Ayaw ni Bonifacio

Ni Hernan S. Melencio

BERTDEY ngayon ni Ka Andy Bonifacio, ang bayaning pinagtaksilan ng kapalaran at ng mga dating kakampi sa himagsikan laban sa mga Kastila.

Ang kataksilan ding ito umano ang dahilan kung bakit araw ng kapanganakan (Nobyembre 30, 1863) ang ginugunita natin bilang Bonifacio Day at hindi araw ng kamatayan (Mayo 10, 1897), di tulad ng Rizal Day na araw ng kamatayan ni Ka Joey Rizal (Disyembre 30, 1896) nung barilin siya sa Luneta.

Gusto kasing iwasan ng mga gumawa ng batas na alalahanin ng taumbayan na kapwa Pinoy at mga kasangga ang tumumba sa “Ama ng Himagsikan” tuwing darating ang araw ng paggunita sa kabayanihan niya. Bagay na may pagka-estupido dahil kapanganakan o hindi, laging kasama sa paggunita kung bakit at paano namatay si Bonifacio.

Alam ng lahat na si Ka Emil Aguinaldo ang nagpapatay sa kanya. (Kahit itinanggi ito ni Ka Emil na nagsabing gusto lang niyang ipatapon ang kalaban niya sa pulitika at si Hen. Nano Noriel ang nag-utos ng pagpatay, hindi pa rin maitatatwang tuta niya si Noriel at ito ang arkitekto ng pandaraya sa eleksyon sa Tejeros, Cavite kung saan si Ka Emil ang nahalal na pangulo ng Katipunan.)

Kumpara sa iba pa nating mga bayani, si Ka Andy na yata ang pinakakawawa. Hindi siya iginagalang ng mga burgis na may kontrol ng pamahalaan. May pagkakataong ginawang National Heroes Day ang Bonifacio Day at kamakailan lamang ito naging Bonifacio Day ulit matapos ang maraming reklamo. Aping-api rin siya kahit sa paglalagay ng imahe ng bayani sa pera. Noong may dalawang piso pang sensilyo noong 1980s, solo ang imahe ni Ka Andy, kaso tinanggal nila sa sirkulasyon ang dalawang piso at bilang konswelo de bobo, isinama ang imahe niya sa imahe ni Apol Mabini sa sampung piso. Maging ang kalsadang ipinangalan sa kanya e Boni Avenue na lamang ngayon.

Lagi siyang ikinukumpara kay Ka Joey, at kahit sa pagtuturo ng kasaysayan madalas iniiwasan ang maraming detalye ng kanyang buhay, lalo sa yung parte ng masalimuot na pulitika sa loob ng Katipunan.

Lagi ring minamaliit ang kakayahan niya at sinasabing isa siyang “bodegero” sa Tondo. Pero kung ihahambing mo sa trabaho ngayon, manager siya ng isang kumpanyang pag-aari ng isang Ingles. Hindi pipitsuging trabaho ito. Sa madaling salita, kabilang siya sa middle class.

Hindi rin matatawaran ang ginawa niya matapos dumalo sa kaisa-isang pulong ng La Liga Filipina na itinayo ni Ka Joey. Binuo niya agad ang Katipunan at nagtatag ng gobyernong rebolusyunaryo kasama ng sidekick niyang si Ka Emil Jacinto. Siya rin ang nagpasumpa kay Aguinaldo sa mismong bahay niya sa Tondo.

Kanya ang Tondo, kay Aguinaldo ang Cavite. Kaso, dahil sa Maynila nakasentro ang pwersa ng mga Kastila, mas mabilis na lumakas at dumami ang kasapian ng Katipunan sa Cavite. At ’ika nga sa Ingles, the rest is history. Nagkamali si Ka Andy na pumayag ganapin sa Cavite ang isang eleksyong niluto ng mga Magdalo. Matinding panlalait ang inabot niya at nang magreklamo e ipinahuli siya, nilitis ng isang kangaroo court at pinatay kasama ng mga kapatid.

Isang trahedya na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa nagkakaroon ng kaganapan o “closure.”

Bankaw ha Samar Archaeological and Cultural Museum: Istorya Binisaya

Ni Gloria Esguerra Melencio

(Ginhubad tikang ha Iningles ni J. Colima Bajado)

Dida han  libro ni Ignacio Francisco Alcina, usa nga padi-Franciscano, nga may ulohan nga Historia de las islas e indios de Bisayas (Kaagi han mga Tuminungnong ha mga Isla han Bisayas) nga sinurat niyan han tuig 1662, iya iginpahamtang nga an nasod Pilipinas in “samad an hiyograpiya, topograpiya, ngan klima”. Kausa niya ha pagtuo hi Francisco Colin, usa nga padi-Heswita, nga an mga tawo tikang ha Samar  nga gintatawag hadto nga mga Pintados in nagtikang ha Makassar ha Sulawesi dara han kapareho nga pagsabot han mga pulong nga ‘saar’ ngan ‘samad’.

Dida han mga katuigan han ika-16 ngada han ika-17 nga siglo, bantugan nga mag-isog ngan banggiitan an mga Bisaya ha pakig asdang kontra han mga pirata nga namimihag ha Samar ngan Leyte, diin an mga bihag in iginbabaligya komo mga uripon didto ha Mindanao ug ha mga hagrani nga mga isla.

An bankaw, usa nga hinganiban han mga Bisaya, nga makikit-an ha Fr. Cantius Kobak- Samar Archeological and Cultural Museum ha siyudad han Calbayog, in usa nga ngula nga pagmatuod han mga paniguro han mga Samarnon para han ira kinabuhi- bis’ pa masamaran an tag-iya hini. An nasabi nga museum nga igintindog han tuig 1969 ngan kataliwan igin ngaran ha pagtahod kan Fr. Cantius Kobak, padi Franciscano tikang ha Poland, in nagdudumara hin mga butang han kasanhi nga maulit-ukit nga gintirok han nasabi nga padi-historyador tikang hin mgadirudila-in nga lugar sugad hin mga lungib, lubnganan, simbahan, tikang ha mga pribado nga katunaan, ug bisan pa tikang ha usa nga paragtubaan.

An nasabi nga bankaw nga may karaptan nga kahoy nga aada an kahalaba hin upat nga metros, ngan an tais in hinimo tikang hin puthaw in nagpapamatuod hank an Bankaw pagbaribad han mga conquistadores nga Espanyol. Subay han libro nira Blair ngan Robertson (The Philippine Islands), hi Bankaw in nakalikay tikang han mga kamot han mga Espanyol ngan nagtukod hiya han iya kalugaringon nga simbahan ha Carigara, Leyte. An iya pinakamadig-on nga kuta ha bukid in binombahan hin canyon, gin sunog an iya simbahan ngan pinanmatay an mga nasunod ha iya tuluohan, ngan manta, hiya in pinatay gamit in bankaw. Human, an pinugutan hiya ngan an iya pugot nga ulo in igin parada basi tarhugon an mga Bisaya hin pagdumara hin ‘insureccion’ ngan ‘rebelion’.

Kundi, diri nag uusa-an hi Bankaw.Ada hi Sumuroy han Samar ngan hi Dagohoy ha Bohol. Ngani, dida han temprano nga katuigan han ika-16 nga siglo, hi Waray Tupong in naglibot han Kabisayaan basi itabog an mga pirata nga Muslim upod na an mga manarakop nga Espanyol.

Piho manggud nga natingala hi Fr. Kobak han pagtagad han mga Samareños ngada han ira mga kaurupdan nga nagkamatay na diin nakit-an niya in mga bungo ngan tul-an dida hin dagko nga tibod. Lugaring an iba nga mga lubnganan in pinan ngaliskay na.

An espirito han Kasadangan ngan an ‘tabo’ nga tinatawag han mga social scientists nga barter trade in pagmatuod nga an mga Bisaya in mga tawo nga maabilidad ngan magduruto. An gilingan in gamit han mga Bisaya paghimo hin puto, suman, ngan iba pa nga mga karan-on.

An mga dragonjar ngan Chinese porcelain nga nabalik ngada pa han mga tuig han ika-5 ka siglo BC in nagpapadig-on han buhi nga taboan nga sistema han mga Bisaya ngan mga Insik. Ha kadugangan, an mga apelyido nga inensik ha Samar in bangin tikang han mga Insik nga negosyante han abaka dida han Espanyol ngan Amerikano nga pamunoan.

An mga gintataoy na nga ma agung, mga instrumento hin pagtukar ngan mga paintings dida ha sulod han museum in naglalaygay han Samarnon nga kaagi ngan talento. An Christ the King College Youth Symphony Orchestra in naghahatag laylay yana ha magdirudilain nga mga lugar ha aton nasod. An nasabi nga museum in nagpasundayag gihap hin mga obra hin mga pintor ha Samar.

Hi Carl S. Bordeos han Christ the King College, diin an museum makikit-an, in naghatag hin kopya ha http://philippinehistory.ph han iba pa nga mga butang nga makikit-an ha museum labot la han bankaw. An Professional American Archaeologists in naglista na ngan nag asoy ngan ginbutangan hin petsa ini nga mga bahandi han aton kasanhi.

Samtang, gawas han museum, usa han mga dalan han Calbayog in gin-ngangaranan nga Nijaga. Ini nga dalan in igin ngaran ha pagtahod kan Benedicto Nijaga nga kilala gihap ha ngaran nga Biktoy, usa nga sakristan ha Calbayog nga nagin 2nd Lt. han Spanish Army nga ha kataliwan nagsuporta ha Katipunan. Tungod hini, hiya in ginpatay ngan kinilala komo usa han Trece Martires ha Bagumbayan.

An Samar in may mga anak nga bangin waray pa makakita kon matiunan-o in usa nga bankaw, o manta di nakilala kan Bankaw. Lugaring, an Binisaya nga pagbaribad ngan paningkamot in nahapatik na han kabug-usan nga istorya han aton nasod.

Shouting in Bronze

The Lasting Relevance of Andres Bonifacio and His Monument in Caloocan

By Michael Charleston Chua

Amidst the concrete jungle in the middle of the city of Caloocan, amongst the smog of pollution, stands the dignified figure of Andres Bonifacio—national hero, Founder of the Katipunan, Father of the Filipino Nation, the great plebeian who spearheaded the Filipino revolution against the Spaniards.  The Bonifacio Monument is mute, but Bonifacio’s eyes made of bronze were shouting, reminding us for a moment to stop from the gray and frenzied hurly-burly of city life, and reflect on the greatness of the “Supremo.”

Andres Bonifacio (b. 30 November 1863, d. 10 May 1897), was a self-taught orphan who became a theater actor and an employee of two international companies in Manila.  His social consciousness and deep understanding of his culture led to his involvement in Dr. José Rizal’s La Liga Filipina, and in founding the Kataastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (The Highest, Most Venerable Association of the Sons of the People), or the Katipunan, in 1892.  The movement’s membership increased when he assumed the leadership as the “Supremo” and in August 1896, started the revolution which will eventually bring down the three centuries of Spanish domination in the Philippines.  In 1897, when politics prevailed among the Katipuneros in Cavite, Bonifacio was replaced by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo as leader of the revolution, in a series of events which led to the Supremo’s execution by men from the organization he himself founded.

Work on the monument started when Doña Aurora Aragon-Quezon placed a cornerstone on the site on the birth anniversary of Bonifacio, 30 November 1929.  A competition was launched and sculptors submitted proposals for the design of the monument using aliases.  The design chosen was that of Guillermo Tolentino, a graduate of classical sculpture in Rome.  The monument, which was inaugurated on 30 November 1933, is regarded as one of the world’s finest monuments.

At the top of the 45 feet high obelisk is a figure very similar to the classical sculpture “Winged Victory.”  The octagonal base represents the first eight provinces that revolted against Spain in 1896.  Around the obelisk, 23 figures in darkened bronze depict the events that led to the Philippine Revolution:  The execution of the three martyr priests Gomez, Burgos at Zamora, and the injustices committed by the Spanish colonizers against the Filipinos.

The dominating figure of course is that of Andres Bonifacio, calm and dignified amidst the turbulent events around him, with bolo on one hand and a revolver in the other.  Behind him is the figure of Emilio Jacinto, brains of the Katipunan, and a standard bearer.  Surrounding the triad are two bolo-wielding Katipuneros symbolizing the spirit of the first cry of the revolution in Balintawak—the call to arms and the people’s response to this call.

The monument was constructed during the time when the issue of Philippine Independence from the Americans was being deliberated upon, and when many of those who participated in the revolution led by Bonifacio were still around—nationalistic feeling around the country was very much intense, and not a few got emotional seeing the monument.  Some say, that although Tolentino sculpted all the other figures in the realistic style (where the pain and suffering of the Filipinos were greatly manifested), the figure of Bonifacio in Barong Tagalog was the only figure done in the classical style (imitating the Graeco-Roman figures that show no emotions).  It was said that this is what the Americans wanted because a defiant Bonifacio might inspire another rebellion.

But according to Tolentino’s student, Napoleon Abueva, the suffering figures and the dignified Bonifacio shows that whatever happens, they will prevail:

“…the hooded head with the ever-tightening garrote about to nip a life, the hapless mothers and forsaken children in Tolentino’s monumental masterpiece, allow us to relive the sufferings and dire consequences of the times… The tragic related events and corresponding feeling of desolation, of hopelessness that Tolentino’s figures evoke, contrasted by the stance of soaring confidence and hope in Bonifacio’s expressive gesture, together with the defiant bolo-wielding compatriots, provide a reassuring promise of eventual success at all costs—reminding us of an old saw which goes this way: Great was the sacrifice and great was their reward.”

For Abueva, a look at the monument will give a feeling of pride in the resilient Filipino spirit, “…the legacy of a promising tomorrow gleaned from a cruel and troubled past, the accounts and instances of utterly depressed feeling, buoyed up and transformed to lofty feelings of inherent pride and enrichment of the Filipino soul…”

The monument is a testament to the superiority of Tolentino as a visual historian.  In preparation for the construction of the monument, he interviewed people and went to the extent of using the bone structure of the Supremo’s sister, Espiridiona Bonifacio, in making the head of the Supremo.  Despite the research, the monument was not spared from controversies.  It depicted Bonifacio far from the stereotype of him at that time as a man dressed in camisa de chino with a bolo at one hand and the Katipunan flag on the other, yelling like wild.  Ambeth Ocampo writes:

When the protests came in, Tolentino countered his critics with his research. The likeness was based not only on a photograph of Bonifacio, but on the bone structure of his sister Espiridiona as well. Interviews of surviving Katipuneros gave an idea of his attire and revealed that, contrary to popular belief, Bonifacio favored in battle his gun over his bolo. One account says that on their way to Caloocan in 1896, many Katipuneros traveled disguised as women to get past the Spanish police and military. To make his baro’t saya more convincing, Bonifacio had to leave his bolo behind and take his gun instead. Tolentino left no stone unturned in his research, and he was prepared to show documentation for such minute details as the position of the holster on Bonifacio’s belt. Over and above all this, Tolentino even consulted espiritistas to discern the true likeness and character of Bonifacio.

In 1973, the title National Artist for Sculpture was conferred on Tolentino in 1973.

The site of the monument in Caloocan was aptly named “monumento” by the people themselves, and for a long long time it was the landmark for traveller’s from the north that they’re entering Manila through the MacArthur Highway.  That’s why the sight of the monument gives a feeling of journey’s end, until the North Luzon Expressway and Abueva’s The Transfiguration replaced monumento as Manila’s gateway from the north.

Today, because it has become part of the daily lives of the people of Caloocan, it seems that the monument is being neglected and only a few people notice the beauty and ponder on the significance of the monument.  But recently, the monument caught attention once again in 2002, when its transfer to faraway Tala in the same city was proposed by Mayor Rey Malonso to give way for the Light Rail Transit Extension.  This move was prevented by a resolution by the National Historical Institute, signed by its chairman Ambeth Ocampo, which reminds everyone that the Bonifacio Monument is a national shrine and that transferring it would be against the law.

The lasting relevance of the monument is a reflection of the continuing importance to the people of the life and heroism of Manong Andres himself.  Militant groups, in many protests, rally around another statue of his in Manila.  In 1997, a book by the American historian Glenn Anthony May who brought out questions on what we know about the Supremo, sparked a debate among scholars on the Philippines.  With the centennial of the Philippine Revolution and the Proclamation of Philippine Independence in the 1990’s, recent scholarship clarified misconceptions.  Before, the impression was that the educated Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo was superior in terms of leadership and military skills than the impulsive Bonifacio.  But the Supremo was found out to be an excellent organizer with a movement whose members spread out across the archipelago (Ferdinand C. Llanes (ed), Katipunan:  Isang Pambansang Kilusan, 1994); a military tactician informed of pre-colonial war strategies of the Filipinos which used the natural environment to their advantage (Zeus A. Salazar, Ang ‘Real’ ni Bonifacio Bilang Teknikang Militar sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, 1997; Zeus A. Salazar, Agosto 29-30, 1896:  Ang Pagsalakay ni Bonifacio sa Maynila, 1995); the first president of the revolutionary government (and of the country) who had a clear idea of the Filipino nation in Katagalugan, which he defined as all people who were born in the whole archipelago and not just the Tagalogs (Milagros C. Guerrero, et. al., Andres Bonifacio and the 1896 Revolution, 1996); and the leader who urged his compatriots to have bait, puri at dangal (rooting itself to the values of our ancestors) just as they were brave (Milagros C. Guerrero, Pagtanaw sa Kasaysayan, Paghahanda sa Himagsikan:  Mga Ideya ng Katipunan, 1892-1897, 1998).  With these and many other new studies, Andres Bonifacio emerges as a leader who wanted not just mere political independence, but kaginhawahan—materially and morally free—just as our ancestors were before the colonizers came.  They remain to be our aspirations for a better country, the same one that Bonifacio and our forebears before us fought for and symbolized by his monument.

Landmarks, such as the Bonifacio Monument, are reminders of our past that made us what we are today.  Landmarks do not feed us physically for sure.  But man doesn’t live by bread alone, for he has a soul that searches for identity and belonging.  The monument is a proud reminder of the greatness of our bloodline we all belong to, and of the victorious revolution we waged in 1896-1898.  To neglect these national treasures is like forgetting our own personal past and genesis—amnesia—and forgetting the heroes of 1896 is like forgetting the sacrifices of our own parents.  If we would lose the landmarks of our past, how would we ever know where we are, and where we are going as a nation?

As we gaze upon the Supremo and the men and women around that obelisk, let us think about the sacrifices of those before us who did not sleep in the dark of night, those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of their children—for us.  They want us to carry on with what they had fought for, not by the bolo in a time of revolution, but simply by being productive and vigilant citizens, just like the Supremo more than a hundred years ago.  As if we can hear him call on us from those bronze figures once again with his words from the Dekalogo ng Katipunan:  “Ang pagsusumikap at pagpipilit na kumita ng ikabubuhay ay nagpapahayag ng tunay na pagmamahal sa sarili, sa asawa, anak, kapatid, at kababayan.” (Diligence in the work that gives sustenance to thee is the true basis of love — love for thine own self, for thine wife and children, for thine brothers and countrymen.)  Personally, I see the monument as a reminder of how a working class hero made a difference, and how we can too.

22 March 2004 / 22 May 2007

University of the Philippines at Diliman

Consulted Works and Sources:

Acero, Francis.  Thoughts on the Bonifacio Monument.  Online, Internet.  Available URL:  http://www.tinig.com/v12/v12francis.html.

Agoncillo, Teodoro A. The Revolt of the Masses:  The Story of Bonifacio and the Katipunan.  Quezon City, U. of the Philippines P., 1956.

Bonifacio, Andres. “Decalogue” sa The Writings and Trial of Andres Bonifacio (translated by Teodoro A. Agoncillo and S. V. Epistola.  Manila: Antonio J. Villegas; Manila Bonifacio Centennial Commission; University of the Philippines, 1963, p. 1.

Churchill, Bernardita Reyes.  Determining The Truth:  The Story of Andres Bonifacio (being critiques of and commentaries on Inventing a hero, the post-humous re-creation of Andres Bonifacio).  Manila : Manila Studies Association, 1997.

Cristobal, Adrian E.  The Tragedy of the Revolution.  Quezon City: U. of the Philippines P., 2005.

De los Reyes, Isabelo.  The Religion of the Katipunan or the Old Beliefs of the Filipinos (translated by Joseph Martin Yap).  Quezon City:  Teresita A. Alcantara, Ph.D., 2002.

Estrada, Eric and John Realubit.  “Bonifacio Monument Stays Put” in Manila Times, 25 January 2003.  Online, Internet.  Available URL:  http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2003/jan/25/metro/20030125met5.html.

FHL Research Team .  The Bonifacio Monument: Hail to the Chief! Online, Internet.  Available URL:  http://www.librarylink.org.ph/featarticle.asp?articleid=50.

Guerrero, Milagros C.  “Pagtanaw sa Kasaysayan, Paghahanda sa Himagsikan:  Mga Ideya ng Katipunan, 1892-1897,” Kasarinlan:  A Philippine Quarterly of Third World Studies, Vol. 14, Num. 1, 1998, pp. 37-52.

Guerrero, Milagros C., Emmanuel N. Encarnacion and Ramon N. Villegas.  “Andres Bonifacio and the 1896 Revolution,” Sulyap Kultura, Second Quarter 1996, pp. 3-12.

Ileto, Reynaldo Clemeña.  Pasyon and Revolution:  Popular Movements in the Philippines, 1840-1910.  Quezon City:  Ateneo de Manila U.P., 1979)

Llanes, Ferdinand C. (ed). Katipunan:  Isang Pambansang Kilusan.  Quezon City:  Trinitas Publishing, Inc., 1994.

Maceda, Teresita Gimenez.  “The Katipunan Discourse on Kaginhawaan:  Vision and Configuration of a Just and Free Society,” Kasarinlan:  A Philippine Quarterly of Third World Studies, Vol. 14, Num. 2, 1998, pp. 77-94.

May, Glenn Anthony.  Inventing A Hero:  The Posthumous Re-creation of Andres Bonifacio.  Quezon City:  New Day Publishers, 1997.

Medina, Isagani R.  Great Lives:  Andres Bonifacio.  Makati City:  Tahanan Books for Young Readers, 1992.

__________. (ed).  Ilang Talata Tungkol sa Paghihimagsik (Revolucion) Nang 1896-1897 Isinulat ni Carlos Ronquillo y Valdez (Hongkong 1898).  Lungsod Quezon:  U. of the Philippines P., 1996.

Navarro, Arthur M. and Raymund Arthur G. Abejo (eds).  Wika, Panitikan, Sining at Himagsikan.  Lungsod Quezon:  LIKAS, 1998.

Ocampo, Ambeth R.  Bones of Contention:  The Bonifacio Lectures.  Pasig City:  Anvil Publishing, Inc., 2001.

__________.  Bonifacio’s Bolo.  Pasig City:  Anvil Publishing, Inc., 1994.

Salazar, Zeus A.  Agosto 29-30, 1896:  Ang Pagsalakay ni Bonifacio sa Maynila (salin ni Monico M. Atienza).  Quezon City:  Miranda Bookstore, 1995.

__________.“Ang ‘Real’ ni Bonifacio Bilang Teknikang Militar sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas,” Bagong Kasaysayan:  Mga Pag-aaral sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas Lathalain Blg. 1.  Mandaluyong City:  Palimbagang Kalawakan, 1997.

__________.  “Si Andres Bonifacio at ang Kabayanihang Pilipino,” Bagong Kasaysayan:  Mga Pag-aaral sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas Lathalain Blg. 2.  Mandaluyong City:  Palimbagang Kalawakan, 1997.

Sison, Marites.  National Artist Guillermo Tolentino:  Monumental Spirit.  Online, Internet.  Available URL:http://www.filipinasmag.com/Main/Sept2003Tolentino.htm.

Ventura, Sylvia Mendez.  Supremo:  The Story of Andres Bonifacio.  Makati City:  Tahanan Books for Young Readers, 2001.

Bankaw in Samar Archeological and Cultural Museum: A Bisayan Story

By Gloria Esguerra Melencio

Franciscan priest Ignacio Francisco Alcina describes Samar in his 1662 book History of the Bisayan People in the Philippine Islands as “wounded geographically, topographically and climatically.” He was one with Jesuit priest Francisco Colin in saying that the people of Samar, who were called Pintados back in time, may have come from Makassar in Sulawesi, citing the words saar and samad as both to mean “wounded.”

Noted for being warriors and juramentados in the 16th up to early 17th century, these Bisayans defended their ground against slave raiders who alternately raided and stole humans in Samar and Leyte to be sold as marked slaves in Mindanao and other nearby islands.

The bankaw, Bisayan term for spear, found in the Father Cantius Kobak-Samar Archeological and Cultural Museum in Calbayog City, is a silent proof of Samar’s struggles to survive – whatever wounds may have caused its owner. The museum founded in 1969 and later dedicated to the memory of Father Cantius Kobak, Polish Franciscan priest, houses artifacts that the historian-priest painstakingly collected from caves, burial sites, churches, private lots and even from a tuba (local wine from coconut sap) vendor.

Made of hard black polished wood that measures approximately four feet long with a one-foot sharp pointed metal at the end, the undated bankaw is the living proof of Bankaw’s defiance of the Spanish conquistadores. Blair and Robertson said Bankaw escaped the ire of attacking Spaniards in Cebu and later built his own church in Carigara, Leyte. His stronghold in the mountain was attacked with canons, his church burned down, his followers killed, and he, too, was impaled with a bankaw. His head was cut off and paraded to warn the Bisayans against insureccion and rebelion in the future.

Bankaw had never been alone. Sumuroy of Ibabao (Samar) , at the time of Alcina’s recording, had been up in arms. Dagohoy in Bohol, too. Earlier in the 16th century, Waray Tupung (meaning never been equaled), had been going around the Bisayan islands trying to shoo away both the Muslim slave raiders and the Spanish minions.

Father Kobak must be amazed with how the Samareños respect their ancestors when he found human skulls, bones, shell bracelets in urns and large burial jars. Some burial sites had already been exhausted by previous digging expeditions though.

Self-sufficiency and the spirit of the Bisayan tabo, which social scientists call barter trade, attest to the Bisayan people’s ingenuity and industriousness. The stone grinder, locally called gilingan, speaks of how early Bisayans grounded rice and rootcrops to be made into puto, suman and other native delicacies. People from up the mountains and everywhere went to the tabo to exchange their goods for products that they did not have.

Presence of ancient dragon jar and Chinese porcelain plates dated around 5th century BC reveals a lively barter trade between the Bisayans and the Chinese. Also, Chinese surnames in Samar must have come from Chinese traders who were involved in the abaca trade during the Spanish and American periods.

The rusty, ancient agungs (bells), musical instruments and paintings in the museum speak a lot about the Samareños’ own artistic talents. Christ The King Orchestra, based in Calbayog City, a first class municipality in Samar, has been making waves in the field of music around the Philippines. An art exhibit of Samar’s painters had also been launched in the museum.

Carl Sanchez Bordeos of the Christ the King College where the museum resides furnished philippinehistory.ph a copy of some artifacts found in the museum aside from the bankaw.  The Professional American Archeologists have already listed, described and dated said historical treasures.

Outside the museum, meanwhile, a street named Nijaga baffles everyone who lives outside Calbayog. It turns out that the street was named after Benedicto Nijaga, nicknamed Biktoy, a sacristan from Calbayog who became a second lieutenant in the Spanish Army and later solicited support for the underground Katipunan. He was executed and later identified as one of the Trece Martires in Bagumbayan.

Samar has sons and daughters who may or may have not seen a bankaw, nor may have known Bankaw for that matter. The Bisayan resilience and survival, however, are engraved in Philippine history.

(Photo: Rosa Mirasol Esguerra Melencio)

Light trap reduces chemical spraying of Ilocos farmers

A UV ray-emitting light trap that controls agricultural pests has substantially cut expensive chemical spraying  among Ilocos farmers, raising their farm yield, and benefitting the environment with its organic farming-harmonized practice.

The Department of Agriculture’s Ilocos Region Integrated Agricultural Research Center (RIARC) is encouraging farmers’ use of this light trap that has a unique ultra violet (UV) ray wavelength specifically targeted at controlling farm insect pests.

This is more useful in farms than the popular UV lamp in homes that are only intended to ward off mosquitoes and larvae flies.

“This is very cost-effective, and it’s good for the environment because it doesn’t dispose of any harmful residue. Before, farmers thought this light trap is only for monitoring pests.  But now they’re finding it effective for pest control,” said Dr. Aida D. Solsoloy, Scientist II at the DA’s Ilocos RIARC.

Agriculture and environment experts have been trying to find alternatives to the use of harmful chemicals to control pest.  This is because chemical sprays have been historically linked with occupational hazards or many of farmers’ illnesses.

Chemical sprays are also blamed for environmental contamination, insect resurgence and insect resistance while productivity remains low due to chemicals’ improper use.

The light trap has been successful in raising yield in rice, corn, tomato, eggplant, watermelon, bell pepper, onion, pole sitao, ampalaya, and garlic, a Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR)-funded study showed.

In specific trial locations in Ilocos Region, highest net monetary benefit was observed at P96,713 for a yield increase of 11.9 metric tons (MT) per hectare in tomato in Piddig, Ilocos Norte; P61,013 for an increase of 7.5 MT per hectare for tomato in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur; and P45,313 attributed to a 6.4 MT per hectare increase in rice in Bangar, La Union.

Farmers’ inability to carry out  Insect Pest Management (IPM) has been one of the reasons for the low productivity in small farms.

“We have to keep on finding means to help farmers adopt a pest management system that they will find easy to implement and one that’s economically viable.  This will increase their yield and raise their farms’ global competitiveness,” said Dr Nicomedes P. Eleazar, BAR director.

The light trap has successfully reduced harmful chemical spraying.

“The light trap showcased on rice, corn, and vegetables at various towns for two croppings  indicated extensive insect pest collection and a marked reduction in frequency of chemical spraying by 35 to 100 percent,” Solsoloy said.

In San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte where farmers used to spray 11 times for eggplant, spraying has been totally eliminated. This makes the light trap compatible with organic agriculture and IPM.

While the device is presently imported from China, it is possible to fabricate or assemble it locally.  The casing has once been fabricated locally under Ilocos-RIARC’s supervision while the bulb, which is patented for its lighting technology, was imported from China.

Local government units (LGU) have initially supported Ilocos RIARC in linking farmers to BAR’s project. LGUs have also worked with agricultural technicians on its use.

While there are fears of the UV light’s harm to human, the light trap’s strict use only for night time opens minimal exposure of human to the device.

To help farmers acquire the device, DA or the national government may grant farmers a loan or a subsidy program for the trap.  It costs P9,500 in the market.

This may not be affordable for the common farmer that only has 5,000 square meters to tend. But farmers’ cooperatives that form an area of two to four hectares may readily take advantage of its financial benefits.   Over four years, it costs only P2.375 per year.

Farmers are still finding this expensive compared to the P250 to P300 per bottle or pack for insecticides.  Besides, they are not culturally exposed to using this.  But the benefits are immense given an extension work on it.

In a study of actual cost and return on mango production in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, cost of materials input in a 0.2 hectare farm with light trap was lower by 17.6 percent at P23,900 compared to P28,100 in a two-hectare farm without  light trap.

Mango yield was significantly higher at 2.1 MT compared to 1.275 MT per hectare in those without the trap.

This resulted in a net income of P33,200, substantially higher by around six times compared to P5,700 without the trap.

Just like popular household insect-killing lamps, the light trap also has a high voltage wire that kills insects as they pass through it.

Despite killing insect pests, the Ilocos RIARC observed that the lamp does not have major injury on insects that are natural enemies of pests.  This way, it supports biological control of insect pests.

The study funded by BAR from 2008 to 2010 involved 13 sites in Ilocos Norte; nine sites in Ilocos Sur; four sites in La Union, and five sites in Pangasinan.

Farmers also had a high perception of effectiveness of the device and have expressed “extreme” to “moderate” willingness to buy it.

Among the pests effectively controlled by the light trap is the cecid fly that causes black sunken skin lesions on mango; leafhoppers that pester inflorescence in mango; and twig borers and tip borer in rice and corn.

Producers of anti-diabetes yacon tea, juice, wine eye Japan market

Producers of anti-diabetes yacon juice, tea, and wine eye the Japan market for their phytochemical-rich foods that are now being pilot-tested for commercial scale production.

Nueva Vizcaya farming entrepreneurs and food science experts are now pilot-testing yacon production through the Nueva Vizcaya State University’s (NVSU) Technology Business Incubator (TBI).

They see the prospect of shipping these products out to Japan.

Japan already imports raw yacon from the Philippines as a succulent ready-to-eat product like raw singkamas–jicama or Mexican turnip– that Japanese eat as salad.

“We will have a good commercial potential for yacon products if we emphasize its health components because of phytochemicals.  Many studies have already been conducted (proving this),” said Dr. Perlita C. Tiburcio, NVSU vice president and food science specialist.

NVSU is jumpstarting yacon’s commercial scale production through a bigger 100-kilo food processing.  This is from an earlier limited 10-kilo scale.

“This volume will make commercial scale production more realistic than laboratory stage. It will be evaluated for ROI (return on investment),” she said.

NVSU is funding the pilot yacon production, while the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) has a separate research for yacon processing that will also use the Commission on Higher Education-funded P1.2 million TBI facility.

Organic farming of yacon may also be a focus of its commercialization as the Japan market discriminates in favor of organic food produced without much chemical fertilizer or pesticides.

“Yacon is still in its infancy stage but is now becoming an identity of Region 2.  Its processing will add value to the crop and will potentially increase farmers’ income in small-scale cropping systems where inputs like fertilizer are not a necessity,” said BAR Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar.

NVSU has already completed product development for yacon, and several products have already turned out to be a product testing success.  After trying on different variants for the juice, it has come up with a delicious pineapple-yacon juice.  It has also developed yacon pickles and preserves along with wine and tea.

Aside from its being known as a regulator of blood sugar, yacon is also known for preventing colon cancer.

Tiburcio explained that source of the sweetness of yacon is healthful since it comes from inulin, rather than from glucose.  Inulin is not a digestible carbohydrate, a non-digestible sugar, therefore not contributing to blood sugar rise.

Inulins belong to a class of fiber called fructans, and it is used as a storage for energy by some plants through the roots or rhizomes.

A 50-hectare land in Claveria, Cagayan is prsently the source of raw yacon for a contractor that ships this to Japan.  For the processed form of yacon, wines already reach Japan through hand-carried transport of Filipino balikbayans that use the wine as gift or pasalubong.

In Nueva Vizcaya, an area of at least five hectares in Dupax is a source of yacon for Fred’s Wine which is being assisted by NVSU.  A family enterprise of Wilfred Dugaysan, Fred’s Wine is now distributed in pasalubong centers and SM stores.

NVSU’s pilot production will involve physico-chemical and nutritional evaluation of yacon products.  It will determine presence of the healthful phytochemicals before and after processing.

Yacon farming can be attractive to farmers. While sweet potato or camote may just be priced P8 per kilo at farm gate, yacon’s price can peak to as high as P80 to P100 per kilo during off season.

However, food processors may also have the option of sourcing yacon tubers in uplands where price may go down to P15 to P30 per kilo, although this may peak to P50 during off season.

NVSU’s TBI already has equipment for commercialization of the products including quality control gadgets, sealing machines, a meter for sugar soluble solids, and processing utensils.

Government agencies including the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) have been lending their support for yacon production in Nueva Vizcaya.  DOST has given a grant for improved labels for yacon wine bottles.  Alcohol kits that test alcohol content in wine has also been granted for yacon.

NVSU has been trying to attend many trade exhibits in order to promote yacon products.

“Some traders think that we’re already capable of  exporting our products abroad,” said Tiburcio.

Yacon’s other known health benefits due to its oligofructans and phenolic contents are skin rejuvenation, reduction of blood triglyceride level, and alleviation of hyperglycemia, kidney problems, and osteoporosis.

The government also intends to explore many uses of yacon, not only of the tuber, but other parts of the plant so as to leave no waste and maximize its marketing.

“The processed products should also be in convenient ready-to-eat form so as to extend the availability of this therapeutic food to different parts of the country,” said Tiburcio.

NVSU is continuing to develop many recipes for yacon even as its earlier products have already been found to be palatable to trial tasters.

“It is important to develop the food into one that  is highly pleasing to the market, or commercial success will be at stake,” said Eleazar.

Aside from making taste superior, NVSU has also been developing techniques in order to keep physical appearance attractive.

In pineapple-yacon juice, pineapple not only gives a distinct tasty flavor, but it gives a Vitamin C supplementation to the juice.  Pineapple juice was also used as acidulant instead of citric acid. Acidulants are additives that give a sharp taste of food, aid in setting of gels, and act as preservatives.

Other fruit flavorings also make other blends that give yacon a unique taste.

In order to control enzymatic discoloration of the juice, sulfiting– adding of adding of sulfur dioxide in wine-making— is done.

“The use of sulfite instead of heat to inactivate polyphenol oxidase eliminated problems on haziness and discoloration,” said Tiburcio.  “Blending yacon with pineapple and hagis wine improved the flavor and minimized the harshness of the wine.”

Pasteurization is also used to preserve and strengthen shelf life of the juice.

For yacon pickles, two flavor enhancers are basil and oregano.

For the preparation of yacon-oolong tea, slight maceration of the chopped leaves of oolong tea, followed by heating eliminated the tea’s grassy odor and developed a darker color and tea-like flavor.  Oolong is a traditional Chinese tea.

For more information, please call Dr. Perlita C. Tiburcio, 0927-228-2326