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Monday, June 24, 2002
Jovial San Juan
By Leticia Suarez-Orendain
AS A holiday, the Feast of St. John the Baptist can’t escape water – water irreverently doused on hapless victims.
Because the culprits do it in the spirit of fun, the feast should be renamed joie de vivre.
No sacrilege meant, the feast, also known as San Juan, is a reference to an actual baptism whose real date is unknown, unlike with San Juan which is on June 24.
It was in Jordan River that St. John the Baptist baptized Jesus and marked the start of His ministry, the good news of salvation.
St. John cried about being “a voice in the wilderness,” and urged people to “prepare the way for the Lord.” At first he declined to submerge Jesus in the murky waters of Jordan.
When Jesus said water immersion was “proper for us to do . . . to fulfill all righteousness,” St. John gave in.
A voice in the sky said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” We can thank Jesus for giving us a good example on how to please the Father.
June 24 thus becomes a day of thanksgiving, a day of reconsecrating our waters to the baptism of the Lord.
The Biblical event has been institutionalized into a popular tradition. Our great grandparents used to take a dip in the river or sea believing that on this day the waters would bring healing.
Perhaps this is how the ritual of drenching people with water got started.
Or why it is almost a must to take a dip into the water. If June 24 falls on a weekend, then all roads lead to the beaches.
The festivity is very prominent in the coastal areas of the country. Here in Cebu, the beaches are literally filled to the brim with people.
Boracay may be costly, so many choose Marigondon or other nearby seas.
San Juan is visibly more jovial in the far north of Cebu especially in the coastal areas within Bantayan Island, Bantayan Rim of the Visayan Sea bordering places of Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remegio, Sta. Fe, and Madridejos.
Its vast sea is a sight of bancas, small boats, floating rafts, pumpboats and fastcraft. The feast is a family and community reunion, a time for picnic-sharing, swimming and cruising.
Farthest up north are good places to visit: Carnaza Island (in the jurisdiciton of Daanbantayan), Tanguigue Island (territory of Madridejos) and Gibitngel Island, whose shape is similar to an aircraft carrier.
At the beach resorts in the far north of Cebu accommodations are prepared for tourists, visitors and sight-seers. Others may enjoy the day in the hospitality of the inhabitants of the coastal areas.
Media sweetheart Malapascua Island or Logon still has natural beaches although the one in Bakahaw is rather rocky, so ask around.
The Bantanyan Rim is a sports area for scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, jetskiing, boat rowing and channel swimming in Dayhagon Channel. People go island hopping in Kinataroan Island, Chocolate Islet, Carnaza Island and Isla de Gato.
However, there is a sad note here. The Visayan Sea in the far north of Cebu is bristling with dynamite and illegal fishing, and its shorelines are slowly mined for its sand and pebbles. The sorry list is long.
It is within our hands to tear it. Afterall, this jovial day is a unique way to honor Jesus’ ministry inauguration. We can still keep our waters holy by respecting nature. (With the contribution of Atty. Braulio A. Arriola Jr.) |
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