PHILIPPINE HISTORY ACCORDING TO MYOHO

PHILIPPINE HISTORY ACCORDING TO MYOHO

A travelogue on one of the islands that extend from the southernmost end of Eastern
Samar.
(Photo: Arnel Hermosura taking advantage of ABCD at its peak.)

Living on the beach, with only the basic necessities brings a whole new approach to the
word: BEACHBUM. And this is what happens as you cross the bridge that connects the
lowermost end of Eastern Samar to Calicoan Island, one of the inhabited islands that dot
the Pacific side of the Philippine archipelago. Calicoan is not as popular as Homonhon –
where Magellan made berth, or as overcrowded as Boracay. It is neither as large as
Siargao nor as small as the largest of the Siete Pecados. It is, for starters, just the right
size.
It is just the right size to host a stretch of beach where surfers, giant crabs and egg-laying
sea-turtles congregate to worship. It is just the right size for ancient monkeys and snakes
to bask in its country road in between passing tricycles, multi-cabs and the occasional
tourist. It is just the right size for a nearby airport where, a long time ago, American
bombers were frantically on the lookout for Japanese kamikaze planes. It is also the right
size of island for a simple 3-hut, surf resort.
Myoho’s Surf Hut is located on the ABCD Beach – a beach where white sand, good
waves and edible sea urchins abound. The word Myoho comes from a Buddhist prayer
where Myo stands for the spiritual essence of infinity and Ho alludes to a physical
presence, particularly, of nature. And it is in this spirit that brings Rodney and his wife,
Rose to Calicoan Island, to wander amongst the coconuts, the Waray-speaking locals and
the absence of a cell-site within a 4km radius. This, according to Rodney, or Myoho, as
we call him, is the essence of life.
After working as a geologist in an Australian oil company for most of his life, Rodney
decided to take an early retirement. And, with his separation pay, take off with his wife
and head for the Philippines where the climate is a lot warmer and the lifestyle, a lot
cheaper. They first came to the ABCD Beach in Calicoan in the year 2000 where, after
trying out the surf and finding it to their satisfaction, they decided to settle down. They
have been in Calicoan a grand total of 11 months and in that span of time have opened up
a resort with all the amenities of home: water, electricity, a kitchenette and their very own
coffee grinder.
Myoho’s Surf Hut plays host to a gaggle of different people, particularly surfers from as
near as Borongan or Tacloban, or as far as Siargao, Manila or Australia. At present, his
huts are home to Roy from Israel, Marcus from Austria and two brothers, David and
Barry from South Africa. This means to say that there is usually a maximum of five
surfers out in the water with a lonely stretch of beach quietly scrutinizing their every
move. Myoho’s hut easily becomes home and for anyone who listens, a plethora of
knowledge, gossip and weather reports from a couple who care to entertain, Myoho style.
Then there is the beach. Christened ABCD because of the numerous surf spots that are
too strenuous to name, the surf breaks start at A all the way to Z along the rocky
coastline. And they change with every swell and every tide. For a surfer on a long,
extended holiday, it is always Christmas at Calicoan. With Myoho’s neighbors being a
British schoolteacher, a Japanese professional surfer, an exclusive Surf Camp and the
notorious Balansay brothers, the homeowners have decided to keep the level of
industrialization at the ABCD to a minimum. Thus, the absence of posh resorts or noisy
discotheques to disrupt the atmosphere. The coconuts can flourish in peach to the tune of
the rumbling waves on the shore.
Not too long ago, Calicoan, one among a group of islands, namely Homonhon, Sulangan
and Suluan, once played a vital role in the reoccupation of the Philippine Islands by Gen.
MacArthur. It is particularly in Calicoan where the US Naval Supply Depot was
commissioned. Until today, a flagpole bearing the remnants of the past stands at attention
where the Americans once used to dock and harbor their reserves. In the outer reefs,
bullet-ridden propellers of Japanese kamikaze planes have been found – evidence of the
fact that along these waters, the American-Japanese War was once fought. The dusky
silhouette of Homonhon Island bears witness to the reality that Magellan’s fleet could
once have been within the vicinity. A nearby island, Sulangan, carries with it evidence of
Spanish colonialism with the Church of St. Anthony de Padua.
However, despite the influx of nearby Spanish, American and Japanese settlements, the
island of Calicoan still remains untouched. With electric and water supply held by a
monopoly in the nearby town of Guiuan, is yet a privilege for a few. The nearest food
market, grocery or sari-sari store is the next island away. Transportation is through multi-
cabs and tricycles that seldom pass through the old-school, post-war, “cement” road
where a 15-minute ride stretches from 30 minutes to just under 2 hours.
But this is where, without the constant hiss of static electricity and mobile phones, you
relize the significance of Myoho. Where, by gathering driftwood for a fire or diving for
sea urchins, you get a sense of why the 10 Datus from Borneo decided to spread out and
settle in different islands along the archipelago. And where, while waiting for whatever
mode of transportation to take you to the sari-sari store for your daily pack of cigarettes,
you wonder why we don’t see monkeys or sea turtles in our side of the world.