Travels

Romblon

Ish Fabicon wrote,

Romblon was the last Visayan island Rizal saw on his trip from Dapitan to Manila aboard the steamer Espana. Rizal left Dapitan at midnight July 31, 1896. With him were Josephine, Narcisa (his sister) Angelica (daughter of Narcisa) his three nephews, and Mr. and Mrs. Sunico. Rizal volunteered as a temporary physician to Cuba, his petition approved by Governor General Ramon Blanco y Erenas.

It is interesting to note that before Espana reached Romblon, Rizal made the following observations on other islands the steamer docked:

Dumaguete (Negros Island) Saturday August 1 1896. "The steamer anchored quite near the shore because of the great depth of water. Dumaguete (capital of Oriental Negros) spreads out on the beach. There are big houses some with galvanized iron roofing. Outstanding are the house of a lady, whose name I have forgotten, which is occupied by the government and another one just begun with many ipil posts." Rizal spent some time ashore and visited a former classmate and friend, Herrero Regidor the provincial judge, two other families and another classmate the Inspector of the Forest. He observed that "the people of Dumaguete are fond of decorating their houses with plants and flowers." Sunday, Cebu "The entrance to Cebu is beautiful. We can see the whole district of San Nicolas, many brick roofs, church, towers, and some small vessels. The ship anchored beside a pier, near a garden of katuray, dapdap and almond trees." In Cebu, Rizal performed " two operations of strabotomy, one operation on the ears, and another on a tumor. "The voyage was fine. At the right we saw Mactan, an island famous for what happened to Magellan. The whole afternoon was magnificent. We saw dolphins and we were amused by three of them swimming before the prow of the boat at three or four inches apart with wonderful swiftness and skill due to the movement of their tails. We saw many islands along our way." "The next day, in the morning, we entered Iloilo, meeting on the way various ships, like Taculin, Cosmopolita,etc. Opposite Iloilo is an island (Gimaras) where Iloilo families go for picnic. The entrance to Iloilo is beautiful. From afar can be seen the whole city set in water, a nymph of galvanised iron, a modern creation, poetic in spite of its iron uniform. We saw various vessels with foreign flags....we ordered vehicles or quiles drawn by one horse to take us to the Escolata where we brought a traveling cap. We did not find socks for the children...." Tuesday - Capiz, Wednesday - Romblon. "The night was rainy and dark when we arrived at Capiz or what seemed to us Capiz. Ships anchor away at a great distance from the mouth of Tibas, they say, where there is a marine corporal who acts as governor, administrator, etc, with regard to the mail. A boat was lowered with the second officer and the steward aboard and we expected it to come back within an hour in order to continue the voyage. But it was not so. Although it left at about 11:00 o'clock at night, it did not return until the following day,late in the day, because, according to what they said, it anchored very far from the shore and it had to row for more than three hours, At Capiz the passengers do not go to shore except those who will remain there. Not a trace of a town nor of the presence of a human being can be seen."

Ish Fabicon continues: how right Rizal was in describing Romblon's beautiful harbor! Three small islands form an effective for the capital town against the onslaught of the termagant amihan and habagat winds. Ships, including foreign ones, caught in a gale would anchor in its harbor . It is however - although understandable - why Rizal was unable to spend a little time "going the rounds" (sort of ten cent tour) of Romblon town. He would have shared the observation of Mary Fee one of the hardy "Thomasites" American teachers in the early 1900 who came to visit Romblon town on her way to her teaching assignment to Capiz who wrote:

"We finally arrived at the steamer Francisco Reyes in much perspiration....(Manila) We left about 3 o-clock and after hitting the ropes over a row of cascos sailed down the Pasig into the Bay. We passed Corrigidor about sunset. On Sunday we cast anchor in the lovely harbor of Romblon...in a little valley lies the white town of Romblon with its squat Municipal building, its gray old church, and a graceful Glorieta rising from a grassy plaza...with its clean streets and whitewashed buildings; it is a most attractive place! The inhabitants of Romblon were eager to sell us mats or petates, the making of which is a special industry here."

How could Rizal miss such a wonderful town? Another young man did not. Bartering Batangas "balisongs" and other Tagalog wares with Romblon's cottage products, the young man fell for a Romblon beauty named "Kampupot "of Ferrol, Tablas island. The young man's name was Emilio Aguinaldo.

Yes, Rizal was on target again, when he commented that Romblon is "lonely." Romblon province is at the bottom of the Philippine economic heap: it's marble industry anemic; its infrastructures pathetic and the voices from its hills of green, calling out a loud despairing cry. "Not yet, Rizal, not yet! "

 

To send your favorite quotes and comments/insights, click the icon

HOME