TRAGEDY

[Photo: Korean garden at the Botanical Garden of Baguio]

I have been to Baguio so many times that I have grown tired of it. But at the same time, I feel so sorry for it. Through the years uncontrolled development has made Baguio ugly. What do you see when you look at the mountains and hills? Houses crowding each other for available space. What do you see at Mine’s View Park? Roofs!

The first time I went to Baguio was with the family. We took a PAL flight. At that time food was still served. I know I did not enjoy the meal. I just had my braces and my teeth were still painful. Taking a bite and chewing food was an agony. But that did not prevent me from enjoying the vacation. I remember we took a hotel along Session road. That hotel no longer exists today.

When I was a fourth year aspirant in the minor seminary called the Juniorate, we decided to do a rolling camp for the summer. For the past three years we had been going to Calapan, Mindoro for the summer camp. I can only remember three of the places that we went to. We went to a beach in Bagac, and also to Don Bosco Tarlac. Our last stop was Baguio. I remember staying at a seminary near the Crystal Cave. In later years, I was able to see it again but from afar every time we visited the Assumption convent. On the last night of our stay we, the seniors, gave a farewell program. We said good-bye to the aspirants. We were moving to Don Bosco Seminary College in Canlubang for the next stage of our formation.

I was in Baguio another time for family bonding. It was my father’s idea. Our mom had just passed away. So he thought it would be a good idea for us to come together for a summer holiday. We took a Pantranco bus. It no longer exists. We stayed at the Hyatt Terraces Hotel. It also no longer exists. It collapsed during the 1990 earthquake. We went to the usual places. We visited Burnham Park where we rented a boat. We climbed the steps of the grotto. It was drizzling then. I know because I had my hood on in the picture taken at the top of the steps. We went to PMA, Mine’s View Park, Camp John Hay, the Mansion, Wright Park and the cathedral. We bought the usual souvenirs: leis of Everlasting flowers, strawberries, kulangot ng intsik (although I read that it was called sundot kulangot), a couple of brooms, and a jar of Good Shepherd ube jam. And no. We did not buy the man in the barrel.

When I was a student of theology, our community decided to go up to Baguio. But the trip turned into a tragedy. We rode in two buses. I was in the Elf. The other bus was what we called the American bus. 

Because the Elf was faster, we found ourselves far ahead. So we decided to stop and wait for the American bus to catch up. After a long while, we saw the driver of the American bus running bare-foot and shouting the name of Jovit. We boarded the Elf and turned around. The sight of the American bus shocked us. It was on its side and its direction was towards Manila rather than Baguio. Jovit was wrapped in a blanket. We loaded him into the Elf and hurriedly made our way to the hospital. Six of us volunteered to give blood. But by 3 pm we received the bad news. Jovit was dead. The community left Baguio early in the morning the following day. A few of us remained behind. We waited for the embalming of Jovit. We left late in the afternoon and arrived in Manila late in the evening of the same day.

At that time Jovito Soberanno was the youngest Salesian who ever died in the Salesian Philippine Province. And it was a tragic death. He did his practical training among the college students of Don Bosco Mandaluyong. I heard good things about him during his stint there. I know he managed to gain the confidence of the students. Had he lived longer he could have done a lot of good among the young people to whom he would have been sent. But God in his infinite wisdom had other plans. He took him away in the prime of his life. Why? We may never know the answer. But certainly the only faith-full response would be to bow our head in acceptance of God’s will, knowing full well that everything works for good for those that love him.