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From the desk of Mayor Joji Ilio
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Osman is an isolated community. Like other hinterland communities the people came to form hamlets because of the silent war that raged since the early 1970s to the early 1990s. Either way, people have to live close to each other for protection - against the rebels and/or the military. It is common knowledge that the NPAs (New People's Army) have been active in this barrio. Once, during the height of the rebellion, the NPAs attacked the CAFGU (a paramilitary group) in Osman, killing one CAFGU volunteer in a day of siege. Today there are no more paramilitary groups in the barrio, only barangay tanod (a local group organized by the barrio council for peace keeping but have a tenous link to the military so that they are not targets of the rebels.) It had been peaceful since.
Osman is located in the middle of mountains beside a river. It seems odd that these people would converge, build houses and make this specific place the center of their community. This is a very narrow plateau amidst hills and mountains. The school is here, so is the basketball court, the barangay hall (just started), and the chapel.
Just as well, the houses of the people are within shouting distance of each other. (But then shouting distance in this place could measure from one mountain to another.) The houses here are of light materials and smaller compared to houses in other barrios. It is obvious that the standard of living here is much lower than in other barrios of Malinao. For one there is no electrical connection from AKELCO. It is more than two kilometers from the nearest energized barrio of San Dimas. For radios, karaokes, stereos, TVs and VHS, what are used are car batteries which have to be charged in the poblacion. A very viable project for Osman is a mini-hydroelectric dam on the small river that winds through the barrio. The purpose of my visit to Osman is to administer the oath of office of the newly elected barangay officials. A month ago this same set of officials have taken their oath of office at a ceremony in the Poblacion with Congresswoman Gabrielle V. Calizo as guest. However, to have an excuse for a celebration, the leadership in Osman conceived another oath taking. It was a grand affair. All the people of the barrio were invited. (But then there are only 90 families in the barrio.)
Nestor Tacud is the current Barangay Captain. He ran unopposed. All his 7 candidates for barangay councilmen won. They contributed their months' honorarium for the expenses of the event. The program was supposed to start at 10:00 AM, but when we arrived at 10:00 AM from the Poblacion the cooks were just preparing the food for the grand affair. But we were served food for our breakfast. Lunch would come after the program. There were six of us visitors: Paddy Baltonado, security agent from the office of the Mayor; Casiano Flores Jr., agricultural technician; John Rondario, Barangay Captain of San Roque; two motorcycle drivers that we hired, Rafael and Arol; and me. We left the Poblacion at 9:00 a.m. and arrived an hour later. The road approaching Osman was slippery because of the rain the night before. We had to dismount from the motorcycle many times to navigate the slippery portions of the road. This is my third time to visit Osman but everytime I am awed by the scenery along the way. At many points along the road the lowlands of Aklan could be seen up to the shores of the Sibuyan Sea. The long stretch of road from San Dimas is uninhabited. Both sides of the road are virgin secondary growth forests. The big trees have long since been cut for lumber. Now the illegal sustenance loggers from Osman have to hike for four hours just to cut a piece of lumber. Hard back breaking work, this main source of living for the men of Osman. Copra and eanot (abaca) are the other product of Osman. The program was held at the multi-purpose pavement. It was a very short program made long by speakers to fill in the time until the food was cooked. The whole barrio was there, many children were present, more than the adults in number. It was a grand occasion for them. The hosts were in their best dresses and shoes. But their guests, including me, were in slippers.
I did my job to give the panunumpa sa tungkulin. I said to the barangay officials that they should double their service since they took their oath of office two times. They smiled. After the program we ate again. And after a short goodbye to the people, we were gone. Osman would be left on its own. Our few hours entry to their world would be an event that the people there would talk for days on end. As our three motorcycles trekked back to the poblacion I could only think of how life differs even within our town. I walked back to the familiarity of the municipio at 2:00 in the afternoon and back to work.
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