins of Spanish-era churches that had been held together by a mortar of egg white, arranging and labelling stones based on the sections they occupied in the places of worship in an effort to save what they can of the landmarks that helped secure for Bohol a prominent place in the annals of Philippine history and tourism.
“We have not yet been able to take out the multicab under the rubble in front,” a worker at the ruins of the flattened Loon Church -- the biggest in Visayas and Mindanao before it collapsed -- says in the vernacular. “We also cannot move those pillars,” he adds, pointing to wooden columns at the center of the closed-off property that can be reached through a highway that has been rerouted due to rehabilitation work on impassable roads.
“They’re so big, machinery will be needed. We don’t even know how they placed those when this was being built. They’re too heavy for people to carry.”
Behind the ruins of the church that is said to have taken all of three minutes to crumble, locals who have built temporary shelters beside fallen houses point to sink holes that swallowed entire classrooms then spit out sulphuric mud that skinned the soles of their feet.
“We cannot rebuild, because we have been told that the area is still dangerous,” the mother of the barangay captain says.
She points to the ocean behind the homes. “The land has risen, the sea has receded, and there are many cracks on the sea floor. Ninety per cent of our livelihood here is fishing, but fishermen don’t want to push to sea because they are afraid that the cracks will suck them in.”
In the neighboring town of Maribojoc as well as in the towns of Loboc and Baclayon, churches, their belfries and stone buildings in different states of ruin are similarly awaiting a verdict on their future.
“We don’t really know what they plan to do with the church,” a local from Maribojoc who was at the site of what was the San Vicente Church said. “They’re gathering the stones, but we don’t know if it will be rebuilt here or in a different location.”
In the capital city of Tagbilaran, where hotels are renovating, the capitol building stands with a partially collapsed wall at its right wing.
Locals involved in tourism note that the toll that the industry took from the earthquake was aggravated by the effects of Typhoon Haiyan, whose impact in the neighboring island of Leyte affected power supply for Bohol.
“The power outage meant that hotels would not have air-conditioning. It was too hot for tourists, and the hotels could not afford generators,” says a local whose trade is to drive tourists around Bohol’s landmarks and attractions.
The devastation can be gut-wrenching. But in the midst of the ruins, the island’s beauty and hope shine through.
Villagers of Maribojoc, Bohol island use bamboo ladders to cross a bridge that was toppled by the 7.2 magnitude quake that hit the area on Oct. 15, 2013. --
AFP
On a Friday afternoon, mass is being heard at the partially damaged Tagbilaran cathedral, whose left wing is covered in scaffolding. Worshippers in office clothes approach the portal, make the sign of the cross, and join in as the congregation sings the hymn. At the plaza fronting it, squealing children chase pigeons around, oblivious to their parents’ call to prepare to head home.
In Carmen, the Chocolate Hills that were eroded by the temblor are now back in shape, and the viewing platform, though much smaller than it used to be and a lot more dangerous, has been cleared of debris and is now accessible.
Even with the bell that used to tower over the platform now standing mute on the ground, the pride of Bohol remains stunning in the sunset, with the fog that envelops the hills creating a mystical aura that transcends disasters natural and man-made.
The Tarsier sanctuary has also kept its appeal. The world’s smallest primate continue to evoke fascination, if not affection, from visitors, ensuring that while they have yet to draw back the many guests who used to drop by, it would only be a matter of time before they will have done so.
And behind Loboc’s gutted church, river cruises continue to operate. On a chilly evening, a coconut-shaped barge plies the river from a jetty in Loay, in search of fireflies.
The insects, when they choose to appear, sparkle in the void, making for both an eerie and fascinating sight, and one may be inclined to think the area enchanted. Adding to the experience are sightings of gleaming egrets that roost on trees, and the sumptuous native food that provides onboard nourishment.
Panglao’s beaches remain pristine and rejuvenating. On a sunny morning at the Dolphin Sanctuary near Balicasag Island, a dozen motorized outriggers sit on azure waters, waiting for the cetacean mammals to appear. Tourists aboard the vessels look around with bated breath, afraid to disturb the very rhythm of the water and scare off the creatures.
Minutes later, a pod of six or seven dolphins bob in and out of the ocean, and the spectators erupt in cheers for what will turn out to be the first of many groups to make an appearance.
Not everyone is impressed. “I expected them to skim the water with their tails and balance balls on their noses,” someone says.
Some feel pity for the dolphins that are being pursued by the boats as soon as they are sighted, although others argue that the creatures must like the attention, or they would not swim so close to the boats.
A snorkelling expedition in the same waters traces the edges of an underwater cliff and showcases the wonders of marine life. Sea creatures of all shapes, colors and sizes swim around the coral reef, which is an explosion of hues against the ocean’s deep shades of blue.
The guide signals, and everyone stops to look down -- many feet below, where the waters are purple, a sea turtle swims, oblivious to the excitement its appearance has caused.
The sun rises over boats in Panglao island in Bohol. --
AFP
The group passes three divers who are exploring the abyss several feet away from the cliff’s edge. Later, the guide directs everyone away from the open sea and closer to the reef, where three giant oysters are resting with their shells open. The guide dives and touches one, and it clams up instantly.
Someone asks for permission to follow suit. “Don’t put your hand near the orifice. There’s a very good chance you will lose it,” the guide warns.
The experience stirs a desire in each individual to take up diving. To witness such beauty is a privilege.
The boat drops anchor on Balicasag Island, and tourists navigate rocky ground to unpack picnic baskets, rest, and swim in the coral filled sea. The smell of grilled fish permeates in the sea breeze and for a moment, life’s little issues are blown away.
On the far end of the island, an East Asian woman takes pictures as her two children play in the water, while in a hut, three white men in beach shorts take a break from the ocean.
A vendor of accessories comes to peddle her wares. After minutes of haggling, the price of two mother-of-pearl necklace-bracelet-earrings sets is halved and a trade is made.
“Salamat kaayo (Thank you so much),” the vendor says. “Kamo pa jod ang among buena mano (You were the first sale we’ve made).”
When the boat lifts anchor a few hours later, it is to set out to Virgin Island, a sandbar off Panglao. On the strip of sand that is visible in the ebbing tide, a buko (young coconut) vendor reveals the secret of the starfish to a clueless visitor as others frolic under overcast clouds and watch a jellyfish and sea urchin fight in seaweed-covered waters.
As dusk settles and staying out at sea is no longer feasible, Panglao offers its coastal beaches. With its placid waters, picture-perfect beach and a cotton candy sunset, the Dumaluan Beach Resort entices weary frolickers into its shores. There are videoke rooms for those who wish to relax to music, but if they end up being occupied, a musician with a harp goes around the cottages, playing classic tunes for change, to pipe in a festive vibe to the tranquil setting.
The serenity of the night brings to mind an earlier conversation with the locals of Balicasag Island. As batik-painted clothing billow in the wind outside a sari-sari store that sells snacks and water to tourists, a woman manning the store looks out to the ocean before offering a glimpse of the catastrophes’ impact on Bohol’s tourism.
“There was a time after the incidents when tourists did not arrive in the island at all,” she says. “Now, it really is not the same since the earthquake and Yolanda, but at least we are seeing some visitors coming back.”
- See more at: http://www.bworldonline.com/weekender/content.php?id=91107#sthash.QHUDtVFJ.dpuf
