Rice cake and binggala for Christmas

I still remember how simple our preparation for the Christmas season then. As early as September when we start to hear Christmas songs played on the radio, we started to look for materials to fashion into Christmas décors. We let our friend who is courageous enough to climb coconut trees to get “ginit” and coco twig which hold the buko. We made the twig as Christmas tree wrap in a cigarette foil to give it a silvery look. Or we sometimes leave it as it is to give it a native look but put a cone-shaped cigarette foil on the twig’s tip instead. To add more décor on our tree, we assemble the cigarette silver foil into a chain and hang it around the tree. We don’t have a “series” then, the name we used to call an electric Christmas light.

Another version of our Christmas tree was made of padada branches. A padada is another local term for bakhaw or mangrove tree. We get the tip of the padada during low tide near the Tago River. We then shred off the leaves and excess branches of the padada. To make it look more contemporary, we put white bubbles on its branches to make it like a snow. We produced the snow-like bubbles by mixing a blue detergent bar Perla with small quantity of salt and amount of water in a pale. By continued process of mixing salt, water and bubbles of the detergent, the bubbles will eventually looks like snow. The snow could last until after the Three Kings celebration. Its longevity, however, depends on the quality of the mix. And I had perfected its process.

The usual parol or star we have was made of a bamboo stick and wrap in clear colored plastic. This was usually what we bring to school before the Christmas break to decorate our classroom. And there was always the implied drive to outdo our classmates’ parol. The design became intricate as we grow older. The best parol designs are mostly those made from native materials. The ginit, a leathery part of the coconut tree, is usually the material used. Some used palay and corn grains; other used beans, coconut husk and corn skins as their parol’s wrapper.

And the food for Noche Buena and Medya Noche? Many people referred to it as the food poor people can only afford to prepare. But I am proud to say they were our usual preparation during these feasts. The affluent people in our community usually have spaghetti, macaroni salad, leche plan, gulaman, maja blanca and a variety of cakes during the festivities.  My lola and mama only prepares puto, bibingka, steamed kalibre, bodbod sa lukay, biko and bodbod na kalibre o kamote for us to share during the Noche Buena and Medya Noche. We only knew the taste of spaghetti, macaroni, gulaman, maja blanca and cake if our neighbors gave us some. Ang sarap pala! And we always long for the Christmas season to come so we could taste it again.

After I started to earn a living, I had it with me to prepare and buy what we all long for on our table every holiday season celebration. We already have more spaghetti, macaroni and the like every year. We don’t have the bodbod (suman), biko, puto, etc that we used to have.

Giant Christmas Decors

On my way home to CDO after a tiring validation and audit of our clients in the western side of Mindanao, I decided to take a glance of the famous Tangub City Festivities especially during the holiday season. Tangub City is not only known for sumptuous crabs and large shrimps but is also hosts to gigantic Christmas decorations. It is actually considered as the Giant Christmas Décor Capital of the Philippines.

True to its name, I was able to see first-hand the creativity of the residents of Tangub City. You will already feel the spirit of Christmas early in this small city nestled in this side of Mindanao. The big stars they created out of the indigenous materials found locality reminds me of my childhood memories when we had adorned our bahay-kubo then with native Christmas decors. Theirs have light while ours didn’t have one.

This annual celebration and showcase at Tangub City has been featured in the evening newscast of major television and news outfits in the country. Rated K hosted by Korina Sanchez had featured it last year. And since I am working in CDO, I made it a target to visit the place this year.

Fortunately, I came face-to-face with the giant lanterns. But it was also unfortunate because I had to go back to CDO then and was able to watch the display only during the day. It is best to see it during night time when all the lights have been turned on and many tourists mustered in this quiet and small city.

Wish I could spend a time in Tangub City with my love one next year.

Enshrined in the Philippine Map

When I am asked of how beautiful my country is, my ready answer, as always, is ”look at our map.” There is no other country or nation in the world which possesses a map so beautifully crafted like ours. There are many archipelagic and land-locked nations but no one resembles the map of the Philippines.

I always admire the beauty of our map. Our map is so distinct and is very recognizable. The 7,107 islands made it more distinctive and more beautiful. I was only talking about our map; we also have a one of a kind flag, a flag that is reversible in times of peace and war.

I believe that the Philippine Map, which for me enshrines the beauty of our country, can become our national symbol vis-a-vis other national symbols of our country. Long time ago, I thought that this picture created by intricately placed islands will soon become a national symbol and a brand. This was the time before we saw the Philippine Map embroidered on shirt don by Filipinos, particularly the likes of Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas. I only found a week ago that there is a certain Filipino-owned company who had already own a patent for the map design. 

If I was keen enough to register it with IPO, I should have earned big bucks by selling the map design to be printed on the fashion designers’ creations, etc. That is money, my friend! But commercialism was out of my mind then. It was all about patriotism! I love my country so much and I am obsessed of her map as I am obsessed of her natural beauty.

Indeed, we are so blessed yet we are suffering from decade-old poverty for many of us are lazy. It is my hope that the many people who wear shirts with the Philippine Map printed on them will come to realize and appreciate the beauty of our country and its people. It is my hope that it will rekindle the flame of patriotism in the Filipino people especially that we are heading towards the election year. 

We can become again a Tiger Economy in Asia!