Silver Lining

Papa always told us to be thankful that we grew up in the countryside. He told me that one time a few years back and it has stuck with me. Well, Tacloban really isn't a countryside but its a not a big cosmopolitan either and I like it that way. All four of us along with a lot of our friends ventured away to Manila or Cebu for college but we all still went home - sem breaks, Christmas breaks and best of all summer. Some have even returned and stayed. Just my siblings and me alone, the moment we find out when the last day of classes would be, its a sure thing that we are already calling the ticketing office to book our flights going home and we don't return to Manila until a day or two before classes start. We are packed a week before our departure for Tacloban but we don't pack until an hour before our return flight. Sometimes, Mama had to pack our stuff because we come up with a barrage of excuses just not to do it.

The past few days, much focus has been given on Leyte. It was even on breaking news in all the major television networks all over the world. Sadly, it is because of the tragedy that happened in Southern Leyte much like the Ormoc tragedy back in 1991. Its sad that we only gain focus when something bad happens to our tiny province. Without those I don't think people would even have a clue where to find it in the map of the Philippines. I experienced this first hand when my classmates do not even have an idea where Leyte was to think that the high school curriculum included Philippine Geography. I have had my share of "saan yun?" when they would ask me where I came from like I came from another planet. It was irritating and annoying but I figured after awhile that it was a pitiful sight. How sad that they do not know about it. So instead of being pissed off, I decided to take it upon myself to educate them about Leyte with whatever I know.

Time moves in a slower pace there. There are no major malls or hot clubs but if one seeks some tranquility, one can find it there. The beaches are a short drive or walk away. They are no Boracay or Amanpulo or other beaches in the Philippines that gets featured in travel magazines. The beauty of our beaches is the fact that it doesn't need major planning nor lots of money to get there. My friends and I have had "spur of the moment" trips to the beach with just enough money to cover the jeepney fare and food. Those were fun times.

Tacloban City is small but one can find basic necessities and more. A lot of people I found out had this vision that we were far behind as far as technology goes and it surprised them that this wasn't the case. I read somewhere that Tacloban was one of the very first cities to have internet cafes. Almost all household had cable when not a lot of people in other parts of the country had them. Almost all households had telephone lines when maybe in other parts of the country were still clamoring to get one. Yes, we have an airport and there are regular flights to Manila daily. Sea and land are also alternative means of getting there. There are hotels and restaurants and bars. Abundant and wide array of the freshest seafoods. There is even one place in Tacloban where we always went to, its call "Baybayon" (seashore). We go there for breakfast, watch as the fishermen bring their harvest to the shore, we pick whatever seafood we want, have someone prepare it the way we want it and then we walk along the seashore and bask in the sea breeze and early morning sunshine while waiting for our food to cook.

I haven't been home in seven years but I get regular updates on what is going on in my province. I know enough to be amazed at how much progress there has been. Maybe I am just idealistic but I knew that there is potential for it to grow and improve. I guess for Eastern Visayas (Leyte & Samar) to be judged as "Best Destination" during one of the Travel Fairs was no fluke. It just needs more exposure of the good kind. We have the Pintados Festival every June 29. I bet not a lot of people know that the national dance of the Philippines, Tinikling originated from Leyte. I didn't know either until I was watching one of my cousins PCN (Philippine Cultural Night) performances and I read it on the program.

I bet there are far more good things about Leyte that I myself do not know yet but hope to discover. Papa's years in politics allowed him to explore places in Leyte that we didn't even know about. He would come home with stories and it always fascinated us. My sister and I plan to travel the province and make a travelogue in the near future. The tragedies of recent may have directed people's attention to my province but I hope it stays past when a sense of normalcy has been restored, people have rebuilt and the province is back on its feet again. Maybe there is a silver lining behind all these tragedies other than realizing that we have to take care of our environment and natural resources. I hope that people will discover that Leyte is way bigger than the tragedies that has become part of our history. If its asking too much from the rest of the world, I guess its not too much to ask from my fellow Leyteños. Aton Ini! (It's ours!)