The Return

OK, i know i was so bad for making you wait for over a year before this post. God, i was such a monster! How could i neglect my readers? Anyways, your long wait is officially over. Here I am now - 'major major back' - to give you exciting updates about our favorite 'bacacay'.

We just had our fiesta celebration (Aug. 29 - 30) and believe me - it was as fabulous as the previous fiestas i could remember. The fiesta was made even colorful by the nightly festive events that gave bacacayanos fun-filled entertainment.Competitors in Bacacay's version of Pilipinas Got Talent and Show Time made the viewers at the global gym laugh and shout as reactions to the performance they saw on the stage. I was also lucky to have not missed 'bayle bacacay, a ballroom competition.

Although a paid show, the first ever Karagumoy hunk and babe, a bikini open contest, was well-patronized by our local inhabitants and visitors from nearby municipalities even Legazpi City. Well, who wouldn't want to see sexy and sizzling hot bodies, anyways? Honest, among the shows, this one's my favorite. :D

Remaining the most anticipated fiesta event was the annual parade that took place along the streets of poblacion the day before the fiesta. Despite the sun's sweltering heat, students and teachers from elementary and secondary Bacacay public schools and Zamora Memorial College and the local officials joined the long parade with smiles of excitement and joy. The eye-catching and energetic drum corps from each school exhibited their best choreography as they hit the street and finally competed at the town plaza, the parade's terminal spot.

Oppss... I know you want to see the pictures. I know, right? Sad news is I wasn't able to take pictures of these events except during the street presentation held Friday, Aug 28. So, don't you frown. I'll post them hopefully after this entry.

That would be enough for now guys... Got a lot of work to do... : D

Home

Another summer day
Has come and gone away
In Paris and Rome
But I wanna go home


May be surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh, I miss you, you know

And I’ve been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you
Each one a line or two
“I’m fine baby, how are you?”
Well I would send them but I know that it’s just not enough
My words were cold and flat
And you deserve more than that

Another aeroplane
Another sunny place
I’m lucky, I know
But I wanna go home
Mmmm, I’ve got to go home

Let me go home
I’m just too far from where you are
I wanna come home

And I feel just like I’m living someone else’s life
It’s like I just stepped outside
When everything was going right
And I know just why you could not
Come along with me
'Cause this was not your dream
But you always believed in me

Another winter day has come
And gone away
In even Paris and Rome
And I wanna go home
Let me go home

enero

rumdom mo pa itong panahon
an aldaw kinaun nin dampog, madiklom ang kalangitan
boses nin higante dagit sa kapalibutan
dalugdog ang apod, kinakatakutan

ta ika pusu-anun, nagluwas nin harong
hinuba an kalson, maugmang nag dalagan
sa tahaw nin tinampo ika nagkurahaw
nag apod nin uran, suminayaw

dai nag haloy, simong hagad inonra
luha nin langit tuminagdo, ruminuso
isug nin kikilat, dai tig mangno
sa labing kaugmahan, ika napa lukso

ako nainggit nin gayo, ika inibahan
gisi an kalson, sa uran inabot nin udto
ta ako nakabuhi daug pa ang priso
sa may biriran nadasmag, aray sawod ko

uyan na si amang aldaw, pauli na ako
maski rungas an tuhod, sa dalan ulok
uran nin enero, hahanap hanapon ko

Santigwar

Mag patabi pirmi ta baka ka ma-ongman. Ini sarung bantog na linya nin mga gurang na nag tutubod sa mga dai nahihiling na nilalang arug kan maligno asin onglo. Mas bantog sinda bilang tawong lipod. An dangug ko, ang mga nilalang na ini gikan sa mga tawong dai nabindisyunan kan enot na panahon. An sabi man kan iba, mga nilalang daa ini na haloy nang nag-erok sa daga, enot pa sa tawo. Maray man daw an boot kan mga tawong lipod, alagad may kapangyarihan sindang magtau nin helang sa sisay man na nagkulog o bin may sala sainda. Kun iisipon mas sinsitibo pa sinda sa tawo. Madingkilan mo sana ang saindang hawak, tutubuan kana nin bayuko, o bin kulibra. Pwede ka man ninda pahilangon sa halawig na panahon, depende sa gabat na naguibong sala sainda. Alagad ugwa man nin maboot na Tawong lipod arug kan onglo na ang solong pasakit sa nakakulog gatol nin lawas. Kun bako man daa tag-basul, alagad ugwa ka nin butog sa hawak asin magatol, onglo daw an kaguibo kaan.

Wara daw na epekto an modernong medisina sa helang na gikan sa pagbalos nin tawong lipod. Alagad may mga residentes urog na sa kabaryuhan na tatau nin ritwal kontra sa siring na pasakit - mga para-santigwar. Sa Bacacay kadakul an bantog. Romdom ko pa an pupolar na para-santigwar sa baryo nin Gubat - Si tiyo Waning. Gamit an platong lusa, kandila, lana, asin krusipiyo, namumustra ni tiyo Waning an kawsa kan kamatean nin pasyente. Bako lang iyan, nakipag-suntokan pa sya sa tawong lipod. I-agyat nya ining tawong dai nahihiling pag-habong bawion an kamatean nin sarung pasyente. Gari bga maray-rahay na mag-butla sa kastahan na ini.Daug pa kani an laban kan sikat na boksingerong c Manny Pacquiao. Dai mo ugaring mailing kun csay an talagang daug. Masabi na sana si Tiyo Waning plakda an kalaban. Boot sabihon padagos na an pagrahay nin helang.

Kadakul pa an para santigwar sa Bacacay na sakong naduman ta c May uya an pagtubod sainda. Nasantigwar ako ni Shoni kan ako nakursunadahan nin tawong lipod. Dai ko ngani gusto an ideya na tig tawan ako ki helang samantalang kursonada daa palan ako. Kaginhawahan kaya an sakong tigtau sa tawong kursonada ko. Baliktad man palan mag isip an mga tawong lipod. Gari gubot an hutok.

Pinakapupolar man guiraray na parasantigwar c Tiya nelly kan Bonga. An dangug ko, tig dadayo na sya kan mga mayaman na dai nararahay sa doktor. Dakul an napaparahay ni Tya Nelly kaya dakul saiya an nagdodonar nin palain-lain. Romdom ko kan ako sadit pa, payag payag pa an puwesto nya. Alagad dahil sa tibay nyang mag-bulong, konkreto asin pintado na an saiyang harung. Maray na para-bulong ini c tya Nelly nin huli dai sya nag sisingil. KUn mawot mong mag tau nin sintabo, malaag ka sa altar kan Mahal na Ina.

Diit lng na pasabot. Dai ko man tabi tig indorso an santigwar. Dai ko man mawot na magtubod kamu sa lumang sistema nin pag-bulong. Solong mawot ko sana ihiras saindo na sa Bacacay, siring sa ibang banwaan, kadakol an mga bagay na sakong nagimatan. Alagad wara man gayud na maraot, kun pirmi magpatabi; nagtutubod ka man sa tawong lipod o dai. An pagpatabi tanda nin pag galang. Sarung eksprecion na Bacacaynun na dai dapat mapara.
Tabi man, ako mapaaram na!

a haiku

bacacay


land hugged by the sea

where strong and warm folks live

Bacacay that is

Kan Ako Sadit Pa

Labas pa sa memorya ko itong panahon kan ako sadit pa. Iba man ang kasaradayan kato sa presenteng henerasyon.Ngonian kadakul na ang palalain kan kaakian. Dai ko man baya maiwasan na dai maikumpara ang buhay kaitong panahon sa buhay kan kasaradayan ngonian. Punan ko sa gobing. Ako kaito nag-sagrat sa maawot na warang kalson. Tuda kaya an darakupan mi kaito kan mga kakawat ko. Lalu na pag idiklum, magayunon na mag taraguan. Ta ako maniswakon kan saday (maski gaud ngonian) kaurag-uragi ako mag-luok. Maski sa puon kan kalunggay nakapa-ipli ako. Minsan man isakat ko so mangga sa higudan, ultimo talaga akong minabutwa. Minauli ako sa harung malalaun buda payt ang panga-gaw ta nabasol. Ramug ang bilog kong hawak ta mala ngani warang kalson. Si May kaito medyo maisug pa. Ikurusing ngani an singit ko ta an karaw ko daa palabaw. Ngonian wara na so kurusing ni may. Tamuyaw na sana ang sakong isapar.

Naging uso man kaito so paputok, sumpit, tagpanaw buda trumpo. Rumdom ko pa so gira kan libod buda tubog sa paputok.Sabihon ta nang toy gun ini kan kasaradayan ngonian. Ang pagkakaiba lng kan duwa - ang bala kan toy gun plastik na bulitas, ang paputok papel na dumog. Pero kun kulog ang pag hururunan, mas ma-aray ka sa paputok. Asi probare.

Tisuhon man so trumpo na guinibo sako ni pay. Lingaw ko ugaring kun sain na kahoy ito guibo. Ihagbok ko ngani so trumpo kan kalaban ko, ilasik na byu. Kaurag uragi talaga so trumpo ni Pay. Ginamitan panu ki katam buda tinais nin husay kaya balanse an talibong. Nun ka nanggad mag-kibang kibang.

Ang kaabang abang ko kaito an aldaw na mapadagat kami. Ilakaw mi lang ang Roca Baluarte. Malinigon pa kato ang roca.Bako arug ngonian. Dyan ako nakaukod mag palataw buda mag-indakay. Pirang beses man ako dyan nadutan ki laping laping buda nasisi. Romdom ko man pag ako nuno-on, tigpapa-balad ako dyan ni May dangan ipakarigos. Ang likod ko kato tig gagapo nya nin dumog na baybay naning daa mahakla so hilaw na plema. Aw ta sa ika sunod na aldaw masiramun man nanngad ang kadhad ko. Minalagauk talga ang sipon ko sa liog. So sabi baga nindang suwaan.

Hayy... Namimiss ko na ang Bacacay. Tama na ta ang puso kong malumoy namumundo ng gayo. Pangadyi ko lng - sana sa mga masunod na aldaw manupar ko guiraray so mga kakawat ko. Asin maka-iba sinda sa lugar kun sain nag puon an gabos- Bacacay.

Bansag

Giving an alias/title (bansag in bikol) to a person is an old practice in Albay. In Bacacay alone, there are many clans that are famous because of their bansag. Among them is the Bermundo clan whose bansag is 'Lago'. My mother belongs to this clan. 'Lago' is a term referring to a soon-to-rot coconut. They say that 'pakulaw' (malunggay with coconut milk) would taste bitter if the coconut used is “lago”. Bermundo also bears other bansag(s) such as “hugot” (monitor lizard) and agama (small crab). Fortunately, my mother eventually lost her bansag when she acquired my father's family name Baliza. They say that Baliza never had any bansag.

It’s funny how Bacacayanos address their fellows by their bansag. A mother asking her son to buy 'asin' (salt) for example would say, “Nonoy, bakal daw ki asin duman ka Mantika. Mantika (cooking oil) is the common bansag for Bellen clan. Also, a father asking his son to barrow their neighbor’s 'asadol' (hoe) would say, “Nonoy, sublia daw muna ka odo so asadol. Odo (stool) is another Bacacaynon bansag, although i dont exactly know from which clan it actually originated. Other famous bansag(s) in Bacacay include pusiw (a bird), aswang (monster), kuyog, lapit (penis), biriran (star fruit), bagol (coconut shell), tarok (farm), kobra (snake), ubod and a lot more.

Today, Bacacayanos have however come to realize that such aliases are embarrassing and even offensive. I remember my cousin, who belongs to lago clan complainingly asked “nata man daw panu ta nagtugot so mga ninuno tang bansagan ki lago!!!” (why did our ancestors let others call them lago) True, he really felt humiliated being called 'lago'.
How about you? What is your bansag?