Repost: A Bisaya in Manila

[In view of the current issue with Gloria Diaz declaring that Cebuanos (I think she referred to the Visayans in general) needs an interpreter because we are not keen on the English language, I am reposting my article last July 2008 on being a Bisaya in Manila.

In fairness to all Bisaya, we know how to read and write and comprehend English the way Gloria Diaz do. This seemingly brutal way of saying that the Bisaya could not answer (in English) questions, hence we need interpreters, is brutally degrading. This comment of Diaz has been a frequent issue (she did it more than once as far as I can remember) and even bloated the idea in one of her films like Sakal Sakali Saklolo.

The issue stemmed from Venus Raj's (she's not Bisaya) not answering the question during the recent Miss Universe pageant. On the issue of the need of interpreters for our pageant contestants, Diaz said: "Kasi when you think about it, a Cebuana can hardly speak English and of course Tagalog. So maybe she should answer in Bisaya." That was caught on tape. But when people reacted on this racy slur she explained:  "This is what I said, 'People should have the right to say or to answer, not people, beauty contestants, to answer in whatever language they want to say it in. If they're Cebuanos, they can say it in Cebuano.' I did not say that they (Cebuanos) can't speak English."


Anyways, that Gloria Diaz has been considered persona non grata in Cebu.]

Being a Bisaya in Manila is one of the most embarrassing situations most Visayans would agree. Especially when the Tagalogs would make fun of our strong accent. Don’t mind Cesar Montano even if he insists he is a Boholano. He was raised in Manila.

I don’t know why most Tagalogs would make fun of our accent if the case is only to communicate.

Language sometimes is not just a barrier but a case of double jeopardy. Take the Tagalog being taught in the classrooms in our elementary years as an example. Our books taught us to use paaralan, kwaderno, datapwat, palikuran, etc., actually nonexistent terms in conversational Tagalog used only by some people in the remotest of places if not only in books. The Tagalogs do not use those terms anymore. That makes us Bisaya a laughingstock.

I could not remember my teacher correcting me when I said, Mahal na guro, pwede po bang gumamit ng papel sa aking kwaderno kasi po ako po ay pupunta sa ating palikuran? She gave me an excellent grade for that.

Not to mention of course the way the Bisaya pronounced the e as i or vice versa! Listen to a Bisaya say the word Manila. Most would say Pupunta pu ako sa Manela. I just don’t know why. Ask Annabelle Rama. She’s adept to that. Jusko day!

And the Tagalogs laughed.

Nabuntagan

Kita mo niya?

Mora siya’g burikat nabuntagan.
Samtang ang uban nanguli na sa ilang gigikanan
O kaha mitugpa na kuyog sa ilang unlan
Siya naa pa sa kapunawpunawan
Nagpa-gwapa, nagpa-byu, byu sa imong agtang!
Kung unsay hinungdan wa koy kasayuran.

Kung ania pa lang si Nanay sa nataran
Kung tua pa lang na siya sa balay hikaplagan
Sigurado jod ko nga anaay makusnitan
Kung di sa iyang dalunggan sigurado ko diha sa bugan!
Perte raba jod to si Nanay maka-kuan
Makahilak ka uban sa imong bugan.

Hay, buwan
Ngano intawn nga ikaw nabuntagan?



Friday, April 30, 2010
5.30 in the morning

Ikaw ang hangin

A very short rain woke me up this morning. And just as I am enjoying it, it suddenly stopped. This poem by Hope Sabanpan-Yu reminds me of that rain.

Ikaw ang hangin

Pagkahuman sa inday-inday nga ulan
Mihigda ang akong anino
Ibabaw sa basa nga sagbot

Naminaw ko sa mabugnawng kabughaw sa langit
Ikaw ang hangin nga nanghoy
Sa mingaw nga huni

Alang sa nag-inusarang pagsayaw.

Concert to showcase "Bisaya" culture

MANILA, Philippines - A mono vinyl record (we could tell from the scratchy sound) of Yoyoy Villame’s “Mag-Exercise Tayo” in Bisaya, with a rondalla, wafted through the house speakers at the CCP’s Silangan Hall.

It must’ve been the original version; since Villame, who was proudly Bisaya (Visayan), jump-started his career in his native Bohol.

As the song played on, organizers of the concert “Si Lapulapu, Si Rosas Pandan: A Bisaya Musical Extravaganza”—set Nov. 22, 8 p.m. at the CCP Main Theater (Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo)—dished out some interesting bits of music history and linguistics.

"Did you know,” asked Bal Endriga, president of concert presenter Kadugong Bisaya Foundation, “that the song ‘Sa Kabukiran’ by Manuel Velez was originally a Visayan ditty, and that the word ‘bukid’ in Bisaya means ‘mountain’?”

Endriga continued, “I felt proud when, in my youth, I learned that the tinikling was the national dance. Until then I had known it as a game we played in Leyte as children … we used bamboos named after a native bird, the tikling.”

He added that the classic Yuletide carol, “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit,” was, in fact, a Tagalog adaptation of the Visayan “Kasadya Ning Takna-a.” In other words, for Endriga and friends, it’s cool to be Bisaya.

True focus

The richness of Visayan culture is the focus of the presentation, which will star these performers mostly from the Central Philippine region: Leo Valdez, Joey Ayala, and former Bagong Lumad band mate Bayang Barrios, Cesar Montano, Elizabeth Ramsey and daughter Jaya, Verni Varga, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Rachelle Gerodias, Jose Mari Chan, the Philippine Dance Sports Association, Nonie Buencamino, Raki Vega, Deeda Barretto, Jerry Dadap’s Andres Bonifacio Choir, Ballet Philippines, Modern Ballet Dancers, and Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group.

“We’re not attempting to separate or distinguish ourselves from the rest [of the local cultural groups],” Endriga explained. “Rather, we want people to appreciate the diversity of regional traditions throughout the country. That is what makes Filipinos unique.”

Survival

Former UP president and Kadugong Bisaya chairperson Jose Abueva talked about the group’s goals, foremost of which is to make all Pinoys aware of, maybe even learn to speak and write in “Binisaya” or in its other linguistic kin, Cebuano, Ilonggo and Waray. Abueva believed this would ensure the survival of these dialects.

An interesting aspect of the concert, program director Chris Millado said, would be the set design by Kenneth Cobonpue, a renowned furniture designer, also Bisaya, whose clients reportedly include Brad Pitt and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

But more than anything else, the show promises to be fun. Villame’s songs in the repertoire is enough guarantee.

from INQUIRER.net

Of Soups and Rain,The Boholano Connection

I am not a Bol-anon! That's what people say to me knowing I am not really fond of soups of any kind. It is like Bohol is equated with soup. I don't know why. But unlike most of Boholanos who would make their rice swim in its different concoctions, I rather have mine dry.

I remember my mother who would make spring chicken (translated as manok Bisaya) soup and would tell us to have as much, so it would rain. I don't know what was the connection. When you were young you would not question the wisdom of the old folks. Or else. There was no child abuse law during my time.

They also had a hard time forcing me to eat soup when I have fever or when I am sick. I don't like soup. Period.

But I don't know what happened to me last night. My friend brought me to Chicken Company and all I ordered was chicken soup. It was not the best of soups. It was rather bland for my taste and too commercial with only two bits and pieces of chicken and some very small pieces of vegetables. But I devoured the whole bowl.

I woke up early this morning because it was raining hard.

A Bisaya in Manila

Being a Bisaya in Manila is one of the most embarrassing situations most Visayans would agree. Especially when the Tagalogs would make fun of our strong accent. Don’t mind Cesar Montano even if he insists he is a Boholano. He was raised in Manila.

I don’t know why most Tagalogs would make fun of our accent if the case is only to communicate.

Language sometimes is not just a barrier but a case of double jeopardy. Take the Tagalog being taught in the classrooms in our elementary years as an example. Our books taught us to use paaralan, kwaderno, datapwat, palikuran, etc., actually nonexistent terms in conversational Tagalog used only by some in the most remote of places if not only in books. The Tagalogs do not use those terms. That makes us Bisaya a laughingstock.

I could not remember my teacher correcting me when I say Nasaan po ang ating palikuran? She gave me an excellent grade for that.

Not to mention of course the way the Bisaya pronounced the e as i or vice versa! Listen to a Bisaya say the word Manila. Most would say Pupunta pu ako sa Manela. I just don’t know why. Ask Annabelle Rama. She’s adept to that. Jusko day!

And the Tagalogs laughed.