Headwaters

By CAROLINA PERALTA
Mindanews .

NEW YORK — A mystery till today. While browsing FB and watching the Hunchback of Notre Dame on TV, I came across photos of a majestic waterfall which is the source of the huge river we used to cross as a young child – unknown to many including the locals. Memories came flooding back.

Every single day, we would either cross a river through a small banca, walk the shallow part or jump from log to log to reach school depending on weather conditions. There was no bridge to connect this very wide river system I only came to know as Luan river where my grandparents had a modest house by the sea. The kitchen overlooks a natural fish pond where mangroves thrive. That was eons ago but I can still remember the smell of salt water carried by the breeze.

I especially remember the fury of the river during the rainy season. As we jump from log to log ( without adult supervision), there was fear but a sense of danger never occurred to us. Everything was play but which today would be tantamount to child neglect or endangerment.

As a young child, I especially loved walking along a pebbled road with my grandmother which follows the river system upstream to Ticulab. I was told that the walk was at least 11 miles (22 miles back and forth), considered too arduous for a six-year-old but I actually loved the trek. I was always excited to meet my cousins, bathe in clear springs of water, climb eat all you can fruit trees and listen to stories at night amid the glow of kerosene lamps and fireflies.

We would bring fresh fish and crabs caught by my grandfather and bring home bananas, corn, vegetables and fresh fruits back for her to sell. Such was her small commerce. Food in the house was plentiful even for visitors who came frequently by.

My grandmother carried everything in her labba (large woven basket without handle) and would carry me on her back when I asked her to, adding to the heavy stuff already on her head. I was spoiled that way and I hope I did not contribute to her being bent in old age.

I never got to see the source of this great river system and I feel grateful that today. not only did I see images of the head waters but also came to see the picture of Datu Noli Sakong, an adoptive cousin whom I met at six years old during the Ticulab visits and is now a duly recognized tribal elder.

With this feeling of gratitude also came a feeling of uncertainty when I saw in the news that more mineral reserves will be opened in the Philippines to allegedly sustain economic growth, a growth generally measured in terms of GDP but which does not necessarily mean better living conditions for the majority of Filipinos.

I wish I was a child again, on Lola Juaning’s (hunched) back and never having to worry about what will happen to these beautiful waterfalls, about how people will be able to eat in a degraded environment where soon, food and water will be scarce.

If a wish and a prayer is enough, I said both for my children and their children’s children and I pray that you will do the same.

(CarolinaVillanueva Peralta of Kiamba, Sarangani, presently resides in New York but is actively involved in development efforts in Sarangani. She serves as secretary for two US non-profit organizations whose flagship include the Organic Seedball Inititative which aims to “eliminate hunger and reclaim our collective future one seed at a time.” She finished her Masters in Development degree at the Asian Institute of Management. -Mindanews)