Iloilo Philippines

 

 

By Queenie Rose A. Donaire*

Way back in high school in Barbaza National High School, students were made to decide what electives to take when they reach 3^rd year. So I took up entrepreneurship. The best part was when we were given 100 pesos to make products and sell them in our school canteen. By the end of the school year, we should return the capital to our teacher whether we earned a profit or not. My group chose to make bandi niyog because it’s a low cost product and almost all of the group members knew how to make bandi except myself.

Actually, it’s because of that high school project that I learned how to make bandi. Although it was not a formal business, we were very happy when one of our group members told us that the friends of her mother in Hongkong wanted to order bandi from us. And that was our first “export” of bandi. So her mother paid us in advance and we used it to buy ingredients. We made more or less 200 bandi. Since we wanted to make a good impression on our customer, we made sure everything was perfect—from choosing the ingredients to cooking them, to forming the bandi and then packing them. And it all started there. My friends and I began talking about putting up a bandi business after we graduate from college. Who knows, we might end up “exporting” them again abroad.

Bandi niyog is a delicious candy, a native one. It is made of coconut and brown sugar called muscovado. It’s a delicacy of the Antiqueños. It served as a dessert and even as a viand to some. Bandi niyog may look rather ordinary, perhaps not as enticing as the bandi mani of the Ilonggos. To tell you, making a perfect bandi niyog is one tough job. It needs care in choosing the perfect coconut and sugar. It also needs proper quantification of ingredients and accurate timing.

To Ilonggos, when you say bandi they would automatically think of one thing because there’s just one bandi to them: the bandi made of peanuts. Actually, this kind of bandi is specifically called bandi mani in Antique. Not knowing that bandi niyog and the bukayo of the Ilonggos are just the same, I argued with my teacher that the two are different. I kept on insisting on this until one day I went to SM. I was lining up at the grocery counter when I saw a woman holding a wrapped bandi. I was amazed that they were selling bandi in SM and so I tried to look at the label to know if it really was from Antique. And to my surprise it was named bukayo and it was made in Iloilo. Then I thought, there’s nothing to argue at all. Our bandi (niyog) and the bukayo of the Ilonggos are just the same.

If we, Antiqueños, have our bandi niyog the Ilonggos too have bandi but it goes by another name-bukayo. For us, however, bukayo is another thing. Bukayo is also a sweet candy made of coconuts. The coconut in the bukayo of the Ilonggos is shredded and it is round and flat while in our bukayo, the coconut is grated and it is shaped into small balls.

Apparently, bandi niyog and bukayo are not popular because they don’t circulate in the market. People make bukayo or bandi for their own consumption though there are very few who make a living out of selling them. They’re already part of the Antiqueño tradition. Usually our lolos and lolas were the ones fond of cooking native foods like bandi and bukayo. The recipes are then passed on to the younger ones. An example is my grandmother. She would usually say, “Agto dya kag lantawa ako magraha para makamaan kaw.” (Come and watch me so that you will know how to cook this.)

My lovely cousin eating bukayo

Now, I will share to you how to make delicious BANDI NIYOG.

Here are the ingredients:

1.      Shredded coconut

(Tip: Choose the durolsihon type of coconut. This coconut is between the butong and the lahin in maturity scale.)

2.      Muscovado

3.      Buko Juice (You may also use water in substitute of buko juice.)

4.      Vanilla (optional)

You also need the following:

1.      Frying pan

2. Luwag or ladle

3.      Coconut shell (will serve as your measuring cup)

4.      2 Forks

5.      Clean kararaw (winnower) or any clean flat surface

Procedure:

1.      Measure the shredded coconut and the sugar using the coconut shell. Put the same amount of coconut and sugar in the frying pan. (i.e. 3 coconut shells of sugar, 3 coconut shells of shredded coconut)

2.      Add small amount of buko juice (i.e. Using example in procedure no. 1, you will need only half coconut shell of buko juice.)

3.      Heat and stir until the coconut has absorbed the melted sugar or when the sugar is sticky.

(Tip: To test the stickiness of the sugar, try to get a spoon and dip it in the syrup. Try to stick a small amount of the syrup in the spoon and then dip it in a glass of water. If it does not spread out, then it’s almost cooked.)

4.      While waiting for it to cook, sprinkle water on your kararaw or in the clean flat surface.

5.      Remove the pan from the heat. Using the 2 forks, get a small quantity (the size of the bandi you want to make depends on you). And then put it on the flat surface.

6.      Using the forks, form it into round shapes while it is still wet.

7.      Leave to dry.

There you go! Your dessert, snack, or even your viand!

By the way, if you want to try, you can go visit my town Barbaza in Antique on a market day or better yet order from me.

About me:

I’m Queenie Rose A. Donaire.  I’m 18 years old.  I’m a 2nd year BSBA-Marketing student at the UPV, city campus.  I love food that’s why I’m fond of cooking.  When on break from school, I would usually raid our ref in my home in Antique.  I’ll find anything I could use for my food experiments.

You can contact me through my phone +639082146246 or by e-mail quequedoanire@yahoo.com.

Related reads:

Quianan, San Joaquin’s bandi

By: Bee Jay Tolentino*

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 My curiosity about this tultul, a hard, brick-like, grayish piece of salt brought me to Barangay Hoskyn, Jordan, Guimaras.  Barangay Hoskyn got its name from the Hoskyn  Brothers- Richard Franklin, Herbert Peter, and Henry. These Brothers owned large portions of land in that area in the late 19^th century. Interestingly, these brothers were also the nephews of Nicholas Loney, the first British Vice-consul of Iloilo.

            For everyone’s knowledge, tultul is commonly used as a viand. Hot cooked rice and utan ( Vegetable soup ) are its best meal partners. Also, it can be used as a salt alternative.

            In Hoskyn, I met the couple Serafin and Emma Ganila. Both are 57 years old and are the only ones left producing the tultul in Guimaras. According to Tyay Emma, tultul making has been a family tradition. Both couples learned the craft from their parents. “Tultul making was our main source of income and in fact, it helped us finance the studies of our children.”says Tyay Emma.

            Oftentimes,according to Tyay Emma, they could not meet the demands for tultul because the process involved requires a lot of patience and hardwork. Another reason for their low productivity is that they can only produce the tultul within the months of December to May. They don’t produce the tultul during the rainy seasons because according to them,the fresh water content in the sea during the rainy seasons is high. This lessens the saltiness of  the tultul and makes the tultul soft. Also, the Ganila couple can only manage to produce a maximum of  4-5 baretas of  tultul per week. One bareta of tultul measures about 12 x 14 x 3 inches. Another possible factor which contributes to their low productivity is that they lack proper facilities and equipments. Most of their facilities and equipments are improvised.

            Let us now proceed to the different steps involved in making this tultul. I wasn’t able to see the actual process of making this tultul because it was in August when  I conducted this search and as I have mentioned earlier, they only produce the tultul within the months of December to May. Anyways, I’ll just try my best to narrate to you the steps in making this tultul.

            The first step is the gathering and burning of these so called rorok-these are driftwoods basically composed of pieces of woods, bamboos, twigs, and coconut husks brought to shore by the tide. The first step alone lasts up to 5 days. The ashes of these burned rorok are gathered and are put into kaings- these are cylindrical containers woven from bamboo strips. A minimum of two kaings of rorok ash are needed before proceeding to the next step.

            The ash-filled kaings are then placed on an elevated bamboo platform. Sea water would then be poured into the kaings to wash down the salt content of the rorok ash. A pail is placed underneath these kaings to catch the strained water dripping from it. The strained water is then transferred into 5 tin containers made from used cooking oil cans. Gata or coconut milk is then added to the strained water  to make it mananam or savory.

            This liquid mixture is the main ingredient for making the tultul.

            The third step is to cook this liquid mixture so that it would become hard. The five tin containers are placed above an improvised outdoor kalan or stove. The cooking process lasts for about six hours or until the mixture hardens. When the mixture is hard enough, it is then removed from the fire and is allowed to cool inside the house. When the hardened mixtures are cool enough, it is removed from its tin containers.

           The outer part would be then scraped off in order to clean the hardened mixture. This hardened mixture is the tultul. A bareta of tultul when bought directly from the makers costs for about P500.  At the market this bareta of tultul will sell for about P600. Small pieces of tultul ( 2 x 2 x ½ inch ) can be also bought at the San Miguel and Jordan public markets in Guimaras for P10 each.

           

As I bid the Ganilas goodbye, Gilbert, one of the couples’ children and the one who served as my guide handed me a cellophane. I asked him what was inside. He smiled and said “ Pasensya guid meg, amu nalang ni ang bilin eh, base sa  enero pa kanu liwat makahimu sinday nanay kag tatay.” ( My apologies my friend, this is the only one left. Nanay and tatay said that maybe their next production would be in January.)

            I’ll never forget this experience.  Natultulan ko na ang tultul.  I hope matultulan man sang Guimaras government kag matagaan man sang importansya si Nong Serafin and Nang Emma Ganila, the last of the tultul makers.

             

Manong Serafin Ganila and me

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I’m Bee Jay Tolentino a business administration student at the University of the Philippines in the Visayas, college of management. I am from Guimaras,the home of the sweetest mango in the whole whole word. Drawing, Singing, and playing the guitar are my hobbies. For your comments and suggestions, you can E-mail me at lonerjeng@yahoo.com

 

By Jonalyn P. Mateo (March 27, 2008)*

For the sixth year that I’ve stayed here at Iloilo, my classmates would always ask for pop rice as pasalubong from Aklan. Pop rice is also called ampao in my place. My hometown is Kalibo, Aklan but there is another Aklan town almost 18 km away from Kalibo that is very famous for its ampao. In fact Lezo is now synonymous to ampao.

 Lezo is a thirty minute ride from Kalibo by multi-cab. Sometimes travelling reaches an hour but it will never bore you since lots of good views around can be seen such as mountains and carabaos eating grass on wide farms. Lezo is still a pollution free area and population is not that big. There are 12 barangays in the place with only 12, 393 people living in it as of the 2000 census.

Even my relatives praise the ampao makers of Lezo, too. My relatives from Manila and even from other places would ask for ampao, aside from tuyo at daing, for a pasalubong. And they would even stress out that the ampao be bought at Lezo. That is how Lezo moves their appetite.

I went to Poblacion Lezo last Christmas vacation to look for someone who is responsible for the  ampao industry. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate well with my plans. It rained not that hard, just a bit drizzling but it was still a bit disturbing. I kept on walking and walking just to find one best maker of ampao. And yes, amidst the rain and everything, the people whom I asked pointed to this blue, two-storey, concrete house.  

I knocked at the door and a man, named Mang Pablito De Leon came out. Of course as anybody else who is known for such an icon, Mang Pablito also tried to hesitate from answering my first questions. Actually, he looked like as if he had just woken up. But, I acted like a real student who is very eager to know more about his ampao, and like any other kind Filipino, Mang Pablito treated me well.

He showed me his little rustic kitchen wherein there was this regular-sized clay pot where he usually makes his ampao. The clay pot is big enough for 8 cups of rice. Any way, in times that they feel like making more than they used to make, they just cook again. But the regular cooking is 8 cups of rice only. He also emphasized the use of firewood to control the cooking and the firewood’s smoke to allow the native quality of the food be retained. In practical means, firewood is cheaper than stove cooking. Any firewood would do, sometimes different types of firewood is used at the same time.  

Ampao starts with cooked rice. The cooked rice is left outside to dry until a desired softness in the inside and the hardness in the outside is satisfied. Lasaw is also needed in this process. Lasaw is made by melting moscuvado to be exact in a frying pan until a sticky look comes out. Muscovado  gives ampao the sweetest ever taste it could ever have. Lasaw is  then mixed with dried cooked rice, then it is fried. The ingredients can be found almost anywhere that’s why the recipe is not that hard to make.

But that’s not all, Mang Pablito would pack his ampao first in dried banana leaves followed by brown paper and finally, plastic wrapping.  Banana leaves keep ampao as fresh as it can be and as crunchy as the customers would ever wish. It preserves the food, and the aroma of the food is sealed in making the food taste even better. In fact, the food itself should also look nice, and since it’s a food, Mang Pablito would prefer the rectangle shape. It is easier to make and it looks good. Other ampao makers also make ampao in a circular shape.

Ampao is twenty pesos when bought direct at the producer’s house. When bought in the market, ampao runs to twenty-five pesos per piece. And still the increase in price does not just stop there, when buying at terminals it costs up to forty pesos per piece. Just imagine how businessmen increase the price, but still many would buy ampao no matter how high the price is.

 

The other ampao makers are Kaith Angelo Yabut Fernandez from S. Dela Rosa Street, Lezo, Aklan(09187618700), Manang Rosa from Sta.cruz, Lezo (09207288768).

Today, ampao is making its own name. Its no longer just synonymous to Lezo alone but to the entire Aklan province. It has become an icon of Aklan. Sometimes, even the makers of ampao from other places use the name of Lezo just to make their products in demand. Other provinces like Iloilo also have their own versions of Ampao only that Lezo’s ampao has a uniqueness all its own that it’s addictive to most ampao eaters. I have tasted some ampao from Iloilo and yes, they’re cute with those different colors on them but it can’t reach the level of Aklan’s ampao in terms of taste. Others ampao are not that crunchy, either. Others ampao are just packed in plastic, unlike Aklan’s which are covered with banana leaves, brown paper and lastly, the plastic. Well-packed!! This is not about being biased because I’m from Aklan, it’s just being true!

           

By Christine Biaoco*

 

People winning the national, regional or local music competitions that speak about our culture and achievements as Filipinos never cease to amaze me with their talent. My admiration for them continues to grow especially when they are the one composing these songs because they really use their talent to touch the Filipino lives. This is evident in their splendid and soulful renditions. Music is their way of expressing their compassion and patriotism to our country.

            I come from San Jose, the capital town of Antique where a lot of provincial music competitions such as “Tukib Antiqueño” are held to hone the Antiqueño talents. As a child, I enjoyed watching our local artists sing Kinaray-a songs and marvel at how they put their hearts at it. Dante M. Beriong is one of our local artists who made music history when his composition was chosen as the official Philippine Centennial Independence theme song. His achievement was such a great milestone making Antiqueños very proud.

            Unfolding the inspiring story behind his success would be a great topic to discuss. With Mr. Beriong as a townmate, I didn’t let the opportunity pass to peek at his success story.

            Sir Beriong started writing songs when he was in high school in the early 70s. He was not able to compose much during his college because of a busy academic life at Ateneo De Manila University. However, he was able to join “Himigsikan”- Ateneo’s song writing competition using his high school composition entitled “For Agnes”.

After graduation from college, he was able to work as an Economics teacher at St. Anthony’s College-high school department and later served the office of the government. This also paved the way for him to record his first two English songs in 1990 with the help and encouragement of his friends and family who believe in his talent. These songs were entitled “For Agnes”, his high school composition and “How Can I?” which he composed for his wife, Felisa.

Mr. Beriong won his first regional championship award from the Department of Tourism Songwriting Competition in1995. His greatest achievement came when he won in 1997 in the search for the Philippine Centennial Independence theme song. His song was played during the Philippine Independence Day in 1998. I asked him how he was able to join the competition and he told me that he was encouraged by his friends from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Antique chapter, particularly Ms. Jane Delos Santos and their manager, Mr. Arceo. DBP was the sponsor of the competition. At first, he was reluctant to join because it was such a big competition and he thought that he had no chance of winning. He felt that his competitors from Manila would dominate the award because songwriters there are the best at their field. But in the end, he convinced himself to just try.

            The search started as early as the beginning of 1996. It was indeed a tough fight for him having to compete with a total of 1054 entries nationwide. There was a three-layered selection before the top 12 finalists were selected. First, the screening committee chose the top 500, then the top 100, then the top 30 and then the final 12. Bayang Barrios, the female vocalist of Joey Ayala’s Bagong Lumad, also joined the competition. The entries were judged based on the lyrics and melody of the song. The panel of judges who screened the entries was composed of professional musicians, academicians and historians among others. Notable personalities among them were national artist Lucio San Pedro, Prof. Andrea Veneracion of the UP Madrigal singers, Jose Mari Chan, Freddie Aguilar and Ms. Maan Hontiveros of Sony Philippines.

            I was surprised to learn that he wrote the lyrics of the song “Mabuhay ka Pilipino!” (the title of his winning piece) in just one hour and the melody within one week. Back in college, he became friends with Mr. Arnel De Pano, a schoolmate who always won their “Himigsikan” song writing competition. Interestingly, Mr. De Pano who is also the composer of the song “Lead Me Lord” became the arranger of his song “Mabuhay Ka Pilipino!.”  Here, the background used was a combination of ethnic and modern sounds. This suggests what the milieu is and it also tells us how far we’ve traveled to achieve our thirst for freedom.

I was curious on how he was able to come up with the title since the title is usually the first that attracts the listeners as well as the judges. So, he told me that it was the right title for him because it was a song of celebration expressing the triumph of the Filipinos in their quest for freedom and sovereignty, not withstanding the hardships and the course of their struggles. This is evident in these lines that say “Tangan mo ngayon samo’t saring pakikipaglaban upang kapayapaan ay makamtan at magapi ang kahirapan. Sa sulungan di papipigil, higit di iiwas sa hamon ng kaunlaran lalo kang lumalakas.” (You now bear what you have plead for through fighting to achieve freedom and to overpower poverty. In advancing, you cannot be stopped and most of all, you become stronger with the challenge of development.)

            With all these qualities that Sir Beriong has incorporated in his song, the judges hailed him the grand champion. The awarding was held at the Nicanor Abelardo Hall of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on January 23, 1997. He received P100, 000 as grand prize. For him, his edge among the others was that his song was comprehensive in its lyrical substance and the music was very original. Moreover, it was interpreted by a UP Conservatory of Music Professor, Mr. Edward Granadusin.

            “Music helped me project the musical cultural wealth of the province and draw the best out of what an Antiqueño can be in the field of music. It also made me deeply grateful to God for the talents that He has given me”.

He became a songwriter because he believes that there is something more than just singing. Writing songs is a totally different avenue of music because it challenges his creativity to make something out of his own appreciation, observation and understanding of life and its complexities.

Sir Beriong doesn’t only express his sentiments with what he can see in his society through singing his music compositions. He also has this urge to put these thoughts into action. He was thrice elected as a Sangguniang Bayan (SB) member in our town. Presently, he is an elected Sangguniang Panlalwigan (SP) member in our province.

Now that he holds a lot of responsibilities to his people as well as his family and church as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or known as Mormons that he has taken a rest from joining music competitions. However, he also earns commission from composing songs to those who want him to compose songs for them. As of now, he still continues writing songs for his third album of Original Kinaray-a Music (OKM). His finished
CD albums are entitled ANTIQUE, ANTIQUEÑO and MAULI GID AKO SA ANTIQUE which are still available at the office of the Paranubliun Antique located at the new Antique capitol building.

Sir Beriong had joined other competitions such as the Ilonggo Music Festival, The Red Cross Search for its Millennial Theme Song and the DOT regional and national song writing. He is also a performing artist in various events and places. He has performed during the goodwill and cultural mission to the United States headed by Gov. Salvacion Z. Perez (Antique’s governor) for the Antiqueño communities in the east and west coast, the cultural mission for Antiqueño communities in Kidapawan, North Cotabato and during the “Wow Philippines” in Intramuros Manila. He has also performed in regional and competitions for tourism and agricultural fairs in Iloilo City, in provincial and municipal public events such as fiestas.

“My talent for song writing was developed as a result of enthusiasm and great interest in music. I had no formal trainings. I taught myself starting with playing the guitar and learning the basics of piano in our church”. His great performance and enthusiasm indeed led him to greater heights in this field. He was awarded by the “Paranublion Antique, Inc., a cultural Non -Government Organization. He was also a “Bugal Kang Antique (Pride of Antique) awardee of the provincial government. He is presently the vice chair of the Binirayan Foundations Inc. that is in-charged with Binirayan Festival activities of our province which is a month long celebration every April.

Sir Beriong’s four children are also musically gifted as well as his wife who was a disc jockey before they got married. (His wife, Ma’am Felisa is currently an English teacher at Antique National School.)

“Music is an embodiment of your creative juices, whether it be emotional, spiritual or intellectual. It is something that flows out of your humanity. If you have a talent in music, don’t stop loving it and continue to hone your skills. It may not be evident immediately, but the benefits that you will derive form your love of music will eventually contribute to a happy and successful life”, Sir Beriong passionately advised.      

      Dante M. Beriong’s

e-mail address: dmbcent@yahoomail.com

 

About the author:

I am a first second year student at the University of the Philippines-Visayas taking up B.S. in Public Health. I enjoy philosophizing, attending religious youth camps as well as nature trips. I also enjoy reading medical and religious-related pocketbooks.  I am also musically inclined that made me interested on this topic.  My e-mail address: tinebiaoco@gmail.com

DANTE BERIONG

RECIPIENT OF SONGWRITING AWARDS IN THE REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS:

• Ø Regional Champion & National Finalist – Department of Tourism Songwriting Competition (1995) “HOW CAN I LEAVE YOU?”

 

• Ø Ilonggo Music Festival Finalist (1996) “ANOTHER LIFETIME”

                        1^ST runner-up (1999) “EASE THE PAIN”

                        2^nd runner-up (2000)    “LONGING”                        

 

• Ø National Grand Champion- Search for the Theme Song of the 1998 Philippine Centennial

                        Celebrations out of 1,054 entries nationwide (1997)

                                    “MABUHAY KA PILIPINO” (P 100 000 prize)

 

• Ø 1^st runner-up- National Search for the Millennial Song of Philippine National Red Cross along with Trina Belamide (Champion) & Nonong Pedero (2^nd runner-up) (1999)

                                                “NO CREED NOR COLOR” (P200 000 prize)

 

• Ø Champion-Search for the Theme Song of the Centennial of Palawan’s Civil Government (2002) “PALAWAN”

 

 

 

CITATIONS AS COMPOSER/LYRICIST/INTERPRETER OF:

 

• Ø “ANG LIGA NG MGA KONSEHAL NG PILIPINAS

(National Theme Song of the Philippine Councilors League)

 

• Ø “ILLEGAL NA DROGA, LABANAN!

(Used as National Jingle of the Lakbay Kontra Droga Campaign)

 

• Ø “GO! WESTERN VISAYAS GO!”

(2004 West Visayas Regional Athletic Meet Theme Song)

 

• Ø “HALA BIRA! ILOILO!”

(Dinagyang Festival Theme Song of Iloilo City)

 

• Ø “BINIRAYAN, KRRUUHHAAY!”

(Binirayan Festival Theme Song)

 

• Ø “KRRUUHHAAY! KATAHUM KANG ANTIQUE!”

(Provincial Tourism Program Song)

 

 

• Ø “KADARAG-AN KANG PAMILYA, KADARAG-AN KANG BANWA“

(Reproductive Health Program Theme Song)

 

• Ø “HAMTIC, MATAHUM KAG MARAGTASUN NGA BANWA”

(Municipal Theme Song of Hamtic, Antique)

 

• Ø “SEBASTE, BANWA NGA PALANGGA KO”

(Municipal Theme Song of Sebaste, Antique)

 

• Ø “O BANWA KO NGA LAUA-AN”

(Municipal Theme Song of Laua-an, Antique)

 

• Ø “TIBIAO, TIBIAO”

(Municipal Theme Song of Tibiao, Antique)

 

• Ø “ANTIQUE, ANTIQUENO”

(Carrier single of the CD Album of the same title)

 

• Ø “MAULI GID AKO SA ANTIQUE”

(Carrier single of the CD Album of the same title)

 

• Ø “KABUGANAAN”

(1997 World Food Day Celebration Theme Song)

 

• Ø “MAGHUBLAG KAG MAGKABALAKA”

(1998 World Food Day Celebration-1^st runner-up)

 

• Ø “ESTRELLA DEL NORTE, BAYAN NG TAYTAY”

(Municipal Theme Song of Taytay, Palawan)

 

• Ø “BANIGAN”

(Banigan Festival Theme Song of Caluya, Antique)

.

• Ø “TATUSAN”

   (Tatusan Festival Song of Caluya, Antique)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mabuhay ka Pilipino!
By Dante M. Beriong

 
San daang taong kasaysayan ang lumipas
Kalayaang pinaglaban, bukang bibig mong binibigkas
Kasarinla’y nakamtan dahil sa dugong ibinuwis
Kasama ng mga luha’t taghoy, pagod at hinagpis

II
Nahan kana sa iyong kinalalagyan…
Sa gitna ng makabuluhan’t makulay mong kasaysayan
Ipadama’t ipagbunyi at panatilihing lagging gising
Sa bayang mithiin ng puso’t diwa’t damdamin…

III
Malaya ka na Pilipino kagitingan mo’y isisigaw
Sa buong mundo……. Sa buong mundo…..
Kasarinlan at kalayaan, { Hinding hindi pababayaan / Patuloy kong ipaglalaban }
Taglay ang bagong anyo ng pag asa…
Pilipino aking { Kapatid / Kaibigan / Kababayan }
Mabuhay ka……..

IV
Tangan mo ngayon samo’t saring pakikipaglaban
Upang kapayapaan ay makamtan at magapi ang kahirapan
Sa sulungan di papipigil, higit di iiwas
Sa hamon ng kaunlaran lalo kang lumalakas…

Ulitin ang II

Mula noon hanggang ngayun, sa Mindanao, Bisaya at Luzon
Kabayanihan mo’y narrating.. Pagkat inang bayan.. iniibig……Iniibig…..

Ulitin ang II

Mabuhay ka……… 4x

 

 

 

By Ida Cel Dizon and Adesa Ferraris, March 15, 2008

“…Cause there’s nothing glamorous about the sugarcane industry. I can’t make the manugtapas wear the baro’t saya while smiling under the scorching sun. It’s paradoxical.” – Nunelucio Alvarado

Born in Fabrica, Sagay City, early awakened by the fact that there is such a thing as social stratification, Nunelucio Alvarado paints anything but hypocrisy. Growing up in the locale where the sugar industry is the main source of income, it is not a surprise that most of his works are depictions of the everyday activity of those who work there.

A painting major from UP Diliman, Alvarado has been an icon on the art scene since 1975. He has carried out numerous individual and group exhibits, whether be it in the Philippines or abroad. He was recognized by the CCP as one of the most influential artists in the country and was twice the grand prize winner of the Regional Philip Morris Art Award.

Not intimidated to conform or follow any trend that limits the creativity and confine it to the boundaries of what that style dictates, this social-realist painter believes in artistic freedom. His source of inspiration for the themes and ideas he paints is his immersions from time to time. He goes to places where the manugtapas (sugar cane workers) lives and talks to them and lives as one. To get a full and vivid picture – nothing but honesty of how their lives really are. To paint the ordinary as how he interprets the stories of the manugtapas, the fishermen and vendors during his immersions, to portray the hardships of the breadwinners to provide despite insufficiency and to present the prejudiced reality of the evil forms in disguise are the reasons why he continuously holds his brush.

“Hindi kasi ako naniniwala sa mga ‘ism-ism’ na yan eh. It confines what an artist can do. I believe that there should be no boundaries. An artist should have the freedom to create what he/she pleases.”

Inspired by the stories and lives of the laborers in sugarcane plantations locally known as the sakadas, Alvarado’s artworks were mainly commentaries.  He expresses his sentiments on the social stratification through art. The images of his works convey messages that depict social issues of his hometown, specifically, the plight of the sakadas.

Looking at all his works as he explains how and why such images are there, we come to realize that his works are beyond superficial. His works aren’t ordinary. His works are not just pictures. Every Alvarado is a life story. One that you ignore, one you fail to hear, one you don’t want to see, and one you are afraid to be in. But he dared to portray it so the world could see the reality through the eyes of the manugtapas.

As what was written by Hiraya.com, Alvarado’s typical geometric humans are humans are unreal yet ridden with so much character and spirit with their typical bright piercing eyes, heavy-set toes and arms that hint at the rigors of toil. All is set amidst a backdrop of sugar cane fields, workman tools, of women and babies trading flowers, fruits, fish fowl… The archetypal imagery his works are most known for, reflect the psychic plunges of deep despair and of a higher wisdom for a man unafraid of life. His pure artistic energy generates power that resounds in every canvass he fulfills — whether it be the idyllic scenes of his hometown or the dark terrain of the social ills of his people.

Come to the end of our tour and interview, we’d still feel the ideas and remember the images. Never again will we see the manugtapas the same as just an ordinary being but a soul fearless and extraordinary. Their lives- beyond words and their story – moving and tragic but the challenge is to make life as sweet as sugar.

Despite the bold colors and the dramatic characters, it’s not bliss that you derive from Alvarado’s work. It’s a slap of reality. Melancholia. A truth of the darkness behind the sweet crystalline substance and its making. To see an Alvarado is to experience sugar’s bitter aftertaste.

About the authors:

When assigned a role, Ida doesn’t only fulfill and perform the requirements. She goes an extra mile rendering her work unexpectedly and undeniably impressive. She’s not a huge talker making her a very nice real-live diary of secrets; she won’t tell a soul about your baggage. She’s surprisingly funny, but when the occasion calls for it, she can be likened to a philosopher and an excellent source of useable advice. She’s ferociously loyal to her family and friends. She’s silly and weird, which makes her a companion one will never be bored with.

Adesa is a hard-working person when she wants something done. She doesn’t fool around when she knows she has a task to finish. She’s incredibly resourceful and highly determined under pressure, which results in a job well done. She may be short, but don’t let her height fool you because she also has a short fuse and could blow up on an offender at any time. She doesn’t let people manipulate her, yet when it comes to friends, she’d put them at the top of her priority list.

Ida Cel Mangaron Dizon                                          Adesa Parreño Ferraris

BS Biology II                                                              BS Biology II

onethousandpesos@yahoo.com be_hardheaded@yahoo.com

09277719602                                                           09195644955

*by Gemini Marie C. Arrojo & Portia Pauleth O. Pancho

Portia and I were sitting on a long, old bench along the Sapa bridge beside Portia’s boarding house. We were watching the children with drops of sweat all over their faces playing under the heat of Mr. Golden sun. While having our little conversation, Manong June interrupted. I didn’t know if we were going to call him Manong or Manang but he prefers to called “sister”. He asked us to buy his nilugaw. Nilugaw is a native delicacy that is made from ground sticky rice, sugar, coconut milk, purple yam, banana, sweet potato and bilog-bilog (balls made from ground sticky rice). In Antique, our home province, we call nilugaw as palutaw.

The sweet aroma and the bilog-bilog tempted us to buy from “Sister” June even if we had just eaten our lunch. We never expected that our mouth could water so much. At that time, it made us homesick since Antique is 35 miles away from Miag-ao. It reminded us again of our happy childhood memories.

I still remember those times when my late grandmother used to cook palutaw whenever I celebrated my birthday. Palutaw was always on the top food items for every special occasion in our house. Granny was really a good cook of native delicacies.

She would also cook palutaw in the afternoon before I had my nap. I hated to sleep because I wanted to play. I was a naughty girl so lola used this line “Ang di magturog hindi pagtugruan kang palutaw.” (For those who will not sleep, they will not be given palutaw.) Since I love palutaw I will force myself to sleep. There were times that I could not sleep, so I would just close my eyes and pretend that I was sleeping. Imagine lying in bed for two hours? It was agony! Lola really knew how to tame a naughty girl like me.
As to Portia, palutaw reminded her of her aunt who cooked it during Sundays. Portia would put the palutaw inside the refrigerator. She loves to eat it when it is cold. She told me how she started to like eating palutaw. “Kay kato kang gamay ko hindi gid ako parakaun kang palutaw. Pero natandaan ko kato kang grade four ko guid man. Pag-uli ko gutom-gutom gid ko, ti nakita ko ang palutaw sa ref. Biskan di ako hilig magkaon kara, ginkaun ko na lang wara man ko bi ti choice mu. That time, ridto ko lang naapreciate kag nanamitan kang palutaw. Amu man to ang reason nga nanami-an ko magkaun kung ramig ang palutaw.” (When I was young, I was not fond of eating palutaw. I started to love it when I was in grade four. I remember that time when I got home from school, I was starving. I looked for food in the ref but only to find a bowl of palutaw. I had no choice but to eat it. That time, I started to appreciate this native delicacy. In fact, until now I love to eat it that way.)

Now that we’re in the University, we couldn’t eat palutaw as often. So Portia and I decided to make our own palutaw specialty since we really missed eating it. Moreover, we got challenged by this research for Hum 1.

First, we interviewed three experts’ palutaw makers to know the ingredients and procedure as well as their cooking secrets. Each of our interviewees uses some kind of technique to make his/her palutaw more special.

Manang Delia, who sells palutaw in our homewtown, San Jose, adds strips of langka (jackfruit) for a sweet smell. Manang Diday, who is my relative, adds plenty of gata to make her palutaw creamy. The ingredients being added depend on the availability of fruits and root crops.

As to Sis June, a Miagwanon, “Ang sekereto kang manamit nga palutaw is love. Patas man ra kang mag-alaga kang bata. Kailangan mo storyahan, kantahan kag mga kaechuzan para nami magbahul” (The secret ingredient for a delicious palutaw is love. Cooking a palutaw is like nurturing a child who needs a little storytelling,, singing, and other creative means to get them to eat.) Talking to a food sounds funny. But when we had adopted Sister June’s technique, we are telling you: it is very effective.

So now, we proudly present to you Gemini & Portia’s Palutaw.

PALUTAW
Ingredients:
4 pcs. of ube (purple yam)
6 pcs. of saging (banana)
5 pcs. of kamote (sweet potato)
1/2 kilo of wash sugar
1 kilo of ground pilit (grind sticky rice)
1 piece of grated niyog nga butong (young coconut)
6 cups of gata (coconut milk)
1 ½ cup of sago
1 ½ cup of vanilla
5 cups of water

Procedure
1. First make bilog-bilog. Moisten the 1/4 kilo of ground sticky rice until it sticks together. Roll it into ¼ inch balls.
2. Boil 5 cups of water. When it comes to a vigorous boil, drop the bilog-bilog gently. Stir it occasionally so it will not stick to the bottom. Stir till cooked.
3. Add the other ingredients like the saging, kamote, grated niyog nga butong and ube.
4. While waiting for the ingredients to cook, dissolve the remaining pilit in 3 cups of water.
5. Pour the ground pilit with water when the ingredients are already cooked, Continue stirring.
6. Add sugar to sweeten the taste and vanilla to add the sweet aroma.
7. Lastly, stir in the gata.

Our mouth watered while cooking our masterpice. After all the stirring, our palutaw was ready. We could hardly speak a word when we were eating it. It’s very delicious. We are not exaggerating here! It’s really nice to eat the bilog-bilog. It was fun chewing them.

Palutaw is very easy to cook. It does not require skills, creativity or even talent. You don’t need to study its recipe, just memorize the steps by your heart and learn to appreciate every single spoonful of it. You can make your own mouth-watering palutaw. We had our nice and fun experience. It’s really nice to eat especially if you are the ones who cook it.

Namit gid!

 

 

Gemini Marie Arrojo is half-Negrense and half-Antiqueña but she spends mostly of her life in Antique. Reading novels and inspirational books is her passion. She is an avid fan of a writer named Jessica Zafra.
Portia Pauleth Pancho is a proud Protestant. She is an anime addict and she loves to watch Yakitate Japan anime which means “freshly baked”. Currently taking up BS Food Technology in the University of the Philippines in the Visayas (she loves to eat but doesn’t know how to cook).

By Elizabeth R. Gonzales*

The last woman I saw wearing a patadyong was my grandmother. She was a Cebuana, but got to spend the rest of her days in Antique for she married my grandfather from Antique. Like alitaptap, I also have this strange feeling that such a topic belongs to ancients.

            Seeing my grandmother wearing her patadyong made me wonder how the patadyong came about.  So here goes my lola’s answer: According to the Maragtas Legend, Datu Lubay taught the villagers how to weave. If the Antiquenos are proud of their patadyong in Bugasong, it is because of Datu Lubay.  He is said to be one of our last known Bornean forebearers. Some say that he was different because he was an artist. Nevertheless, it was said that it was because of him that patadyong weaving became one of the oldest continuing customs in our town.

Patadyong weaving is one of the oldest industries in my hometown Bugasong, particularly in Brgy. Bagtason. The weaving industry there is very evident and weaving is as natural as breathing. In almost every balcony of the houses there, you can see a lot of tiral.  Tiral is a wooden loom used by the weavers to produce patadyongs of different designs. If the dressmakers have their sewing machines, the weavers have their tiral.

Now, you may ask what the heaven is patadyong. Patadyong is the cloth of man y colors of stripes, squares, and rectangles. It is like a malong (the tubelike garment of the Muslims) but with a checkered or plaid design. The patadyong has a variety of uses.   Primarily, women used it as a skirt , paired with a blouse called kimona.  Also, the patadyong  was used as a mobile, personalized bathroom because in the olden days, women took their bath and washed their clothes in the river. With either one hand or their teeth holding the patadyong,  they soap and clean their bodies with another hand, assured of protection from malicious eyes.  I remember my lola would  take her baths at the water pump outside the house, using her patadyong  to cover her up.

            The patadyong was also used as a hammock for babies and for transporting the sick across hills, valleys, and rivers.

            Being a Bugasongnon (that is how people from Bugasong are named), I have always been hearing a lot about the patadyong made in Bugasong but I haven’t seen any of it yet. I haven’t even been to Barangay Bagtason yet-until I went there on September 9, 2007.

            It was my first time to go there and I nearly got lost. I was making my way along the dusty roads of Bagtason under the extreme heat of the sun and I felt like cursing, not because I hated the idea of walking, but because I was starting to get nervous. How could I be calm when I did not have any idea who and where these patadyong weavers were.

I felt so lost, literally. Luckily, I saw a group of handsome passersby, on their way to the barangay chapel.  So I asked them if they knew where the house of one of the weavers is.  They walked me to Eden Serra’s house.

            Mrs. Serra is a 55 year-old weaver who’s been weaving for almost 30 years-almost half of her life. Not only does she weave patadyong, she makes dresses and hats out of hablon as well.   Hablon are hand-woven textiles, sometimes in muted colors and sometimes in combination with silk threads.   Although both are hand-woven, hablon does not employ checkered patterns. 

            Among the many weavers in Bagtason is also Florita Cadapan who has been weaving patadyong for almost 30 years. Her house is just a step away from  56 year-old Yolanda Valenzuela’s house, still another patadyong weaver.   She has been weaving patadyong for almost 43 years since she started at 13.

            Like Bugasong, Iloilo also produces patadyong as well as other woven cloth since it was once the textile capital of the Philippines.  Today, with the change in lifestyle, demand for the patadyong is only for special occasions. Many of the children of weavers would rather work as factory workers or domestic helpers rather than spend their time in front of the old tiral.   

            I hope this tradition of weaving colorful patadyong will gain more recognition and patronage for it is what gives Bagtason, Bugasong, Antique its identity.

———-

* Elizabeth R. Gonzales is a 2^nd year BA Broadcast Communication student at the University of the Philippines Visayas. She sleeps, eats, and breathes music and movies. She loves medieval history and literature oh so very much. She even has this illusion that she was guinevere or isolde in her previous life. She is highly romantic, yet ironically, a love cynic. She cannot swim or sing well, but she can dance. She hates sentimentalism but then again, she feels like crying everytime she hears Hale’s Broken Sonnet and Alanis Morissette’s Ironic