ANIA NA ANG KATUMANAN SA ATONG MGA PANGANDOY - THE FULFILLMENT OF OUR ASPIRATIONS

by: Francis Rodney Jabido, MAEM

        Manolito Jabido & Brian Bingil

October 27, 2019

Photo of Jabido Brothers: from left to right - Gregorio Bengil Jabido,
Fausto Bengil Jabido (sitting) & Lupe Bengil Jabido

It seems that the voice of my late grandfather, Lolo Jacoy (Ciriaco Jabido, Sr.) rang into my ear “Ani-a na ang katumanan sa atong mga pangandoy,” which means this is the fulfillment of our aspirations. This was the first word he uttered when saw the island of Mindanao, he uttered these words aboard a ship approaching Bukana a Delta of Rio Grande de Mindanao, in Cotabato City.

He was brought to Mindanao by her Aunt, Insi Valentina Catulong (Unmarried) the elder sister of Manay Martina, his deceased mother the wife of Gregorio Jabido (his father). He was with his (4) four siblings and other relatives. His siblings were Marcelina the eldest, Raymunda,  Anatolia and Simplicia their youngest who was blinded because of a typhoid fever when she was still a child.

He was only a teenager then, Marcelina was their eldest, and Simplicia was the youngest. They were among the Cebuano settlers who sought for greener pasture in the second largest island of the Philippines. He and his siblings migrated in the island popularly known as the Land of Promise because their land in Ginatilan, Cebu is unproductive. From their stories I’ve heard that their land was a rocky hill and below is seaside. In other words, one of the primary reason of their migration was the better opportunity Mindanao has to give of a better life.

THE CHALLENGES

Back then, the Empire Cotabato was not yet divided, it comprised the Provinces of Cotabato Province, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato Gen. Santos City and Sarangani, the last to be separated from the Mother Province South Cotabato.  They first settled in Bual, Midsayap, Cotabato now known as Cotabato Province (North Cotabato), Bual is a barangay near Salunayan, Midsayap, Cotabato the settlement of people from Luzon.

Map of SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) including Maguindanao was once the structure of Empire Cotabato Province
Photo Credit:
https://kapuluanngpilipinas.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/region-xii-soccsksargen

In the initial stage of their settlement, they encountered hardship since they have no land or livelihood at that time. Until the generous -- DATU MANTIL DILANGALEN lent a five-hectare rice field for them to cultivate. Insi Valentina taught them to plow the farm, all of them including their cousins who came with them from Cebu.

Life did not go easy specially so that the schools are too far from Bual. Most of them went to college and they encountered more challenges, because they have to walk mile after mile since the transportation at that time was very scarce. Collaboratively, those who did not went to school were the once tilling the land to support those who were studying.

Some of them opted to be a working student to defray the expenses of the family. Their allowances and other consumption, such as rice and other basic needs have to be brought on foot from Bual to Cotabato City via trail along the banks of Rio Grande de Mindanao.