FOLKWAYS IN ALFONSO

FOLKWAYS IN ALFONSO

A. CUSTOMS OF THE PEOPLE

ON BIRTHS AND NEWBORN

It is believed in many parts of Alfonso that a child’s future can be guided right after birth. Many traditional practices are done ceremoniously during the baby’s period of infancy.
a. Immediately after the birth of a baby, the father places above his head, books, pencil, etc., believing that what they place there will guide the future of the child.
b. The cord is wrapped in a piece of white cloth and tied to a rafter in the roof of the house in the belief that the child will not fear high places.
c. The placenta (inunan) of the newborn is buried by the father together with the poisonous leaf of lipa and ligas plus other allergenic plants to make the child immune to said poisons.

ON COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE

The popular “Filipino custom… no touch” used to be strictly practiced in Alfonso but lately this has been diluted by the influence of modernity.
a. A boy pays a visit to a girl when the position of the moon and Venus is such that the moon is directly under the planet as if ready to catch it if falls.
b. The boy serves the family (panunmuyo) of the girl at least one year before the wedding.
c. The boy offers a “dowry” depending upon the agreement arrived at during the “Pamamanhikan” or “Bulungan”.
d. The bride is not supposed to try on her wedding gown or else something bad may happen.

DEATH AND FUNERALS

a. It is not good to do any kind of cleaning in the house or surroundings when someone is dead because the burial will be accompanied by heavy rain.
b. It is very dangerous to bump any part of the coffin on any part of the house even accidentally for it serves as an omen that another member of the family will die soon.
c. Female relatives mourn for one year by wearing black.
d. A fire is prepared near the gate and mourners are encouraged to jump over it after sprinkling table salt grains to disinfect themselves.
e. A broom immediately cleans the floor after removing the coffin from there. This is another ritual disinfecting.
f. Four days after the burial, the bereaved family members all go to the nearby brook to take a bath.
g. Nine nights from the date of death are spent for the “Padasal” as offering for the soul of the departed. During this period, relatives, friends and neighbors assemble nightly and share snack in the house. They don’t all go there to pray. Some gamble, the young ones usually play “Juego de Prenda” while the “manongs” and the “manangs” recite the prayers.
h. When the food (coffee and bread usually) is offered, one should take care not to put one cup over the other to prevent members of the family from dying one after another.
i. The ninth day, locally termed “TIBAW” is a whole day affair usually a get-together type of banquet whereby neighbors, friends and relatives are invited to come and join the closing “novena” for the deceased.
j. The 40th day is celebrated probably to symbolize the Ascension of Jesus Christ, forty days following His Resurrection.
k. Finally, the “BABANG LUKSA” (end of the period of mourning) is celebrated about one year after the death. This is another whole day affair.
l. After the “Babang Luksa”, offertory prayers are held every now and then depending upon the mood of the family. It is really quite expensive to die in Alfonso. What with all the traditional rituals.

Some of these traditions are slowly fading but it is still expensive to die, more so now that a regular coffin’s cost is prohibitive. Cremation is thus beginning to be popular.

ACTS OF RESPECT

People anywhere are expected to show respect to others but in Alfonso, we have customary acts of respect, which are very different and unique.
a. Young ones are expected to always respond with “PO”, “OPO” or “OHO” when talking to elders.
b. Kissing the hands (ang PAGBISA o PAGMAMANO) of the elders after sunset is not really kissing but actually mere touching of the elder’s right hand on the forehead of the youngsters. This is practiced anywhere during the night time whenever a young one meets an elder. This is a crude form of “hello” greeting done when one arrives or leaves.
c. Passing in front of visitors is an awkward act of “bending one’s body forward”, with arms also extended rigidly forward, palms clasped tightly and used as guide to carry oneself and to point to the visitors where he is going which he does as quickly as possible so as not to obstruct anyone.

ENTERTAINING VISITORS

Guests are brought to the farm for a taste of young coconut (MURA or BUKO) direct from the tree.
Fried chicken, “tinola”, local “achara”, “arroz valenciana” and other home-cooked delicacies are commonly offered by the host with pride.
On the way home, visitors will find themselves loaded with all kinds of available fruits, with of course, final remarks of thanks and an invitation to “please come back soon”.

SOME UNPLEASANT CUSTOMS

a. One cannot attend a “party” of whatever occasion without a “regalo” or gift.
b. The average Alfonso resident refuses to accept offers of food as compensation for their being very helpful.
c. People do not attend a wake (Pulawan) without “limos” or monetary contribution.

B. FOLK BELIEFS

ON BIRTH AND NEWBORN BABIES

a. A baby born breech presentation will turn out to be a natural healer of throats obstructed with fish bones.
b. A baby who sucks his thumbs shall become rich and famous.
c. A baby who cries loud on birth is requesting for a baptismal sponsor from a far away place.
d. A baby’s hair is cut on his first birthday otherwise something bad happens to the baby.
e. Intelligent persons, usually professionals are requested to be the first to cut the baby’s fingernails, to inherit the cutter’s potentialities.
f. A baby’s physical feature is influenced by what the mother thought of during her conception.
g. If the first child is a boy, the grandparents shall be healthier and shall live longer.
h. The child is influenced by the qualities of the baptismal sponsor (Ninong), hence the care in choosing one.

ON COURTSHIP AND WEDDING

a. A suitor must not visit a girl on “bad days” (Tuesdays, Fridays and days falling on the 7th, 13th, 17, and 27th).
b. Lovers are not supposed to see each other on moonless nights.
c. It is not good to give a loved one any religious article as it will prevent them from getting married.
d. A scar on the forehead is not a very good sign.
e. Persons with mole on the path of tears are widowed early.
f. It is bad for the bride to try on her bridal gown.
g. A lady in mourning cannot marry.
h. Brothers and sisters cannot marry within the same year (suno or sukob sa taon) in the belief that they, the couples, will be in constant competition in their livelihood.
i. Anybody in mourn must never, ever be included in the presidential table.
j. Immediately after the wedding ceremonies, the bride and the groom attempt to step on each other’s foot believing that it gives good luck to the married couple and at the same time determines who shall be the “boss” in the new household.
They also race each other to the door believing that the spouse who reaches first will live longer and happier.
k. Rice shower is practiced after the ceremony to keep the family “bountiful”.
l. “Dulces” (sweets) are offered on arrival of the couple to keep their family forever sweet.
m. After serving the food, the bride is “smuggled” by the relatives of the groom and brought quickly to his house.
n. A “gating” (measuring cup) is stolen from the bride’s household and carried during the “bride smuggle” so that the bride may not feel homesick in the new house.
o. On arrival to the groom’s house, the bride, accompanied by an old woman is “counted” in the room:

“Isa, dal’wa, tatlo…
Dito ka tatai’y dito ka iihi
Aalis ka man dito’y
Dito ka rin uuwi.”

“one, two, three
Here, you’ll urinate
And here, you’ll defecate;
You’ll be allowed to leave
But you’ll always come back.


ON MENSTRUATION AND PREGNANCY

A menstruating woman should not take a bath, eat sour fruits or even pass over bridges with water under it as all those things cause massive bleeding.
It is bad for a girl in her period to look at wounds for the mere act induces severe menstrual bleeding.
An expectant mother must not go under the house (silong) for it induces difficult childbirth.
Anybody staying on the doorway of a preganant womn’s house invites obstacles to childbirth.
A husband acting as pall bearer during a funeral shortens the life of the unborn.
A husband calling a midwife must not enter her house.
Pregnant woman must not drink without pause as the baby would cry non-stop after birth. A pregnant woman must wash her own plate after eating.
While in a brook or river, a pregnant woman must always face the stream’s flow.
An expectant mother must not wear anything round her neck.
A person sharing food with an expectant mother will feel sleepy.
A gambler greeted by a pregnant woman on his way to the gambling house is sure to lose.
Birthmarks are caused by conception thoughts (Paglilihi).

ON CARING FOR THE SICK

A sick person’s head must never point north or west.
Dog howlings and owl hootings are bad omens when heard in the vicinity of a sick person.
Black colored insects and flies are news of impeding death.

ON BUILDING HOUSES

Before building a house, a mystical calendar locally called “lunario” is first consulted.
The site is evaluated first by a “medicine man” locally called “barco” (see Sayaw sa Apoy)).
Doors must not be in line with one another, otherwise owner’s treasures “will go out easily”.
One cooking must not be facing the street or else unexpected guests would come.
Stairs are counted as “ginto, pilak, tanso, repeatedly, and must always end up with ginto.”
A dining table must be arranged crosswise with the main door.
Cabinets must not face west where the sun sets.
Moving into a new house entails other ceremonies including “BASANG-GILAGID” which is discussed somewhere else.

OTHER SUPERTITIOUS BELIEFS

Rituals to counteract cleaning the house during wake period:
Sprinkle salt grains in front of the Church on burial day so it will not rain
Throw a underwear of the deceased on top of the roof.
Do the sweeping of the floor at the very time of death.
Put an inverted broom against a water downspout.
One receiving a handkerchief as a gift shall experience shedding tears cuased by the giver.
Relatives of one who died are not supposed to attend another wake until after 40 days.
Families prepare an extra place at the dining table whenever a member dropped a fork or spoon in anticipation of a visitor.
This little accident is met with delightful anticipation. A dropped silver is always a friendly warning of an impending visitor: a man for a fork and a woman for a spoon.
Ever hospitable as most Filipinos are, the family readily sets an extra place at the table for their surprise guest… A tradition of love observed up to this day.

C. PSYCHISM IN ALFONSO
The highest scientific circles have recently agreed that many people are capable of using psychic energy in different ways though they may be totally unaware of the fact.
Local psychics in Alfonso learned their feats spontaneously (BUKAL) or guided by an old relative (MINANA) usually. Lately however, some practitioners are incorporating scientific knowledge.
Back to the old practice in Alfonso I noted that in spite of the various methods of quackery, the rampancy of amulets and several seemingly mystical rituals, bewitchment is not common, unlike in other localities in the archipelago.
It does occur however, occasionally and is usually caused by a “mangkukulam” (witch). The power of a “mangkukulam” is said to be inborn or occasionally, acquired after the person has been afflicted by a certain ailment. It is a common belief that the illness caused by a “mangkukulam” is incurable. Alfonso is fortunate that this is not common in the town. The nature of bewitchment is not fully understood up to present.
More commonly encountered is bewitchment caused by a “manggagaway”. His/her power is also inborn and inherited, so they say. A “manggagaway differs from a “mangkukulam” both in physical appearance as well as in general attitude. She may not always be old and ugly but her stare penetrates. She may not even be aware that she is “manggagaway”. She discovers herself only when somebody (usually a baby) she stares at, gets sick. The case is usually discovered by a “magsasanghiyang” (one who practices the “sanghiyang” ritual). A victim is said to be NABATI. Only the “manggagaway” (ang NAKABATI ) can cure the illness caused by her. Her plain saliva generally “cures”; at times, more elaborate procedures are necessary.
At any rate both the “mangkukulam” and the “manggagaway” are not common and are not popular in Alfonso.
Old folks know several ways to counteract the power of a “witch”. They suggest that if someone you encounter is a suspected “manggagaway’ you are supposed to immediately murmur some cursing words against her. You may even curse her mentally. A “buntot pagi” is also considered a good weapon as well as other items like bamboo sections with matching eyes, a branch of the plant “cayetana” or perhaps garlic.
Latin prayers are also said to be very effective antidote to bewitchment. Like the one supposedly used by Jesus in driving away the devil. “AMPEL MIBEL, GAYIM JESUS EXEMENERAM EGO SUM MICCIONEY EMPURO MECATIONEM DIORUM, NOR NOT NOD, NUN SICUT DEUS.”
There is also a “broad spectrum” prayer against all evil: “LODEM SOOLECAM SOPECLAM, or VIRGO VIRGEN MARIA OPICLUM or EGRA EGRAYUM EGROM ERESUM”.
JESUS MARIA Y JOSEP, or TUMAUS TUTAUS TABUUB JUB UB, or ARAM ADAM ACSIDAM VUC VOUC VAUC TAUOC, or MURMURLUM MURMURTUM MURSIATUM or ARAM AC ADAM AM ADAM and so on and so forth until one completes some fifty two prayers, all of which may be used while blowing on the body of the bewitched.

From the book TINGKORAW:Alfonso's History and Legend by jett e. avinante, m.d.