THEN and NOW...

by Reynold Glenn Jaboneta

May 22, 2008, from Pangasinan after spending some time in the Hundred Islands, I journeyed up to the city of pines and the summer capital of the Philippines, Baguio. By the way I was watching Boy and Kris over ABS-CBN and one of the questions they asked their guests was the summer capital of the Philippines and they answered Boracay. The child stars of Goin Bulilit were their guests that episode.

It was my first time to use the Marcos Highway on my way up to Baguio. Remember then on our way up to Baguio we took the Kennon Road.

I stayed in Villa Milagrosa. We stayed then in Villa Milagrosa for our retreat with Fr. Danny Pilario, C.M. then our formator now Assistant Provincial of the Vincentians in the Philippines. We had then our pranic healing sessions with Sr. Zenaida Gan, D.C. in Villa Milagrosa. Now Sr. Zeny is in Sagrado, a DC school in Iloilo and a staunch advocate for the use of natural energy, farming and love for Mother Earth.

Then…from the chapel of Villa Milagrosa remember the stained glass we could see and behold the Grotto of Baguio. Now, I could barely distinguish the grotto because of the numerous houses and structures surrounding the area. Now from Villa Milagrosa the SM Baguio is visible.

Then…less vehicles, less structures, and less people. Now…more vehicles, more and more structures and more and more people. Try to visit the Mines View Park now. It is literally a Divisoria, a marketplace, a commercial district. Then…at least there was a glimpse of the mine with a view and a park. Now…it has no mine…no view…no park.

Then, when Fr. Danny instructed us for the so-called desert experience, we made our way to Burnham, to the Botanical Garden, to Camp John Hay and to every nook and corner in Baguio like tourists enjoying the very cool weather and everything that Baguio could offer us. Then, we did not worry about traffic, how to get from one park to another, from one place to another. Now…what else there is to see. The pine trees you need to check whether it is made of cement. The plants and flowers of Baguio could not anymore entice my eyes. These plants are like that in an ordinary backyard of a neighbor.

There is still the walis-Baguio, the strawberry jams…these at least remind me that I am in Baguio and the very cool air. Maybe because it rained during my stay which made the weather very Baguio-like. One night, power was interrupted that at least without the heater I could shout my heart out for the water was freezing me. By the way, going back to Villa Milagrosa, I went to every corner of the house to remember the happy thoughts, the happy scenes, the happy memories, the tears, the shouting, the silence…I remember the house and I remember the feelings way back then. The dining area, the rooms, the garden, the chapel... the Villa Milagrosa during our retreat then is also today at the verge of its extinction.

Then and now…look at us…life is a constant change, indeed.