Saint Bernard, the town, might have its humble beginning from a sleepy, swampy place called Himatagon on the mouth of Hitongao River before or on the early 1700 when the Visayan coastal waters were on a relative tranquility from the Muslim brothers of the deep South, who had occassionaly marauded Cabali-an, the mother town, notably like the brave Sultan Kudarat in 1600 as recorded by a Jesuit Chronicler in the pages of Philippine history.

The early settlers were possibly from Bohol, judging its promixity and by their culture even evident today. Hearing stories from their seafaring traders of the promised land, drove plain seeking and loving “Himatag” people of its rocky terrain province to his place, thus, and possibly and firstly, how it got its name, Himata-gon, whose fertile valley or “patag” starts between the mouths of Hitongao and Lawigan Rivers up north to Guinla- yo-an, now barangay Catmon. The first wave of early people like all other riverine civilizations established their settlements along the mouth of the river principally of its rich sources of food and livelihood but also as the best means of transportation by boats on those days when roads of today were non-existing, thus Lawigan got also its name from the word “lawig” meaning to travel, and Hitongao, whose lush vegetations harbor the tiny skin parasites “tongao” causing the occupant to be “hitongoan”.

Since giant trees like piyape abound had to be felled down (some remains are unearthed presently when the Auditorium today was erected) frontiermen have to wake up early “himata sayo sa kabuntagon”, again and maybe the origin of its name also. The places were “palhe” abode and haunted by the “di ingon nato” on those lots of gigantic “dakit” around, as believed by the early forebears, sent shivers of fears that according to the stories handed from generations to generations, that whatever the color of the cloth on the heads covering will be, the color of the human waste of “guindaotan”, that a great number of inhabitants met their deaths, thus again, the place was named “Himatyan” for sometime then. Those were the best years of the “Tambalan” with loud echoes of incantations in the woods were heard as a rescue, or “panghupay” to the afflicted.

The morbid story that what the settlers were on while working were the same clothing soiled by loose bowel released on the spot might be the effect of the very richness of its soil minerals that caused instant body disturbances and ill effect, did not stop the second wave of people arriving to occupy the place coming again from Bohol, particularly from Tubigon, Calape (where the boatbuilders are) Ubay, Talibon, Inabanga and Alicia and from the shores of Leyte fronting Bohol like Maasin where their relatives settled who from political disturbances had sent them in this place.

Some early arrivals might have settled, starting from San Isidro now to Poong-on, where the Capili residence is, up to Bolodbolod beside their present school site along the river banks (a few years ago some porcelain wares and other remnants have been found along the river banks, a living testimony that it was inhabited there), others swung south to Panian across the river while the enterprising ones reached Tambis, Carnaga, Atuyan and Cabagawan north creating a snake-like trail, while the others established residences in Ayahag probably by boats like those sea-loving who choose Himbangan and Hindag-an along the coast. The river or the sea always played an important role to where the occupants were as history always confirmed.

Abacas were grown abundantly while corn raised principally as staple food and rice, a poor third, due to the late yielding varieties and absence of irrigation for the riverbeds before were so deep for soil erosion and river siltation were unheard of. The indigenous “palaw” brought by the settlers, raised in abundance like all other South East Asian Pacific Islands, the native last food resource during “tinggutom” month of March when corn and rice harvesting season was a month still to wait and especially also when the “lopok” or locust swarmed in millions devouring their crops coming from the lush vegetations and most possibly from the deeps of the rich porous soil.

Those were the days of the early frontier years of the original Himatagnon, homogenously grouped as farmers, simple, down to earth people, baked brown by the scorching heat of the sun, barefooted but so rich in the spirit of “inigsoonay”, so bare in necessities compared today, yet so abundant in caring each other, where the word “no” had no place almost in their hearts even to the extent of giving and sharing a part of their land clearings or exchanging it for a piece of “hunsoy” or earthen pot, a bottle of wine or a “kawit” of tuba, though classed as “Timawa” and “Ulipon” exploiting the native soil, their source of life, using bare callous hands and very primitive hand tools with almost nothing on their backs as some wore only “bahag” or G-strings working on the open fields have developed the place Himatagon and the suburbs before to be the Saint Bernard of today and tomorrow’s generations.

The possibilities that the area has been inhabited by the early seafaring Malays before and after the coming of Ferdinand Magellan who in history had been recorded to stop in Cabali-an nearby is not a remote idea, plus the local water basin has always been attracting settlers since time immemorial. And if the population growth and progress were quite extraordinary slow to our standards, that might be attributed to some plagues which occasionally happened to almost all early civilizations then as what had happened later among Himatagnons in almost every decade or score at the turn of every century before Second World War.

THE EARLIEST HIMATAGNON

The first Himatagnon built houses of stilts along the sea and river banks which served as the main sources of food, livelihood and transportation. With the invention of ax and sundang, a sharp pointed bolo for a living and to fight against beasts for survival he slowly seated to the top position in the food chain, thus, began the imbalance of nature.

According to local legend, Himatagon came from the visayan words “Himata sayo sa kabuntagon” which mean, “people who has the habit to wake up early in the morning”, connoting the barrio settler’s hardworking character.

Himatagnon being plain loving, rose early in the morning with grilled corn “sinangag nga mais”. They were awakened always by the calls of hornbills or kalao, the nature’s clock who lived on the tall Toog and Lawaan trees towering like tall electric posts found everywhere. The place at dawn when viewed in a distance emitted long pillars of smoke stretching to the sky coming from the boiled earthen pots, the only cooking utensils full either of corncobs, palaw or other root crops for then, those were the staple foods before as rice if there’s any are kept or last to be cooked for tinggutom. The sound of budjong or karatong started the busy day that meant a fish catch was available or a fresh tuba was gathered. The rest of the day was filled with unending chirpings and songs of birds of every kind sometimes interrupted by the sound of swinging axes with occasional shouts of men cutting trees.

At sundown when fogs engulfed the place, Himatagnon are inside their pajag. The women did their “orasyon” always and after supper the men are busy smoking tobacco in hunsoy, an earthen smoke pipe or tinustos or tangali a rolled tobacco for women also, to drug them against hunger and cold perched always on their ears like we keep pens and pencils nowadays. Most mouths are red-tainted with buyo and betel nut, a concoction to prevent tooth decay like our toothbrushes and paste today. Men are tattooed like most Visayans are that Spaniards called our islands, Islas de las Pintados while some had gold adorned teeth, a status symbol. The children played sungka or balinsay, a balancing game or small stones or seashells or listened to Popoy’s fairy tales, then end-up before going to bed singing nursery rhymes like Pongpong piyangaw or Hunsoy lasoy. Then the night birds did their nightly concert of horrific, wacky sounds like the birds in bond Wakpaw, the spine chilling wakwak, so numerous those days that sent them hiding under the native bedsheet “saguran” and the hooty shrill cries of the night owl or pongaw reverberating, a ghostly forecast that someone is dead around the area or a sick person is about to depart. Oftentimes the sleeping population were awakened by cries of shrieking neighbors that the big boa constructor or sawa preyed again their domesticated fowls to the point that eggs those days are so rare that it was reserved only for the sick.

Population growth was controlled solely by the dreaded widespread epidemic like cholera or smallpox that left the place like ghost town that corpses are carried to the cemetery by carabao drawn cart everyday.

The source of drinking water was the spring flowing Kanse, still existing today end for ordinary domestic use was wharf. For washing clothes and bath, the place had three brooks or sapa non-existing now. The water are either carried in long bamboo tubes called sag-ob, kerosene cans or earthen wares borned on the heads or shoulders. Cooking oil was unheard before that the lowly guinamos are either cooked over the live coals, by water or vinegar. The lord of the coins was the usa ka dako, a bronze one-centavo named because of its large size. A piece of candy cost one-centavo, twenty centavo for day’s labor, eight centavo for a ganta of rice and a meter of cloth called “plaza fonge” for only twenty centavo and the common snack of a piece of paw paired with a big lump of native sugar “kamay” was only five centavo.

Sea and fresh water foods were literally flowing that made Himatagon for “nangabahong lambiyaw” that inhabitants classed them as “til-ogon” for new baby delivering mother and sickly person and not to be served by “makabughat” types. Fish pens of all kinds are made. From the so called “pahubas” to the big bunsod or paugmad. Oftentimes excess fishes are kept in their pens or hooks for next day consumption. Lambiyaw were made to enter the fish pens of a light decoy called lampara. The catch of the night are oftentimes in abundance are bartered for rice or other root crops or are given free especially when the salt run out of supply. The fish magnates were the late Milyan Anduyan, Linggoy Diaz and the still living today Saroy Megrazo and Odo Jayma.

There were only two big streets before formed like a letter T. The busiest was along the seashore called Calle Regidor same location today only it was longer for it extended almost to the wharf now. The other was Jose Rizal Street from the shore to the Avendula residence in the Hilltop. But the early Chinese merchants like Pinya, Tonio Lim, Tina Su, the grandfather of Mayor Lim today, Atsay, Dema and the triumvirate Lim brothers Gama, Kuya and Luya, the former the father of the wealthy Lim families living with us now, Iyan, Titing and Yukim used to have their sari-sari stores besides Hitongao River the area between Socorro Beach and the road to San Isidro. Their cemented floors are still existing today when the steamboat like the old M/V Guian and others used to anchor near with their bote loaded with chichirias serving the needs before and bought abaca hemp, the chief product in big volumes from the distant barrios carried by band of horses. Other sailboats mostly from Bohol stopped here also full of all kinds of earthen wares, salt and salted fishes of all sizes. They later on transferred to Jose Rizal Street when the roads were constructed by the early American regime. But the busiest and biggest store was called Camarin, the megamall of yesteryears established by the Turkish Arabian brothers Sible and Antonio Abdel Bacque behind Mayor Lim’s residence now. Almost all goods are sold from wine to metered clothes with uniformed ladies, a bookkeeper and a big sign in Spanish “Al vender todos major y menor”. Sible was the presidente as they use to call equivalent to our mayor now. Cabalian was the seat of the Spanish pueblo but Himatagon was the economic center. The Turkish brothers married homegrown ladies like Doña Ayang Esma but Sible returned to his birthplace during the First World War leaving his brother who died later on of amputated leg.

The most favorite entertainment during fiestas was the Ensayo, the Visayan version of Moro-moro held in nine nights and sometimes Huego de Anillo with players riding on horseback. Socials like ballroom dancing were held once a month with men wearing Americana of shark skin clothes with music provided by a wind and string orchestra called Comparza until midnight.

But the merriest always was the engagement of a future bride and groom to be, following the traditional long marital processes starting from toghok, then kagon to kasal and lastly the ganas with the bride’s clans as lingkuron and the groom’s clan as tinudgon. But all expenses were shouldered by the whole clan especially services. Fiestas were everybody’s affair. Relatives from neighboring barrios and town even from far away province of Bohol attended days ahead. But the profound and revered part was the Vespera procession when the carroza of the patron saint passed by the residence, candles were lighted, residents kneeled, heads bowed in deep prayers giving the air in deep reverence and solemnity with almost all the people joining the procession worthy to recall as a real religious festivity an atmosphere and scene absent today even though the churches had no pews and churchgoers just squat on the unpaved floor.

The first movie was the silent type. The first truck to arrive was called Commonwealth by Gama Lim and another one called Kalko by Kuya, Tonio and Luya Lim. The Himatagnon had the first ride of an automobile owned by the Alfaro with the fare of five centavo on a one ride around the corner. The prominent names are the Alfaro, Saludo, Capili, Arcega, Cinco and Jose Ceralta who spoke fluent Spanish being the teniente. The landed farmers were from Kan-iwan like Akong Sanico, Niyong Palamos, Olayo Pinkian, the loquacious one, Egay Diaz Bernadez, and others. People are identified if single in nicknames with parents names attached like Jose anak ni Takyang Tonio, or couples names like Teryo ug Lilay or some funny one like Pedrong Pongkol for being armless or Henyong Agta for being black. Everybody knew everybody even the hush-hush gossip of who are the barangan, hilo-an and wakwak in the place. On moonlight nights young swains filled the nights with harana with guitars and balak to the dalaga or even Kulalisi, a poetic tongue twisting game to make the wake of the dead alive.

There were cases of excesses also like death due to hikog, the hush stories of panaga and common fist fights during Sundays when most of the men were drunks and some passionate murders like the death of Dr. Ipe, the first and only doctor in the hands of an ignorant father whose child he treated died.

On Christmas season, the folks were entertained by some itinerant actors and actresses showing their skills in Pastora, Tambola or Daygon right on the front yard of their patrons with scant props for some few pesos. Until now no celebrations can surpassed Rizal Day as what Himatagon did before led by a former Katipunero from Bulacan, the nephew of our hero Marcelo del Pilar, Ninoy Capili, the perennial konsehal of the barrio, where men were dressed like Katipunero complete with rifles made of nipa fronds parading around the decorated muddy streets with a float of the prettiest girl, in Mother Pilipina drawn by carabao in a program that last till sundown that ended with a sumptuous feast of native delicacies done on the every December 31st because Cabalian had it on 30th. The delicacies Himatagon are famous for are the foot long balikutsa, ginusang nga mais and the hot puto maya with thick tsokolate at Pinang.

Then the Japanese soldiers arrived and the place took a new baptism of fire and was never the same again. The rest was history.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN HIMATAGON

Himatagon even almost a year after the fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942 was enjoying literally the unspoiled tranquility through a number of men aged 20 years old were conscripted and sent to all theaters of war in the county, that people of the town always referred to it as “panahon sa peacetime”. But when the remnants of the infamous Death March from Bataan to Capas, Tarlac began to trek down home and some non-surrender, the foreboding air of fear started to creep into the lives of the populace. Although the radio instructions by General Wainwright was to surrender to the nearest Japanese garrison, the refusal to surrender by most men was premeditated and tolerated to be in forbearance of General McArthur’s guerilla warfare instructions and the promise that aid was “just around the corner”. They were made to believe that American ships loaded with huns, ammunitions and supplies were on the way to the Philippines. There was also the belief that the enemy’s army would not obey International Laws on Warfare, that the prisoners of war would be treated cruelly and made to work at hard labor or be sent to other theaters of war outside the Philippines for the Japanese, and most of all, that unconquerable spirit of the Filipinos to repel at all cost any foreign invaders.

The guerilla organizers of the area were Captain Jose Nazareno, Asodisen, Arciga and Escarilla who also organized the Volunteer Guards, popularly called the “Bolomen” because the sharp-bladed bolos were their only weapons. All the able-bodied men and women of twenty but often below eighteen years old responded to the call. They called themselves “Bantay Boluntaryo” and the women were not outdone by forming the Women Auxiliary Services (WAS). These organizations formed the base of the guerilla forces. They acted as information and equipment messengers, food recruiters and providers, day and night sentinels along the coast and land and even did espionage work and were responsible to the peace and order of the town.

They invented a warning device called “Tombalisa”, a pole where a piece of white cloth knotted on the top to be reclined (tomba) to where the location of the enemy was, then the chain reaction followed like a domino reminding almost everybody to be prepared or to evade the area. Another was the indigenous “Karatong”, a bamboo signal of incoming enemies or guerilla within the vicinity. The Bolomen travelled by foot as far as Silago through the dense forest and stiff mountains to get the ammunitions and supplies to any guerilla forces in a strategic places.

An amusing anecdote happened when a dry cell was incidentally tapped by the bolo giving a sparkling light that the men innocently and delightfully played along the way that when it reached the destination, the power ran out to the outrages of the guerilla leaders to threaten them to an “imbudohan” punishment (water cure) for such an innocent misdemeanor that some chicken-hearted men fled to other provinces. The WAS wove hats and mats and rolled cigarettes out of the shredded local tobacco in pieces of paper, cooked food and did first aid jobs. One funny incident happened when the men who retreated home after a four-day encounter found themselves starving. The WAS cooked a large “kawa” of rice which the men ate voraciously to recompense the loss but after the feast, all of them collapsed and the fearful women had to drag them to a river for a quick relief of indigestion (higushan).

Some of the women, especially single ones, did have love affairs with the men, most particularly the leaders, that they became common-law wives that though the population had gone those years, a lot of babies were born in evacuation centers and were baptized as Evacueta or Evacueto.

When the guerilla movement in Leyte sparked to a heroic action, there was apparent feud and rivalry of the officials to head Leyte Command. It polarized into two divisions, the North and the South Leyte Camps and war was inevitable among the allies and the power keg had started to blow in Baybay, Leyte. Gracing Capili of Himatagon Bolomen, without any order, snatched Col. Ruperto Kangleon from Agusan Japanese Garrison who surrendered there after the Fall in an unprecedented escape out of the camp, eluded the Japanese dragnet out to Macrohon, Leyte riding the fast “kaba-kaba” called “Princess” to head the beleaguered Leyte Command on that faithful Christmas Day of 1943.

The most successful assault of the Himatagon guerillas was made at Anahawan Japanese Garrison by eleven men who were outwitted and hoaxed inutile that only one escaped but was later decimated by the guerilla forces manning Liloan Strait before he could report to their headquarters.

Necessity is indeed a mother of invention. When the usual commerce stopped, there was no more supply of the basic needs like salt, soap, matches, clothing and many others. So, people did some experiments for survival, like boiling seawater for table salt, soap-making out of burned “bakhaw” and sea shells, and alcohol from sugar cane and tuba. For lack of “posporo”, every family had to preserve a “puwaw”, a fire unextinguished from a durable hardwood like guava trunk. There were matches sold by the Chinese but the prices were exorbitantly high. Still business was going on. The “katunggan” or “canipa-an” were transformed into secret market places. While most were done by barter, a few transacted on limited legal money. The guerilla leaders issued paper money signed by them that created misunderstanding and commotion and the infamous “Kinkoy”, a paper money loosely distributed by the Japanese to appear that economy was still at best. But they were almost valueless for one had to bring bag load of money to buy just a ganta or rice. Fishing must be done by night. Salt-making on a risky day near the shore for the smoke was visibly by the distance that a few were caught and scalded by the ruthless Japanese. Others ventured to sell locally made soap to various evacuation centers that oftentimes the sound of “sabon” in a distance was heard as “Hapon” that scared among would-be buyers.

Severe famine was never felt. The planting of rice and corn stood at still. There was still abundance of “camote” and other root crops. The birth of “humay-humay” came to the fore-grated “camote”, banana and other crops mixed and cooked in a steam like a cake. Clothing was at the barest but nobody cared whether one is almost naked. Malice and fashion were unheard. The people resorted to “maghabol sa lanot og abaka” and the product called “saguran” was either used as clothing or “habol”, a material though coarse and loosely woven was warm in the coldest “bakwitan”.

There were a few Japanese collaborators, only those caught were forced to locate and identify guerilla leaders like the unforgettable incident that happened to Badoy Gorme at Mahayahay. Almost all people cooperated with the guerillas for a mere suspicion of being a traitor, the punishment like the infamous water cure and walking by knees kilometers away of rugged terrain aside from being shot. Hjmatagon guerilla days never experienced bandits and lawless elements like other Visayan provinces that were looted and fellow Filipinos were brutally killed in broad daylight on even a case of rape from civilians and guerillas. Falling in love did not cease, even in the most troubled times. Everyone in love did it with the accepted moral standards of the time, except a few “nagtabanay” just like ordinary days.

The Japanese soldiers assigned here were “kind-hearted” compared to other places, though after receiving intelligent reports that guerillas were around and having secret meeting, burned, down Ninoy Capili and Akong Alfaro’s residences that incinerated the community and not the people around. They hanged Mimong Jayma on a nangka tree for a suspicion of being a member of the Philippine constabulary for wearing a pair of old Philippine Constable pants. The day and the night patrol cowed Himatagnons in fear that drove them evacuating to the hinterlands.

Of high worthy act of heroism to note was that of Mayor Bulacan of Cabalian (Himatagon was then a barrio of Cabalian at the height of the World War II). He was pleading, kneeling and crying to the Japanese officials on that crucial day of the last mapping when the residents of Cabalian and Himatagon packed the old church of Cabalian where they were herded ready to be incinerated. His plea softened the hearts of the Japanese men that led to the release of the helpless captives.

Worth mentioning also, were Braulio Alfaro and Simplicio Lariosa, again out of patriotism and loyalty, rode in a banca and sent semaphore messages to the commanding officer of USS Preble Edward Baldridge not to assault Panaon Island particularly Liloan by air and land in preparation of the famous Battle of Leyte Gulf, that the Japanese forces had left days before, preventing heavy loss of life and property. The height of war was on the day the great Battle of Leyte Gulf was fought ferociously. Himatagnon literally sought refuge of any kind like caves to save their lives from dogfights of airplanes above the splintering skies and deafening sounds of glittering ammunitions.

We salute to the World War II soldiers and veterans, and the enlisted Bolomen and WAS of Himatagon. According to the words of the late General Douglas McArthur, “Soldiers never die, they just fade away”.

When the land and sky were cleared, on the 20th day of October, 1945, at Palo Beach, Leyte, the promised words of “I shall return” was made a reality, Himatagnon for the first time saw G.I. Joes bulging with chocolates, candies, cigarettes, canned goods and funny stories as “Hi! Young ladies “ and “What happened?”. The air was filled with these following Liberation songs:

The house of teacher Jose Abuda stands all the way north to the next road and all the way East towards where the house of Capitan Catalino Capili stood, there was nothing but the abandoned house of Inse Ayang. This was the favorite place for hide-and-seek because there were a lot of fruit trees: balimbing, makopa, tambis, santol. On the other side of the road towards the church was a whole block of camia flowers, where now is the neighborhood of Loklok Alfaro. Behind the dela Peña’s residence, there were only two houses: that of Popoy Laure Bernadez and that of Ingko Miling. The rest of the land up to the present market and up to the river was swampland that was rich with “alimango, kasag, pasayan, lokon”. Some went fishing by night on this swampland, “panu-o” – that is fishing with either a Petromax or Hasag and a little spear.

Kaibak, which is now part of the property of the late Graciano Capili, where used to duck boats. Also, the place for swimming, Lotao, where the river meets the sea, that usually avoided because it was said that some “okoy” inhabited somewhere. Occasional drownings in that area were attributed to the “okoys”.

The river behind the market used to be a lot wider and deeper. It used to have a bridge of wooden planks for pedestrians from San Isidro and Panian and the outlying villages. Lotao was not half as congested as now.

Moon seems very visible to our naked eye if we are in Saint Bernard, maybe because there were no high rise buildings around, and pantalan became the very famous place for youngsters, lovers, and even for oldies especially if the enchanting full moon appears with its magical glow as old people keep saying “anugon ang buwan katugan” and “useless the moon without Filemon”.

Amid the physical changes, in spite of signs of progress – still yearn for the good old days of Himatagon when people could sleep with doors and windows open; with people leaving lights on for travelers and passerby; when you never hear of people doing bad things to people; when people treat one another with respect and love. Recalling the times when friends walking home on evenings, or going to the store – outdoing one another who would be the first to say “Bi-i diha Noy, Bi-i diha Nang”. Though, amid places we may roam, there is no place like home.

REMEMBERING HIMATAGON OLD SCHOOL DAYS

Telling those-were-the-days stories of the old Himatagon, specifically referring to “panahon sa peacetime or sa wa pa ang guerra,” evokes nostalgic feelings in those who were born in those days and are still living today. To the new generation, these cause raised eyebrows, candid laughter, and disbelief. But these are true—especially when changes in all aspects of life, even in ecology, are very apparent as the last vestiges of the old world started to vanish unnoticed and the inroads of modernization set in fast. To the old Himatagnons, the time before and after the Second War was marked by a great difference… The following anecdotes will surely amuse us.

The school children of the old Himatagon were housed in the famous Gabaldon Building of 1919, where the present school site is. It was a very spacious two-room, one-storey structure with concrete posts, walls, high stairways, high-raised hardwood shiny floors, and all-around shell windows. The grade one pupils (called “ojet” before) and grade twos ranged in age from nearing adolescence to some dalaga and ulitawo, numbering almost or around 60 in every grade. All were almost barefooted except for some bakya. Basic needs were met to the barest minimum, and abaca slippers and leather shoes were only for special occasions like fiestas—carried on shoulders after leaving the town, never worn on wet days or rocky ground, kept in wooden trunks, and seen again during next year’s fiestas.

Found in their native bags made of buli or baliw were very big lead pencils, paper called balon before, an American primer reader “Little Red Hen,” a pen holder with bottled ink for theme writing, and some baon. They sang two national anthems during their flag ceremonies: “The Star-Spangled Banner” of the US when the American flag was raised, and “Land of the Morning” (the English version of today’s Lupang Hinirang / Bayang Magiliw) when our flag was raised next.

Those were the days of corporal punishment. A rattan whip was inseparable from the teacher's hand and could land freely on any part of the pupil's body for being inattentive or failing to recite yesterday’s lessons. True to the Biblical wisdom, “spare the rod and spoil the child…” The pupils were very attentive, courteous, but very timid. Feet flat on the floor, hands folded on top of the desk, eyes on the teacher in front, and standing only when reciting. English was the only medium of instruction. The lower grades studied the basic 3Rs, while the higher grades studied Correct English, Reading, Geography, Music, History, and Arithmetic.

Then an all-wooden three-room building was erected in the middle of the site for grades three and four. There was a matriculation fee of ₱3.00 per year, a Red Cross contribution of ₱0.30, and some book rentals. Those who wanted to attend grade five up to seventh grade had to walk another four kilometers to Cabalian or further to Hinundayan. High school education was only available in Cebu or Tacloban and could be reached only by a wind-sailed banca that docked once a week or a ship once a month for trading only. A seventh-grade graduate back then could teach in remote barrios, like the late Titoy Gorme, Baloy Pinkian, and Daday Mancio. The donated school site of almost two hectares was very muddy and swampy, so all parents were obliged to fill the place with stones, sand, and gravel in a ten-cubic-meter assignment at least once a year. The first teachers mostly came from Tacloban and Cebu, like Miss Gunday Marte, Mr. Balud, and Mr. Capua, and were visited once a year by their Superintendent, Mr. Bobcock and Mr. Water, American Thomasites stationed on the island of Leyte.

No pupils were allowed to eat inside the room, only during recess. Most pupils' snacks were the popular native candy, the foot-long balicutsa shared by almost all classmates (leaving an inch or two for the owner), or pieces of boiled bananas and camote—so very abundant in those days—cooked at home to be eaten under or behind the building out of fear and shame before the teachers. Their school allowance, as it is called now, was either a half-centavo bronze coin called diyoy, which could buy a large piece of bread, five pieces of cookies called sopas, or eight pieces of ripe bananas.

The children played games like Jump the Spines, Biko-bikohay, and softball (called Indoor in school). At home, they played bagol-bagol, tubig-tubigay, ik-ikay, and kasing. Visits by an immunizer or vacunador at school for epidemics were common back then—such as dysentery, smallpox, or typhoid fever—because human waste was disposed of anywhere since today’s health standards were unknown. This sent children crying in fear, with most of them jumping out of the window in terror. Vaccination was still in a crude stage where small slit wounds were made on the arm by a sharp-bladed instrument before the vaccines were applied, causing skin abscesses and a fever that left an indelible mark on the arm for life.

They had barrio or town athletic meets attended by most residents with a festive mood, much like our Palarong Pambansa now. Other school events eagerly anticipated by residents and school children were Arbor Day, Scouting, and Garden Days, observed with great fervor. Pupils were not distracted from their studies at home since there were no radios, televisions, Beta tapes, or video games back then. Dances in school were accompanied during practice and actual performances—either on stage or on the school plazas—by human voices alone, with teachers shouting the melody at high pitch: "la, la, la." School communications and visitors were carried and accompanied by older pupils from station to station on foot.

The school year always ended with a closing program. Children dressed in white, with only the top two students in class having the privilege to sit on stage. Picture-taking occurred for all classes with their respective teachers—one of the only two events where photos were taken. The other occasion was before a deceased loved one was buried, captured using a hard-to-install old-type camera with a big film box covered by a black cloth on a fixed tripod. However, a great number of average children, especially the eldest sisters, had to stay home as babysitters and family helpers because most family broods were much larger compared to these days.

HIMATAGON AS IT TURNS INTO MUNICIPALITY

Himatagon was one of the progressive barangays under the jurisdiction of San Juan, Southern Leyte (formerly Cabalian), the biggest and the most densely populated barangay of Cabalian at that time.

As the barrio progressed economically, socially, and politically, the inhabitants felt and realized that self-government was a necessity. The civic-spirited citizens gathered and discussed the separation of the barrio into an independent entity.

Excerpt from Official Gazette
December, 1954

Graciano Heilo Capili sent petitions to higher authorities appealing to them to convert the barrio into a municipality. It took several years of continued pleas for recognition. Through his initiative and moving spirit, along with the untiring efforts of former Governor Bernardo Torres of Leyte, the late President Ramon Magsaysay enacted Executive Order No. 84 converting the barrio of Himatagon into the Municipality of Saint Bernard. It came into existence on December 9, 1954.

            Upon the recommendation of the Provincial Board of Leyte and pursuant to the provisions of section 68 of the Revised Administrative Code, there is hereby created in the province of Leyte a municipality to be known as the municipality of Saint Bernard consisting of the barrios of Himatagon, which shall be the seat of the municipal government, Atuyan, Ayahag, Bolodbolod, Cabac-an, Cabagawan, Carnaga, Catmon, Guinsaugon, Himbangan, Hindag-an, Lepanto, Magbagacay, Mahayahay, Malibago, Panian, San Isidro, Sug-angon, and Tambis, all of the municipality of Cabalian, same province.

            The municipality of Cabalian shall have its present territory minus the portion thereof comprised in the barrios composing the municipality of Saint Bernard.

            The municipality of Saint Bernard shall begin to exist upon the appointment and qualification of the mayor, vice-mayor and a majority of the councilors thereof and upon the certification by the Secretary of Finance that said municipality is financially capable of implementing the provisions of the Minimum Wage Law and providing for all the statutory obligations and ordinary essential services of a regular municipality, and that the mother municipality of Cabalian, after the segregation therefrom of the territory comprised in the municipality of Saint Bernard, can still maintain creditably its municipal government, meet all its statutory and contractual obligations and provide for essential municipal services.

            Done in the City of Manila, this 9th day of December, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and fifty-four, and of the Independence of the Philippines, the ninth.

Why the name Saint Bernard? According to a local historian, the town was supposedly to be named after the then Leyte Governor Bernardo Torres, who was responsible for its creation into a town. Due to the prohibition of the law, however, this could not be done. So, Mr. Graciano Capili, Sr. was forced to search for another name. Having gotten hold of a dictionary, he chanced upon the name St. Bernard—a Swiss alpine breed of dog bred at the hospice of the Grand St. Bernard—and that was how it got its name. Noting the good qualities of the dog (hardworking and an efficient worker, especially as a rescuer of travelers buried under an avalanche of ice), it jibed with his thoughts that his townspeople were hardworking and efficient workers, too. So the name St. Bernard was made official.

The municipality of Saint Bernard is strategically situated in the Southern portion of the island of Leyte. It is a coastal town along the Panaon, Hinunangan – Silago National Road which falls under the jurisdiction of the province of Southern Leyte. The locality is bounded on the north by the town of Hinunangan, two big bodies of water Panaon Strait and Cabalian Bay are on the South, on the east by the municipality of San Juan and Anahawan, and the municipality of Libagon on the west. Specifically, it is between the coordinates of 10° 17’ 30” north latitude and 125° 7’ 30” East longitude.

In general, the terrain is hilly and mountainous. It is composed of thirty (30) barangays including the Poblacion. In view of its geographical location, Saint Bernard is conveniently accessible from any point in the region either by land or sea transportation.

Likewise, the town is conveniently accessible to and from any point in the country also because of the transportation facilities existing in the town.

Saint Bernard occupies a total land area of 10,020 hectares and is composed of thirty (30) barangays including the Poblacion. Of this total, the urban area occupies 437.17 hectares, or 4.36% of the total municipal area consisting of the barangays of Himatagon and San Isidro. The remaining or the biggest portion of 9,582 hectares, or 95.64% is the area of the twenty-eight (28) rural barangays. The barangay with the biggest land area is Brgy. Himbangan with approximately 570.20 hectares or 5.69% of the total municipal area, closely followed by Barangay Hindag-an with 507.10 hectares or 5.06%. In contrast, Barangay Magbagacay has the smallest land area with 112.7 hectares only.

Topography

Elevation

The highest elevation is 720 meters above sea level at Mount Kan-abag in Barangay Panian, while the lowest is at Brgy. Himatagon (Poblacion) which is only 5 meters above sea level.

Slope

The entire municipality is dominated by a slope of 0–3%, which covers 8,588.14 hectares or 85.71% of the total land area. It is best described as a broad area of level to nearly level land.

The 3–8% slope range has an aggregate area of 243.5 hectares or 2.43% of the entire municipality. This is rolling land sloping in more than one general direction, as well as gently undulating.

The 8–15% slope covers an area of 105.71 hectares or 1.05% of the overall municipal area. This is described as moderately undulating and rolling land sloping in many directions.

Lastly, the 15–30% slope range has a total land area of 1,083.15 hectares or 10.81% of the entire municipal land area, described as steeply undulating and rolling land sloping in many directions.