The sign on the gate proclaims it. Admiral Tomas Cloma, the discoverer of Freedomland, now called Spratlys, is sure that no one can take away his property the way Freedomland, or the credit of finding it, was taken away from him. Way before this story made it to the news, the community was already abuzz with talk about these faraway islands "discovered" by the men of Cloma who owned the Philippine Maritime Institute.
The property stood out in the neighborhood. It had a high fence, and must have been nearly half a hectare. It had a putting green. A Malaysian-inspired house stood as the property's centerpiece. But a more practical, more convenient smaller house stood at the corner. There is where they actually lived. The local boys and girls get to see the property around Christmas, when the master of the house allows the Banda 24 to sing Christmas carols, to collect funds for the group's various community projects.
Early evenings, the concrete benches on the Freedomland gates served as the meeting place of the boys. Over beer or pan de sal from the nearby Asuncion Bakery, stories would flow. Then the boys would either call it a night, or move some place for more beer, or more pan de sal.
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