Traveling the History

One summer, my cousins decided to visit their father’s home town in Antique. They decided to tag me along. Packed with my personal necessities and belongings, we left Iloilo at the cracked of dawn. Beyond the excitement that I was feeling was the irritation of drowsiness and boredom of the trip to our destination. We passed through the different municipalities in Iloilo. To my amazement, I was brought back to the past. We passed through Tigbauan where the infamous landing of the American Forces, led by General Douglas McArthur, during the Japanese revolution occurred. Then Guimbal came. An insignia of power is what can describe Guimbal. the existing totem of the area is the Guimbal watchtower that was used as a tool to watch out for Moro Pirates. Beyond the fact is that Guimbal’s history originated from a guitar that was called then by the Panayanons as “gimba.”

Rushing through a heavy rain that poured in after passing by the Guimbal Bridge, we decided to stop over a restaurant near Miag-ao. From what the town folks were saying, Miag-ao was a place of treasures. One of its greatest gems is the Miag-ao church. It attests the people’s history. It stands as a living legacy of the culture and way of life of the people of Miagao centuries ago, anchored in a strong foundation of Christian faith. Another fact of this municipality is the seat of education under the University of the Philippines in the Visayas, a premier institution symbolizing academic and scientific excellence in the region.

Then our little journey went on. The next stop I was told was San Joaquin. Taken from a saint’s name, this area has enriching Catholic faith. Being close to the sea, the gushing water ripples even in the band telling me their great history. History tells us that this area was the place where the 10 Bornean Datus and their family landed in the island that was known then as “Irong-irong.” Thirty minutes after San Joaquin was already the mountainous region of Panay. While going up the steep mountain, I took a nap that sent me back to those ancient times passing through each history of the places that we went through.

When I woke up, we were near Lipata, Antique. Realizing that we were near, I was filled with sadness that I missed another part of history waiting to be told. Who knows? When I go back there, a new journey in history would unfold itself. It was an amazing trip but for now, I’ll just stay here in my bed and go visit history in slumber land.