Captivating Capiz
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With the youth delegates of the Drug Symposium and Medicines Distribution Program.
President Roxas is a municipality in Capiz, not to be confused with the Roxas City right next to it. Capiz Province is in the northern part of Panay Island in the Visayas, Philippines.
I accepted the invitation to speak for two reasons. One, it was a great opportunity to educate and inspire the youth who are the “hope of our nation,” according to our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. Two, scallops.
Scallops and shells sold at Ivisan, Roxas City.
The event was spearheaded by the Pambansang Pederasyon ng Sangguniang Kabataan (PPSK), or the National Federation of Youth Councils of the President Roxas Municipality.
The speakers before me, the town’s police chief and a lawyer from the local chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), talked about the ills and criminal implications of illegal drug use. When it came my time to speak, I expressed my agreement with them, advising the young audience to stay away from illicit drugs by all means. Focus on your studies, do sports, foster wholesome community spirit.
However, I continued, we need to face an inescapable fact. There will always be illegal drug users, whether we like it or not, for a number of reasons. Some individuals simply have a physiological predisposition towards addiction. Others are drawn to it due to circumstances outside their control. Others use it simply for occasional recreation and suffer no serious harm. Others are driven to it because of depression or trauma. Others are led to it due to poverty. There is no hard and fast formula to deal with such a complex phenomenon. Yes, we discourage illegal drug use, but we cannot demonize those who engage in it nevertheless.
Furthermore, I cannot lecture on drug abuse without talking about the abuses of those who enforce anti-drug laws. I cannot omit speaking about the accountability of those who committed extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the name of the war on drugs. In the Philippines during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, the cure became far worse than the disease, leaving an estimated 30,000 deaths in its wake.
It was just a short program, with not much time for deep conversation and debate. The topic of drug use, drug abuse, and the abuses of anti-drug enforcers can only be elaborated so much. The program ended with a distribution of “medicines,” which turned out to be just Vitamin C, courtesy of the sponsor; but I’m not one to quibble.
By evening, after the program, I had a good roadside chat with the town mayor, Receliste “Tanoy” Escolin. I have met a lot of “down-to-earth” mayors, but Mayor Tanoy is probably the most disarming. Wearing slippers and a sleeveless shirt fit for bedtime, he readily engaged in banter, joking around, talking about his troubled past, and taking pride in his achievements without being obnoxious or self-conscious.
Outside the municipal hall with Mayor Tanoy
“I was featured in Jessica Soho’s program,” he beamed, showing me two photos on his phone.
“Who’s that slim person next to your photo?” I asked.
“That’s me,” he said, “years ago, when I was still a macho dancer.” He wasn’t kidding! He did perform in Chicos and other so-called “gay bars” when he was young. He then decided to venture into local politics, proudly talking about how he was the only one who took down the Locsin dynasty in the President Roxas municipality. How he proceeded to win the next two local elections with his lead increasing. He also showcased his infrastructure projects and gave the math on the town’s savings through out-of-the-box planning and effective negotiation.
By late evening I was driven to my lodging back in Roxas City, which was located along the main road and had thin jalousie windows: a bad combination. I hardly had any sleep on account of unmuffled vehicular noise all night!
The next day, I was left by my hosts to explore the place on my own. A service vehicle was henceforth arranged: a tricycle with a dedicated driver, Jude, who was extra nice and indulgent, but did not seem to have an excellent sense of direction. Our first stop was the Panublion Museum. Greeting visitors was a large photo of Manuel Roxas, the first president of the Philippine Republic. The museum also features, among others, an ancient iron cannon discovered and excavated by fishermen beneath the waters of Roxas City in August 2014. It is “very possibly a CARRONADE manufactured by the Carron Company of Falkirk, Scotland between 1776-1852,” as inscribed below the artifact.
Entrance to the Panublion Museum
Inside the museum
Retrieved submerged cannon in the waters of Roxas City
From the museum, my driver brought me to the neighboring town of Ivisan, southwest of Roxas City. Ivisan houses a seafood “bagsakan” (drop-off point). I had a hard time choosing which products to buy and bring home in consideration of my limited baggage allowance. I decided on scallops, oysters, and shrimps - which are far more expensive in Manila. I had the scallops and oysters shucked to reduce their weight and put on an iced cooler that will be checked in on my flight the next day.
With my designated driver, Jude
Our next planned stop after Ivisan was the Ayagao Beach Resort in Talon, Roxas City, where I hoped I could take a quick dip in the sea. But Jude missed a turn and what would have been a 15-minute ride became an hour. A head-scratching moment that should have brought on irritation. But deciding to take control of my destiny, if not the tricycle, I summoned serendipity and a sense of wonder for the unknown and yet unseen. Since we’ve been traversing unfamiliar hills and seaside terrains, might as well take in the scenery. It was during this trip that I reconfirmed what we all knew all along: trees make a place much cooler. Approaching Ayagao (Jude already found his bearing), we passed a forest-canopied portion along the road where I suddenly blurted out, “Anlamig dito ha!” (It’s cold here!) because the temperature palpably dropped so many degrees. Jude nodded, “Dami kasing puno.” (Due to so many trees.)
Ayagao was a bit of a disappointment, though. It was crowded, with a karaoke machine blaring full-volume. I decided to forego this resort and asked Jude to just look for a good place for lunch. We wound up back in Ivisan. Less than a block away from the seafood stall where I bought my take-home seafood, we found a carinderia where we feasted on fresh oysters and chicken stew.
As we ate, the waitress asked me, “Are you Japanese?” I was confused by the question. Turns out she was wondering if I was the trending Japanese performance artist, Tappei Noguchi, who was circling the whole of Panay Island on foot at the time, dragging an old rubber tire.
I have met a lot “down-to-earth” mayors, but Mayor Tanoy is probably the most disarming.
That was amusing, but not exactly the first time I was mistaken for someone else. Once, in an Indian bazaar, I was mistaken for Keanu Reeves, I swear! No one actually buys this anecdote, so I stopped sharing it, waiting for another opportunity to narrate it again, like this article!
Final stop was at the so-called Ruins of Alcatraz in Brgy. Culasi, Roxas City. These tall, concrete, weathered structures are remnants of an old penal colony, akin to the famed Alcatraz in San Francisco. There were plans to develop the place into a resort but these were later abandoned. The ancient structures however were kept intact, evolving into a scenic expanse that affords visitors a 360 view of the horizon. As we walked the steps two small local kids accompanied us and offered to take photos. They proved familiar with the technology, navigating my phone’s settings and taking well-placed shots with the beautiful backdrop.
Ruins of Alcatraz
At the Ruins of Alcatraz, with my volunteer kid photographer from the community
By late afternoon the trip ended. I hope, as usual, that I have left a mark at a place as much as it marked me. Back at the hotel, I asked for another room farther from the roadside so that I could sleep in relative peace. Refreshed the next day, with oysters and scallops in tow, I flew back to Manila, prepared for the burden of being mistaken for some random influencer or Hollywood celebrity again.
Story of my life.
(All photos by Bobby Garcia, unless otherwise indicated.)
Bobby is the author of To Suffer thy Comrades: How the Revolution Decimated its Own. He was Undersecretary at the Office of the Political Adviser for President Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. – under whose term the Philippines filed the WPS territorial claim with the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
He presently leads the Technical Assistance Team of Governance in Justice (GOJUST) II – Human Rights, supporting the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) through funds from the European Union (EU) and the Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) of Spain.
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