San Antonio - My soul's home

No matter how far you've gone, no matter how many places you've been in this world there will always be something deep in your soul that will draw you back to a place which once had been a memorable part of your life. It is an urge to retrack you to this peculiar place called home - a place where you've been brought up or perhaps just once a passer by yet it left you a huge impact of who you are.

Everyone have their own definition of the word home. A home to me is where you'll find love at your worst point; where you'll find sympathy and sense of belonging when you're feeling outcasted; a place where you'll see right when everything looks inverted and wrong; a safe oasis away from noise and peril and a place where there's bliss in every little thing. There's no place like home as they say- certainly there's none.

As of this writing, I am far away, million miles away from my lovely home but never have I forgotten how beautiful San Antonio is. From my neighbors to schools and community; to the seas, beaches and corals; to the mountains, hills, valleys and ponds. Its four nature abundant corners had been my friend who shared every bit of  my joys and sorrows and stood witness of my colorful childhood and teenage life.

I am proud of anything it doesn't have - without modern facilities to make our lives easier. This is the village I grew up without television. When I was growing up I only heard news, music and drama series on the radio. No phones and cellphones with unlimited call and text. No tablets and other gadgets to fiddle with. I played countless outdoor games under the rain and sun and in the mud (most especially ha pasakay) with my peers. Trees were my jungle gym and the forests were my ultimate playground. This is where I learned how to use harpoons and slingshot then eat my catch (without my parents knowledge of course). I played blindfold, hide and seek even at night and hop scotch under the moonlight. Aah It was so much fun!

There was no proper running water and electricity when I was young (even until now). People uses dippers to take a bath (no heater mind you) at that water pump or well in our back yard or at our neighbors. Children goes to school on foot and comes home for lunch. Back then everyone needed to be home by 6 for supper before sundown. We used kerosine and petroleum lamps so we can do homework and attend to things at night. I went to bed at 8 or 9 with the susmatanons (stories mostly scary ones) of my parents and my elder siblings. We used mosquito nets or fire up meyabi trunk to shoo away mosquitoes at night. I woke up with the cook-a doodle-dos of roasters and hens as my alarm at 5 or 6 to see my father off to go fish or farm.

Children was fed fresh and healthy each day straight from the sea and farm. Some things can be asked or bartered from neighbors and friends to cook a decent meal. Children eats what's on their plate. I mean really eat them all. No buts or go hungry. No fast food and sodas and minimal preserved foodstuff. Canned food was like a treat for us. Oh! wow! A fish or meat or vegetables in a can. How did they do that? We look forward to fiestas, Christmas, birthdays and other celebrations to get a taste of that tasty but unhealthy food - I think.

When I was young, people treated colds and other sickness with herbal medicine found around the island. We go to a quack doctor nearby to fix our broken bones and no one wore crutches and slings around. The nearest hospital is an hour away by boat though we have health center lead by our midwife and village health workers to treat minor injuries and give vaccines to the newborns. We don't have that advanced medicine to treat illnesses but children grew up healthily and strong.

We have a great Barangay Chairman and councilors to oversee the island. No policemen and military but we have barangay tanods (village peace keepers) to keep peace and order. We have priest to spread the word of God. We have our church people willingly donate sum to keep it nice and sturdy against the storm. We have our elementary and secondary schools taught by ever patient teachers who had been our second parents away from home.

 This is the home of just about three thousand people if not less. Please correct me if I'm wrong. People know each other very well. When I was in elementary I dreamed about wearing those pink and brown checkered uniform in high school. Getting into the middle of being a child and an adult wasn't easy. Childhood and adolescent period is the most crucial phase of our lives but I think everyone in the island did it with flying colors because I believe about the saying "It takes a village to raise a child" is true to this little island.

Here we're safe. We could roam around the island without fearing about cars, guns, kidnaps nor any gruesome violence you'll find somewhere else. We only feared snakes, sigbins and monsters; scorpions and other insect bites. We were cautious about falling from trees and rocks and drowning in the ocean. We learned how to swim by the age of 2 by ourselves. Our pool being pantalan, sangputan, kaluyangan and sabang. To go to munbon on the boat was our dream so as going to magasang and Carangyan. This is where we're honed to survive and be resilient in any places on earth and do fine wherever we are.

We as persons evolve so does places. My home is catching up little by little. It is bound to prosperity. More people are coming to build families, it is to be honest getting overpopulated, a little more complicated some things are becoming too. Though it had been a lot different 20 years ago (OMG I'm getting old) I have the best hope that the spirit of humanity in this beautiful island is still intact. That it is still a place worth living and spending our precious time away from the fatuity of wherever we now reside.

Fiesta is one of the greatest enjoyment the island have aside from Christmas- I think. Nothing compares to this day of thanksgiving to our beloved Patron Senior San Antonio de Padua. This is when people celebrate and come together as one. People from nearby islands, friends and family from anywhere in the world comes to celebrate with their loved ones. It's great that June 12 is a national holiday(Philippine Independence Day) so everyone could come at least for one day. This two day sometimes 3-4 day celebration has always been fun. Those flying bills when dancing kuracha in the middle of the auditorium whoahooo! is sometimes unbelievable. How about going dancing till the sun is up? OH my. My heels and legs. It is but sinfully fun.

During fiesta or Christmas time, how about going to your friends house on the other side of the village and take all of different tagays(shots) of alcohol along the way? You'll be walking zigzag half way to your destination and see double coming back home. Okay. Don't forget to bring that baby powder or you'll be sound asleep missing the fun in the comfort of your grandma's handmade banig in the corner and wake up with bunch of lipstick or charcoal marks on your face yet worse nail polish. Hold on tight because you will probably have to deal with all the embarrassment when you see your very own face in the social media with hundreds of likes and trending. ayyy..mandaw...So watch out.

It has been a while since I've been there. Thank goodness there's social media like Facebook where I can see things that I have totally been missing. I fathom how homesick I would be without these pictures, Skype or anything online to have in contact with my loved ones million miles away. How would you compare things before the Internet to now. I'd die.

This place have always been mine, my family and friends' shelter from every rain and storm. This is where I mastered things enough to be ready for every endeavor in the outside world. Not a second will I forget how free life was lied in this haven. This place will always be in my heart no matter how long I've gone; no matter how far I've gone; matter how many places I've been. Tingiao will always be my soul's home.