I remember that as a young boy in the town of Esperanza, our house was beside the river. My brother and I used to play in that river. During my recent visit to the place, I now realized that it was part of the Wawa River. Our house was located at a place near where the two rivers met, the Agusan River and the Wawa River in Esperanza. According to a local folk that I have interviewed, that exact spot could have been gone now due to erosion. Oh well, I would have wanted to go to the exact spot.
On the left side is the mouth of the Wawa River while on the right is the Agusan River which stretches all the way from Davao in the south to Butuan City in the north leading to the sea. This is the view from the old town of Esperanza.This is the Wawa River as can be seen from the bridge in Esperanza.This is the Wawa bridge along the national highway in between Bayugan and Sibagat. When I was a young boy, the original bridge was on the left side. Then a new bridge was built on the right side. And now they’re constructing again a new bridge on the left side. Interesting.This is the Agusan River as can be seen from the new bridge in Butuan City, southbound.This is the mighty Agusan River on a rainy day as can be seen from another new bridge in Esperanza.A new bridge in Butuan. I still don’t know the name. I missed seeing the old familiar Magsaysay Bridge.New bridge in Butuan.This is the Andanan River in Bayugan. My brother and I went with our dad and his business partners on a speedboat but due to a strong current the boat overturned. It took some time before my brother was found — underneath the overturned speedboat. We both survived. I remember my dad crying. He thought my brother was already gone. That was some experience. The river seems quiet now unlike during our boyhood years.
In the featured photo above is the mighty Agusan River as can be seen from the new bridge in Butuan City. Part of my boyhood years was spent in Butuan City and we also lived beside the river. My brother and I along with friends also used to play in the Agusan River in Butuan City.
If I recall rightly, our house was on the right side of the street and at the end of the road is the entrance to the Esperanza Central Elementary School. That’s how I remember it. I could be wrong of course.
I took these snapshots below a week or so ago when I had the chance to visit the town where I was born after the passing of more than 40 years. It was like a journey back in time. It somehow looks still the same to me. It looks like a peaceful and quiet neighborhood.
These flowers attracted my attention. Isn’t it nice that the roadside is filled with colorful flowers?A peaceful and quiet neighborhood. I reckon people know each other here very well.This is the entrance to the elementary school. It was like going back in time more than 40 years ago. Of course the place has more buildings now than during my boyhood years.Old abandoned furniture along the road. The furniture design reminded me of my boyhood years.After the boat ride to cross the river, people use these stairs to go up and get into town. The place now looks abandoned and deserted except for the local folks living in the neighborhood.Boats on the river. Down the stairs. According to a local elderly man I talked to, this was a busy place during the 70s when there was no bridge yet that connected Esperanza to Bayugan.
Last Tuesday, March 19, 2019 I had the opportunity to visit again my birthplace, the town of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur after the passing of about 48 years. My youngest sister visited our home city of Bayugan and I went there too last week.
This used to be a busy place with stores and eateries in Esperanza during the 70s according to a pioneer I interviewed. Down below are boats people can hire to get across to the other side of the river and go to other places.
I have visited Bayugan City back again countless of times since I left the place during my high school days during the 70s. But I have never visited again the town of Esperanza where I was born some 11 kilometers away from Bayugan.
Boats for hire. Not so busy anymore now that there are concrete bridges connecting the town of Esperanza to other places in the province.
So I told my brothers and sister about my interest to visit Esperanza again after a long while. I was curious about how the place would look like now. I heard there was a bridge already that connected the town of Esperanza to Bayugan. During my boyhood years during the early 60s, I remember that people needed to cross the river on a boat to get to this town. In my imagination, it was such a remote place.
This is the Wawa River as can be seen on top of the new bridge in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur. I heard the town can still be flooded sometimes. This river connects to the Agusan River right in Esperanza.
I do remember once or twice maybe when I was with my dad and we travelled by speedboat to Butuan City and back to our home in Esperanza through the Agusan River. From what I can recall, my dad owned several speedboats with several powerful outboard motors back then. This was when we lived in Esperanza, a river town back then. We moved to Bayugan later on.
I remember that I walked this street going to school at the end of the road. Our house was on the right side of the street. A pioneer I talked to said that maybe that place where our house was located was already swallowed up by the river through erosion. We lived beside the river back then where I used to play.
I also remember that I went to the Esperanza Central Elementary School during the first half of my grade 2 in elementary. Then we moved to Bayugan where I completed my Grade 2 schooling.
My youngest sister excitedly photographing everything on top of one of the bridges which connect the town of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur to other places. Finally, no longer a remote place.
I do remember that Bayugan was once part of Barrio (now called Barangay) Maygatasan which was a part of the town of Esperanza. But then Bayugan became more progressive as it is located along the national highway and it soon became a town and now a city. My dad had a part in the early days of Bayugan being the first Tiniente del Barrio of Bayugan.
By chance, we met a pioneer (wearing a white T-shirt) in Esperanza. We have the same age at 64. He said he is the eldest son of the former mayor of the town. It was interesting to get some bits and pieces of information from him. He knows one of my classmates in Grade 2.It was interesting to see our dad (with the number “2”) in a photo album showed to us by one of the pioneers of Esperanza.
During our visit to Esperanza, it was interesting that we met one of the pioneers of the town. By chance, we met the eldest son of the former town mayor, Mayor Enad. That family name is familiar to me. We have the same age at 64 and he knows one of my classmates when I was in Grade 2. What a coincidence!
The son of the town’s former mayor showed us his photo album and my sister was so excited to see our dad in one of the photos.The Agusan River as seen on top of another bridge which connects Esperanza to Butuan City. Esperanza is a place where two huge rivers meet. On the left side is the mouth of the Wawa River while the Agusan River is on the right side which stretches all the way from Davao in the south to Butuan City in the north.
The Golden Tara found at Wawa river in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur (Wikipedia photo)
Although it was unplanned and just a spur-of-the-moment visit, it was a great visit to my birthplace after the passing of some 4 decades. It was something. It was great to recall some moments in time when I used to live there as a young boy. I was also amused because my youngest sister was also excited to visit the place although she was born in Butuan City hahaha!
According to Wikipedia, it is at the Wawa River in Esperanza that the famous Golden Tara was found. That’s interesting. That just goes to show that this town was a trading center centuries ago when the major means of transportation back then was through the rivers. I imagine that through the rivers, foreign merchants (Spaniards, Chinese, Indian, etc.) reached the deep jungles of Agusan and Davao through the Agusan river and its tributaries. I continue to believe that the first mass happened in the port of Masao, in Butuan City and not in Limasawa. But that’s another story hahaha!
I’m glad I visited my birthplace again, the town of Esperanza in Agusan del Sur.
I thought I had it all right! I usually book a flight online and I make sure I get the dates right. But this time, I somehow messed it up for my return flight. I bought a round trip ticket to visit my mom and I arrived in Butuan on Monday without any problem. I spent the next two days enjoying the time with my mom, brothers, sister, sisters-in-law, nephew and nieces. My uncle also dropped by our home to see us. It was just a quick visit.
A view of Metro Manila
On Wednesday morning, my brother and I brought our sister to Bancasi Airport in Butuan City for her morning flight to Cebu. After dropping her off at the airport, my brother and I along with his family went back to the city and spent some time at the mall to talk to some friends and to have lunch too.
Then we went back to the airport for my flight scheduled at 1:15 p.m. bound for Manila. But the guard said there was no 1:15 p.m. flight that day! The only flight left that day was in the evening! I insisted on getting inside the airport to talk to the Cebu Pacific staff.
A view of Metro Manila
Return Flight One Month Later!
I found out that I booked the wrong date! — one month later! Thankfully I was able to get the evening flight. But I had to wait the whole afternoon and early evening at the airport. I was a “chance passenger” and first on the waitlist. Whew! I shelled out a little bit more money than necessary for booking the wrong flight! Oh dear…
A view of Metro Manila
When things go wrong as they sometimes will, it’s a senior citizen I guess that’s involved hahaha!
Last Sunday, February 24, I had the unexpected privilege of spending some time during lunch with Dr. Greg Williams, the new president of Grace Communion International (GCI) who came to visit us. The invitation was something unplanned. After our morning worship service, the national director invited me for lunch with them along with my wife and daughter. It was really nice to have talked to Dr. Greg Williams on his first to the Philippines as the new GCI president.
Dr. Greg Williams talking to the pastors and leaders of Grace Communion International in the Philippines last February 25, 2017 at the Christian Development Center in Tagaytay City..
First Visit: Seminar on Healthy Church
Two years ago last February 2017, when he was still the vice president, Dr. Greg Williams spoke to our pastors and leaders about the importance of having healthy churches. That was my first time to meet him in person in Tagaytay City. Although we haven’t met yet but he told me he knew me already. He said that his inbox usually had lots of emails coming from me. I used to send weekly email news and updates from GCI Philippines since the year 2001. I have now assigned this task to someone else.
Second Visit: Sermon on Healthy Church
During last Sunday’s morning worship service, Dr. Greg Williams spoke again about what a healthy church looks like. He gave three main points to explain what he meant. First, the church is a unified family that is mutually caring for one another. Secondly, each church member is actively participating with Jesus in the way that he has shaped us and called us. Thirdly, the Church is working together in its assigned tasks from Jesus, the Head of the Church, orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.
Getting to Know the GCI President
Talking with him over lunch was a great opportunity for me to get to know our new GCI president as a person, his mind and his heart. It was good to see and understand where he is leading us as a denomination under the Head of the Church, our Lord Jesus Christ.
My family with the GCI President Greg Williams and the GCI Asia Superintendent Eugene Guzon
It was great to have known our new GCI president a little bit more. My family had fun to have been blessed with such a rare opportunity.
Groupie! My family with the GCI President and the GCI Asia Superintendent
