The feng shui of Campaner Street
Whether for its inherent uniqueness or simply because it has always been where my heart is, this old thoroughfare is worth the journey back.
I hail from the City of Flowers, the land of colorful vintas in the Southern part of the Philippines. My childhood memories came to light from the short and remote street of Campaner, in a diversified Muslim-Hispanic-Chinese community in Zamboanga City. I was born here and grew up with other kids in this street. I got married and raised my own children in the same place. For me and my siblings, this is hearth and home.
Our one-block neighborhood was poor, though a handful of neighbors were middle class. Despite the contrast, we lived in harmony. Who can ever forget the Wee family, the So family, the Yaps and the Lims? I can still remember the old Mrs. Luy who was very kind. The generosity of the grand old men, Lolo So and Lolo Yap who had big hearts and opened their doors to neighbors in need, is a trait hardly found in people these days.
Behind that short Campaner Street is a swarm of shanties that mirrored the poverty of the dwellers. According to the science of feng shui, homes that have a view of water are considered lucky. Campaner Street is located near a narrow and shallow river that we kept clean all the time. The flowing river, according to feng shui, spells extreme good fortune that manifests as wealth and prosperity.
I remember another belief, a Chinese proverb, in the rough roads that used to be the children’s playground, as their parents toiled, dreamed and believed in them. “Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time,” a popular adage says.
The struggles of life never dissuaded us. People were poor but managed to send their children to school. Making noodles and tofu helped them make ends meet. Our parents toiled and woke up at 3 in the morning to provide for us. I inherited such industry and perseverance when I started my own family. I was sent to college as a scholar to Taiwan and later became an educator and a writer. My neighbors’ children were also sent to prestigious schools; like the Yap’s who went to Ateneo and the University of the Philippines. The values of hard work, thrift, and simple life were handed down and inculcated in us, and we passed these down to our children. These values were the cornerstone that uplifted our community. Was it Confucius who said, “The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home”?
Confucius also said, “Study the past if you would divine the future.” The proverb truly depicts this modest community that contributed to the making of the country’s successful businessmen and professionals.
One of the principal questions people asked in those days was, what do we have to produce successful children? Poverty was never a hindrance to success. We have learned life’s lessons that our past has taught us. With a hard life we learned to be patient, resilient, and steadfast to achieve our dreams.
The results are unmistakable: Campaner Street became a reservoir of achievers. It produced a Philippine ambassador to Indonesia, two prominent politicians in the City of Zamboanga; a president of the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and a Cabinet member in the Arroyo administration. It also contributed to the world by producing three high caliber doctors, one of whom is now in the US. This little place also produced two artists who painted their way to college through scholarships. Four tycoons were also born here.
The hard work of the people from Campaner Street has paved the way to the success of their children. This is a blessing that has bestowed the next generation with brighter prospects and a comfortable life.
Truly Campaner Street’s children have gone far, with the values of humility and hard work hitching their wagon to the stars. To them, the small and modest street is the place they will always call “home.”
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SoTo Gian, 85, feels that it is his duty before he dies to let everyone, especially the young ones, see the beauty, safety, and kindness that characterize Zamboanga City.
