“When were you born? Where do you live? Where is your home?”
An anonymous author said that the simplest of all questions are the most profound ones. These questions made me think back about a place close to my heart.
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| A view of Laguna Bay from the Binangonan Hills |
I’ve never given my hometown as much thought until today. I’ve been accustomed to the daily routine of leaving and coming home through the years. But having been separated for it for almost 3 years now made me look back into those growing up years I spent in it.
Age of Slumber
I’ve been reading a book about the “Mysteries of the Taal Volcano” and the lost towns that had been buried centuries ago underneath volcanic ashes from the furious Taal volcano eruptions. The accounts made by Spanish priests about the Spanish-era towns near Taal volcano reminded me of our hometown in Tayuman.
There is not a lot of printed literature about Binangonan, Rizal except for my sister’s book report in high school days. I never heard about its existence as a significant Spanish settlement, unlike the neighboring towns of Cainta, Taytay, Antipolo, Angono, Morong and Tanay which had a richer history, evident in their culture and architecture which gave a flavor of Spanish influence.
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Binangonan is a combination of mainland and a fishing village – despite its size, it might not have been a settlement then and that it was only a point of access for the neighboring towns, esp. that of the southeast section which traverses provinces of Southern Luzon (Laguna and Quezon). The western section is simply a dead end facing Talim Island and Laguna de Bay. Based on its terrain, it’s quite obvious that most of the earlier habitants were fishermen (Binangonan being a lakeside town) and livestock raisers. There could hardly be any farmers due to the nature of the soil. It could raise select types of vegetation, but not plentiful enough to make a rich harvest. The vast track of land at the foot of the mountain range had been underutilized up until the early 90s when immigrants from the city and other provinces settled in Binangonan. The lowlands were slowly converted into Industrial estates, residential villages and community facilities. The Binangonan hills were actually a part of the low mountain range of Montalban, Antipolo, Binangonan all the way to Tanay-Morong-Baras and Laguna. It was known to be a physical border separating Rizal from Laguna and Quezon.
Before I got married, I spent 12 years of my life in Rizal. Relative to the other municipalities under the 2nd district of Rizal, the majority of the baranggays in Binangonan remain as rural towns until this very day. There had been changes through the years to keep the town abreast with the needs of the growing population – but nothing significant enough to alter the face of the quiet, unassuming town.
It was around 1983 when our family visited our future home in Tayuman. Our house was being constructed then. The trip from Cubao to Tayuman lasted anywhere between 30-45 minutes. It was a breezy drive and you can hardly see anything interesting along the way save for the endless stretch of highways, the tall shrubs in empty lots and occasionally, mountains of gravel, sand and hollow blocks piled long the perimeter of budding subdivisions along the towns of Cainta and Taytay. And although it was a long, uneventful trip, it never bothered me. The cool breeze brushing against your face is a welcome relief from the humid city air. The highway overlooks Laguna de Bay and it felt serene to watch the lake as we drove by. In the early 80s, jeepneys were the only public utility vehicles that made trips from Cubao, Pasig and Mandaluyong and vice versa. There were tricycles that can bring you to the adjacent town of Angono, where the nearest public market, church and schools can be found.
Aside from the sprouting malls along Felix Avenue in Cainta, the predominant landmark then was the then newly established NCBA, Taytay campus along the Manila East Road highway. The building looked very modern compared to the typical low-rise, semi-concrete schools In Rizal. The Sienna College of Taytay Annex also gained preference over the other private school in Eastern Rizal. The newly constructed High School complex was a far cry from the antiquated campus near the St, John the Baptist Church at the Taytay Municipal Town Plaza. Some of the interesting places then were the famous Bahay Kawayan restaurant beside NCBA, while Balaw-Balaw Restaurant and Art Gallery in Angono were just beginning to carve a name for itself as a gastronomic haven for tourist and lovers of the Arts. The Vicentian Hills Seminary was a predominant sight atop the rolling hills that stretched along the Angono-Binangonan terrain. Tayuman had a number of resorts targeted mostly for out of town tourists, the most popular among them is the Lake Island Resort located directly across Barrio Road where we lived.
I was in my pre-adolescent years when I first set foot at Binangonan. The stark contrast between the rural town and the city never left me unsettled though it was a far cry from the urban living I’ve been used to in Cubao. The road that was called Barrio Road, leading to C.O.D. Compound was actually not a road but a dusty, rocky pavement during hot seasons that became a muddy alley during rainy months and it was impassable for vehicles. Electricity had just been installed then to a few households who can afford it until it became a necessity to the barrio folks after a few years. But potable chlorinated water and telephone were definitely unheard of. The source of drinking and utility water was a deep well located 50 meters away from the compound. It was in the late 80s when a deep well station has been installed inside our compound. PLDT was able to reach Tayuman only in the early 90s after the population had grown so much and installing phone lines became viable. Internet and Cable TV followed only in early 2000.
The nearest store from our house then was at least 30 meters away. Luckily, we had 1 neighbor but the next one is much farther and was obscured by the tall bushes. Our house was built along the perimeter of the compound. Behind our house is a vast track of uninhabited land and a small duck farm which reeks of foul sulfide gases during summer. There was a cluster of nipa houses built in the middle of the land, which looked more like a farm to me. And you can imagine how life at the country side was – slow paced, simple, bereft of the luxuries we were so used to at the city. But nevertheless, it was home and a place that my parents can call as their very own. Somehow, there is a sense of pride and security living in a place you can call your own regardless of distance.
The place was so quiet, almost a deafening silence. We often make giant paper kites and play kite flying in the afternoon. 2-3 years later, the families who lived in the compound and in the surrounding neighborhood increased. There were a handful of kids playing around then it almost tripled after several years after most of our teenage friends got married and had children.
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| Talim Island |
(To be continued... My Growing Up Years in Rizal)
Note: This was written in May 5, 2002 in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, to commemorate our 15th year in Rizal. We relocated to Tayuman May 17, 1987.
