I am ALBAYANO. I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the sands, the trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native land. My body has shivered in continuous rains of November. It has tanned in the warmth of our sunshine and perspired in the heat of the midday sun. The crack and the rumble of the summer thunders, lashed by startling lightning, have been a cause both of trembling and of hope. The fragrances of nature have been as pleasant to us as the sight of the wild blooms of the citizens of the veld. The dramatic shapes of the Guicadale upland, the blue waters of PInamuntungan beach, the golden sands of Misibis, and the black sands of Bacacay and Sto. Domingo have all been panels of the set on the natural stage on which we act out the foolish deeds of the theatre of our day. At times, and in fear, I have wondered whether I should concede equal citizenship of our country to the sinarapans and the butandings, the wild birds of our mountains, the wild orchids and the flora of our islands. A human presence among all these, a feature on the face of our native land thus defined, I know that none dare challenge me when I say - I am an Albayano! I owe my being to the Gugurang who shaped the desolate souls of Daragang Magayon haunting the great slopes of the beautiful Mayon Volcano – together with Panganuron who fell victim to the most merciless tragedy in the name of love. I am formed of the migrants who left Taiwan to find a new home on our native land. However nations may now stand, they remain still, part of me. In my veins courses the blood of the Malay warriors who came from the South and brought the culture of Bali into our land. Their proud dignity informs my bearing, their culture a part of my essence. And such beauty in dignity and purity of spirit we celebrate each year in thanksgiving for our iconic endowments during the Daragang Magayon Festival. I am the grandchild of the warrior men and women that Gen. Paua led against the Spanish colonizers, the patriots that Gen. Ola took to battle the American conquistadors, the ordinary people like Camilo Jacob, a photographer, from Polangui taught us never to dishonour the cause of freedom. My mind and my knowledge of myself is formed by the victories that are the jewels in our Albayano crown, the victories in the international arena where we practice the best in the fight against disaster and climate change, in the national domain as we lift our achievement in NAT form 177th to 19th, or the 64 beauty titles that acknowledge the natural grace and talents of our women, including Miss International Bianca Guidott and Miss Supranational Yvethe Marie Avisado Santiago and among our men securing the star in the firmament of the Philippine Military Academy - a Valedictorian this year, in the hills of Silang, also a Valedictorian in PNPA, in the regional scene we earned one championship to another in Palarong Bicol. [Inspired by Thabo Mbeki]
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 11:46:24 +0000