Visited my birthplace in Catmon Cebu:
Hello everyone today I would like to share my travel with me and my family in Panalipan Catmon Cebu. Catmon is very close to my heart because I was born here way back 41 years ago. Life is really bit hard my mother was a plain housewife and my father was a baker in Tinong's Bakery but I praise God for His Goodness the life that we have right now. We left here due to some financial difficulties but I always remember the beauty of this place.
Here's some of the beautiful story of Catmon:
Story long time ago, Catmon was once a terrible city of pagans. It was nothing but a group of houses of the Cogons of the village gathered like mushrooms in the clearing under the tall trees that stood like a green park on the mountain side and by the sea, you will really felt the area is a depress one, but it depends because you can be poor financially but happy joyful rich in Love. A large tree called catmon also grew in abundance in the area, a reason that people called this Catmon.
A large tree, with spreading branches, is a favorite resting place of the native people here . It was there that once upon a time, according to legend, the Spaniards encountered lazy natives living in the shade of the Catmon tree. Curious to know the name of the area, they asked: Como se llama este lugar? Confused as to what it meant, Indio nevertheless said, "Catmon." In fact, he thought the winners were referring to the tree. That is how the city was named. One of the barangays of Catmon, five kilometers from Catmon proper, is called Catmandaan, which means old Catmon. This is the first site of the village.
The public market is still available. Poblacion is now located by the sea but it was devided also. The church was built by Father Miguel de Jesus in 1835. But it was only made of nipa and cogon. Father Juan Juseu succeeded him in 1854 with stone and coral from a quarry seven or eight kilometers away. Father José Miramon completed the dome of the belfry in 1873 and Father Francisco Bargasa made the roof and the altar. Mayor Montecillo started the town hall in 1912 and completed it in 1917.
During the revolution of 1898, Catmon appeared prominently when, in the Cambakay district of Capayan Mountain, General Maxilom retreated after the Americans defeated his army. As a temporary headquarters, he gave orders to his scattered remaining troops here such a difficult situation when there is conflict that time.
Catmon was also actively involved in the resistance movement during World War II. Actually I really felt the burden on what had happen to my fellow countrymen many years ago. They were abused and harass with this white foreigner people who introduced there pagan belief to us and made my country suffered a lot. But whatever bad experience they suffered we need to move forward and Realized that all those bad experience will turn it for good by learning from it. One thing that we should never forget is to Love other People and culture.
