FOLK SONGS FROM THE PHILIPPINES

From the Ivatans of Batanes to the Samals of Tawi-tawi, the Philippines is replete with songs which revolves around the occupation or livelihood of the people. Damiana L. Eugenio, considered as “Ina ng Folklore sa Pilipinas” classified these kinds of songs in her monumental anthology “Philippine Literature Series VIII: The Folk Songs” into “occupational songs.” The Ivatans sing the kalusan while their seamen row boats.  The Ilocanos of the north have songs about salt-making, the Ibaloy of Benguet have hunting songs.  Who could ever forget the short and choppy Ifugao rice pounding song “Chua-ay”? The Visayans, living in an archipelago surrounded with seas teeming with marine resources are expectedly sea-oriented, in terms of culture, life ways and livelihood. The Eastern Visayas is no exception. Jaime B. Polo wrote in 1983 about a colorful fishing “ritual-drama” in the village of Binalayan in Leyte. Much is also written about the buhat ritual to attract schools of d...

Marol is the Samarnon word for the sampagita, the white dainty flower, long considered as the national flower of the Philippines. Across the country the sampagita is indeed renowned as it delicate white petals and unmistakable scent is commonly used metaphor for the Filipina maiden: simple, modest yet alluring.  Expectedly, many sampagita-inpired folklore materials are present in the Philippines, Samar included. This song for example, is also a version of a song-dance from Catbalogan.  Borongan, however, boasts the earliest published version of this song, when Priscilla V. Magdamo published the "An Manol" song from Borongan in her Philippine Folk Songs: Songs of the Visayas Vol. VI in 1958.  This version, from Villareal town on the western part of Samar was collected by Crispina C. Garcia. Pagkamatahom han marol bukad han tuna ta Kamakakaaawil han hamot niya Kundi labi na an marol, bukad han Villa Bantog humiyom, bantog tumawa, bantog ngatanan. An ha Vill...

The study of Philippine history during the Spanish colonial era is never a task solely relying on digging of chronicles, travel accounts, books published during that time, letters, government documents, statistical reports, catechisms and various ethnographic reports written (and most were published) by the frailes  themselves.  While the invaluable pieces of information the aforementioned offered can't be discounted, something  as paramount and as encompassing are on vernacular dictionaries and lexicons! The foreword written by Fr. Jose M. Cruz, S.J. for   prolific writer William Henry Scott's book  Barangay: Sevententh Century Philippine Society   mentioned the importance of dictionaries in the reconstruction of 17th century Philippines Society and culture: Dictionaries figure importantly in this book.  in the sixteenth century, there were only about a million and a half natives and only a small number of missionaries.  Aware of t...

To the Visayans of Samar and Leyte, where this blogger came from - san sadto pa daw literally means (approximately) "the ways back then".  Of course, the expression is uttered with longing, reminiscing, or feeling sorry for something lost or wasted!  I'm not a "prophet of doom", certainly.  I only want something to happen.  Something, which is not worth a good night sleep because it quickened me to start doing a thing - writing on a blog. For the present-day Filipinos' consumerist attitude, nothing is more exciting than earning a living and having our needs and wants satisfied.  A consumerist myself, such attitude proved that a little box - smallest of its kind - seem to restrict me from knowing the breadth and depths of who am I, a FILIPINO.  With perennial problems hounding us all, will this blog which is intended to discuss Philippine dance culture be of paramount importance or relevance?  Well, any answer will be correct.  'Yes', 'no'...