I know what I did last Christmas

CEBU – Last Christmas was different for me and my folks. On top of the food, the parties, the gifts, we did something totally novel. I had proposed earlier to my brother JC and sister, Flom, that instead of the usual receiving and giving this Christmas, we’d do more of the “giving” part. The plan was to do a dental and medical mission in the barrio in Dauis, Bohol, where my late Mom came from. Most folks think that Panglao is the whole island and all the nice beaches are in Panglao. Well, yes and no. Yes, because the island is really called, “Panglao Island” and no because not all of the nice beaches can be found in Panglao.

The reason is that Panglao Island is made up of two towns, Dauis and Panglao with the former just 3k from Tagbilaran. In other words, to get to Panglao, you have to pass by Dauis, a town very rich in Spanish legacy.

It’s a fact that it was Alona Alegre (she made a movie with the late Fernando Poe Jr. called “Esteban” back in the 1975 with a scene shot at the still undeveloped beach in Panglao. This particular beache was later called “Alona” by the locals and the name stuck.) who started the ball rolling for Panglao. I guess she would have made a lot of money from the beach operators if she had sued them for copyright infringement.

But before the slew of “Alona” beaches cropped up, there was only “one” beach in the whole of Panglao island, and it was called “Bikini Beach”. Bikini Beach is located in a barrio called “Biking” (pronounced “bee-king”, not biking as in cycling) and from which the name of the beach was derived and not the swimwear.

But Dauis in the 1970’s was ruled by the powerful Cimafranca family who allowed sand to be taken from the beach at a massive scale for use in paving roads in the eastern part of Bohol. The result was a paradise lost forever. Even though the scars are still there, the beach is still better than most Cebu beaches. Bikini Beach is still alive today. It is as natural as it gets – not even a sari-sari store can be found. There is one hut without walls which anyone can use if you arrive early. Mostly, it’s used as a lookout and rest area for folks waiting for the fishermen to arrive.

Going back to our Christmas mission, our group was able to serve almost a hundred folks who obviously couldn’t afford dental care. It wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Dr. Jun Ninal, Dr. Ronald Loyola, Dr. Nikki Loyola, Dr. Dino Natividad, Dr. Nazar Vergara, Dr. Sally Baral and Dr. Rejoice Tapic. A big thanks also to my uncle, Dr. Rufo Aranjuez, who came down all the way from Canlubang, Laguna, for taking care of the medical side of the mission. Thanks also to another uncle, former Dauis Mayor Pepe Arnajuez and his wife, Evelyn for taking good care of the logistics. Thanks also to Missy Torralba and her friends from US – Elena, Dave and Sean, for the help they extended to us. Finally, to all of my cousins in Biking who helped us out, thanks! Last Christmas was the most satisfying in for a long time! (THE FREEMAN)