The Philippines Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow
Dagis A few days ago it was Mickey Mouse Day which coincided with the launch of Disney+ in the Philippines! How do you say “mouse” or “rat” in your language? DAGIS • (duh-GIS)mouse, ratTagálog: dagâ Derived TermSULUNG DAGIS • (soo-LOONG duh-GIS)the old Kapampángan term for the planet Venus as the bright evening star seen just … Read more
Sidapa (Visayan Deity of the Afterlife) PRECOLONIAL TREE OF LIFE DESIGN Did you know that some pre-colonial Philippine areas had their own tree of life design? It is shown here on this gold chastity plate. While it is often associated with Celtic imagery, the tree of life design is much older and spread over many … Read more
Congratulations on the 82nd birthday (October 17, 1940) of Manlilikha ng Bayan Estelita Bantilan! Estelita BantilanMat WeaverBlaanMalapatan, Sarangani Like all mat weavers, Estelita’s entire body is her loom. The thin strips of pandanus Romblon emerge matrix through her deft fingers performing personal rhythm, the beat seemingly guided by her eyes. The unwoven strips are held … Read more
“CAGAYAN DE ORO” was KAGAY-AN Kagay means ‘river.’ Kagay-haan means ‘a place of shame.’ Artifacts show early inhabitance in this region by Late Neolithic to Iron Age Austronesian cultures. Spanish missionaries identified “Himologan,” the primary settlement of the region. Artifacts recovered include Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) celadon ware & Sukhothai period (1238–1347 AD) Sangkhalok ceramic … Read more
PAHUWAY [pa.hú.way.] :to rest, to be at ease (v) in Bisayan Languages. You may want to read: Marayum