Where do we go from here?

Where do we go from here?

This is the basic question that should be resolved in a direction mandated by law and this priority shall be an agreed predication. Looking back on the history of Culion we must understand the legitimacy of residents to define who were, who are the novel people that reside in this place. The place that was actually reserved for a particular kind of people. A purpose created towards a humane act, Culion was intended. It is a home for loved and cared individuals forsaken by society. A place to isolate a human bereft of a curse they never desired. It is a seclusion of a place that nobody wanted to be.

Even though, few kind-hearted people volunteered to serve these people, they were there even the whole world had forsaken them. The place was feared, maligned and misjudged. But in the end, a tragic outlook is now looming to the same people who in the beginning were just victims of circumstances to be in this island community. The self-same individuals the law intends to emancipate through the passages of R.A. 9032; the hansenites and their children, the government employees, the religious sectors, the volunteer workers and servants who dedicated their lives for a worthy cause. The ‘liberation’ of the people of Culion who once upon a time, forcibly brought here because of their misfortune of being ‘different’, together with the servants who volunteered here that they may serve these patients, our forefathers, who labored that others may live, could be disenfranchised by what is happening now. As the rightful citizen of this civic society we must be part of the decision making in the determination of why, where, what, and how much is for whom. But then again, we’ll go back to this basic question that should be resolved in a direction mandated by law, where do we go from here?

As a former Leper Colony, Culion was a national reservation that became a municipality. People are mounting their own monument at stake for their claim. But prior to that, there was massive selling of DOH given rights to buyers without regards to the actual value of land that had created a situation of speculation, intimidation and confusion among the locals. The land they gave away is now in the possession and claimed by those who know the actual value of the land. People sold their rights because of sheer ignorance, unwariness or poverty. Others took advantage of the situation to profit from their rights as a piece of paper can now be converted into cash or millions.

The law mandates the government! The leaders must ensure equitable, just and honest land distribution and reserved the land for every bonifide residents of Culion, if not the original people of Culion. This leadership must be free from any biases and conflict of interest, nor their vested interest, that their mandated authority will be for the good of the people who gave them their trust, that their rights must always be encouraged.

As a people who shared a bittersweet past, our forefathers, made sure that this place we now live will not only for us to share, but most of all for our children, they who had given their lives, that a municipality might live! The government that will be a self-determination we all dream of. These people should be part of that visioning and setting up a goal that will be good for all, as much as goodness that our fore bearer did to us. We cannot destroy all these goodness for the sake of self-imposed progress and development, that renounce the past and losing all those true development that was handed to us for the sake of a better future of our children and their children. We almost regained that paradise we now called Culion thru this virtue of independence. By all means we cannot afford to lose these God-given gifts to us. We can never forsake the past and let all the sacrifices our servant fathers did and be put in vain.

What we need now is to inform the people of the reality that is happening nowadays but at the same time not to forget the past. Maybe some would rather forget their bitter past because of that painful reality as what the movie of the old said ‘huwag mong salingin’. But in the end, no cure can heal the wounds without the pain. We need to move now and carry on with our quest for what goodness must be for all of us.

We are now challenging if not imploring this burg to ensure that Culionaires i.e. patients and their descendants, the employees who served here and their descendants who migrated that opted to stay here prior to the creation of the municipality, to reserve the land for these people!

Now tragically, people are asking for what? For whom? Do I have my share? What about me? Am I not entitled? Do I deserve a place in Culion where I was born? Am I still a stranger just like my parents who was virtually imprisoned in this island that became a dreaded place? Do I belong now, when the whole world despises us and we were forgotten here?

Currently they are measuring and zoning the land. Can we only wait? What do I know now? Am I still praying for my fair share? Will it come? Or am I forgotten again? To whom should I listen? We are mere children of Culion. Do this regime really empathizes?

We were in lost-paradise when we grew up in culion. We were a community of men isolated by our identity as a place of seclusion. But Culion is ours. We became a distinct culture isolated by stigma and became a character of our own specie. Endemic. A unique and isolated society who created its own cultural heritage who shall remain steadfast as who we are now. We cannot change because of a confused town. The government that was created for us should not dictate the will of the people, nor changed what we beautifully created that this new culture took us time to value. If changes do happen it should not stumble on a created thing that was valued by our past. The present is a power of money and connection. Do they want to subdue a norm? A value? A culture? What happen now to what our forefathers sacrificed for? Like the religious communities that not only lovingly dedicated their lives and services but still carry on what they started? Are we beholden now of a creeping culture of power and might?

The law, the culture, the norms are now in clash. Disputing each other without proper forum to decide who and what is true, and good and right.

As the plans are nearing its conclusion, we cannot but ask ourselves as people residing on foreshore areas of Culion and some other forgotten islands as well as coastal shores;

DO WE HAVE A PART OF THE LAND AS PROMISED BY R.A. 9032? DO WE HAVE A CHANCE TO OWN A PIECE OF LAND THAT SHALL DISPELL OUR STATUS AS SQUATTER IN THE LAND OF OUR BIRTH? OR AS OUR GREATEST FEAR NOW IS THIS SIMPLE QUESTION… WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Are we now the victim of maneuverings? Then our quest arise here, to whom this land must truly belong?

Dear Students of Modernity

Dear students of modernity

Today is our a new day in the school of modernity, for we are trying to learn about our town, possibly in a deeper sense of view, if not to know our true destiny on how are we going to find its significance? We must uncover some logic from all these quests, because this is the very reason why we are revealing this, in order to rediscover our mission and to go beyond this voracity, so that we can travel a meaningful journey and reveal our true identity and destiny... since we are not mere 'x' we’ve got to be a 'factor'. Could this be a treasure beyond Lamed, or more than the Tangays, beyond the issue of land? Then that could be an X-factor.

The future of 'Isla' is attractively so bright, for the place itself is a magnet for tourism, like the UNESCO Heritage Sites, the Museum, the Historic Fortress and of course the beautiful natural resources that we need to protect & preserve in order to sustain them. Who would have asked for more? Do progress slowly deteriorating the eco-friendly island where damages are going with the flow of climate change? But how can we declare progress, when this so-called ‘teachers of modernity’ are as anti-truth as their lords? Can we prevent them? How can we imitate and apply the dynamism and activism of our forefathers during the fortification of the place, as they have experienced in the past compared with what we are experiencing now or even in the future? We are hoping to see a better place in the future to stay, and wishing our forerunners will do even just a hint of betterment to free us from all these kind of menace and threats alike.

The Colony was even more advanced 50 or 60 years ago than the current system where it seems to be moving one step forward but three steps backward at the same time, like the systematic perversion that is happening as we are writing this letter. Our forefathers were advanced simply because of their brotherhood and people empowerment, the culture of bayanihan communities not to mention the family ties and their triumph against all the odds of the past. But what have we today? Why we cannot even form ourselves into one people's coalition? We can only ponder, yet these are the very reason and the essential requirement to diagnose these inevitable disorders being created nowadays.

Can we allow this to happen? Like the kind of maleficent who wants to control everybody... to perdition in the guise of reformation? As we always said, for a malevolent to triumph, it is when few good men do nothing, like a despicable primate who can’t hear, can’t see, can’t speak and cannot move. Unfortunately there are signs of victory from this kind of myopic modernity. Then we would come to an end and can only ponder to ourselves and ask this ironic question, which is better, the golden past or this so called futuristic progressivism? Look at our habitat today can you still reverse the globalization while avarice sparkly reflecting everywhere?

There are lots of issues facing our world today, and we are not isolated anymore from all these concerns: Two things; One, as what the majority are saying, if we will not dance with the music of modernity, what will our future generation be like? Is technological ignorance similar to under-educated or considered an offense against superiority or development? How can we face these glitches if we will not welcome modernization? But the big question lies on another quest, who are championing on this advancement? If we know the obvious answer, then modernity is not the problem nor progress, it could be myopic or indifference. Are they the one we called the ‘self-serving-few’ that are causing these complications? Two, if the narrow-minded-irresponsible individuals are the only one showing these symptoms, then why are we not animated by reason to revolt against these blunders? Are we insulting the capability of our very own selves? We hope 'free will' is still open in this arena and fairness still rules and reaches us in no time... then courage!

We are currently observing this kind of balancing, between the gestures of goodness on people from all walks of life, against the threat that is reigning the place. These maleficent could manipulate the rule of law so the people in this beautiful island needs to be consulted and included to design the future of our beloved town. Let us not allow these filthy few to rule, instead let the process of collaboration as well as knowledge and wisdom to win the battle for us, as the true sign of evolvement. We need to encourage and eternally thank the presence of few good men like "David" in this arena; they can make and spell out a big difference! Just like what our missionaries who never relented to teach us, Magis, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam! "For the greater glory of God"

In a logical sense of view, we never ever blamed true development or even the purpose of technologies, because this is the advancement we really need even until this very moment. The problem dwells on the confusions of our trailblazers. In our current world, which is mostly concentrating on progress while good values from our forefathers are being ignored. There lies the big difference. Our novel leaders nowadays lost these opportunities. Instead we have indifference and parodies if not sheer ignorance? They cannot even systematize our basic needs, as simple as to clean our town or our water system or waste disposal, how much more is our land. If they can only follow and respect our forefathers’ greatest achievements, then they can maximize the use of what we now called the wisdom of technology, but instead we have torpidity and indifference.

Yes there will be more programs and activities for advancement, but from what we are experiencing now it would require more miracles to achieve them rather than manipulating it. Unless we’ll be awaken by these impediment or disappointments and comprehend our true sense of development, of being eco-friendly and strengthening the principles of historical and cultural values. Then we need this kind of advocacies from our young generations as well as from our valuable and educated young professionals who will take a stand, no matter what, for the greatest good.

We are forever searching now for a courageous or Davidic individual who have a kind of heart and bravery to face all these Goliaths. We wish it any more than no other choice but do it and continually doing it, hoping to generate fruits much sweeter than the fruitage of the past. With all the help of our friends, families and communities who are the true resident in hearts and minds... imploring to remain vigilant as the nature and soul of the place. A valiant persona who can ride with this so called ‘hope’ that will hold on and cultivating the grassroots before it's too late as we are chasing and running out of time. This was our quest since time immemorial... Hmm isn't it exciting? So with the continued guidance of spirited-hearts we will continue to study, train and acquire great understanding and prudence. So our future depends on the laurels of the people mentioned above for our true destiny.

We need the grace of wisdom to continue our mission together with our high hope that needs to be balanced in order to fathom the greatness of our goals, guarding the utmost fears we are facing now, like the spinning of minds and hearts of the people in the guise of sheep's clothing while it cannot even recognize what is right and what is wrong? This is our greatest hindrance; the distortions of our moral capacity with the price tag of deceit, when truth becomes a lie and the lie became the truth? Let us be vigilant. Courage! For we are not isolated anymore, becoming the student of modernity. Transforming and enlightening ourselves, most specially the millenials, to learn from the good lessons of the past and of course the goodness of our future of true 'modernity' that we can also encounter as the spiritual quotient.