 |
| Poblacion, Boljoon a view from the Ili Rock Image from: http://boljoon.myguide.ph/ |
Unexpected things happen in the world. Some are best left
untold. Others are best uncovered. Now, do you believe in tales?
Kilometers and hours of road trip, there is a very small
town between the towns of Alcoy on its north and Oslob on its
south (if the traveller is from Cebu City). It is a town where evergreen
mountains meet the blue coast leaving the lowland compressed and narrow. Over
viewing Bohol strait are the town’s bay and long roads that snake along the
way. These roads are hemmed at the edges of the mountains because of the
“married” or attached location between the mountain and the sea. According to Limpag
(2014), the location of the town alongside a wide bay had made it easy for
Moros in the early 17th up to 19th century to attack the
town. He added that during the attack in 1782, the town was burned and
everything was condensed into ashes- from houses to church. (p. 2). This small
peaceful town is now named Boljoon.
Boljoon is a town long discovered by Spaniards
four-hundred and more years ago. Not only that this small town is known for its
picturesque, but also of its tales and stories. It is believed that Boljoon
comes from the word “Bolho” meaning spewing water because one of the natives
answered Bolho to some Spaniards who asked for the town’s name, and since they
are Spanish people they made it Boljoon.(Limpag) Bolho is one of the famous
festivals Bolhoanons, the townspeople, celebrate nowadays. Aside from their
lively festivals, their explicit scenery, their breath taking Parish Church,
old haunted houses built during Spanish and Japanese eras, Baluartes served as
watch towers, and other ancient infrastructures, they are also famous because
of the gigantic rock which amused most tourists.
 |
| The Ili Rock Image from: http://www.ponderingpaodaolei.net/2014/10/beauteous-boljoon.html |
Locals benefit mostly their early lives from this rock. The
Ili Rock was used as a natural fortress long time ago. On an interview I had
with Lacno H, 45 years living in the town, held last December 16, 2014, she
said that Ili is the guarding point or point of navigation for locals to watch
out for enemies or intruders (Moros) coming from Bohol, Siquijor and more who
wish to travel the oceans of Boljoon. History tells that long ago beyond
imaginary people had been living there even before the Moros, Spaniards etc
came to pay a little visit of the town. There were many instances rumoured
around the town of how true these extraordinary people exist. These stories
made the Ili Rock more interesting to explore.
 |
| Ili Rock Image from: http://simpletripper.blogspot.com/2013/06/ travel-notes-2013-cultural-heritage-of.html |
As said above, it is believed that beyond ordinary people
live in the big rock. About 90% of the Bolhoanons strongly agree that Ili is a
big city, the city of the queer. About 80% of the townsfolk, on the other hand,
impute that there is one lady, very rich they say who lives in Ili Rock and her
name is Maria Cacao. This Maria Cacao owned two big ships named after her-
Maria Cacao Ship. These ships carry mostly of her and her fellow’s properties,
riches and even relatives.
Last October 15, 2013, there was a massive earthquake
that struck Bohol and mostly the southern part of Cebu, and Boljoon is one of
them. During this happening is also the beginning of the fall of the Ili rock.
Then, the night of that day, many residents from Talisay, Boljoon (the baranggay
near the Ili rock) had witnessed something not normal by the sea in front of
the Ili rock. It was a very bright light of two big ships as big as a cruise
ship, they say. They added that the uncommon ships carry with them properties,
people wounded during the earth’s quaking and other migrants from the Ili rock.
Many of them have come up with the conclusion that those big ships are owned by
Maria Cacao, the Maria Cacao ship because none of the Bolhoanons have seen
those rare ships in the coasts of the town and no Bolhoanon has ever owned a
ship especially of that size. This is one instance that Bolhoanons are indeed
not alone in the town.
It is not just the ships that you will find the rock
interesting, but also these odd people who pretends to be common people like
you and me. This event happened not so long ago. K. Moraca (personal
communication, December 17, 2014), a citizen of Boljoon, said that during the
President days of the ex- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Ili rock was
supposed to be bombed and be vanished. He added that the night of that day, there
came out a woman of nowhere telling people to stop the said plan: to destroy
the Ili Rock. The people must not destroy the giant rock because it is a city,
the mysterious woman said, up there reclines their hospital, school, mansions
etc. Moraca also added that the woman gave a threat to the townspeople that if
the Ili will be destroyed, so is the town and the people. By this she meant a
tragedy will come to vanquish Boljoon and everything within it. Because of
this, such project stopped.
The stories about these peculiar women do not only end
there because according to a credible source who wished to remain unnamed, "there
is strange woman in Ili rock sometimes shouting, and wailing. She added that
this odd woman will appear during midnight. These quaint sounds she makes, my
source said, can be reflected in the walls of the Parish Church. The wailing
sounds will appear to be a soft repetition of music while the shouts are like
waves transmitted wall to wall like an echo, she said further." Indeed a strange place.
December 16, 2014, I made a survey for the local
residents of Boljoon. I asked at least 20 people if they believe in the stories
mentioned above. Well a few said no, but a lot says yes. Statistically
speaking, I have estimated that about 80% of the townsfolk believe in those
quirky stories; 20% of them do not.
Out of curiosity, I arranged an interview with one of the
residents in Talisay, Boljoon. According to him, there was an instance when he
noticed something erratic about the Ili rock. (G. Vallarta, personal
communication, December 17, 2014) He said that it was a very late night and he
was still in his desk playing with his computer when he espied a lively
gathering of some people at the top of the big rock. Next, he decided to take a
glimpse at the said party, he added, because it bothered him, but when he got
out it was a total tranquillity. He said he got scared and fell right into
sleep. The next morning, he thought he just imagined what happened that night
might be fallacy, but his neighbor, Jenefer, approached him and asked him if he
had witnessed the feast above. He was startled, he murmured, because it seemed
to be unbelievable. It is truly something.
Aside from the creepy persons, mestizos and rare animals
coming in and out of the Ili rock, the rocks or boulders itself freaks people
too. Not only it is prone to rock falls, but also these boulders are not as
heavy as they look. I asked one of our participants about this matter and
surprised to have heard that she had tried lifting one of these rocks. “It was
the day after the rock falls during earth quake, she started, and there was a
medium sized boulder about the size of a tire blocking the way. She thought she
can’t lift it up, but she handled it, she said amusingly. The rock weighed like
an empty bucket of biscuit.” It’s not just the Eli rock, but there is also one
big rock in the mere front of our house which is said to be the mythical “party
house” for these strange people. A witness, who is an albularyo, term for native doctors, from the southernmost part of
Cebu said that this happened.
Proving that these remarkable things happen, a recent
story has spread all over the town. This story is based on an actual experience
of Elmer , the backhoe operator working on the Ili rock since the last months. "It was said that there is an old man who talks to him about the matter of vanishing the cliff. Then, both the operator and the man will talk for a while to get pass the time. Before working, the operator will wait for the man to go away. When the old man goes, at last the operator can start working. This happens every time he works."
The tales are not always like these because there were
stories that the Patron Saint of the town made Her miracles in the rock. "Indeed, a comment by one of our interviewees explained the details of this subject- for an
instance, She was seen there during the Yolanda happened. She was trying to
defend or protect the town from the strong winds and heavy rains brought by the typhoon
because at the same time it was Her big feast." It is a miracle after all.
Some
stories may be true and some may be not. It doesn't matter because what matters
most is how strong we are to stand in our principles and defend what we
believe. It has been a great discovery for me- about the untold stories of the
Ili Rock because of 17 years of living in Boljoon, I have not remembered these
stories do exist.
It always thrills me whenever I pass the Ili
Rock. It is not just because I have imagined so many things about it, but
because it seems like the tales of the Ili rock turned out to be true. I
haven’t had any direct experiences with the queerness of the gigantic rock, but
it always gives me goose bumps. Ili Rock is one startling scenic white limestone
cliff to be preserved. Proceeding, these stories can be quite interesting for adventurers,
but we always have our differences in perceptions of our beliefs.
Boljoon is one astonishing small town. It procures an
epic history. It possesses beautiful and uncommon natural resources. It
provides new adventures to travellers. Lastly, the town never failed to
surprise adventurers. Indeed, it is a small town of big discoveries.
.JPG) |
| Boljoon Parish Church Image from: http://manila-mania.blogspot.com/2012/09/boljoons-patrocino-de-maria-parish.html#.VJKO9iuUejY |
Reference List:
Limpag, M.2014.Boljoon
Guide.Where to go. 2p. Retrieved from <
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento