This site is about the Province of Kalinga, Philippines; the Kalinga people's culture, customs, dances, songs and many more. Read about various interesting stories of the Kalinga people.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
The Value of Honesty in Taloctoc, Kalinga
One thing that had made its mark in my memory as a young child is the honesty of the Kalinga native.
In our barrio - Taloctoc, houses were never locked. You could wander in and out of anybody's house, if you so desire.
You could leave your personal things anywhere and would still find them untouched when you get back.
Sometimes a child may be curious and "investigate"but he will always leave them where he found them, or report the found item to an elder .
If - apparently - the owner forgot it, then it will be brought to the barrio captain's 
house where the person may claim it.
It was an unwritten code to respect the rights and properties of another person.
There were no documented and notarized papers to that effect (just like what we do now), but everyone respected that "law".
There were very rare occasions when a scalawag nicked an item, but eventually he himself surrenders and would be willing to suffer the consequences.
all Photos by glenmcbethlaw
Friday, July 10, 2009
Harvesting Rice in the Payaos (Ricefields)
Harvesting rice was considered fun for the ordinary Kalinga kid, but for me then, I considered it a harrowing experience because of what happened during my first exposure.
We were all geared up for the "payao" (ricefields); with wide brim hats, long sleeved-clothing and our sharp scythes. We were to harvest rice wheats in two paddies.
The practice was to start the harvest only when you were certain you would be able to finish it; it was believed that any remaining unharvested rice wheat stalks would be ruined because the diety of the fields might become angry with what was perceived as laziness.
So there we were in the ricefield, all lined up as we harvested the rich wheats- one by one, using our razor sharp scythes. It was fun at first but when the sun reached its peak, I could no longer converse with my friend as my lips became parched and dry. My hands too, were already blistered and bleeding because of the sharp rice stalks that had persistently sliced through my palms...and to top these all, leeches were all over the muddy paddies sucking the blood out of me. They were found on the leaves of the wheat and on the mucilaginous mud at my feet. God, they were so lecherous, like hedonists making love; and had only detached themselves when I had scorched their sucking appendages with a smoldering tobacco.
I thought the day would never end, but of course, just like anything else, everything came to pass. We were done alright, but not after I cried several times from fatigue and pain, with all the blisters , sunburn and wounds I had obtained. I had to hide my tears amidst my sweat as I did not want to be called "lazy" by my peers.
From that day onwards, my skin thickened, the sole of my feet keratinized and I became insensitive to the rays of the noon day sun. I slowly adapted to the way of life; from my protected city life to the harsh rural setting.
I would never forget those memorable experiences though as they had made me tougher and a better person.
Photo by purplbutrfly
We were all geared up for the "payao" (ricefields); with wide brim hats, long sleeved-clothing and our sharp scythes. We were to harvest rice wheats in two paddies.
The practice was to start the harvest only when you were certain you would be able to finish it; it was believed that any remaining unharvested rice wheat stalks would be ruined because the diety of the fields might become angry with what was perceived as laziness.
So there we were in the ricefield, all lined up as we harvested the rich wheats- one by one, using our razor sharp scythes. It was fun at first but when the sun reached its peak, I could no longer converse with my friend as my lips became parched and dry. My hands too, were already blistered and bleeding because of the sharp rice stalks that had persistently sliced through my palms...and to top these all, leeches were all over the muddy paddies sucking the blood out of me. They were found on the leaves of the wheat and on the mucilaginous mud at my feet. God, they were so lecherous, like hedonists making love; and had only detached themselves when I had scorched their sucking appendages with a smoldering tobacco.
I thought the day would never end, but of course, just like anything else, everything came to pass. We were done alright, but not after I cried several times from fatigue and pain, with all the blisters , sunburn and wounds I had obtained. I had to hide my tears amidst my sweat as I did not want to be called "lazy" by my peers.
From that day onwards, my skin thickened, the sole of my feet keratinized and I became insensitive to the rays of the noon day sun. I slowly adapted to the way of life; from my protected city life to the harsh rural setting.
I would never forget those memorable experiences though as they had made me tougher and a better person.
Photo by purplbutrfly
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
APO LOMIWAN
My other paternal grandfather was a true blooded Taloctoc native. All that adorned his lean muscular body was a g-string which undulated with his every movement. He was as strong as a bull and sturdy as an oak. At age 70, he still trekked to the kaingin a mountain away from the barrio.
He carried bundles of wood like an agile, young man. During the evenings, we would sit all around the hearth and he would sing to us an "ullalim" (native song) about the legend of the "sleeping beauty" . In the mornings, before the cock has crowed, he would be up and about and already honing his bolo for a day's work in the fields.
When he passed away at age 92, I cried a river; but knowing that he is finally at rest, made me feel better . My wonderful memories of him will never fade away and will remain treasured in my heart .
APO LOMIWAN, we love you, and wherever you are, we know you're in good hands and that you are happy. Till we meet again!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
SOME COMMON TALOCTOC SENTENCES
The Taloctoc dialect has a certain accent that is specific for only Taloctoc natives. The letter "T" is most often pronounced as "K"; the letter "D" is most often pronounced as a cross between "T" and "D" (a heavy "TH" sound).
English to Taloctoc
1. What is your name? Umma ngadan no?
2. Where do you live? Umma ili yo?
3. Please come here. Umali kaod atna.
4. I love you. Laydok sika
5. Where are you going? Umma ayam?
6. Look at this! Ilam kad de anna.
7. Go ahead! Ingkayon ot.
8. What do you see? Umma ma-ilam?
9. You lied! nantul-li ka.
10. You are beautiful. Mambalo(l here is pronounced as y)ka.
11. Why have you done this to me? Pamman kingwa kansakon de katnat?
12. Take care. Ammam pay.
13. Where are you right now? Umma igom sinsana?
14. Wait, please. Unniyan ot.
15. I hope you are doing well. Mambalo ka ot yan.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Thank You to my Top EC Droppers for March
I would like to thank all those who dropped by this blog, especially my top droppers. Cheers and happy blogging!
AND I NOW ANNOUNCE THE WINNER FOR THE PREVIOUS CONTEST - ZORLONE. I'VE SENT YOUR EC CREDITS ALREADY. FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT WIN , 100 EC CREDITS WERE SENT FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION. THANKS.
| Dropper | # of drops |
|---|---|
| The Esoterical Journey | 20 |
| Good Life Review | 20 |
| Happy Steps travel blog | 16 |
| My Opinion Counts | 15 |
| Lagawan | 14 |
| Make Money Online Info Center | 14 |
| Mrs. Mecomber's Scrapbook | 13 |
| Online Money Intelligence | 13 |
| Zataki | 12 |
| New York Renovator | 12 |
AND I NOW ANNOUNCE THE WINNER FOR THE PREVIOUS CONTEST - ZORLONE. I'VE SENT YOUR EC CREDITS ALREADY. FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT WIN , 100 EC CREDITS WERE SENT FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION. THANKS.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A Trip to the Waterfalls and a Question to be Answered by YOU!
There are several waterfalls in the surrounding mountains of Taloctoc; big and small ones. There was this small one that we used to bathe in when we had more time to venture farther from the village. It was situated in a mid-portion of the mountain and it was an ideal place to have picnics, take a rest and then just basked in nature.
On a Saturday, I and my friends had decided that we had enough of the river and would want the refreshing cascade of the waterfalls, so off we went.
We had planned to stay only for half a day so we didn't bring anything with us. We swam under the pool of water just below the falls and enjoyed the clear and sparkling coolness. We climb atop the jutted rock and dived downwards; it was exhilarating that we lost track of time.
(Our waterfalls looked something like this.)
We only noticed that it was already afternoon when our stomachs growled hungrily and our shadows were slanting towards the east. (Yes, that was how we knew what time it was).
Each one went scavenging for food, but we didn't have to go far as there were wild guavas and berries all over the vegetation. We stuffed ourselves and in no time at all, we were full. We then went back to diving and swimming. We only stopped when it was too cold to stay in the water.
We donned our newly-washed clothes - which we have dried during the interim. (Remember, we bathe with nothing but our birthday suits on.) We were as happy as a bee and feeling invigorated as we finally descended and found our way home.
This is one event I would never forget because the following morning, we were all "sick" in bed. Not one in the group acknowledged the real reason why! We just said, we were sick and needed to stay home.
But truth is - CAN YOU GUESS WHY?
I will award 3,000 EC credits to whoever could give the real reason why we stayed home the following day.
Photo by Li-Ji
On a Saturday, I and my friends had decided that we had enough of the river and would want the refreshing cascade of the waterfalls, so off we went.
We had planned to stay only for half a day so we didn't bring anything with us. We swam under the pool of water just below the falls and enjoyed the clear and sparkling coolness. We climb atop the jutted rock and dived downwards; it was exhilarating that we lost track of time.
(Our waterfalls looked something like this.)
We only noticed that it was already afternoon when our stomachs growled hungrily and our shadows were slanting towards the east. (Yes, that was how we knew what time it was).
Each one went scavenging for food, but we didn't have to go far as there were wild guavas and berries all over the vegetation. We stuffed ourselves and in no time at all, we were full. We then went back to diving and swimming. We only stopped when it was too cold to stay in the water.
We donned our newly-washed clothes - which we have dried during the interim. (Remember, we bathe with nothing but our birthday suits on.) We were as happy as a bee and feeling invigorated as we finally descended and found our way home.
This is one event I would never forget because the following morning, we were all "sick" in bed. Not one in the group acknowledged the real reason why! We just said, we were sick and needed to stay home.
But truth is - CAN YOU GUESS WHY?
I will award 3,000 EC credits to whoever could give the real reason why we stayed home the following day.
Photo by Li-Ji
Friday, March 6, 2009
An Award From Untouchable Earth
The Premio Dardos Award is given to this blog by Noni of Untouchable Earth;
a cool blog that features poems, documentary, stories, paintings, comics and many more; written by the author's unique style is one site worthy of your time.
“The Premio Dardos Award (Italian word for "prize darts"), is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.”
To noni thanks and more power! I have many friends who are worthy of this award and I don't want to select just five, so I'll make it available to all my blogger friends who would want to take it. Happy blog hopping!
a cool blog that features poems, documentary, stories, paintings, comics and many more; written by the author's unique style is one site worthy of your time.
“The Premio Dardos Award (Italian word for "prize darts"), is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing. These stamps were created with the intention of promoting fraternization between bloggers, a way of showing affection and gratitude for work that adds value to the Web.”
To noni thanks and more power! I have many friends who are worthy of this award and I don't want to select just five, so I'll make it available to all my blogger friends who would want to take it. Happy blog hopping!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)