Duty-bound by the instruction of Mayor Kimi to prune or eliminate trees posing as threats to lives and properties and as per request of Dr. Violeta Liwanag, the chainsaw team led by Mr. Domingo De Guzman entered the gates of the Pindangan Elementary School and started pruning the Mango and Baeg trees leaning on the roofs of the school canteen.

At the center of the school stands a dead century old Tamarind tree that has already become an eyesore in the premises. The school officials requested it to be eliminated to level the ground but seeing the enormous size of the tree and his toothpick-size chainsaw, Mr. De Guzman who is fondly called Domeng So by his peers based on a good-looking Korean TV character, took a deep breath and with some sort of indecision he said, “kaya natin ‘to!” - denying what his eyes were saying.

As the chainsaw started purring, the rain also came. The weather was never a hindrance; Mr. Domeng positioned his chainsaw and started scratching the tree. At the first bite of the chainsaw blades popped an old man in big buntal sombrero and a shovel in hand – standing like a sentry. In every inch cut he kept peeking and scrutinizing in all angles. Not wanting to offend the visitor, one of Domeng’s men asked a bystander who is the old man and what is he doing near the tree. It was then learned that the old man’s name is “Lacay Asyong” as popularly known in the barangay and he was waiting for the gold embedded in the trunk of the tree to be unwrapped.

The disclosure started a bit of commotion among Mr. Domeng’s men. The amount and procedure of sharing was the immediate topic and one said, “Sa batas sampung porsiyento ang mapupunta sa mga nakahanap at noventa porsiyento sa gobyerno!” (The law says that ten percent of it will go to the finder and ninety percent will go to the government). The statement met an immediate negation. “Bakit? Ipapaalam ba natin sa kanila? (Why? Do we have to inform them?) countered one.

The cutting equipment was already dropping its parts and crying for surrender but Mr. Domeng, who earlier said that he did not believe the gold story, seem to have gotten a renewed energy. The rain fell harder but Mr.Domeng is impregnable.

The cutting continued until the chainsaw blades finally lost its jagged edges. This put Mr. Domeng in extreme awe but he still cried, “I shall return! Maagang maaga bukas babalik ako!” (Very early tomorrow, I will be back). But the old man in big sombrero just kept silent.

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