A RECOLLECTION OF A SON
By Ma. Gala U. Marcellones- Enerio
In 1912 a very strong typhoon named “Urakan” hit Cebu. [This was the same year that the infamous passenger liner RMS Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean.] It was so strong that almost every leaf of each tree on the mountain side was threshed out thus the term “gaas” was coined. “Gaas,” according to the barrio folks means bare or stripped off as in the phrase, “ni-gaas ang kahoy” (the tree is barren or stripped of its leaves). The local people calls a barren tree stripped off of its leaves as “hungay”. While most people at Gaas believed that the barren tree recounted in oral history was the “bangubang” which was abundant along with the “lawaan” in the past. Another proof of the typhoon’s strength was that of a huge iron cast frying pan locally known as “kawa” turned turtle when blown by a gust of wind. To the old folks this typhoon was locally called “bagyo sa dose.” This was narrated by a group of bird hunters (“mangangayam”) to the local folks and was passed on from one generation to another. 
Gregorio Ababa, a respondent of this interview, who is popularly known as “Papa Giling” to his kin was born in 1927 in Sitio Cansagahan, Brgy. Sudlon, Toledo City. He, later on together with his family migrated to Gaas, where he later served as barangay councilor for more than 10 years and resigned thereafter as he avoided the position of teniente del barrio. It is notable to mention that during his time up to a certain point in time people who served office in the barangay did not receive any compensation or honoraria.
Fructoso Canonera was the first teniente del barrio, who is the great grandfather of Marciana Bacus, the wife of the incumbent barangay captain. He was succeeded by Enrique Hernal then Faustino Librea, who was a faith healer then Cirilo Zabate was the last teniente del barrio. Milanio Bacus, an uncle of Marciana Bacus was the first elected barangay captain followed by Rufino Oberes, another uncle of Marciana Bacus who in despicably ruled Gaas for forty-five (45) years until his death. He was then succeeded by Evaristo Traya, who served only for one term and then succeeded by the present barangay captain, Hon. William Genel.
People during Ababa’s time employed “kaingin” (slash and burn) method in farming as the area is dominated by a montane forest with really huge trees almost everywhere. At this time the primary crops of the migrants were corn and rice.
Apart from corn and rice, people also planted root crops like “balyakag” (looks like white yam or ube), “kubong” (can be intoxicating when taken excessively), “imo” (has enormous tuber and is fibrous) and hunt for wild pigs (local names are “ammomongtad” and “magnanapo,” this species is huge such that the bellies touch the axial tips of cogon grasses; some species have brown hair locally known as “bulaw”), civet cats, monitor lizard, leopard cats using traps locally known as “gahong” and spears (“bangkaw”) and wild birds like “hagumhom” and “bangkawko” (two popular local birds no longer sighted at present; probably extinct or have migrated to other areas). Fruits from local trees also serve as sustenance for the settlers.
As practised by settlers who hunt wild animals, the jaw bones with the teeth (“ago” –maxilla and “tango” as mandibles) of these animals are hung from the wall of their houses as reminders and as trophies of their hunting skill. Such practice can be traced back to Stone Age or the early settlers of the country like the “Aetas.”
Spears or “bangkaw” were later on replaced by garand rifles given by the military. No training was given. People just practised aiming and shooting. Accidents happen during shooting when people got hit for reasons like wearing black clothes mistakably sighted as wild pigs.
This was one of the reasons why Gregorio Ababa migrated to Gaas. He used to get sick in Cansagahan way back if ever he got to save a substantial amount from his farm. His parents hailed from Inayawan, who later on transferred to Cansagahan as fishing for a time dwindled with the influx of migrants. Seeking for a better life after he got married Ababa relocated finally at Gaas . It would be noteworthy to mention according to Ababa that Sudlon, at the time they left barely had three (3) settlers and not a single plant or tree can be seen as opposed to the present development made by the “Monkadistas.” According to Ababa, “even if I or any family member gets sick here in the mountain area we still can eat anything from our farm.”
When he and his family settled in Gaas, there were only three (3) households then. This was in 1938.
In 1942, the year when the Japanese occupied Cebu at the zenith of World War II, it was made a past time or a spectacular activity by barrio folks when a plane passes by even the old folks would climb up a hill for a much closer look of the aircrafts not minding or foreseeing any risk at all.
People would dig wells for their household water. Wells are dug underneath huge trees as these are biological indicators that the water table is near the surface or there is much water in the said spot.
There are five (5) rivers that traverse Gaas namely, Gaas, Tungkay, Odlom, Pangpang and Linaw Rivers. Due to the extensive slash and burn farming erosion happened too frequent and so fast that could have led to the rerouting of the rivers or siltation of the rivers.
This condition aggravated with the heavy rains in July 2, 1952. A lot of trees drifted away. Farm lots were washed out. Cansomoroy was the hardest hit.
It was at the onset of Martial Law that wild pigs gradually disappeared. There used to be enormous and plentiful of this population in the forest. The biggest of them was priced at Php500 as opposed to its regularl price pegged at Php100. The largest sow, according to Ababa was never hunted even until the entire genera’s diaspora or disappearance. The respondent admitted that he didn’t get to taste meat of wild pigs until his in-law visited him from Mindanao and brought wild pig meat preserved in rock salt while wrapped in coconut sheath (“ginit”).
When asked what could be his message for the youth and for the people outside Gaas, who wants to visit Gaas, Gregorio Ababa could not say more as he haven’t left his house for about three (3) years and haven’t seen any changes or development since then due to old age. What he believed is that while he is still alive he wants to plant and that makes him fulfilled and happy.
“If one doesn’t have any income [which usually comes from farming] in this part of the world he or she could not experience any sweet life,” according to Gregorio Ababa.
“I used to dream of seeing vehicles from up the road coming down this way,” shares Ababa. “When I awoke I told myself that dreams are often the opposites of reality as what I often hear from my old folks. Who would have thought that my dream would become reality years after?”
March 17, 1957 was earmarked with the late Pres. Ramon Magsaysay’s crash landing in Barangay Sunog (adjacent to Gaas) at Mt. Manunggal. The crash site was named after a very huge tree of the same name. This comes to mind other equally sturdy and quality timber from local trees like “Anislag” and “Pagkaw” that are also good for house columns. Since then developments gradually occurred according to Ababa.
The secret of Gregorio Ababa for reaching the age of 84 was eating “kamunggay (Moringa oleifera)” and “gabi”(Colocasia esculenia).
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Respondent: Gregorio Ababa, 84, male
Interviewed by: Ma. Gala U. Marcellones- Enerio & Baltazar S. Tribunalo
Photographed by: Baltazar S. Tribunalo
September 10, 2011 at 6PM at the respondent’s residence near the Gaas Elementary School and the community basketball court
Edited by: Bernardo Carpio
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