In the early morning of January 21, 1945, I gave birth to a very tiny, tiny girl. She was barely five pounds. The “hilot” helped me have my baby the normal way, although I was not as strong as before. Our food was scarcely available and I was always under stress. I heard whispers from the soldiers of news of killings along the bridges of Aklan, Ibajay and Batan. From their stories, I can just feel the atrocities suffered by our soldiers under the Japanese army. The Japanese gathered their dead and burned them right there behind one of the big buildings near the town plaza.
After some time, my deceased mother Pansay, appeared to me in one of my dreams and told me to return to Kalibo. Peace was coming, so we had to leave the hinterlands of Bueabud, Wasig and Sognod. We brought the baby girl to Kalibo and have her baptized. Papa had a nice name for her. “Let us call her Josefina Aida Celeste, she will be your Juniora”, he said. “Aida Celeste” is the heavenly aid we had been praying for every day while hiding among the rainforests of Malinao. There was hardly any food nor medicine, nor clothes to wrap around us – especially to our new born baby. We never stopped working and praying for our survival.
Papa was called to go to Iloilo. By travelling on foot with four trusted guerilla men, it took them four days and five evenings to reach Confessor’s Headquarters. The good news of liberation came from the real person whom they respected and trusted their survival. Governor Tomas Confessor assured them that the civil government would start the organization of public schools all over Panay.
Papa was to organize the school system in Ibajay, Nabas and Buruanga. The plan was hatched everyday in our nipa house, a house hardly big enough to live comfortably. He was determined to go through with the educational commitment to our people. There were programs on “acceleration” – promoting boys and girls to another grade level if they can pass academic examinations. Hundred of young boys and girls were accelerated by this method.