Atop one of the rolling hills of Damortis, La Union lies a community of peace and tranquility, a very small community of nuns --Mother Mary Claire, Sister Janelle, and Sister Cora. Their home is a pleasant stop for me on my occassional travels north. It is a place that refreshes the tired body and quenches the thirsty soul. This haven is known as Puso ng Karmelo.
I first walked up this hill 17 years ago. I remember that day exactly since I had in my arms my eldest daughter, Glee, who was then only 21 days old. It was a grateful trek up the mountain, a veritable prayer of thanksgiving for my beautiful baby girl. That was how it all began, that “homing” instinct I experience everytime I’m in the area. It is an unconscious call for me to climb the mountain and set my prayers to the wind, be they of thanks or supplication. Back then, I had been awed by the exhilarating view of the China Sea as it merged into the San Fabian Bay. A carpet of grass and wildflowers stretched down slopes and meadows before me. Birds called from treetops and crickets chirped from bushes. It was ever so soothing. Today, it remains the same.
Even back then, these Carmelite sisters already had a clear vision of what this place on the hills could inspire in anyone who scaled its heights. They knew it was the Lord’s will for them to develop it and enable other people to feel God’s grandeur there. They decided to capitalize on the abundance of God’s natural gifts and worked from there. Through the years, they built little chapels and retreat casitas, oriented towards the grand view of the ocean, the mountainside, or the gardens. They maximized the potentials of the breezes not only for ventillation and comfort, but to drive windmills to power their water pumps. They harnessed the sun for natural lighting during the day and to collect enough solar power for emergency night lights and charging mobile phones, not to mention the growing of wonderful flowers in their gardens.
The creativity of their structures is amazing, with special kudos to Sr. Janelle, who acts as the in-house planner, designer, interior decorator, landscape designer, and builder all rolled into one. She makes use only of available indigenous materials and, more importantly, limited funds to come up with quaint and cozy cottages. Furnishings are simple but comfortable, generally made from wood, bamboo, cane. Swings, hammocks, and mats are a staple in every hut. Oil lamps and candles are the only illumination at night, besides the silver of moonlight and the sparkle of fireflies. Wood carvings and Bible verses are welcome outposts along the paths.
Perhaps, the jaded urbanite will see merely a melange of wooden cabins or expect perfectly manicured lawns and thus, be disappointed. This is not a five- or three-star resort that promises to satisfy cosmopolitan tastes. Instead, it is a multi-star retreat site that vows to bring you back to nature and lets you see the grace of God in the simplest detail. There is no piped-in music, other than from breezes and cicadas, the better to hear the whisper of your soul, the murmur of your heart, here at Puso ng Karmelo.
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