THE STORY:
On the highest mountain of Argao (Cebu), in the cave of Lantoy, there lived a very beautiful woman called Maria Cacao. According to the old folks, she was a diwata (fairy) who would sometimes come down and show herself to the townspeople when the moon was full. She was called Maria Cacao after her huge cacao plantation on the mountain.
From her travels, Maria Cacao usually brought home new utensils, silverware, and chinaware. The townspeople used to borrow these items for weddings, baptisms, and other feasts. It is said that anyone who wished to use Maria Cacao's things simply asked for them at the mouth of the cave. The next day, without fail, these things would be delivered to their door.
For her trips, Maria Cacao used a huge golden ship. Because of its size, sometimes its mast would snag on the bridge of Argao and the bridge would collapse. When the Americans were about to build a concrete bridge in Argao, the people said to one another, "the new bridge would have to be very high so that the golden ship of Maria Cacao cannot touch it."
One day, an engineer went to Maria Cacao's cave and begged her not to pass by the Argao river so the bridge would not be destroyed. She was said to have agreed. Hence, nothing has happened to the bridge since then.
However, the people could not borrow utensils for their feasts anymore. Nor have they seen Maria Cacao again. It is said that Maria Cacao had learned a lesson. Some townspeople failed to return things borrowed from her; thus she no longer appeared to them.
Sometimes, when the townspeople hear that the bridge of Dalaguete, Manipis or Mananga is destroyed, they say, "It may be due to the golden ship of Maria Cacao. She has probably moved to another place and had to pass by the river."
Starting Sketches
Created in Photoshop
Created in Photoshop
