KABILIN SANG MGA KATIGWANGAN
PALAWOD means to go out to the far reaches of the ocean to harvest its bounty. As the Municipality of Bantayan celebrates the 19th year of the Palawod Festival, we remember our Patron Saints: Peter, Rock of the Church; and Paul, Preacher and Fisher of Men. Just as Bantayan is the first and oldest parish in the Visayas, so are we, like Peter, called to be “rocks” upon which the Church is continuously built and strengthened. And just as we continue to live in faith, so are we, like Paul, called to be “fishers” of men.
Palawod is an invitation to faith; faith as expressed through our talents and skills; faith as expressed through our careers and professions; faith as expressed through relations and relationships; and faith as expressed through our prayers, our songs, our dreams and ambitions, our yearnings and needs.
Palawod too is an invitation to excellence; for to demand excellence from others is to demand excellence from ourselves first. Each Bantayanon is called to excel, to raise the bar and up the ante. For excellent Bantayanons bring forth an excellent Bantayan.
Tara na! Mag Palawod na kita!
Surtido Cebuano
The Surtido Cebuano is a square dance said to have originated in Bantayan, Cebu. It is a cobbling together of Spanish, Mexican, and French influences along with indigenous elements. Surtido (literally, assortment) is performed by several pairs of dancers, with the head pair called cabeceras and the side pairs, costados, guiding the other dancers in varied quadrille formations. It is used to be a dance of long duration performed by a big group to the tune of beautiful Visayan folk airs. The modern arrangement is more lively and suitable for dancing by small groups.
1. Pamyahi – a gathering of groom-to be to the house of bride-to be.
2. Paglimo sa bag-ong kinasal- with the belief that married life to be full of abundance and everlasting.
3. Pagtamak sa upak sang saging during paglimo sa bag-ong kinasal for married life to be smooth and free from conflict or arguments.
4. The family of groom to be will take charge for the expenses of the wedding.
5. Amot- the family of the groom may receive any amount, make a list to reciprocate.
6. Iyayon- voluntarily, either in cash or in kind, the family will expect to reciprocate the same, when the time comes.
7. Baslanan- a tradition wherein, all the help extended will be accounted for.
Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church
Bantayan Island is the first parish to be established in Cebu. It was founded by the Augustinians on June 11, 1580 as the “Convento la Asuncion de Nuestra Señora” and served as mission station for outreach to nearby islands. For centuries it was known as the Parish of St. Peter the Apostle, while St. Paul was added as a patron in the 20th century already. The present church was built during the time of Fr. Doroteo Andrada Del Rosario from 1839 to 1863. Fr. Del Rosario was a priest from Iloilo and brought with him many forebears of Bantayan’s prominent families. The church has very thick walls both to provide stability of islanders who were frequent targets of abduction by pirate raiders from the south. The church also distinguished by its retablo and the number of reliefs in its walls both inside and outside the church. Last August 2018, the ceiling of the church has been painted with biblical images as part of the Dibuho Kisame project by the parish.
Superstition
1. Faith Healer – traditional healing for spasm “hilo” gihangad sang kalag, etc. = 1
2. Paglimo/pagsikmo sa puya – ritual for the belief that a child will be healthy upon growing up.
3. First hair cut- portion of the hair will be kept in books or dictionary for the infant to be brilliant throughout maturity.
4. Pagtuob sang pokot using picked flowers from procession ritual from carriage and smolder- suchlike to fishing nets for the abundance of catch.
5. Pagpalina – a common ritual in the island by boat owners prior to their launching with the belief in the abundance of catch and such practice would spare them from ordeal during the course of the operations.
6. Paglimo sang bugsokan sang haligi sang byay- prior to concrete pouring, rituals are performed to prompt better fortune.
7. Gisikyo- pagbutang sang liplip o papel sa agtang sang puya nga gisikyo. = 7
8. Pagbungod in planting corn, cassava, sweet potato.
9. Paglimo sa magngipon nga puya using small white stone/pebble in the shoreline for a strong healthy and pearl white teeth.
10. Pagtusok sang iwag sa balisbisan para dili muuwan especially during celebration/affair at night.
11. Pagbutag/Paghalad sang itlog sa altar para dili muuwan. = 11
12. Pagbutang sa matag haligi sang 3 ka bendetado nga lukay para likay sa igo sa kilat.
13. Card reader fortune teller, vives for the next couple of days, or even future.
14. Panagang-charm usually for children to be free from buyag, usog, etc.
15. Dili mukaon sang dukot kung may patay -tagiptipon ang nawong.
16. Dili maligo, mu kanta o mu sayaw kung adunay patay kay matiaw. Regla (First)
a. Layat sa 3 ka ang-ang.
b. Magsipit sang gapas.
c. Inusnus sa nawong ang giat nga dinug-an
17. Pagsilhig sa buhawi. = 17
18. First day of school- bunayan sang unlan 3 ka beses para dili magbalik-balik sa banig.
19. Mabdos-hapyas sa lana sa bitin 3 ka beses so that baby will be born easily. = 16
20. Kung magbati na padulung hospital sudlayon ang buhok ka 7 ka beses. = ƒ 20
SUPERSTITION & BELIEFS
WEDDING CEREMONY
1. Pamyahi – a gathering of groom-to be to the house of bride-to be.
2. Paglimo sa bag-ong kinasal- with the belief that married life to be full of abundance and everlasting.
3. Pagtamak sa upak sang saging during paglimo sa bag-ong kinasal for married life to be smooth and free from conflict or arguments.
4. The family of groom to be will take charge for the expenses of the wedding.
5. Amot- the family of the groom may receive any amount, make a list to reciprocate.
6. Iyayon- voluntarily, either in cash or in kind, the family will expect to reciprocate the same, when the time comes.
7. Baslanan- a tradition wherein, all the help extended will be accounted for.
Burials
1. Do not eat monggo, malunggay leaves and chicken, fried food- beliefs. = 1
2. Washing of hands, using warm water with kabahog tree leafs right after the burial. = 2
3. Kuwarenta Dias – 9 days novena for the soul of departed one after 40 days of his/her death.
4. Hugkas- 9 day’s novena for the departed soul after a year. = -5 a
5. Umalahukan- village crier- informing the town that a prominent person died for the day.
