The Mara Unduk story

by Eli J. Obligacion (1992)

...common ancestry, chaos and catastrophe, enlightenment

Mayana and Buwana, goddesses from the sky.

In the days of Bathala, when two moons still sailed the sky, the earth was inhabited by highly-gifted spirit-people who lived in harmony with all existence. Such immense powers they possessed, for they controlled the four elements of Fire, Air, Water and Earth.

Mayana angered.

Over time, they became too proud to the point that Mayana, the Goddess of the Lower Moon, was angered, smashing her lunar abode onto the earth. 

Unang Delubyo.

This was known as the first upheaval - that caused an island to spring from the bottom of the the ocean. The few survivors named it Mara Unduk, sea mountain.

Katalona.

The Earth was left under the care of the gentle Goddess of the Higher Moon, Buwana. A new order was established under the rule of the sorcerer, Katalona, who dominated the people's lives. But the survivors who have learned to hunt for food have forgotten who they were or where they came from. They had no notion of their destiny.

 

Magic

Strange dreams haunted the people for a long time. Through magical rituals they began to understand those dreams with the help of the spirit-protector, Marindik.

Alon and Baylana.
Alon, a hunter who served as Katalona's apprentice falls in love with the prettiest maiden, Baylana. The relationship ended in a tragedy for the maiden and for Katalona, he who believed that Alon's mission to chart his people's destiny was loftier that Alon's love for Baylana. 

Chaos

Such lawlessness and disorder descended upon the village that the people lost their sense of hope and direction. Marindik was so displeased that she caused her dwelling on the mountaintop to emit burning rocks, and the heaven to weep.

Deluge

The villages were submerged in mud and sand, bringing havoc and destruction once again. In the midst of it all, Alon finds union with his primeval past, and emerged in harmony with the elemental spirits and with all existence.

Mystical island of Mara Unduk.

The enlightened Alon becomes whole again as the new Tao -
 he who will lead his people to their rightful and glorious place under the sun.

Ancient Marinduque's common ancestry with the Mayans and lost civilizations?

"Like the skulls found in the island of Los Tres Reyes, (Marinduque), those of the cave of Pamin-Taan were deformed... (Marche, 1881)

Prior to Marche, it was the German-Russian naturalist Fedor Jagor who aroused public attention in the West in the 1860s with his discovery in Marinduque caves of deformed skulls. Up to that time nothing was known of such skulls in the oriental island world. The practice of compressing the head of a newborn child between two boards were purportedly done so that instead of looking round it would be lengthened out with the forehead also flattened, considered an ancient “special mark of beauty”

Similar deformed skulls were found by Marche in the caves of Los Tres Reyes, Pamintaan and Macayan. It is astonishing now to learn that the same goal of modifying the shape of the skull turning it into a cone-shaped one was also practiced in the ancient world, the world of the Egyptians, Incas and Mayans. As one who grew up in Marinduque, I've also heard about very large elongated craniums (mahahaba ang bungo), old people have supposedly seen in some of our caves (although I have not seen one myself).

The ancient Mayan Calendar.

Does a common ancestry exist between these civilizations? It appears that there is much more to this than mere beauty. From Egypt to South America, and other places on earth such as Siberia, we find more astonishing new revelations that may lead to that conclusion. Intriguing quotes from a Russian archaeologist and scholars as shown in the following video: 

“The most likely explanation was that ancient communities deliberately deformed the skulls of infants, possibly with the intention of increasing mental abilities..”

“It’s unlikely that the ancients knew much about neuro-surgery but it’s possible that somehow they were able to develop exceptional brain capabilities.. these people were some form of living instrument who were able, for instance, to determine whether or not there was danger, as well as to predict the weather.”

Peruvian Deformity from Wikimedia Commons

"However, some uncertainty remains around the fact that the exact same deformation was practiced in different areas of the world, that at that time had no contact with each other..."

“The ancient Mayans depicted their Gods and ceremonial kings as having these cone-like heads..”

And a more astounding, incredible mixture of theories and ideas! Shades of Mara Unduk I should say. Watch this video from sumerian101!

Wild orchids and the nourishing waters of Sawi

The beautiful orchids of Sawi were once romanticized in prose and poetry, the descendants of wild orchids that figured in the legend of two lovers, Mina and Tano. A story that saw one of the two departing for heaven to the extreme grief of the other. Many still remember the story of Sawi, the broken-heart village (where I also learned my ABC's).

From the upland villages, Boac River has meandered through Sawi in a U-shaped course since time immemorial.  Barangay Sawi is bordered on the east, west and south by this historic river that hugged the headlines in 1996, after a mine spill that instantly killed all life therein. But the ghost of this 26-kilometer-long river appears to have come back to life again, bringing with it the same endemic species akin to itself.

Flooding during strong tropical storms has continued to erode the outer banks on both sides,  further widening the river valley where wild herbs now grow in all abandon. You could smell their aromatic scent, that could bring back happy childhood memories for some, by just walking through them.

The village of Sawi continues to be blessed. It also hosts the source and main body of a very unique sapa, small stream that has never run dry even as the seasons change. This sapa cuts through the mid-section of the plains of Sawi. It has always been home to many species of fish (tilapia, dalag, carpa, hito, gourami), has always provided safe drinking water for the community, water for washing clothes, for bathing, for playing and swimming there, water for irrigating the rice paddies in its course through Daypay and Bantad before it joins the Boac River.

Floating nipa sheds for bathing and washing clothes. Clotheslines look like festive buntings celebrating the blessings of this quiet stream. A man washes clothes while children play and delightfully scream.

Water lettuces and water lilies still float on the surface,
but water hyacinths have ruled now, entirely invading the stream's western bend.

The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Road leading to northern Marinduque.

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Guisian. Defining the character of a scenic barangay.

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

Paye in Mogpog. Reflecting a people's self-image.

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

Just one of Sayao's vast range of landscapes.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Next level for Argao buri-weavers

Romblon's DTI PD Rudy Mariposque in skills upgrading for buri-weavers.
With the abundance of buli (buri palm), that grows in the hills of Argao and nearby areas, residents of this coastal barangay are themselves convinced that they could sustain the production of bayong and fashionable bags from buri as an alternative means of livelihood. Since the conduct of a skills training program on bayong/bag weaving last year, followed by another session on modern design trends for bags out of buri, a training on bleaching and dyeing was recently conducted by DTI Marinduque for the participants.

They are composed mostly of more women than men, pleased with what they have earlier been taught, continuing to make buri bags during their spare time. Since then, they have received and delivered orders from a few clients for small bags for use as gift baskets in general. Such orders, however, follow designs chosen by their clients out of the very few naturally colored designs they have presented. The inference is that they could not just make the same buri bags unless they have sure buyers and that it would be better to be able to present them with more designs to choose from. 

A training on bleaching and dyeing for the introduction of colors in those buri products from Argao was thus undertaken to make the items more attractive to customers. A trainer from the Cottage Industry Technology Center, Ms. Zemarjudia Pacuribot was invited by DTI for the purpose. Various methods for bleaching and dyeing buri strips were thus introduced involving the use of chemicals and additives.  

To ensure that new and marketable designs of buri bags and even placemats are produced by the would-be local entrepreneurs, DTI's provincial director, Carlito Fabalena invited no less than his counterpart in Romblon, provincial director Rodolfo Mariposque to share his expertise. Some of Romblon's towns are known for their basketry and traditional buri and raffia weaving traditions that are further strengthened with the infusion of new designs and colors.

Mariposque, who is fondly called Rudy by his DTI colleague hails from Boac. Aside from sharing his expertise on trends and designs, Rudy also conveyed his thoughts on strategies that may be adopted by the Argao participants to sustain their production.

Rudy also shared with the participants his knowledge on the use of natural bleaching methods.

Rudy in a one-on-one with a participant.

The participants were divided into several groups with each group
 engaging in a style of weaving different from the rest.

Hands on bleaching and dyeing methods were learned 
and practised by the participants in three days.

Training on skills upgrading was conducted by 
Mariposque for two days more.

Some items produced by the participants by day's end.

Mariposque ensured the participants that he would be willing to return to provide follow-up technical assistance if needed.  He also noted that the participants could consider themselves lucky as Congressman Velasco, from among the representatives in the Mimaropa Region composed of the Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan, is the only congressman who has introduced a direct tie-up with the Department of Trade and Industry to facilitate livelihood training programs such as this, and the implementation of a micro-financing program, as well. 

Participants after the first 3-day program on bleaching and dyeing with representatives from DTI, CITC and the Office of Cong. Velasco (with IT Officer Erick Anthony San Juan, in extreme right)

Photo with Cong. Velasco from earlier initial skills training on bayong weaving. 

View of the south from Argao beach.

View of the north from the same spot.
Silangan and San Andres Island lie behind the rocky hill.

Argao Beach.

Quiet thrill of Mabusay Falls in Mahinhin, Boac

Mabusay Falls

By their own admission some residents of barangay Mahinhin in Boac only became aware of a busay, waterfall in their midst during the last couple of years. Youngsters living there have, since then, made it a point to tell their relatives and visitors living in the metro about the busay, inviting them to trek over there for a couple of hours or so, to bathe in another natural wonder they’ve been given, bask in the thought of being far away from one’s own, or from other people’s mundane cares and woes. All when they come home for visits.

They call it Mabusay, waterfally (maybe not a word yet but the meaning is there), apparently referring to the many cascading rocks one encounters when hiking to the falls that provide nice waterscapes.  Cool, refreshing waters in a shallow pool await them there for at once taking a dip after a tiring trek. 

Coco juice and coco meat still make the special moments 
with friends even more perfect.

Caves are also hidden under the waterfalls.

Water cascades over the rocks on the way to the falls and beyond 
leading to the mountains of Bantay in sitio Baliis..

My friends from Mahinhin, Richard, Leo and Bernard, 
share the quiet thrill offered by Mabusay Falls.

The distance from central Mahinhin to Mabusay is just one kilometer but one takes a long and winding trek downhill and uphill again, then follow the river upstream till Mabusay reveals herself after a couple of hours of walking.

Nito-weaving skills training in Tapuyan

Cong. Lord Allan Velasco talking with participants to the livelihood training program

A four-day skills training and upgrading on nito weaving was recently undertaken by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Marinduque Office in Barangay Tapuyan, Gasan. The training program was participated in by local residents, some of whom are already into nito-weaving but interested in learning about new marketable designs, as well as new learners. 

Cong. Velasco with DTI officials and skills-training participants

The project is part of a continuous training program on development and promotion of local handicrafts, souvenir products that make use of indigenous materials, including the production of coco-based products. The project is funded by the Congressional District Office of Cong. Lord Allan Velasco and is implemented by the DTI Marinduque Office. 

Nito placemat prototype

The sturdy nito vines are abundant in Tapuyan where the material is turned into coasters, placemats and baskets and sold in the market as souvenir or gift items.

Unfinished covered nito basket.

Nito basket with natural color.

Some ladies of Tapuyan who are skilled nito-weavers.

The program also included the turn over of tools needed for the production of nito products such as screw drivers, shavers, sizers, hammers, knives, meter sticks and glues.

Nito vines in their natural color

Other programs are included in Velasco's program such as skills training on bleaching and dyeing of buri, training on bag lining and finishing, skills upgrading on bayong and basket weaving, advanced training on bag making, skills training on morion-themed souvenir items, and technology training on coco sugar making.