Wednesday, July 25, 2018


MEMORIES: Early Life, Studies, Involvements & People's Struggle for Freedom
Chapter 14 -- Got Lost in Salaman Village's Wide, Wild, Lovely Virgin Forests
One day, a date I  cannot remember, I lost my way in the forests of Salaman, in Libak, Cotabato.  It was a hard feelings,  to realize you do not knew your way. I do not knew  anymore, where to go. Around me, I only saw a wide, wild, lovely forest, Tall and  big trunks of trees, their branches going up thru the dimly lighted  sky,  I do not knew the directions I have to go. For around me, I only saw tall and big trees..thousands of trees surrounding me  in the forest.
That afternoonm we were in our biology class. A week ago, we decided, our class will make a  tour  of  the   nearby forest. Our Class President, presiding the meeting said: “ We will make a tour of the forest. This was one way to learn more of lives in the forests. The fauna and the flora. We will learn the animals that live in the forest. We will also learn the plants in the forest. We will see the orchids, beautiful orchids that grows on the trees. We will see the money, whose voices we often hear far in the glades.  This is our new adventure –learning life in the forest.”
That day we made our decision.  And the  following Tuesday, at 2:00 PM, our Biology Class will go and tour the forest nearby.
That Tuesday afternoon,  on  our forest tours, we  were headed by our Class President and our Class Secretary. Our other Class  officers were also around.  Mr.Tanangonan, our biology  teacher was with us. He told us: “We now go on our forest tour. You will see the beauty of the forest. The vast and virgin forest we will visit today. There are  more than a thousand hectares forest lands around. We will visit just a very little portion of it today.”
“You will see some animals, birds and wild flowers. We will see some of the living things in the forest that we did not see here in the farms. You will see animals and plants and different kinds all living things. Be careful, not to hurt and disturbed the living things – animals and plants.”

"What will we do when their are snakes around?", asked one of my classmates. Mr. Tanangonan, our teacher answered. "If you see a snake, just go a bit away. Do not touch the snake. Do not  stand on her way. Just go a bit away. Snakes are afraid of  people. They will ran away when snake saw us. Just kept silent, And let the snake pass away."
Before going, we assembled under the shade of a tree. Our Class Secretary called the roll. We were 42 First Year students in our class. All of us joined our forest tours.  All our names  present were recorded.
The forest was only about 2 ½ kilometers away from our school, Salaman Institute.  We passed some corn farms along the way. As we entered the forest, our teacher told us: “Remember you are on a study tour. You must be observant. In this tour, you will learn many things. Do not talk loud. You will scare the lives around. “
“Try to remember all you saw, what you heard. We will see the birds, small animals, snakes, butterfly, monkeys. You will not harm them. You must be kind always to living things. Like us, they also felt pains and are  hurt. Speak softly. Or you will  disturbed them.”
We entered the forest. Inside, the surroundings were clean. Rotting  leaves were deep. But there were new leaves  that have fallen around. The timbers were all very big and tall. And there were smaller timbers. Some were about 3 meters wide around. And the timbers were about 50 meters high. They were all straight and tall. There were also many small timbers. But no grasses. Grasses and small trees died and weathered when there were no sunlight that reached them.
I enjoyed watching and making my observations. There were some butterflies. I saw some lizards. There were some birds. I continue walking. Some monkeys were howling far. I did not see a snake.
A very big and wide forest but I never saw even one snake.  I saw a red butterfly flying, quite big butterfly. And just continued walking. I was observing lots of things.
I think I have walked a bit far, and even farther. Yes, I think, I walked quite far. I forgot the time. In the forest, the light was quite dim. The leaves of trees were thick. The lights only penetrates softly the leaves of the trees.
Then, I discovered it was getting darker. The lights that pierced the leaves of trees were still seen but getting faint. The wind was getting a bit colder. I turned back. But I do not know now, where we assembled when we entered the forest. I do not know anymore where I was. All around, I only saw the trunks of big trees. Wherever I looked, I saw trees, the same trees around. I cannot see the sun. It was covered by mists and the dense forest.
I realized, I do not knew the way back.  I do not know where we assembled when we entered the forest. I tried to walk back again. But, I realized I might be walking farther and farther away. For I do not knew anymore the directions to take. I began to feel frightened.
I shouted. "I am here! I am here! I lost my way! Please come here"
Since,. I do not know where the East and West or the North and South, I decided to just sat and tried to calm myself. I shouted to my classmates again and again. No answer. And I sat down at the big protruding roots.
I prayed. "Lord, please helped me.  I lost my way. I do not know what directions I will take. Lord, I only know now, it’s hard  to get  lost in the forest.”
Then, I discovered it was getting darker and darker. The lights that pierced the leaves of trees were still seen but getting very, very faint.  The wind was getting more colder
I shouted again. And again.  And again, hoping my classmates would hear me. But no answer came back.
I began to think that a demon may have played with me  The demon want me to get lost in the forest. There were stories back home in Carles, Iloilo  where demons tried to leeway people to lost their way in big swamps. I began to think of this possible happening. I heard from older people, that when one got lost in the big swamps and do not knew their way, they get out of their shirts and inverted it. With inverted shirts, the man who got lost in the forest may find his way. 
Wearing now an inverted shirt,   I sat down and prayed again. 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 of these community beliefs. I combined it with prayer. It’s my simple faith. I realized a simple truth in life. If things happened, and you find yourself helpless and do not knew what to do, asked God for help. And God will come to help.
During that time, I later learned, my classmates were already returning back to our school in Salaman Institute. They have gone almost halfway back. They have left the forest nearly half an hour ago. Then, our Secretary decided to have a Roll Call. She wants to be sure all our classmates were around. She want us to be , present and be  going home together. My classmates went around  our Secretary. When my name was called, “Bernal” I did not answer. They found I was not with them. I was left behind. I was still in the forest.
Our teacher, Mr. Tanangonan and all my classmates returned to the forest. When they entered the forest, they told me later, they knew that in less than half an hour it will be dark. But my classmates, specially the girls were prepared. They have brought some  flashlights.
They divided the group into 3. The 1st group will go west. The 2nd group will move north. And the 3rd group will move south. They did not assigned some to go east. That was the directions of our school. They were instructed by our teacher : “Each in the group must stay close to each other. About two meters away from each other. All in the group will have a wide reached of about one hundred fifty meters wide.
“Be ready with your flashlights. If Bernal was unconscious and lying on the ground, you can see him immediately. For you’re only two meters away from both side.” My classmates, walked together looking for me in 3 directions. They shouted my name. ‘Bernal where are you!”. “Bernal, where are you!” They repeated these calls. Then, I heard their shouts. I responded. I called on them. “ I am here!" " I am here!" "I am here!” My voice echoed around  the darkening forest.
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: “You got lost in the forest. We looked for you. And here, you are.”
They asked me what happened. I told them. “I don’t know. I don’t knew why I got lost. I really don’t know what happened. I saw a beautiful red  butterfly. I followed it. I saw beautiful flowers on the trunk and branches of the tree. I tried to look at it. I did not knew that I have gone far, and away. For sometimes, I even forgot that we were together."
“When I realized I did not knew my way, anymore. I just sat down and shout for them.”   My classmates were very happy they found me I thanked all of them. And we move. We went back to school and homes.
I realized I have gone about 1 kilometer away from our entry point. I have gone to the western side of the forest going to the sea to the west.
Unfortunately. I  was not able to finish by First Year High in Salaman Institute. In October, my father went home to Carles again. My mother got sick very sick.  She was gravely sick. This time my grand mother took care of  her.

My father went back to Carles.  He took me with him. He was planning to return to Mindanao with me when my mother is already well. He want me to finish my high school there. 

But  mother decided not to permit  father to go back to Mindanao. He asked my father to stay in Carles and forget the plan, they venture  for  Mindanao. He also have to forget the 8 hectares homestead lots, which was  already  assigned to us  Libak, Cotabato by virtue of  my father as a war veteran.

It was hard for father to follow. For few months before, 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 changed the plans. My two uncles, after receiving the news that my father have decided to leave Mindanao, decided to go back to Iloilo, also 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 my high school studies the next two years..
Some years later, a war broke out among Muslim rebels and the government with Christians. I learned that there were heavy fighting in different Libak villages, including in Calamansig. Many people 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 the government with the Christians. I thought, it was good, the plan to settle in Mindanao did not pushed through. For on several occasions war in Mindanao came, and often the fighting also happened in Libak villages and other towns, including the war  led by a well known rebel fighter, Hadji Kamlon.
History has told us, that hundred of years before the Spaniards came to Mindanao, Muslims were already settled and 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 Muslims remained a second class citizens in Mindanao.
After some years, the war in Libak, Cotabato and some of Mindanao stopped. Then, after several years, started again, with Libak, Cotabato, one of areas where fighting was intense.
I think President Rodrigo Duterte was right. He was 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, also the law for Muslims in Mindanao.
But, I think he was wrong, when he declared the Communist Party, the NPA and the NDFP as terrorists, closing the possible Peace Talks between the government and NDFP that was hoped to bring real peace in Mindanao.
Hopefully, President Duterte will changed his mind and start the Peace Talks again in 2020 between the government and the NDFP, CPP and NPA .A peace that will  be made with genuine Land Reforms, national industrialization, a government free from US imperialism and freed from corruptions and dangerous drugs and drug lords..

No comments:

Post a Comment

  MEMORIES: Early Life &  THE UNSEEN FUTURE TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 -My Early Life Chapter 2 – Japanese Navy Attacks America’s Pearl...