Coming to Romblon
was like a pilgrimage and a prayer to reconnect to a force that gives
life. I came back rejuvenated and vibrantly alive. Despite my initial
misgivings, my family urged me to go but to look out for bin Laden
and terrorist kidnappings :-). My daughter Liza made all the travel
arrangements for the ten-day itinerary. As an American child of Pilipino
immigrant parents she wanted to know more and experience the different
layers of the Pilipino culture and the childhood place where her parents
grow up, and join the medical mission (my pilgrimage) with me. My
brother in law, Dr. Vince Seid, cancelled because of some physical
concerns.
Following a lay-over
and sightseeing tour in Taiwan I felt envious comparing chaotic, dusty,
hot, treeless, and grimy Manila that seems like the more orderly version
of Taipei. There were some signs however that the present Philippine
administration is doing something about the situations, i.e. better
traffic and crowd control at the airport and north harbor pier.
Going to Romblon,
the air-conditioned and luxurious cabins and amenities of the MV Blessed
Mother was a wonderful surprise. It was more like a cruise ship than
a passenger boat. This was a far cry from a ferry boat going to Batangas
that we took in 1993 that was overcrowded with passengers mixed up
with cows, chicken, jeeps, and big rigs. Thanks to the hospitality
of my brother, Manong Peping, Juliet and Isabela, my niece, and Gov.
Madrona, the boat trip was enjoyable and memorable. Was I surprised
when I bumped into my buddy and classmate in UST medical school class
1967, Drs. Roty and wife Cecil and the Fabella clan, all based in
North America, including Paz and Arcel and M. Tilding, and Mr. Cortez
as well as Ish and Jun Famatigan. My soul knew it has reached paradise
when the dirty waters became crystal blue and beautiful forested islands
emerged, finally terminating in Romblon port.
I was a 15-year-old
Romblon High School (RHS) graduate looking outside of this port; my
mind fueled with dreams. And then again my mind flashed back to age
25 years, 2 years out of medical school, my mind fired up with ambitions
and adventures that needed to be fulfilled but ice-cold with fear
of not meeting the challenge ahead, saying goodbye to this idyllic
island for that strange land America, where nobody knew my name.
And now here I
am 33 years later, on a pilgrimage back to where I came from, Romblon,
a survivor of America's asphalt jungle, wounded psyche and angst,
that although complete and fulfilled in my personal and professional
life, I
felt guilty for not having shared the trials and triumphs with people
who mattered a lot to me. These are friends classmates and relatives
with whom I shared a laugh, a tear, or a love. I could not even say
hello and goodbye to them before they departed for the great beyond
and so I have to be content with traces of them through their children's
faces and memories of by-gone days.
The hospitality,
smiles, warmth, optimism, bounciness, lightheartedness of Romblomanons
enjoying where they are situated showed a Romblomanon Spirit that
is secure and strong. Native Romblomanon enjoy living in their province
(who could say no to paradise?) that they have to be prodded to be
more competitive and venture out into the global village. I did not
notice much homelessness nor malcontented masses of people agitating
for revolutionary changes. For wealthy tourist outsiders who are neurotics
(not psychotic or personality disordered), Romblon is the perfect
spot to relax and unwind and get soothed out of their spiritual ailment.
Romblon's physical
aspects is completely different however. Romblon is poor by the global
standard of the dollar and gold. Because living conditions in Romblon
are not that desperate to push Romblomanons out to seek a living as
domestic or contract workers abroad, then send dollars home nor are
there desperate kidnappers who hold people for ransom dollars as in
Sulu or southern Philippines. Thus Romblon ends up being poorest among
provinces.
Individual and
community physical public health (as opposed to spiritual health)
is dismal. There are few houses with basic adequate health needs such
as clean abundant water and sanitary toilet facilities. Because the
land is fertile and lush, it is not only human life that flourishes
but also parasites (ascaris, pinworms, etc.) and insects carriers
of infectious diseases such as flies and mosquitoes that could harbor
hepatitis A, typhoid, dysentery, dengue fever and malaria. One of
the enlightening facts revealed at the CME seminar (Continuing Medical
Education) is that the average life span of Pilipinos is 67 years
old. Poor lifestyle choices in diet and exercise contribute to the
high rate of mortality from heart disease and stroke. Unhealthy environment
and poor sanitation contribute to the morbidity from endemic and epidemic
infectious diseases.
Lack of money
to buy medications to alleviate diseases contracted is problematic
for a lot of patients. My hope is that there will be more education
of the public regarding health matters with the goal of lengthening
life span of Pilipinos to equal that of the western world of 77 years
and I hope there are more research on our common folk medicinal plant,
publish it and distribute them to Romblomanons so they can make use
of native plants to help them fight common illnesses and diseases
without going into enormous expense (after all most medicines are
synthesized from plants).
Having paid $60.00
donation, registration to Jun Famatigan, I attended the CME. I was
impressed by the knowledge of the speakers, Drs. Festin, Mantaring
and Punzalan. The moderators and speakers of the first and second
day of the convention both on the Sanrokan as well as the government
official sides were articulate, sincere, forceful and convincing in
their presentations. One of my regrets was missing out on Mr. Patricio
Fetizanan's presentation on alternative energy using manure and solar
panel to produce electricity and energy. Liza and I were dazzled and
elated to meet the movers and shakers of the Sanrokan: Ish, Nick,
Delia, Mr. and Mrs. (Tilding) Cortez, Dr. Nems, Rinzi, Moigs and influential
people in Romblon and abroad, such as Drs. Roty and Cecil, Paz and
Arcel, Adina, Viola and Gene Reyes, Erwin Relox, Noying Fabella, and
etc. We were honored and thankful of the hospitality and kindness
of Bishop Bastis and the sisters Handmaiden of God in Suwa, Gov. Madrona,
Vice Gov. Fonte, Mayor Eli Merida, Nelson Lim, Silverio clan (my husband's
family), Board Members Fondevilla, Montana and Romero, the Mingoa
clan (Mina and Olive's family), RHS class of 1959, Glenda Durano,
the media (Romelin, Senia and Praise Onas) the Governor and VG's staffs,
especially Mark, the Fonte family (thanks M. Rebe, Sam and M. Peping
for the use of the Agnay beach house for the party), the extended
Fonte clan (thanks N. Bebe, T. Floring, N. Nume, and cousins and all
relatives in Simara for the boatful of omag, banana and mangoes).
Also to Joy and my uncle, Judge Fanlo, thank you for the warm reception.
By the way congratulations to Simara for its beautiful concretized
paved road encircling the island and hospitable people who treated
us generously during their town fiesta. Grateful thanks for all the
friendly people of Santa Fe (where we joined the provincial government
medical mission team) I would also like to thank Drs. Vaning and Rey
Fondevilla, Dr. Kiking Benedicto, Dr. Montana, Dr. and Dra. Auto,
Chit Fondevilla, and M. Melite Fondevilla's helpful son. Thank you
Romblon provincial government for giving us the opportunity and facility
to serve and join the medical mission team in Santa Fe. I learned
a lot from them and the patients. Liza and I thoroughly enjoyed the
medical mission pilgrimage and the folk stories about encantos and
encantadas. But saddened by the plight of our people… too many
diseases especially PTB and too little medicine for so many sick people.
I regret I spent only 2 hours exchanging herbal information with the
nuns Handmaiden of God regarding western herbal plants and disappointed
that I failed to meet the sisters (now transferred to Sibuyan) responsible
for the pharmaceutical developments of herbal plants and products.
Praying the rosary with the congregation was a balm to my weary soul
and an uplifting experience. Sorry to have skipped out on an often
missed 1959 class reunion because of lack of sufficient time.
The 4-stars Boracay
side trip after Santa Fe was a wonderful respite and a relaxing experience.
Boracay is better than Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. But the pristine and
vibrant 5 star Romblon Bay, beaches, resorts, and people, definitely
outclassed both Boracay and Puerto Vallarta, even though the latter
are both world-known.
