Lawis

Lawis is a lingo of Bisaya which probably means shoreline. The Lawis in Palid, in the Provincial Capital Town of Ipil is a tranquil, rocky, mangrove-forested ecosystem. There you can see the modified roots of bakawan trying to capture oxygen in the air during low tides. Before you can get to the place, you pass by houses along the shoreline, then along a mangrove forest. It is a memorable place for me. I wish to go back there but I heard that it is now being fenced by a private owner.

I had a student named Marvin Sedenio, first year at the time, who lived near there. On January 31, 1999, Marvin accommodated me and some of my fourth year students at his home. Rowell made all the arrangements, and it was Allan who fetched me through his “Force” motorcycle to get there at Lawis. It was for a reason that we went there. I had a misunderstanding with one of them in December 1998. Having patched it up, we decided to go to Lawis.

So attendance check – Joel and Adolfo (first year then), Harrison, Dennis, Lloyd, Leah (the only girl, now wife of Jahzeel), of course, me, Boy Edmar and Allan, were there. We documented our visit there with the camera we bought. There, we swam and play like little children till noon! Marvin’s father was a fisherman, and he offered us fresh fish for our lunch. We walked across the shoreline and went to the Palid wharf. There, we were like kids jumping and swimming. Then we walked through the sands and went back to Lawis to take more pictures. We had the best picture there at a very nice tree. (I lost my copy of it. I think Dennis or Rowel still has it.)

Came next week, our pictures were developed and their classmates, upon seeing the splendor of the place went with us back the following Sunday.

Some of my third year students went there with me by the end of the month of February 1999.