Bilogo, Taysan, Batangas: Historical Data Part II
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| Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines. |
PART II
PART I | PART II | PART III | PART IV
[p. 8]
DURING AND AFTER WORLD WAR II
All members of the family seem active, strong, happy and polite on New Year’s [Day]. A member is prohibited to leave the house for non-official purposes or business. Probably, all desirable deeds are done on the said date for the purpose of remaining a useful citizen the year-round.
When passing through a small crowd in a house engaged in chatting and he or she happens to be in the same house, one has to stretch out one of his hands, a sign meaning that he is advancing through. That is one way of showing courtesy.
If you happened to drop in a house for something else, you’ll be received in the most polite way. They will offer you foods, drinks, or fruits before you leave.
A simple inauguration is sponsored by the couple who would transfer to a newly built house. Neighbors and relatives come and join [the] small celebration. [The] Food served is lugaw or linugaw, the common highlights of the occasion.
When a mother is on the family way, she had to refrain from urinating under big trees or in the brook. The folks believed that every expectant mother would give birth when the tide is high or when the moon will just rise.
Another believe is that when the conceiving mother
[p. 9]
happened to like or dislike a kind of food, and if the food had not been tasted, pretty soon the offspring would be affected. At the stage of conceiving, it is bad for the parents to be hating persons of undesirable character. Laughing and hitting somebody when conceiving affect the personality of their offspring.
BAPTISM
An immediate baptismal party would follow the child’s delivery. Oftentimes, neighbors, relatives, and friends attend the party. Good foods are prepared for their visitors. Different brands of liquor would be distributed to male guests drinking to the last drop. [A] Poor family who could not afford to buy foods, christened their child in the house.
As for the godfather or godmother of the child, the parents selected the nearest relative of the child. They selected either the sister or the brother of the mother, or the sister or the brother of the father. After the baptismal ceremony of the child, a “pakimkim” is given by the godfather or the godmother off the child. The “pakimkim” may either be in terms of money, jewelry, a dress or anything of great value to the owner.
If the child is the eldest child, usually, a pig and several heads of chicken are being killed. But even if the child is not the eldest, the celebration is a big feast for the barrio folks.
[p. 10]
It has been a custom office barrio that whenever Christmas comes, it is the duty of the godfather or godmother to give gifts to the child. It is a disgrace on the part of the godparents not to give gifts.
ACQUIRING ACQUAINTANCES
When a certain girl goes to this barrio, the following night, a serenade will be heard. Whether you like it or not, after three or four songs from the serenaders, the owner of the house must invite the serenaders to come up. The serenaders [are] composed [of] the Teniente del Barrio, old men of the barrio, and the young generation. Those who know how to sing from the serenaders will sing and afterwards, they will ask permission from the head of the family that they will request the lady to sing a song for them. The head of the family will give his permission to request the lady.
As a rule, or it has always been a law in this barrio, that when a troop of serenaders serenade a house, whether it be early or late at night or even in the first hour of the morning, the serenaders must be welcomed inside the house. Suppose in one night, three groups of serenaders come consecutively. They will all be invited to come up even in the midst of your sleep.
After getting the permission, the serenaders can request the lady to sing for them with the accompaniment of a guitar. If the girl will sing during the night or
[p. 11]
during the first night of her visit to the barrio, she must sing throughout her stay there, whenever other serenaders will serenade her.
If she will not sing during her first night of stay there, she will have a good reason for not singing throughout her stay. For a female teacher staying and teaching in the barrio, having a big burden of work to do, it will be better or it is a good start for her not to sing during her first night of stay.
Before the serenaders leave the house, each one of them, including the old folks, married or single, will introduce themselves to the ladies, shaking with one another.
If the girl will not submit herself to the introduction of the serenaders, they will have an impression that the girl is of a big hot nature.
If the serenaders will offer the ladies soft drinks, liquors or others drinks of the same nature, the girl must sip even a drop for the sake of the heart’s content of the serenaders.
[p. 12]
COURTSHIP
[A] Gentleman appears before the lady to express his sentiments. [The] Lady receives her visitors in the most polite way. For the old-timer parents, of both sexes, the lovers cannot exchange their love views, because her mother interferes into the love affairs. Sometimes, the old timer mother has to receive the courting gents. She prevents her daughter from mingling with her suitors.
Sometimes, the boy express his love by means of sending letters. He even seek the advice of the old persons. He even goes to [the] extent of asking poets of the barrio to write for him a good letter of love.
Without the knowledge of the girl, the boy asks a troop of serenaders to serenade his loved one, and in terms of songs, he expresses his love. Serenading, therefore, is one of the agencies used in expressing his sentiments to his loved one.
[p. 13]
MARRIAGE
Parents of both parties talked over the matter. His parent courted for him, especially if he is shy. While he works for his future in-laws. His father would hire an agent who can convince the lady’s parent by bribing [them with] his fish, no matter how much it cost him. Selected lobsters and crabs, roosters of the Texas breed that can be used in cockfighting, together with fruits and desserts of great specialty were given as “regalos.”
If the girl’s parents dislike the man, he finds fault, thus causing the gent’s immediate discharge. Do you know what will happen to the labor and bribes? Possibly nothing. Nowadays, this tradition is very rarely followed. In cases, elopement results to parents of traditional character.
In another way, [a] contract is made by both parties. [The] Bride’s parent demands for each amount to buy [a] wedding dress, as well as a parcel of land, a cow or carabao for the future couple and a big party. In matters of buying the wedding dress, the eldest brothers and sisters of the bride who are still single, will also have a dresses as presents from the bridegroom. All the expenses incurred would be shouldered by the groom’s father. In [the] case of the groom’s parents’ strong desire to have a daughter-in-law, there is no hindrance to marriage. This is one of the outstanding barrio customs. It is even through and towns.
[p. 14]
PUNISHMENT
Parents punished their offspring by pinching, slashing, and discouraging. The offense was great, they whipped them till promises arose.
In the classrooms, during the early times, if a certain child made a mischievous action, the teacher would make the child kneel on a mat full of mongo seeds.
Nowadays, if the father finds that his child is playing truant, he will make the child stay out of school. Then, he will make the child go with him and work, which is not fitted for him. He will be forced to work in the fields which he has not done when you was in school.
PART I | PART II | PART III | PART IV