Romblon…the
Heart of Philippine Archipelago
By Apolinario Villalobos
Bordered by Marinduque in the north, San
Jose (Mindoro) in the west, the Bicol Region in the east and Panay Island in
the south, the hemmed-in province is composed of more or less twenty islands
and islets, the three major ones, being Tablas, Sibuyan and Romblon. The
country has always been proud of the Romblon marble, in fact, one of the best
in the world. It is quarried on the island of Romblon, although, veins of this
coveted colorful mineral rock can be found in some areas of Tablas island. The
airport is located at Tugdan, also on the island of Tablas, and so is the
province’s biggest port which is located at Odiongan. Both Romblon and Sibuyan
islands have their own ports but with limitations. Romblon, the namesake of the
province is its capital.
Romblon was used during the Spanish era as
a repair station for galleons, reason why many Romblomanons have traces of
Spanish and Mexican blood in their veins. The uniqueness of the province lies
in the dialects spoken by the people which vary from town to town, despite
their not being not-so-far from each other, some even separated by just a short
bridge, as in the case of Alcantara and Looc.
The first time I set foot on the island of
Tablas was when I was given the order by PAL to report there as a ticketing
clerk with duties that included checking in of passengers, accepting cargoes
for shipment, making reservations, and giving signals to the pilot where and
how to park on the tarmac using two orange-colored paddles, similar to the ones
used in pingpong. I was overwhelmed by the quiet life and cleanness of the
island. I found out that the first Miss Aviation beauty queen of the
Philippines came from the town where PAL’s ticket office was originally
located, Alcantara. She was Yvonne Solidum.
There was no need for street sweepers on
the island as the streets were immaculately clean. During that time, there was
no electricity in most part of the province, including Alcantara and later,
Looc, where our office was located, but lately, the islands have caught up with
progress and blessed with this convenience. Fish were abundant, until now, I
was told by a friend. My favorite seafoods, then, were alumahan, tulingan,
sapsap, squid, anchovy (dilis), and sea urchin roe. But because of the
limestone and rocky characteristics of the islands, most vegetables were still
brought from Manila, Lucena City and Batangas, as well as nearby ports of Panay
Island.
On a private transport, one can go around
the island of Tablas in one day, with stops made at coastal towns that sell
handicrafts made of nito which are actually major products of Sibuyan Island.
Marble figurines abound in all the major towns of the islands, although, the
main sources are the shops in Tablas and Romblon. I tasted the sweetest
sineguwelas in Romblon. I just hope that the small orchard of this Asian fruit
still thrive at Tugdan. When in season, dried squids and anchovies neatly
packed in small plastic bags can be bought at the airport and the pier by
departing visitors.
Tablas island prides in its several
waterfalls, the most famous of which is the Mablaran Falls found in San
Agustin. It also has a hidden “sea”, hence, called Tinagong Dagat, found at
Calatrava. Beaches frame the eastern side of Tablas, that include San Agustin,
Concepcion, Bachawan and Alcantara. Although some are of white sands, the rest
are of grayish black fine sands. A beautiful sunset can be viewed from Looc
Bay. An islet known for its rich Hispanic heritage and still part of the Tablas
group of islands, is Banton which comes to life during the Holy Week due to the
influx of pilgrims. This small island used to be regularly pillaged by pirates.
It caught the attention of archaeologists when centuries old coffins made of
hollowed logs were discovered in the caves that pockmarked its cliffs. I was
surprised to learn during one of my homecomings to my birthplace in Mindanao,
that my English teacher in first year high school who gave me a break at
editing our high school organ, Elmer Festin, was from Banton. He was equally
elated when I told him that I had the chance to visit Banton. He was teary-eyed
when I told him this, because since the time he left his birthplace to study in
Cebu, and finally settle in our hometown with his family, he did not have any
opportunity to retrace his steps back to Banton.
There are ferries that ply between Lucena
City and the island of Sibuyan, particularly at Magdiwang. The most prominent feature of the island is
Mt. Guiting-guiting whose forests yield nito vine that is woven into baskets,
food covers, hampers, trays and hats. The mountain caught the limelight in the
‘80s when careless mountaineers from UP pitched their tents on the bank of the
Cantingas River which overflowed during a sudden downpour. As it happened late
in the night, they were caught unaware and got carried by the surging current.
The Cantingas River flows down San Fernando, creating a waterfall along its
path. Another three-tierred waterfall, appropriately called Kawa-kawa due to
the shape of the basins, can also be found at the nearby barrio of Lumbang Este
of Cajidiocan. The island can also be reached by small boats from San Agustin
and Romblon.
Romblon, the province’s capital can be
reached from San Agustin by small boats. The remaining structure of the sturdy
moss-covered Fort San Andres on a promontory, used to guard the bay of Romblon
where Spanish galleons were moored for repair. To have a glimpse of how marbles
are quarried, one can hike a few kilometers to reach mounds of marble chips,
indication of the flourishing activity. Here one can find raw slabs of
multi-hued marbles ready for transporting to the town, and finally for shipment
to Manila. Romblon marble is touted as better than Italy’s carara variety. This
claim has been emphasized with the discovery of the matted white and rosa
violeta varieties.
Some of the rustic towns of Tablas were
used as backdrops in movies years ago, aside from being known as the home
province of the popular ‘60s movie personalities such as Daisy Romualdez,
Blanca Gomez, and Dorothy Joy. Migrants from neighboring provinces, helped much
in the development of the islands. Members of the later generations of these
families still maintain their ancestral homes on the islands. Pioneering
families that I could recall are those of Solidum, Ganan, Fiel, Fernandez,
David, Magnaye, Gacura, Quiachon, Festin, Solis, Romualdez, Fabella, Chavez,
and Tirol. The practice of “extended family” is prevalent in the province, not
only among the blood relatives, but even among neighbors. The spirit of
brotherhood can be strongly felt and observed, too. Mothers who have children
studying in Manila for instance, standby at the airport with a wrapped warm
dinner for them, waiting for a departing friend to hand carry the precious
meal, which will be handed over to a member of the family waiting at the Manila
airport terminal. Such practice is just one of the many that manifest the
closely-knit relationship among the Romblomanons.
Philippine Airlines played a vital role in
the development of the province as regards tourism during the late ‘70s which
saw the country’s hectic promotion of this industry. PAL personnel in provinces
virtually acted as airline ambassadors who promoted air travel. They carried
the image of the airline wherever they went, be they simple barrio fiesta or
family gatherings where they were invited. This was the picture that I saw when
I set foot on the island province of Romblon twice. Those I found busy
maintaining cordial relationship with the communities were Bien Alvaro, the
supervisor, Celso Dapo the load controller with assistant supervisor capacity,
Sonny Garcia and Oswald Alamo as ticket and cargo clerks. Sometimes, due to the absence of electricity
during the time, they even took pains in issuing tickets at night, with the aid of a kerosene lamp, just to
accommodate clients who came from neighboring towns but caught by darkness on
their way to the ticketing office. This kind of unselfish service was actually
ingrained in the minds of the PAL recruits before, who during the battery of
interviews, expressed their willingness to be assigned anywhere in the country,
where there was a PAL station. The principle behind was the “total passenger
care” which was eventually, used by tour agencies as the essence of their
packages and programs. Those were the golden days of Philippines Airlines.
In the case of the PAL Tablas Team, its
efforts that smacked of goodwill were etched in the mind of air travelers who
did not lose time in spreading by word of mouth stories of how tourists can
enjoy a safe sojourn in the province. Their stay in the province made alive the
spirit of the “hospitality home concept” that the company has been espousing
during the time. They did not hesitate to accommodate stranded passengers, free
of charge, in the Chavez ancestral house that they were renting.
I am told lately, that the islands of the
province are very much progressive. The
small village-type wet markets, are now spacious, accented with grocery stores,
and electricity flows throughout major towns and barrios. Another good news is about the sidetripping
of tourists from Boracay to the province, to make use of remaining days in
visiting marble quarries in Romblon island, if they had enough of white sand
beaches. Even the Carabao island that used to be just a resting stop-over for
night-sailing excursionists are already replete with visitors. Visitors now have the choice between
regular hotels and small lodging inns in
the towns of Odiongan, Looc, San Agustin and Romblon island. There are also
ships that regularly ferry passengers to Odiongan from the port of Manila.
