Memories of a Native Daughter

Fifty five years ago, I was born and raised in a small northwestern town in the province of Leyte called, Calubian. During my childhood until my teenage years, Calubian was the center of trade and industry from neighboring towns, Naval and Biliran.

It was only Calubian that had wharf so shipping lines from Cebu and Manila can dock, pick up passengers and carry live animals, hogs, chicken, cattle and other agricultural products to be transported to either Cebu or Manila. The main livelihood of the populace are fishing and farming. Back then, fishing was good. Everyone can fish when the tide is low, children enjoy picking shells and harvest sea foods that’s trapped in the fish pens.

Calubian Central School provides elementary education to children and after completing grade school years, we go to high school. During that time, elementary and high school education were free. Rentals of textbooks were minimal and was affordable by parents. I left Calubian to pursue my college degree, I go back from time to time when my calling requires. I find it still the small, hazy town that it was back in those childhood days. Drinking water in every household was a problem and until now people line up their containers 24 hours a day to take turns fetching water from a single pipe line that runs from a mountain spring. There are new houses, populace has increased, some cemented streets there, a new plaza, a diminishing Burabod hill, a new municipio built on a hill, a retreat house, a sturdy catholic church, and an Agro-TESDA vocational school. Big businesses like telephone communications facility, fish cages, and arrastre services are controlled by private individuals. Feasible small businesses from ordinary town dwellers are usually not supported by municipal authorities.

General hospital is still the same since I left Calubian some 40 years ago. New medical facilities are not available. Those who are seriously ill, they go to the capital city of Tacloban to get treatment. The folksy small town manners that I experience from childhood to my early adulthood are still seen in some native Calubianons, the same easy living. And the “ginat-an”, I shall tell Nanay Maning when we meet, that “Ginat-an ha Calubian” is the best in Leyte!

by Adelfa Mabines