BIBAK MANITOBA NEWSLETTER Issue 02 APRIL

Cordillera VOICES

BIBAK Manitoba Newsletter

wAPRIL 2016

BANAUE RICE TERRACES IN THIS ISSUE

Registered BIBAK members can now request for a BIBAK email address?

“Bontoc” has been renamed

“Mountain Province” in the Philippines?

“BIBAK” is now changed to “BIMAAK” in the Philippines?

“Abra” is now included as part of BIMAAK (BIBAK)?

“BIMAAK” is an acronym for “Benguet, Ifugao, Mountain Province, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga”?

The Philippines has mountain ranges in Northern Luzon?

the weather in Baguio City is relatively cool compared to the rest of the country?

Baguio City is known as the city of Pines (Pine trees)?

The Darters had a fund raising event at Canton Restaurant?

The second most spoken language in Manitoba is “Taga;og?”

The mountain tribes in the Philippines were never colonized by the Spaniards?

The Canada Immigration Newsletter reports the following articles:

“Government of Canada Plans to Make Changes to Canadian Citizenship Act”

“The intake Cap for Parent and Grandparent Program for Immigration to Canada is raised to 10,000”

“Government of Canada Plans to Remove Conditional Permanent Residence

Provision for Sponsored Spouses and Partners”

Gangsa Practise: Beating the gongs…. Dedicated gong beaters meet to hone their skills in preparation for the the Ifugao dance on May 14, 2016 which celebrates the 22nd BIBAK Anniversary .

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Photo contributed by Cesar Cadag

BIBAK Basketball Dribbling away ….. to match the excitement and the adrenaline rush that the BIBAK basketball brings to the spectators

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Website: www.bibakmanitoba.com

Did you know that … by sandy speer

BIBAK MANITOBA NEWSLETTER | Issue 02 APRIL 2

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Team sports have been touted as being good for learning accountability, dedication, and leadership. Communities all over the world engage in some kind of team sports.

ere in the cold Manitoba winter, a collective team synergy of BIBAK Basketball players brave the freezing

weather simply to socialize and enjoy being part of the Cordilleran community. As enthusiastic BIBAK spectators watch the players compete and communicate the best way to achieve victory, the excitementand the adrenalin rush that this sport brings to them cannot be denied. The BIBAK basketball players are among the keen followers of this sport. This is reminiscent of the days when avid basketball fans in the Philippines sit on

bleachers of school gymnasiums just to watch

the crowd’s rush of surging emotions, the unforeseen outcomes, the animated cheer leaders, and even the disputes that result from such a sporting event. To this day, one can usually find a basketball court or goal sprouting everywhere in every conceivable side street or vacant lot in the Philippines

In the 1950s, the Philippine national basketball team was among the best

The Philippines is among the world's first basketball-playing nations;

The Philippines is recognized as being the “home of the world’s second oldest (and Asia’s first) professional basketball league, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)

IFUGAO SONGS

Philippines Basketball Facts:

The United States introduced the sport of Basketball through the YMCA (Young Men Christians Association) in the Philippine Islands early in the American

colonial period in 1898-1946

The Philippine national basketball team was among the best basketball teams in the world after winning two consecutive gold medals in the Asian Basketball Games in 1951 and 1954.

H

SPORTS Basketball

I am truly an Ifugao I sing the song Alim and Hudhud Maknongan made me A part of the Malayan race I am a brother Ifugao In heart and Soul I will always be

Duty bound to serve the people,

Home and fatherland Ifugao, there can can be no place Like the famous rice terraces. Long live and may your banners fly And your name ring from shore to shore Long live and may your banners fly And your name ring from shore to shore

by

Beating the Gongs the Ifugao Way

HUDHUD Song (Ifugao Song Lyrics) Ha-on ya tagud Ifugao Aapok di alim ya hudhud Athitu pey ni taguak te hi Maknongan Ha-on ya tagud Ifugao Hantun puhuk namhod kun abu Ingunuwak di Kipkiphodan hantun boble Chorus: Ifugao maid di nipad Dungan tun nabnong an payo Haggi yo ma tagu kaya Kumadangyan hantun boble

BIBAK MANITOBA NEWSLETTER | Issue 02 APRIL 3

The Igorot Fable of Creation

The Igorot Fable of Creation

“In the beginning there were no people on the earth. Lumawig(1) the Great Spirit, came down from the sky and cut many reeds(2). He divided these into pairs which he placed in different parts of the world, and then he said to them, “You must speak.” Immediately the reeds became people, and in each place was a man and a woman who could talk, but the language of each couple differed from that of the others.

Then Lumawig commanded each man

and woman to marry, which they did. By and by there were many children, all

speaking the same language as their parents. These, in turn, married and had

many children. In this way there came to be many people on the earth.

Now Lumawig saw that there were

several things which the people on the earth needed to use, so he set to work to

supply them. He created salt, and told the inhabitants of one place to boil it down

and sell it to their neighbors. But these people could not understand the

directions of the Great Spirit, and the next time he visited them, they had not

touched the salt.

Then he took it away from them and gave it to the people of a place called Mayinit(3).

These did as he directed, and because of this he told them that they should always

be owners of the salt, and that the other peoples must buy of them.

Then Lumawig went to the people of Bontoc and told them to get clay and

make pots. They got the clay, but they did not understand the moulding, and the jars

were not well shaped. Because of their failure, Lumawig told them that they

would always have to buy their jars, and he removed the pottery to Samoki(4).

When he told the people there what to do, they did just as he said, and their jars

were well shaped and beautiful. Then the Great Spirit saw that they were fit owners

of the pottery, and he told them that they should always make many jars to sell.

In this way Lumawig taught the people

and brought them all the things which they now have.”

(1) Lumawig is the greatest of all spirits

and now lives in the sky, though for a time his home was in the Igorot village of

Bontoc, He married a Bontoc girl, and the stones of their house are still to be seen

in the village. It was Lumawig who created the Igorot, and ever since he has

taken a great interest in them, teaching them how to overcome the forces of

nature, how to plant, to reap and, in fact, everything that they know. Once each

month a ceremony is held in his honor in a sacred grove, whose trees are believed

to have sprung from the graves of his children. Here prayers are offered for

health, good crops, and success in battle. A close resemblance exists between

Lumawig of the Igorot and Kaboniyan of the Tinguian, the former being sometimes

called Kambun’yan.

(2) The Bukidnon of Mindanao have the

following story: During a great drought

Mampolompon could grow nothing on his clearing except one bamboo, and during

a high wind this was broken. From this bamboo came a dog and a woman, who

were the ancestors of the Moro.

(3) At the north end of the village of Mayinit

are a number of brackish hot springs, and

from these the people secure the salt which has made the spot famous for

miles around. Stones are placed in the shallow streams flowing from these

springs, and when they have become encrusted with salt (about once a month)

they are washed and the water is evaporated by boiling. The salt, which is

then a thick paste, is formed into cakes and baked near the fire for about half an

hour, when it is ready for use. It is the only salt in this section, and is in great

demand. Even hostile tribes come to a hill overlooking the town and call down, then

deposit whatever they have for trade and withdraw, while the Igorot take up the salt

and leave it in place of the trade articles.

(4) The women of Samoki are known as

excellent potters, and their ware is used

over a wide area. From a pit on a hillside to the north of the village they dig a

reddish-brown clay, which they mix with a bluish mineral gathered on another

hillside. When thoroughly mixed, this clay is placed on a board on the ground, and

the potter, kneeling before it, begins her moulding. Great patience and skill are

required to bring the vessel to the desired shape. When it is completed it is set in

the sun to dry for two or three days, after which it is ready for the baking. The new

pots are piled tier above tier on the ground and blanketed with grass tied into

bundles. Then pine bark is burned beneath and around the pile for about an

hour, when the ware is sufficiently fired. It is then glazed with resin and is ready to

market.

Source: Philippine Folk Tales, page 99-102

Mabel Cook Cole, 1912 Gutenberg Ebook Project “

BIBAK MANITOBA NEWSLETTER Issue 02 APRIL

After several hours of deliberation, the Logo Design & Newsletter Selection Committee voted the winning entry for the Bibak Logo design. The winning entry for the logo design

depicts the "migration of BIBAK from the Cordillera Mountains to the Manitoba Prairie (Red River Valley). The five rays of the sun represents the five BIBAK tribes: Benguet, Ifugao, Bontoc, Apayao, and Kalinga. All elements of the logo design have symbolic meanings. The blue color that spans across the horizon represents the Cordillera mountain ranges; the yellow color represents the grains of the prairies of Manitoba and the light blue color in the middle represents the Red River. Overall this logo depicts the migration of BIBAK from the Cordillera mountain to the Manitoba prairie (Red River Valley).

Fifteen (15) entries for the newsletter’s naming contest were submitted to the

BIBAK Logo Selection

Committee. The committee comprising of past BIBAK presidents (John Gano, Darwin Rufino. Evita Lammawin, Enrico Ancheta, John Hangdaan, Alex Oyas, and Daniel Tabooy) had a challenging time deciding which name best reflects the goals of the BIBAK newsletter.. In an effort to be fair and unbiased, the identity of each individual entry for both the logo design contest and the newsletter naming contest were not revealed to the BIBAK Logo Selection Committee until the selection process was finalized on both categories.

“Cordillera Voices “has been judged as the winning entry for the BIBAK Manitoba Newsletter.

A NEW BIBAK LOGO DESIGN

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BIBAK Web Site A new BIBAK of Manitoba website has

been created, developed and donated by Boyd Speer, a Web Developer & Designer, a Commercial Artist, & Touchstone Designs owner. This website extends the hub for BIBAK interaction and communication, sharing of experiences, and cultural dissemination.

It also offers a free email address to all registered BIBAK members. A Souvenir Program Booklet, Records of Canao tickets sold and unsold, Record of Ads solicited, and a BIBAK Manitoba Newsletter are just few features that are easily accessible on this website.

The three (3) years website hosting fee and the website lock fee were generously donated by Gigi Mestito, the newly elected BIBAK Treasurer.

BIBAK MANITOBA NEWSLETTER | Issue 02 APRIL 5

1. May langit, may lupa, May

tubig, walang isda. (There is a

sky, there is soil, there is

water, but no fish)

2. May isang prinsesa, nakaupo

sa tasa. {May sa nga prinsesa,

agtogtogay idiay tasa} (A

princess sitting on a cup)

3. Ate mo, ate ko, Ate ng lahat

ng tao.[Manang mo, manang

ko, manang amin nga

tao] (Your elder sister, my

elder sister, she’s everyone's

sister)

4. Nakatalikod na ang prinsesa,

mukha niya'y nakaharap pa.

{Nakatalikod diay ngem

nakasango diay rupa na} (The

head of a princess is placed

backwards on its neck facing

us).

5. Hugis puso, kulay ginto,

mabango kung amuyin,

masarap kung

kainin.napakasarap.[Kasla

puso no kitaim, kolor na kasla

gold, nabanglo no angutim,

naimas no kanim] (It’s heart

shape with golden color, with a

sweet smell and taste

delicious.)

6. Nakayuko ang reyna di

nalalaglag ang korona. (The

queen tilt her head but the

crown did not fall)

7. Butong binalot ng bakal, bakal

na binalot ng kristal. (A seed

wrap in steel, steel that is

wrapped in crystal).

8. Hindi prinsesa, hindi reyna.

Bakit may korona?[Saan nga

prinsesa, saan met nga reyna

ngem apay nga adda ti korona

na?] (Not a princess, not a

queen, but wears a crown).

9. Aling pagkain sa mundo, ang

nakalabas ang buto? (What

fruit in the world has a seed on

the outside?)

10. Heto na si Ingkong, nakaupo

sa lusong. (Here comes

Ingkong, sitting in a fish

catcher.)

11. Balat niya'y berde, buto niya'y

itim,laman niya'y pula, sino

siya?[Nalabaga ti okis na,

nalabaga iti bokel na, sino

isuna?] (Her skin is green, her

seed is black, her tissue is red,

who is she?)

12. Kung tawagin nila'y santo,

hindi naman milagroso. (He is

called Saint, but without

miracle.)

13. Bahay ni Mang Pedro,

punung-puno ng bato. (House

of Pedro, full of stone)

14. Baboy sa pulo, ang balahibo

ay pako. (A pig with hair as

hard as nails.)

15. Nanganak ang birhen, itinapon

ang lampin. (The virgin gave

birth, but throw the diaper).)

Answers to riddles on page 6

AROUND TOWN

Serious Thinkers “To be or not to be?” that is the question ….

Check out the Shirts The Basketball team proudly poses with the new BIBAK logo

Elder Gong Beaters Conferencing Who’s off beat? Are we getting the rhythm right?

Philippine Riddles (Bugtong)

DISCLAIMER:We reserve the right to exclude comments which are inconsistent with our editorial standards.

BIBAK MANITOBA NEWSLETTER | Issue 02 APRIL 6

The fugao tribes of the

Cordilleras (Mountain

Province) cultivate rice on

terraces held by stone walls,

the work of many centuries or

perhaps millennia, and still

continuing. "stairways to the

sky," The Ifugao raided the

settlements in the lowlands

well into the nineteenth

century, when the Spanish first

established a military

presence in the highlands;

tribal warfare was only ended

in the American period. It was

in Ifugao, on September 3,

1945, that General Yamashita

surrendered himself and the

sixteen thousand Japanese

soldiers remaining under his command.

“Ifugao's rice crop seems to

be mostly for local

consumption; the leading

commercial crop is coffee.

Maize, bananas, and a number

of vegetables are grown, and

the Ifugao are skilled

woodworkers, potters, and

metalworkers. The province

encourages the development of

light industry that will mesh

with the people's established

strengths: ceramics, garment,

and toy manufacture, and food

processing. Cut flower

production is expanding.

Tourism is said to be growing

by eighteen percent per year.

The population is 160,000 in

eleven towns; the capital is

Lagawe”

John Ayer, 5 April 2001

The Ifugao Tribes …

The Ifugao Dancers

Answers to Philippine Riddles:

1.. Niyog (coconut) 2. Bayabas (guava) 3. Atis (Sugar Apple) 4.Balimbing 5. Mangga (mango) 6.Bayabas (Guava) 7. Lanzones 8. Bayabas (Guava) 9.Kasuy (cashew) 10.Casuy (cashew) 11. Pakwan (watermelon) 12.Santol 13. Papaya (papaya) 14.Langka (Jackfruit)