rediscovering jimenez, misamis occidental

I have already lost count as to times that I have been to Jimenez, a quiet and simple municipality in Misamis Occidental. We usually spend most of our Christmas holidays there since my father hails from this place. My mother on the other hand, is from Panaon which is the next municipality a few minutes to the north of Jimenez. That is why most of our December family reunions are held by default, in this part of the Philippines.

Although both my parents' families might be considered as old clans there, they did not live in opulence back then and even until the present. I can attest that they all lived simple, honorable and happy lives. But my aunts, uncles and cousins still have a modest influence and considerable reputation, to some extent. I told someone that if there is a place in the Philippines where I would feel like a bratty royalty, then it has to be Jimenez.

I thought I knew Jimenez like the back of my hand. But one day this January, I was surprised to find out there are a lot of things that I still do not know about my father's hometown. So I walked around the town center to get to know again the places that have looked familiar to me. I started at the Parish Church of San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist). This old Roman Catholic church was built during the second half of the 19th century by the Augustinian Recollects. It has a considerable influence in shaping the history of the town through the years. In fact Jimenez, was renamed from the original 'Palilan' to honor of one of its Recollect priests, Father Franciso Jimenez.

Near the church are the buildings of College of St. John the Baptist, a convent, the municipal hall and other various government establishments. For those who are interested in old heritage structures, the Jimenez Central School at Barangay Nacional is among the few Gabaldon school buildings constructed in the Philippines. I also learned that the old site of Purvil High School, which is right across the church, was already sold and would be turned into a commercial establishment soon.

Various Jimenez heritage houses.

The ancestral houses of old families such as the Chiongbian and the Ozamiz are also within walking distance from the town center. My aunt showed me the oldest which has interesting Chinese and Spanish undertones. The 1914 Bacarro-Tacan house had the only printing press in the province during its heyday. Little is known about the heritage houses other than the obvious fact that these are largely unoccupied at the present. These were preserved in one way or the other, when a shortcut or a diversion highway was constructed to reroute traffic to and from Ozamiz and Oroquieta. The houses as a result, were probably spared from the threat of speeding buses and the pressures of commercialization.

The mysterious Camel tree of Jimenez.

My tour ended at the enchanted Camel tree located at Barangay Taraka. It was named as such because it allegedly changes colors and bears different fruits depending on the season, just like the way a chameleon would adapt to its immediate environment. It was not named after the desert animal as what I previously thought. Many deliveries such as cars, pigs and furniture were mysteriously addressed to this very spot. This led the Jimenez residents to conclude that there could be otherworldy beings that inhabit inside.

But there are still many places to explore and to see in Jimenez. There is an old cemetery in Barangay Dicoloc which has a towering balete and mausoleums of prominent families. The Misamis Occidental Eco Park in Sitio Aquino in Barangay Carmen is waiting for those who like outdoor adventures. At the easter portion is JOME (Jimenez Oil Mill, Inc), oil depots of petroleum stations, vast ricefields and an unused port. All these could be wonderful photography subjects or be the focus of a blog series next year. When I'll be back there this December, I have already another agenda in mind aside from well, eating lechon (roasted pig) and spending time with my cousins.

Our hometowns may have become too familiar to most of us by now, but there are still many stories that are waiting to be heard and then told. That brief and unplanned morning walk taught me that and more importantly, allowed me to see Jimenez from another perspective. I am enriched by the thought that this place will continue to play a significant role not only in the lives of my parents and relatives but in certain respects, also in mine.




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