A RESERVOIR OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

The Philippines was colonized by the Spaniards for more than three hundred years. When they came to the Philippines, they altered what was distinct of the Filipino culture-our belief in supernatural creatures, we worshipped and believed to be truly existing and the origin of life and the other creatures thriving on earth.

Among these bizarre beings which blossomed in the consciousness of the Filipinos are tiyanak, tikbalang kapre, duwende, nuno sa punso, anito, bathala and other deities. These mythical characters were contained in our country’s earliest forms of literature like sigulanon (story-telling), ambahan, awit, bugtong, epiko and tigsikan, etc. The Spanish friars considered them to be blasphemous so they changed the course of our native oral tradition into their story of the creation of humanity when they came to our shore.

They introduced us to Catholicism and substituted our mythological stories and forms of worship with the story of the Passion of Christ. However, some of our oral tradition survived and flourished despite the church authorities’ policy of spreading the Church doctrines, communicating to us in our own language, in some areas in our country that were inaccessible to the Spaniards, therefore, our traditional beliefs stay up to this day!

San Jacinto (SJ), though has become a beautiful destination of the Spaniards for many years and is a place where people eat prayers for breakfast, still is a haven for many superstitious beliefs. These traditional practices believed to have originated from the pre-Hispanic times. During special occasions, ceremonies and even ordinary days, these delusory views would haunt every family and the streets of SJ. “Magpatabi kamo kun matabok kamo sin sapa kay kadaka makatamak kamo sin mga tawo sa dulom (You ask permission when you’re crossing a river because you might step on some invisible spirits.)”  One of the common phrases we often hear from our elders so we can avoid phantasmagorical characters from disturbing us with unfortunate events and inflicting us with some inexplicable diseases.

The luscious greenery and facilities of San Jacinto National High School (SJNHS), the biggest public secondary school in the municipality, are not spared of these animist practices that have dwelt the corners of the municipality. If the Mabolo, Tamarind and Coconut trees that tower the school ground abound with stories of tears, laughters, disappointments and countless whispers of teachers, students and even parents,  another famous entity claims to have been sending scary chills among them-the RESERVOIR-a storage facility built in school which supplies water to many households in town.

The water storage facility is located at the back of a newly-renovated 2-classroom building adjacent to the DRRM office. The thick and huge bush and Ipil-ipil trees that cover and hover around and above it, hide the depot from the eyes of the students and teachers who transfer from one classroom to another to conduct their classes and passers-by such as peddlers, sales agents and visitors who frequent the school with businesses in tow and for whatever transaction they have in mind.

The water depository is believed to be resided by engkanto, duwende, diwata and other allegorical creatures for many years so nobody dares to go near the structure for fear of being possessed by these creatures. Some suspected incidences of possessions in the school were blamed to these mythical creatures which believed to have taken revenge against those who intentionally or accidentally destroyed their prized territory.

A very famous story of an alleged evil work of a spirit living in an invisible world within the confines of the reservoir was the story of the untimely death of “Cara Mia” (not her real name), a student of SJNHS in the 80’s. Talks had it that she died of a mysterious disease. Prior to her death, “Cara Mia” felt sick and was brought to the hospital but the doctor could not diagnose the cause of her condition. “Kadaka ikinatin-o” their relatives and those closest to them said of her illness because in the municipality “tin-o” has become an accepted diagnosis for an undetected ailment.  She was then subjected to “saro” a traditional form of healing in San Jacinto but to no avail because days after she showed signs of physical discomfort she died. “Pagsaro” is commonly performed to a sick person by an “albularyo”, patronized by San Jacinto folks as some of them still believe in an old-style of health giving. An “albularyo” is also considered by many, living in the poblacion or in far-flung barangays, as an instant dispenser of health care in the municipality.

Days before “Cara Mia” felt ill, as chronicled by her classmates and other students in school, she was seen singing her heart’s content the Philippine National Anthem while her hands were executing the beat of the patriotic song. Others also recounted that she was dancing playfully that fateful day before she succumbed herself to an unidentified illness and died.

There was no one to shoot the blame at for her early demise but the clueless RESERVOIR.

Talks of her death rounded the town, eventually creating fear among students of SJNHS and their parents reminding them not to go near the structure as it is haunted by environmental spirits that are endowed with human form but remain invisible.  Aside from baon, parents would give their children their daily dose of reminders to never forget to utter the magic phrases, “Tabi, pira tin’o! Maki-agi! or to ask permission every time they pass by the area so these unseen creatures living in another dimension do not punish them for their being rude or naughty toward or for trespassing their respective grounds.

Other mysterious diseases and deaths of students and ill-fated events in SJNHS after Cara Mia’s were still alluded to the enchanted beings living in the reservoir and the saga continued. Students still are not fond of the place as compared to the shades of the Mabolo and Tamarind trees where they frequent so they can spend their free times for simple chit-chats with their friends and a rendezvous for the school’s home-grown love teams. Nobody frequents the place. If anybody dares go through the densely forested area, he may have skipped classes and going through that part of the school is the best escape route.

Today we seldom hear anyone talking of the reservoir. Perhaps its story has lost its impact or as time progresses people have already become aware of the authenticity of all the strange narratives accorded to it. Or maybe we have had enough of the countless mystical themes of our television shows and movies and feeding ourselves with more of them eventually bores us. In the modern times where we all have an easy access to paranormal stories in different social media platforms,  the scary stories the reservoir bears do not surprise us anymore. Or blame Ed Caluag for sending it kaput in one of his hunts for supernatural presence featured in the TV program “Kapuso Mo Jessica Sojo”. In fact, some students are oblivious of this facility’s existence in our school until their parents told them about it and the myriad paranormal stories that cover the site. 

Whatever this superstitious belief speaks of our native tradition, it only opens cans of realization among us. That in a place like San Jacinto where healthcare is scarce as evidenced by the lack of medical facilities needed for  extensive laboratory tests, there will always be cases of undiagnosed diseases. That in a place like ours where medical practitioners leave to look for bounty of milk and honey abroad because our country could not do so, “albularyos” will always have the hands to check pulse rates and heart beats and an instant medical bulletin for their supposed patients. In a place like ours that is situated in an island, medical help will always be limited!

Another insight that hits us hard is that that these ancient beliefs remind us to circumvent our neglectful attitude toward nature, that we should be in harmony with her and take care of the creatures that find dwelling in her bosom. Whatever we do to our surroundings we will always have a prize to pay!

Many of us are not fans of superstitious belief but watching and reading stories about it excite us. Still, I am glad that there were places in our country not reached by the Spaniards when they wrought our consciousness with their influences because if it happened nothing is left of our national identity.