The “Buayas” of Palawan and Leyte-Samar

The “Buayas” of Palawan and Leyte-Samar
J. Colima Bajado
I can say that I had traversed the whole Philippine archipelago, that is the three main islands, Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao, in my early 20’s. For different reasons, from writing stuff to a straightforward leisure, I have had been to the Ilocos’ tipmost Pagudpod, shoot in all the Visayan Islands, and wander the land of promise, Mindanao. Last week, I was privileged to visit Palawan- unwinding, supposedly.

The first and remarkable destination I took during my dayfirst of the weeklong stay was the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center- more of a crocodile farm, in Puerto Princesa City. I was taken aback to eye the displayed skeleton of the biggest-live-crocodile caught in the country, in the early 90s. Ignacio Francisco Alcina’s Historia de las e indios de Bisayas…1668 suddenly hit me talking about the crocodiles, yes, buayas, that were then unrestrainedly breathing in Loom river in Borongan, Catubig river, Pambujan, and all over the Samar and Leyte regions. This means, crocs in our region are then prevalent.

Going back to Tacloban, as rampant as the buayas are the drivers and/or porters waiting for their “prey” out/inside the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport. It has been a recurring experience from my previous (local) travels in the region that our drivers (even tricycle drivers), overcharge itinerants, especially most when they noticed ones ignorance to the existing fares of the place.

Neither defamation nor slander is intended, it has been a poignant observation that there are some of us who cannot help, really, but to ride on the coat tails of our trippers, worst, even fellow Warays. Upon claiming my two suitcases from the baggage carousel of the DZR Airport, a porter, most willingly, asked me if I need assistance. “Ta hala, kay nararambingan ak,” I replied. What a showcase of munificence a fellow Waray can offer, I uttered to myself. It was my first time to accept porter assistance.

He helped me bring my suitcases and also got me a city-proper-bound taxi. When my baggages were already set in the taxi, he was now asking me 500 pesos. Anu!? I exclaimed. I thought I heard it wrong. But yes, it was 500 pesos. I can’t believe he was asking me 500 pesos for a two medium sized suitcases! He did not even carry it, for the bags were reeled. I did, as frugal as I am, not pay him the said amount. I gave him 250 pesos instead. Fair enough, I believe.

I thought the misery ended there.

But after I got off from the taxi, the driver was asking 400 pesos for the fare. “Mapadismayo!” I exclaimed again, now coupled with a long sigh. “Mano, diri na gad la ako nakausa sakay hin taxi pakanhi”, I added. I handed him 250 pesos, the usual amount I give for fare from the airport to my place, just in the city. The moment I entered my room, I turn on the fan to cool off, unwind again(!), both my physical and spiritual faculties.

I will be making various travels in the future, certainly. And I hope I will just encounter the literal caymans, crocs, alligators and its kind like that in Palawan. I have the courage to face them. I am more anxious of meeting by any chance, this thick-skinned buayas, skin thicker that of a rhinoceros, and mouth wide-opened, ready to devour their prey.

And yes, I am in a way dismayed of our contemporary buayas in the region. Because in the 1660’s, Fr. Ignacio Alcina made a noteworthy observation that: “Y es que ningun caiman que es natural del rio, o laguna, donde esta el pueblo, hace mal a indio alguno de el.” Or as translated by Fathers Kobak and Gutierrez, “It is that of no crocodile, which is a native of the river or lake where the town is, will harm any native belonging to it.”

I would rather have those crocs of before, than these crooks of today.###

(Published in Gahum Weekly, Vol 2, No. 15)