From my field notes: History vs. Ready Money?

Magdiwang, Romblon (April, 2005)



This giant anchor was found by local fisherfolks somewhere in Sibuyan Sea. One of the fishermen who helped haul the material said he and his companions used dynamites to free this anchor from corals that had grown on top of it. Nobody could tell where this anchor came from. We could only surmise that this was from a warship that sank during World War II or from some Spanish ships that plied along Sibuyan Sea in some bygone era. One thing we were sure of was that this anchor was an important historical artifact and ought to be preserved.

One of those who helped salvaged the anchor had other things in mind however- and to display this valuable relic in some dank museum was definitely not one of them. Using an acetylene torch, he cut the anchor into pieces, to be sold eventually as scraps in Lucena City!



An appreciation for history versus ready money? The choice was not difficult for the fisherman above.