Mayana: A Village that Lives and Survives

           By Vic Odarve

At dawn on July 11, 2005, triggered by an earthquake a few months earlier, large limestone blocks slid along a steep scarp in Sitio Balikbayan, Mayana. The debris fell on an area underlain by an older limestone landslide and destroyed large agricultural areas and 67 houses.

Giant scar of the landslide

Seventeen years after the landslide, I revisited the place and saw that the catastrophic event left a giant scar that could be seen throughout the entire village-an iconic picture on the steep side of the mountain — an awesome reminder of how vulnerable mankind is to the forces of nature! As nature simply is, landslides happen without the slightest consideration for human inhabitants. The result of the destruction is still firmly felt; the ghost seems to haunt the memory of the affected villagers.

But nature’s life springs as usual in the village. Early morning is often beautiful scenery – mountains covered with mists and fogs, and early sunrise gives color to the mountains and trees everywhere. As the sun fades in the western sky, beautiful sunsets paint the horizon, marking the end of the hard day’s work.

Today, we can witness children playing in the streets; peasants going home from the farms with loads from harvest. Happy and peaceful lives seem to be everywhere. This is the picture I saw nine years ago... before the landslide! Villagers show no sign of giving up. Daily activities are the same as before. Rain or shine, they go to their farms and make their everyday living. Plowing the fields with buffalos and harvesting rice with mechanized threshers have become common sights.

Ricefields

The village appears to have flourished in a rigorous manner; new houses have been developed in the landslide area, and commerce and trade have boomed. People enjoy the quiet life set slightly apart from the rush and jabber of the modern urban city. Some families own cars and motorcycles for transportation, while others have smartphones and other paraphernalia of modern living... frantically growing urbanization.

As I visited with one of the new occupants, I saw a living room that was clean, had a high ceiling and was spacious with videoke accessories, a nice flat-screen television, and a Wi-Fi internet connection. There was modern furniture and fixtures, and shelves arrayed with the medals and trophies of a lifetime of family achievements and academic awards.

Despite the destruction by the landslide seventeen years ago, the village of Mayana still lives and survives! Life must go on!

Thanks for viewing.