Manukan, My Hometown

If you are strolling down south from Dipolog City and if you see a statue of a giant rooster, it simply means you are already in my hometown. This giant rooster, as you can see in the pictures below is the newly built symbol of my hometown. You must be wondering why the name of our humble town is Manukan or Chicken farm in English, Chicken State to the modernized youngsters. According to the old folks, the reason why our town was named into Manukan is because the town has a big chicken farm before owned by a very rich family. It is a story that those old folks heard from their great grandparents. What the real story is, still unknown.

You must say that this giant rooster here is of no use and is just a waste of money and time for building. No, inside the stomach of this giant rooster lies the office of our very own Sinulog (a festival honors the Santo Niño) dance trainer who have brought our tribe name (Tribu ni Tino) to fame for several years.

Before the giant rooster was built, we have this dwarf rooster in the picture above that clucks every seven in the morning for flag raising ceremony, twelve noon for lunchtime and five in the afternoon for flag retreat. This small rooster statue is still proudly standing in front of the giant rooster and both are standing in front of the municipal building. As I was looking at them, it seems like they symbolize the two sets of people in my hometown, the big and small people – the rich and the poor. This small rooster might be facing the road, but for sure it can’t be seen for there is something more eye-catching behind it. And for some reason, the voice of the small rooster cannot be heard no more. It goes same way with the voices of the small people. Are they going to be forever unheard?

*

Thank You First Commenter

Otherside of my Life