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Friday, April 2, 2010
The Journey Begins
I've lived in Malabon since I was six. However, for the last 18 years, I've lived away from the heart of it, in a gated community along its rim. In occasional visits to our family home in Barangay Concepcion, I've watched, appalled, at how the town has succumbed to modern-day maladies. The unresolved flooding problem, rampant informal settlements and environmental degradation - are these symptoms or are they effects of suburban decay? I leave it up to the social scientists to determine. All I know is that, as far as I could see, my beloved town had gone the way of most towns caught up by what ails our country and our society today. So in my heart I said goodbye to the town I loved, and with great dismay said hello to the city it has become and I wish it were not.
The town's descent certainly did not happen overnight. It took years. But I believe it began with the filling up of Dagat-Dagatan, which served as a catch basin not only for Malabon but for surrounding towns and cities as well. That monumental mistake resulted in our town's massive, never-before flooding problem and in my view, triggered the onslaught of informal settlers. These problems have remained through the years and have taken their toll on the quality of life in Malabon.
But it was mostly those in the heart of town who suffered simply because they were the ones who had to wade through flood water when it was high tide or be trapped inside Malabon when flooding rendered streets leading out of town impassable. It was they who had to walk each day through littered streets, pass by places overrun by settlers, or see some unsightly new structure blocking the view and the flow of soft breezes. Me? I was peacefully ensconced in its periphery and for the most part of 18 years, oblivious.
Suburban decay in Malabon became real to me a few years ago when I started to notice how it was beginning to creep up in my Dad's neighborhood. Litter everywhere... garbage mounds right on the street corner... vagrants answering nature's call or sleeping in our alley... All these had the effect of something stealthily creeping up on me. But what came as a jolt was when they built an unsightly barangay hall and covered basketball court on the plaza right next to one of our town's heritage gems, the Borja House. Now, the sweeping view of that majestic house from the once open-air plaza is gone. From that angle all that one can see now is this unsightly structure standing alongside a beautiful heritage house - an unwitting illustration of Malabon's elegant past and its dowdy present. At that point, I thought I could hardly be blamed if I was beginning to feel a sense of hopelessness at what was happening to Malabon.
Then three years ago I read about a group that was organizing heritage tours of Malabon, hoping to promote interest in its rich heritage. My heart leapt and yes, I began to feel hopeful again. Unfortunately I was not able to join their tour that time. And in the intervening years, the everyday realities of my own life took over and my personal hopes and wishes for Malabon had to occupy a back seat. But maybe this beloved town that I've relegated into the dim corridors of my heart wants to take front and center again because a Facebook friend posted vintage photos of Malabon on his site and I became nostalgic.
Now I am dreaming again and feeling hopeful for the town of my youth.
Thanks to the group of Atty. Ramon Lucas and Arch. Richard Bautista who try to keep the love alive for Malabon's rich heritage by organizing those tours, and to my Facebook friend Manny Alba, who posted the vintage photos above on his site -- you have rekindled my passion and inspired hope in my heart that all is not lost for this once serene and gracious town we love.
For in spite of everything that has happened to Malabon, there remains in it much beauty - the beauty of its heritage and its soul. We only need to peel away the layers of apathy and neglect to let its beauty shine through again.
This, then, will be our shared journey of rediscovery.
"My Malabon" is not just me but all of us... who love Malabon and have "ownership" of it because it is a part of who we are and who we hope to be.
God bless Malabon!
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very nice write-up.. i could say that you are after all hail from Malabon.
ReplyDeletei wish you would be able to show some old pics of houses/places at Maysilo and Tinajeros..
have a nice day..
Anonymous, Thanks for your comments. Yes, I plan to write on all the places in Malabon eventually. I hope that I can find old pictures from those places as well.
ReplyDeleteyes i agree with anonymous, i wish you could find some pictures or storytelling about barangay flores, or naval street, where is you can find the streets of pantihan from 1 to 5, we (brothers and sister)are raised and born in pantihan 4 and were still around,(for almost 50yrs)that area together with our children.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 2, thanks for your suggestions. Now I'm beginning to find out that there are so many places in Malabon that I don't know about! I will try to take pictures and write about them eventually.
ReplyDelete...you know miss Cecile...just like you, i feel so hurt seeing those old houses in Malabon left untended of through the years...houses which had stood in its mighty glory once upon a time...perhaps, if the people who lived there are still alive up to now, they might have not let their properties look that way.
ReplyDelete...the beauty of the past is fading away...
mtycm,yes, it does make one feel bad to see some of the old houses untended and in a sorry state. I guess every one has a different situation that can't be helped.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I'm imagining that if only these houses could be restored, how beautiful they would look, even more beautiful than any of the so-called modern design buildings around. I'm holding on to the hope that this "imagining" or dream of mine will become reality...
Thank you for your comment.
good morning miss Cecile...reading comments from your site gives me more strength to fight the legacy of my loved ones...at this point in time that i need a bit of hope to cling to in preserving the memories of the past...my ancestral house which had been tagged as one among the beautiful houses in my barrio has gradually started to collapse and soon to vanish from my sight...how could i restore its glory...when they want me out of their way? i'm so much hurt.
ReplyDeletethey say "leave Malabon," why do I insist on staying? they tell me "it's no longer a safe place to live by...floods, vices and squatters all over..." but "I love Malabon"
...your site is really a COMFORT to me, miss Cecile...with those people valuing their past, their childhood...their ancestral houses...thank you...my downing spirit is being lifted...thank you very much!!
mtycm, it warms my heart to find people like you who still care deeply for Malabon.
ReplyDeleteMalabon has changed so much in ways that are not so good. But there's still some of its beauty that's left, and hopefully we can still save that for future generations...
I'm interested to know more about your ancestral house if it's still existing. If you're OK with sharing some info about it, please email me at mymalabon@gmail.com. Thank you.
good morning again, miss Cecile...
ReplyDelete...at long last, i've found somebody i could share my love for memories of the past...thank you!!!
...actually, whenever i write to you, i could not help to shed a tear...but i am consoled...thank you, thank you!!!
Like all others who had a deep root in Malabon,I love and cherish this place,our old house does not stand there anymore I live along Gen.Lina St.A stone throw away from A.Bonifacio where a beautiful house of one of the Marcelo's clan now also demolished were used tobe. My friends and relatives at present time lives there,and everytime I come home home for weddings and funerals,i used to tell my kids the once beautiful Malabon we had,although the beautiful sites are gone still the warmth of friendshio remains,the people and the food we used to taste.And I will forever cherish the memories.
ReplyDeleteMs. Alberto, thank you for sharing your sentiments about our hometown. The face of Malabon has changed so much, but deep down, there is still the beauty of its soul. I feel very hopeful that we can still save what beauty remains of Malabon.
ReplyDeletethank you for featuring the interior of the borja and the rivera house. I am just curious how the others look as well. Can you feature the interiors too?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I'll try my best to feature more interiors. These heritage houses are such a treasure and I'm so proud of them. Thanks for visiting.
ReplyDeleteMy niece posted on her FB account that she "chanced upon My Malabon". I read with interest the blog about pabasa, this being Good Friday in the place where I am at. So I went and checked out your blog.
ReplyDeleteI truly enjoyed and got nostalgic about your blogs, just by the titles alone. You are covering the heart of Malabon where I grew up. I recently visited home (2009/2010) after more than 20 years of absence and I've seen most of the places you covered in your blog. Rosy's, Upeng's, Borja, Gregorio Sancianco, Tropicana, Dolor's, etc. I'll certainly come back to your blog and read everything.
Makes me want to visit back. Thanks for doing this.
Thank you for your comment.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to be doing this blog because I'm also discovering so many things I didn't know before about our hometown. We have such a rich history and heritage. It's been an amazing journey!
Hi Ms. Cecile, I'm one of the grandchildren of Dr. Cenon Villongco one who owns the Villongco house. Thank you for posting the picture of the house. I didn't know that the house is considered a heritage house in Malabon. I feel very much honored. My aunts and cousins will be surprised with the information. I hope this will change their minds about renting/selling the place.
ReplyDeleteYou've mentioned about the heritage tour. How often do they hold it? and how much? Where can I contact the organizers? Can I ask them for suggestions/ideas on how we can make use of the house or make it part of the heritage tour?
Thanks :)
Marilu
Hi Marilu. It's nice to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteCould you please email me at mymalabon@gmail.com so I can send you the relevant contact info? Thanks.
Visiting your site has been a refreshing journey for me. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteJoey, Thank you so much for your support!
ReplyDeleteI would love to join you on a walk in our hometown someday :)
ReplyDeleteI was born in Camus St. Malabon and I miss my hometown so much. What amazed me,seeing the old pictures what Malabon looked like from way back then. I would say what awesome place and especially, the food is great and delicious.
ReplyDeleteChristian, pardon the late reply. Yes, it's nice to walk around our hometown and discover/ rediscover it. Maybe one of these days...
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I agree, Malabon looked so different then. So simple and serene. I miss that, too.
ReplyDelete