I grew up in the far, simple town of Novaliches, a part of Quezon City. It is located at the threshold of the northern part of the country; the Phillippines. Although, a suburb, a bit distant from the capital city; Manila. As a child, I found the place a paradise. There were wide spaces or vacant lots where I used to play with the other children in the area. Trees, flowers were everywhere and the air was fresh. But, what made more the place a paradise for me was the fact that I was with my whole family. My parents were still both living and my siblings were young at that time. None of them got married yet, so, we were living together under the same roof. It gave me, then, the benefit not to go out of the house looking for someone to be with whenever I felt like doing my favorite thing to do… playing. The neighbors were kind. Perhaps, because the population was very little that time which made people in the area close to each other. But, that was a long time ago.
Then, time demanded me to leave the house every morning to go to school. Each time then the school bell rang in the afternoon as if shouting out loud "classes for today ended... it's time to go home!!!" made my heart jumped, simply because I would be back to my paradise. When I began to travel every day to make a living my perception of the place where I grew up also began to change. The piece of heaven turned a bit of hell. The long journey each day going to my place of work and coming back home brought me nightmares almost every day while I was widely awake. The most tormenting nightmare then was the heavy traffic that nearly devoured my patience. Trepidation almost killed me when I encountered the wicked hold-uppers, snatchers, and robbers along the way. The traumatic car accidents I had witnessed and experienced gave me so much pain both physically and emotionally. The floods at times the weather seemed to be not so friendly put not only my health in risk, but, my life, as well. All of them aggravated the situation even more. As the population grew, peace and order became the major and serious concern in my hometown. The wide spaces where I used to play along with the other children in the area became man’s territories. Sadly, those things drove me away from my paradise.
After spending more than half of my life away from the place where I grew up I decided to be back. And I found out it is totally different from what it was many years back. The narrow, rugged roads are now wider and cemented. I could count the trees on my fingers because they were altered by high rising houses, condominiums and apartments. Factories and malls are everywhere. There is also a known television station and other establishments where people in the area could land a job. Educational establishments which contribute a lot to the progress of any other institutions, community, and country are now situated within the community just a stone throw away from each other. In front of me is a picture of progress and development in, once, a simple, undeveloped town.
There are people whose faces or names I hardly recognize and they are very many. I believe they moved in to the place while I was away. Many of my neighbors and friends whom I treated like family members are no longer around. Some of them moved to other places, some passed away… just like my parents. They passed away several years ago. My in-house playmates; my brothers and sisters now live with their own families. Here I am, alone, only with my cats, in our old, old house. All that is left with me is memories… sweet memories of the place where I grew up; my hometown, my paradise. As I reminisce the past, I softly whisper in the air “there’s no place like home” …… really!
Educational institutions contribute a lot to the progress
of any other institutions, community and country.
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