CULTURAL HERITAGE

By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo

Ang Tungaw . . . Bow!

Are you familiar with the word tungaw? Is it an insect? I guess. It is a very tiny insect but despite its being very minute, it is easy to notice. Why? Basta mas sayon pangitaon ang tungaw. Nganong mas sayon man pangitaon ang tungaw? We will know this. But why discuss the tungaw? 

People of my age are very familiar with the tungaw. During my pre-teens, we loved inching our way into the thick bushes, unmindful of all the different kinds of itchy objects and living things that might hurt us, and one of these is the tungaw. Yes, despite the discomfort the tungaw gives us, we the children enjoyed going around for the breeze, the heat of the sun, the sound of chirping birds and the fruits and the company. We gathered all sorts of things especially the lemonsitong onggoy

Going back to the tungaw, my Lola used to tell me that the mga tungaw will flock among the tiny but thick feathers of chickens. Adto ni sila magtapok sa bunhok sa manok. Mahibaw ta nga naay tungaw, but it is not that easy to locate it. You would just be alarmed by the very biting and itchy feeling you experience once the tungaw mukaraw ug mosoksok sa mga suok suok sa imong kalawasan. And this insect does not die by a mere scratching of the skin or a rubbing of an alcohol. You really have to prick it with a needle or pin to pluck it from where it is deeply and securely glued. Ikahig gyud na nimo sa dagum ug ampilir unya inigkahuman, imong ajo ajuhon ug irok aron mamatay. Matagbaw gyud ka sa kakatol.

But why the mention of the tungaw man lagi? Nganong nahinumdum ko sa tungaw?  It’s because I could feel that there are many human tungaw in our midst today. With the happenings around us, the tungaw resembles a sinister looking figure. They tungaw present but could not immediately be seen nor plucked. It is very tiny but could be very stingy with the bite.

Let us have some tungaw to reckon with. 

• The Captains Peak fiasco resulting to a six month suspension of 69 government officials is a clear example of an area with the tungaw that was not noticed. Mura man gyud ug tungaw ang Captain’s Peak Resort nga wala man gyud makita sa authorities despite the fact that the structure stood strong and tall but was built without a permit? Di ba mura ug tungaw nga wala makit-i, pero nakasakit sa mata sa mga autoridad? But who is the real tungaw in this situation?

•  Then comes the Cloud Seeding Project. Mura pud ni ug tungaw. When there was a need for the augmentation of water supply at the height of the El Nino phenomenon, no cloud seeding took place. A lady official from the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian claimed that early part of January 2024, she already forwarded to the designated department her request for materials and other necessary things to combat the dry spell. But all these fell on deaf ears. Until, she withdrew her request upon learning from PAGASA, recently, that the rainy season is back. Comedy of all comedies, the department concerned is still pushing through with the Cloud Seeding Project. Wala diay makita ninyo ang tungaw niadtong init pa ang panahon? Kadtong kauga pa ang mga kabasakan?Kinsa man gyud ang tungaw? Dili ba kaha intawon mo pama-akon anang mga tungaw

There are still many faces of the tungaw in our local, provincial, and national milieu. Naay tungaw dagku ug naa poy tungaw gagmay. And maybe they know each other pretty well.

Msgr. Cotiamco gave a little story about why Filipinos are developing flat noses unlike the other citizens of the world. He said: “Kadtong paghimo sa kalibutan, dihay pananhon nga ang Ginoo nangandam na ug gama sa ilong sa tawo. Gibutang sa Ginoo ang mga materials nga iyang himoonon ug ilong sa usa ka kwarto.  Giuna ug tawag ang Pinoy kay pinangga man lagi sa Ginoo.  Pero nagpaulahi man.  Naunhan sa puti.  Paghidangat sa mga Pinoy, hapon na.  Ang naabtan, ang mga ilong nga nalata sa kamada.  Di napislat.” Moral of the story: Walay timing ang Pinoy. Mao nang mapaakan sa tungaw.

Ang Tungaw . . . bow!