In Search of a New Home

A Summary of F. Sionil Jose’s Po-on

Francis B. Tatel
tatelfrank@gmail.com

Part 1

Istak (Eustaquio Salvador), arguably the protagonist in the narrative, was from a
poor Ilocano family of farmers. His mother was Mayang and his father was Ba-
ac, who lost one arm due to a false accusation of theft. Istak had two younger
brother, An-no, who was taller and bigger than him, and Bit-tik, who was much
younger. They lived in a small village called Po-on in the town of Cabugaw. At
ten, Istak became an acolyte to Father Jose, the parish priest, who taught him
foreign languages such as Spanish and Latin and other significant knowledge
about nature. When Father Jose was transferred to a new parish due to old age,
Padre Zarraga, the new parish priest ordered Istak to go home to Po-on as his
services was no longer needed. However, this was only a pretext because Padre
Zarraga wanted Kapitan Berong’s two beautiful daughters to himself. They were
Istak’s students.

One late afternoon, Istak happened to see Padre Zarraga and

Carmencita, the older daughter, making love behind a cabinet. When Istak was
back in Po-on, his father decided to go talk to Padre Zarraga to take Istak back
so that the order for them to abandon Po-on would be rescinded. But the
arrogant and evil priest would not have what Ba-ac wished. Upon recognizing
the priest as the one that caused the loss of his arm, Ba-ac killed him in a fit of
rage with a heavy crucifix. This criminal revenge was the start of the series of
misfortunes of the Salvador family. Together with their relatives, who were
equally in grave danger with the mere fact that they were Baac’s relatives, had
to leave Po-on in such a hurry that they forgot to bring many important things.
Together with them was a beautiful stranger-turned-friend, Dalin, whose old
husband had just died. Dalin became a source of rivalry between Istak and
Anno; the latter being the one who found her on the road and decided to help
her and her sick husband. Together they decided to abandon Po-on, escape
for their lives, and search for a better and safer place they could call home.

The journey of the clan was full of perils. “The forest was hostile, with
unseen threats…(p.17). Istak, who decided to tarry in Po-on to beg mercy from
the persecuting authorities was shot on the chest. Dalin, who decided to return,
found him and saved him. For the longest part of the journey, he was ailing and
weak. The family thought he would die. Miraculously, he survived! Without full
consciousness, he told them what to do to save him from death. During the
journey, Dalin narrated to Istak her true story. It was pitiful!

When their journey had brought them close to the Spanish road, they
decided to do a strategy: they would cross singly. They were able to cross the
Spanish road safely. When they reached the town of Candon, they decided to
visit their relatives who lived there. But, to their surprise, they were all gone! “The
houses are there, but they are empty…they must have left…,” Ba-ac reported.
Surprisingly, the next morning they met their relatives. The relatives decided to
come with the traveling group to wherever they planned to go. While resting,
they were attacked by Bagos, a fierce tribe in the mountain. They set fire around
the caravan and showered them with fatal arrows. The clan ran for their lives
and was able to escape sheer death narrowly save the youngest boy of Istak’s
Aunt Sinang who was pierced with a spear through the neck. They buried him.

Istak, who was now finally well, recommended to his father that they
change surname from Salvador to Samson and burn their cedulas. They now
traveled safer in the daytime like other carts. They were now in a place where
there were more towns, which they had to skirt. But one morning, the Guardia
came upon them led by Capitan Gualbeto, who saw Orang, Istak’s cousin, and
raped her. The men were not able to resist because guns were leveled at them.
Orang’s shame made her run away but An-no found her and comforted her.
They continued on their journey. Suddenly, Dalin noticed that Ba-ac was missing.
Istak looked for his father and found him in a coiling body of a large python
hanging from a tree. Istak was able to slay the serpent but his father was already
lifeless. They buried him at the edge of the forest, and resumed their journey.
They were now near the plains of Pangasinan, their destination.

One day they were roused by two merchants from Abra, who informed
them of the Guardia who was checking all caravans in search of a one-armed
man. This made them hasten their travel despite the torrential rain till they
reached the river Agno, which was swollen. They decided to cross it by using a
submerged bridge made of coconut trunk. They were just halfway when a large
uprooted tree came rushing down to them and hit the cart where Istak and his
mother rode. His mother was killed!

They reached Carmay, where the farmers advised them to proceed to

Rosales and to approach Don Jacinto, a generous man of wealth and land,
which they did. Don Jacinto indeed helped them and led them to a forest that
nobody owned, which they could clear and farm for themselves. Their perilous
and exhausting journey has ended at last!

Part 2

They started anew in their new land. One day in town, An-no befriended two
men, who took him to their land where lived an old who claimed the spirit of the
departed hero Diego Silang lived in him. One day An-no got sick but Istak was
able to cure him when he was at the verge of death. Istak discovered he could
heal the sick! People brought him patients when the plague came. Istak himself
was afflicted with it and he almost died. But Dalin did her best to cure him, and
after one month, he finally got rid of the disease. While he was bedridden,
Kapitan Gualberto came, took An-no and killed him.

Later, the Americans came and tried to subdue the Filipinos. Running away from
the Americans, Mabini visited Don Jacinto and hid in his house. He was sick so
Don Jacinto invited Istak to come with him to cure Mabini. Istak did his best to
help cure Mabini.