12.06.07 kulturnatib

for those who are not in cebu or who might not have heard or read the news lately this column is a tribute for adolph 'doc' espina who, last weekend, went with 5 others, to a cave in gaas with the intention to map it and determine whether indeed it was the deepest cave, probably in the world, as they thought it was. they did not succeed. they instead met with a tragedy. doc plummeted some 56 meters to his death. this is a tribute to a dear friend, a passionate outdoors person and environmentalist.


Doc

There is something about the shock of bad news that is hugely different from that of good news. With bad news one is left holding on to nothing much but heavy emotions and feelings of listlessness and of irreplaceable loss, especially when one is thousands of kilometers away in a landscape that is cold, stark, relentless and yes, for all that, somehow beautiful.

Last night (Nov. 30, local time), I received the news on my email. Notwithstanding that there is a 13 hour difference between here and there, the impact was still immediate. As if to prepare one for the inevitable, which there isn't really any preparation for, the letter simply said: “. . . bad news.” And proceeded with the bad news.

I was stunned, saddened. But hopeful. I replied, I hope by this time everyone has been rescued and are well. But this was not to be the case.

On the evening before my early morning departure two weeks ago, I came in and out of a meeting of a group of mountaineers and cavers at the JumpOff Point office. I understood that the this was a preparatory meeting for the Gaas cave exploration and mapping trip.

In attendance were more than the six persons who finally went on that fateful trip and who were indeed, as far as i know, the most experienced, caving-wise, of that group.

Doc was there. Doc was almost always there, at the JumpOff office. He would either be behind the computer, or at some preparatory work with equipment – charging batteries for the headlamps, getting ropes in order, jerryrigging something into some useful climbing equipment (this and ropes were his acknowledged specialty) or simply, as with most outdoors persons, enjoying a drink or two, during or after meetings, both formal and informal.

When Jumpoff opened beside Turtle's Nest Book Cafe almost two years ago, they were a very welcome addition to the community of artists, activists, students and sundry persons of the liberal-left persuasion who gravitated towards that watering hole.

Here was a group who were passionate about the outdoors, were highly professional and, more than that, also knew how to have a good time, which meant, much of the time, something that had to do with the outdoors; mountaineering, kayaking and others.

Their passion for the outdoors easily translated into their concern for the environment. At mid-year, this year, the Greenpeace Cebu Local Group was established with the Jumpoff personnel making up most the core group. They readily volunteered their office to be the ad hoc office of the Greenpeace CLG.

Doc was in this group, ever helpful.

Personally, Doc was a great help. As I wrote in one of my previous columns, he contributed the pivotal element to the last performance art piece I participated in. This element, the use of ropes, rope equipment and a caving harness, was prepared by Doc with the assistance of Dondon Dimpas.

Doc was the reassuring figure who helped me overcome the natural fear of heights and falling. He kept reminding me, “Don't be afraid. Trust the rope, trust the rope!”

I did and, again as I wrote in that column, did some aerobatics that surprised both Doc and Dondon and, actually, myself as well.

At the end of the piece when the performance artists and the musicians took to the floor to take a bow, I insisted that Doc and Dondon join us. They did and I believe they shared in our success.

Here, from this far, I can only rely on news reports. Equipment failure was mentioned as the possible cause for Doc's fatal plummet. This could very well be. Even if Doc, ever the professional, was fastidious about equipment and safety, there is always that margin, no matter how small, for something untoward to happen.

I feel the loss of Doc. I share the grief of his colleagues, friends and family. Doc is no longer with us but he will always be with us.