Monday, January 31, 2011

Marinduque Anitos, Idols

A standing Bulol of Ifugao Bulol, the Ifugao anito, is a carved human figure considered as a rice god and usually kept in the house or rice granary. It is said that there are steps involved in the making of a bulol, from selecting the tree to be used, to its arrival at the owner's house, to rituals involving bathing it in pig's blood, recitations and offerings of wine. There are claims that bulol is actually used by using the image as an object to ritually transfer the sickness of the afflicted to the statue and that the bulol is kept in granaries to drive away thieves. There is a belief that contact with the bulol used for this purpose could cause the sickness to be transferred to such thieves. MARINDUQUE ANITOS Anitos, idols, very much similar to the bulol have also been unearthed from various Marinduque caves. Together with skeletons, various gold ornaments, ancient pottery and wooden coffins with crocodile images carved into them, pre-Hispanic artifacts found in Marinduque has opened up a vast world of speculation. Illustrations of a few anitos found in Pamintaan Cave, Torrijos. Replica of one anito referred to as Pastores in the Marche journals, said to have been found in Gasan. These anitos have inspired local cultural groups to incorporate these idols in dance-drama presentations only during the last decade. The local anito featured here, called 'pastores', is from "Bulong" dance-drama first presented in Gasan in 2002, and which I directed as Artistic Director of Teatro Balangaw)..

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Velasco Achievers: Scholarships for new technical and vocational programs and more

(Cong. Velasco distributing educational assistance to part of the first batch of recipients)

Congressman Lord Allan Jay Q. Velasco recently distributed certificates of full scholarships to students of two technical and vocational institutions in Marinduque. One of them, is the Torrijos Poblacion School of Arts and Trades (TPSAT). The scholarship covers full training and assessment costs ranging from Php 4,000 to Php 10,500 each for enrollees taking up programs in Food and Beverage Services, Commercial Cooking, Bartending, Housekeeping, Front Office Services and Refrigeration and Air-Condition Servicing.

Similar scholarship grants have been distributed by Velasco to students of Buyabod School of Arts and Trade (BSAT) taking up courses in Baking/Pastry Production, Food Processing, Computer Hardware Servicing, Automotive Servicing, Auto Engine Rebuilding, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, Shielding Metal Arc Welding, Food and Beverage Services, Housekeeping and Bartending.

The combined scholarship programs for the two schools amount to Php 1-million benefitting 159 students. This number is expected to further increase within the year with more applicants to benefit under a new arrangement between Congressman Velasco and TESDA whereby the latter will provide counterpart funding of 100% for funds provided by the Congressman from his Priority Development Assistance Fund.

These programs are registered under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), mandated to provide direction, policies, programs and standards towards quality technical education and skills development. Applicants for these programs undergo an entrance examination and interview set by the school’s guidance counselors to determine and suggest which program best suits the applicants. TESDA then ensures jobs for technical and vocational graduates and the programs’ continuity to give more students the chance to get jobs and better quality of life.

(Congressman Velasco at MSC with MSC president Romulo Malvar on the mic during a luncheon meeting)

Meanwhile, the distribution of educational assistance for college students who availed themselves of financial assistance under the Velasco Achievers Program are scheduled on February 10, 11 and 12, 2011. This includes the first batch of students already enrolled during the first semester and new recipients for the current semester.

(Mr. Erick Abad, Velasco's Chief of Staff for Marinduque Affairs assists in the distribution together with Ms. Jenilyn Elle (seated)

These students are presently enrolled in Marinduque colleges, namely, the Marinduque State College (MSC), Marinduque Midwest College (MMC), St. Mary’s College of Marinduque (SMCM), Educational System Technological Institute (ESTI), Sta. Cruz Institute (SCI),and Malindig Institute (MI). Also included are a number of college students who have received financial assistance from sources other than the Velasco program during previous semesters but decided to avail themselves of the Velasco Achievers Program.

Congressman Velasco’s District Office in Boac continues to receive applications for these grants from qualified applicants who have obtained a grade of at least 80% on the average or its equivalent during his/her last enrollment. Contact person is Ms. Jenilyn Elle.




(Ms. Jenilyn Elle)

Ms. Elle explained that recipients of financial assistance under this program receive an amount of not less than Php 2,500 per student. She also stressed that exceptional, full-merit students are provided full scholarships under a special program with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), that entitles them to scholarships amounting to Php 15,000 each per semester.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

'Marinduque' upside down

Ton Monteagudo is a Marinduque-based graphic artist who is fond of challenging himself. He loves to redesign letters to surprise viewers of his work, such as one created by reading his work upside down only to find the very same word or name re-appearing like seeing it through the looking-glass.

You can try see it for yourself by rotating the above poster that Ton created a year ago as part of local tourism promotional efforts, focusing on the word ‘Marinduque’ and be surprised by what you’ll find.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Bulating of Malbog

(Boling-Boling of Catanauan, Quezon)

(Headress of vines and leaves, Boling-Boling)

Covering the whole body with mud and putting on a headdress made of leaves and twigs is an age-old practice in Catanauan, Quezon observed from Sunday to Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday that signals the start of the Lenten Season. They call it “Boling-Boling”, said to have been adopted from ‘boling’, a Visayan word for ‘dirt’. Other practitioners, however, have resorted to wearing any costume that they may fancy “while others imitate anybody they despise and make fun of them".

(Bulating of Brgy. Malbog in Boac is a similar practice shown in the following photos by Gerry Jamilla)


(Taking Bulating to town as part of the Lenten parade).

The Boling-Boling ritual is undertaken as part of the spiritual cleansing and preparation needed by the religious with the advent of the Lenten season.

On several occasions the now popular "Boling-Boling Festival" of Catanauan has joined the highly successful "Aliwan Festival" annual competitions held at the CCP Complex. Aliwan has been dubbed as the 'Mother of all Festivals' attracting competitors from all over the Philippine archipelago.

MALBOG'S BULATING

In Brgy. Malbog of Boac, a similar practice said to have been started by one family in earlier years was revived in 2001, as part of the municipaity’s tourism program. Called “Bulating” the practice is said to be an act of humility before God and/or another form of thanksgiving.

Boling-Boling photos courtesy of Sidney Snoeck; Bulating photos courtesy of Gerry Jamilla.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Casa Real of Boac

The old Casa Real used to be the official residence of the Gobernadorcillo and Gobernador, that, is, the Spanish Governor who made annual visits when Marinduque was under the 18th to the 19th century administration of Mindoro province.

Town officials led by the Gobernadorcillo (Boac had its first Gobernadorcillo, town head, in 1735, in the person of Matias de Belen), would gather at the Port of Laylay to await his arrival, with people lining up the streets from Santol to the Casa Real for this day of celebration. Houses would display Spanish flags made of sinamay to greet some 50 horseback-riding uniformed men cuadrilleros, policemen, in gala, as paso-doble is played by a brass band.

The Casa Real was a two-storey building made of the best available local materials from hardwood as floorings and walls to sillar, adobe stones, as walls particularly on the ground floor level. It was entirely roofed with tisa, roof tiles, produced at the 'magapog' plant that the Jesuits set up in Mogpog originally for the construction of the Boac Church.

The new Casa Real building that now stands at the original site officially adopted as a park, “Liwasan ng Kalayaan”, was constructed seven years ago by the municipal administration of Mayor Roberto J. Madla, its design inspired by the original building.

An old marker formerly installed at the base of the Rizal Monument that used to stand at this site now marks this new building. The marker, originally installed by the National Historical Institute, recalls the killing here of revolutionary leaders Hermenegildo Flores and Remigio Medina in 1897. Read - by Eli J. Obligacion

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Santa Cruz' Old and Mute Witness

Outside the covered courts in Marinduque, the upper level of the century-old convent in Sta. Cruz (Santa Cruz de Napo was its old name), apparently houses the biggest hall in all of this island-province where until today laughter from banquets for various occasions held there still fill the air every now and then.

The hall, very well-preserved with walls and floors of hardwood up to 2 feet in width could take in as many as 500 guests.

The lower level, converted into classrooms since 1974 as the Holy Infant Parochial School for grade-school kids is made of adobe walls and floors with windows protected by thick iron grills and thick, heavy doors in hardwood.

(Fete a Santa Cruz de Napo from the Marche files)

The convent is located right beside the Sta. Cruz Church, reputed to be the oldest in Marinduque, and has similarly survived typhoons, earthquakes and strife.

Now, comparing these photos recently shot by photography hobbyist Dan Pagulayan (accompanied by this blogger on a weekend roadtour), of this old convent to one brief but significant journal entry with an illustration dated 1881, that showed the interior of a building in Santa Cruz while a banquet was taking place (see above illustration), we may well have a glimpse, in all likelihood, of a part of the same historic convent’s old glory and splendor.

(The staircase with old wood balusters)

The account:

“The next day was the feast of the town. After the religious ceremony at the church, a procession attended by all the faithful went through the streets of the town, adorned with canopies of greenery and garlands of flowers.

"In the evening, a big banquet was given by the parish priest of Santa Cruz. He was the son of a Frenchman and a Spanish woman, but he did not know a word of the paternal language. He also had his collection, from which he was willing to deduct a few shells for me.” (Luzon and Palawan, Marche, with illustration titled Fete a Santa Cruz de Napo)


Photos courtesy of Dan Pagulayan.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Holland Hearts for the Philippines

A small group of Dutch nationals who have visited various islands in the Philippines so fell in love with Marinduque that they engaged in annual visits to this island for some ten years now. A member of the group who is married to a Filipina eventually decided, with encouragement from the local town authorities, to develop a hillside property in Gasan and make it their second home.

The stark difference between the privileged life that they enjoy in their country and the local poverty situation has not escaped the group. For this reason they have, in various ways, undertaken small projects to provide medical assistance, school supplies for children and nutrition projects in coordination with the municipal government under the leadership of Mayor Vicky Lao-Lim.

To make their involvement in uplifting the lives of those in need more permanent and official, the group recently established Hearts for the Philippines foundation in Holland specifically for the Marinduque project, and primarily for Gasan. They hope that in this small way they can also help break the vicious cycle of poverty that engulfs a big number of local inhabitants, by bringing about some structural changes through the small-scale projects that they have started.

Very recently, the Hearts for the Philippines group together with local representatives visited all the day-care centers in Gasan to personally deliver educational toys and learning tools for children. They also delivered medical supplies to the municipal health center, provided walking aids for the elderly, clothes to the needy and a computer unit for Marinduque’s Philippine National Red Cross office.

The foundation’s name was apparently inspired by Marinduque’s tagline as the 'Heart of the Philippines'.



Photos courtesy of Hearts for the Philippines

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Morion Unmasked

This is a stone mask from the pre-ceramic neolithic period believed to be the oldest mask in the world that dates back to 7000 BCE and is found at Musée de la Bible et de la Terre Sainte in France.









On account of Philippine culture the Lenten moriones of Marinduque is considered the oldest practice that utilized masks as part of a religious ritual dating back to the late 1800s. When worn, these masks maintain their power and mystery for he or she who wears it and for the audience who are kept bewildered, frightened or amused. This photo comes closest to the original mask worn by the morions and originates in Mogpog.

 
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The power and the mystery are instantly dissolved now when the wearer removes his or her mask, so different from the traditional concept of keeping the identity of the wearer a closely-guarded secret.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Chateau-du-Mer in Brgy. Amoingon

(The Conference Hall, venue for seminars, weddings and anniversaries)

Chateau-du-Mer is a small resort located in the island of Marinduque, Philippines. It is located in Barangay Amoingon (Boac), and is less than 10 minutes driving either from Cawit Port or from the Marinduque Airport. It has a well-designed beach house, a spacious garden, a conference room that has been used for regional meetings, and is a popular venue for wedding receptions, anniversaries and family affairs.

(The Beach House. Sea within your reach)

Recently, a beach wedding was held there. While fairly new, the owners are now considering more refurbishings in the area, apparently encouraged by similar public and privately-marked efforts to pursue the island-province's potential to be a byword among eco-tourism destinations in the Philippines.

(Blue Orchids. One of rare flowers found in the garden)

Marinduque continues to be bruited about by developers as one of the next hottest tourism hotspots in Asia in view of its proximity to Manila, unspoiled island beaches, some of which could rival Boracay, and the establishment during the last couple of years of the 6-star Bellarocca Island Resort and Spa.


See: http://chateaudumer.blogspot.com

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Creative and Daring: "G. and Bb. Gasan 2010"

(Ms. Nema Perlas (Brgy. Dawis) with nito vines as material for her costume)

The town of Gasan, since the staging of the first Bb. Gasan Beauty Pageant in 2002, in connection with the “Araw ng Gasan” celebration then, has consistently encouraged many of the town’s beauties to join the said contest. Many, from different social backgrounds have joined the pageant, with some colegialas even coming home from the big cities just to join the event, probably seeing it as an opportunity to be recognized for the qualities they possess and use the happy experience as a step towards achieving their goals in life.





(Rachel Jabal of Masiga was adjudged "Bb. Gasan Tourism")

'Prestige' has increasingly been associated with the contest as winners are not expected to depend entirely on good looks alone but must show their other talents and convince the judges and the audience that they possess enough wit and intelligence to bag the title.

(Meldian Sorno of Matandang Gasan bagged the title as "Bb. Gasan 2010")

(John Michael Guevara of Brgy. Antipolo was named "G. Gasan Tourism"

For the first time last year, the pageant organizers decided to include a search for “Ginoong Gasan” (Mr. Gasan), that also coincided with the pageant. The concept of male beauty pageants is fairly new here, but with the introduction of similar pageants in the national level, many of which have been shown on TV, and many other similar searches for not just female but male finds, people are getting used to male and female contestants parading themselves before a usually huge audience in the style of ramp models.




(Levistross Palomares of Brgy. Cabugao wore nito)

These beauty pageants are quite a hit and they often highlight the weeklong festive celebration. It is a given that the audience from all ages and from all walks of life are ever on the look-out for surprises and various amusement aspects that inevitably goes on stage during these pageants – topics for new stories to be told and retold for quite sometime again.











(No. 8 Ryan Pimentel of Dili (Bagong Bayan)

While some girls in previous pageants have been noted to have no qualms at all about wearing skimpy bikinis, an observer has noted that the girls wore “outdated 50’s swimwear”, but the boys appear more daring as these photos show.
(Neil Jeus Christian Martinez (of Mahunig) was adjudged "G. Gasan 2010")

“Ginoo at Binibining Gasan” is expected to get even more ‘glamorous’ than before as personality-improvement workshops, photo-sessions, courtesy visits and tours, not to mention ‘fabulous’ prizes’, are becoming a permanent part of the pageant.

(Edumark Lumantad (Dili)

John Christopher Nambio of Brgy. Bahi is this year's "G. Kalikasan"

Proud Winners of "G. and Bb. Gasan 2010")






Photos courtesy of Boyet Villamin of Gasan.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Kulasisi for you

(Male kulasisi eager to do a backflip before the female kulasisi)


The Philippine Hanging Parrot (Loriculus philippensis), is a small, colorful and lively parrot indigenous to the Philippines. The Filipino name for this bird is Kulasisi, and they are mainly colored green with areas of red, orange, yellow and blue that varies between subspecies. Even the different subspecies are native to different islands, and some subspecies are already too rare or almost extinct.

In Marinduque, hanging-parrots are mostly found in the moist montane or bamboo forests of Bagtingon in Buenavista south of the small island-province where quite a few households keep them for pets such as those shown in these photos from sitio Maksan. Their diet is composed of nectar, flowers and soft fruits.

Males appear eager to show off to the female and any onlooker even in captivity and will do startling backflips one after another to prove it.










Kulasisi has become a common term in the Filipino household but used somewhat endearingly to refer to a concubine or a third party but that’s maybe beneficial for the bird’s survival.