You've read the lyrics, now learn how to sing through this great video!
Showing posts with label Culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Culture. Show all posts
30.4.10
Why Bohol fiestas are held in May
Why most fiestas are in May?
PIA-Bohol (30 April 2010)
THE FIESTA month of May announces its sidling entrance with homing overloaded boats navigating the narrow channel carved in the shallows towards their berthing places at the Tagbilaran pier.
But, why May, many have asked.
Answering the question may have something to do with understanding the word Tagbilaran, the name that never is in the Cebuano-Bisayan lexicon, says a self confessed local historian in Bohol.
Tagbilaran, the place with its heart nestled on top of a thickly forested rocky hill, may have been coined from two words: “tago” and “Bila” and could be a name given by grateful natives who clambered for safety and used the forests as their temporary shelter during the raids by Bila pirates, he said humbly refusing to have his name printed.
PIA-Bohol (30 April 2010)
Photo: Tubag Bohol
THE FIESTA month of May announces its sidling entrance with homing overloaded boats navigating the narrow channel carved in the shallows towards their berthing places at the Tagbilaran pier.
But, why May, many have asked.
Answering the question may have something to do with understanding the word Tagbilaran, the name that never is in the Cebuano-Bisayan lexicon, says a self confessed local historian in Bohol.
Tagbilaran, the place with its heart nestled on top of a thickly forested rocky hill, may have been coined from two words: “tago” and “Bila” and could be a name given by grateful natives who clambered for safety and used the forests as their temporary shelter during the raids by Bila pirates, he said humbly refusing to have his name printed.
31.3.10
Bohol Provincial Flag and Seal
The Provincial Flag of Bohol
The Provincial Flag shall have the following design and symbolism:
Size and Dimension: It shall have the same size and dimension as the Philippine National Flag.
Colors: The provincial flag shall have three (3) colors, namely ; blue for nobility, white for purity, and red for courage. The path and/or strip of the blue and red runs in a perpendicular grain with the patch of white in-between.
Chocolate Hills: This famous tourist attraction symbolizes the abundance of natural beauty that the Creator has bestowed on Bohol. The supplementary background of green in the reproduction of the province's coat of arms is interpretative of Bohol as an agricultural province, most of its people depend on farming for their livelihood.
27.3.10
Bohol Provincial Symbols
The Provincial Hero is Francisco Sendrijas, also popularly known as Francisco Dagohoy or Dagohoy. He was known to have led the longest revolt in the Philippine history.
Dance
The Provincial Dance is the Kuratcha Boholana.
Plant
The Provincial Plant is the Ubi Kinampay, a rootcrop with white or light to dark purple meat. These rootcrops are very aromatic and is cooked as plainly boiled, mixed to other vegetables or dried and used as a flavoring for ice creams, candies, cakes and other goodies. The best kind of ubi is believed to be found only in Bohol. An Ubi Festival is celebrated every January in Bohol.
26.3.10
Awit sa Bohol (Bohol Hymn)
Visayan Version
Awit sa Bohol
Yuta kong minahal,
Hatag ni Bathala;
Sa adlaw’g gabi-i,
Taknang tanan
Dinasig sa kinaiyahan
Sa mga bayaning yutawhan
Imong kalinaw gi-ampingan
Lungsod sa bungtod nga matunhay
Ug matam-is nga kinampay
Puti ang kabaybayunan
Walog sa suba binisbisan
Bahandi sa dagat ug kapatagan
Gugma ang tuburan
Sa kagawasan sa tanan
Panalanginan ka
Ihalad ko lawas ug kalag
Sa mutya kong Bohol.
English Version
Bohol Hymn
This is the land I love,
The land God gave to me,
Caressed by the sun,
Bathed by the sea,
And kissed by the cool breeze
Night and day.
Here’s where the early heroes lived,
Here’s where they wrought peace
and here they bled,
Here rise the marvelous cone-shaped hills,
Here sweet kinampay grows.
Blessed with white sandy beaches,
Rivers that water valleys,
Seas teem with fishes and cows graze
on the plains,
In ev’ry home love reigns,
God keep my homeland always free,
Let her forever be,
I pledge my strength, my heart and soul,
To my dear home, Bohol.
Source: Bohol LGU website
Awit sa Bohol
Yuta kong minahal,
Hatag ni Bathala;
Sa adlaw’g gabi-i,
Taknang tanan
Dinasig sa kinaiyahan
Sa mga bayaning yutawhan
Imong kalinaw gi-ampingan
Lungsod sa bungtod nga matunhay
Ug matam-is nga kinampay
Puti ang kabaybayunan
Walog sa suba binisbisan
Bahandi sa dagat ug kapatagan
Gugma ang tuburan
Sa kagawasan sa tanan
Panalanginan ka
Ihalad ko lawas ug kalag
Sa mutya kong Bohol.
English Version
Bohol Hymn
This is the land I love,
The land God gave to me,
Caressed by the sun,
Bathed by the sea,
And kissed by the cool breeze
Night and day.
Here’s where the early heroes lived,
Here’s where they wrought peace
and here they bled,
Here rise the marvelous cone-shaped hills,
Here sweet kinampay grows.
Blessed with white sandy beaches,
Rivers that water valleys,
Seas teem with fishes and cows graze
on the plains,
In ev’ry home love reigns,
God keep my homeland always free,
Let her forever be,
I pledge my strength, my heart and soul,
To my dear home, Bohol.
Source: Bohol LGU website
22.8.08
Baclayon Native Cooking
I first read this news feature in June where the writer was invited to judge a cooking contest in my hometown last summer. The contest, "Lutong Inato - Ato Jud Ni" featured heirloom recipes from some of the town residents.
I wish I was there to experience the event. I am no cook but I sure know how to taste good food when I try one. And besides, I miss native cooking. However, what I am more interested in is that each heirloom recipe submitted for this contest was accompanied by some narrative of the source or history of the recipe. Talk about feeding both body and brain! You are eating great tasting food and at the same time ingesting the story they tell.
Fifty-two dishes were served for the judges to rate in the following categories - Meat, Poultry, Seafood, Soups, Vegetables, Dessert and Merienda. An example mentioned of a recipe with a story to tell is the dessert "sangkuga." It became popular at a time when coconut trees were attacked by insects and young coconuts fell from the trees. The people made use of the young coconuts and scraped the soft inner shell and cooked this in coconut milk with muscovado sugar. This was then served with freshly grated mature coconut meat.
I remember as a child that our "utan bisaya" always has Bago leaves as an essential ingredient. We use to have these leaves bought in a public market like the one in Baclayon or picked from a neighbour's tree. These leaves figured prominently in some of the soups and vegetable dishes served during the contest.
Some of the recipe mentioned by the writer I am familiar with and have even tried them. Reading this article made me hungry that I longed to try them again. But writing this blog post is torture to my stomach, which right now is threatening to erupt like a volcano if I will not feed it. Food break!
Right, to go on with the torture. "Humba nangka," made from coconut milk, sili (pepper) and unripe mature fruit of nangka (jackfruit) is a worthy alternative to pork humba. Another delight mentioned was the soup made with "supsup," a conical shell where the end is cut off to ease the sucking of the meat from the opening, hence the name. The soup is delicious with or without coconut milk and lots of kamunggay (horse radish).
That soup evoked in me childhood summer memories that involved a lot of panginhas (shell gleaning) and panuwaki (gathering edible sea urchins) during hunasan (low tide). One time, as we are heading back home after panginhas and panuwaki, I and some cousins got waylaid by the presence of a lot of edible shells including the supsup. We gathered a lot for supper later that night. It was a delight for us city kids as we ate the fruits of our labour. We've broken sweat (or is it just seawater?) to gather them, you know.
Although cooking the supsup soup (no pun intended) is relatively easy, preparing the shells is quite laborious. The gathering of the shells is more fun provided you got lucky to find them in bulk in a small area. The hardest bit is the cutting of the pointed ends. These shells are small and you literally need 50-100 shells to feed a good number of people. Of course, if you don't have the time you can always run over quickly to the public market to but a "caltex"-ful, instead.
Back to contest, I am glad this happened. It is a good start towards preserving Baclayon's heritage on native cooking. What the article did not say, however, is what happened next after the contest. I am interested to know if a recipe book had been made that will be made widely available both in Baclayon and the rest of the province. Is this contest just a one-off or are there plans to continue it as a sort of an annual food festival held every summer? This activity for sure will attract many local and foreign tourists alike.
What about a restaurant in Baclayon showcasing not just the award winning recipes but all the recipes that were entered? Bohol is very well known for its fiestas and Baclayon is no exception. How about integrating this contest/program in both the town and barangay fiestas?
If you want to read the sourced article please click here.
I wish I was there to experience the event. I am no cook but I sure know how to taste good food when I try one. And besides, I miss native cooking. However, what I am more interested in is that each heirloom recipe submitted for this contest was accompanied by some narrative of the source or history of the recipe. Talk about feeding both body and brain! You are eating great tasting food and at the same time ingesting the story they tell.
Fifty-two dishes were served for the judges to rate in the following categories - Meat, Poultry, Seafood, Soups, Vegetables, Dessert and Merienda. An example mentioned of a recipe with a story to tell is the dessert "sangkuga." It became popular at a time when coconut trees were attacked by insects and young coconuts fell from the trees. The people made use of the young coconuts and scraped the soft inner shell and cooked this in coconut milk with muscovado sugar. This was then served with freshly grated mature coconut meat.
I remember as a child that our "utan bisaya" always has Bago leaves as an essential ingredient. We use to have these leaves bought in a public market like the one in Baclayon or picked from a neighbour's tree. These leaves figured prominently in some of the soups and vegetable dishes served during the contest.
Some of the recipe mentioned by the writer I am familiar with and have even tried them. Reading this article made me hungry that I longed to try them again. But writing this blog post is torture to my stomach, which right now is threatening to erupt like a volcano if I will not feed it. Food break!
Right, to go on with the torture. "Humba nangka," made from coconut milk, sili (pepper) and unripe mature fruit of nangka (jackfruit) is a worthy alternative to pork humba. Another delight mentioned was the soup made with "supsup," a conical shell where the end is cut off to ease the sucking of the meat from the opening, hence the name. The soup is delicious with or without coconut milk and lots of kamunggay (horse radish).
That soup evoked in me childhood summer memories that involved a lot of panginhas (shell gleaning) and panuwaki (gathering edible sea urchins) during hunasan (low tide). One time, as we are heading back home after panginhas and panuwaki, I and some cousins got waylaid by the presence of a lot of edible shells including the supsup. We gathered a lot for supper later that night. It was a delight for us city kids as we ate the fruits of our labour. We've broken sweat (or is it just seawater?) to gather them, you know.
Although cooking the supsup soup (no pun intended) is relatively easy, preparing the shells is quite laborious. The gathering of the shells is more fun provided you got lucky to find them in bulk in a small area. The hardest bit is the cutting of the pointed ends. These shells are small and you literally need 50-100 shells to feed a good number of people. Of course, if you don't have the time you can always run over quickly to the public market to but a "caltex"-ful, instead.
Back to contest, I am glad this happened. It is a good start towards preserving Baclayon's heritage on native cooking. What the article did not say, however, is what happened next after the contest. I am interested to know if a recipe book had been made that will be made widely available both in Baclayon and the rest of the province. Is this contest just a one-off or are there plans to continue it as a sort of an annual food festival held every summer? This activity for sure will attract many local and foreign tourists alike.
What about a restaurant in Baclayon showcasing not just the award winning recipes but all the recipes that were entered? Bohol is very well known for its fiestas and Baclayon is no exception. How about integrating this contest/program in both the town and barangay fiestas?
If you want to read the sourced article please click here.
14.8.08
Grey Hairs
I have stopped thinking about my grey hairs for sometime now. However, a recent innocent comment from a relative about his grey hairs getting numerous brought it all back again. Two years ago or so, I can count five to seven grey hairs on each side of my head and similarly on the top. There must have been several more at the back as well. I would pull out most of it despite remembering old folks in Bohol saying that it will increase your grey hairs if you pull them out.
Nowadays, there are just too many to pull out that I do not bother with it anymore. I have accepted the fact that there will be more of them grey hairs as I grow older. Really?! Or is it because superstition had prevailed over logic. As my older son will say, "Whatever!"
Pulling out grey hairs from our father's head was a lunchtime ritual all of us siblings have to do when we were young. In tandem with it is the pulling out of hairs from his chin. These mundane tasks were always done by pairs and we all have to take turns, so, there is no escape. Generally, I disliked doing it more than anything else.
Even up to now, Father did not really have a lot of grey hairs. But two of his brothers and their mother all have their heads covered with grey hairs. When spending weekends in Baclayon (we were living then in Tagbilaran) I remember one instance, as a small boy, my Nana asked me to pull out grey hairs from her head. I thought, this is easy so I started pulling out hairs in rapid succession. I was scolded. She told me that what she had meant were those very short grey hairs as these causes her head to itch. And that was not an easy thing to do as her head is covered with grey hairs!
I doubt that I can ask my sons to do that lunchtime ritual on me when they get old enough to do so. We now live in different times and a very different environment. But it would be nice to happen as it will bring back to me memories with my father. Although I said I disliked doing it then, but the memory of it was not forgotten. Why? I would like to think that during those short regular moments, a father and son(s) shared quality time together, which, as that credit card advertisement will say, is priceless.
Nowadays, there are just too many to pull out that I do not bother with it anymore. I have accepted the fact that there will be more of them grey hairs as I grow older. Really?! Or is it because superstition had prevailed over logic. As my older son will say, "Whatever!"
Pulling out grey hairs from our father's head was a lunchtime ritual all of us siblings have to do when we were young. In tandem with it is the pulling out of hairs from his chin. These mundane tasks were always done by pairs and we all have to take turns, so, there is no escape. Generally, I disliked doing it more than anything else.
Even up to now, Father did not really have a lot of grey hairs. But two of his brothers and their mother all have their heads covered with grey hairs. When spending weekends in Baclayon (we were living then in Tagbilaran) I remember one instance, as a small boy, my Nana asked me to pull out grey hairs from her head. I thought, this is easy so I started pulling out hairs in rapid succession. I was scolded. She told me that what she had meant were those very short grey hairs as these causes her head to itch. And that was not an easy thing to do as her head is covered with grey hairs!
I doubt that I can ask my sons to do that lunchtime ritual on me when they get old enough to do so. We now live in different times and a very different environment. But it would be nice to happen as it will bring back to me memories with my father. Although I said I disliked doing it then, but the memory of it was not forgotten. Why? I would like to think that during those short regular moments, a father and son(s) shared quality time together, which, as that credit card advertisement will say, is priceless.
30.4.08
Happy Fiesta Bohol
We now approach the merry month of May, which also happens to be the month of fiestas in Bohol. Literally, every day of this month there is a fiesta celebrated somewhere in the province. If I am not mistaken, you can live on fiesta food for a month if you stay in Loon or Jagna. Just thinking of fiesta in May brought back very many memorable experiences of my childhood and teen years. You do remember that famous joke of Bohol sinking several feet in May because of the many visiting Bol-anons coming back to celebrate fiesta with their kith and kin. Well, it is that time of the year again.
Although I now call my ancestral town of Baclayon as home, I actually grew up in Tagbilaran City. We lived there for about ten years before moving back to Baclayon when most of us siblings went to Cebu for college studies. So, for ten years we celebrated Tagbilaran's fiesta day, which falls on the 1st of May in honour of Saint Joseph, the husband of Mother Mary and the foster father of Jesus Christ. Local historian Jes Tirol has an interesting story on why the city celebrated Saint Joseph's feast day on 1st of May instead of its original day, 19th of March.
If you are a first time fiesta goer or mamistahay in Bohol, perhaps it is wise to acquaint yourself on our fiesta etiquette. Otherwise, you may not be invited again for next year's fiesta celebration. And if I may add a piece of unsolicited advice - do not eat too much in the first house you visit; it may not be the only house you will go to during fiesta day. This is the hard lesson learnt by my fraternity brods when they first experience Tagbilaran fiesta. They ate to their hearts content in the first house they visited. In the second house, they have to beg off from the main course meals and instead indulge themselves on sweets and cakes. In the third house, with red faces they asked the host for the 'comfort room' facilities. After, they asked us for directions to the nearest pharmacy to buy the you-know-what tablets. Alas, they spent the rest of the day fasting! They did went back the following year, though, all wisened up.
On the other hand, you may also end up without eating on fiesta day. I remember the story of the stranger who went with his Bol-anon friend to celebrate the fiesta of the latter's home barangay. When the neighbours heard of his visit, they vied for the privilege of having him as their important guest. In short, he hopped from house to house without getting anything to eat. It continued until nightfall. Although very hungry, he was too exhausted to bother eating and opted to sleep instead. Poor fellow, napasmo hinuon! Of course, this story is meant as a joke but there is a hint of truth on it. Bol-anons likes to invite or warmly welcomes strangers into their house during fiesta. I believe it is still true to these days in some places.
Happy Fiesta Tagbilaran on May 1st! Happy Fiesta to my home barangay of Santa Cruz in Baclayon on May 3rd!
Although I now call my ancestral town of Baclayon as home, I actually grew up in Tagbilaran City. We lived there for about ten years before moving back to Baclayon when most of us siblings went to Cebu for college studies. So, for ten years we celebrated Tagbilaran's fiesta day, which falls on the 1st of May in honour of Saint Joseph, the husband of Mother Mary and the foster father of Jesus Christ. Local historian Jes Tirol has an interesting story on why the city celebrated Saint Joseph's feast day on 1st of May instead of its original day, 19th of March.
If you are a first time fiesta goer or mamistahay in Bohol, perhaps it is wise to acquaint yourself on our fiesta etiquette. Otherwise, you may not be invited again for next year's fiesta celebration. And if I may add a piece of unsolicited advice - do not eat too much in the first house you visit; it may not be the only house you will go to during fiesta day. This is the hard lesson learnt by my fraternity brods when they first experience Tagbilaran fiesta. They ate to their hearts content in the first house they visited. In the second house, they have to beg off from the main course meals and instead indulge themselves on sweets and cakes. In the third house, with red faces they asked the host for the 'comfort room' facilities. After, they asked us for directions to the nearest pharmacy to buy the you-know-what tablets. Alas, they spent the rest of the day fasting! They did went back the following year, though, all wisened up.
On the other hand, you may also end up without eating on fiesta day. I remember the story of the stranger who went with his Bol-anon friend to celebrate the fiesta of the latter's home barangay. When the neighbours heard of his visit, they vied for the privilege of having him as their important guest. In short, he hopped from house to house without getting anything to eat. It continued until nightfall. Although very hungry, he was too exhausted to bother eating and opted to sleep instead. Poor fellow, napasmo hinuon! Of course, this story is meant as a joke but there is a hint of truth on it. Bol-anons likes to invite or warmly welcomes strangers into their house during fiesta. I believe it is still true to these days in some places.
Happy Fiesta Tagbilaran on May 1st! Happy Fiesta to my home barangay of Santa Cruz in Baclayon on May 3rd!
10.3.08
Sacred Ubi
The ubi is a staple root crop in Bohol, which is the largest producer of the crop in the Philippines. There are several ubi varieties grown in the province such as the traditional, aromatic kinampay, kabus-ok, iniling, tamisan, baliganhon, binanag, gimnay and binato (BAR Research & Development Digest). The most famous of these varieties is the kinampay, which has marbled purple flesh and is well-known for its aroma. It is behind the colour and flavour of that famous Nestle Magnolia ice cream!
Ubi is also venerated by us Bol-anons as a sacred crop. In fact, we kiss it and utter a humble apology if accidentally dropped. When I was young, my late aunt used to bring some ubi kabus-ok and sometimes, kinampay, when she comes down (molugsong) from Corella. We would later cook it into binignit and ubi jam from the kinampay.
Once, being a child I got careless in handling some ubi she just brought down. I accidentally dropped some of it. Right away I was told off by my aunt! She lectured me about taking care of the crop and treating it with more respect next time. And then she told me to kiss the dropped ubi and carefully replace them in the bukag. It was bizarre! But I did it anyway otherwise I will get a second telling off from my father.
Zeareal had the same experience and even offered an explanation as to why we Bol-anons hold the ubi as sacred. The ubi was said to be brought by Chinese traders to Bohol, particularly in Dauis, Panglao Island, in the 10th century. The root crop thrived well and became an important part of the people there. Incidentally, these people are part of the Dapitan or Bo-ol Kingdom. However, the kingdom was destroyed by Ternateans in 1563. The survivors fled the area and with them their knowledge of the ubi.
The highlanders then settled the place. During a great famine caused by a long drought, many people starved and died. The hungry natives searched for food, asking their God to help them ease their suffering. Then, someone stumbled upon the ubi, which eventually saved the natives from hunger. Because of this, they held ubi as their saviour; for them, kissing it is not enough as their way of saying thanks to God.
My father told me of a similar experience as a child during World War II. They would scavenge for ubi as food. Aside from being delicious it is also highly nutritious so he swore that if not for ubi they would have died of hunger. They were constantly on the run from Japanese occupation forces so looking for food was not easy.
There is an annual Ubi Festival held in Bohol in order to promote the root crop. I understand it is now on its ninth year. I still remember the first festival that was held in Dauis in 2000. I was then a team member of a UP project promoting comprehensive education and community development to the local government of the town. One of the active partners of this project were Bol-anon alumni of UP, which counted among them UP Los Baños agriculture graduates. It was they who thought out the idea for this festival. It was a delight seeing all those different types and products of ubi.
In the second year, I brought along some South Korean university students who came to do volunteer work and engage in cultural immersion in Dauis. Their visit was also connected to UP’s project with the local government.
Today, ubi is tagged as one of the Philippines’ five banner crops for export by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). In the country and abroad, it is being marketed in the forms of puree, power, dried chips, cubes in syrup, ice cream, halaya and many others. The ubi or purple yam is the most expensive tuber crop in the country. Its selling price is much higher than white or Irish potato, sweet potato, cassava and taro (BAR Research and Development Digest).
Ubi is also venerated by us Bol-anons as a sacred crop. In fact, we kiss it and utter a humble apology if accidentally dropped. When I was young, my late aunt used to bring some ubi kabus-ok and sometimes, kinampay, when she comes down (molugsong) from Corella. We would later cook it into binignit and ubi jam from the kinampay.
Once, being a child I got careless in handling some ubi she just brought down. I accidentally dropped some of it. Right away I was told off by my aunt! She lectured me about taking care of the crop and treating it with more respect next time. And then she told me to kiss the dropped ubi and carefully replace them in the bukag. It was bizarre! But I did it anyway otherwise I will get a second telling off from my father.
Zeareal had the same experience and even offered an explanation as to why we Bol-anons hold the ubi as sacred. The ubi was said to be brought by Chinese traders to Bohol, particularly in Dauis, Panglao Island, in the 10th century. The root crop thrived well and became an important part of the people there. Incidentally, these people are part of the Dapitan or Bo-ol Kingdom. However, the kingdom was destroyed by Ternateans in 1563. The survivors fled the area and with them their knowledge of the ubi.
The highlanders then settled the place. During a great famine caused by a long drought, many people starved and died. The hungry natives searched for food, asking their God to help them ease their suffering. Then, someone stumbled upon the ubi, which eventually saved the natives from hunger. Because of this, they held ubi as their saviour; for them, kissing it is not enough as their way of saying thanks to God.
My father told me of a similar experience as a child during World War II. They would scavenge for ubi as food. Aside from being delicious it is also highly nutritious so he swore that if not for ubi they would have died of hunger. They were constantly on the run from Japanese occupation forces so looking for food was not easy.
There is an annual Ubi Festival held in Bohol in order to promote the root crop. I understand it is now on its ninth year. I still remember the first festival that was held in Dauis in 2000. I was then a team member of a UP project promoting comprehensive education and community development to the local government of the town. One of the active partners of this project were Bol-anon alumni of UP, which counted among them UP Los Baños agriculture graduates. It was they who thought out the idea for this festival. It was a delight seeing all those different types and products of ubi.
In the second year, I brought along some South Korean university students who came to do volunteer work and engage in cultural immersion in Dauis. Their visit was also connected to UP’s project with the local government.
Today, ubi is tagged as one of the Philippines’ five banner crops for export by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). In the country and abroad, it is being marketed in the forms of puree, power, dried chips, cubes in syrup, ice cream, halaya and many others. The ubi or purple yam is the most expensive tuber crop in the country. Its selling price is much higher than white or Irish potato, sweet potato, cassava and taro (BAR Research and Development Digest).
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