CHOLENG, the Water Diviner

[OCEANNE]

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Is there any existing thread on this?

My parents were talking about this old lady who is believed to have a special gift of sensing water sources. I'm sure you've heard about this too. What are your take on this? For me, she's indeed special.

Please read article.

‘Water diviner’ finds 39 water springs in Cebu
By Marian Z. Codilla
Cebu Daily News First Posted 08:46:00 03/20/2010 Filed Under: Water Supply

Another 39 underground water springs have been located by the city with the help of an 80-year old water “diviner” after four days of finding possible sources of water.

“This is our way of helping the city,” said 80-year old Soledad “Choleng” Legaspi.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña sought the help of Legaspi after the city’s water sources in the mountain barangays, including rivers and creeks, dried up due to the intense heat brought by the El Niño phenomenon.

Osmeña wanted Legaspi to stay for another two weeks to scout for more water sources in mountain barangays.

Legaspi was commissioned by the city for four days to survey the mountain barangays for water sources. But some barangays were not visited due to time constraints.

“Ang daming nag request na maghanap ng tubig sa kanila dahil ang daming nangangailangan ng tubig. Yung dinaanan natin ng sasakyan, river yun wala ng tubig ngayon kawawa naman yung mga tao pero paano yan wala na tayong panahon (There have been a lot of requests to look for water since many need water. We just passed by a river that had dried up. The people are pitiful but we don’t have enough time),” Legaspi told CEBU DAILY NEWS.

The Sapangdaku River, which used to have a strong water current, has dried up that people can literally walk across it without getting wet.

The Mamawan River in barangay Bonbon has also dried up.

The last time she was commissioned by the Cebu City government, she was able to identify 207 sites as water sources.

But Legaspi said the mayor told her the plotted sites were not submitted so artesian wells were not constructed on them.

Amid skepticism, Osmeña assured Cebuanos that the “water diviner” had not missed yet so far in her water predictions.

“I would be more than happy to take a 50 percent margin of error but so far it’s(Legaspi’s prediction) 100 percent accurate.” Osmena told reporters.

In the South Road Properties (SRP), the “water diviner” pointed to 20 sites, which she said had water. When they were tested, water flowed from those sites.

Over the past 30 years, there had been many diggings in search of water in barangay Binaliw but all turned out none. But in just hours, Legaspi found 15 sites with water flowing without using any modern instruments.

“I cannot explain it but she is very blessed and I’m very happy that she is helping us. Filinvest introduced her to us and they said that she had not missed yet,” said Osmena.

When asked if the city is now resorting to psychic powers to solve problems, Osmena said he could’nt care less.

“Look, whatever they want to say, I don’t use it that way. This woman can pinpoint water. We drilled and there’s water at no expense to the city. Who would complain of that? I’m not going to discuss theology or psychics or whatever basta so far so good. Maybe it’s pure good luck, I don’t care. When she points there is water and we drilled. So far, there is no mistake,” he said.

All the 20 sites pinpointed by the “water diviner” in the SRP were drilled and fresh water flowed.

Osmeña admitted he was apprehensive at first when Legaspi pointed out there was water underneath the Welcome Hill of the SRP.

“The Welcome Hill is the deepest portion of the reclamation area. That’s near the Ludo Wharf and it is the deepest part of the channel, deeper that the port of Cebu,” he said.

But they drilled anyway. Upon reaching 110 feet, the water flowed.

[OCEANNE]

Related Article


"Water diviner" not serving as consultant
(The Freeman) Updated March 20, 2010 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has ordered the drilling of all sites identified by the “water diviner” who was asked by the mayor to help the city address the water crisis, especially in the hinterlands and upland barangays.

Osmeña also clarified that the city will not be hiring 80-year-old Choleng Legaspi of Biñan, Laguna, the woman who is believed to have a special gift to detect water, as a consultant.

“I’m more than happy to make a personal sacrifice to solve the problem. The city will not pay her. Either I pay her or Filinvest (Filinvest Land Inc.) will pay her,” Osmeña said.

“Whatever financial arrangement there is, it will not be with the city. The only thing that the City Hall pays for is the transportation here, the food and whatever,” he added.

“But if you’ll ask me, she’s worth millions with that kind of luck, blessing, and talent, whatever you want to call it. She’s worth a lot.”

In reports, Legaspi said that her professional fee is P10,000 per day.

Osmeña said that he wants the city to take advantage of the calamity procedure to drill the sites pinpointed by Legaspi in her one week of going around the areas or barangays that reported lacking water.

“There’s no problem of water in Cebu, it’s just that we don’t know where to drill. And here comes a woman who so far was always accurate in pinpointing areas where there is water, we might as well take advantage of that,” he said.

Osmeña said that he will be more than happy to take a 50 percent margin of error than spend millions with experts who have not solved the problem yet. He said research institutions here were paid millions to identify sources of water but nothing has happened so far.

Legaspi was able to identify at least 20 sites in the South Road Properties before all of which have potable water underneath.

“Imagine, who, in her right mind will think that there’s water underneath the sea?” Osmeña said.

“The first time she went to Bulacao, my staff tried to trick her. They told her ‘the water is over there.’ And she said ‘no, the water is over here.’ And there’s really a tubod where she pointed, and she’s never been to Cebu before,” he said.

When asked on the possibility that he may have been tricked with this unscientifically proven belief, he said, “Look, whatever they think that is, I don’t care. As long as she can pinpoint where there is water, at no cost for the city, mag-reklamo pa mo? Maybe she’s just lucky. Then I believe in luck.”

Osmeña said that tapping Legaspi actually allowed the city to save money because they do not have to drill sites with no assurance of water underneath, especially as she has been right in all her selections so far. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP (THE FREEMAN)

[pinoyapache]

Ah, a water bender. I heard she sees many ghosts also.

[k.A.i]

Ah, a water bender. I heard she sees many ghosts also.

naa kay link about ana bro?.
ganahan unta ko mobasa hehehehehe

[nirdle_phogi]

Kuyawa sad ani niya oie.. May abilidad jud..

[pinoyapache]

naa kay link about ana bro?.
ganahan unta ko mobasa hehehehehe

According sa akong mga amigo nga nakakuyog or nakasabay ani niya, mora kuno ni siya mabuang kon naa siya makit-an nga mga dili ingon ato. Like sa CREMDEC in Taptap she warned people that there is an imp who plays around in the comfort rooms. When the guard assigned there was told about this observation by Choleng, he confirmed it. During her ride in the elevator in City Hall, she saw something crossing in the 4th floor as the elevator door was about to close then saw it again at 8th floor and she was very rattled and scared to death.

No doubt, the city have gained something in return for her services when looking for water. It would have cost millions of pesos to look for one using specialized equipment yet the result is not 50% doable unlike the diviner.

[samsungster]

sana she can find more water sources..

[Genocide]

hehe! kuyaw moleng ni sila.

[kit_cebu]

i hope she can find oil in cebu....

and those conservationists, ma-influence unta niya nga kinahanglan mag-drill for our own consumption and lower our gas rates...

and if these conserverationists won't budge, my middle finger to them...

[korg17]

grabeha kuyawa diay ani niya sa. im not the type na mag tuo-tuo ug mga ing-ani but like Mayor Tom, it doesnt matter, real or not, whatever her methods are, as long as water is found, then thats very good.