Ray of hope & quake-licious in Bohol

Tomorrow marks the two-week anniversary of Bohol’ devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake that affected thousands of Boholanos.

Bayanihan spirit Photo by Leo P. Udtohan

Images of hardships are still flooding your TV screen especially in the towns that were the epicenter of the disaster. Many families lost their properties and loved ones and some just disappeared in an instant.

The effects of this dreadful quake are visible everywhere in tent cities where people are still living without proper homes, clean running water and food.

As I went to barangay Bagtic in Catigbian town, I saw people harvesting crops near the tension cracks. There was “Diskwento Caravan” of the DTI in Loon town last Thursday. And despite the quake, the people of Antequera had celebrated their town fiesta yesterday. It was those little things –I’ve realized these are signs of hope.

I salute many amazing people and organizations that are making things better. I’ve realized that there are many young people who care about other people and the province keeping the bayanihan spirit alive. They have volunteered to pack and deliver relief goods to far-flung barangays.

A lot do voluntourism on Facebook and text messages to help promote the affected tourism of Bohol.

Yes, there is still great suffering from the horrific quake, but resilience and a passion for life still dominate the Boholano people.

As you're reading this, you can do something.

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Loboc Riverwatch offers quake-licious

I saw how the 7.2 magnitude earthquake damaged the kitchen of the Loboc Riverwatch, owned by Tessie and Libby Sumampong.

Madame Susan Laguras (Tessie’s right hand) and crew were cleaning the area where a big tree collapsed and destroyed the kitchen. They were saving some stuff.

Loboc Riverwatch floats again!

“The earthquake may have left us devastated after our property sustained damage but our spirits were not dampened to rebuild again,” says Tessie. 

Other floating restaurants are now operational last week but Loboc Riverwatch Floating Resto rises up and brings new menu with a twist.

Tomorrow, Oct. 28, starters on the new menu include  the primary wave: soup of the day which is the linog-gaw, guso salad, manga-nitude with 7.2 bagoong, the epicentre has plain rice, pancit especial, humbang nangka, earth quickquick, chopseuy ni ondoy, battered chicken, seafood kurog-kurog, intensified shrimp, grilled fish tuna-mi, dinakdakan or pork bbq.

The quake delights includes aftershock-koy, bingkang niliki, banana flitters, lindol-dol, faulto cheese, suman, dagandagan fruits in season with one round softdrink.

“We aim to give the earthquake a lighter note despite its heartbreaking effects to Bohol. We decided to introduce our new menu so that diners can treat themselves while enjoying the Loboc River,” adds Tessie. 

It can be noted that Tessie started serving authentic Boholano cuisines last summer.

“50 % of the income will be donated to the Loboc Church,” says Tessie.

(Note: Loboc Riverwatch: Tel. No: (038) - 537–9460, (038) -537–9460; Mobile: +63918 - 510 – 4032/ +63917- 306–0010/+63917-382–2254; Email: lobocriverwatch@gmail.com)

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While we are at it, Prof. Marianito Luspo shares his thoughts on Bohol and the killer quake:

 BAMBOO FLOWERS. If you notice this was the title of Maryo de los Reyes’ latest film project. He told me he got the title while cruising along the Abatan River where some bamboo groves grow. He obviously heard about how the bamboo flowers only once in its lifetime – just before it dies. A poignant tale indeed and this inspired him to develop the storyline of his movie. Seeing the preview, however, I was struck by the fact that nowhere in the entire movie –all about Boholanos and shot mostly in Bohol – is the lesson of the bamboo flower reflected. I did not see beauty preceding extinction, of reality taken for granted until just as it started to get noticed and admired death comes to take it away forever.

Then the cataclysmic earthquake happened and as I tried to grapple with the reality of our Boholano heritage either ruined or lost it dawned on me Maryo J’s tribute movie Bamboo Flowers may have, albeit inadvertently, presaged the fate of Bohol.

Imagine this, for the past several hundred years this island and all the wonders in it stood at the edge of nowhere. It was even bruited about for quite some time that nothing good ever comes out of this backwater of a province. Yes, even us, its inhabitants, used to be the butt of national jokes, it led some enterprising individuals, the likes of Yoyoy Villame, to simply say “Cebu” when asked where they come from, just to avoid the inevitable ribbing.

Then not so long ago, Bohol suddenly hit the limelight and was touted about as the next exciting tourist destination. It took us sometime to adjust to our new found fame, the new monicker as the beautiful province. Overnight, it seemed, we have become like the ugly duckling grown to become a splendid-looking swan. The splendor of our hills were written about; the whiteness of our beach sand is marveled at; our churches touted as exemplars of conservation and heritage sensibility. Yes, even the tiny tarsiers became giants in the eyes of an appreciative world. It took us sometime, yes, but soon we became convinced ourselves we truly have a beautiful province to call home.

The bamboo has flowered, after centuries of flourishing as an overgrown grass species along the banks of the Abatan river. How long did its season of flowering last – twenty years? No, it was much less than that. When the earth groaned and went into paroxysms of sub-tectonic readjustment that fateful morning of October 15, 2013, changing the face of our accustomed topography and cultural landscape just as we were just learning to appreciate and take pride in them, we were just ten years as a tourism frontliner, fifteen years cherishing our natural and cultural inheritance and close to eighteen when we started on the road to cultural rebirth. Now, most of beauty of that short-lived flowering are but sad memories. But other bamboos are still there and someday soon they will also come to flower.

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