BY LAMPITAO TODAY. BY PLANE TOMORROW?

LAMPITAO TODAY. PLANE BY TOMORROW? MODE OF TRANSPORTATION in Calayan nowadays is still by M/V Eagle Ferry, the government owned and controlled ship and the ‘lampitao’ – a twin-engine, fiberglassed wooden-hull banca with outriggers. For the past 40 years, lampitao building in Calayan showed significant improvements. The wooden hulls are now reinforced with fiberglass to get rid of the hull-boring creature called ‘guruma’. The single engine boats are now a thing of the past to make the present-day mode of transportation by sea as trustworthy.

We know how far the Americans, the Germans, the Japanese, and the British among others have gone as far as transportation is concerned. But at least some of them still boarded our lampitaos (not simultaneously, of course). Once I was beside the British bird lover named David standing by the rails of M/V Lance on our way to Aparri. We both got wet for regular splashes but all you’d hear from him during the lengthy trip were his bird exploration activities in Calayan with one disappointment – that of failing to see the Gallirallus Calayanensis, otherwise known as Piding.

On my way back to Calayan last May, I saw Filipino visitors standing by the rails of the lampitao with no place to seat due to a number of vacasionista passengers. As usual, there was seawater splashing as we passed Fuga island. Each time the splash comes, I’d hear loud “Ayyys” from an all male group! They must have been used to submarine transportation where the vessel gets wet from prow to stern except those aboard.

In a few more years (or months), we may sea planes landing at the Calayan Community Airport. Thanks to the new set of workers or new contractor, the concreting of the runway has regained impetus. Three lampitaos had just delivered cement cargoes for the airport yesterday.

The airport, when completed, shall bridge Calayan and Batanes as well as other mainland destinations. In fact, this afternoon, August 6, 2018, Mr. Ramon Jerry A. Cabalce, President of Batanes Wakay Travel and Tours Incorporated was invited to the session of the Sangguniang Bayan of Calayan, Cagayan. He was also here in Calayan last May. Today he said that he does not only want to do business in Calayan but would want to be counted as a resident too. In his own words, he considers this island municipality as a “Diamond” – something you can’t buy in Divisoria.”

If his timetable is right, we would expect planes to land at Calayan Community Airport by the latter part of September this year (2018). Such a huge statement it may seem but maybe not for a man like Mr. Cabalce who has connection with Cebu Pacific and other reliable airlines.  Assuming that the runway is ready by September, what safety measures would be in place when people still graze their animals on the flanks?

If tourism activities shall proceed according to the coordinated efforts of LGU-Calayan and Wakay Tours President Mr. Ramon Jerry Cabalce, the question shall be “Who can afford to go to Calayan then?” Maybe the “high-end” tourists. What about the “low-end” ones, will there be a place for them?

We cannot keep our eyes open and just let things happen. We have lots of work to do. Before counting the chicks though, let’s make sure first that the eggs are fertile and the right nest and temperature are met. Wherever we may lead, to God be the glory forever!

HISTORY OF CALAYAN KOMEDYA

KOMEDYA HISTORY IN CALAYAN. In the picture is the ‘Galliana’ version of the PTF Komedya of 2012. This will be the same version to be performed this August 24, 2018 but with new cast and costume.

Among the other versions include ‘Ibong Adarna’ which I believe every literature loving Filipino knows it was Florante who wrote it. When it reached Calayan, reports had it that the former Calayan Mayor Pascual Fernando did not only translate it into Ilocano but he also reconstructed it into a poetic style. Furthermore, he used poetry and the added feature of emotive language in presenting the local version of Shakespearean stage play called Komedya. Everything else is a modification of the originals. You may be able to read the Ilocano script of the Komedya as fast as you can but putting the right intonation is a different thing. Often times I hear Director Herbert Singun and his Komedya Guru Mr. Navarro of Cabudadan say, “You have to stress that line like you wanna fight.” Love scenes are voiced out - not acted out. Otherwise, we would be watching Leonardo di Caprio and his partner in Titanic and not Komedya. You’ve got to watch it to see what I’m driving at.

Komedya is presented yearly as a regular part of the municipality’s celebration of Calayan’s Patronal Town Fiesta and in certain barangay fiestas as well. As to the Ibong Adarna Komedya, I learned that it was only staged once ‘long time ago in Bethlehem’. Maybe all the performers have turned to stone when they slumbered at the melodious song of the Ibong Adarna and never woke up. Some say, the bird’s excretions turned them into a statue.

This morning, Mr. Reynaldo Javier and Fernando Escalante told me that a certain Obispo and Orel from Magsidel have also translated other Komedya scripts.

In the Atamante version, the story goes that one was beheaded. Gruesome! No additional details as of this writing and author/translator not yet specified. I got the impression that no one has a complete collection of all Komedya script versions. Some friends and Fr. Rommel Olivar, our parish priest, urged us to collect all the versions and make a book for posterity.

The Galliana version shall be presented on August 24 this year. Any Komedya in Calayan is a war dance. This does not mean however that the story is all about the battlefield – unless you consider love as one. Music is provided by live playing of the guitar, flute, harmonica and drum. The warring parties are Moros and Kristianos. The shortest of all the scripts is that of the “Galliana” whose running time is four hours. Others run for three days, I was told. All the Komedyas I have witnessed start at 9 in the morning and culminate at sundown with one ceasefire - when the warriors go hungry at noon. Watching the whole play could either be entertaining or taxiing depending on your stamina to keep your eyes open to the dusty battleground and understanding of the story. We may, in the near future, add further details to the history of Komedya in Calayan. Expect some changes too.

Based on the story, Galliana is a Moro Empress who, after engaging the battle of religions, and of empires, succumbed to the overall power of this world called love.  The story and the Komedya ends with the marriage of Empress Galliana to a Christian King, peace between the warring parties and conversion to Christianity.

Attempts at reconstructing the Calayan poetic version of the scripts to suit the conversational language is waning due to the perception that such reconstruction is disrespectful to the original authors.

Any comment?