The Philippines Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow
Balay Negrense! The house is of the type called Bahay na Bato, literally “house of stone”, however, reflecting American colonial influences, the lower storey is not constructed with stone but of concrete. The foundation posts are made out of trunks of the balayong tree, a local hardwood and the floorboards are of the same material. … Read more
Since ancient times, a mananguete or a coconut wine tapper is the person who extracts the coconut to produce a coconut wine. Philippine katutubo/natives have extracted sap from the inflorescence of palms thriving throughout the archipelago. The liquid was fermented into alcoholic spirits for ritual or celebratory occasions. The coconut (Cocos nucifera), found throughout the … Read more
Pang-Ayam Our early inhabitants were hunter-gatherers and the forests sustained them with the game. (Pictured is the Visayan Spotted Deer.) It was a means of killing an animal for food shared with the community or laying traps which the hunter would watch for hours or days or stalking prey in the forest. The dog is … Read more
The Filipino word busisi translates to fastidiousness, while its adjective mabusisi means meticulous. In the arts and crafts, being mabusisi connotes attention to minute details. The fastidious task is normally done in the context of a lengthier time frame [in this case, 2 years of lockdowns]. Busisi characterizes Patis Pamintuan Tesoro’s approach to graphic arts … Read more
Narig Tree Trees have stories. According to studies and experts, wood samples from Butuan Boats 1 and 4 were identified to belong to Narig grp (Vatica sp). Among the Vatica species, Narig is the most common and widely distributed. Growing into a large tree with a diameter of more than 100 cm, the Narig also … Read more