MORE than 250 musicians from 10 countries of the world and from the Philippines visited Hacienda Adela in Silay on November 7. For many of them, a close encounter with tapaseros, cargadores, manug-abono, and manughilamon who are either dumaan or sacada gave them a better idea of what hacienda life is all about.
The shared experience picked up by local and national media (and the bloggers, as well) might have encouraged some sectors to visit Hacienda Adela also. The Asosasyon sang nga Mangunguma sa Adela received booking for the high school students of Assumption High School-Iloilo to have their one day immersion with the workers. The program will be joined in by three batches facilitated by Sir Rene Secular together with teachers and sisters.
A group of Chinese from Manila also contacted a local tour operator to facilitate the tour. Guests have opted to be a part of the regular working force to do cane cutting, hauling, cutting cane points, planting cane points, and pulling weeds in the rows with the aid of the hoes.
“We want our students to develop social awareness on what is happening on the farm so that when the time comes in their professional life and business engagement, they already have the concern for those who have less in life. We want that kind of Christianity to motivate and lead them. Assumptionistas should have important participation in the formation of a better society,” Sir Rene said.
In their exposure, they have also to taste the common obrero food like adobo obrero, utan-langka with gata, takway adobo, apan-apan, ginamos ginisa, and pancit pigado. For their dessert, the gustatory delights include home-made piaya, cubed sugarcane, bitso-bitso, and buko juice.
Sugarcane workers have invited the students to join them in a caro-carabao ride around the plaza. Some made good attempts to lead the carabao while doing the back ride. A part of the day was spent talking to the family members of the workers... kind of work in the field, education of children, community life, and other concerns on amo-obrero-community relationship.
The workers have also demonstrated their traditional belief and religious practices: Latin chant, prayer song for San Roque, dances of children, and mothers. Varied activities in natural style always end with sharing personal and vicarious experiences. Some sharers are in gay mood, some somber, and some are even in tears because they have realized that as Assumptionistas, they have the best things in life... while their new friends in Hacienda Adela are just contented with whatever they can achieve.
Those who want to experience this hacienda tour like the Assumptionistas, just inform us.