On Jal-o Agrarian Reform Community and the Jal-o River

The late catholic priest, Vio Dandoy, a native of Oquendo, Balete, was collaborating with the Department of Agrarian Reform and other stakeholders sometime in 2003 for the establishment of an agrarian reform community in the contiguous upland barangays (villages) of Oquendo, Guanko, Morales and Cortes. He started organizing the communities and even invested much of his personal money to realize his dream for his people. The community was zealous and hopeful as they started communal orchards, raised livestock and organized bible study groups. The government people were attracted in the way people volunteered and they frequented their "ocular inspections". Officials both from the National and Local government scaled the heights together with the local ordinary of the Diocese of Kalibo to inaugurate what ought to be an exemplary project of empowering the landless.

The inauguration was a big bang.

.........

The inauguration was a big bang. That's it. Just a big bang heard from all over. After the bang, which was like a balloon popping, nothing more is heard of it.

The priest died, bitter of having seen his dream came to naught. The people, still landless, much like the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, walked downcast to realize that the dream they shared was but castle in the air. The bishop and his courtiers are long gone in their quest of "Vobiscum ambulare." The government people went about with their usual business and laid on the table a voluminous documents of the ARC project that never materialize for "lack of funds". Incidentally, the ARC was named Jal-o ARC as the participating communities are cut through by the Jal-o River.

I recalled these incidents as I happen to have a glimpse of the documents in the archives, amused that the documenter managed to incorporate on its first page my write ups about the Jal-o River without my prior consent.