Nope! This doesn’t mean I am newly washed!
While sifting thru the cobwebs of my memories, thinking of what to talk about on a monday morning, I decided to surf the web about my hometown New Washington, Aklan. I was surprised to find out that not even one blogger talks about my hometown! I felt compelled to create an article about my hometown. (This will be a weekly feature!)
I’ve always wanted to bring friends here in our province, but since the fare is expensive and this is miles away from Manila, featuring New Washington in my blog is the next best thing!
My parents were both born here in New Washington, Aklan. My dad came from Ochando, while my mom came from Malogo. I was born in Ochando but was raised by my parents in Manila. I didn’t grew up here, but my parents always schedule our summer vacations here.
I can still remember how different it was before… rough roads, and the streets are very dark at night. We used to bring our flashlights with us as we walk home from church (Polo to Malogo, since no public vehicles are available after 6pm). Now this small town has evolved from being a rural town into a tourist spot!
What I loved most about this place is the beach! My grands parents house is just a few blocks away from the beach. I remember telling my friends in Manila “tatawid lang ako, dagat na!”. (I love seeing their envy faces everytime I do that!) This is where I first saw a perfect sunset! The beach is as serene as a river during summer. My mom scolded me before as I went home all wet from the beach… I went to the beach alone and I was only 7 years old. She was horrified when she saw me walk in.But who could resist such beauty of nature?
When I went back 4 years ago, our hometown has changed. We now have Sampaguita Gardens, Maria Mercedes Resort and a whole lot more! (watch out for my weekly post about the best places here in New Washington!)
Who says Boracay is the only place to visit in Aklan?
Ella's Virtual Nook 
looking back eight years ago, New Washington especially the small barrio named Polo will always be a special place for me , one with where my fondest memories of my life will be missed to remember…im not from there, but my relatives are especially my very dearest aunt(the equina’s) who had loved me like her own… it was a place i look forward to for a weekend away from my place in Kalibo, it was a place where i first met the very first man who captured my heart, my first love ,(yet we never made it coz i wandered away)… it was a place of real happiness to be with neighbors who would always love to see me visit..half of my life i guess aside from my college was well spent in Polo everytime sem. breaks come.. its the place of my serenity.. it was where love was found and was lost with the waves of the sea…now it will always be just another wondeful memory to look back and reminisce… yet, how i wish i could visit again, maybe someday..
Thanks for the comment florence! I too have found and lost love here in New Washington. In fact, this is where I found my first broken heart and this is also where I found the man I growing old with. Hope you’ll watch out for the next articles featuring New Washington. I’ll be featuring Polo soon so hope you check it out!
Thank you for featuring Ochando. There is no love lost for
this place as I was born there. I visited the place two years
ago and it had changed a lot. Big houses, paved roads
and good water system. I’ll come back when I retire, nothing
is better than to be back where we belong. Abo gid nga
saeamat.
I hold the same dear memory about New Washington, Aklan as you do. There is something special about that place, not just the place of our birth. I was born and raised there and looks forward to retiring there as well. Yes, the sunrise is always as spectacular as it is gloriously unobstructed; except on stormy days. The sunset is grand, too; though one has to run towards the edge of the river to see the sun slowly disappear on the slope of Mt Madjaas. There is no better place to see your last sunset than seeing it a few paces opposite from where you saw your first sunrise.
Frank’s unforseen proportions that left vast array of destructions on its path will never leave the folds of memory in our brains. Nonetheless, we will rise again. We’ve been down this road before. Undang of 1984 put our Faith on test. We gathered our strength and proved that rebirth is possible. We have prevailed.
This time, we will do it, Again. Who said we never can? RISE!!!!!
hi ella..
im linking your blog to my friendster account.
im the one who owns united colors of new washington.
thanks for starting this page and sharing to the world how new washington is like..
GodBless
Hi. It’s funny how the line “tatawid ka lang, beach na” is the tagline for New Washington. But I did get the some responses from my Manila based friends. I hope I too can reach far into my boxes of pictures and discover a long lost picture of New Washington. I spent a few summers there, and was able to visit my mom’s relatives just this year. It was my mom who grew up in New Washington though. Some unforgetable places and memories – playing in Cardinal Sin’s ancestral house (I think our uncle’s house is in the next corner) and spilling soup on their well polished floor.
thanks
wow galing mo miss ella! congrats! more postings!
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Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog. 🙂 Cheers! Sandra. R.
Serendipity was a favorite word of my mother-in-law, the late Mrs. Florida B. Peralta. And this response is the offshoot of serendipity I was introduced to this website by my son, Mark Andrew . According to him he “was messing around the webshots.com/photo when he came upon a treasure trove of information about NW,our hometown. The first photo that greeted me was a picture of Majelle’s family. I tried to investigate further and lo and behold there was Ella’s blog. Right now I have nothing to contribute but just to say congratulations and more power for initiating a blog about NW. In our family we have two websites, the lolapauring@yahoo.com on the Barrios side and the Santiago Partidos website where I write regularly, mostly features on family bonding and honoring family members on their birthdays . I call it the “Hapit Anay” feature.
It was a pleasant to read an item written by Philip Jun Ureta. I am certain he is the son of my contemporary, Felipe Ureta whose late wife was Billy Colendres, my former classmate at NWES
Oh BTW, I got a glimpse of Monsignor Albert Venus , as one of the co-celebrants of the requiem mass for the late Pres. Aquino officiated by Bishop Socrates Villegas.
Hello Doc Andrew, Thank you for visiting my blog. I am very honored that you have somehow found your way into this blog and took the time to read my posts even. I sent you an email but you probably didn’t notice or recognize me any more… but we are actually related.
I will try my best to keep posting about updates and news here in our town. Hope you could reply to my mail too…
God Bless!
Hi Doc Andrew! Yes, I am Felipe Ureta’s youngest son and Gayette’s schoolmate in high school. It was very nice of you to remember and mention my parents names in this website. Sadly, nagtaliwan eot a si Tatay a few months ago (April 2009) and sitio Dumlog is never the same again. Tatay had the highest respect for you–both as a compassionate health care professional and as a politician with rare form of honesty–and he had always been vocal about it. I hope everyone in your family is doing well and wish you nothing but the best.
Ella, thank you for allowing me to post reply on Doc Andrew’s web entry. All the best for you, too.
Hi Ella,
I was also born in Ochando, but we lived in Guinbaliwan since my mother, the late Fredisvinda Rabaria-Rogando served as a public school teacher till her retirement.
I’m glad you initiated this so others can share,i was a three term municipal councilor of New Wash, and i know that on the records i somehow did worked hard to at least make our town one of the peaceful,beautiful,progressive and desirable place to live. More power and God Bless,
Hello Liberato,
Thanks for visiting my blog and I appreciate that you like the posts. I apologize but I actually did not grew up here (and barely go out of the house) so I am not really familiar with most of the people here (even my relatives). But since we moved in here, I began to enjoy the peacefulness and the community. I guess my parents might know you or my aunts and uncles… But despite that, I want to thank you for helping out make New Washington one of the best municipalities in Aklan. I hope that the next leaders would continue the legacy…
Enjoy your weekend!
Hello Liberato Rogando,
I’ve read you message and knew that you’re from Guinbaliwan? Well, my husband in from Guinbaliwan also, son of Tay Lodring and Nay Rosing Macabate, but I’m from Mataphao, daughter of the late Romy Berganio and Buday Berganio. I was born and grew up here in Manila, but happened to complete my elementary in Candelaria and my high school in Kalantiaw Institute, Batan, Aklan. Hope to meet you some other times.
Bat ang itim ng dagat? san lugar yan? dapat nag boracay nalang kayo.. asul talaga.
Tanya Gemarin
Yehey!! Taga Ochando man ako!! Enjoyed your site, Ella. Regards to all Aklanon. God Bless you!
I can already tell just by your last name 🙂 Papa is here and I told him about you and he said hi and is extending his regards. Hope you will keep coming back here. Blessings
I am from Poblacion, New Washington. I had been away from our town for more 30 year.
I still remember playing at the town plaza. The most beautiful sunset as it fade over the Madjaas mountain. Swimming at the beach on summer time and the Lagatik river during typhoon season.
arthur p.suyko ,md oct. 14, 2011
am not from new washington(nw) but it has always been in the hearts. i have rendered postboard rural health service in the area for 6 months from july 1976 to dec. 1977. i have always wanted to go back there. i was under dr. menez, the rhu md. the mayor was an md too, mayor eriberto venus. my landlady was a certain mrs. bolivar witha son called romeo and daughter called juliet.
one late morning of of july 1976, i came to nw, all the way from manila by boat and then land thru dumaguit. that afternoon, jaime cardinal sin , the archbishop of manila arrived. he was the elder brother of our pathologist at ust.
it has already been 35 years and am sure I would have a hard time recognizing the people ( the bolivars, the venuses, the regalados, etc.), the place (the church, the tennis court, the beach, etc.). but it has been a privilege serving the people of nw.
I’m from Makato but my wife was from Poblacion New Washington where I spent two years of my married. I enjoy the place so much that I decided to go back and retire there.