2021-046 | THE 3RD CAMINO DE SANTIAGO OF CEBU: DAY 4 & 5

A RAINBOW GREETED ME as I enjoyed a cup of coffee on the balcony of the San Pedro Calungsod Parish rectory on the fourth day (June 21, 2019) of this Camino de Santiago from the North. The hills were still swathed in mists as an early rising sun bathed it in golden light. It was a magical feeling, almost surreal. 

Behind me was the imposing height of Mount Manghilao, a great landmark of Masaba, Danao City, as seen from anywhere. Across me, far more distant than these hills swathed in mists, was another landmark: an unnamed peak. That mountain would be my signpost later on my journey to Compostela. 

I arrived here yesterday at the San Pedro Calungsod Parish together with fellow pilgrims Renita Reynes, Erl Durano and Grace Lina. Fr. Junly Cortes, the parish priest, had welcomed us and took care of our comforts and needs. We had taken baths in the early morning and were now seated with Fr. Junly at the breakfast table.

This Camino de Santiago from the North was the last of the three Camino de Santiago established in Cebu, at the behest of the former parish priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago de Compostela, Fr. Scipio Deligero. We started from the St. James the Apostle Parish in Sogod four days ago and this exploratory Camino Cebu has brought us here in very good hands. 

We have stamped our credenciales with the parish seals of St. James in Sogod; the San Guillermo de Aquitania in Catmon; the St. Joseph the Worker in Binongkalan, Catmon; the Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Cantumog, Carmen; even that of the St. Benedict Monastery in Corte, Carmen. We have also secured one from Fr. Junly’s parish. 

This was a journey that had turned out well despite it being exploratory in nature. I was commissioned by Fr. Scipio to find and identify the routes but I decided to involve the three ladies instead, who really were all veterans of another but much longer Camino de Santiago from the South which they walked in January 2019.

Fr. Junly, who is an adventure racer, knows the hinterlands of Danao City for this was his training ground. He showed me a path and mentioned all the places that we needed to pass in order to reach the next parish: Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Ibo, Danao City. This time, the Camino Cebu would pass long stretches of trails and unpaved roads. 

We left Fr. Junly and his parish at 07:30, following a low ridge which goes amongst farms and homesteads. The appeal of trails on this fourth day for the Camino de Santiago was a different experience. The soft ground that crunch underneath your shoes was most welcome for any feet but it brought with it a certain caution when you experienced the usual skids.

These part of the Camino Cebu was unexpected and was never thought of in my itinerary. I literally created another itinerary based on this and shall be permanent. We were walking over ridgelines, among meadows, within pocket forests and small communities where residents helped us with our journey. 

We crossed a small stream and went over another trail that led to an unpaved road where there was a chapel which then led to a paved one in the village of Mantija, Danao City. We arrived at 08:30. After fifteen minutes of rest, we resumed our journey. Then it passed by sparsely-populated areas, farms and more pocket forests.

The weather cooperated and we really enjoyed this part. We just walked without so much strain. We were just killing time. I even forgot the mandatory rests of fifteen minutes after each hour of walk. This casual-like walk led us to a steel foot bridge. Below us was the Danao River. Across us was the village of Ibo, Danao City which we came upon at 10:15. 

While I was walking searching for their parish, I mistakenly presumed a local wearing a palm hat and an open-carried bolo as a farmer until he identified himself as Fr. Porferio Mahinay Jr., the parish priest of the Our Mother of Perpetual Help. What humility! I even learned later that he was a licensed civil engineer! 

He welcomed us into his rectory. His parish is kind of busy since their village fiesta was approaching. On the dining table were fruits and vegetables brought by his parishioners as offerings and donations. There were no concrete structures yet for the church. Fr. Jun utilized a chapel as their temporary house of worship. 

Fr. Jun was very much happy to receive us but he has no word of our coming since his locality has no cellular phone signal yet, much less, the internet. It was cool inside and we were served cold juice which helped to our cause. After 30 minutes of rest, it was time to leave again for the Camino de Santiago.

Taking the hint from Fr. Jun, we followed an unpaved road bound for the village of Togonon, Danao City. Midway, the road became paved and the air became warm. This familiar landmark of a mountain that had left me marveling in the past was now in my midst. It has bare karst formations which are used by local rock climbers. 

We stayed under the shade of a small store by a road junction to spend our noonbreak. The lady storekeeper was most happy to serve us instant noodles and, later, just coffee for me. After an hour, after asking directions from her, we took the road on the left which goes up to the higher elevations of this unnamed peak. 

At 13:00, we huffed and puffed on an ascending road but, once we were on a level terrain, the road became unpaved and showed its true character. It was very shady, due to presence of a second-growth forest and there were no houses along the route. Another enchanting road that gave you the creeps. 

This was a rather long stretch and I liked it that way. I could see valleys below and the mountains that shaped this new landscape that I have seen for the first time. Beyond, far away, are familiar trysting grounds. Then the enchantment gave way to a small community and more of it as the gravelly road became concrete again and goes downhill. 

We now crossed into the village of Dapdap, Compostela. In a very spacious community shelter, we found rest at 14:30. I have never been in this part of Compostela. After 15 minutes, we proceed passing by a junction which led to the village center of Dapdap on the right and to another village, Mulao, Compostela, on the left. I took the left.

The road goes downhill, crossed a stream, goes a little up and goes down again and we were in another junction: the right goes to village center of Mulao while on the left to the village of Basak, Compostela. I know this part very well and what to expect. Just like yesterday, we climbed a hill in the morning and another in the afternoon. This time it was at lesser proportions and I know where I was going. 

We finally arrived at our resting place for the night at 16:00. It was not a parish that we were so privileged to rest for three nights but a humble home that a family had dedicated to welcoming pilgrims of the Camino de Santiago. This was the third time that Frank and Minnie Catampatan hosted me and my pilgrims and I could not find the happiest second home but here.

Woke up to the crowing of the cocks for this fifth and final day (June 22) of this Camino de Santiago from the North, we were treated to a good breakfast again. We were that pampered, thanks to Santiago de Compostela, who provided, from out of nothing, comfort, kindness, empathy, protection, nutrition, charity and piety. At 08:00, we left our kind hosts and proceed to finish this exploration and pilgrimage today. 

It was getting warm by the time we left Basak although the path was very shady. We were approaching the great highlight of all the three Camino de Santiago: the “Cross of Triumph”. This cross was erected in 2016 on top of a hill and is a hundred feet high, the biggest in the island of Cebu. Upon this cross, pilgrims leave their pebbles carried since Day One of their spiritual journeys. 

We arrived on the great cross in Bagalnga, Compostela at 09:15. I left another pebble. Renita, Erl and Grace did, likewise. Aside from pebbles, which actually represents our old self, we said our personal prayers here as well as prayer petitions from relatives, friends, classmates and neighbors, hoping for small miracles in their lives. These prayer petitions came in verbal requests or written on papers.

The morning was just so perfect. There was no pressure and we just enjoyed the view and prayed the five decades of the holy rosary facing the lowlands and the Camotes Sea. By 10:00, we went down the hill and followed a narrow concrete road down to a much busy road in Guila-guila and sate our thirst with cold soda drinks inside a small store at 10:45. 

After 15 minutes of my standard rest time, we walked again this busy thoroughfare, muddied and hosting puddles of turbid liquid after a hard rain last night. We turned right on a much better road but lacking in shades. It was now very warm and the road rose up but I know where it would take me. This was the last obstacle. 

We arrived at last at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago de Compostela at 11:40. Bells herald our coming and the welcoming committee was most happy of our arrival for we had accomplished our mission: that of establishing and completing the third route of the Camino de Santiago for Cebu. Fr. Scipio Deligero had delivered his promise before ending his stint in this parish come August where another priest would assume his post.

Renita, Erl and Grace had the distinction of the only other pilgrims who walked this Camino de Santiago from the North, as well as that rare feat of walking both this northern passage and that of its much longer route from the south. All three have grasped the full meaning of being a pilgrim and so have found a different avenue of spirituality. However, Renita, most of all, had achieved a most rare deed: that of walking the three different routes of the Camino Cebu.   

On my part, the opportunity to work with the Roman Universal Catholic Church, notably with the Archdiocese of Cebu, and to my close devotion to St. James the Apostle, had transformed me into someone that I have not had dreamed of before. It was a calling and I answered it. I am in a unique situation after I helped establish the two longest routes of the Camino de Santiago here. 

This special relation granted me certain spiritual privileges, or indulgences, if you may, which I could never achieve with my sinful ways, past and present. This was more than monetary compensation, titles and prestige. My church is kind enough to give me certain earthly privileges as well to work as an independent guide. While it may have a certain air of prestige but, do not be misled, it is a very demanding work. 

Cebu now has three Camino de Santiago routes. The first one was the one from the south, starting from Badian, 175+ kilometers long and walked in ten days. It was established in 2017 and is now the premier route. The second is the one walked around Compostela and Liloan, which is 28+ kilometers and walked in two days. This was first walked in 2018 and is the most popular. Then we had the one from the north, walked in five days at 65+ kilometers.

iBuen Camino!

2021-043 | THE 3RD CAMINO DE SANTIAGO OF CEBU: DAY 3

WE PILGRIMS ARRIVED AT the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Cantumog, Carmen yesterday afternoon, June 19, 2019; which was the second day of the inaugural pilgrimage of this third Camino de Santiago of Cebu. This route started from the St. James the Greater Parish, Poblacion, Sogod on the first day, June 18th. 

While this may be an exploratory walk, which the then parish priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago de Compostela, Fr. Scipio Deligero, have commissioned me to be realized before he would end his term, it is also an educational campaign. My team of pilgrims played their role very well as the unofficial representatives of St. James or Santiago de Compostela. 

The pilgrims were Renita Reynes of Compostela; and journalists Erl Durano and Grace Lina. They were the only ones available when I knocked on former pilgrims for company. All were veterans of the Camino de Santiago of January 27-February 5, 2019, which arrival coincided with the 2nd National Congress of St. James the Apostle Parishes and Devotees hosted by Compostela. 

We were very blessed to have attended two Eucharistic Celebrations. The first was on the very first day, before we started from Sogod; and the second was here which was concelebrated by fourteen priests led by the parish priest, Fr. Fiel Suico, yesterday evening. This early morning of this third day, June 20, we would be blessed again to attend another Holy Mass. 

Fr. Fiel invited us for breakfast first with his guests, all of them his classmates in their seminary days. They were having a reunion and Fr. Fiel was the host. To everyone on the table, we explained the Camino de Santiago. They have heard of that but they never have an inkling that it was already established here since 2017. In fact, they were witnessing an actual Camino de Santiago with our presence. 

After breakfast, we proceed to the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish for another concelebrated Mass at 06:30 led by Fr. Fiel and seven other priests. It is good to be in the middle of all these. The adrenaline rush of an unexpected journey tempered by the familiar rites of my faith. The good thing is you get to know those who worked in the parish and listen to their stories. 

At 07:15, we bade goodbye to Fr. Fiel and his peers and the people who made our stay worthwhile. We were encamped yesterday on the fringes of the parish grounds where there where trees but, even so, we were invited to enjoy coffee, biscuits and fruits at the rectory when their parish priest was out. I have a souvenir from them – an avocado seed – which I intend to bury on the last day when we are at the Cross of Triumph.

I already know where Fr. Fiel would be next assigned and I hope we would meet again there in his new parish on another Camino Cebu. So was another classmate of his. Hefting my heavy High Sierra Titan 50 with much greater confidence, I set on leading this last of the Camino de Santiago from the north on its third day. We are going down a road which joined a wider but busier road.

We arrived at a part of this road where one goes to Caurasan and the other to Corte, where all the monasteries are. We chose the latter because it is in our itinerary. Surprisingly, despite its remoteness, the pavements are concrete. The width of the road is wide enough for two trucks. It goes steep and, along the way, we find mountain resorts that we thought never existed here. But there they were. 

At its steepest part, another road branched on the right. A concrete arch says we are at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. This one I have heard many times and I was tempted to explore the place. Monasteries are places of worship where isolation plays a big part in the residents’ spiritual growth and I might be visiting at the wrong hours?

The neat courtyards beckoned me the more to intrude into its solitude. There is a sense of holiness in the place, especially at the part where there is a long flight of stairs that led to a huge image of the Santo Niño de Cebu amongst the backdrop of verdant mountains. When I was about to turn back for the Camino de Santiago, a man came out from another flight of stairs and asked us of our purpose here.

We told him that we were just carried away by our curiosity. He identified himself as a priest but he has a different accent. He was from India and he was the administrator and spiritual director. He invited us instead to the monastery building where he explained the origin of their order and how did they started here upon learning that we were in a pilgrimage. 

Inside were beautiful paintings, statues and glass mosaics that you only saw in TV documentaries and encyclopedias and, later, in the Internet. It is as if we were in Italy or some other European city. One painting caught my interest. It was that of Pope John Paul II meeting Mother Teresa. Two of the holiest people in contemporary times who are now saints. 

In a corner was a glass showcase where the monastery sold items and souvenirs for their upkeep. All nice things! As I was choosing one from among the many, my attention was called upon by the arrival of a team of policemen from the Carmen Police Station. I have been expecting their presence since I made a courtesy call a week ago on their mother unit – the Cebu Police Provincial Office. 

After a photo documentation with the policemen, we decided to stay longer here by praying the five decades of the rosary inside the Our Lady of Manaoag Chapel. When we left the monastery, it was already 10:25, yet we managed to have our credenciales unexpectedly stamped with their seal. We have stayed more than an hour and we have far to go. 

Good thing, even at this hour, shades from an exotic mahogany forest occupied both sides of the road. We passed another Franciscan monastery but it is best that we do not disturb their solitude. We hiked on up this steep road until we were now at another corner where a sign says Cebu Safari and Adventure Park. 

Nearer to that is a small restaurant constructed out of two steel cargo containers. It is 11:10 and it is near noontime. Why not spend noonbreak here? For a good reason, I forego of cooking lunch when on the long trails. The lady pilgrims brought cereal bars and chocolates for nutrition to save on time and to enjoy a longer siesta.

By 12:00, we resumed our walk and finally reached level ground. No more uphills this time and it is lushly forested with a mix of exotic and indigenous trees. I have never been here and I believed we are now on the highest ridges of this mountain range in Carmen. The road feels so enchanting under the noontime day. This would be eerily dark at night. 

A concrete signpost says that we are in the village of Lanipga. Five minutes later, we were now on a road where there is another branch. I consulted my compass and the needle pointed favorably on the unpaved branch. This road goes downhill this time, passing by a well, then on to hillside farms.

We left the safety of the shady trees into paths lined with coconut trees. The warmth of the day became real once more. When a breeze slapped through you, what a relief it would bring, even though how brief. Communities began to take shape here. We stopped by a shed to rest away from the sun and we learned that we were now in Canhumayan, Danao City. 

I was now filling in the blanks that my itinerary could not identify right after leaving St. Benedict’s Monastery. There were so many surprises brought about on this third day of the Camino of the North. The familiar rush of adrenaline with the discovery of new places was revving up and playing on my juices. The weight on my back became nonexistent as I put forward one foot over the other. 

I have been navigating, most of the time, on dead reckoning and my directional sense have never failed me except of a few occasions where a blunder would cost me more time and energy and doubled the distance. Over the horizon is Mount Manghilao, which became my landmark. Below that hill is our theoretical destination.

Crossing a small stream, we are on another pebbly road which connect to a paved one which seemed to be busy. We arrived at a very busy corner next to a public school and enjoyed iced candy to cool ourselves. Crossing a small bridge, we were now following another steep road which seemed to have no end.

We were now tired. We just hurdled a mountain range in the morning. Now, in the middle of the afternoon, where our energy reserves were on the wane, another mountain range. The road bent and snaked its way up the hills until we saw the most welcome sign: San Pedro Calungsod Parish. It is 16:05 and we are in Masaba, Danao City. 

We were expected and Fr. Junly Cortes welcomed us into his parish. The parish is under construction but the rectory is very neat and modern, being new. I was assigned a room while the ladies have their own. Cold juice drinks were prepared and it is most appreciated by a thirst-tortured throat. Then I saw a small statue of St. James on a small altar near the balcony. We were almost home!  

 

2021-039 | THE 3RD CAMINO DE SANTIAGO OF CEBU: DAY 1 & 2

THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO that caught the awareness of pilgrims in Cebu and, as far as Santiago de Compostela, Spain, is the one that was pioneered and walked by both Fr. Scipio Deligero and Mayor Joel Quiño last July 6-15, 2017. It started from Badian and seemed to disintegrate on the first day but, by divine designs, the pilgrims went on to finish it in on its tenth day at Compostela as planned. 

I am talking about the Camino Cebu from the South. It was the stuff of legends. Although I was there as the guide, the one who keeps everyone worried everyday, but it was not my show. My role was not that important for me. What is important is I helped Fr. Scipio and the Municipality of Compostela establish the Camino de Santiago in Cebu; a most ambitious undertaking for it was 175+ kilometers long.

Then came the second Camino de Santiago, which is a local version, but is the most popular, for it is kind to the knees and age. It is 28+ kilometers, walked for two days around Compostela and parts of Liloan. Fr. Vhen Fernandez and a pioneer 10-day pilgrim, Mizar Bacalla, takes credit for creating this route. Nevertheless, Fr. Gonzalo Candado walked its inaugural pilgrimage last July 18, 2018. 

The Archdiocese of Cebu has three parishes that are named after St. James the Apostle, from whose footfalls evolved the Camino de Santiago, first in Spain and, now, here in the Philippines, most notably, Cebu. These are found in Compostela, Badian and Sogod. The Camino de Santiago from Badian to Compostela had already been established. The one from Sogod to Compostela is expected to be next. 

But that has to take a back seat owing to the hosting by Compostela of the 2nd National Congress of St. James the Apostle Parishes and Devotees last February 5-6, 2019. Fr. Scipio directed this writer to refine the Camino from the South and the exploration work for routes were confined there in preparation for another Camino pilgrimage which would coincide with the event upon its tenth day. 

Then in June 2019, came the break. Fr. Scipio wanted the third Camino de Santiago established before he would end his term as parish priest of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santiago de Compostela come August. I was again commissioned to explore a route that would start from Sogod and end at Compostela. Studying the map, I concluded that I could accomplish this in five days.

My initial plan was going on solo but, then again, would it be nicer if I involve my fellow pilgrims? I tapped three ladies whom I guided on the Camino Cebu during the 2nd Jacobean Congress. These three were, to my observation, the fittest walkers among the ladies. So I accommodated Tata Reynes of Compostela and journalists Erl Durano and Grace Lina.

With blessings from Fr. Scipio, we proceeded individually to the St. James the Apostle Parish of Sogod in the early hours of June 18, 2019. I have already coordinated this route exploration with the Sogod LGU, the Capitol and the Cebu Police Provincial Office and I am expected at the places I marked in my itinerary. One last thing, I made a courtesy call to the parish priest. 

Fr. Eduardo Marcellones was very receptive as I explained to him my purpose and he invited me to speak before his parishioners in the middle of the Eucharistic Celebration and explained the Camino de Santiago to them. After the mass, we four were invited to breakfast by Fr. Marcellones. Then we departed at 07:45 after stamping our credenciales and officially started this northern Camino de Santiago.      

In my previous study of the map, there were no parishes located on the interior of Sogod and the nearest parish was that in Catmon town. I avoided, as much as possible, the Cebu North Road and seek parallel secondary streets going south but, at the end of a corner, I have to accept walking on this busy but dangerous highway.

 

I choose the part of the road were I and the rest of the pilgrims could see the oncoming traffic. We crossed the bridge over the Bawo Creek and we were now in Catmon. Their parish is located on a hill and I previously marked that spot before the town center where there is a narrow road going to there. At 08:45, we were now at the San Guillermo de Aquitania Parish seeking their parish stamp. 

The presence of the three ladies made it easier for people to understand the Camino de Santiago and the life of St. James the Apostle. So, this Camino of the North, was not only a pilgrimage, an exploration, an exercise of faith, but also as an informational campaign and awareness on the faithful Christian or otherwise. We now were, unofficially, the ambassadors of St. James or Santiago de Compostela. 

After securing the stamp mark at Catmon, the next parish nearest would be in Binongkalan, Catmon. It would be found by near the sea but you would have to walk this same highway. We left at 09:15 and avoided this highway by following another side street parallel, however short, then grit your teeth as the racing buses swept past by you. 

We arrived at Macaas, Catmon at 10:15 and sat on a shaded road shoulder where there is a beach nearby. The sea seemed to invite you amidst all this warmth. After 30 minutes of rest, we resumed our journey. At 11:45, in Catmondaan, Catmon, we decided to seek lunch in a family-run eatery. In a nearby public gym, we enjoyed siesta time, oblivious to a game of basketball by kids. 

By 13:00, we walked again on another but longer side street. It is very warm and the choice shades are on the other side of the road but we cannot exchange our safer side for that so we had to endure the exposure to the sun. At 14:00, we stopped by Panalipan, Catmon for rest, but we have to cross the highway to avail of shade which seemed to be plentiful on that other side. 

After 30 minutes of rest and cold soda drinks, we crossed again this highway to be on the exposed but safer side. We crossed over a bridge spanning Panalipan River and, this time, the highway goes steep and narrow and, with that, we go carefully and slowly. At the top of the rise, the familiar roof of the St. Joseph the Worker Parish loomed ahead. Our first day is about to end in Binongkalan. 

It is 14:50 and plenty of daylight hours left. But the parish and its rectory is abandoned. No matter, we would set up our shelters on its parking lot lined by pygmy coconut trees. Erl and Grace would share a tent while Tata opt for a hammock. Likewise, mine is a hammock which I find very convenient. We cooked our food and dined early. Then we called it a day at 19:00.

 

On the morning of the second day, June 19, a pickup arrived and out came Fr. Carlito Salve, the parish priest of St. Joseph the Worker Parish. He just came from Cebu City and did not know our presence. But he did expect us but not this day. He welcomed us but we had already taken our breakfast and, we thanked him for allowing us to camp at his parish even without his permission. 

We left at 07:45, after stamping our passports and carrying the blessings of Fr. Salve, following the same highway, passing by the KM 47 mark. After a false try on a road corner, I found the one true feeder road that would lead us to the hilly regions. I have not been here but I have explored places before that were much remote, beyond your comprehension. 

The road we followed was very serene, meeting just a few locals, who all were friendly, and replied our greetings with a smile and a nod of the head. Rustic farm scenery and remote homes dotted the countryside and, after a considerable walk of more than an hour on the bends, the rises and the downs of the hills, we rest at Cañangpas, Carmen at 09:00.

After a half hour, we proceed with our journey on places that are beautiful and peaceful until we reached a community where there is a village center at 10:00. We were now in Cantipay, Carmen. We decided to make a courtesy call to their officials and the ladies helped me explain our event – the Camino de Santiago and Santiago de Compostela. 

The hinterlands of Carmen is one of the places that experienced the presence of a militant organization whose purpose was the overthrow of the government. They came here disguised as missionaries, educators, businessmen, government representatives, politicians, community organizers or NGO workers. Then came the armed progressives who influenced and disrupted their way of living. 

Those events, which later led to conflicts and the polarization of communities left a bad imprint on the residents’ collective memories. It is very important that I show sincerity and respect on every community I passed and take time to explain to them that I am not what they think of me. I always have papers and identification cards for their own appreciation and understanding. 

After another fruitful 30 minutes of rest and rapport with village officials, we continued on, passing by more rustic farm scenes and crossing a bridge over Luyang River, where there is a signboard that it is under rehabilitation. It is under threat from commercial farming whose owners and managers has this habit of pouring huge amounts of chemical fertilizers in return for high yields. 

We arrived at a busy road and crossed it for another road corner which has a signage that we are now in Cantumog, Carmen and just 800 meters to the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish. We climbed up the road and arrived at the parish at 11:15 where we were received by the church workers. This parish is located on a hill where there is an adjacent family cemetery. 

Fr. Fiel Suico, the parish priest, we were told, was accommodating his seminary batch to a tour of the nearby Cebu Safari Park. He would return later for there would be an evening program. Meanwhile, we set up our shelters on the fringes of this very clean memorial park where it afforded a majestic view of the lower hills and the coastline. Likewise, we prepared our food for lunch.

 

At around 16:00, people began to converge on the open fields of the park and installed trappings for an event, which we knew would be in the evening. Later, a caravan of vehicles arrived where Fr. Fiel and his classmates alighted. They came from a field trip and it looks like there would really be a big event.

At 18:00, a Eucharistic Celebration was celebrated by Fr. Fiel and thirteen of his classmate-priests. What a blessing we were in. We never expected this. After the mass, many guests came to join in their celebration. An al fresco buffet table with all the food was made ready for everyone, including us “gate crashers”.

A five-piece band played danceable tunes to pep our appetite. In the mild melee of the early evening, we introduced ourselves to Fr. Fiel and our purpose of coming. He appreciated it that we made his parish as a stopover of this Camino from the North and he welcomed us to partake of more food as we wished, yes we would, and sing, which we could not. 

Fr. Fiel then gets hold of a guitar and sang songs popular in the ‘80s and the ‘90s. Fr. Fiel is a good singer and he is comfortable in singing at the repertoire of songs he had chosen. He is a rock star in his own right and he entertained everyone until his voice became hoarse. He is a priest that his flock could easily relate to. 

The night entertainment continued until 02:00 of the next day and, by that time, I was already dosing half-heartedly in my hammock. The dawn was cold but I am used to sleeping outdoors. In a few hours, I would be waking up with the crowing of the cocks for the third day of the Camino de Santiago which I hope you would read in the next episode. Thank you. iBuen Camino!

BUSHCRAFT BUHISAN XLV: Rewilding

REWILDING IS THE RETURN of habitats to its original state, to include the re-introduction of wild animals that were once native there before its disappearance. My version of rewilding is the return of the wilderness into my system. Immersion in a jungle environment, on a place or a camp all to myself, far away from any human company, is my idea of rewilding and I have the perfect place for it – Creek Charlie.

I need to return to the wild alone today, October 27, 2017, and there is no other day. In a few days, I will be sailing to Mindanao so I could teach and share bushcraft skills for the very first time there. Whenever I do that, I always retrieve the essence of the forests, the jungles, the mountains, the streams and all that is in the outdoors for connection, inner strength and a renewed knowledge in woodlore.

I cannot explain that to someone who has a mindset that is so different from mine. I may dress and behave like anyone else but I am not what you think. I am now carrying thoughts borne out of my native origins which I have rediscovered and embraced long ago yet modern enough to write something complex as this article. Yes, Virginia, my philosophy of the world around me is in all my writings.

You know, I have been assimilated unawares to conventional ways but I cannot undo it. I do not hate myself for that nor feel uneasy of all these people around me whose mindsets are mechanically trained since childhood to think and act in a manner and behavior tailored-fit for Western culture. I could do nothing about it and I can live with that but it does not carry an obligation to explain everything to someone who is of not my kind.

However, you may understand me if you follow the gist of this article. So, rewilding is a sort of ritual that I have done countless times, before I proceed to do big tasks ahead. It had helped me release stress while I was in a corporate prison, working my ass off for my masters. Rewilding had enriched my spirit and my life, and lets me retrieve wisdom that are not available in conventional channels. 

Personally, I love solo walks into the mountains. The silence is something that I would not trade for a lively company or the spattering of friendly conversations. My kind of silence is the whisper of wind among leaves, bird songs, the frolic of water in a stream, the buzz of a fleeting bee, even the crackling of dry tinder before a robust flame. I longed for these kind of sounds. Primeval and distant. In silence, these are so sweet to the soul.

I followed a path that I know very well and the chance to tread on bare ground immediately connects me to sacred grounds. I became one with the forest. Unobtrusive in movement and clothes. Silent like a cat. No hurried steps, no pressure of time. Not even the presence of dark clouds overhead could alter my pace. I am that rare someone who found enjoyment in what I do – alone – even walking on the same trails and places.

My Silangan Predator bag swayed as I struggled for balance when a shoe failed to grip softer ground downhill, exposing my presence to whoever may walk this path. But I doubt that. I have still to meet someone who is brave enough to walk trails on a weekday. Alone. Too bad, everyone is a slave to the system and their time is programmed on weekends only. Cannot blame them. Better that way. I can have all the spaces without them. 

The sun warmed up the forest and steam begins to rise. I am sweating even when I am under shady trees. Wild gingers are flowering everywhere, even within the unwelcoming presence of a Burma teak forest. Long ago, our forest managers eat anything fed to them, planting exotic species, never knowing the troubles it brought to native species, insects, birds and soil. This man-made forest is a failed experiment even if the trees grew healthy. 

Creek Alpha is before me and the stream is full and merry. I followed it downstream, careful this time not to leave any trace. Common sense tells me to evade streams but I find good sense of forest people using part of the stream as a route. They know their own places and I am learning from them. I see where they placed foot on rocks and know what are they wearing for their feet. Because of them, Creek Alpha now has a name: Banauan.

I am leaving Banauan Creek and the phony forest and I am now on a trail in an environment that is much wilder. Presence of spiny rattan competes for your special attention apart from the softened trail. This path is one of the wonders of local knowledge. It simply followed a certain contour instead of cutting across a mountain. It benefits well my walk, rising gently to cross a saddle and going down gently to Creek Bravo.

Just like the first stream, Creek Bravo is also energetic and loaded. On a rock is a carcass of a juvenile monitor lizard which died several weeks ago. This particular stream is teeming with rocks of all ages and sizes, broken up by the force of water. Across me are the groves of water bamboos, fully recovering from wanton destruction five years ago. I have planned of reintroducing fresh-water shrimps here but I just could not source live specimen.

After that brief rest, I passed through an alley where “skin snatchers” abound. This trail is thick with rattan palms and their spiny tendrils, slender and barely noticeable, suddenly catches skin or fabric and you have to respect that. You take a few steps back and slowly remove the spiny whip. My copy of the Puffin Magnum knife becomes useful as it cleared a safe path for me.

The trail climbs up towards a ridge, leaving the marshy areas behind for stable ground. The ridge goes up gently but it is blocked by more rattan palms and by the equally thorny vines of the Asiatic bitter yam (kobong), which got cleared by my open-carried knife. At this instance, I carved a digging stick to extract from the ground a rootcrop from the wild yam which I intend to bring home. The thorny vines make a good hedge against intruders.

The trail led to a very beautiful forest. Both sides are steep but it is much vegetated. It goes up and up, but gently. I arrive a small clearing which I know as my dear Camp Damazo. It hosted recently the 7th edition of the Philippine Independence Bushcraft Camp last June. Twenty-six participants came to learn basic bushcraft here which I first organized in 2011. The PIBC returned here after three years in Sibonga and Liloan.

Settling myself on a cheap laminated nylon sheet, I prepared my Swiss Army wood burner. I intend to boil water for coffee for it is 10:45 anyway. Found dry twigs which I break into short lengths and started a fire by a gas lighter. Placed a cup of water over the rim of the burner and feed more fuel into the burner. Water finally boiled after five minutes and I poured instant coffee. Paired the coffee with bread and enjoyed the moment of silence.   

Camp Damazo has recovered in so short a time, thanks to the rainy season. The campfire area marked by a cairn has settled well and new growths of vegetation begin to reclaim around it. A remnant of a bamboo pot with its lid lies nearby a Moluccan ironwood (ipil) and the stinging tree (alingatong) where a mass of dirt are left by the now missing army of ants after gnawing off clean the leftover rice many months ago.

I looked around the camp area. Madras ginger (galangal) bears little round fruits at the tips of its stems, ripe and drooping to the ground. The yellowish-green fruit became a diet of a passing palm civet (singalong) and left black round scats over a tree root. Tall arbor trees provide second-tier shade and jungle fowls loved to forage there when caterpillars infest the leaves. Much more so with raptors and lesser avian.  

I rest for more than an hour at Camp Damazo. I would have loved to stay here but there is something wilder somewhere over there. I pack my things back inside my bag and proceed to Creek Charlie. It is now 13:00 and, to my estimates, too late to explore more places. But there is a place that I once visited four years ago. I marked that trail but I was wondering what happened of that?

I followed the trail going to Creek Charlie, passing by where an unusually-shaped tree that looked like a brontosaurus, complete with feet, a tail and a long neck. This tree I also discovered four years ago but did not have the courage to approach and take a photo of it. I respect the presence of something other than it. Through the years, I was able to take photos from afar, then point-blank, when I think it is now used to my presence.

I am not superstitious and do not believe in those “third eye” tales, but I am convinced of the presence of these rarely-seen elements. I have seen and encountered many of these kind, even at closer range possible, yet I do not show fear and I let them be as they are. When you are a renewed Roman Catholic you would understand and be aware of their presence but it does not mean that you are impervious from harm.

Vegetation near it was being cleared and a hunter’s shed is being built near the trail, already shriveled, exposing horizontal wood beams that had once supported a roof of abaca leaves and walls of galangal leaves. I looked around where the hunter might have set his sights and I settled on thick debris that was supported by tree branches of the brontosaur tree and its neighbors. It could host a nest, an arboreal hiding place of wildlife.

I could only shake my head. Why would I trouble myself waiting for a prey in an uncomfortable location so I could get off a shot when I could do better with indigenous methods, with myself comfortably waiting in the confines of my home? I would not have to alter the surroundings. The only alteration I make is introducing a cord and using a young sprout to bend to my whim. 

Creek Charlie, I discovered, is part of the right fork of the bigger Lensa Creek that supplied water to the catchment basins, marshes, the man-made lake and, ultimately, to the MCWD consumers. This is a stream of primeval proportions. The rocks are bigger, water fall in cascades. You get caught in a flashflood here and you are dead. It is never a good idea to use this as a route but I know of a trail across me.

It is steep and follow a very narrow ridge, steep on both sides with one side on a deep ravine. The soil on this ridge is soft and it is not good to bring a lot of people here, especially people who do not carry the same mindset as mine. I crossed over another ridge, which can be reached by a short leap. The trail suddenly dies out and I am facing three possibilities, once upon a time paths before these were choked by vegetation.

I choose the marked trail and passed by a hole filled with very clear water coming from a spring. I did not see this before. The jungle is unfolding and showing me things that were denied to me last time. Must be because I am very patient or was it my awe and reverence for this place? I passed by the first of two bamboo groves. Poles are left by a forest dweller on the ground but I place it standing up beside a trunk. I might use this someday.

I am going to my sacred place in a jungle where it faced a distant lone mountain and the rising of the sun. I have bamboos to make a shelter – a sweat lodge – where I can do meditations in the future and be away from the complexities of urban living. It is there among giant figs (tibig and talo-ot) with buttress roots as tall as a man. Then I saw movement. Timid, confident and unafraid. Brown fur and a thick tail. Squirrel?

The Philippine squirrel (kangsi) is a very elusive rodent that is common in Palawan. But on my visit to Mount Pangasugan in Leyte last March 2014, my guide showed me a live one staying inert on a branch from a distance of about 50 meters. I could only see a brown smudge among the greens but its shrill whistle pierced the early morning air. You would think that the noise they made were done by birds.

I believed Cebu was part of its habitat when it was still all forest and too few people claiming farm patches. In case you do not know, there is a place in Sapangdaku Creek and everywhere in Cebu that are called Kangsi or Kansi. Nobody remembers why it is called that but I know why? The creature I saw disappeared among the roots and I found holes underneath it, the entrances are well used, indicating a healthy family.

Yes the forest is unfolding and showing me its hidden features. I am quite satisfied of my finds that I did not tarry long. I found my sacred place and the second bamboo is still untouched by humans. I go back to where I came from and crossed Creek Charlie once more. I take another trail to drink from a natural spring called Karamon. I crossed the headwaters of Creek Bravo and Banauan Creek towards a mountain road.

Across me is a trail that goes to Lanipao. It goes lazily downhill to the Lanipao Rainforest Spring Resort, Cabins Resort and a store that sells cold soft drinks. Walking on, I found another recreation center – Motmot Spring Resort – that was not here last June. Not only was the forest unfolding its secrets to me, it also include this road to Napo. So much for mysteries. Ha!

Document done in LibreOffice 5.3 Writer

PECHA KUCHA NIGHTS

ANOTHER SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT.

Another set of a paying crowd listening to a sunburnt relic talking about cold mornings, bad breakfasts and irate people.

Like geeks to a Greek?

No. Not this time, dude. This one’s more chic and metropolitan.

They know a little Greek and some highland yells, I think?

Yeah, they do not come to hear me but they also want to know of other people making good and having fun in their own fields of expertise. I just share the stage time with eight other distinguished individuals.

 

I am invited to Cebu’s own PECHA KUCHA NIGHT at its 17th sequel. Ms. Regil Cadavos made that possible.

I will be talking about meself in ASPACE BAR Cebu at the Crossroads, Governor M. Cuenco Avenue, Cebu City on May 18, 2017. I am asked to provide twenty photos of me, my work and my Thruhike of the Cebu Highlands Trail which I just did in 27 days churning mileage of around 400 kilometers. No cold mornings, bad breakfasts and irate people to talk about this time. Maybe, not a good idea.

I need to describe each photo in not more than 20 seconds. 

That short?

Hmmm, that would be 20 by 20 equals 400 seconds or 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

I think, I got myself cut out for this thing? Like that 20-second rule. 

Why?

You see, I used to get the whistle for hugging the ball for more than 3 seconds inside a shaded lane. Sometimes I do not and it is a big thing if I made a shot. 2 points to my name. A few times, a bonus shot from the line.

They don’t print your scores in the sports section now, did you know that?

But this ain’t basketball, dude!

Okay. No defenders to worry. Yes. Well, ah, but, ah, okay…there is still a crowd. They don’t throw bottles, do they? But I would be willing to be hit this time with…ah…crumpled bills. Do they do that here?

Ooops! My name is called and here goes:

PHOTO 1: As a Husband and Father.

PHOTO 2: As a Writer and Blogger.

PHOTO 3: As a Wilderness Guide.

PHOTO 4: As an Explorer and Adventurer.

PHOTO 5: As an Outdoors Educator.

PHOTO 6: As a Knife-Rights Advocate.

PHOTO 7: As an Amateur Radio Hobbyist.

PHOTO 8: As a Pioneer of Modern Philippine Bushcraft.

PHOTO 9: As an Actor for a Reality Survival TV.

PHOTO 10: As a Product Tester, Reviewer and Endorser.

PHOTO 11: As a Resource Speaker.

PHOTO 12: As the First Person to Hike Through Cebu.

PHOTO 13:

PHOTO 14: Day One – Start of Thruhike from Liloan, Santander.

PHOTO 15: Day Eight – Foot Blisters Treated at Mantalongon, Barili.

PHOTO 16: Day Eleven – Halfway Point of Thruhike at Cebu City.

PHOTO 17: Day 12 and 15 – Crossed Big Rivers in Cebu City and Balamban.

PHOTO 18: Day 21 – Lost 30 Pounds at Kanluhangon, Tabuelan.

PHOTO 19: Day 22 and 23 – Lost in the Wilderness of Doce Cuartos Mountain Range.

PHOTO 20: Day 27 – End of Thruhike at Bulalaque Point, Maya, Daanbantayan.

 

Don’t you want to go back what you missed?

Like what?

You failed to talk about PHOTO 13.

Look dude. You’re not supposed to talk about 13. That’s bad luck! 

But…

Okay. Okay. I tried but I stuttered.

Promotional graphic by Pecha Kucha Cebu|ASPACE Cebu|_COLLAB

Photo No. 3 courtesy of Jad Tupaz
Photo No. 11 courtesy of Markus Immer
Photo No. 12 is a design by Ronald Abella