Bataan: A past revisited

As a schoolgirl in the ’70s, Bataan to me only meant the following: Mt. Samat, Philippine heroism and Araw ng Kagitingan (April 9) – a day my classmates and I always looked forward to every year, being a holiday, which gave us the chance to forget schoolwork, and instead, go out into the streets (still very safe then) to play patintero, tumbang preso, or syato (seldom heard of nowadays), or kill time with our neighborhood barkada singing songs from the Jingle Magazine while clumsily strumming our Lumanog guitars.

In the early ’80s, I finally set foot on the summit of the historically famous Mt. Samat (take note: not Mt. Everest like Bataan native Romi Garduce) with the world- renowned UP Concert Chorus for an April 9 concert under the baton of former dean of the UP College of Music Prof. Rey Paguio (who is also from Bataan, and whom I terribly miss!).

In full makeup and costume, I stood in reverence, staring at the Dambana ng Kagitingan memorial cross, experiencing what Bataan Day was actually all about, which was to honor the tens of thousands of Filipinos who suffered and died defending our country from Japanese invaders. I remember shedding a tear or two (of course, not in full view of the other Concert Chorus members) for those tortured and executed during the Death March for the love of our country. (Uncle Anselmo, my father’s younger brother, was among its martyrs.)

When I married my husband Paul in 1987, Bataan became a province to visit regularly as the hometown of my kind and well-loved father-in-law Justice Emilio Gancayco. Orion, Bataan is also the birthplace of the First Filipino Chief Justice of the Supreme Court – Cayetano Arellano. The entire family would travel for the less than two-hour land trip from Manila to attend its fiestas and visit several churches during the Holy Week (such as the beautiful St. Joseph’s Church and the historic Abucay Church); pay respects to my husband’s deceased relatives on Nov. 1 and 2; or, just to have some peace and quiet. These intermittent visits I looked forward to as I loved the idea that my children, Jon and Mika, were discovering their home province on their father’s side.

Slowly, through the years, my knowledge and appreciation of Bataan expanded and it came to include its entertainment and leisure offerings, such as the cozy Montemar Beach Club where you can enjoy a clear-sand beach frontage; the well-appointed Crown Royale Hotel in the capital City of Balanga, with its large, comfortable rooms and karaoke lounges, where you may perform like a pro to your heart’s content (and to your companions’ consternation!), and delicious free breakfast meals (yup, Bataan has its share of good hotels with fully airconditioned rooms, including the NPC Hotel and Training Center with cottages that accommodate families or big groups, so travelers need not worry), the beautiful inland resorts, like the La Vista which boasts of having the only wave pool in Bataan, and other beach resorts, such as the "A" rated Waterfront Beach Resort in the heart of Morong; beautiful cascading waterfalls, like the famous Dunsulan Falls; and the oh, so sumptuous seafood – tinapa, tuyo, fresh crabs and fresh shrimps which Bataan is known for and which you may enjoy in popular restaurants, like Lou-Is and Joyous (yummy!).

After experiencing all these beautiful natural and man-made places, bring home araro cookies, polvoron and pastillas, cheap mangoes and suman to loved ones left behind in Manila (to make up for the guilt as to why you did not take them with you to this beautiful province, or to make them envious of your unforgettable trip).

Since my appointment as Chief of Staff of the Congressman of the Second District of Bataan, the very young and able Honorable Albert Garcia, I began to realize that, indeed, all the elements of a booming province are in place with its accessibility to Manila, Subic and Clark. Consider this: it is the home of the First Export Processing Zone Authority located in Mariveles. It has a thriving petrochemical plant. It boasts of the Anvaya Cove (which will be the country’s answer to Phuket, Thailand), and the soon-to-be-finished world-class terminal at the Port of Orion, and big investments from top Philippine companies.

Still, for me, if there is one most important reasons to visit Bataan, it is to re-inculcate in ourselves love for our country. Almost everywhere you go in the province, the Bataan Memorial Cross and the other historical markers (such as the Mariveles Zero Kilometer Death March Marker) are there to remind you of the ultimate sacrifice made by our Bataan Heroes. I thank them with all my heart for their bravery and for suffering and dying for our country.

So, go visit Bataan with your family! Go and be proud of our heroic and valiant past! Go and love our country once again! We owe it to our Bataan Heroes; we owe it to our children.