Indigenous Games 3: Native Games and Sports with Animals

 Native Games and Sports with Animals

Dr Abe V Rotor

Carabao race – Here is a joke in puzzle, “What is the first car race?” The children of my age then would think of Ford or Chevrolet. Sirit? “It’s car-abao race.” It’s a corny joke, more so today. But if you haven’t seen one, go to Paombong, Bulacan during the fiesta of San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of farmers. It is like horse race, with the “jockey” riding without harness. So there’s a lot of skill needed to stir the animal to the finish line, galloping the carabao way.


Carabaos are known to be very docile. They say, you won’t be able to reach your destination on time with a carabao even if you use a horse whip. And don’t ever force the animal cruelly. In Thailand a carabao in the middle of a race broke away and attacked the spectators hurting dozens of them. An animal is still an animal however tame it is. The biological instinct is unpredictable
.

Catching piglets (bi-ik) in mud. It takes a day or two to prepare the arena or pen, some 5 by 5 meters square, or bigger in area, and secured with interlink wire or wooden fence. To make the game exciting the ground is puddled like a rice field ready for planting. A smaller pen is made next to the big pen. The piglets – some ten are released per batch of contestants. It is a game of two or more contending groups. It could be a one-on-one contest in the final stage. The rule may be that he who catches the piglet either gets a prize or takes the animal home – like in the movie, Babe, a story of a piglet won from a fair by an elderly farmer who reared it to become a “sheepdog” and earned its place on the farm.

Strike the pot, palo sebo, catching piglets.

It’s a messy game; it is full of wit and skill. It is in catching the piglets and putting them into the adjoining pen within the prescribed time frame that determine the winner. Imagine the winner standing on stage receiving his prize – or piglet. Can you recognize him? ~

Indigenous Game 2: The Enigmatic Antlion. Have you played the "ukoy-ukoy" game?

 The Enigmatic Antlion 

Have you played the "ukoy-ukoy" game? 

Dr Abe V Rotor

When we were kids we played the ukoy-ukoy game.  It's a strange game to city bred kids.  But in the province, when it is summer and the place is dry and sandy, the ukoy-ukoy - larva of the ant lion - is an odd thing we played with.  It is a fishing game.  

We would tie one of the fangs (mandible) with a strand of fine hair and fish out another larva in its own hole.  The resident larva sensing an intruder picks a fight and doesn't let go our decoy.  Then we would lift slowly both and put our catch in a jar. After comparing who got the most catch and the biggest, we simply returned them into the sand and watched them make new pits, while others would scamper leaving a doddle trail, before sinking into the sand. It's a dirty game - hands, face and knees - but how we loved the game! It's one for the book of Guinness.  

 

An ant falls into the death trap of the antlion larva. Like in a quicksand the ant struggles only to fall back into the center of the pit. Beneath awaits the assassin. It seizes the victim, paralyzes it by injecting poison from its fangs (mandibles) and drags it deeper to become its meal.

The antlion larva looks like a monster from outer space, barely resembling an insect that we typically know. It is a hairy monster, seemingly docile but aggressive when a prey falls into its pit trap.  After devouring it with a pair of  scythe-like mandible, it rebuilds its pit, and waits for the next victim.  The abdomen is extraordinarily large in proportion to its head and thorax. One explanation to this is that the antlion larva has no anus. All the metabolic waste that is generated during the larval stage is stored and is eventually emitted as meconium near the end of its pupal stage.  The larva makes a globular cocoon of sand stuck together with fine silk spun from a slender spinneret at the posterior end of the body. This hard and thick shell protects the quiescent pupa deep below its former pit.  It remains there for one month, emerging into an adult fly.

The adult may be mistaken for a damsel fly or mayfly, but it is not related in any way. It is one kind of insect that the adult is a far cry in appearance from its immature form. The cocoon metamorphoses, emerging from its pupal case, and climbs to the surface. flexes its wings, then flies about in search for a mate. The adult is considerably larger than the larva; both exhibit the greatest disparity in size and structure between larva and adult of any type of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis. The adult has an extremely thin, flimsy exoskeleton, with the two pairs of wings showing prominent and intricate venation for which the insect probably got its Family name Neuroptera .

The antlion undergoes a complete life cycle (holometabola).  It lives in two different environments, although both larva and adult have predatory habits. The larva lives mostly on ants that blunder and fall into its death trap, pouncing on them like a lion, hence its name.  

 (Acknowledgement: Wikipedia, Internet)

Rural Entrepreneurship: Grassroots Economics

 Rural Entrepreneurship: Grassroots Economics

“Give a man a fish and he will live for a day (aids, grants, donations, etc.);

"Teach a man how to fish, and he will live for many days." (skills development)

“Guide a man to raise fish, and he will live for a lifetime.” (entrepreneurship)

Dr Abe V Rotor

 Local wine products (basi, fruit wines from tropical fruits0 and natural vinegar

cater to tourists and the local market.

 Vegetable and fruit stalls in Urdaneta, Pangasisnan attract many local 

buyers and tourists.

, 

 Flue-cured tobacco on transit for delivery to cigarette manufacturers in Manila

 Tourists watch the making of empanada, Vigan's specialty - 

a version of Mexican tacos.

 Bamboocrafts (nesting basket, laundry basket, baby 

walker, etc)  on transport to market, Villasis, Pangasinan 

 Miniature wind mills, souvenir items around the giant 

windmills in Bangui, Ilocos Norte

 

Author and entrepreneur hold samples of fruit wine made from 

the ripe fruits of bignay, a wild fruiting tree. Adams, Ilocos Norte 

When I was asked to give a reaction to this lecture (of the same title), I took it as an opportunity to participate as a student, rather than an expert, in rural entrepreneurship.

Spontaneity of the lecturer shows his mastery of the subject, and clearly manifests his rich experience in the field of rural entrepreneurship during his 20 years work with Philippine Business for Social Progress. I am sure that Mr Eugene Caccam wanted to share in more occasions such as this forum.

A. The rationale of rural entrepreneurship virtually finds no reason for debate among those who believe in such principles of development based on

1. internal growth

2. bottom-up approach

3. grassroots- based

4. people empowerment 

5. exodus to cities and other urban areas

B. It focuses attention to the solution of present ills of Philippine society characterized by hemorrhage of human resources attracted by opportunities abroad.

1. mass poverty ( there are 47 million Filipinos living below the poverty line today.)

          2. poor quality of life, as a consequence.

·              3. external –led economic formula may be treated as another case, and perhaps a different story.

C. Enterprise system provides/ strengthens the links of

     1. Farm and market

     2. Production and processing

     3. Research and technology

     4. Principal and secondary enhancing value-added to farm produce, equitable

sharing of the benefits among the various sectors involved, optimum    utilization of resources, reliable delivery/ distribution of goods to the consumers, and the like. 

I cannot help but relate rural entrepreneurship with the old Chinese saying which goes like this

   “Give a man a fish and he will live for a day (aids, grants, donations, etc.);

      Teach a man how to fish, and he will live for many days, (skills development)

If I may add on, following the trend of this Confucian philosophy-

    “Guide a man to raise fish, and he will live for a lifetime.” (entrepreneurship)

The continuum leads on to the development of a higher level of enterprise which may involve diversification and integration, export-directed products, etc. - all leading to a common idea that entrepreneurship encompasses a wide range of business opportunities which leads us to two topics: leadership and enterprise models.

D. Entrepreneurship rests on quality leadership and proven projects models. Eugene illustrated the three phases of development, namely: social preparation, technical and entrepreneurial preparations. I believe that these three phases are important in the development of both.

It is my observation that people who are successful in the first stage are likely to become good members of cooperatives.

Enterprise models of local or indigenous setting are found almost everywhere. To cite –

1.  Multiple cropping systems of Cavite and Ilocos (high- value crops revolving on rice and corn)

2.  Agro- industries in Bulacan and Laguna (Village- based dairy, food processing, etc.)

3.  Multipurpose cooperatives (rice milling and trading, market vending, irrigation, etc.) There are many advantages of adopting local models, especially if they lend themselves to practical innovations. But this should not close sight to suitable foreign models.

4.  On the macro level, rural entrepreneurship must be extended necessary support and protection mainly from government through policies like protectionism to guard against unfair competition particularly from foreign enterprises/ interventions. (A review of the import liberalization policy is deemed necessary.)

a. Removal of unnecessary bureaucratic control/ barriers

b. Assurance of peace and order

c. Provision of basic infrastructure

d. Physical (Roads, Bridges, port facilities, etc.)

e. Social (Cooperative structure, “Kalakalan 20” or family-

    based, and village type enterprise structure)

f. Education- emphasis should be towards functional literacy ( one 
   out  of 4 Filipinos are functionally illiterates. Less than 10 % of
   agriculture graduates go into farming )

As rural enterprises grow, each striving for viability and self- reliance and working on the principle of cooperation and business linkages not only among themselves but with other sectors and organizations, this role of government becomes increasingly indispensable. I am referring to this role like a protective umbrella that is important to enhance the growth and the development of rural enterprises. This is greatly wanting under present conditions.

     E. Books rarely mention the unity of economics and ecology in rural entrepreneurship. I would like to deal on it further through these scenarios:

·         The “Unity of Enterprise” must be attuned to the “unity of the environment.”  The environment should be regarded as an ecosystem where all parts harmoniously work together. We help the ecosystem sustain its balance by protecting our forest, river, plains, coral reef and all other ecosystems.

Entrepreneurship should aim at enhancing the ecosystem’s balance, this being the foundation of sustainable productivity, the most important heritage we can pass on to the next generations.

On the enterprise level (micro), the concept of optimum resource utilization can be translated through vertical and horizontal integration. BUSPAN (Bulacan)  Multipurpose Cooperative has embarked into an  integrated business which has the following components:

1 irrigation,
2 rice milling,
3 warehousing,
4 input distribution,
5 farm credit,
6 by-product and waste recycling,
7 grain drying,
8 root crops and vegetable growing,
9 piggery and poultry
10.cattle fattening.

I hope that this article has opened up greater awareness on rural entrepreneurship as a vital component of any development formula. In fact, in many instances it is the formula itself. 

Lastly I would like to congratulate Eugene for his lecture, and to Prof Bien Nito and his staff for a very successful workshop. I would like to thank all the speakers and co-participants and especially to our foreign guests, Dr. Werner Bader and Dr. Holger Magel, for sharing their expertise and time. From them I learned a lot about agriculture and cooperative in their country, but the expression of the sciences or humanities of one’s country, but the expression of  people thinking together, working together, and moving forward together towards a common aspiration and goal.

NOTE: This reaction paper was retrieved from my lecture files. The reasons I am posting it are: 1. To accede to the request of the radio audience to have a lesson on entrepreneurship, and that, (2).I find the topic as relevant as it was presented. some years ago, at then CRC, now University of Asia and the Pacific.  It poses the same challenges to entrepreneurial development in the Philippines – which admittedly is lagging behind other countries. ~

Lesson on former Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid with Melly C Tenorio
738 DZRB AM, 8 to 9 Evening Class, Monday to Friday 

Garden Tales: A Patch of Eden

                                                                 Garden Tales 

   A Patch of Eden

"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory." - Leonard Nimoy.

  Dr Abe V Rotor

I can “cure” a person who is "naan-annungan"

I can “cure” a person who is "naan-annungan"

                                             Dr Abe V Rotor

An-annung is the Ilocano of nasapi-an in Pilipino. Spirits cast spell on a person, the old folks say. The victim may suffer of stomachache or headache accompanied by cold sweat, body weakness or feeling of exhaustion.

Well, take this case. It was dusk when a tenant of ours insisted of climbing a betel palm (Areca catechu) to gather its nuts for nga-nga. My dad objected to it, but somehow the young man prevailed when dad left.

"Spellbound to the spirits of the living and the dead." 

A painting by a contestant in a painting competition 

at UST

The stubborn young man was profusely sweating and was obviously in pain, pressing his stomach against the tree trunk. Dad called for me. I examined my “patient” and assured him he will be all right. And like a passing ill wind, the spell was cast away. Dad and the people around believed I had supernatural power.

There had been a number of cases I “succeeded” in healing the naan-annungan. But I could also induce – unknowingly - the same effect on someone else. That too, my dad and old folks believed. They would sought for my “power” to cast the spell away from - this time – no other than my own “victim”. What a paradox!

As I grew up and pursued my education, my perception on the supernatural began to change. I read Nostradamus prophesy, Hawthorn's House of the Seven Gables, Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, Washington Irving's ghostly characters like The Headless Horseman. It was fun reading Dracula, The Mummy, The Exorcist, Ghost. They are all out of this world; they just come in imagination and entertainment. And to scare naughty children.

The impressions I got from other books are different. Take the case of Alexander Dumas' Count on Monte Cristo, Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, and Charles Dicken's Oliver, Kemphis' Imitation of Christ and a lot of great writings, many considered classical because of their relevance and timelessness, and people often getting back to read them when they feel the world tightening up.

What really make people well? Of course, we have to know what make them sick of various kinds of ailmnents and symptoms in the first place.

People who are unwell are not necessarily those who are physically sick; they are those who are sick in the heart and mind. They have lost hope, they have low esteem of themselves, they are tied up with unforgettable traumatic experiences. They are full of anger and hatred. And bad intentions.

Or they have drawn into the recesses of their mind and won't like to face the world. They fear reality, so they use fantasy as shield. Things out of this world is a defeatist argument, when logic fails, when reality is distorted. Sickness is deeper than what is physiologic or pathogenic. And there is only one thing that can make these people feel well.

And that is to bring them back to self-confidence and self-trust. After that they start building confidence and trust in others.

What was my role as the boy who can dispel bad spirits that chanced upon a person? I was merely as agent of renewal. Children are like that because they are pure and innocent. They are the best healers because they bring back faith and hope which the grownups are losing or have lost. The faith healer is the master catalyst. It was Christ way of healing, the key to his miracles.

I read something about Alexander the Great consulting the Oracle at Siwa to find out if indeed he is god-sent.

“The Pharaoh will bow to you, ” the priestess told him. And it did happen - the pharaoh kissed Alexander’s feet when he arrived in Cairo.

The great warrior knew no bounds of his power, conquering empire after empire, encompassing the whole breadth of the known civilized world at that time, reaching as far as the Orient.

But alas! on the bank of the Tigris-Euphrates River, one evening the great warrior, the son of god, died. Thus ended his lofty dreams as the ruler of the world. The myth went with him. He was barely 33 years old. ~

Bougainvillea: Year Round Ornamental Plant

 Bougainvillea: Year Round Ornamental Plant 

 

“The bougainvillea is the most extravagantly beautiful 

flowering plant in all of nature.” – Christopher Turner

Dr Abe V Rotor

 

Red and white Bougainvillea lend quaintness to cottage living. 

Courtesy of Dr Cynthia Valencia.  San Vicente, Ilocos Sur. 

The bougainvillea is dubbed "flowering machine," it flowers throughout 

the year, bursting into full bloom in the entire summer. Bougainvillea 

in full bloom along the fence of Rojas-Lazo residence in San Vicente 

Ilocos Sur. 

Bougainvillea spectabilis in bloom across the fence of San Vicente Botanical 

Garden,  San Vicente, Ilocos Sur.  Photos taken by the author, January 15, 2023 

Bougainvillea is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. Different authors accept from 4 to 22 species in the genus. The first species recorded in the Philippines was Bougainvillea spectabilis. The other species, B. glabra and B. peruviana were introduced much later. Grenada's national flower is the Bougainvillea.

Botanically speaking, the flowers of bougainvillea are not true flowers in the sense that they do not have petals and other floral parts typical of a true flower.  The colored petals are modified leaves, specialized to attract bees, butterflies - including humans - to pollinate and fertilize the tiny true flowers centrally located, which seldom develop seeds. Bougainvillea is mainly propagated by cuttings. 

By the way,  bougainvillea is named after a person. It was first discovered by the French botanist Philibert Commerson in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the 1760s. The name Bougainvaillea was named after his friend sailor Louis de Bougainville. ~