Allow me to wax sentiments. The first time I saw the Probe Team feature “Gintong Pamana”, it made me feel so proud that I cried. It’s about the gold discovered in Surigao which is now on exhibit at the Ayala Museum. As interesting was the story behind the discovery of this treasure, the personalities involved, and how the items changed hands.

Some of the gold are in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas while most items are in the “Gold of Ancestors” collection at the Ayala Museum which features more than one thousand precious objects that are believed to date back as far as the 10th century. It is believed that a number of the gold are still in the hands of private collectors here and abroad.

The collection is believed to the be the “most valuable tangible heritage of the Philippines.” The craftsmanship and intricacies of the items suggest a sophisticated culture existed in the Philippines before colonization. Could these really belong to our ancestors? Nobody knows for sure but it is safe to assume that it is until there are evidence that suggests otherwise. This treasure will surely pave the way for further studies and research on our precolonial past.

We have to thank the family of the late National Artist Leandro Locsin for entrusting the gold to Ayala Museum so that ordinary Filipinos can take a glimpse at these priceless heritage. For those who weren’t able to watch the Probe Team feature, here are the links to the videos.

Part 1 of 9

Here are the rest of the videos:

Part 2 of 9

Part 3 of 9

Part 4 of 9

Part 5 of 9

Part 6 of 9

Part 7 of 9

Part 8 of 9

Part 9 of 9

Image credit: I hope Ayala Museum wouldn’t mind if I downloaded the image from their website.

Beauty, wealth, glamor . . these are just some of the words that came to mind when I saw the “Las Gran Damas de Negros” Exhibit. The biographical photo exhibit of the Negrense Women of Substance was in connection with the celebration of May as the Heritage Month and ran from May 31 to June 15 at the SM City Bacolod.

Featured were the lives of Negrense Women who have made their mark in the Negrense community through their different contributions and achievements. Not only because of their rich families, these women have triumphed against the different adversaries they face in their times which show they are truly women of substance.

Showcased were family heirlooms, gowns, portraits, and personal accessories of the 11 ‘Gran Damas’ - Remedios Palanca Bantug, Hortensia Starke, Olivia Yanson, Nene Lacson Garcia, Gloria Araneta Esteban, Luisa Diaz Lacson, Lourdes Concha Ciocon, Hermelinda Ramos Dizon, Carmen Rodriguez Lizares, Nena Vargas Ledesma and Marta Mijares Rivilla.

Reading about the lives of these women made me realize that money can’t shelter you from the different struggles that confront a woman everyday. There were a lot of rich women in Negros yet there were only a few who made a name for themselves. Their life story serves as inspiration to the younger generation of women.

Here, take a look at their collections.

It was more out of curiosity that I watched Ploning last Monday. I was not a fan of Judy Ann Santos, although I’ve watched several of her more recent films. Not that I don’t like her. I’m just choosy in the movies I watch. The kind of films she made during her teens are the kind that will never make me part with my precious money. But I guess those days are over.

The Actress

Judy Ann Santos is box office material, no doubt about that. An actress of her caliber must be very confident that whatever film she make will surely make money. However, to co-produce Ploning is still threading unchartered waters, risky if not completely suicidal. It takes a lot of bravery to do this kind of film. With Ploning, Juday has proven her worth as an actress and perhaps as a person. I guess she’s made of far better stuff than most actresses her age. For that alone she has earned my admiration.

The Island

Location of Cuyo

Cuyo is located between Panay Island and Palawan. Although politically, it is part of Palawan, it’s culture is more Visayan than Tagalog. Cuyonon sounds like Kinaray-a thus I can understand some of the conversations without looking at the subtitles. Kinaray-a, a language related to HIligaynon, spoken in most parts of Iloilo and all of Antique - the province in Panay facing Cuyo group of islands. It was probably due to the proximity of Cuyo to Panay, especially Antique, that enable them to share cultural similarities.

Watching the movie also invoked fond memories of my childhood in Iloilo.

• We also play with the same bamboo cart used by the asin boys.
• We also play outdoors at night during a full moon.
• When a kid asks to see Manila, an adult would lift him through his head.
• When there were no gas stoves then, we used ‘tayhup’, the bamboo thing that Digo blew into to make fire.
• And our Nanays collect used Nescafe glass jars, which we used as drinking glass.

The Movie

The movie’s plot is simple. It doesn’t deal with social issues that may make you leave the movie house with a heavy heart. It revolves around Ploning, a 30-year-old town belle of Cuyo who awaits for the return of her only love. While waiting for his return, she became surrogate mother to Digo, whose mother, portrayed by Eugene Domingo, was half paralyzed. Ploning also developes friendship with Celeste (Mylene Dizon), Alma (Meryl Soriano), and Nieves (Ces Quesada). Each woman has her own story to tell and their lives were all touched by Ploning.

Ploning is a story of love, not so much of romantic love but love among friends, family and of one’s roots. It’s a story of friendship, sacrifice and selflessness. Ploning showcases not only the beauty of Cuyo but also the charm of its people and their culture. They live a simple and laid back lifestyle typical of small-town life. But perhaps in that simplicity lies what truly matters in life.

Last January, I started a poll on this blog asking what’s the ultimate sign of Promdi-ness. After two months, and 15 votes, I am now ready to reveal the winner. To the 15 voters, you know who you are, thank you so much for taking time to vote. And now, the winner, for the ultimate sign of Promdi-ness, is no other than…drum rolls please…

Panghilod!

Caption goes here

Wow, really, I mean it’s about time we pay homage to this lowly stone. Which has been a part of our childhood (or life) even if you won’t dare admit it. It’s either you love it or hate it but somehow, somewhere, sometime in your distant past you have come across this nature’s wonder and gift to Filipinos, especially the promdis.

To the uninitiated, panghilod is a piece of rock or stone used in scrubbing out dirt and grime from the skin during bathing, much like how we use loofah.

Lugod? Ewww!

From my post Ilonggo Guid: You know you’re a true-blue Ilonggo if…

Your bathroom has at least one lugod (panghilod).

From the comments section of the Multiply site of a certain Ilongga, referring to the above.

• Girl1: hmmm…one thing needs to be changed…that lugod….only poor ppl have that….never in my life have i ever met anyone that has a lugod in their house
• Girl2: isn’t lugod the same as a loofah or somtng similar..?
• Girl1: i dunno its like a rock…that u use if u dont have soap or wutever…
• Girl2: ow… rilly…? ambot… basi ang nagsulat sini is poor.
• Girl3: over…. pa poor-poor kamo da! long before i discovered loofah i still remember using lugod…… that only means one thing…… indi kamo poor pero mga BULINGON kamo sang una!!!! mwahahahaha!

Girl1, the title says ‘true-blue Ilonggo’, not ‘true-blue RICH Ilonggo. Good for you, you were so fortunate to be born rich. Unlike us who were made to suffer the disgrace of having used lugod when taking a bath.

Girl2, the last time I checked, my bank account is in the minimum maintaining balance, my credit cards are almost reaching their maximum credit limit, and since I did not win the Lotto Jackpot last Sunday, yes, I’m poor.

Girl 3, how true, how true. I don’t know you but I like you already.

What makes the best panghilod?

Volcanic rock is the type that most people in the Philippines use since this type is very abundant and widely distributed in the Philippines. Some people prefer to use sandstone as panghilod. Think of it this way, have you tried rubbing sandpaper on your skin? That’s probably what it feels like using sandstone as panghilod. Can’t blame those people though, if it is effective in getting rid of dead skin and stubborn calluses, imagine what it can do to your grime.

According to Dr. Leopoldo P. de Silva Jr., Assistant Professor of Geology of the University of the Philippines Diliman. In his article ‘The Geology of the ‘Panghilod’, the Traditional Pinoy Stone Tool’, Dr. de Silva said that panghilod generally possesses three important attributes:

1. Small enough to be hand-held (Just imagine if you’re going to scrub yourself with a stone as big as a pail)
2. A naturally polished or smoothened surface. (Unless, you really need something rough to do the job)
3. Flat or oblate in shape (Cleans more surface area in no time)

Other Uses

This simple tool which probably dates back to antiquity is multi-use.

• Self defense at home. Imagine you’re taking a bath using your panghilod. Let’s assume you’re poor since according to Girl 1 above, only poor people use panghilod. I imagine your bathroom to be such in a bad shape that your friendly neighborhood manyakis would want to be up-close and personal. Don’t fret. Your handy dandy panghilod will do the trick. It’s a rock girl, so it will surely give anybody it hits with a good bump on the head.
• Self defense on the go. If it’s small enough to fit in your bag then you can even bring it with you whenever you go. You will no longer need a permit to carry it and it will pass through any metal detectors. What’s more, you don’t have to worry how to be grime-free no matter where you’ll be spending the night over.
• Excellent paper weight. Why don’t you dress it up too and paint it? Sounds cool, huh?
• Emergency hammer. Need to fix something but you don’t have a hammer? Panghilod to the rescue!

Limitless possibilities for our dear panghilod. Squeaky clean ka na, protected ka pa. Saan ka pa?

photo credit: anne_jimenez

Last March 1 episode of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho of GMA7 featured Promdi Rock, or music from the provinces or those which are non-Tagalog. It featured BisRock (Bisaya Rock), RocKapampangan and T’boli music. I was hoping the show
also featured Ilonggo music but nonetheless, I’m glad they made a story on how promdi music is gaining popularity and acceptance in the mainstream airwaves. Here in Bacolod City for instance, Cebuano songs are afforded airplays even if not everybody understands the lyrics of the songs. Northern towns of Negros Occidental facing Cebu are Cebuano speakers but the rest of the province are Ilonggo speakers.

According to an interview, the popularity of songs in the local languages are manifestations of wanting to oppose identity crisis especially among the youths. This phenomenon also paved the way to the revival of folk songs to versions that appeal to the youth. I remember in the mid 90s when Ilonggo songs became very popular among young Ilonggos and gets airplays in local radio stations but it died a natural death. I hope this recent popularity of promdi music is not just a fad and suffer the same fate.

Here are my favorite promdi songs from the Visayas.

If you are reading this blog chances are, you are a promdi. The word Promdi was coined in the early 1990s 70s that literally means ‘fom the province‘ (prom di prabins). Anyone given this moniker is presumed to be an ignorant, uneducated provincial person. To be called a Promdi in Metro Manila would be a grave misfortune. Most Promdis who want to fit in with the Manila crowd first try hard to get rid of their tell-tale accent. So they end up speaking Tagalog even when talking with a person from the same province. Worse, some speak Tagalog back in the province even when spending just a few months in Manila. I know quite a number of their likes. I’m not sure if I’d be amused or disgusted.

But really, is being a Promdi anything to be ashamed of? I don’t think so! The truth is, most people in Manila are Promdis while the original Tagalogs are the minority. Most Manila residents would have their roots traced back in the province. The only Philippine president that can be called a true Manileño would be Joseph Estrada. All the rest came from the provinces. Two of which came from the Visayas, Manuel Roxas from Capiz and Carlos Garcia from Bohol. Some of the richest families in the country are from the province. The Lopezes and Aranetas hail from Iloilo and Negros Occidental. Have they ever been called Promdis? I don’t think so.

I don’t see any reason for us to feel inferior just because we hail from the province. I don’t feel insulted when people laugh at the way Promdis speak Tagalog in movies and TV sitcoms. I laugh at those jokes too. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, just because we speak Tagalog with a funny accent doesn’t mean we’re stupid. And by the way, I know a lot of Tagalog speakers who would love to have that Ilonggo accent.

Being a Promdi has it’s own advantages. We grew up with a lot of stories to tell our children. We get to hear stories of aswang, tikbalang, dwende and all sorts of creatures our folks ever thought of cooking up. Don’t you envy just how beautiful our provinces are? Don’t you love to visit Boracay, Bohol, Siquijor, Camiguin, Palawan, and other exotic places from this side of the country? Don’t you want to join our Dinagyang, Ati-Atihan, Masskara, and Sinulog? We see where our foods are grown and we get to eat them fresh. We wake up everyday with fresh air while you in the metropolis would often breathe pollution with your breakfast. The things that money can’t buy, we get for free.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate Manileños. I just want them to treat us as their equal, as their fellow Filipinos. I just don’t want to be called a Promdi in a derogatory manner, with the negative connotations associated with it. Isn’t it time for the word Promdi to mean only it’s literal meaning which is ‘from the province?’ I’m calling on all Promdis to join hands, let’s help our fellow Filipinos see the light. They’ve been under the shadow of their ignorance way too long. Let’s unite in educating our Tagalog kababayans. Let’s help them realize that it’s cool to be Promdi.

My post on the expense I incurred in connection with my credit card reminded me of a joke on the spending habit of Ilonggos (from Panay), Negrenses, and Cebuanos.

Cebuanos spend today what they earned yesterday.

Ilonggos spend today what they earned today.

Negrenses spend today what they will earn tomorrow.

I think there’s a little truth on this based on what I have observed, generally speaking. A credit card agent once told me that he has a lot of clients here in Negros Occidenatal than in Iloilo. Ilonggos from Panay are wary of incurring debt so they’re hesitant to apply for a credit card. As for the Cebuanos, well you can see how entrepreneurial they are so it somehow follow that they are wise spenders. I am now acting like a Negrense haciendera by the frequency of my credit card use when in fact I am just a lowly sakada. Arghh!

Somebody’s getting married! Unfortunately, it’s not me. My friend ‘Bakiks’, as we fondly call each other, is getting married on December 26. I was a little worried at first since she asked me to be a Ninang. A Ninang at my age? Isn`t that going to bring bad luck and make me an old maid? I heave a sigh of relief when she told me it`s going to be a civil wedding. What she really meant was that she wanted me to be a witness at their wedding.

That got me thinking about my own wedding. The potential groom-to-be is not yet too keen on it and unless it’s already approved somewhere to get married without the groom present, I’m not marrying any time next year. Deciding to get married is easy. What I’m more concerned about are the things we need to do before tying the knot.

1. Meet the family - The pamalaye (pamanhikan). Yup, not just the parents but the immediate and extended family. We are both the youngest so it’s expected that our respective families are a little possessive. Initial agreements and arguments on the details of the wedding are to be discussed here. Everybody has something to say.
2. Where to get married. Well this is kinda easy. I don’t know if this is true in other provinces but in Ilonggo culture, it’s almost always at the hometown of the bride or at least the bride decides where. It’s a no no to have it at the groom’s hometown. You`re going to send the wrong message. It seems the bride is the one who’s too eager to get married.
3. Whom to invite. Now this is the tricky part. I have a big extended family. I know he has too. Not to mention friends and colleagues. I wish I can invite everybody but that’s impossible. Somebody’s bound to get hurt. If the reception is not going to be at the bride’s house, it is customary to have two receptions. One at the official hotel reception and another at the home of the bride. If both live in the same town then there’s another reception at the groom’s house. The extra receptions are for those who were not on the official guest list of the couple but were invited by family members anyway.
4. Selecting the sponsors. Godparents automatically become principal sponsors. Sometimes, if the parents were to choose, prominent and rich personalities are often chosen instead of their capacity to act as second parents to the couple. Political connections are also major factors to consider. Some hotshot from the city hall/municipal hall has to be a sponsor. Better yet, choose the Mayor as a principal sponsor. This is considered beneficial not only for the couple but to the family as well. Having a Maninay/Maninoy at the municipal hall is better than grease money. Sound investment, don’t you think?
5. Money Matters - Who’s going to shoulder the expenses? Traditionally, the groom. But in case there’s a MORE PRESSING reason to get married, the bride’s family is more than willing to shoulder the expenses. Some people I know prepare for the wedding by raising different livestock they can think of, cattle, pig, chicken, goat and what have you. Well, if you’re going to feed the whole barangay, might as well build a piggery or a poultry. And in the end, they will eat your food and talk behind your back that you didn’t feed them enough or that your food was not good enough.

Is having a church wedding really worth all the trouble? Why spend thousands of pesos when you can get a license for like P500? How fortunate for my boyfriend, I’m not the cheesy type. However, I can’t speak in behalf of my family. For me, as long as the groom understands who will wear the pants in the family. . . and it’s not him.

[photo credit: www.sxc.hu]

I was rummaging through my stuff last weekend to sort out the things that I need to bring to Iloilo for disposal or for giving away. I noticed that I already have a few sets of undies that need to go. I sometimes keep my favorite ones even if they already show signs of wear and tear as my pang-balay (to be worn at home). I find old undies very comfortable since they no longer bite on the skin. Like clothes my undies are also sorted according to where I’m going to use them. What if I get into an accident and brought to the hospital? I wouldn’t want to be caught dead wearing my torn undies now, would I?

I used to give my old undies to Nanay for disposal but I stopped ever since I learned that she once gave an old bra to the wife of the farmhand. To think that I even wash my underwear myself because I don’t want other people touching them! Just imagine how embarrassed I was! Since then I personally get rid of my old undies by burning them. I know it’s bad for the environment but its the fastest and surest way to get rid of them. It’s a better option than use them as rags as my mother would have done. I don’t want other people to see such an intimate item. We even had a short fight since she wouldn’t even allow me to burn my old underwear since she believes it would bring bad luck. The cliché Mothers Know Best isn’t always true.

Some people have a very creative way of recycling old underwear. Our neighbor cut them to small pieces and use them as stuffing for pillows. Some of my officemates use their husbands’ briefs as rags and they swear that it’s one of the best. They say the cotton fabric makes it a very good absorbent. What can I say, these old ladies know their stuff.

I’m environment friendly but this is one instance that I would insist on not practicing recycling. I believe what’s meant to be hidden should remain that way.

I had the chance to watch ABS-CBN’s Goin’ Bulilit yesterday and had a good laugh at their Ysabellat, a spoof of Ysabella. I wonder how my young nephews and nieces reacted to it. Belat is still very taboo to us Ilonggos.

I know belat in Tagalog is what you say when you stick out your tongue to somebody, simply bee or bwe to us Ilonggos. Kids often do that and I don’t see any harm in that. But to us Ilonggos, belat means a totally different thing, not the kind you would say to kids. I just hoped ABS-CBN had been more sensitive to their young audiences from other provinces. But then if you’ve watched the show I think you would agree with me that some of their jokes were not even meant for kids. Sometimes I wonder if the young actors understand their jokes. I guess parents just have to be more critical in what TV shows to let their kids watch.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcHUgE3sPaY]