Scholasticans in the Ser vice of Christ, Countr y and Creation

Seniors get PICC Grad

What’s Inside? The College graduates of St. Scholas‐

tica’s College Manila will be having their 
commencement exercises at the Philip‐

News Features
pine International Convention Center 
pg 3 (PICC). The move in venue was due to 
the ongoing construction and renova‐
Features pg 4 tion of the St. Cecilia’s Building which is 
expected to be finished in July. Gradu‐

Literary pg 6 ates attending the ceremonies were 
expected to pay an additional fee of 
P850 to cover the venue rental. Because 
Editorial pg 8 of the short notice, the traditional Sun‐
day Graduation rites on March 27 was 
moved to March 28, Monday.  

The official laboratory paper of 4MCPJ Feature and Technical Writing class ­ Vol. 7 Issue 1 ­ March 2011

Cash or Culture: The struggle of the tribes

by  Camille de Asis, Cielo Flores, Tiffanny Navarro, Jasmine Shewakramani,  
Cristina Tupaz and Jenny de Venecia  

H 
e sits rather regally in his
chair, much like how a
grandfather would position
himself before beginning to tell stories
to a grandchild. However, he does not
weave imaginative tales of princesses
and knights of long ago. Despite his age,
he narrates in a strong voice the strug-
gles his people have endured because of
their land that is literally a goldmine.
His name is Ernesto Latiba, one of
the elders of the four tribes residing in
the municipality of Monkayo in Com-
postela Valley near Mt. Diwata, more
popularly known as Diwalwal. He and
his family have lived off this land, right-
fully known as their ancestral domain.
In recent months, though, he has borne
witness to the violence and suffering
that befell his fellow tribe members due
to the controversy over the tribal min-
ing area accorded to them.
Diwalwal and the land around it
are known for its gold and copper de-
landers found out about this and mi-
grated to the mountain as well. Eventu-
ally big-scale mining companies set up
shop in Diwalwal, which now report-
edly churns out P2 billion worth of gold
annually.
The Four Tribes 
The four tribes living in Monkayo-–
the Dibabawon, Mandaya, Manobo and
Mangguangan tribes—have for the
longest time lived off their ancestral
domain. Many of the indigenous people
were farmers, hunted wild animals for
meat and fished in the nearby Nabuc
river. The tribe respected the land they
lived on as much as they respected each
other. As time went on however, these
people needed another way to better
their economic situation. After some THE NABUC RIVER WAS ONCE A NATURAL resource for the people in the area. Years 
discussion, the tribe leaders considered later, it is now contaminated with mercury and by‐products of the mining process, pos‐
going into mining. ing health hazards to the residents and the mountain itself.                 Photo by Zarah Dayao
As part of their ancestral domain,
the tribes are accorded several tribal by  Edz Dela Cruz, Kleir Pineda, 

posits. First discovered by lowlanders
in 1983, indigenous people started
small-scale mining on the mountain as
a source of livelihood. Soon, more low-
Tribal Facets
mining areas. These three mining areas Gaie Nolledo, Issa Romeral, 
are found at the foot of the mountain Camille Ponce and Rose Anne 
and add up to 950 hectares of land ex- Valledo 
(...continued on page 2) 
onkayo is a municipality

M 
Caught in crossfire 
THIS ROCK MAY  located in Compostela Val-   To live in a mountainous area,
LOOK LIKE CHALK  ley. In it reside four tribes Monkayo tribes need not only endure
BUT it actually con‐ which are divided into 21 isolation from the city, and delayed (or
tains gold and copper  barangays, including Mt. Diwata (or Mt. sometimes, lack of) basic services from
deposits which are  Diwalwal). These four tribes are: the government but also to brave life
plentiful on the moun‐ Manobo,  Dibabawon,  Mandaya,  and between the New People’s Army (NPA)
tain. The Gold mining  Mangguangan. and Armed Forces of the Philippines
industry in Diwalwal is    Generally, the tribes have peaceful (AFP) crossfire.
one of the most profit‐ relationships with each other. But ac- According to Manobo tribe leader
able in the country; it’s  cording to Datu Tulik Tunggay, head of Datu Tulik, the conflict between the two
estimated wealth is  the Manobo tribe and bawan (or judge) parties has caused terror among the
touted to be worth  of the municipality, a conflict arose indigenous people (IPs). Such terror,
trillions.   when one of the other tribe leaders, according to him, forced the IPs to leave
  Rajah Carlito Buntas of the Dibabawans, their works and lands.
Photo by Zarah Dayao  took action on the use of the 950- Caught in crossfire, many IPs have
hectare tribal mining area (TRIMA) been displaced, and have lost their live-
without the consensus of the others. lihoods. “90% (of the IP population has 
SSC presents 5th Hildegarde Awards been  displaced),  lumilipat  sila  along  the 
The tribes of Monkayo 
by Jasmine Shewakramani  The Manobo tribe originated from (...continued on page 2) 
Peace journalist Carolyn Arguillas and known as the “Grand Dame of the early Malays of Southeast Asia. Es-
and puppetry pioneer Amelia Lapena- Southeast Asian Children’s Theatre” sentially, they are divided into eight
Bonifacio received Hildegarde Lifetime In addition to the lifetime achieve- groups: Cotabato, Agusan, Dibabawon,
Achievement awards during the 5th ment awards, special citations for out- Matig Salug, Sarangani, Manobo of
Hildegarde Awards for Women in Me- standing achievement in media by, for Western Bukidnon, Obo, and Tagabawa
dia and Communication held on March and about women were given. Manobo. Named either for their politi-
5. Among those in attendance to receive cal stance or location, the groups are
In a simple ceremony held at the St. their awards were broadcaster Jessica almost identical except in terms of dia-
Cecilia’s Hall, the two women shared Soho, accepting the special citation for lect and some traditions.
their experiences and achievements in broadcast journalism in behalf of Ka­ The Mandaya tribe has reportedly
their respective fields to the audience. puso Mo, Jessica Soho, and sportscaster been in existence in Mindanao prov-
Arguillas is the editor of MindaNews,
a daily newspaper circulating in the
Dyan Castillejo for her reports on
Manny Pacquiao’s international title
inces since the time of the Spanish colo-
nizers. It is noted by some as the largest
ip t o
region. She is recognized as an expert in bouts. tribe in Southeastern Mindanao.
Tr
Mindanao current affairs and has exten-
sively covered the peace process. She is
Special citations in the field of adver-
tising were given to “Mahalaga na kum­
The Mangguangan and Dibabawon
tribes are considered as close kins and
A VA O
also the first Hildegarde awardee from
Mindanao. Meanwhile, Lapena-
pleto sa kainan ang pamilya,” a televi-
sion advertisement for Lucky Me
are, according to the National Commis-
sion of Culture and the Arts (NCCA),
D
Bonifacio is an educator, playwright subgroups of the Mandaya tribe. ..on pages 6­7    
(...continued on page 12) 
 2 Quill
Cash or Culture...
...from page 1 
clusively to be used by the tribes. Since
they do not have the resources to start
a big-scale mining operation inclusive
of years of exploratory study, the tribe
sought to partner with an existing min-
ing company. Under this agreement,
jobs would be provided to people living
in the Upper Ulip Barangay. They hoped
that life in their municipality would
become better.
Their decision to partner with a
mining firm in order to improve their
economic status is certainly under-
standable, but this endeavour does not
come without setbacks. Existing mining
operations have already brought major
problems to the indigenous people.
Environmental risks 
Small-scale mining in Diwalwal
makes use of mercury to separate the
gold ore from other elements. Mercury
is a toxic substance, and has in fact re-
cently been recalled from hospitals
around the country due to the potential
hazards it poses. Unfortunately, small-
scale miners have no choice but to use
toxic substances in order to extract the
gold since they do not have access to
more sophisticated and environmen-
tally-friendly equipment. Excess mer-
cury gets dumped into the Nabuc River.
The Nabuc River was once the ma-
jor source of water in Diwalwal and its
surrounding areas. As the excess mer-
cury and cyanide flowed into the river,
it poisoned the plant and animal life
and subsequently tainted crops that use
water from the river as a source of irri-
gation. Diseases due to mercury poison-
ing are then unavoidable when the
crops are ingested.
Because of the numerous small-
scale mining operations, Diwalwal itself
is prone to landslides. The tunnels in
the mountain collapse each time there
are heavy rains in the area, killing many
of those who are in the tunnel or reside
on the mountain and the land below it.
Animals once hunted for food have
also become scarce. Because of the min-
ing operations, the greenery of Diwal-
wal was not what it once was. The eld-
ers recounted that they endured a pe-
riod of famine. As such, the possible
effects of the mining operations were
taken into consideration very carefully
by the leaders of the tribes despite the
obvious financial gain.
Education and Livelihood  ute to their families’ income thus help-
Aside from this, Datu Victoriano
Tulik, Bawan (Judge) of the Manobo
Tribe, pointed out that the education of
THE  TRIBES  OF  MONKAYO  HAVE  BEEN  CLEARLY  ACCORDED  284 and 666 hectares of  get what is really theirs. The Manobo
land under the Tribal Mining Agreement (TRIMA). Despite this, they cannot freely use their  tribe leader refers to the right to the
land  for  the  benefit  of  their  people  because  of  the  misunderstandings,  disagreements  and   ancestral domain and the right to man-
problems involving both people in the area as well as the local government.                     age the mining operation in Mt. Diwal-
               
March 2011
WORLD  WEARY.    These elders have long seen the suffering that has befallen their land and now are trying to help in making life better for 
their tribe.                                                             Photo by Rose Anne Valledo 
the children is affected. They are not Finding solutions   punishable by law. The government has
able to go to school since their parents Knowing that the environment has the authority to penalize those who will
don’t have enough money to send them been sorely abused, the citizens of Mon- violate these rights.
to school. He also said that a lot of poor kayo have initiated efforts in restoring “Kailangan  talaga  is  yung  emanci­
families live near Mt. Diwalwal. They what was once a pristine sanctuary. A pation ng tribe,” says Billones. The Up-
only eat kamote since they don’t have private mining decided to help by pay- per Ulip Tribal Emancipation Coopera-
money to buy more nutritious food for ing the residents to clean up the Nabuc tive (UUTEC) is the organization of the
their families. River, but this was stopped by the local residents of Monkayo, Compostela Val-
Tulik shares that poverty, conflict, mayor due to a misunderstanding. The ley. Its purpose is to ensure that the
and lack of education are the primary citizens have taken to planting crops mining rights of the tribes are being
reasons the people living near Mt. Di- and trees as a way to make up for the observed. It is composed of representa-
walwal get recruited by the New Peo- existing damage. tives from all the four tribes and they
ple’s Army (NPA). Aside from this, the The members of the tribe rely on aim to redeem the ancestral domain
conflict between the tribes also affects Republic Act No. 8371 or the Indige- that was awarded to them years ago.
the women and children. Children are nous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA) for The four tribes of Diwalwal re-
not able to go to their schools as the equality and ownership to be rightfully markably show a culture of respect no
incomes of their fathers were also af- served to them. Section 4 of the said matter how bad their situation is. The
fected. Bai Evelita Billones, member of law ensures that the IPs are granted full young respect their elders. The mem-
the Board of Directors of UTEC ex- ownership and control over their an- bers respect their leaders. The people
plained, “Noon, nag­umpisa na sana ang  cestral domains. As rightful owners of respect their land. All they ask now is
trabaho,  nang  dahil  sa  hidwaan  na  the land, their right to preserve the that others respect their wishes for a
hinto.  Kaya  nga  po  imbis  na  tuloy­tuloy  land’s resources must be respected. RA sustainable living area while being
na ang income ng kanilang mga fathers  8371 also guarantees that illegal use of given the opportunity to earn better
sa  pamilya,  na  hinto  ang  pag­aaral,  the IPs resources by non-IP members is and live better. ∎
‘yung  mga  pangarap  nila  sa  buhay  na 
hinto rin. ‘Yung mga papa nila nagtatra­
Tribal Facets…
baho na sana sa Coop namin, ng dahil sa  According to Datu Tulik, the Mon-
hidwaan ng tribo, na hinto.”  kayo tribes have never benefitted from
Bai Evelita Billones also mentioned …from page 1 
Mt. Diwalwal. They never got the share
that mining also affects the livelihood of highway. Ngayon, ang mga tao dun, ano  they have always deserved. “Hanggang 
women. “Kaya  nga  sana  gusto  naming  ba ang matanim nila doon? Wala silang  ngayon,  30  years  na  ang  problema  ng 
sabihin  sa  gobyerno,  kay  pangulong  negosyo, walang capital, ni pagkain nila,  Diwalwal.  Wala  pa  rin  silang  ginagawa 
Aquino  na  tulungan  ang problema  ng  wala,” said Datu Tulik. para tulungan kami,” said Datu Tulik.
tribo,  at  tuloy­tuloy  na  ang uplift ng  Despite the strife that the battle has On Mt. Diwalwal is a village, which
tribo,  ‘yun  ang  sana  gusto  namin  sa  caused them, the Monkayo tribes have is at the top-most of the Monkayo mu-
Coop, na  i­uplift  ang  pamumuhay  ng  not received any help or support from nicipality, Compostela Valley province
tribo. ‘yun ang emancipate namin ta­ the government. Datu Tulik cited, where the population is around 46,000
laga,” she shared. Bai Evelita also re- “Mismong  batalyon,  di  nila  masecure  with more than half are small-scale
quested that the government possibly ang sarili nila. Paano ngayon ang seguri­ miners.
provide the women with some sort of dad ng mga IPs, ng mga libo­libong IPs?   Datu Tulik added that this issue has
livelihood, so that they can also contrib- Kaya ang ginagawa namin ay umiwas.”  been raised many times in all kinds of
       According to Datu Tulik, the tribes forum and discussion, but to no avail,
ing to provide for their children’s edu- have tried to talk to the military to ex- the same issue goes on, “Sa mga meet­
cation. plain the effect of the armed conflict to ing,  ma’am,  regional,  provincial,  na­
the tribes, “Pinasok na namin ang lahat  tional,  pinarating  na  yan.  Ang  resulta, 
ng  batalyon,  ipinaliwanag  namin  sa  puro fabricated ang mga dokumento na 
kanila  ang  kultura,  infra  law,  ancestral  ginagawa  nila.  Wala  talaga  yung  hina­
domain, pero wala pa rin.”   ing ng mga IPs.”
        Datu Tulik added that the least that  
the tribes can do is not to meddle in the Call for peace, justice, and respect 
ongoing battle between the two parties. It may seem to be a very difficult
He encourages them to remain impar- battle to conquer for the Monkayo
tial and mind their own tribal conflicts tribes, their tribe leaders and elders are
and issues. keeping their hopes up that time will
However, Datu Tulik admitted that come that they will reap good harvest
30% of their youth have already joined out of this hard and long-fought strug-
the NPA. According to him, 80%-90% of gle.
the armed group belongs to the tribes. Datu Tulik, as one of the four tribe
leaders, asks the government officials
Facing their own battle  for peace, justice, and respect for the
Aside from the NPA-AFP battle they indigenous people, “Ang hiling ko sana 
have to survive, the Monkayo tribes sa  gobyerno  lalo  na  sa  mga  agencies. 
have their own battles to face – emanci- Una,  irespeto  man  lang  nila  ang  IPs  na 
pation from injustice, and assertion of original people dun sa area. Pangalawa, 
their IP rights. baguhin  ang  sistema,  kung  corrupt  sila 
Datu Tulik said that the tribe mem- noon, sana ngayon hindi na.” 
bers have been very vocal about their He also added that he hopes that
needs and pleas to the government. For newly-elected local officials of Mon-
many years, they have been pushing to kayo, who happened to be the owner-
operators of large-scale mining in Mt.
Diwalwal, the Brillanteses would give
back to the indigenous people.
“Magbalik  lang  sana  sila  ng  tulong  at 
            Photo by Zarah Dayao wal. awa sa IPs,” Datu Tulik concluded. ∎
March 2011
How to be a HERO
Monkayo’s SARO: Saving nature, saving lives
THE MEMBERS OF THE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM are composed of both men and women who are given equal tasks in the res‐
cue and retrieval operations.                                         Photo by Rose Anne Valledo  perished so that they can be given de-
by  Andrea Zarah Dayao, Jen de Venecia, Karen Marie Pastor, Carmela Quidoles, Jas Shewakramani and Inna Tupaz
I 
n children’s books, they were
valiant knights with dashing
good looks who saved prin-
cesses from despair. In movies, they
were warriors who gave up their lives
to protect their fellowmen and the land
they lived in. In comics, they were men
with supernatural powers and capes,
sworn to uphold justice. In local history,
they were writers who used the power
of their pen to secure the freedom their
countrymen desperately needed. But in
reality, they are ordinary people, both
men and women, who do their best to
serve and protect the people who live
on a mountain of gold.
These are the members of the 25th
Infantry Battalion of the 10th Infantry
Division and Philippine National Police
(PNP) in the municipality of Monkayo,
Compostela Valley Province composing
the Search and Rescue Operation
(SARO) team. They do not have special
powers nor chariots, but through their
service, they have become heroes to
those who live on Mt. Diwalwal.
Search and rescue Operation  Education, specific AFP and PNP offi-
Diwalwal has been occupied by
both small-scale and big-scale miners
since the gold rush in the ‘80s. Many
have taken advantage of the copious
gold and copper deposits found on the
mountain and the land surrounding it,
thus making the core of the mountain a
maze of unstable tunnels. When heavy
rains force these tunnels to collapse, it
brings on landslides that devastate
those who reside near the mining areas.
It is the job then, of the SARO team to
pick up the pieces.
Last January 3, 2011, another land-
slide occurred in Diwalwal. The Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the
PNP worked together in the search,
rescue and retrieval operations. The
local government units also assisted by
providing volunteers from the munici-
pality, together with ordinary citizens
which include members of the Reserve
Officers' Training Corps and farmers.
According to Lt. Rey Annogui of the
25th Infantry Battalion 10th Infantry
Division of the Philippine Army, they
embark on a search and rescue opera-
tion upon receiving the go-signal from
the Incident Command Post Center.
It starts with an announcement
from the Philippine Atmospheric Geo-
physical and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAGASA), an agency
which informs the public regarding the
Quill
weather condition and identifies the
storm signals. The National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Coun-
cil (NDRRC) then declares a state of
calamity in the country depending on
the damages caused by weather distur-
bances. Lastly, the Barangay Disaster
Risk Reduction Management Council
(BDRRMC) is primarily involved with
the rescue operation in a particular re-
gion.
The AFP provides assistance to the
community especially the victims of
calamities. Once there is an incident,
LGUs must provide an Incident Com-
mand Post headed by local chief execu-
tives. In the absence of a local chief ex-
ecutive, an action officer shall take
charge.
According to Annogui, the main
task of AFP is to offer quick response
towards disaster. AFP personnel could
be utilized and provide initial action.
AFP’s role is to communicate with dif-
ferent agencies concerned in order to
take action and be involved in helping
the victims.
Retrieval Operation  cials are chosen and assigned to certain
“Assess the area first,” Lt. Col. Gil-
bert Saret stated. According to Saret, as
much as possible they will not stop res-
cue operations until everyone is saved.
Using equipment such as motor-
boats, radios and cables, the SARO team
with the help of civilian volunteers dig
through the landslide to look for survi-
vors. Depending on the extent of the
damage wrought by the landslide, the
operation is considered as a rescue,
with the hope of survivors.
After twelve hours, it is considered
retrieval. Retrieval of the bodies begins
once there is a command from the Inci-
dent Command Post Center.
AFP and PNP begin the evacuation
process in the community with lower
areas and depending on the actual loca-
tion of the houses. Schools and multi-
purpose halls are commonly utilized as
evacuation centers. BDRRMC also an-
nounces if the evacuees can return to
their homes affected by natural calami-
ties.
However, it is ideal that the resi-
dents be evacuated from the area be-
fore the landslide even happens. Ac-
cording to PNP Superintendent
Roderico Roy Jr, small-scale mining
areas are less safe because they do not
have appropriate safety equipment;
thus tunnels risk closing. In this case,
areas prone to landslides are first iden-
tified, and families are evacuated if
there is any potential threat of a land-
slide. “Dapat  wala  na  sila  bago  man­
gyari yung landslide,” said Roy.
Other efforts of AFP and PNP  immediately,  nagpunta  kami  sa  area
Besides their main duty, they also
take more preventive measures to
avoid the devastating effects of the
landslides. Tree-planting and clean-up
activities are regularly initiated and
undertaken by the members of the bat-
talion and the PNP.
The army also has the Army Liter-
acy Patrol System, a program which
allows military men to teach. “A num-
ber of the members of the military stud-
ied to become teachers,” shared
Jimenez, and this government-
supported program allows them to im-
part knowledge to children in areas
they serve.
AFP and PNP help educate the
members of the community through a
program called “Pulis ko , Titser ko.” In
coordination with the Department of
areas in the community to serve as a
teacher among children.
They also conduct outreach pro-
grams in school and provide reading
materials suitable for elementary stu-
dents. These materials were donated by
different organizations through a pro-
gram called “Libro ko, Alay ko” where
old books from officers and soldiers are
given to high school students and
school libraries. Two donors at present
are the Asian Foundation and Union
Bank.
Heroes do not have to wear capes
and fight villains to be considered as
such. To be a hero is to exemplify cour-
age and the value of sacrifice, as these
members of the SARO have done for the
past few years. When your main adver-
sary is nature, it seems like the battle is
never done.
However, being a hero means mak-
ing a difference through the ways one
knows how, whether it is through pro-
tecting others, teaching, or simply help-
ing in rebuilding lives. It’s not about the
special effects or the good looks but
about the perseverance and willingness
to serve others. Diwalwal’s treasure
does not just lie in the tunnels carved
into the mountain, but in the men and
women in combat boots who are heroes
in their own right. ∎
3
Mind over
mud
by  Camille De Asis, Jenny de Venecia, 
Cielo Eunice Flores, Tiffanny 
Navarro,  Jasmine Shewakramani, 
and Cristina Tupaz 
Retrieving piles of dead bodies un-
der the thick puddle of mud or bloated
pale bodies on the floodwater is not an
easy job. It may be frightening to others
but AFP and PNP conduct these opera-
tions for the sake of the families left
behind. According to Saret, they pro-
vide psychological exams and counsel-
ing for their officers. These are con-
ducted in the General Headquarters in
Manila but he admits that it is not ac-
complished regularly.
Several soldiers shared that it is
definitely an unnerving experience to
look for bodies in the dirt. Even if they
have found all the survivors possible,
they carry on looking for those who
cent burials.
1Lt. Richard Caliva has been part of
the rescue operations for years. He has
experienced a lot of tragic memories
while he was helping in rescuing survi-
vors and retrieving bodies. He narrated,
“Doon  sa  Masaranon,  nagkaroon  ng  in­
formation na may landslide nga doon, so 
 
tapos marami na rin naman nandoon sa 
area, mga LGU. Tapos ‘yung unforgetta­
ble  talaga  pagdating  na  pagdating 
namin sa area kinakamayan pa kami ng 
barangay  captain.  Nagusap­usap  pa 
kami doon sa barangay hall niya parang 
meeting.  10  pm  natapos  ‘yung  usapan 
tungkol  sa  planning  and  rescue,  so  mga 
12  (midnight)  bumalik    sa  bahay  niya 
(barangay  captain)  kasi  sabi  niya  pu­
puntahan  niya  ‘yung  mag­iina  niya  kasi 
andoon  ‘yung  anak  niya  pa  isa.  Parang 
few  minutes  lang  gumuho  ulit  ‘yung  pi­
nakamalaking  portion  ng  bundok. 
Mataas na ‘yung  bahay ni Kapitan pero 
unfortunately inabot pa rin. Tapos kami, 
naidlip  lang  kami,  kasi  wala  kaming tu­
log  noon  kasama  namin  ‘yung  battalion 
commander namin. Na sa isang side lang 
kami  ng  school  ‘yung  pag­guho  ng  bun­
dok  napakalakas,  parang  hindi  mo  ma­
explain  ‘yung  impact  niya  ‘yung  mga 
sasakyan, mga bahay, natabunan. Narir­
inig mo mga nag­iiyakan.” ∎
LT. SARET AND SUPT. ROY share their 
experiences  as  members  of  the  search 
and  rescue  team  on  Mt.  Diwalwal.  The 
army  and  police  work  together  to  keep 
the residents safe.     
                Photo by Rose Anne Valledo 
 4 Quill March 2011

A once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity by Camille Anne De Asis 

I  perfectly remember how I

felt that day. Nervousness
and hesitation filled me. Although I was
rough road on the way to the site. We
had no choice but to ride the military
vehicle together with a couple of jour-
ing the place since I wasn’t used to that
kind of environment.
I took a deep breath and clenched
front of the camera, we ended up look-
ing gloomy and serious. Our thesis ad-
viser approached us and asked us to say
not sure what would happen, I still nalists and some military officers. It my fist as my friend and I decided to a short prayer for all the victims who
found the courage to pursue what was was my first time to ride a military walk around the site to record footages were killed in that place. The three of us
planned. As I sat inside the van, I felt truck. I observed that those kinds of of the place. I saw how beautiful the held hands and said a prayer. I felt re-
cold. I wasn’t sure if it was due to the vehicles are really designed for the mili- place is. The green environment, blue lieved after praying but somehow, deep
vehicle’s air conditioning or because of tary. The wheels of the truck were big sky and fresh breeze of air were so re- inside my heart, I still felt sad and de-
the apprehension I was feeling. I felt the enough to travel on rough roads. The markable. It made me think how a pressed.
rush as the driver drove fast, about 140 seats were made out of big slabs of beautiful and serene place like that As we left the site, I carried a big
to 160 kilometers per hour in the wood and the truck had no ceiling. As could be the location for such a hideous burden inside my heart. Maybe it is be-
speedometer. I couldn’t help but worry. the bumpy ride went on, I felt dizzy but crime. Fifty-eight people were simulta- cause justice still hasn’t been served for
I felt scared. at the same time expectant of some- neously murdered in that place on No- the victims of the horrendous massacre.
The van stopped on the side of the thing I couldn’t figure out. vember 23, 2009. I got the chance to visit the cemetery
highway where several military officers The sun was shining brightly. It was One military officer, the Batallion where twelve massacre victims were
came walking back and forth. That was a bit windy but humid. As I stepped Commander I guess, approached us and buried. I saw how their families miss
when it hit me. I came to my senses and down the military truck, my feet almost told us what he witnessed the first time them so much. How they long for them
realized that I was actually on my way froze. I didn’t know how to act with the he and his troops went there. I remem- and for the justice that needs to be
to the Maguindanao Massacre site. presence of the military officers staring ber his statements clearly: “Ayan, yang  served. I witnessed the remorse of a
They asked us to transfer vehicles at us. It was unusual for me to see men kinatatayuan  niyo,  diyan  maraming  na­ little boy who carried a portrait of his
since the van could not traverse the holding M-16 and Armalites and guard- kahigang patay diyan noon” (That spot dead father. He held the photograph
where you are standing, a lot of dead tight and cried hard at the grave of his
bodies laid there after the Massacre). father. I saw from his eyes that at a very
My friend and I stood still. We felt really young age, he already knows how pain-
scared and nervous. The same military ful it is to lose a loved one. My heart
officer pointed something to us and broke after witnessing that. I was teary-
JUSTICE FOR THE 
VICTIMS OF THE   said: “Ito  yung  malaking  hukay  na  eyed and I pitied the innocent child for
MAGUINDANAO  nakikita  niyo  sa  TV.  Diyan  binaon  yung  he had no choice but to deal with the
MASSACRE.   mga  sasakyan.  Yung  maliit  na  hukay  misfortune of his father.
On November 23,  naman  doon,  diyan  binaon  yung  mga  Sometimes it makes me think why
2009, 58 people were  patay” (That big hole that you are see- bad things like this happen. I keep on
killed in what consid‐ ing was where the vehicles were searching for answers to this question
ered to be the worst   dumped. The smaller hole on the other but I don’t seem to find any. I guess
election‐related  vio‐ hand was for the bodies). things really have a purpose in life.
lence to hit the coun‐
The two big holes were now Even this tragedy has a purpose. We
try. Over a year later, 
crammed with weeds. If you didn’t may not know it now but I’m sure there
justice has still not 
been served.  know the story behind it, you’d think is.
              that it is just an ordinary uneven land Some people look surprised when-
Photo by Camille Anne  with lots of green grass. I didn’t know ever they learn that I have already been
De Asis and Celine   how to react that time. My friend and I to the Maguindanao Massacre site. I
Pagobo  just stayed close together and held don’t know if I should consider this as
hands. We tried to break the tension we an accomplishment, though. All I know
were feeling by attempting to take is that this experience is one I will for-
some pictures. But instead of smiling in ever never forget. ∎

A Paradise joyable.
Because of its natural beauty and
charm, the island seems to be very
breeze lessens the itch of sun burn.
Despite the presence of foreign and
local tourists, the island remains calm
popular to foreign tourists. People from and quiet. It still provides a venue for

in Samal other countries are often seen roaming

around the island; most of them are
caught lying on the sand under the heat
by Karen Marie Pastor  of the sun, trying to achieve the perfect
tan.
Tourists need not spend on expen-
silence, reflection, and some soul-
searching. The place is able to preserve
its beauty amidst the noise, laughs, and
giggles of people enjoying the island.
Paradise Island, after all, is one hid-
den paradise of an island amidst a busy

W 
ho would have thought
that a few minutes away
from the hustle and bustle
of the city of Davao is a too-good-to-be-
true paradise in the guise of Samal Is-
land? Samal Island, which is identified
for its beautiful resorts, hotels, and
abundant marine resources and aquatic
life, is where a lavish yet inexpensive
beach resort popularly known as the
Paradise Island is located.
The Perfect Getaway  The Perfect Food  resorts that
Paradise Island is just a ten-minute
travel away from the city proper. For
only P15/each, guests get to enjoy the
beautiful sight of the island and the cool
breeze of the wind while riding a boat
that will transport them to Samal.
Entrance fee at the Paradise Island
is at P100/each; this also includes the
use of tables and chair, and shower
rooms; and a visit to their mini zoo,
restaurant, and souvenir shops. The sive tanning lotions or creams, as the city. ∎
island also provides a perfect view of heat of the sun in Samal Island is just
Mt. Apo and the city, and incomparable perfect to tan one’s skin, and the cool
experience of Samal’s fine off-white
sand. THIS WAY TO 
Aside from the free access to their PARADISE.  
amenities, the island also provides Located  just 10 
venue for extreme sports enthusiasts. minutes away 
The island offers scuba diving, snorkel- from the city, 
ing, sailing, kayaking, boating and jet Samal Island is 
skiing, at various price rates. home to a  
number of  
  
The food in Paradise Island, espe- provide a quick 
cially the seafood, is a must-not-miss but relaxing  
experience. It is fresh, tasty, and very getaway. 
delicious compared to other restau-              
rants we’ve visited in the city. However, Photo by Rose Anne 
the appetizing food is quite expensive Valledo 
and the serving time of the food takes a
little long. But need not to worry about
the long wait part; the beach singers
will make the waiting bearable and en-