The Guinayangan Republic

I had been accustomed of chopping sounds of “daras” (adze axe) waking up every morning during the 80s. But on a particular August morning of 81 it’s a different story. I have to make sure the progress of something at the boat yard of Mang Junior Egay, where those days, he’s the most in demand boat smith. Since it was started I have been ensuing the making of our fourth boat. Three boats of us were already been wafting the Ragay Gulf namely M/B Cenizal, M/B King Con-Con M/B Contessa . That time we have a nameless boat nearing its completion. I couldn’t wait for it to be finished. Not just the launching but I was also delighted to know what would be the name for her. Even though boats and ships gender are feminine but name of it, can be neutral. I was hoping that my father could name the new boat to me. In Manlayo if your name was use in a boat, it is a prestige that your fellow will bring you accolades of prides too few were having. It’s a namesake of your proud well-being. The patronymic name of our first boat bears all of my sibling’s joy of having it their own. But mine was different I want to have series name of my own.


Sketches of our fishing boats -- sketches by Nell Cenizal

Every afternoon before heading to play, my cousins and friends always had a glance and quick visit at the progress. My cousin Chris was always teasing and ridiculing me by muttering something that I clearly understand without hearing those. He was keeps on insisting a name source for the boat not from me. When I was a kid my name was Con Con I don’t know why it’s lost when I grew up. At my teenage my name was Corne, not a classy one but it seems to match with my personality that I hate so much growing with it. Today I hate using those. “Ano kaya ipapangalan dito, King Con Con II kaya?” The rhetoric question of my cousin sank in my mind and it has coveted me to urge my father not to name her to my youngest sister Teresa.


A typical Manlayo boat yard

Every time I finished my afternoon class I headed straight to boatyard and insistently asked something from Mang Junior. “Mang Junior Tapos na ang unahang subo(bow keel) at huling subo(stern keel) eh di parka(hull) na bukas? Dapat matapos na agad ito!.” I was really too importunate asking too many questions to him. I could see his unhappy face answering my stickler’s behavior. Probably because I might have interrupting him while using “Daras” chopping the surface of bow keel while shaping the “chine”. It’s a delicate task for a boat smith. Boat’s chine, of all the boat’s accent, presumably it is where a boat smith put his signature work. It’s the most painstaking part of the boat that makes a name for him that keeps him apart from all the rest. That time, I recall a handful of boat smiths competing for almost every quarter a new boat were launched.

For that particular boat my father still has chosen him. I couldn’t have to agree more. He was really a fine craftsman, my fellow Manlayohin could attest how good he was. Among he produced were very popular, fast and sleek boats. Because of his unique boat design, boat’s speed gliding ability, has never been outperformed by others. So I understand him, though I wasn’t quenched for the info I was too eager to know.

Then new boat was”Sinampaloc” type, as they called it, a boat design derived from Cavitenos’ outrigger canoe. About 10 meters long and 1.5m wide. It will be propelled by a 16-Horse power gasoline two-stroke engine made by Briggs and Stratton. Its bow and stern were chamfered that shaped like a tamarind fruit’s concave tip. Without even asking him I saw where the progress at. The “Ligason”(boat side framings for hull) were all align and in placed. Mang Junior was just carefully woodworked with router bit traversing laterally on 2” by 6” timber. That would become the gunwale or rails and hold “ligason” in place. I was too eager to see the placement of outer shell hull not because it’s nearing completion, but the impelling needs of its name. Plating would still take a while before the freeboard will be ready for painting. Urges were getting high I couldn’t hide my feeling imagining my name written above the waterline. Grandest font of Gothic would twist and twirl, that usually use by painter like Kuya Rodel Canoy. Besides Mang Junior, Kuya Rodel was the most sought-after guy before launching a boat. He has a unique technique on using baroque fonts that I couldn’t figure out what calligraphy he was using. I admired how he stroke paintbrush with neat precisions on newly constructed boat with hull painted as white as pearl. I was confounded by what royal salutation I might use, Prince or King. His style of creating a crown on the first letter of royal prefix added more interest on insisting my name.


showing typical hull framing - Ligason in Tagalog term

I was lucky, one fine morning and I saw him painting another boat near the shore. While he was mixing some paint, and stirring some color tinting, I have thought that he was still preparing, It’s the best time to ask since he was not that busy and I could pause him for a while.—“Kuya Rodel? Do you have an idea what our new boat’s name is? Did my father tell you the name? Is it Con con 2? Is it Prince or King?” Kuya Rodel couldn’t grasp how many question I had. He just replied I don’t know! I don’t know which questions will I answer, but I think your father hasn’t decided yet. Why?” You have 3 boats it was named to your Family, the other one is yours and the third one to you and your sister Tessa. Yeah you may be right it could be Con Con 2″ as he then continued doing the painting. I waved goodbye to him, so as not to disturb him. Wow! That was awesome! Even kuya Rodel suggested, this is great! While I was several paces away, I turned to him and assured a final advice. “Kuya pag tinanong na ni Tatay sabihin mo mas maganda kung King Con Con 2 ha?” Sige! Sige!” kuya Rodel answered – probably in accord just to keep me away.

As I passed our newly constructed boat, putty has been scraped all over its hull; I knew that by tomorrow it would be plane by sandpaper. Then hull will be painted by white at the freeboard and maroon at the waterline through the draft. I really couldn’t wait to know the name of that boat. I must! I really must!

That night during our dinner, I finally had the courage to ask my father what it will be. Before my father left the table I asked him casually. “Father when will be the name of our boat be painted? Did Kuya Rodel advise you what the best name is? I think he may have a good idea for its name. Don’t you think?”. He answered “No I haven’t spoken with him yet, but you mother and I had already decided a name”… Really!! Oh that was good what is it? My sister Teresa immediately swallowed her food and asked her too. “OO nga what is it?” My eyes grow big as we were waiting for answer. My father looked at my mother as if she was asking as to whether to tell us or not (keep us from enviously hate each other) so my mother clear her throat as if she would be the one discussing the name. “You see, we have 3 boats, as you already knew, it was name to our family, the second is from you Con Con and third one is your both name combination. If I were to ask you what name it will be? “I retorted of course King Concon 2 or Prince Concon 2!. My sister Tessa couldn’t suggest for she barely can read and write she was just 6 yrs old (it’s my lucky day!) My sister uttered “Princess Maria Teresa”! Huh how did she do that! And then quarrel of words came. No, it’s very long I said. To add more dissension I teased her. Oh yeah! Can you spell that to kuya Rodel? sige nga! –Nanay will just tell him easy as that! She answered. Huh! Oh no. She knew the way! I’m going to lose. Finally my mother stops us from quarrelling and delivered the verdict. We decided the name be Princess Maria Teresa because you already had your sole name on one of our boat. It’s time that your sister has its own name on this one. I cried from the impending frustration. My mother then calmed me with her comforting words–Just pray that fishing will be abundant and we will build another one. And what will be the name then? Of course your wish “King Con Con 2” as promised. Sobbing, but clearly my mother grasped my assertion. I think it’s pretty fair to name it to her. It’s okay for me, “but don’t you think it’s too long? Kuya Rodel might charge as high writing those letters you know?” I riposted. Don’t you worry your father and I had figured it out. To omit the Princess prefix to lessen the lettering cost. I saw my little sister was clapping so heavily spattering all grain of rice sticking to her hands and so happy about the decision. She was sticking out her tongue while taunting me, by gesturing her hands like horns.

The following day we attended mass and went to market afterwards. Before that lunch I saw the new boat. My sister and I were eager to see the name of her. Wow! She is a beauty. From stem to stern a sleek boat ready to hit the water. The name, look at the name! Kuya Rodel you really are an artist. Nice Font. Nice color too, a tone of green as bamboo were the theme of the name. It was finely scaled with the freeboard height. I was amazed and once again forget the frustration from losing the naming contest.


Old Photograph of our boat f/b Maria Teresa with my father - restoration by Nell Cenizal

At her maiden voyage, a priest attended the blessing of the new boat. After the priest sprinkled the holy water, coins and candies were showered as good luck. It was one of my happiest days more so when she was tested for seaworthiness. My father steered the boat away from the beach and circled the Manlayo shoreline. Sea breeze gently flows to my smiling face while clenching at her mast. Mang Junior is really a master of his craft. The boat gently wake and rip the wave as it splashed to her bow. You couldn’t even feel the waves were shaking it. As my siblings and I enjoy the scenery offshore, it was my first time seeing the contour of mountain ranges overlooking from the sea. The peninsula view grows bigger as we waft further away. I admittedly forgot my frustrations and turn to my father and ask him. Who will be going to man this boat for fishing? Is he good? Because, I’m looking forward to see Con Con 2 from its proceeds. My father smiled and answered me –It’s your kuya Zalde.

Four years had gone by; fishing scarcity had made my father downsized our fishing business by selling other boats. Past typhoons have destroyed the other one leaving us with one boat at hand – our Princess Ma. Teresa. Before my high school, fishing almost declined to depletion and eventually we sold the last boat. Months passed and our economic condition grows more depressing. My father finally gave up our second house adjacent to the boatyard and swapped it with a new boat and 5,000 pesos of cash. Though we were second owner of the boat acquired from Mr. Rolly Manalo name F/B Che Che. My maturity and willingness to help my family to recover, my sister and I never argue anymore for owning the name. It’s also because we had a new sister and for sure was more entitled for the name of it. F/B Lady Bernadette, the boat design was slightly similar to M/B Con Con. Though her name was too long again I never had second thought of giving her right getting its name from our new born sister.


Daras (Adze Axe in English term) Sepia photo by Nell Cenizal

Year 2008 I saw Mang Junior once again. He still could recognize me. I ask him if he still making boats. He said, time slips away and worst economy hit us pretty good, so almost monthly my task had been repairing damage boat due to typhoons. At least it keeps me busy. It’s just the grey hair that changed on him. I missed how he swing Daras axe curving the keel. I remember his precision those days it’s really mind boggling. I remember his joke when I was kid, how he proudly displayed his precision, that he could shave human hair using adze axe without touching your scalp. I remember learning a lot from him from naming the tools and how it is called in English. I actually named all of them from hammer, drills, and chisel to planer. He name-puzzled me once when I was a kid, He asked me to translate two carpentry tools he couldn’t name. The “hulog” and “daras”, fortunately I’m up to challenge (and still, I recall it). So, that day when I saw him again, He was surprised that my greeting was — Plumb bob or plummet and Adze axe!! He was puzzled he couldn’t figure out what I’m saying. I told him it’s the English terms for hulog and daras. He laughed and amazed that I still never gave up after a score year. Shhh! don’t tell him about Google.


Plumb Bob or Plummet - English term for "hulog"

He briefly stopped for a while and squatted with me near the fish-curing rows. I told him I never became Naval Architect, my long dream of designing yachts and ships where never happened and gave up with it. So what do you become then? Ah just nothing at least we can chit chat! Right? He laughs and glanced to my face as if he was digging every memory he had, recalling me stickling him doing our fourth boat.

Today, the end of “Great Fish Race” era was long gone. Fishing as expected declined to eradication down to small fishing activity. The glory days of Manlayohin were vanished. No coins and candies have been showered. No rollers have been readied to launch a boat for maiden voyage. No boats are being launched every quarter. No new name has been battled about, nor a boat in construction. Those memories were vanished and for sure will be gone for good. Where are the mercies of God? Where is His promised that will lavish us with the abundance of fish from the rituals of boats blessings? I keep wondering who drives fishing scarcity is it us? Or, God is punishing us? Writing this story has made the name our boat as my context of my long forgotten memory of its abundance.

I couldn’t recall anymore how the old shore looked like. Every year, I return to my root, wishing I could see berthing of boat side by side, outrigger to outrigger of every boat. Ironically I have been seeing dilapidating boats turn upside down capsize by previous storms. My uncle exaggerated those days that you could walk from Manlayo to Poblacion by walking from boat to boat’s outriggers without touching the water.

Different outcome of economic instability brought my long dream of having my name again in a boat -a thing of hopeless kid’s dream. I hope someday I can grow old and sail my own boat and name it to my ever dream “King Concon II”

:by Cornelio Cenizal