Life as we all know is a journey. A journey that begins with a single step that leads you to far destinations. Who would even know that it led us to Mutia, Zamboanga Del Norte? No one knows better than us, ADZU-SOM 2013. This is my personal highlight account of that journey. Strikingly special and bizarre moments that could only happen in Mutia, Zamboanga Del Norte.
I am a part of an intrepid group now known as “El Conquistadors”. And our motto says it all, “Maayong buntag, agi lang mi.” We surely lived by the name during our entire stay at Mutia. And our main mode of transport is our very own feet. Walking is part and parcel of our daily lives there. We didn’t only conquer the place but the hearts of the people as well.
We were so known to be foot patrollers that one day elementary kids finally joined us. One of the kids spoke of the coming 10-wheeler truck en-route to a government project high in the foot hills of Mt. Malindang. “Kuya,sakay ta anang dump truck”. Speaking in vernacular, I said “Will they allow a free ride?” The child said, “oo kuya,ako nang parahon.” Indeed it was a welcome treat for me and my buddy Ellery. After all its still three kilometers up, so we finally climbed over with the kids. It was our first time to ride a dump truck. And it was not that simple to climb the ladder that will bring us sitting next to a mound of earth intended for some government project up ahead. I found myself a comfortable place to wade the 15 to 20-min ride. I was in complete silence then savoring the panorama cascading before me. The sights were so mesmerizing that I never noticed we were nearing our home base at Tinglan Day Care Center. Then Ellery taps me, “Primo we just arrived”. “How are we going to get off this truck?” I turn next to the kid beside me. Speaking again in vernacular I asked the kid to go ahead and show us how to disembark. The kid smiled and said “sayon ra kaayo na kuya,ing ani ra.” The kids suddenly came jumping one by one until only the two of us were left. I looked at Ellery’s eyes in disbelief; we are not going to get off this truck as they did. We climbed down in reverse order and finally solid ground beneath our feet. One of the kids exclaimed, “Kuya wa lagi mu nangambak?” I never uttered a single word in response. And with trembling knees I turned to the truck driver and said, “daghang salamat, amping kanunay”. We head inside the Day Care Center with a great sense of relief. What a great day indeed.
-Eduard Basille M. Remegia-