In Part 2 we examined the basic (in)compatibility of education and politics by particularizing on local political culture of Catanduanes vis-à-vis the mandates of the Higher Education Institution (HEI). We…
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SISAY KITA? ni tataramon:
EDUCATION AND POLITICS IN THE HAPPY ISLAND, Part 2
We have expounded in Part 1 that education and politics are strange bedfellows. But there is a most disturbing affair developing between the two with the State University of our…
SISAY KITA? ni tataramon:
EDUCATION AND POLITICS IN THE HAPPY ISLAND (First of a Series)
For most people, education and politics are like water and oil: they do not mix up. The former is about the exalted pursuit of learning and knowledge, while the latter…
SISAY KITA? ni tataramon:
Virac’s Best Town Executives, 1755-1952
Virac’s Best Town Executives, 1755-1952 As a way of commemorating Virac’s feast day this coming December 8, we offer in this occasional column a presentation on\f exemplar political leadership…
Rizal and Catanduanes (Second of two parts)
In this second part, I will reflect on bits and pieces of my personal experiences of Rizal – not in person of course but in various representations – culled from my growing-up years in Virac. I offer these vignettes as reflective of our attitude towards the national hero, which it will turn out, is complicated and not as positive as we think it is.
Rizal and Catanduanes (First of two parts)
In two days, on June 19, it will be the 159th birth anniversary of Jose Rizal. Surely, Catandunganons know of the national hero. But it should warm their hearts to be informed that Rizal also knew of Catanduanes, and in glowing terms. This can be gleaned from Rizal’s “Annotation of Morga’s ‘Sucesos de las Islas Filipina’”, published in 1889.
World War II in Catanduanes (Last of Four Parts)
They engaged in a crackdown on the population, arrested young men they picked up randomly on the streets or else forced them out of homes during raids. They were incarcerated and tortured, all to sow terror on the people.
World War II in Catanduanes (Third of Four Parts)
The people of Catanduanes suffered not only from Japanese occupation, but also from the guerillas supposed to protect them. Such is the evil of war. But the guerillas would famously redeem themselves from such ignominious deeds, which to be sure were committed by a small minority. The next article of this series will tackle the glorious undertaking by local patriots, the Liberation of Catanduanes.
World War II in Catanduanes (Second of Four parts)
Under the Japanese regime, the people lived with extreme austerity and deprivation. Basic commodities were in grave shortage or altogether unavailable so that substitution and improvisation were resorted to. In lieu of the staple rice, people had to feed on root crops, including wild yams (e.g. namu , gamat). They had to make their own salt by boiling sea water. For sugar, they used mahamis locally made from sugarcane juice. Kerosene disappeared in the market. Instead of gas tinterohan, they lit the night using ti-om (clam shell) lamp fueled by oil extracted from coconut. Soap was home-made, again from coconut extracts and lye. Soon, they had to wear scratchy sinamay cloth dyed with locally sourced substances (e.g. achuete for reddish hue, dullaw for yellow). In the countryside, since matches were prohibitively expensive, they maintained a himullang-dan, a log that was eternally burning on one end which had to be tended 24-7.
The Writing of History:
World War II in Catanduanes (First of Four Parts)
In an earlier article (October 23, 2019 issue), I argued that the victorious resistance by the Catandunganons against the Japanese, the only shooting war they fought in their history, proved crucial in the push for consolidation to independent province-hood. This present article is first part of a series of four essays that will present and discuss my digging into the details of the Japanese occupation of the island and the subsequent struggle against it by the Catandunganons.