Odiongan Shore Near the Odiongan Port

This gasoline station (PETRON) is the biggest gasoline station in Odiongan. The other one is located at the North side of the town. Gasoline in Odiongan is not cheaper but so expensive that makes those passenger vehicles fare expensive too. Well there is a time that this gasoline station is out of stock of gasoline, the hearsay says the vessel tank did not yet arrive. That makes the gasoline became more expensive in every gasoline outlet, sometimes it will took three days before the gasoline will be available and in that case other vehicles and the drivers were just at home because there’s no gasoline to full their tank. When that thing occurs the fare in single (motor) grown up, it will reached P30.00 every trip. If there is two passengers you will divide it by two if you are just alone you have to pay for it.
Other single driver were too abusive they will ask for big fare and when you ask them why they will say there is no gasoline everywhere and if there is it is very expensive. You can’t do nothing but pay, you will just say “shit” silently. Well for everybody’s knowing those single driver were “kulorum” which means no license to operate, while others has no license to drive. Lol! Ye, that is funny. I think those unit who were assigned to pick them up were doing their job (I just don’t know how) but those single drivers has unity. (hehehe).
Well you cannot blame those single drivers, they have family to support and they need to eat. The common job for poor Odionganon’s were farming, fishing, carpentry, and driving a single vehicle.


Transportation 2



Well this is a normal jeep in Odiongan way back then, especially in Barangay Pato-o. I have also experienced to ride at the top of the jeepney since Elementary, because we are just kids with a small amount of fare the conductors want us to stand at the middle of the jeepney which is too tight or close to each other because there is still a long wood chair in the center of the jeepney who older people were sitting. We are like sardines in can, you can smell each other, you cannot even move your body.


Then it comes to the point that your head will bump to the ceiling and the conductor won’t let you sit down to the chair intended for the older students.

So my I and my cousins, decided to go to the top of the jeepney, where we can breath widely above, so spacious and you watch the scenery along our way home. Until I have reached my high school days I still love to ride above the jeepney but thing changes when the jeepney terminal was transferred to New Market which is ten minutes walk from our school (RSC). So sometimes on high school I decided to walk home which take one hour for me to do so. Because it is more ecomical to walk than to take a single (motor). I can’t catch the jeepney in the new market (our school is located in the old market) when the National High School went out, where almost of the passenger was from them.
Well walking is good, until college I have to walk sometimes it is not because I love walking but because I cannot afford my fare. Yes, my allowance which is just P25.00 everyday, then it comes that I have to pay for my photocopy in school (You know writing is not popular in College it is already photocopy or the one they called Xerox Copy). Going to town I have to pay P10.00 for the single driver (which is now P15.00) then when you arrive at your school (Romblon State College), you have to use P15.00 or more than that so you can secure a copy of your lesson because the following day there is an exam, sometimes there is a day where you need photocopy of your lessons in every subject, well what is the use of our hands if I cannot write, so i borrow my classmates photocopy and jot all the important things which I am assuming to be seen on our exam. That’s why until college or until I graduated I still ot the callus on my hand by writing.(Lol).

What I don’t like walking with my uniform or not is, single driver or some people will ask me why I am walking. I feel a bit shy because the street is quite wide for me, I am the only one walking (huhuhu). I just quietly answered “I am walking I am not riding” then laugh afterwards. Sometimes when I am walking I walk and put my right hand on my right pocket and let my coins sound so they can hear I have money but i have choose to walk (well they doesn’t know that my money is not enough for my fare going home, hehehe). Fare going home is different when you are going to town. It cost P20.00 which is P25.00 now. Jeepney is not advisable for me that time because college has different schedule, i had a class at 6 PM or 7 PM sometimes. Last jeepney is around 5 PM or earlier than that.

Now, a days jeepney with people above is quite few maybe because there is a lot of passenger jeepney now compare to old days.

I still miss being at the top of the jeepney, hopefully I can make it sometimes. lol

Transportation in Odiongan

There are two ways to come to Odiongan from Manila, is it either by boat or plane.

By boat or ship, if you are in Manila ride a bus going to Batangas Pier (CALABARZON). Buses will be seen around Cubao, (ALPS, CERES Transport and JAC Liner). You will arrive Batangas Port after 2-3 hours of travel. Buy a ticket at the ticketing booth, be sure to fall-in-line at the counter of MONTENEGRO Lines with a sign “ODIONGAN”. Take note, there are people who will approched you and ask where you going, just be polite and says “Odiongan” and directly go to the respected booth. Because they will ask you to buy their “Panutsa” (sugar coated peanut). Other’s will ask you to carry your bags (Porter), of course if you let them carry your bags you have to pay them in return, that is their job eh. After having the boat ticket, you will instructed to go to Terminal 2, (well sometimes they did not) so just go to the respected Terminal. Before it is in the Terminal 1 just beside the ticketing booth but changes occured. In the Terminal you will have to pay Terminal Fee (P30.00). Ater putting your bag on the metal checking area, you will instructed to go to the second floor and wait until you are advised to board the boat. Oh, wait…boat to Odiongan, departs every 5 P.M. , boarding time is 4:30 P.M. But you have to go their earlier to purchase a ticket, if you don’t want to sleep on the boat floor (lol). Especially during pick season.

After you found your bed, enjoy your stay at the boat because boat will sail 8 hours or so, you will arrive Odiongan around 2 or 3 A.M.

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Arrival: The porter in Odiongan well be at the boat even the boat is not yet opened. You want to know why? Because they climb at the railings of the boat. (Lol).

At the terminal parking area there are a lot of buses/jeeps waiting going to (Looc, Alcantara, San Agustin, Calatrava, San Andres, Sta. Maria and etc.) but if you will just stay in Odiongan, outside the port passing the port gate there are lot of Tribike, Single driver waiting.

If you are a tourist want to have a hotel reservations, Centro delas Islas Hotel is just beside the gate (right side). If you want to stay in town go to ODIONGAN LODGE, 2nd floor of LYN’s Snack Bar & Restaurant beside that is an internet cafe/Provider (where I have worked). There are other choices, the Haliwood Inn (in front of J & C Lucky 99 Store) , SATO-Arcade also offer accomodations (near the beach area). RENCIO’s (with fishpond areas). Well there’s a lot of place to stay in Odiongan, or if you want you can stay on our house, but I hope you are willing to sleep on the floor (just kidding). When a Filipino says that you are going to sleep on the floor, don’t think it’s racism or whatever. Sleeping on the floor only means their house is too small and they just bring it through joking.

Well after being settled in Odiongan, you can go anywhere you want..beaches (sorry to say we don’t have yet a museum, hopefully our town will thought of that).

Fare & Boat Schedule?
See Montenegro Shipping Lines:
http://www.montenegrolines.com.ph/msli_web/index.php
Well I have found this while researching online, i hope this would help.

MAINIT FALLS – The falls pours in the lush greenery of the highland of Barangay Pato-o. It has a three-tiered falls that forms a deep pools where one can bath
luxuriously.

This is the place where I am from Sitio Mainit, According to a myth long ago you can boil eggs on Mainit Falls. I don’t know what happened why you cannot boil eggs anymore. Lol!

TABOS-TABOSAN – This is still in Barangay Pato-o, I never went there but they says it is a cave with falls inside. To see is to believe…

If you want to go hiking, just went to Barangay Pato-o, a lot of students went their for hiking, (P.E. class) from town they just walk going to Pato-o, sometimes they directly go to Mainit Falls and sometimes to PLDT Tower. It will be a long walk, if you want to go to Sta. Maria you can cross through Barangay Pato-o by hiking.

SIGCOP CAVE- Located at Progreso Este, boundary of Rizal is approximately a 35 minutes hike from Rizal Tree Park. This cave has a beautiful window that allows sunlight to illuminate the cave. The stalactites are formed like tables and in images of saints. There are relics of broken pots probably used during ancient rituals.

GARING FALLS – Located at Progreso Weste. The cool waters from the falls form two lakes, the second pool has a depth of three fathoms and a width-span of 15 meters ideal for swimming while the first pool is smaller and shallower.

TUBURAN FALLS – A natural resort with seven major and minor waterfalls, where limestone caves penetrate four rock walls. Mineral springs and fresh cool river wind blows. The cave near the falls is believed to be leading to “Cayatong”, the land of fairies.

POCTOY BEACH – A wide shoreline with fine gray sand beaches with breath-taking sunset.

GABAWAN BEACH – The longest coastal line in the municipality, its sand is gray and sometimes covered with pebbles. Ideal for any water sports.

BUDIONG MARINE SANCTUARY – This marine sanctuary boasts of mangroves and rich variety of marine species. The sanctuary provides haven to hundred of birds during migratory season.

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Agribusiness, Fish Culture and Processing, Cut Flower IndustriesCottage Industries, Garments, Tourism Related Facilities, and other Non-Pollutive Industries.

Source: http://paradiseromblon.com

PLANE TRIP from MANILA to TABLAS (Odiongan)

When you want to go to Odiongan by plane take Zest Air before Sea Air operates there. Regular flight is every Thursday and Saturday every morning from Manila and you will arrived in Tugdan Domestic Airpot, (flight will take one hour) then you will take a bus or jeepney going to Odiongan and it will take one hour and half trip.

Plane Schedule:
https://www.cebupacificair.com/

Kanidugan Pictures

Odiongan Town Fiesta


Odiongan celebrates fiesta every April 5 of the year and by means of “Kanidugan Festival” this festival started on 2003 emposed by former Mayor Estanislao “Diday” Famatiga. It is called Kanidugan Festival because the main product of Odiongan is “coconut” in Odionganon dialect “nidog”. The competitors clothers were made of coconut husk, leaves or any design made from coconut tree. I have remember when the festival first started, everybody were excited because after so many years of celebrating the Town Fiesta, a new change has occured and if i will not mistaken that time every Barangay has an entry, one tribe is composed of three barangay’s (Barangay is the smallest form of government). Every afternoon you will heard drum beat, other tribe’s were practising their dance movements along the streets of Odiongan carrying their tribe’s name. Our barangay belongs to POCAMAPAT tribe (Poctoy, Amatong and Pato-o). My grand mother saw the other clothes for our tribe dancers, it was made of coconut of course, I cannot explain what is it but it is part of coconut leaves or the trunk. I had help varnishing them…it is funny that after the competition the dancers develop a red marks on their skin because of the coconut clothes. Oh, well every dancers were painted of body color.
Anyway, The festival started with a long grand parade around the town, afterwards the competition will begin. The first ground demonstration or competition take place on the beach area near the PAROLA. (which is now called Bay Walk). The succeeding year it was held in the play ground of Odiongan South Central Elementary School. Different tribes will show their talents and creativity, they will be given 12 minutes to perform or it depends upon the alloted time given by the management.

Winners can take home prizes in cash. (Champion, 1st placer and 2nd placer).
The Kanidugan Festival before were exclusively for the barangay’s of Odiongan but since 2008 until now, any town from Romblon can join the Festival and compete.

Watch the Kanidugan Festival in You tube:

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Odiongan Photos




Children Paradise and Church (St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Church)

HISTORY OF ODIONGAN

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The aborigines of this town were the Negritos. It is believed that those people came from a tribe in Iloilo under Chieftain Juan Marikudo. For their route they used the island of Carabao Island between Tablas and Panay as “bridge”. These tribes increased after the followers of Marikudo who were displaced by the Bornean Datus migrated to Tablas during the 14th century. At Tablas coeast they for sometime but later on, more advanced groups of settlers pushed from firther to inner Tablas in what is now Pato-o and Langit-non. At present, traces of Negritos blood can be seen among the “Kalibogans”, Negrito half-breeds of Pato-o Langitnon.

The Mangyans were the next settlers who came to Odiongan from Mindoro. When and how they came to Odiongan is not definitely known. The Mangyans came however, in a very tible in the area.

The next group of settlers who came to Odiongan were the Onhans and the Nayons from Panay. They were the more civilized group of settlres, with more advanced tools in production, culture, and warfare. They drove group the Negritos and Mangyans firther to the interior mountains and occupied the coastal regions. But because they came in small nuber, their tribe was displaced by succceding tribes. Their traces can be found today in the Ferrol town, Atabay and Ginagoman. These are the places now in Odiongan whose residents speak in Inonhan”.

Sometimes in 1810, an attempt was made by the Bantoanons to setle in Odiongan.

They numbered around fifty determined men and women under the leadership of a certain Jose Barrion. They organized a settlement in a well-chosen place, suited for agriculture. They were highly civilized, industrious, and determined people imbued with the spirit of oneness and civic consciousness. They built housed of light materials and the community must have been on the way to progress when its settlement was destroyed and burned by pillaging Moros.

In 1840, another settlement from the same people, a now under the leadership of Franscisco Salazar and Fray Jose Aznar de los Dolores, attempted in the same area. These people came equally determined. They were deeply religious, civic-spirited,, disciplined and helpful group. They found a well located site, free from immediate dangers of outside depredations. The site—the “cota”(fort)- has a natural defense against marauding Motors, This was the settlement that withstood the depredations and the hardships of pioneering life.

The name Odiongan was derived from “Odiong”, a local term for arrow. The story goest that sometime during the height of Moro forays against Christians in the Visayas and Mindanao (Which was a reaction to the war of annihilation waged by the Spanish colonialists against Muslim of South), a Moro contingent attacked the “Coto”, a fort situated in a midget peninsula between the Bongoy and Bangon Rivers. The people of Odiongan under the leadership of Fransisco Salazar resisted. After the particular battle, an arrow, so the story goes. The place-swampy land now sandwich between the Fermalo and Washington Bridges— usuage. Odiongan emerged as the popular name.

The Cota was frequently subjected to attacks by Moros that the settlers from superior forces. In 1884, a strong typhoon belevelled the settlement to the grounds. This Catastrophe and the burning of the village two years later in December, 1846 discourage the people and promoted them to transfer their town to the Eastern bank of Bongoy River. This is the present site of the town Odiongan. And to commemorate the town’s transfer from the old settlement to its present site, the settlers designated April 5th of every year as the Foundation Day and Town Fiesta, with St. Vincent Ferrer as Patron Saint.

The government of the settlers of Odiongan was the “Barangay”, just like the system of government of early Filipinos. During the Spanish time, we know from history that the Spanish utilized existing forms, organizations to control the population. They simply centralized and improved it. At the time, Odiongan was governed by the colonialists through the Capiz Command headed by a Governadorcillo, assisted by several deputies or agauceles. The head of the local government, the Cabesa de Barangay was appointed from among the wealthy and educated people of the of the community. Pedro Fortaliza, Hermenigildo Fabon, Juan Fesarillo, Eustaquio Fortaleza are the Odiongans who led the town under the title of Cabeza de Barangay.

In 1870, Tagalogs, mostly from Batangas, came to Odiongan as merchants. These traders must have found Odiongan full of promise that they never left. In fact they steadily increased, specially in 18885, when a big number of Tagalogs arrived in one vessel.

In 1888, the town razed to the ground. Only a few houses were left. Because of this fire, it is no wonder that old houses of the Spanish type exist in the town now. (The Roman Catholic Church which was said to be of the same size as that of Romblon town, if not bigger was also burned.)

During the Philippines Revolution of 1896, the people of Odiongan joined the struggle against Spanish colonialism and formed a revolutionary government under the leadership of Tomas Fiedacan. The government under Fiedacan existed up to the beginning of the American period in 1898.

One important even took place in 1902. This was the cholera epidemic which killed many Odiongans. It was so widespread that the cemetery was overcrowded and some of the dead had to be buried outside the cemetery.

In 1908, a very strong typhoon lashed the island. This typhoon as the “Bagyong Ogis”. Houses, properties, agricultural plans and animals were either destroyed or lost during the storm. In the opinion of the folks, it was the strongest storm that visited the placed. The records of the municipality were destroyed because of this catastrophe.

The year 1914 marked an economic crisis for people in the community. As a result of the World War I which occurred during this year, famine was common recurrence and prices of commodities increased considerably.

The Jones Act was approved in 1916 and the people enjoyed more freedom in the government. It sent its Commonwealth Government was established and the peo
ple were provided some degree of autonomy in running the affairs of government.

In 1940, Romblon became province directly under the control and supervision of the Department of Interior. The province was reorganized into four special municipalities by virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 581. Odiongan became the seat of the Special Municipality of Tablas. Until the province was restored into its former status. The following were the mayors of the special municipality of Tablas; Jose Firmalo, Rafael Gomez and Santiago Leaño.

During the Japanese regime, the following served as mayors: Pastor Fabon, Vicente Osorio and Catalino Fabella.

Odiongan was chosen as the headquarters of the resistance movement in the province. During the Japanese occupation, the people of Odiongan experienced a difficult life. But under the leadership of Lt. Col. Enrique Jurado, a band of USAFEE enlisted men and officers organized the guerilla unit in the province and set up its headquarters at Mainit, a forested partner in Inner Tablas. This unit was attached to the 66th Infantry, 6th Military District (Panay) under the overall command of Co. Macario Peralta, Jr. On September 4, 1943, a Japanese gunboat shelled the “cadre” and the town of Odiongan after knowing the existence of a guerilla unit in the community it did not much damage, but the unit broke into smaller units and were scattered throughout the island of Tablas and some were stationed at Mindoro, where they pursued the intelligence mission assigned to them by the higher command. They operated secretly until the landing of the American forces in Leyte. On November 17, 1943, elements of the Japanese forces stationed at Panay landed in Tablas, Romblon and Sibuyan Islands, and committed atrocities which have never been experienced by the people before. About sixteen guerillas, twelve civilians, and twenty-three Chinese were killed in Odiongan alone. Only one Chinese escaped capture and death. The people felt relieved when the Japanese left Odiongan for Iloilo City on December 2, 1948 with some seventy six non-commissioned officers and seven commissioned officers of the guerilla unit as prisoners. One of the prisoners was then Jose Firmalo who served as deputy Governor of Tablas of the Resistance government under the overall government of the late Tomas Confessor of Panay and Capt. Jose P. Orola of the staff of Lt. Col. Jurado.

After the elements of the U.S. Eight Army successfully landed at San Jose Mindoro, a unit of the PCAO (Philippine Civilian Affairs Organization) was established at Odiongan under Lt. Col Clifford. Food was rationed and distributed to the needy. The pre-war government set up was revitalized and some classes were opened. Once again, the people felt some sense of security and gradually resumed normal life activities.

After the liberation Pablo Baculinao served as the first appointive mayor and followed by Nicolas Fernandez as the first Postwar elective mayor, then Conrado Meñez, Francisco Firmalo, Regina Fabello, Alfonso Firmalo, Galicano Maulion, Oscar Ylagan, Jose Firmalo, Alfonso Firmalo. In February 1986, a political storm ended the regime of Ferdinand Marcos and a new leadership was installed in all government levels. Leopoldo Fabriquer, Jr. was appointed as OIC Mayor, in the election on January 1988, Perpetuo B. Ylagan as Mayor and election on May 1995 produced the First Lady Mayor of the Municipality in the person of Hon. Jemly H. Fernandez.

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