John Consulta writes about visiting historic Boljoon for 'Philippine Treasures'

After five grueling hours of non-stop land travel from Cebu City, our team finally reached our target destination: a third-class, quiet municipality of Cebu called Boljoon. Situated at the southern part of Cebu, Boljoon rendered me speechless. I was immediately smitten by the spectacular view from where I stood: the open sea glistening like diamonds as far as the eyes could see, the towering, majestic mountainside to my left; and the imposing, century-old and battle-scarred Boljoon Church, which also served as shelter for the people of Boljoon against Moro raids during the Spanish era. The people of Boljoon must truly feel blessed for their charming town, I thought. Little did I know that far greater treasure was just waiting to be discovered beneath my very feet. It didn't take long before I finally met Professor Jojo Bersales and Ame Garong from the National Museum, both known for their deep passion for the field of archeology. After a crash course in Archeology 101, I immediately swung into action eager to join Prof. Jojo and Ma'am Ame in the meticulous and pain-staking excavation of six remains in an alleged ancient burial site in Boljoon. A greenhorn in archeological digs, I was overwhelmed at the sight of all the skeletons, artifacts, antique jars and plates recovered by the excavation team, including an extremely rare Japanese ceramic plate dating back to the 15th century. Each discovery had a story of its own. But the unearthing of golden jewelry from the past, especially the recovery of a huge tubular earring, instantly sent the whole archeological team into a frenzy. The beauty of the ornament is simply breathtaking; the first ever-archeologically documented golden earring to be retrieved in a Philippine burial site. Experts and historians from Cebu agree that the unearthed earring is no ordinary find. Judging from the artifact's huge size and intricate design, experts believe the earring must have been worn by someone of great importance in their community then, and may also have been a symbol of wealth, influence or great power of the bearer. "It further proves that even before the Spaniards arrived, our ancestors already had a complete community system and used gold as part of their fashion then, as it was abundantly found in our rivers and mountains at that time," explained Sir Jojo. Those who witnessed the recovery of the earring couldn't help but wonder if it belonged to someone really important. Could it have been worn by the great chieftain Lapu-Lapu, whose village was relatively nearby? Or could it have come from the treasure chest of Rajah Humabon, who, as recounted by Magellan's companion, Pigafetta, also wore similar prominent tubular earrings? We may never know. But one thing's for sure: the mysterious earring of Boljoon does not only belong to Cebu. It's a piece of national heritage that should make all Filipinos proud. It represents a vital connection to our ancestors, the valiant men and women who once ruled this land. The earring is a clear proof that even before the Spaniards came and claimed to have brought civilization to our land, our country already had a thriving community system and cultural heritage that is distinctly Filipino. But the discovery of the Cebu's mysterious earring was just the beginning of our adventure. Discover the rest of our eye-opening archeological experience by watching "Philippine Treasures" when it replays later this month on GMA News TV.-PF, GMA News Online Read more about Boljoon in this travel article published by GMA News Online in 2010 entitled, "Beating a path to Boljoon."