Reliving Maria Cacao
Maria Cacao is probably one of the oldest legends of Cebu. As part of the local literature, it has been written and rewritten, with some variations, as well as staged several times by local theater enthusiasts. And yet, like a verdant oasis, it still tickles and amuses the fertile imagination of both the readers and theater audiences.
A group of aspiring filmmakers who are graduating cinema students from the University of San Carlos took the challenge to give a new view of the story of Maria Cacao. This time on a big screen, and although this is not my first project by students from this university, I regard this as an opportunity to relive a legend that the present generation ought to know. I am privileged to be part of this project as we went to the place of where the story can also be traced from-Argao, Cebu.
It was already evening that the shoot took full swing. The setting was in an old house where you can find an old grinder (galingan) used to grind the cacao. The title of the film is Maria Kakaw where an old woman narrates to her two children what happens every time there is full moon. The river surged, and then came the flood every time the golden ship owned by Maria Kakaw passes by.
I have many firsts in this film. It was my first time to grind the cacao using a stone grinder and to smell the aroma from its dripping form. It was my first time to roll and smoke a tobacco made of "lumboy" leaves with tobacco strips inside.
We ended the shoot almost two in the morning wherein we experienced a lot of mystic and queer happenings, especially the sound recording with eerie sounds as well as the extraordinary knocks from nowhere. The more I was bit scared when the director told me to reshoot the whole scenes because what we have done was in bad shape, especially the sound and image recordings. Was "she" around during our shoot?
Looking back, Maria Cacao is one of three mountain goddesses in the Philippines, the other two being Maria Makiling in Laguna and Maria Sinukuan, who is associated with Mt. Arayat. Maria Cacao is associated with Mt. Lantoy in Argao, Cebu.
The story provides amusement and wonder not only for children but for adults as well. And putting life to the characters on the big screen enables us to better appreciate the very personas of the characters.
Let's relive the story of Maria Cacao on the big screen. Her story has been handed down from generation to generation in various modalities but not on the big screen. And for the young generation, her story is a potent source of morals like industry, keeping one's word, generosity and the wonders of the environment.
Though the story takes a number of versions, it shows a unique brand of entrepreneurship as she travels to different places to sell cacao and so her presence in various places is just explicable. Her relationship with the community is marked with so much generosity, but when abused would also bounced back with inconceivable consequences.
Maria Cacao, a woman, a legend that lives in the imagination of the past, a mystery of the present and a wonder for the future. Despite the twists and turns of the present generation, reliving the urban legend provides, hopefully, a deeper understanding and appreciation of our past through the valuable lessons we can derive from.
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