Canlubang Illustrated History (Part 2)

VI. CANLUBANG PARADISE

20

T

ruly Canlubang was a paradise, especially for the businessmen handling the estate’s corporation.

Canlubang’s industry was its greatest around the 1960’s, with 3 crop plantations, 3 manufacturing factories, and both meat and poultry farms. The 3,935 hectares of sugarcane plantations averages at 125 piculs per hectare or 491,875 piculs of sugarcane annually (29,748,099.3 kilograms).

There was also 2,468 hectares allocated for the coconut plantation which produced around 13,000,000 coconuts annually and smallest

plantation was the 600 hectare coffee plantation, producing around 25,00030,000 kilograms of Arabica coffee beans. Alongside these crop farms were animal farms, the poultry farm consisting of 741,000 chickens, the piggery with 1,872 pigs, and the dairy farm with 291 cows producing 218,562 quarts of milk annually. These raw materials mostly are also manufactured in Canlubang, the sugarcane are manufactured into sugar in the sugar central. Canlubang had the capacity of producing 4,800-6,000 tons of sugar daily. Canlubang also had an alcohol distillery which produced 21

1,826,800 liters of alcohol annually and a paper factory called Canlubang Pulp, it's manufactured 80% of the country’s abaca into paper, exporting most of them to Japan for the Japanese currency and banknotes. Japan was not the only country Canlubang was supplying with its prime export goods.

65% of the sugar and alcohol produced in Canlubang was exported to the U.S. and the rest were sold domestically. All in all, Canlubang had a total of 3,122 employees during milling season and 3,146 on other seasons with 1,372 industrial, 1,750 agricultural, meanwhile

931 and 2,215 respectively during nonmilling seasons.

I

n 1967, all 3,122 employees had an average daily salary of 12.12 pesos, inclusive of rice subsidy, bonuses, and benefits. 4-8 pesos higher than the country’s minimum wage which was 4.75 pesos for plantation workers and 8 pesos for industrial workers. These workers also had a handful of benefits, a house complete with utilities, salaryinclusive rice, hospitalization, food when hospitalized, dental service, and annual

physical check-up all free of charge. The children of employees also had their benefits, Canlubang was complete with all levels education up to high-school.

Back in 1964 105,000, 23,000, and 25,000 pesos were budgeted by the Estate for the Rizal Institute (Elementary to HighSchool), Sta. Cecilia School (Kindergarten), and Adult School for employees respectively. It was also made appointed that all 31 school staff were to receive the same non-cash benefits as the plantation and industrial workers. When it comes to college, valedictorians were given full scholarships since 1952, there have been 27 agriculturists and 1 medical doctor who all worked under the Estate.

B

ack then, living in Canlubang seemed to be a privilege to outsiders, even though all residents were employees of the Estate. Most likely they had this assumption for the Canlubang lifestyle was quite unique compared to everyday life especially than in other haciendas. Even though people were in Canlubang to work, the Yulo management balanced the employee’s

life with work, family, and play.

Employees and their children were encouraged to use the sports facilities, the baseball fields, swimming pools, bowling alley, tennis court and golf course free of charge.

Canlubang was home for the Canlubang Sugar Barons, a baseball team champion for seven consecutive years. It was said that they were disbanded due to lack of credible opponents. Renowned baseball stars have also played in Canlubang, stars like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Slugger Filemon Codinera. It was often said that kids in Canlubang were born with a baseball glove in hand. Canlubang was also the home of Dominga Capati, the country’s first professional female golfer. She was a laundry-woman who started playing in the free 9-hole course, later on became a nationwide champion and an international golfer.

Other than sports, Canlubang had a handful of recreational benefits, 90% of houses were given radios and all sitios had community televisions, on

weekends and holidays free movies are shown in drive-in outdoor cinemas, on special occasions like Don Jose Yulo’s birthday, and Christmas a festival of celebrity concerts, fireworks, and food are all prepared for the employees and their families.

A

simple, balanced life of work, family and play; this has always been the life of the people who had the privilege of living in the original town of Canlubang. In their eyes, it will always be their paradise. To them, there was truly no place like home.

A Canlubang Holy Week tradition where in an image of Judas is burned.

VII. CANLUBANG PARADISE LOST

28

A

s bountiful harvests go, all good things come to an end. In the 27th of October in 1945, Don Jose Yulo; chief justice of the supreme court of the Philippines and speaker of the house of representatives, a loving father, husband and patriarch of barangay Canlubang passed away.

It was due to respiratory failure at the age of 82. His wake was held at St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Canlubang. Adjusting to new management was not easy on the part of his workers and staff.

T

hey were treated like family as Don Jose Yulo Sr. was like a father to them. Nonetheless, the Canlubang Sugar Estate and the rest of it was left in the care of Mr. Yulo’s family. The 3,912- hectare property was equally distributed to his children; Maria Elena, Maria Regina, Jose, Carmen, Cecile, Luis, Teresita, Estrelita, Miguel, Ramon and Leonardo.Even so, it was not the same as it used to be specially when the estate reached the quota for sugar production.

30

W

hen Don Jose Sr. first acquired the land in 1948, the country was under the Americans. U.S. enacted a law on sugar quota allowing a total basic quota of 1,126,000 short tons for the Philippines; and when it reached its expiration in 1974, Philippines exported sugar on the world market, generally to unrestricted locations.

Sugar shipments to the U.S. declined during this period. A quota system for the sugar importation was renewed by the United States on May 5, 1982.

However, sugar allocations were based on a country’s share in sugar trade with the U.S. in 1975 to 1981, the periods when exports of Philippine sugar to U.S. decreased; during this period, allocations of Philippine sugar was only 13.5 percent about half compared to its allocations in the early 1970s. There was a very low demand for sugar in Canlubang which caused the production to deteriorate.

Y

ears passed and the once wellknown industry of the Canlubang

Sugar Estate declined, which caused a massive issue of labor unrest in the area. The monthly salary of the workers were often delayed, and their benefits were being pulled out little by little. Protests and riots were held against the management that caused some of the staffs to stay at home rather than in their offices. Suffice to say, the people of Canlubang were caught off guard by the sudden fall of the industry. This time there were no more rations for their families, no free movies, hospitalization, medicines, etc The production of sugar in the estate was shut down and the employees in the offices – even the security guards were sent home. The sugar mill and pulp factory were closed. This caused the people to be more enraged. A number of resident workers stole from and ransacked the offices since there was nobody of authority to take them in. Some of the workers were forced to return to their hometowns and provinces while some chose to stay because they have nowhere to go. The production officially closed September 2004.

31

VIII. CANLUBANG MODERN INDUSTRIALIZATION

32

I

the major manufacturing and distribution n the late 1970s, portions of the companies on site, housing projects such as the “Gawad Kalinga” Program, Morning estate were converted into industrial zones, golf courses and housing Fields were also launched. A leisure hub developments and a Canlubang Urban like The Mills Country Club was put up to Development Project was launched relive the old recreation center in facilitating the effective conversion of Canlubang to honor and respect Don the estate. Thus, Carmelray was Jose Yulo Sr. and Ramon Yulo. established in 1990. Derived from the names of Carmen and Ramon A. Yulo, Carmel and Ramon A .YuloCarmelray n 1993, the whole estate was aims to be a company that would give classified as ‘Industrial’ and was jobs and spur employment in the effectively exempted from redistribution Canlubang area, especially after the through

O

A

lthough modern industrialization now thrives in Canlubang, the original town is left in ruins. The old sugar mill and pulp factory still lies in the compound, but now with busted windows, collapsed ceilings and vandalized walls. The same goes with the recreational facilities. But even with the present state of the original town, a number of farmers and staff that used to work for Don Jose Yulo Sr. still live in the area with their families. For decades they have been struggling and fighting to re-claim the lands they have been tilling for more than a century and are facing everyday threats of demolition, eviction, and physical and emotional harassment from the authorities.

34

IX. CANLUBANG MEMORIES

36

Oh Canlubang!

By Lito A. Tacujan Sports Editor The Philippine Star

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die…a time to mourn and a time to dance."

S

lowly we watch the death of the place, methodically being stripped of tiny fibers of life.

T

hat’s how we felt early February afternoon as we accompanied a dear friend here for a visit, going over virtual moon craters in a bone- jarring ride around the old town as we tried to remember how and who we were.

B

ut we could not simply travel back into time for they weren't there in the first place….the last vestiges of our youth,

ii

the remnants of our past, the little familiar places that once were treasured nooks in our childhood. They are all gone.

T

he schools which opened our hearts and minds to a ‘brave new world”, the old course, ancient Acacia trees plus the brooding “rubber tree” with its amusing tales of ghosts and eally, home does not only live in ghouls and old houses on the verge of the heart but in memory as well. collapse still remain, defiant to the You remember the old ancestral home, onslaught of time and change. a once happy community generations ago now reduced to rubble, and a thriving neighborhood now leveled to ut on this site and sight of ruins, the ground, ironically turning itself into and depressions, we know a new its own graveyard.

Canlubang will rise with new beginning and new hope ut some did remain. The old church still stood magnificent in its mooring, its belfry, still reaching out to nd yet, why do we feel the pangs the skies. That’s how it looked then of loss? Why do we feel the inroads of when we used to cling to the pants and grief? Why would the demise of a town hemlines of our parents; the old park seize us gravely, like a death in the which was a proud landmark of family? Was there ever a place in the Canlubang was a mute witness to world whose passing left a chasm in things personal, like loss of innocence, the collective life of its people, a of first love found and wantonly blown mourning that sent shivers to tagaaway on summer nights, of phantom Canlubang all over? chill still felt braving the cold during christmas eve masses then. It had all gone to seed.

R

B

B

38

A

I

t’s not something rare, never a phenom if you were one of us, for we have never really gone away. Instead have stayed put through our shared memory of Canlubang, reminiscences of things close to our hearts, like growing up to a life secured and pure in a place splendid in beauty and charm.

X. CANLUBANG ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

40

Canlubang AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY This book could not have been made possible without the help of the following: Babette Marquez Balik-Canlubang Homecoming Diego Contreras Ester Briones Georgia Gonzales Lito Tacujan Peng Marquez Teresa Contreras Mellie Faunlagui

41

This book could not have been made possible without the help of the following: Mrs Araceli Ocampo Mr. Junep Ocampo Mrs. Riza Pagaspas Mr. Manolito Pagaspas Mrs. Yvette Palles Mr. Sonny Palles T. Angela Galang T. Brenda Lim T. Mines Delgado

42

"Kanlungan (Refuge)\'re-(fyuj: a place that provides shelter or protection from danger.� It is a place that we'd like to call home. Southwest of Metro manila, in the province of Laguna, a barangay called Canlubang lies. It has a total land area of 3912 hectares making it the largest barangay in the city of Calamba and the second largest in the country.

It covers 21 sitios or puroks and extends as far as the city of Cabuyao and Sta. Rosa in Laguna.

Many would trace back Canlubang's roots and legacy to the late Chief Justice, a well-known lawyer and businessman; Don Jose Yulo and his family in 1948 . The Yulos developed various projects like the Sugar Estate, schools and recreational facilities on site that made Canlubang thrive.

However, there is far more to that. As we journey back to Canlubang, a rich history unravels beyond the Yulos. Rediscover and understand our kanlungan, our Canlubang.