Drowns..Nearly at Salaman River & Got Lost in the Virgin Forest

Chapter 9 – Drowns Nearly at Salaman River & Got Lost in a Virgin Forest

Two things I will never forget while studying at Salaman Institute in Libak, Cotabao. First, I nearly drowned bathing at Salaman river. And 2^nd, I lost my way in the vast, dense and virgin forest where we toured as students about 1 ½ kilometers away from our school. I remembered the fears that gripped me when I found, I lost my way and sitting alone on a protruding roots, as the lights dim and twilight seems fast coming.

Salaman river was a wide and long river that comes down from the east to the sea in the west. I did not knew where the river comes. And I never knew where it passes until it reached the sea. Above the mountains, we only saw the vast and virgin forests. I only knew that Salaman River was covered with virgin forests around, from east to west and from the north.

One morning we went swimming with my 4 classmates. It was about 1 hour walk to the river from our school. The river’s sides were covered with lush and big timbers. There were also bamboos growing on the river banks. On some sides of the mountain there were trees that were cut and burned by kaingeros.

Some rattans were hanging on the trees on both sides of the river. But the rattan were high. We took off our clothes and throw it on the sand. I walked to the river and lie on the sand. I knew a little swimming. For in Iloilo, I swam on the sea water near the seashore. I have never experienced swimming on the river with strong running water with currents moving down the river. Two of my classmates were Christians. Two were Muslims. We were very close friends. While they were playing, I swam to the middle of the river. I did not know that the current was strong. I realized the strength of the current, when I was carried down the river fast. When I tried to stand, my toes were not able to reached the ground. When I tried to swim back, I was carried fast by the running water down the river. I shouted for help.

When my friends saw me, carried down by the strong current, they worked together to help me. I was already far, about 200 meters away. They run down the river side, about ½ kilometre away from me. They hold their hands together, so they will be able to catch me when I passed near, carried by current. I was moving down fast.

But while my friends were already preparing to be able to catch me, I was able to reach and hold on a small bamboo twig, protruding from the bamboo that was uprooted and carried by floods, and deposited on the middle of the river. I was able to climb the uprooted bamboo’s roots. I climbed and saved myself.

I would not be able to return to the bank alone. But my classmates worked together to help me. My two Muslim classmates went down the water which was about three meters deep. My two Christian classmates stood on their shoulders under the water. I leaped to the shoulders of my two Christian friends who used all their strength to catch and throw me to the shallow water near the bank. There, I sat for a few minutes on the sand. I was still speechless. I was trembling but my fears were now gone. We celebrated our experiences that morning. We eat our lunch, which we brought with fresh drinking water. Then we went home.

My 4 classmates told our teachers and classmates what happened. They said, I saved myself. They just helped me get out of the deep river. This experience remained fresh in my mind. I never forget it. . Another experienced in Libak while studying was getting lost in the forest. One afternoon, our teacher, Mr. Tanangonan, told our class that we will have a biological tour. We will visit the forests. There was a vast forest on the western side of our school. We will see some wild flowers. We will see some life in the forests. Perhaps some small animals. It was part of our learning on life and living things. Before we went, our class secretary listed all our names. We were 42 First Year students who joined our forest tour that afternoon.

The forest was only about 1/2 kilometers away from our school. It was a virgin forest. We passed some corn farms along the way. As we entered the forest, our teacher told us to be observant. We will not talked loud. We will try to remember what we saw. We will see the birds, animals, snakes, butterfly, monkeys. . But we will not harm them. We must be kind always to living things.

We entered the forest. Inside, the surroundings were clean. Only rooting leaves. Some new leaves were around. The timbers were all very big and tall. Some were about 3 meters around. And the timbers were about 50 meters high. There were also many small timbers. But no grasses. Only the leaves of the trees that have de-composted. I enjoyed watching and making my observations. There were some butterflies. I saw some lizards. There were birds. Some monkeys were howling far. I have never saw a snake. I think I have walked a bit far ,and even farther. Yes, I think, I walked quite far. I forgot the time. i forgot that I have classmates few meters away.

Later, I discovered it was getting darker. The lights that pierced the leaves of trees on the top were still seen but getting faint. The wind was a bit colder. I turn back. But I do not know where is the front and the back of the forest. I do not know anymore where I am. All around, I only saw the trunks of big trees and the wide forest. Wherever I look, I saw trees, the same trees around. I cannot sea the sun. It was covered by mists and the dense forest leaves,

I realized, I do not know the way back from where we assembled. I tried to walk again. Perhaps, I might walked farther and farther away. I began to feel frightened. Since, I did not knew where the East and West or the North and South, I decided to just set and try to calm myself. I shouted to my classmates. But no response. I sat down at big protruding roots. I do not know where I am now. It was hard to be lost in the forest.

I shouted. Again, hoping my classmates would hear me. But no answer came back.

I began to think that a demon may have worked out so I will get lost in the forest. There were stories back home in Carles, where demons tried to leeway people to lost their way in wide swamps. I heard from older people, that when one got lost in the big swamp and do not know their way home, they must invert their shirts.The inner part of the shirt will be out. This will gave the a chance to recover my bearings and find their way. But I thought, God is powerful. He will help me find my way. But I said what’s wrong, if I invert my shirt? So, I took off my shirt and inverted it. Then, I sat down and prayed. I prayed that my classmates will know I lost my way. That they will come back and looked for me. I tried to calm myself. I made use of some community belief. I combined it with prayer. It’s my simple faith.

During that time, my classmates were already returning back to school. They have gone almost halfway back. The have left the forest nearly half an hour. Then, our secretary decided to have a Roll Call. She wants to be sure all our classmates were around and present. My classmates went around her. They discovered I was not with them. I was left behind. Our teacher, Mr. Tanangonan and all my classmates returned to the forest. When they entered the forest, they knew that in less than half an hour it will be dark.

They divided the group into 3. The 1^st group will go west. The 2^nd group will move north. And the 3^rd group will move south. They did not assigned some to go east. That was the directins of our school. Each in the group will stay close to each other. They will be about a meter from each other. Each group will have a wide reach of about a hundred meters. if I happened to be unconscious and lying on the ground, they can see me immediately. They walked looking for me on 3 directions. They shouted my name. This time, I heard their shouts. I responded. I called on them.

My classmates came to the directions of my voice. And soon, they were all around me. It was a great joy and experience of my life. It was also a beautiful experience of my classmates. They said: “I was lost in the forest. They looked for me. And the found me.” They asked me what happened. I told them I don’t know. I really don’t know what happened. I saw a beautiful butterfly. I followed it. I saw beautiful flowers. I tried to look for it. I did not know that I have gone away from them. I even forgot that we were together. Until I knew I was lost. They were happy they found me. I thanked them. And we move on to our school and homes.

Then, I realized I have gone about 1 kilometer away from our entry point. I have gone to the western side of the forest.

I was not able to finish by First Year High in Salaman Institute. In October, my father went home to Carles again. My mother was sick. She was gravely sick. She has given birth to my 5^th sister. My mother asked sister, Aurea to take care of us if she die. She was really ill. Happily my mother recovered. But she decided not permit our father to continue their ventures to Mindanao. He asked my father to stay in Carles and leave the plan of returning to Mindanao.

It was hard for father to follow. That year, together with about two hundred people from Luzon and Visayas, they went to occupy the vast tracts of land, all virgin forest. Together with the representative of the government, they were given homestead in that vast land. They were given 8 hectares each homesteader. They have put markings on it. But the sickness of my mother change the plans. My two uncles, after receiving the news that my father have decided to go back to Iloilo for good,

The following year, my father enrolled me, first year again, in Balasan High School. I finished it. But I was not able to continue again for my 2^nd year.

Some years later, when I was already in college, a war broke out among Muslim rebels and the military, I learned that there were heavy fighting in different Libak villages, including in Calamansig. Many died in Libak, including some from Iloilo. Many Christians and Muslims were killed. Many more were wounded. Some were disabled. It was hard battles among Filipinos – Muslims and Christians. I thought, it was good, ou plan to settle in Mindanao did not pushed through. For on several occasion war in Mindnaao came, and often the fights were in Libak and nearby towns.

History has told us, that hundred of years before the Spaniards came to Mindanao, Muslims were already living there. It was there land. It was their heritage. And I think, there was no way for the war between the Muslims and the military to stop, as long as Muslim remained a second class citizens in Mindanao. And President Rodrigo Duterme is right. He is trying to find a way, where Muslims will find a real place, there own place in Mindanao. Christians have come several decades ago, controlled Mindanao and made the laws of Christians in Manila, the law for Muslims in Mindanao.