But I remember the very moment our team—the writers—stepped foot on the island. We all shared one line: “The glory is in Masbate.” Even until now, long after we departed, that line continues to echo more gently in our hearts than any of the harsh accusations ever could.
Masbate, in truth, is a glory—more than what the outside world sees.
THE JOURNEY AND THE EXPERIENCE
In the slumbering night of August 15, 2024, our team crossed the Visayan sea route from Polambato Port, Bogo City, to reach the western part of Masbate Island. For context, our team of writers was requested by the schools Western Masbate Roosevelt College and Southern Masbate Roosevelt College to conduct a two-day seminar and workshop about journalism. The time of travel was approximately 6 hours, and within that hours, our bodies were completely crying from fatigue and from the reality that we were not yet ready for the morning to come.
To give you a background about Masbate Island, it is an island province in Philippines and is closely known for its aesthetic and beaches, alongside being known as a dangerous island home of harmful people. Masbate is the biggest island and a part of the region of Bicol. Although it is a part of Bicol, the people there speak the language of Bisaya people rather than Bicolano, making it easier for us to understand them. This network of islands are considered an ecological paradise, taking you to a wonderful and enchanting encounter with the sea and its landscape. It is commonly known as the Philippine's Rodeo Capital.
It was 5:30 in the morning when we stepped foot on the Cawayan Seaport, Masbate. When you consider visiting there, designated tricycles and habal-habal drivers (a motorcycle upgraded to carry more passengers than its actual capacity) await in the near distance at the exact time the ship arrives, every day. We immediately headed to the lined-up vehicles, trying to search for the unnamed driver, who we soon knew as Kuya Lolong—the driver of the mentioned schools tasked to pick us up.
With the drained body and mind we had, our only gestures of hope were the excitement of our words as we saw the landscape and beautiful isolation of Masbate. It is isolated indeed, but isolated in a way that is a choice—to maintain harmony and stay away from unnecessary changes. It was the first thirty minutes on the island that inspired us to awaken ourselves and prepare for the seminar, which would happen two hours ahead.
The driver headed straight to the campus of Western Masbate Roosevelt College with fifteen minutes of travel. Our hearts, amid the hunger of morning, were full of gratitude for the warm welcome of the teachers and students to us—aside from their bright smiles. They assisted us to the dining table filled with mouthwatering foods and drinks, with a view of the school campus occupied by the fiery dreams of students.
I remember there were these students who calmly approached us to serve the food. Just like the mannerisms of the people in Japan, the students bowed to us to show that our presence was welcome and appreciated. Although there were no words breathed, it left us astonished by the respect, values, and humility that young Masbateños have, despite the doubt and generalized criticism they receive from others. It is so evident that the kids there grew bolder but gentle, and responsibility is seen as we navigated the island throughout our other trips.
We headed to D.A Resort Hotel after breakfast, where we stayed for three days and two nights. It was the safest and most relaxing place during our stay in Masbate, for every time after our seminar, a wide pool massaged our burnt bodies and cooled off the heat index we got at the school. It is honestly the worst pair of tragedy: a rising heat index and numerous blackouts across the island. But what is meant to be important are the people we got to interact with and the experience we had lived for a temporary period.
D.A Resort Hotel is a resort in Panorama, Poblacion, Cawayan, Masbate. Just like the whole island, the resort was a peaceful place, given the fact that it was only our team who visited for two days. With no other guests, we had exclusive use of its wide pool and traditional cottages. We wandered to every corner of the resort freely and often found ourselves in the recreational area, surrounded by dancing trees that tried their best to hide me from the sight of the sun. It turned out to be my favorite place—it awakened my childhood fantasies that every morning I wake up, I head immediately to the area and drink a cup of coffee while observing the sound of nature—a sound that only a person who believes in magic can hear. Aside from that, the best place in the resort is actually its entirety, for the reason that the resort maintained the natural trees in the area and didn’t cut them when building the facilities. It calls our spirits closer to nature, and it was justified when we saw a bird in the pool, wet and trying to save itself. We were lucky to find it on time and put it in the flower bed to dry itself in the day. Whimsical, isn’t it?
Aside from staying in that cooling resort, visiting the schools multiple times highlighted the importance of our stay. Every morning after breakfast, our team entered a room full of young writers, aspiring to weave their names into the pages of their future publication. The school library served as our seminar room, and it was the very first time I talked and laughed loudly in a library without the librarian and her cat staring at me recklessly. Well, it was part of the dream.
We had a total of 30 students and 10 teachers, some of whom were lucky to be put into a particular category of their interest, and some of the teachers served as the final advisers of the publications after those days. Our seminar started with a lecture for every category, and I was a speaker for literary writing. When I asked the students who among them wanted to be a literary writer, only a young boy raised his hand. By that time, I felt pressured as to how to convince at least three students to join the category because literature is a necessary writing form, and it is the heart of all writing forms. It would be a risk to establish a publication with no literary writers. In doubt and in desperation, there was this line I used from Dead Poet's Society that I think helped me: "Remember, no matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world." And I guess it left the audience speechless and in awe, that before the workshop started, many students wanted to try the literary category, telling me of the fact that words can actually change a world—from one to multiple, ardent students.
I was able to teach and hone a group of students during the workshop. One made poetry, one mastered writing prose, while one was very passionate that he could write both. Reading the works of the students revealed a fragment of themselves to me, and you see, in writing, the hardest part is not to write it professionally, but the courage to be honest when telling a story. Their works left me blissful as I thought of how they wanted to preserve literature amid the constant development of AI. I kept all the works from them since I learned to love their pieces right away—they wrote so beautifully. All of it was well-written.
Other than those students, I felt at home with the students working so hard to fill our thundering tummies. I could see the respect and love in their eyes when they accepted guests. Crab meat, shrimp, dried fish, grilled chicken, and different recipes of fish were what they served us the whole stay—aside from those foods I didn’t know what they were called, since they are native to the island. They worked tirelessly even until 10 o'clock in the evening, past their class time. And when I asked them what it was for, they told me it was for the "dream." You see, if a dream is burning glory inside the children, then hope is still a wildfire scattered around.
For two days, the cycle repeated itself: resort to seminar, to students, to resort, and repeat. Except for the time our driver sneaked us out to roam the island and allowed us to experience eating street foods in Masbate. The vendors, customers, and people around were so gentle, and it warmed our hearts to see them smile authentically.
On our third day, we prepared our things and baggage for the final hour, since it would be our last stay. Fortunately, we visited the school for the last time, and we had an hour to sit on the bench of the campus, not as speakers but as students just like the others. But there were no students at that time since it was Sunday. We spent an hour cherishing the whole school—the trees, the bench, the teachers present at that time, and the caterpillar that freaked out one of the writers. By the time we had to go, we were packed with a lot of food for our dinner and a box of snacks.
It was 12:00 in the afternoon of August 18 that we found ourselves on the same ship again. But this time, with hope, with dream—with satisfaction from bringing the world of literature to the sister schools of our institution. It was time to go home, yet until now, our souls still yearn for the home we found in the people of the island. Without wasting hours, we talked about the experience and reflected on all the memories we had for the moment.
My experience in Masbate was one of glory. It told me the stories of Masbateños in a way that is different from what outsiders see. It is not the island that will flutter your soul, but the people you’ll meet. They are one of a kind—people that are preconceived as harmful, but gentle; reckless, but full of dreams. The teachers, the students, the drivers, the people outside, and the resort workers—even if I cannot tell separate stories about them—I would let you know how faithful they are in life. And if there is one place and people I would go back to in the future, it would be Masbate and the Masbateños: the place of hope and endless horizon of dreams and values.
Thirteen years ago, I was only a kid struggling to craft a single sentence, yet now I am the one teaching how to craft it—not by word, but by listening to the whisper of the soul.
I dreamt of being a journalist and a psychology student once, and now I am taking both paths to my heart's content. Little did I know, these paths would lead me to places I would love. And for now, it is Masbate that occupies my dear heart.
For one more time, I can say: the glory is in Masbate.
P.S. : As far as I knew, the island of Masbate is currently facing consistent power constraints due to ongoing technical issues at the D.M. Consunji, Inc. (DMCI) Thermal Power Plant, the province's main power source..