(2nd of the chronology of events)
The trek to the village was all downhill with only a few climbs. It surprised us because we have to go single file - through winding paths in the forest, ravines winding on the mountain side, paths so narrow carved above the cliffs that you have to cling to the vines that were interlocking there. The forest scenes have changed too. We heard unfamiliar bird calls and insect sounds that were both interesting and arty. In the middle of the tracks though we were all arrested by the very melodious sound of a bird that made my hairs stand on ends. It was so unique and touching… beautiful in its depths with a twang of note akin to nostalgia and
excitement but with a dash of sorrow too. It was the Dalawidaw. Too bad the bird is one of the fast diminishing species of our mountain dwellers.
We reached a small clearing with several houses attached to each other after an hour. Up close, we found out that it was like a satellite representation of the planet and its moon. Interesting!
There was one major house with its staircase and a sala where all the other four attachments were joined. There were many children too. Later we learned that each attachment belongs to one wife and children. The main house belongs to the original wife’s family. It is wider with a room for guests. One noticeable thing is the ceiling. It was made of whole, long bamboos laid side by side from wall to wall. I was told later that those were their rice containers. They call it bayong. Each bamboo is filled with the first yield in every harvest to serve as the crop buffer. This stored rice is dried so well and if the next harvest season comes it may be changed or are dried and stored again. One bayong contained 2 sacks of dried rice.
Down the hill about 50 meters from the house, we saw a young man harvesting rice with a child of about seven years old. It was notably a very slow process because he handled the palay stalks so carefully that Jojo, a Talunanon member commented, and I quote, “ Diya sa bukid amo gid karan kon mag-ani. Ginakayog lang. Tagsa ka pasi importante gid. Indi dapat mataktak.” (Here in the mountains, they harvest rice like that. They use kayog. Every grain is so important that it should not fall to the ground.) Kayog is the local term for a triangular instrument held by the hand. It’s made of a thin sharpened iron - placed between the middle and the ring fingers with the sharp side out. They cut the rice stalks with it.
We reached the Barangay Center at just a little after mid-day. Here, we stayed for two nights. People from the neighboring barangays came for consultation that we have to remain for a while. Nightlife in the mountains is not at all that quiet as we thought if the natives chose to. About 7:00 in the evening, we heard old Pilipino Music being played just like in the karaoke parlors. Clarins, the midwife, explained that it was the way to welcome visitors from the lowlands by the natives. We went to the house that played the music (Eddie Peregrina’s ‘Mardi’ and Nora Aunor’s love songs). Wow! One will think that it was Christmas time in summer because of the multi-colored, blinking lights surrounding the house. Some were hanging on the trees too. It belonged to one of the barangay councilmen and they prepared for us peanuts. Roasted, boiled, candied (oh, where is the sugar?), and boiled but stored really dry. If dried well under the sun, the last peanut delicacy will last for months. Another thing is , they served cigarettes there with an outlandish name. However, none from the guys was interested at all.
excitement but with a dash of sorrow too. It was the Dalawidaw. Too bad the bird is one of the fast diminishing species of our mountain dwellers.
We reached a small clearing with several houses attached to each other after an hour. Up close, we found out that it was like a satellite representation of the planet and its moon. Interesting!
There was one major house with its staircase and a sala where all the other four attachments were joined. There were many children too. Later we learned that each attachment belongs to one wife and children. The main house belongs to the original wife’s family. It is wider with a room for guests. One noticeable thing is the ceiling. It was made of whole, long bamboos laid side by side from wall to wall. I was told later that those were their rice containers. They call it bayong. Each bamboo is filled with the first yield in every harvest to serve as the crop buffer. This stored rice is dried so well and if the next harvest season comes it may be changed or are dried and stored again. One bayong contained 2 sacks of dried rice.
Down the hill about 50 meters from the house, we saw a young man harvesting rice with a child of about seven years old. It was notably a very slow process because he handled the palay stalks so carefully that Jojo, a Talunanon member commented, and I quote, “ Diya sa bukid amo gid karan kon mag-ani. Ginakayog lang. Tagsa ka pasi importante gid. Indi dapat mataktak.” (Here in the mountains, they harvest rice like that. They use kayog. Every grain is so important that it should not fall to the ground.) Kayog is the local term for a triangular instrument held by the hand. It’s made of a thin sharpened iron - placed between the middle and the ring fingers with the sharp side out. They cut the rice stalks with it.
We reached the Barangay Center at just a little after mid-day. Here, we stayed for two nights. People from the neighboring barangays came for consultation that we have to remain for a while. Nightlife in the mountains is not at all that quiet as we thought if the natives chose to. About 7:00 in the evening, we heard old Pilipino Music being played just like in the karaoke parlors. Clarins, the midwife, explained that it was the way to welcome visitors from the lowlands by the natives. We went to the house that played the music (Eddie Peregrina’s ‘Mardi’ and Nora Aunor’s love songs). Wow! One will think that it was Christmas time in summer because of the multi-colored, blinking lights surrounding the house. Some were hanging on the trees too. It belonged to one of the barangay councilmen and they prepared for us peanuts. Roasted, boiled, candied (oh, where is the sugar?), and boiled but stored really dry. If dried well under the sun, the last peanut delicacy will last for months. Another thing is , they served cigarettes there with an outlandish name. However, none from the guys was interested at all.
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