A practicing pathologist all her life, Dr. Alicia Tayag Saldaña designed and personally supervised the construction of these houses, mostly on her spare time on weekends. Ever the incurable basurera and the ultimate recycler, she had been collecting for years discarded materials from demolished houses, churches, marooned boats and even the bones of a beached whale.
She had come across these materials on inspection trips while working as laboratory chief at the Iloilo Provincial Hospital in the early Seventies. And like her trained eye doing biopsies with her microscope, she sees beyond what ordinary mortals like us see – what may look like useless scraps become useful pieces, even works of art, in her hands (for instance, a shipwreck’s mast becomes the main house post; the ribs from the boat’s hull are reused as window grills; a church door is used as a window and flaps down into a breakfast nook; etc).
Rewind to 1953. A newlywed husband gives his young bride P150(!) to buy a dining set. With a fortune in her purse, she goes merrily to canvass several furniture shops but is disgusted to see what her ransom money could get. "Ang papangit at cheap wood lang pati," she sighs. So she goes to an antique dealer and finds this old grimy, long table with two matching benches. Elated with her discovery, she proudly brings home her find, only to be told by her dismayed husband, "Honey naman, bakit ka bumili ng bulok? Sana dinagdagan ko ang perang pambili mo."
More than four decades later, this same old hardwood table, now glistening with a natural golden brown luster, has been witness to many a memorable gathering at the Saldaña home and continues to host meals for the third generation Saldañas.
Fast-forward to 1969. Word has spread that this lady doctor buys anything old. A jeepload of antique santos comes her way and she doesn’t know what to do with them. On weekends and holidays, she sends her children to the airport to peddle these santos at P8 each, and more often than not, they’d go home dejected – nobody would touch them.
Today, santos fetch four to five-digit prices per. That is, if you’re lucky to find an authentic one in a reputable antique shop. Dr. Saldaña’s passion for antique collecting and home designing honed her creative talent to make Isla’s style uniquely her own. Long before antique collecting and recycling were in vogue, the so-called shabby chic look (that’s the latest craze in the Lifestyle Network) was the rule of thumb at the Saldaña residence.
Starting in the early 1980s, she’d shuttle on weekends to the island bringing her hoard of scrap materials. Slowly and patiently, she built Isla with the help of local carpenters. Despite the fact that she didn’t have any architectural background, designing came naturally to her because of her sense of proportion and keen eye for detail.
Initially, Tita Alice envisioned Isla Naburot as a vacation retreat for her family, building a hut for each and every one of her six children. As mentioned in last week’s article, I was fortunate enough to have been witness to the birthing of Isla Naburot, or simply ISLA, short for Island Life Adventure. But, like most family-owned hideaways, it was one secret that was a bit difficult to keep for long. Pretty soon, word spread like wildfire about this no-frills island getaway. Tucked away from civilization off the southwestern coast of Guimaras Island province, it is only an hour away by boat from Iloilo’s Fort San Pedro. Yet it seems like a million light years away from it all!
Once you set foot on Isla, be prepared for an enchanting experience that’s beyong compare. It’s as if there’s a deliberate attempt to make you forget time and leave all your worldly concerns behind. A very rustic atmosphere pervades the island. You live as the natives do, walking around barefoot and clad only in patadyong. There’s no electricity, no glaring sound of radio or disco music, no telephone signal, or the irritating, earsplitting sound of jet skis. Its only concession to modernity is running water with a clean flush toilet in every hut. You are made to feel you own the island.
And what is there to do on the island? Will you swim or wade during low tide across the channel to mainland Guimaras? Or paddle your way around the island or some nearby beach in a banca? Laze under the shade of coconut fronds, lying in a hammock reading your favorite novel? Or work your appetite by exploring the other structures dotting the island and come back to the sound of a bell, announcing that the food-laden table is ready?
Ah, food glorious food!
Paeans have been sung in praise of Isla’s cuisine. Only the freshest seafoods and provisions are ferried daily from Iloilo City. Sacks full of oysters from Capiz are kept alive submerged in seawater, ready to be shucked at the whim of a guest, and served simply on the half shell with sinamak (Iloilo’s spiced vinegar). Seasonally, live lobsters are sold by local fishermen and are simply steamed or made into the famous Isla paella. Lapu-lapu is grilled the Ilonggo way and flavored with lemongrass and achuete. Kalabasa soup is prepared with coconut milk and freshly plucked malunggay leaves. For dessert or snack, one can have a fill of the world-famous Guimaras mangoes, watermelon, or banana fritters.
Time passes so swiftly at Isla Naburot. Unfortunately, we have to go back to the salt mines to earn our daily keep. Our only consolation is knowing that Isla will always be there the next time around.
No, this world simply cannot come to an end!