Francisco the Filipino

by Burtis McGie Little

S.S. Venus

During the month of April, he remained at home getting ready to leave, for in May he was to sail for Manila, visit a month with Pablo, and then enter the Philippine Normal School. He had never been so far away before, and he looked forward with delightful anticipation to his trip by steamer to the capital city of the islands. The time for departure came at last, the good-byes were all said, and Francisco found himself established on board the steam-ship Venus, ready to sail. At six o’clock the last bale of abaca had been stowed away in the hold, the hatches were closed, the anchor was lifted, and the voyage began. Francisco watched the familiar mountains and valleys of Albay province fade into the distance as the Venus rounded the outer headlands of the bay and made for the straits of San Bernardino (Bẽr-när-dï′-nō).

The moon shone brightly that night, and he remained on deck until late, watching the water glow with phosphorescence as the boat plowed through it, and thinking of the unexplored world that lay before him. He could still see the huge bulk of Mount Mayon standing out clear against the sky, and he felt as if it were the only friend remaining in the midst of so many strange sights and sounds.

It is pleasant to travel on the tranquil inland seas of the Philippines, where cool breezes temper the heat of the tropical sun, and where land is always in sight. Flying fish dart out of the water as the vessel approaches them, skimming along the surface of the sea like birds, before diving back again into its depths. Shoals of porpoises appear from time to time and swim along with the boat, leaping out of the water and playing in apparent enjoyment of life. Such experiences were new to Francisco, for he had never been on the sea before, and he enjoyed every detail of his trip.

Pasig River at Manila

After two days of travel they passed the island of Corregidor (Cōr-re̱′-hï-dōr), which guards the entrance to the immense bay of Manila. A few hours later they had covered the remaining thirty miles of their journey and were steaming slowly past Fort Santiago (Sȧnt-ĭä′-gō) and up the Pasig River to a wharf just below the Bridge of Spain, where the boat was made fast and the passengers went ashore.

Manila is one of the most interesting cities in the world, not only because it is the meeting place of the Far East and the Far West, but also because the present and the remote past are to be found side by side, and such excellent opportunity is offered for the study of history at first hand. Here may be found stone walls that were built at the close of the sixteenth century; and within a stone’s throw are structures erected according to the latest methods of working with steel and concrete. Almost every language known to man may be heard on the streets and in the shops, and the Filipino, the Japanese, the Chinese, and the East Indian rub elbows with the American, the European, and the African as they all move along the crowded narrow streets.

Francisco found that he must depend upon his knowledge of the English language in order to make his way in Manila; he knew very little Spanish, and his native tongue, Bicol, was almost useless. The Filipinos in this part of the islands speak a language called Tagalog (Tȧ-găl′-ȯg), which is strikingly different from Bicol. For example, if Francisco wanted a banana he would call for a “batag” (bä′-täg), but the Manila Filipinos would probably not understand him, as their word for banana is “saging” (sä′-ging). Due to the widespread influence of the American schools, one can find English spoken in even remote parts of the Philippines, and hence in spite of sixty different native languages, the people now have a common method of speech which can be understood in all sections of the islands.

Manila is a city of churches. There are scores of them in all parts of the city, and many of the older ones are worth visiting for their beauty of decoration, for their interesting bamboo organs, or for their historical connections. Those of the Jesuits and the Dominicans (Dō-mĭn′-ĭ-căns) are the most beautiful, having a great wealth of gold, silver, and marble, many statues and paintings, and fine wood carvings to adorn altars, pulpits, and chapels. The oldest church is that of the Augustinians (Aug-ŭst-ĭn′-ians), built in 1599, and the skill of its builders is shown by the fact that it has escaped the fury of the numerous earthquakes from which Manila has suffered. Legaspi, the first of the Spanish governors of the Philippines, is buried back of the altar of this church.