Anything under the Sun
The world of Mother Rosario (2)
2) Molo – the business center
Even before the Spaniards arrived, Molo then called Tabucan was already one of the ancient busy Malay ports together with Salog (now Jaro), Ogtong (now Oton), Gibuangan (now Guimbal) and Araut (now Dumangas).
Early itinerant traders (sanglay) from Cathay (China) traded in these ancient ports in their sampans bringing ceramic articles (plates, jars) and silk bantering them with the native decorative sea shells, animal hides, honey and redwood (sibukaw).
When the Spaniards arrived, Tabucan port became busier and many Chinese married native women and became permanent residents.
One time, the Chinese in Manila revolted and the Spaniards created the parian where the Chinese were hamletted for closer supervision. There were three parians created in the country – Intramuros in Manila, Carbon in Cebu and Calle Real (now Ramon Avanceña Street) in Molo.
In Molo, Calle Real was divided into two – the portion from the plaza was assigned to “silent” industries (stores – tiangge) while the portion away going to Arevalo was assigned the “noisy” industries like foundry shops (fundidor) where the child Rosario was born and spend her early childhood.
Adjacent to the foundries, were Chinese flower gardens where child Rosario roamed around with her playmates. Later, these flower gardens expanded to adjacent Arevalo – now famous as the “Flower Garden of Iloilo”.
One time, the Moros raided the parian and the Chinese went out the streets shouting “Molo, molo, molo...” because they could not pronounce correctly the word Moro because of speech difficulty. From this event, Molo got its name.
During this period, Iloilo was reputed to be the “textile capital” of the Philippines producing native cloth (jusi, piña and sinamay) for export to Europe and America. Molo was one of the towns having many weaving looms (tidal).
No doubt, under these circumstances, the child Rosario must have observed the poor native women working tediously as tejedoras (weavers), bordaderas (embroiderers) and custoreras (seamstresses).
She must have also observed the poor native boys enduring the searing heat of the furnaces (hongko) in foundry shops.
These observations must have developed early in child Rosario a deep pity and compassion for the poor – a trait she was later noted for as a religious.
