by Telly G. Ocampo
“Gabii sa Paghandum” at the old house of Tan Akoy
Our Oyang Tiva (Primitiva Villamor–Ramo) died on Nov. 11,
- Last Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023 marked the 41 st year after
her death. It has been agreed by the Ramo-Villamor clan to
observe her death anniversary on a Saturday nearest to Nov.
11 every year. So we did gather last Saturday for the said
purpose. Gathering the members of the clan on her death
anniversary is our way of perpetuating her memory and the
memory of our loved ones who have gone to the Great Beyond.
Oyang Tiva outlived our Oyong Ando for almost 4 years. The
couple was childless, and both husband and wife served as the
rock of the Ramo and Villamor clan.
The theme of our observance of the death anniversary of
Oyang Tiva was anchored on the occasion of the foundation
day of Baclayon, Bohol. So we focused on the theme: Gabii sa
Paghandum. To jibe with our theme, every female attendee
came to the occasion clad in a Filipina dress inspired by the
“Maria Went to Town” concept. Others were in their party or
church wear. The boys and men decided to come in their
fisherman or farmer look. To complete the program, the Ramo-
Villamor clan invited the group called the Kanggawa Chapel
ensemble, with every member bringing along his/her musical
instrument.
It is a beautiful moment to recall our younger days when every
chapel in the town was equipped with the tulonggon. The
tolonggon would, then, become active during fiesta and
Christmas celebrations, especially for the carols we popularly
call as daygon. In the mid 2000s, this group, the Kanggawa
Chapel ensemble, emerged as the champion in the Daygon
Competition sponsored by BAHANDI (Baclayon Ancestral
Homes for New Development Initiatives). There was Bruno
Mendez who played the violin while others handled the big
bass guitar, trombone, rhythm guitar and what we usually
called as the plomplom. Bruno is now with the choir of angels
and saints in heaven. But he has a son who has inherited his
talent and skills. It is just too bad that Bruno’s violin got broken
by typhoon Odette. The son was hoping the instrument could
be repaired but he discovered nga ang kabangis ni Odette
maoy nakaburot sa kaha sa instrumento tungod sa
pagkabasa niini sa makusog nga ulan nga dala sa bagyo.
Back to our Gabii sa Paghandum sa balay ni Tan Akoy, well,
it was a mixture of nostalgia and merriment that pervaded when
we listened to the repertoire of the Kanggawa Chapel
ensemble especially with their rendition of the daygon. It was
original and handed down from their ancestors – from
generation to generation. No wonder that barangay Kanggawa,
now called Tanday, is rich with its culrture and tradition having
preserved all these wealth from their ancestors.
The group also gave its rendition of immortal songs like
Carmela, Sakayanon, Bugas Mais and many more. Singing
with them transported me back to my mother’s time, making me
miss her and her love for music. Music is one of my mother’s
legacies to me and such legacy is embedded in my heart for as
long as I live. “Sayawon ta ang Kuradang” was the music that
prevailed that evening of Nov. 11 at the Karaang Balay ni Tan
Akoy. Everybody danced with abandon bringing Christmas
earlier than December. Max Surban’s version of the labyog-
labyog ug kiay-kiay was enjoyed and cherished by all.
I got this idea of the Gabii sa Paghandum from my friend
Louella Alix, the former curator of the Cebu Metropolitan
Museum and author of several coffee table books, the first of
which was Balaanong Bahandi. I was present during the
launching of her book on the occasion of the opening of the
Cebu Metropolitan Museum.
We are looking forward to the clan’s 2024 get together. Puhon,
malooy ang atong Ginoo. We missed our bff, Ms. Ardy
Araneta Batoy who was supposed to be our tigpa-ila during
the occasion that evening. She could not make it for she was
dead tired from her editing job at The Bohol Tribune and from
her speaking engagement with the employees of Bohol Light
Company, Inc. (BLCI) and Bohol Water Utilities, Inc (BWUI)
where she is a consultant.
(Author’s note: Photos shown on this page were taken from the
“Gabii sa Paghandum”.)
