HELLO readers of this prestigious newspaper in town. There’s always good times when you read and subscribe with Bohol Times. Keep reading this.
This may be my first attempt to be a columnist for this paper after over 20 years of news writing for Bohol Times. Though this is not my first to write an opinion. I’m also writing for readers of Trinidad-based Bohol Balita Daily News (BBDN), the first daily news in the province since 2010.
I thanked Engr. Neil Balite for allowing me to be such. And I intend to, may be, writing in Bisaya or English or “saksak-sagol” of both.
May I share with you our little but short experience in Bohol Blades, recently. Helen Castano of Bohol Island News and Leo Udtohan of Phil. Daily Inquirer and myself were heading to Bohol Blades to buy a bolo for my domestic use. I decided to buy one “Bungay” since the one I bought in Loay was already useless. Habol ug napupo’ na ang handle. Ug ang kang Papa Morbin (pa of my deceased wife, Antoniette Quibir) was lost. I failed to retrieve it after the tremor.
And we did the stopover first for Bohol Blades display before we headed (atbang) to Baybay sa Taloto for our late paniudto pasado na alas dos sa hapon.
Ang presyo sa “Bungay,” well, ayaw na lang pangutana pila. Apan, matud ni Mr. Titus Cempron, tag-iya sa Bohol Blades, nga basta mahal halinon gyud na…Mao tingale. I shared that like any mahalon nga sinina o karsones, mohangtud gydud na, bahala’g lubad na.
While choosing from an array of display at his Taloto residence of Bohol Blades’ best, the bungay I bought was just an ordinary one. Apan, mahait, lig-on ug ang handle made from carabao’s horn. The handle has a locked that it’s hard nga daling matangtang or mabu-ak, sama sa kahoy.
He described his signature craft of Binarong and Bunagya as “Newly forged UTILITY FARM TOOLS for choosy clients in a ‘first come first serve’ basis. He also provided specifications, as in customized ones, like the “13.5” blade length with 6” solid carabao horn handle. They’re “available in righthanded and left handed chisel bevel grind, oil quenched, 5160 primera leaf spring steel.”
His putting up of the Bohol Blades registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) sometime in 2018 saw its first showcase in Bohol Sandugo. But they stopped the display for safety purposes. Kon dunay motan-aw ug mosuway og hawid ug kuha gikan sa sakub niini, mas delikado. Thus, made them decide to halt the exhibition.
The Cemprons built Bohol Blades with his blacksmith workshop in Sikatuna not only for economy. They establish it for a reason. And just maybe he’s building how a true blacksmithing infrastructure should be for generation to come. That’s wisdom. (0928-408-5238/ricobedencio@yahoo.com)
