“BUBON”

In the Ilongo dialect, bubon is a deep well where we get water. Once upon a time, there was one located within the campus of the Iloilo High School. It was near its Main Building, a protruding cylindrical cemented structure with a concrete cover on top. In our time, the bubon was already covered and not in use. Why was it covered? Why?

As High School kids, we were a bit curious. Some classmates “knew” about why the bubon got covered. They said that during the Tiempo Giyera, Iloilo High School was made into a command center of the Japanese military, the Japanese Army Headquarters. It had an interrogation and torture chambers. Definitely, it had to have a place as disposal for prisoners killed whom they did not want the civilians to know. They said that the enemy dumped the dead in that well. Our classmates further said that some of those thrown there were still alive. We imagined that the eerie sounds that others claimed to hear when going near the place were actually the screams of ghosts from the victims during the Great World War II. So we concluded that this must be the reason why they covered the bubon with concrete—to stifle the sounds.

After graduating from high school, I haven’t heard a tale about that covered well anymore - until Tiyoy Ading told me the story of Emong, their family helper. Melquiades ‘Ading” Cabarles is one of the resource persons in my compilation of stories about the Second World War. He is a native of Barangay Agboy, Leon, Iloilo and was about 16 years old when war broke out. He narrated thus:

“There was no mechanized transportation to haul farm products to the city then. In our case, we had a cart (karo). It was pulled by a white bull - a big strong bull. We load the cart with farm products the evening before. Very early the next day, we will take off for the Iloilo Central Market.

One day, we took the karo to the city. There were 3 of us: my brother Carlos, our helper Emong and me. When we reached the checkpoint located along the way, the Japanese soldiers apprehended Emong. They must have suspected him of being a gerilya. Emong was wearing maong short pants.

During that time, we were admonished by our parents against wearing either maong or khaki pants because these were supplied only to soldiers and guerillas. Wearing a maong or khaki will arouse the suspicion of the Japanese. Emong was 25 years old. I was only 16 years old. My brother Carlos was slightly older than me. The Japanese did not suspect the both of us. But they suspected Emong—probably because of his age and his maong pants.

After they took Emong, we proceeded to the Central Market and delivered the goods. Afterwards, we went home to Leon without Emong. At that time, when a family received news about someone being picked up by an armed group, they can do nothing. All they did is - keep quiet and cry their anguish in silence knowing that they have nobody to report the incident to. So if someone you knew was picked up by the Japanese, by the guerillas, or by the EPG (Emergency Provincial Guards of Governor Tomas Confesor), they are often given up for dead.

It was at the Japanese checkpoint that we last saw Emong. When we asked around, people told us that he was taken to the Iloilo High School. In 1942, the Japanese made the Iloilo High School as their main garrison. It was there where prisoners picked up from their checkpoints were brought to be interrogated, tortured, and sometimes killed. We heard that those they killed were dumped in the well located a stone's throw away from the bola-bola. Emong must have died there.”

The Iloilo National High School (INHS) Alumni Building allegedly stands near the place where that covered well used to be. I never heard of a story about some exhumation conducted to establish the veracity of accounts about those who died and been dumped there though. I’d rather not dare to know. If it were true however – let’s pray that in exchange of their painful death, they’ll be rewarded with eternal peace in the afterlife. The picture above was taken from google images.