They say that โHome is where the heart is.โ In the home, the heart cleaves because of a thousand memories, great experiences, and a herd of feelings that makes the heart fluctuate to summit levels. In this generation that despises solitude and shuns those who follow its way, in this era where seeking the limelight constitutes everything, and popularity is the measure of greatness, how can a heart cling to a place and lovingly call it home when its specialty is solitude, simplicity, and a gradually-paced life?
Today, the City of Maasin joyously celebrates the Silver Jubilee of its creation as a city. Proudly called โthe first city of the new milleniumโ, its creation from a municipality to a city brought promising innovations and opportunities to best serve Maasinhons from all walks of life. What started in 1770 as a humble fishing and farming pueblo, elevated itself into a city replete with benefices equal to its dignity among other places in this side of the archipelago. Despite all this, some may label Maasin as a โsleepy townโ, an โunimproved localeโ, which, on the surface level, might be true to some. However, when one looks into the core of things, a question arises: What then, is true โimprovementโ? A lot may answer that true improvement lies in how high a cityโs skyline is, or the number of local or foreign investors planting their businesses, or even the amount of the minimum wage rate. All these answers are important and true, none of it is laid to waste. And if one judges Maasin as a city deprived of all these in their completeness and grandeur, on might say the following declaration as a euphemistic nonsense, but I boldly say: We take pride in our homeโs sweetness, its slow-paced life, in its noble simplicity.
The simplicity of this our city life which we take pride in, has produced countless intellectuals, beauties, and prime-movers of their own right and varied excellencies. The slow-paced living which this humble city offers cradled each Maasinhonโs dream, kept the heart in good stead, and kindled the fire of desire for the common good in each individual who wants to endear Maasin as home. The solitude that this city offers is the reason why the Catholic heritage and religiosity of her faithful became Maasinโs trademark and noble distinction. Truly, this seeming โdeprivationโ forged the core of a Maasinhonโs heart: resilient in the middle adversity, jovial and sweet amidst this valley of tears.
As we sit and sip our cup of coffee paired with Hopia sa Bantig or a Bingka from Hanginan, we do so with pride for this land of the simple and home of the sweet – our Maasin. And may we, with a heart ever burning with love for our home, never with fear and feelings of inferiority utter in our lips our most singular identity, and with our heads high pronounce: Taga Maasin ko, Maasinhon ko.
Maasin, Lungsod sa kinabuhi ko!
Mabuhi ka, Maasinhon!
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Words: John Russel Manlangit | The Josephinian
Photos: Saimar Joseph Basong | The Josephinian
Dan Rughie Cadano | The Josephinian
Blessa Joyce Padecio | The Josephinian Integrated Media
