Taliba, San Luis, Batangas: Historical Data Part II
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| Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines. |
PART II
PART I | PART II
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E. DEATH
When somebody dies, people come to the house and pray for the soul. Candles are lighted. People give alms to [the relatives of] the dead. They watch the dead day and night. As soon as the coffin is brought down from the house, a dipper filled with water and a broom are thrown downstairs. People pray for the dead for nine consecutive nights and on the ninth day, food is prepared for everybody who comes to share with the prayer. When the dead is below seven years of age, prayers are done only for four consecutive nights and on the fourth day, food is served also. They are always in mourning, wearing black clothes for a year. After one year, the lowering of the veil is performed. This time, those in mourning change their clothes to other kinds in the middle of the prayer.
F. BURIALS
The funeral rites are usually by foot. Many people, friends, and relatives accompany the corpse to the cemetery. People who come near the grave get a lump of soil and throw this into the grave. They say that it is “pabaon.”
G. VISITS
People are used to visiting friends and relatives who are sick or has met an accident. They usually take with them some food for the sick person. The member of the family of the sick one is not too bad a fellow, because he prepares something for the visitors. He offers them cigarettes and sometimes soft drinks.
H. FESTIVALS
No grand festivals are held as fiestas, except baptismal, birthday, thanksgiving and wedding parties. Neighbors and relatives need not wait for a formal invitation. They help in the preparation for the party.
I. PUNISHMENTS
The most common punishment of the parents to their children are scolding and whipping.
II. BELIEFS AND SUPERSTITIONS
(1) When a cat washes his face [while] facing the door, there is a visitor to come to the house.
(2) When the flame under the cooking pot is noisy, money is expected to come to the house.
(3) When someone bites his own tongue, somebody is talking about him.
(4) When the right ear is itchy, someone is talking good of you; but when it is the left ear, it is the reverse.
(5) When the palm is itchy, money is to come.
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(6) It is not good to take a bath on Friday for misfortunes will come to you.
(7) It is not good to cut fingernails on days with “r.” It is not good to cut fingernails at night or sweep the house at night, for personal belongings might be swept out.
(8) When a woman is on the family way, she is not allowed to lie across the floor because it is believed that the baby will also lie across the womb, and there will be hardship in the delivery.
(9) Both man and woman do not wear ties or put around any string, when the woman is on the family way, because it is believed that the umbilical cord will coil around the baby’s body.
(10) When the newly-born child cries aloud for the very first time, his godparents-to-be are believed to be from a far place, but when it is low, then the vice-versa.
(11) When brothers and sisters are allowed to marry in the same year, they are believed to be sacrificing their lives and properties. One always tries to overpower the other.
(12) When somebody in the family is dead, they do not sweep or clean their houses until a certain time, believing that they are going to sweep the lives of the remaining members.
> People believe that sicknesses are caused by winds, rain, [the] heat of the sun and the changes in weather. Sometimes, sicknesses come from the ground and rivers. This is believed to be as “nuno.” Sometimes, the people are sick of the following:
(A) “Atupiling” – symptoms are sickness and dizziness
(B) “Gahoy” – symptoms are headaches, vomiting and frequent bowel movement.
The sicknesses are cured by massaging the forehead, abdomen, and the back of the neck with a piece of chewed betelnut, buyo, lime, ginger, and garlic, by any person who has been sick of these mentioned sicknesses.
12. POPULAR SONGS, GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS
A. SONGS
| (1) Lullaby | (4) Boanerjes Serenade |
| (2) Rice Planting Song | (5) Kundimans |
| (3) Meadow Butterflies |
B. GAMES AND AMUSEMENTS
| (1) Softball | (4) Mah jong |
| (2) Basketball | (5) Playing cards |
| (3) Ping-pong | (6) Cockfighting |
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13. PUZZLES AND RIDDLES
A. Naririto na, may sunong na baga.[p. 8]
14. PROVERBS AND SAYINGS
A. Cleanliness is next to godliness.
B. Politeness is to do or say, the kindest thing in [the] kindest way.
C. An honest centavo is better than a stolen peso.
D. Honesty is the best policy.
E. A sleeping shrimp is carried by the current.
F. An early bird catches the worm.
G. It is better late than never.
H. You can see the hole of the needle but not the hole of the axe.
I. If you plant nothing, you reap the wind.
J. Obedience is the mother of success, the wife of safety.
K. The wisdom of the young comes from the old.
L. Of what use is the grass when the horse is dead?
M. Continuous droplets of water may wear away even granite.
N. To walk rapidly is to fall heavily.
O. The mountain does not go to the man, but it is the man who goes to the mountain.
P. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
Q. An hour too soon is better than a minute late.
R. Still water runs deep.
15. METHODS OF MEASURING TIME
B. Sun, moon and stars.
C. Crowing of the cocks, mostly in the evening.
D. Patola flowers.
E. Sunflowers.
PART III
OTHER INFORMATION
NONE
INFORMERS:
1. [Sgd.] ELISEO ATIENZA
2. [Sgd.] PEDRO DE CLARO
[Sgd.] ILUMINADO S. ATIENZA
PART I | PART II