Burned to the Ground

It was a fine day for field works for the new couple who came to live in this very young community. Their settlement was an hour or two walk from the main barangay to where most of the people live. The barangay was a place where other indigenous group of people came to live.Some of them also came from a certain village from where this couple came from. Thus, many of them were their relatives especially the those from the native village of the woman.

Before reaching this community, one had to take a ferry boat to cross the wide river. Its waters were so clean and cool, it is a home for varieties of freshwater fishes and "tikam," a small,white freshwater shell the locals collect at the riverbed. Few more walks and you can see the village with only few houses some meters apart. The creeks also were a place of different water living creatures to where some were infested with leech.

The place was like paradise, it is located at one of the mountain ranges of the Sierra Madre which has a tropical rainforest . During early mornings and in the late afternoons 'til dusk, different bird sounds can be heard,some were sweet singing,tweetering,chirping,cooing and squawking, and some makes the most annoying call at night.

Trees of different fruits were also aplenty that one won't go hungry while walking to where his "kaingin" was. A kaingin was a cleared portion at the sides of the mountain. People also cultivated varieties of root crops and vegetables. It was a place so perfect and its soil was so rich in minerals that bananas thrived healthily. A variety of rice was also planted on the kaingin which flourishes in abundance. It was a place where no man would go hungry as long as he is a hardworking fella.

Dumagat also lived in this place, deeper in the forest and would sneak in at kaingin's of the locals to asked for anything. Who are the Dumagat? They are one of the indigenous tribe in Northern Luzon.To learn more about them, check it here.

The young couple came and settled at the foot of one of the kaingin's of the woman's parents to start their new life and a new family. Their hut was made of wood and was thatched with cogon.The hut was elevated few feet above the ground where the bottom part was a place for gardening and farming tools. It was a picture of simple living.

They were blessed with a girl already.This couple are living diligently that there's no place for complaining after a day's labor. They begun with the woman's parents kaingin for a start when the man teamed with their kumpadre to clear a part of the forest for banana and rice plantation. They worked hard to fall the huge trees using two-man saw for they could not afford a chain saw. The man routinely got up early in the morning while his kumpadre had not yet arrived from the main village. He did it to somehow manually cut the woods in smaller pieces for housing purposes which he did with his kumpadre when he's alreAdy around. A good portion was now cleared of those trees but it still needs more work to make it pleasant for crops to grow.. The man did all the hard work and the local government also provided young banana trees to which he was able to patiently collect and bring it to their settlement. He would asked for other young banana to those who have some to spare.

Time fled and they were already blessed with 2 angels,both girls. Family planning or contraceptions were unavailable during those time that family grew big in a short span of time.Their banana fruits were bearing good but it's not doing well on the market as price was too cheap that would not suffice them financially. Fortunately, their rice crops to which they planted on their kaingin were also good and bountiful. A room on their hut was piled high with harvested but unmilled rice. Ahhh.. They won't go hungry even when storms would strike..

One time when the woman was alone with her children, a Dumagat woman came to asked for food and salt. It was her nature to give so she gave her. She told the story to her mother and her mother warned her not to keep sparing when Dumagat/s asked. It's because they will do it frequently and not only the person you spared will come next time but he/she will come with a company asking for anything. And they will be increasing each time they will peek at the settlement. Her mother was correct because the dumagat came with two others but she didn't gave them anything.

Another crop for rice was done, no banana yet to be harvested.The man talked with his wife to go for another job hunting, works which include stone riprapping and other odd jobs which he usually did after planting was done. Even with a babe and a toddler she let her husband, they really were financially lacking. She have her mother who is living at the village below comes most of the time to accompany them.

One hot day and the wind is blowing, the woman swept the dried leaves around their house at around noon. She burned the pile of leaves until it was all eaten by the fire and left it as her baby was crying so she went in.She told her older child to sleep and so does she and the baby.

She was awaken by cracking sounds and the smell of smoke was all around when she finally came to her senses. Adrenaline rushed thru her that she picked the sleeping babe and her also sleeping older child swiftly and out she carried them through the open space. She witnessed how their hut was eaten by the flaming fire. Only the piled rice crops remained intack but the top and sides were also burned as fire cant penetrate the inner part. The piled woods under the house for housing which was to be carried down the village turned to huge pile of charcoals. It was supposed to be used for their planned house at the village.

Apparently, an ember from the burnt leaves was blown by the wind and landed on the cogon roof which kindled it and caused the disaster.

With all the strength she gathered, she carried her baby and took the toddler's by the hand. Silently, tears kept rolling her cheeks. With nothing except their clothes on their back, they slowly took the way down the main village.

They were met by their kumpadre halfway who had just came from town and saw the dark smokes silhoutting the mid day sun. He knew it was from his kumpadre's settlement so he rushed to confirm. Horror and pity were written on his face when he saw the woman and her children at their situation, black soot was all over them. He held his tears and carried the older child in his arms.

He went to asked for help once he got the family to his kumare's mother's house.

<-that's a real tragedy->

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