I was watching a documentary about the lost communities and civilizations in the world. The main reasons were weak governance, social confusion, failures of its respective economy to sustain its business elements and climate change. I cannot help but to think of the place where I grew up. My mind travels like supersonics hundred miles all the way home. What would Banton be in the middle or late say, toward the end of the 21^st century? Would it be progressive town with banking system, healthy economy and internet-based business activities? Would it be a famous island resort like Boracay, with its beautiful beaches developed into favorite tourist destination? Or would it be a part of a unified Maghali, merged into one municipality? I would like to see her as the first or second but as far as social and economic trends are concerned, it appears otherwise.

1. Decreasing percentage of residing and voting population

Based on statistics, population is relatively decreasing annually due to death, migration and low residency registration. I remember when we where in Syukan, we, together with 12 other households enjoy the contentment and happiness of living in one the most beautiful places in Yabawon. A place where we happily produced large volume of lugit (copra), herded our cows and goats on the beautiful and rich landscape of Pokanon, and went fishing and swimming on the crystal blue water of Tabunan. Today, Syukan is a totally abandoned community and making a living is practically impossible. Even in Togbongan where my parents currently spend their golden years are signs of discontentment: abandoned, broken and ripped off houses, uncultivated farms, destroyed lugitan, and growing forest within the kanidogan (coconut farm). Before, when somebody jokingly shouts " suntukan", somebody would respond "so-or dili" in the same way. You do that today and youve got a deafening response, sometimes just an insulting giggles of monkeys and an out-of tune siren of a hunting oscine birds. In banwa, vacant and inhabited houses are racing in number with those occupied ones. Population (one of the basic elements of an LGU) is fast practically decreasing and is inevitable.

2. Declining economic and commercial activities

Twenty years ago there were two cargo and passenger wooden vessels that bridged business and commerce between Banton-Romblon-Manila and vice versa-the Catalyn A and B, there were  motored pumped boats that travels to Pinamalayan 3 times a week-the Aidas, a pumped boat that travels all the way to Batangas weekly, and a motored wooden vessel to Lucena once a week. Today, twice a week trips to Pinamalayan and once a week to Lucena and Romblon are more than enough. Twenty years ago, copra gave contentment and taste of simple luxury to both producer and dealer. Today, copra production and demand on copra as well are relatively abating and its retailers price is ridiculously unsustainable. Twenty years ago, ASLI a purely-Bantoanon-owned and managed corporation was the largest of its kind in the province which proudly owned at least fourteen cargo and passenger motored boats and gives jobs to hundreds of Bantoanon. One of them is the Asuncion X, handled by my mothers older brother, was known as the biggest wooden vessel in the country. Today, there are barely at least five of them struggling in the shores of Palawan and Occidetal Mindoro.

3. Increasing percentage of urban migration and residency

Among those who graduated in high school yearly, only 2% remain and settled in locally as the remainder migrated in cities and urban areas to study, and make a living and 3 -5% of those who left are staggered  abroad such as Asia, Europe and America. Theres no place like home, every Bantoanon has the same feeling, but because of some very practical reasons, they settled in urban areas for good.

4. Hostile trading places

Before, we regularly traded in other commercial hot spots such as Romblon, Pinamalayan, Batangas, Manila, Lucena. These places have a very healthy and sustainable business environment. Today, Bantoanon businessmen stop gambling their investment in these places let alone Lucena remains as regular business transactions are still being done here. Unlike then, Pinamalyan now has as weak and fragile commerce as we can see along as we pass by going to Calapan. Two of my relatives in Pinamalayan, who used to have a profitable business gave it up and find solace from insolvency in Laguna and Manila respectively.

5. The absence of sustainable job and resources locally

For the past 400 years, almost every inch of our land was utilized by our ancestors on agricultural end. Today, productivity of our lands appears very low and insufficient despite the efforts our government to promote an environmentally friendly and profitable farming methods. It appears that depletion of natural resources and ecological imbalance affected our lands productivity. Today, we import agricultural products from Pinamalayan and Lucena relatively opposite to our practice before when those agricultural products were never traded or sold because every one affords to produce for their need. Our water resources also refuse to share its major blessing as our fishermen hardly cannot afford to catch fishes for sale or exportation. In the end, we bring in fishes locally from fishermen of Sibuyan and Romblon. Whats more ridiculous? They were   being harvested in our very own territorial waters. And sadly to say, Banton has no room for professional job seekers and only a buy and sell-type of business fits and will fit for our type of  social and geographical environment, forget manufacturing, billiards halls, restaurant, shops, franchising etc. Such kind of business might be possible but will not be sustainable and profitable in the long run. At first, it may appear good, but will eventually turn out be not feasible.

6. The negative effect of network-based business activities and transactions.

A business community where their activities are internet-based has a strong tendency to progress past those who use conventional and traditional method and system in their daily transactions. It is always a real picture that communities in the city and urban areas progress rapidly than those communities in the province and rural areas because of the available technology and methods and its equal productivity, efficiency and convenience. And the distribution of development is not equal and its momentum is towards the urban areas and not towards rural areas. People, jobs, investments were attracted to urban areas and rural areas remain to survive on its end. Even if we have the latest technology, business and jobs remain hostile. I believe in our ability and potential, but what can we do when resources limit our capacity to do.

7. Unfavorable topography

Romblon belongs to the 20 poorest provinces in the country maybe due frequent natural calamities. But perhaps the greatest factor that affects our slow development is the distance between trading communities. It results to limited and slow communication and transportation system which also slows down economic and business activities. Because of such inconveniences, we progress miserably than the compound communities. An Banton itself is very far from major commercial and business trading places, a very important element of survival. During industrial age, we can afford to survive without so much trading activities, but this present computer and electronic age, its impossible to survive without adapting to technology, otherwise we find ourselves struggling to nothingness. If Romblon, were just like Mindoro, united into a single island, I am convinced 100% that it will be one of the most progressive province in the region.  But our situation limits our vision and our best efforts. We practically cannot stand alone. We need the support of the national government in our effort to eliminate poverty and upgrade our way of living in our province.

These trends are strong sign that the collapse of our glorious history is inevitable unless we worked hand in hand to preserve our, heritage, culture, tradition, our resources, our people and our land. Its totally dependent in our united effort to accomplish such thing.

The above article may appear just an intangible individual human concept based on personal assesment and judgement yet it accomodates important, serious and real maybe timely issues. Facts and figures in the above article may not exactly represents by 100% those data presented. The author gladly welcomes correction to any inconsistency in any representation in the article.