The Guinayangan Republic

Several mangroves are seen along the riverbank and coastal areas of Sitio Capuluan, Guinayangan, Quezon Province.

Going to many places has never been boring. My weekend last summer has brought me to a common place, yet extraordinary; a place where truly nature speaks for itself, greatly and abundantly—untouched and virgin.

For more than eight hours of travel via AB Liner, my trip started at 11 in the evening in Pureza Terminal Station.On our way, food handlers just hitched on the bus, selling pinagong, a bread with aromatic smell, espasol, kalamayhati, and famous tikoy. I chose pinagong. And I liked it.

Guinayangan in Quezon Province destined to be my next stop last June. It has a vast seascape brimmed with fishes, sea foods, and perfect scenery, while its mountains have towering coconut trees, mostly been growing couple of decades ago, and palm trees that mostly used for weaving and agricultural business. Most people talked differently in their intonations, but they are Tagalog-speaking—mainly because of settlers coming from islands of Panay, Mindoro, Masbate, and even from the mainland Luzon.


The Guinayangan Port serves as essential artery in sea transport of goods and travel.



The municipality is a 4th class in the province, and has more than 50,000 people. According to the Wikipedia resource, Guinayangan came from a native word for cane “gayang”, they “copied” —ginaya and adopted the name to become “ginayangan” or what is now known as Guinayangan. Its people pronounce it “Ginyangan” omitting the “a” sound.





A high-noon shot during my stay at Sitio Capuluan, Guinayangan, Quezon Province

I moved closer to the mountains. From the proper town area, we hopped in a craggy jeepney and took a 45-minute trip to Sitio Capuluan. I stayed there for almost five days, not resting, but taking photos, a lot of photos, and talking to different people. They were fun. I liked the most the way they talk, and I felt amazed. The foods they served were mostly hot and spicy, and I feel eating their delicacy laing with no pork.

“Residents here work very hard for a living. They go fishing, others would do lukad or preparing dried coconut to sell in the market,” 19 year-old Shiela C. Asi, a local resident said.

Before, students have to endure the pain in walking going to school miles to miles for an hour or even more. “We really have a hard time walking and walking.” However, “there are jeepneys already. Hours of walking was replaced by a 15-minute ride on a jeepney.”


Coconut trees are some of important sources of financial income of the locales in Guinayangan


Some of the residents have moved to places from places, searching for another avenue to venture. But one thing is true—they go back home.

“There is no place like home,” Adrian M. Cueto said. He grew up in Guinayangan,

then transferred to Iloilo City and some time in Antique to find meaning what life has in store. But he goes home. Now a seafarer, Adrian is proud being raised in this place. “I have been to many places in the world, but Guinayangan is far different. It has a lot to offer, especially in progress and development of Quezon province,” he added.

Most of his pals before are now in some places in Luzon, mostly in Manila, and they always go home, to seek refuge from the city’s fast paced living. “You will always look after for the serene nights, when you could only hear the crickets and the frogs in the pond,” Adrian said.

I have met Kaka Linda Alday who prepared some native delicacies during my stay. “We have similar delicacies here, but what mainly differs is the way we prepare,” she said while prepping some white-colored balls made of starch. She at that moment was cooking ginataan rolled in banana leaves and soaked in melted brown sugar.

As she wrapped up her cooking, she made mentioned of how people thrived in their place. “People here could live without enough money, as long as you have rice to eat, you will survive,” she smiled at me saying.


Kaka Linda bravely fought all the trials and problems she face in her life.


Albeit the pain in her breast, as she said, “I’m suffering from stage three breast cancer,” I could see in her face the glow, the spirit to survive, but I could, somehow, feel her pain. She lived as if there are no worries, no pains, but I realized she has few more months to live. “People here are strong, industrious, and eager to survive; like me,” she added.

“Before, we find it hard to receive any medical services, but now, the municipality is improving,” Kaka Linda said.

Guinayangan is equipped with a municipal health center, a hospital, and qualified health officers who could deliver quality and efficient health services, free medicines and vitamins are available for needy and sick people.

As I end up my week-long break in Sitio Capuluan, I have met different people, with different stories, with different dreams and aspirations. I wish I would be there, once more, but I will surely miss Kaka Linda; she could not prepare ginataan for me anymore. Though I could no longer see her smile, her strong will to survive inspired me.

It was not merely visiting this place for me to experience what life in the Quezon province is and to enjoy the life out of city’s stressors. Knowing how life is played in there made my stay so much self-fulfilling; so meaningful.



Sitio Capuluan is accessible either by motorbanca or by jeepney.

















This article is my travel story for BusinessWorld





by: Harthwell C. Capistrano

 
Photos Courtesy of harthwell.blog.friendster.com
Repost from Inscripto