MANILA — Singer and songwriter Ebe Dancel on Monday shared his pain of having to leave his home in Los Baños, Laguna, after staying there for four years to escape the bustle of city life.

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A post shared by Ebe Dancel (@ebedancel)

On Instagram, Dancel shared a photo of University of the Philippines Los Baños’ Freedom Park, with his recollection of how his life changed during his time in province.

“I moved to Elbi a day after I launched my album Bawat Daan in 2016. I was tired of the city and longed for some peace,” Dancel wrote.

During his stay in Los Banos, Dancel adopted a dog, Alon; trained as a duathlete; opened a restaurant, Entablado, and a food stall, Jacob’s; and “quietly helped some students deal with mental health concerns.”

“During non-gig days, Alon and I would take walks around the campus and end up at Entablado (sya natutulog, ako nagbabasa ng libro),” he recounted.

“Today is my last day here.”

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A post shared by Ebe Dancel (@ebedancel)

“It’s very painful to leave a place I have come to call home, but it's a necessary move. Lots of responsibilities await in Manila, and I’m eager to take on each one of them,” Dancel wrote.

Addressing his home for the last four years, he added: “And you will always be in my heart. Elbi forever, as I would like to say.”

Explaining his photo of an empty Freedom Park, Dancel narrated that he “went out early to buy coffee and pandesal and picked a quiet and isolated spot to take everything in one last time.”

“It didn’t last very long,” he said, mentioning authorities who asked him to return home, amid safety measures due to the pandemic.

“I did manage this one photo, but man, there are a million beautiful memories of this magical place in my head. Nakaukit sa puso. Hanggang sa muli, Elbi kong mahal. Salamat sa taglay mong kapayapaan.”