I have this deep appreciation for filipino folklore and folk music. Most particularly from minority, indigenous cultures that have been preserved for centuries. When I was about seven, I learned at school about different ethnic groups in the Philippines. I recalled some of them from memory like the most obvious one, the Igorots from the Mountain Province up north of Luzon. Then I also knew about the Negritos or the Aetas, who were actually the first settlers of these parts of the islands. Well, as a native Cebuano, I can be counted in as just one of those many ethnic groups. Before we were colonised by Spain (and Mexico, to be specific), we were tribes of animists who weren’t really good to each other when we crossed each other’s paths (is this why we developed the art of killing – arnis?). We were once known as pintados “the painted ones” by the foreign invaders, because we had those ornamental tattoos around our bodies (that is, until of course we were colonised). But even through the late nineteenth century, we were still referred to as such by the native northerners (I might be mistaken here, but oh well) to make distinction of ourselves from all the other existing groups.
I could just be all wrong from what I just stated above, but I don’t care for accuracy at the moment. My love for those old folk stories has made me curious of our different cultures. From things I’ve learned then, I remember those stories about Bathala (the pagan supreme being) and the D’wata (before I knew that this was the supreme deity of the T’boli tribe). I thought before that D’wata (I hope I spelled this right, lazy), were referring to the sea nymphs from those variety of folk stories I read. D’wata, for the T’boli people I found out later, is the one god who lives not only in heaven but also around the earth – in nature. So of course, there are those spirits dwelling in those trees (even some of my relatives half-believe this) and in the waters, as well. I agree with that, for I know God’s handprints are on these beautiful places where these people live (perhaps going there for vacation might be my next priority).
Being saturated so much with the post-modern urban chaos, I took to reading and watching the T’boli people perform their dances and their music ;I just find their culture beautiful. T’boli music reminded me of some Japanese folk music I once heard over in a CD. And I find it delightful that even some foreigners have taken interest in their music, too. Sadly, most of the young ones there have almost lost their own unique cultural practices to trade in a lot of what I find the globalisation rubbish from the outside. I don’t even remember anyone my age having even listened to this sort of music. They’d mostly go for American pop today (which is full of pig’s manure), and even try to dress and behave like the Westerners they think are richer than they are. I can’t blame them. When you have a government whose hands are often known for filth and devilry (yes, those possessed souls!), people would try to escape the bad reality (I am one of them, admittedly).
Still, if they all just reflect for a sec, they would have found in our own cultures, something like a diamond in a rough. Just hearing the music makes me hopeful at times. And I wish every filipino can just feel the same way about our indigenous cultures.
Ah, the nostalgia…
The Orange Way 