Paglalakbay sa Nakaraan

     Ano nga ba ang Pilipinas noong unang panahon? Paano nga ba ang pamumuhay ng mga Pilipino at paano sila nakipagsapalaran?
Nitong nakaraang ika-22 ng Hulyo, 2011 nagkaroon kami ng aking mga kaiskwela at guro na si Bb. Thelma Villaflores sa asignaturang PHILLITA at PHILGOV nang isang paglalakbay, paglalakbay upang kahit papaano'y mahapyawan namin ang nakaraan ng ating bansang Pilipinas. Kami'y nagpunta sa Ayala Museum, National Museum, at sa Intramuros.

     Ang unang pinuntahan namin ay ang Ayala Museum kung saan nakita namin ang iba't ibang bagay na bumuo sa pagiging Pilipino ng isang taong nakatira sa Pilipinas. Sa ikaapat na palapag ng museo ay makikita ang iba't ibang artifacts na natagpuan sa iba't ibang panig ng Pilipinas. Ang pumukaw sa aking atensyon ay ang "Gold of Ancestors" seksyon nila kung saan makikita ang iba't ibang gintong ginawang palamuti ng mga sinaunang tao. Sadyang dati pa ay ginagamit na ang ginto upang ipakita ang estado ng isang tao sa buhay. Ang ginto ang nagpapakita ng yaman ng isang tao na magpahanggang ngayon ay nasasabi kong nangyayari pa din; sa pamamagitan ng mga gintong alahas, gintong salapi, at gintong yaman na pinapalibutan ang mga mayayamang taong ito, literal man o hindi. Nakakabilib na napreserba nila ang mga bagay na ito dahil isang malaking parte ng pagiging isang Pilipino ang mga bagay na ito. Sa ikatlong palapag naman ay nagpapakita ng arts ng Pilipinas. Makikita dito ang mga paintings ng iba't ibang pintor ng Pilipinas. Base sa mga likha nila, mababasa mo kung ano silang klaseng tao. Hindi man ako marunong kumilatis ng mga likhang ito ngunit ako'y humanga sa kanilang galing at nagagalak akong makita ang mga likhang itong nagsasabi na ang literatura ng Pilipinas ay sadyang mayaman.

At sa ikalawang palapag naman ay ang mga dayorama na nagpapakita ng kasaysayan ng ating bansa, simula sa sinaunang pamumuhay hanggang sa nakamit natin ang demokrasya. Nakita ko dito ang pagsisikap at hirap ng mga Pilipino sa kamay ng mga dayuhan upang makamit lamang ang kapayapaang nais matamasa. Bawat dayorama ay inaantig at pinapamangha ang aking puso, hindi lang dahil sa ganda ng pagkakagawa kundi ang nilalaman nito na nagpapakita ng tapang ng mga Pilipino. At nang dahil sa mga pagsisikap at tapang na ito kaya't naging maganda na ang ating pamumuhay sa ngayon.

     Ang sunod naming pinuntahan ay ang National Museum, maganda ang pagkakasyos ng mga artifacts sa museo, nakakadagdag ito ng atraksyon at buhay sa mga naka-display.

Ang ibang mga bagay dito ay nagpapakita ng mga kultura at ginagamit sa mga ritual ng mga sinaunang tao, na nakakabilib dahil sa kakaibang kultura na ito. May isang parte tin sa museong ito na ang mga pinapakita ay mga preserbadong labi ng mga kakaiba o di kaya'y dito sa Pilipinas lamang makikita.

Pinapakita lamang nito kung gaano kayaman ang Pilipinas sa mga yamang lupa at tubig na dapat talaga nating ipagmalaki.

May mga painting sections din sa museo ng isang pintor na malaki ang naibahagi sa kultura at literatura ng Pilipinas. Ang mga Pilipino ay sadyang likas na mga malikhain.

Ang huling pinuntahan namin ay ang Intramuros. Magandang maglakad-lakad sa Intramuros dahil sa mga imprastraktura ng mga gusali dito. Napanatili kasi nila ang ayos at disenyo ng mga gusali dito na naging dahilan kung bakit naging tourist spot ang Intramuros bukod sa kasaysayang dala ng lugar na ito. Malaki ang naging kontribusyon ng lugar na ito sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas kaya't masaya ako na nadalaw at nagunita ko muli ang mayamang kasaysayan ng Intramuros. Nakakabilib pa rin na makita ang mga gusaling sadyang nagbibigay ng ilusyon para sa akin na ako'y nakarating sa nakaraang panahon.


Masayang gunitain, tuklasin at matuto muli ang mga bagay-bagay na malaki ang naging parte sa kung ano tayo ngayon. Pilipino ka man o hindi, tara! tayo'y maglakbay sa Nakaraan!

Manobo Wedding Rituals

     Wedding is a very sacred ceremony for two people. This is the ceremony where they are united in marriage. Most wedding ceremonies, the groom and the bride exchange their wedding vows. They also give a symbol of their marriage, it is sometimes rings, money and etc.

     In Manobo Tribe, Marriage is said to be traditionally imposed by parental arrangement. The asking of marriage (ginsa) to the girl begins when the two familes chose their datu (bai). The girl's representative then offers areca nut (betel chew) to the boy's representative, but they said that the boy's representative still politely refuses it until the negotiations for the bride wealth (kagun) begins. In this kagun, the groom's relatives, most especially to the datu who is related to the groom's family will contribute.

     The Wedding date is determined in the length of time when will the groom's family will raise the kagun. While waiting, the bride's relatives have to prepare the rice, meat, fish, and rice wine that will be used in the wedding feast (apa).

     On the day of the wedding, the groom is wearing a white handkerchief, he and his relatives will walk to the bride's house. The bride is kept hidden behind a curtain in another room with someone guarding her. The groom's party knocked at the doorway y the ed-ipal, two or more of the bride's relatives who may ask the groom's party for a gift, such as clothing or money. After the feast, the elders sit on a large mat for the edteltagan he rirey, to display the symbols for the bride's value. Ten piles of corn kernels each are laid out in rows. Each pile symbolizes remuneration for the pains taken by the bride's family in rearing her. Then the groom's family presents the items of the kagun which may consist of a house, a piece of land, clothing, money, articles made of iron, brass, and animals. These items are distributed to members of the bride's extended family, especially her aunts and uncles and those who contributed to the bride wealth given by her father when he married the bride's mother.

     When the negotiations over, the groom's family presents the head cloth (tenges), which symbolizes that the arrangements must be wrapped up tightly to ensure a happy life for the young couple. The seru ritual follows: the bride and groom sit before a dish of rice. Each of the spokespersons takes a fistful of rice, molds it into a ball, and gives it to the couple, who feed each other. Then the guests join in the eating, with much revelry. The bride's mother prepares betel chew and hands it to her daughter, who offers it to the groom. This gesture symbolizes her tasks and duties as a wife. The couple are then given advice by the elders while the guests leave for home. The groom's parents stay for three more days, during which a purification ritual of chickens and rice is performed for the couple's soul-spirit (gimukod), whose approval of the marriage is sought. The groom goes home with his parents to call his gimukod in case it stayed there while he was away. He does not stay away too long from his bride's home because, for every day that he is gone, he must gift his in-laws with an article of clothing.


I do agree to the author of the article where I based my blog that:

"Marriage is an alliance system in which which reciprocity mutual obligation between the groom's and bride's kinship groups are expected. It is, therefore, a means of maintaining peace and oder, for the Manobo's practice of retaliation does not extend to one's kindred or allies. Incest taboo is strictly followed up to a common great-great-great grandparent on both the mother's and father's side."

     Each corner of the Philippines has truly a lot of cultures. This is just one of it and a lot more to know and be fascinated about their beliefs, customs, and rituals.

Have a nice day guys!!

TRIVIAS

> POLYGAMY was allowed.
> The young couple stay with the wife's family.
> They build their own house close to the parents of either one.


TABOOS in building house
> If he sneezes while looking for a site, he should stop and forego the search for another day.
> If the cry of the limokon (omen bird/dove) is heard while he is clearing the site, he must look for another site.
> When he digs holes for the posts, he must avoid unearthing earthworms, termites, or beetles, for these will cause many deaths in the house.
> The posts must have no disfigurements because these will cause deaths in the family, no vines wrapped around them because this means that the owner will die by hanging, and no broken parts because this means that the wife will die.
> The roof's gable should face east so that the occupants' life "will be like the shining of the sun".

Some examples of symbolism of piles of corn kernels given to the bride
> one pile represents the purangan (to keep awake at night).
> another pile represents the tugenan (viand), the nourishment they have given her.


*Credits to Lydia Mary De Leon, author of the article.

REFERENCE:
http://litera1no4.tripod.com/manobo_frame.html#custom