Walking the Extra Mile
By Telly Gonzaga
The karas group
Last Saturday, March 4, 2019 I lectured to a group of teachers doing a cultural mapping activity in our town, Baclayon, Bohol. The teachers belong to the KARAS group from the Department of Education (DepEd). Karas is an acronym for “KULTURA ug ARTE ATONG SULIRON”.
More than a decade ago, the Ayala Foundation people, together with Bahandi (Baclayon ancestral homes for development initiatives), had several workshop sessions on cultural mapping. Learnings from such activities were to be integrated into the development of tourism in Baclayon. In relation to this, the members of the KARAS group wanted me to show to them the copy of the inventory of the joint efforts of the Ayala Foundation and Bahandi. Though I have my own copy of the proceedings of our activities (as I always do), dili nako ikapakita kay dili pa ko kaayo ka duko-duko kay sakit pa ang akong tuhod tungod sa akong hip operation.
It is really nice that I could point out to them the cultural landmarks including all the important narratives attached to each landmark. I am excited to know their impressions after their personal viewing of the place and the information they will be able to gather from such events.
My lecture started with a welcome “party” of the sikwate and broas. Why these? Sikwate is served in a demitasse. Unsa man ni? A demitasse is a small cup just enough to fill in the sikwate para sa pari. Gitawag ni ug sikawate para sa pari kay lahi ni ug timpla sa ubang mga sikwate. Ang sikwate para sa pari, labihan ka laput. It’s paired with broas to counteract the bitter but tasty sikwate.
We can also look at things from the historical perspective. Ngano man nga ang broas gigama man sa likod sa simbahan sa Baclayon: diha sa kang Osang ug Sampaguita? Osang was the original broa maker. The skill runs in the family. Babie Maristela is the grand daughter of Osang and Sampaguita is the wife of Osang’s son, Nong Osting Aya-ay.
The broa is meant to be dipped into the thick sikwate made out of tableya from the cacao fruit. Remember, Baclayon is also famous for its tableya labi na ang mga tableyang gibaligya ni Mahing ug Remy Apale. Both are residing near the market place.
One time, Oscar Lopez (of ABS-CBN) and his family spent his birthday in Bohol. One of the activities we offered to his grandchildren was how to make tableya including the processes involved: the choosing of the beans, the roasting of said beans and the molding of the finished product. Mahing’s technique was to segregate first the bigger beans from the pijape. Then the roasting of the beans would follow. I learned that she had to roast the big beans first, and the roasting of the pijape would follow.
The grandchildren of Mr. Lopez enjoyed the exercise up to the time when the cacao beans were being roasted and milled. Humot jud kaajo. Matud pa ni Mahing, iyang paga-hulmahon ang cacao inig kagabii na aron dili malanay sa kainit sa adlaw. Unya ibutang niya ni sa unas sa saging, pagkahuman iyang pagalikiton ang tableya nga gisulod sa unas aron andam na kini nga ibaligya.
Back to our lecture for the KARAS group, actually, I focused my Saturday afternoon discussion on information about the Poblacion area – from the church to the place called Lao with special feature of the buho, langub ka Bida, and Baliaut, the place where children used to swim and adults used to do their labada. This was the time when Baclayon did not have a reliable water supply system.
Included in my lecture were the trees in the area specifically the Kolo. This Kolo tree bears a breadfruit. I just remember my elementary days when snack time in school meant a slice of Kolo ug usa ka tasa nga mongos right there at the Home Economics class of Inse Danday and Nang Amad. Busog na mi kaayo sa among singko sentabos para sa kolo ug sa mongos.
Inse Danday was Mrs. Alejandra Gatal-Aya-ay and Nang Amad was Mrs. Amada Aya-ay Calope. In those days, our word for endearment addressed to our teachers was “ma’am”.
I have narrated to the Karas group during time, textbooks were shared with students and were not brought home. Despite the limited school materials, then, our teachers still inspired us well. In our Practical Arts subject, we used materials that were available. We didn’t have sophisticated gadgets to buy.
Early in the elementary grades, we already had gardening and our vegetable garden was behind the convent beside the Kolo tree. One tree is enough to give the carbohydrates requirement of a regular-sized family during the war. That’s how important the Kolo tree was to us. It is sad to note that all the trees in the convent area are now gone.
You may ask why I walked this extra mile to share with the KARAS teachers, my humble knowledge of the topic. In fact, I promised to them more sessions on the built heritage from Spain and from other intangibles. This is my way of expressing my thanks and gratitude to the Ayala Foundation Metropolitan Museum of Manila, and the Santiago Foundation who helped BAHANDI in our preservation of Baclayon’s ancestral homes.
It was in 2004 when we fought for our heritage, the ancestral homes. Today Bahandi is still steadfast in its advocacy, not just for our ancestral houses, but also for our vernacular architecture and protection of the environment.
In our journey during our struggle, a solid friendship was built among the following: Nestor and Jojie Pestelos, Gardy Labad, Inno Manalo, Carie Tharan and many more. Even the use of the Caballo house and its restoration has a Bahandi spirit through Josefina Caballo and Lydia Ramo Caballo
I’m just hoping that in celebration of the 500 years of Christianity of the Philippines, my editor would allow me to feature Baclayon, the town which is the cradle of Christianity in Bohol. This is one of the best forms of heritage that we have – the Religious Heritage of the Boholanos in particular and the Filipinos in general.