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Last
week, the President traveled the proposed nautical highway
linking Jagna to the province of Camiguin and beyond. Whether
she was aware of it or not, she had reopened an old route.
Ships had been calling at the port of Jagna bound for Mambajao
enroute to the cities of Butuan, Gingoog or Cagayan de Oro.
Even before the war.
The
reason for this is that those who peopled northern and central
Mindanao are mostly Boholanos. One could find families sporting
clan names prevalent in the Bohol towns of their origin. From
as far east as Surigao until as far west as Zamboanga del
Norte, most people speak a version of Boholano Visayan. Ludabi
practitioners would certainly have a hard time disentangling
Mindanao Visayan semantics.
What
could have started migration to Mindanao were Boholano traders
in the bilos or sloops, single sailed bancas or ketches, the
two sailed dos bilas. Protected by their skill in arnis or
eskrima they penetrated out of the way places trading varied
goods ranging from roofing thatch of nipa shingles, tobacco
to earthenware.
Stories
of fertile lands brought land hungry Boholanos. Some succeeded
in taming their chosen places, some contacted malaria and
died.
Those
who had settled acquired lands from the native Mindanaoans,
planted them to cash crops like rice, corn and copra. Their
affluence made them leaders of the community. The next wave
of Boholano migrants was the schooled ones. Before the Great
War, graduates of the seventh grade were hired as elementary
school teachers. Immediately after the war, high school graduates
filled the growing need. However all undergrads took summer
classes to acquire a teachers certificate or higher.
Because
of their success, some assuming positions of influence in
their adopted places, settlers from other places looked upon
them with envy. Unassuming and unasse3rtive, Boholanos are
pictured as hicks or hayseeds, ignorant farmers or fisher
folks despite their academic level. A movie Bol anon Nyor
depicting ignorant Boholanos was produced starring Yoyoy Villame.
Despite the change of title to El Viajedor the movies turned
out to be a flop and Yoyoy was disowned by the Boholanos.
Serves him right.
Boholanos
are said to have the idja, idja, aho, aho trait literally
meaning to each his own. However, all thing taken equal, a
Boholano will always have preference for his Sano. Once identified
as a Sano, or countryman, he is given preference by his fellow
Sano whenever they meet outside Bohol. A Boholano in Mindanao
will always employ a Boholano over the others. When Carlos
P. Garcia was President and Gabino Ranoa of Jagna was Assistant
City Engineer of Manila, most engineers and engineering laborers
were Boholanos.
One
characteristic, which the Sano has not forgotten is his tendency
to come home on fiestas. Boholano house help in the Greater
Manila area disappear during the months of Match to June.
Loyal, accommodating and uncomplaining, they are always rehired
when they come back. Those in Mindanao come home in droves.
A wag said that Bohol sinks a few centimeters during fiesta
months and regains its elevation after vacation time.
At
any time of the day, the Jagna port area is never free of
commuters. From the last days of March to the middle of May
ships from the cities of Butuan, and Cagayan de Oro are filled
to the overflowing by incoming passengers. A short lull followed
and again ships are filled to the gunwales by outgoing passengers.
If a shuttle ship will service the Jagna - Camiguin route,
it may not lack passengers.
This
route was serviced by small boats like the Camiguin Oro or
what sounds like that. The boat was too small to offer a steady
ride between those two places. In rough weather, passengers
are seen staggering during debarkation that only the hardiest
or the most desperate ones will rake the voyage during the
stormy months. With bigger shuttle ships, the trip may be
smoother.
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