MYSTERIOUS IS THIS DUHAT TREE

If the housing construction development workers had their way, the over a century-old seemingly dying duhat tree in the fringes of the site would have been uprooted seven years ago in our national hero Jose Rizal’s Calamba. Proof that rapid development in rising urban centers raises the alarm that the country stands to lose trees that took decades to grow and can serve as natural heritage.

Imposing is this duhat tree (Genus Rubus) as tall as the primary-line electric post, with 5-m girth half meter above ground and aged about five scores and a decade more. It survived housing development activities in the urbanizing city where Jose Rizal was born and is qualified as “Heritage Tree.”

Yet, this tree now proudly stands alive and rejuvenated. On season it bears the sweet-and-sour blackberry fruits though much smaller, less-sweeter, and less-succulent than those I personally gathered and tasted when I was then a wandering kid over six decades ago.

Lolo Ome here, now a septuagenarian and native to the shoreline village, has some stories to tell. This duhat tree (blackberry genus Rubus) has been the center of folkloric tales from generations by village folks, farmers, fishermen, and wandering kids who had been hereabouts.

Mystical accounts about this tree and its surroundings had been told since the time of our forebears’. That in the area had lived some rich Chinamen of Limahong ancestry. And villagers had found porcelain China wares, tools, implements, and various other items. Others claimed, kids in particular, to have seen golden mother hen and silver feathered broods of about a dozen roaming around but hid under the tree and disappearing instantly whenever people were thereabouts. Speculations had circulated that hidden treasures abound. And that the farmer tenant in the area got sick and seriously ill when he tried digging for that treasure.

Not gullible to here say, I gathered testimonials by witness-accounts to know facts about the farm land and how mysterious is this duhat tree, indeed.

Calamba Pugad Lawin Past-President Ding Negrillo, 63, purchased a house and lot unit at phase 2A in this subdivision ten meters away from the tree. Ding told me about the stories going around during the road construction beside the tree. Stories I already heard from some reliable village folks (businessman Clodualdo "Boy" Mane, Electrical contractor Luisito Baroro, and once Laguna provincial board member Luis Tanyag). That tractor engines conk out whenever they were almost at the base of the tree to demolish it; and at times the operator got sick according to construction workers.

Asked about such account, Horace G. Bona, the developer’s Project Engineer at the site said he could not confirm it since he also just heard the same story. Bona stated however that “when our old-man, owner-developer Paulo Giovani Olivarez, saw the dying tree he told me to let it be and develop a mini park within its surroundings.” Hence, the mini park is there with the duhat tree to stay. Now the park is in despair, but will soon be repaired.

Bona added that after the mini park was built, the withering tree started blooming, growing abundant leaves and soon rejuvenated and alive; and has now been a fruit-bearing duhat tree once more to the delight of the children around, and adults as well.

That same day Ding and I took pictures of the tree. The duhat tree stands the same height of the primary-line electric pole, higher than the 2-story houses around. I measured its girth half-meter above ground at 5 meters.

Based on the accounts of my father, Atanacio “Apanas” Nagpala, who died in 1982 at the age of 94, this duhat tree existed before start of the 20^th century. I surmise therefore that here in our midst stands a qualified “Heritage Tree,” which by now is over a century old at five scores and a decade more.

This assumption was shared and seconded by Iloy “Bagsak” Mamplata, 68, retired Calamba City employee. Mamplata said his father Tinoy “Bagsak” died in 1980 at 99 years old; and accordingly this tree was fruit-bearing since his father’s boyhood.

Mamplata said that long ago for several new years midnight countdowns, he himself among adult peers witnessed mini firework display in the desolated vicinity of this tree. Amazing he said are the sprouting, jumping, rolling multi-colored shooting up mini-lights of yellow gold, silver, and green dancing, rising up to maximum ten feet above ground as they watched from a kilometer distance. This account was confirmed and attested to by retired seaman now fishpond owner Jim Canilan, 62, watching such mini-firelights display from nearer 300 meter distance during his caroling nights. They averred this enchanting phenomenon was gone end of martial law upon the construction of a housing subdivision half kilometer north of the tree.

Both Canilan and Mamplata revealed that treasure hunters operated in that area. In 1970 a group from Talim Island of Rizal Province found voluminous China wares and several antique items. In 1980, Mamplata joined the group from Bai, Laguna and also collected leftover China ware items.

Mang Pacio Mane, 84, narrated that his father Adong “Uwak” was the first tenant farmer of then idle land where this mysterious duhat tree stands since so-called peace time. The original owner of the 2-hectare farm was from San Antonio, Binan, in Laguna – Manabat family. Decades thereafter it was sold to the Aguilar of Calamba. His eldest brother Feliciano “Ising Uwak” was the next tenant, followed by the son Gil until the property was bought by a housing developer early this millennium.

Gil Mane, 53, is the last tenant of the farm. I interviewed Gil on December 29, 2010. Following is his true-to-life story. A believe-it-or-not story that could have been featured in the recently ended ABS-CBN “I Survived" television drama program.

It was mid 1980’s when Gil built a hut about five meters from the tree; while his family home is a kilometer away at the village proper. According to Gil he witnessed when this tree had been struck by lightings twice yet it survived.

In several occasions he had to fetch their farm animal after twilight time. Once in early 1990’s at about eight in the evening, he noticed that the carabao was very restless and visibly afraid of something. As he pulled the animal by the rope he clearly saw a chicken family near the duhat tree. Before his eyes were a rooster cock, a mother hen, and about a dozen little chicks. They were aglow in the dark of the night in yellow gold colored feathers. Afraid he jumped at the back of the carabao and hurriedly rode back home. He kept this experience to himself for quite sometime.

Long obsessed since childhood by the lore that blessed is this duhat tree with hidden treasures thereby and driven by despair of poverty he decided to try his luck to find the hidden treasure.

This was during the first week of May 1992 before the barrio fiesta. Every noon time whenever the vicinity of the tree was deserted he secretly dug a hole in the spot where the chicken family once appeared. In three days he made a hole over a meter deep and about 4 by 4 meter wide. When excavating the soft area that looked like termite mound he experienced a terrible anus itch. He felt sick and afraid and went home immediately.

At home the itch was uncontrollable. He had to scrape his behind against the chair, the table, or bedpost like a dog. The following day he was scratching all over to ease itchiness he felt but to no avail. It was the eve of the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene and realized he lost his sense of tastes since the fiesta food were all tasteless to him. He became sick and weak.

He could not eat henceforth yet experienced frequent vomiting and bowel discharge. Itching continued and he gradually became weaker and thinner thereafter that he could hardly walk. The doctors at the Philippine General Hospital could not say what actually his sickness was; several quack doctors as well.

Gil confessed: “My will to survive was strong. Bedridden for eight months, I was spoon-fed with milk, choco-drink, juice and other energy source I could possibly take. Guilty of whatever trespasses I could have committed, I decided to visit our dilapidated hut past twilight time one night. I was crawling my way to the duhat tree like a sick monkey.”

Reaching his hut he never was in since he felt ill, Gil narrated thus: “I knelt in deep prayer. Lying face down in prostrate with spread-eagle arms, I asked for forgiveness for digging up a hole for the hidden treasure. In serious incantations and in tears I justified my trespass and reasoned out I only wanted to alleviate my family from poverty.

“Feeling exhausted yet relieved, I went home in peace believing I was already healed. I was crawling not anymore but still so weak that I could hardly walk back home. Along the way I saw people with torches not far from my home searching for me, calling my name. I realized I had been gone for hours that my family was so concerned and alarmed.”

“Believe it or not I was healed, indeed, days after. The anus itch was gone and I ate meals with tastes,” concluded Gil.

Gil said this was his first unforgettable encounter with the mysterious duhat tree. The second was two years thereafter. Briefly, as a post-script to his life story, Gil added: “Back to normal life at the farm, I used to harvest pales of the succulent fruit berries for sale. One time while atop gathering the fruits, my four-year-old son playing alone down below shouted there was a dwarfish tiny old man by the foot of the ladder at the base of the tree. Greatly rattled, I lost my balance and the branch I was standing on gave way; I fell down with the broken tree branch and was told unconscious for about 15 minutes. I almost died. Thanks to the immediate rescue by my brother Max and farmer Ka Danoy “Putting Lupa” Pizzara who happened to be nearby.” Gil ended the story with thanksgiving and praise.

Lolo Ome, with this article, invites officials concerned from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to come and find out if this duhat tree could very well be a “Heritage Tree?”

This over a century and a decade old duhat tree is healthy. Indigenous. Exotic. Rare. This tree has a girth of five meters measured half-meter above ground. It stands taller than the primary line electric pole. This tree withstood recent rapid developments in the urbanizing city of Rizal’s old cradle town. This tree beacons to be identified, cared, and protected for the future generations.

The tree is sited in the midst of Mahogany Villas at Barangay Looc, in the City of Calamba. Looc is a shoreline barangay of Laguna de Bay.

Lolo Ome and the residents of the community hope government officials concerned would soon declare this duhat tree a “Heritage Tree.” We fervently pray this would happen during our lifetime.

Among the aims of this official declaration is “to inculcate and enhance awareness among our community and other stakeholders specially the students the importance of caring and protecting identified Heritage Trees which will be our legacy to future generations of Filipinos.” Protected and cared of, may this tree bear more fruits

Author is shown measuring the girth of the tree. (Duhat Photo 2.JPG)

Visible are huge lumps at the base trunk of the tree; aging scars caused by vandals and natural calamities. (Duhat Photo 3.JPG)

Close-up view of antique shot-glass found at the rice paddy near the duhat tree sometime in 1985 by then 15 year-old Estoy Mane, 40