my Baler mis-adventure, september 2006

I went back to baler last week to do my research on my paper, man taking up my masteral in U.P. is taking so much on me. I never imagined i can get in on that university (i thought its exclusively for geeks), well i guess they want my money (or to be exact my dad's money). Going back to Baler, i pretty had a good time. I never really had the time to soak my skin on the beach, i had been pretty busy interviewing people.

My first impressions going back to my dad's hometown since 2003 was it never fails to impress me. It never fails to impress me that modernization really just abandoned it in a sense. God, from the time i first went there till last week i cant help notice that improvement in the province really takes sometime to develop. Dont get me wrong, i know there have been advances in the province specially in the infastructures. Thank God for the Angaras we now have a museum there, roads (to their farms), and a very active tourist campaigns (and a budding prostitution scene, dont blame me it comes with tourism). But infustructures aside, is there really a good improvement in Baler?

What im more into is improvement in Baler's political, and cultural outlook. Baler has been in existance even before the spanish came to our country, i cant help wonder why there is a sense of imaturity when it comes on these topics. Why cant Baler have a modern political system where its not polluted by the traditional families that seems to control the poor province by its neck. Between the Ongs, Angaras, and Etcobanezes is there anyone who actually hold a public office? I know, not all that they have done is evil. But if you'll judge the improvement of Aurora or Baler to the time they spent in power why are we still lagging behind? And why for crying out loud does a mojority of Balerians (note! not all) seems to be into licking their booths, where is their backbone? We cant rely on these families the advancemet of the future of Aurora, if we really want improvement the people of Aurora must be able to rely on them selves.

When Olongapo was abandoned by the US military base prior to the erruption of Pinatubo the people of Gapo didnt rely to any politicians to lift them up out of their tragedy. Yes i know theres is a certain Dick Gordon, but he is only the face, the people was the one really responsible for the triump agaisnt adversity. Why cant we have that on Baler? Considering most of Balerians taunt Pampagenos for being 'not tagalogs'.

I cant help notice the cultural arroggance that some of the Balerians have. Man, try hearing some people in Baler speak about our 'superiority' to other people like the Ilocanos, Pampagenos, and the Visayan you will think Baler or Aurora is a very progressive place. I dont think they know the advancement that Olongapo, Vigan, Laoag, and Cebu have. I dont know if ill laugh, be mad, or be ashamed everytime someone from Baler would brag about his heritage of being a tagalog. Its totally out of place.

I once saw in the National Museum a diorama of the different tribes here in the Philippines, and guess what, the tribe that Aurora have is not Tagalogs or the Igorots (which some people claims) but Aetas or Itas. Thats why i was shocked to find out that we trace our roots to the Igorots when i visited the Museo de Baler (whats with the spanish name anyway, cant it be just called Museo ng Baler?). Man-o-man whats that all about? Theres a saying that 'we will never arrive to where we are heading if we dont know how to look back from where we came from' a very old saying. Its just sad that some people themselves dont took pride of their cultural background. Yes again there may be Igorots somewhere in our part of the Sierra Madres but its obvious what tribe dominates our province. We cant help it, we grew up hearing many prejudicial slurs partaining to the Aetas. But its not a reason enough to look down at them.

Man, its true what they say 'when you have money you can control history'. i cant help notice that the Angaras put themselves as 'pioneers' of the town of Baler. Most of the history books of baler 'printed' (i cant it say its a published material) by the time Sen. Angara got into prominance youll see suddenly the Angaras as pioneers and survivors of the Tromba Marina, the tidalwave that struck Baler during the 1800s. Hmmmm OK let me quote the families that survived the tidalwave to a research published in the NHI during the 1970s (way before Sen. Angara became a senator) they were the 'Lumasacs, Bitong, Carrasco, Poblete, and Bijasa. Well do we see a Angara there? Thres not even a Palispis or a Sindac where the Angaras could trace lineage to. Now lets see who survived in the version from the Aurora website funded by who else.... "The town of Baler was founded in 1609. Its original name was Kinagunasan and its first inhabitants were the Angara, Bitong, Carrasco and Lumasac families". Oh boy, they subtracted 2 families and added one. Was there a second tidal wave?

I intend no pun on writing this blog, im not loughing at Baler saying "hahaha your stupid". its more slapping a friend at the back of his head trying to wake him up. I know a lot of good people there in Baler, aside from my relatives i met a few good folks that help me finish my research there and i owe it all to them.