| Lamenting on the Destruction of a Historico-Cultural Legacy |
|
|
|
| Written by Leo | ||
| Wednesday, 18 March 2009 | ||
|
The town of Nabua has no spectacular natural wonders; no hills, no waterfalls, no lakes, no beaches compared to its neighboring towns in the Rinconada area. It has a monotonous, gently rolling topography. A town easily submerged in water during typhoons, or even just two days of continuous rains. It has nothing to offer other than the green ricefields and tropical trees. But the Nabuenos are very distinct from the other peoples of Rinconada District, Camarines Sur and the whole of Bicol Region. I need not say the many titles they give Nabua—a ‘town of dollars’, ‘sleeping giant’, ‘town of the most classy and extravagant wedding’, etc. These are just titles concerning superficial things, however. The things that I think the Nabuenos should be proud of and preserve are its long history, intellectual-cultural heritage, and of course, deep religiosity. Being the mother town of several towns (including Iriga City) in the Rinconada area, naturally, the intellectual and cultural development of the Nabuenos happened a long, long time ago. We have one of the oldest and original festivity rites in the Philippines, the Boa-Boahan, and we have one of the oldest (almost 500 years old) and one of the most beautiful brick churches in the country. We both have unique cultural and architectural heritage. I remember touring a foreigner with me in Nabua. He readily noticed that while we have relatively small downtown, we have very big schools, an imposing town hall, and a classic church. But I missed one thing. The Gabaldon. The Gabaldon building is a household word among the residents in the centro. Although I must admit that I was really ignorant about the Gabaldon. From what I was hearing, it just seemed an old school building for me. But now that it was gone, and many people express their sentiments against its destruction, led by the very present mayor of Nabua, I realize that Gabaldon was not just an old school building. I realized that the school held a major role in the intellectualization of generations and generations of Nabuenos, from the Spanish era, to the American and Japanese periods. Another thing is that Gabaldon was an architectural legacy. Not every town in the Philippines has a Gabaldon. It was a structure reminding everyone that the town of Nabua was once the center of education and culture in the district. Now it’s gone. On its former site will rise a shopping mall. The face of Nabua is changing. I admire the town of Nabua because of its balance of old and modern elements. Now it will drastically change. Sometimes we just have to face the sad realities of change and 'development'. Sometimes, some people's idea of development is limited to bilding of shopping malls and other edifices. I am not against development and change. We will all benefit from the advantages the new shopping mall would bring. I can already imagine the burgeoning businesses and the ever-becoming busy parada of Nabua. I just share the sentiments of my fellow Nabuenos who value the historico-cultural and architectural heritage of this good old town. The Gabaldon will surely be forgotten soon. I just hope the Nabuenos would not forget the old values that made them distinct from other peoples. I just hope that although we embrace progress, we still could recognize and uphold the things that truly elevate us. March 17, 2009
|
||
| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 18 March 2009 ) | ||
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
