SPLASHES OF RED
I have always wondered what it felt like to ride the bus of Philippine High School for the Arts. I always see a bus parked next to the waiting shed near the UP gate. On occasional times, I pass by the road to PCAARRD and have a glimpse of the entrance to PHSA but thatâs about it. So when our class was told that we would be going to the said school for an exhibit, I was quite excited. I get to go inside PHSAâs campus plus, I get to ride the bus. And so on March 15, 2018, I get to experience what Iâve always been curious about.
Like any normal day, the sun was up, hitting anyone under its path with beams of golden light. As the bus went up the mountain, my ears started to get clogged from the pressure of high altitude. There was almost nothing to see save for the tarpaulins of Filipino artists that PHSA has produced. The bus went left, the bus went right, until finally the buildings (would it be called buildings?) of the school emerged. The dorms of the students greeted us and honestly, it was a sight to see. To modernize nipa huts and make it into the living quarters and classrooms of the students, who wouldâve thought of that? Lora Noreen Domingo, the mastermind behind the exhibit, was already there to greet us visitors. She was wearing a maroon top, high waisted jeans, sneakers, and a smile on her face. Being the kind host, she guided us towards the exhibit room.
Once I entered the exhibit room, I was quite surprised by the design of the room. Paintings of red and white, and the occasional yellow, were all over. I didnât get to bask in the roomâs bold arrangement just yet, but the room tour already started. She started with introducing the Asaytona clan, the ruling family of the Manobo-Lapaknon community. As she introduced each of the higher ranking members, I looked around and scanned the whole place. It was cohesive, to say, as the passionate hue of red made the objects of the exhibit into one. I was paying attention to her explanation but honestly, I could not see the pictures of the clan well since I was at the back of the group and my eyesight isnât really that great. She moved on to explain the Panawag-tawag, a thanksgiving ritual of the community to Mambabadyang Hesus. It was also mentioned that this ritual also serves as the initiation for the would-be members of the community. Noreen mentioned that she attended this ritual and is now an honorary member of the community. It was also mentioned that this ritual also served as the initiation for the would-be members of the community. Noreen mentioned that she attended this ritual and is now an honorary member of the community. This piqued my interest since I am interested in rituals of different cultures. What did it feel lik when she was accepted as a member? Itâs also quite interesting that back then only natives of Butuan can be allowed to practice their religion and culture but now, they are more open to other people.
This time around, as the group moved to the other part of the room, I got to see a clear view of the story Noreen was about to explain. It was about Datu Kalipa, who had a unique way of consulting Mambabadya. Much to my surprise, Datu Kalipa is actually Lapu-Lapu who only got the nickname because he repeatedly beat Magellan to death. It was quite disturbing, to say the least. Imagine having a nickname that originates from you killing a person. Next to the mural of Datu Kalipa were printed transcripts of the thoughts of Supremo, the leader of the bagani force, Rajah, their king, and Bai Yaonyaon, Supremoâs wife and treasurer of the clan. The transcripts were translated to English by Noreen herself and talks about the communityâs culture and history. The passion of these officials can be felt once the transcripts were read. What stood out the most for me was their rule of always telling the truth. In their community, one must not tell lies as the community values the honor of their words.
Next was a video showing Noreenâs experience with the community as they search for shells. There was a variety of shells, the banisil, bagungon, and tuhil to mention a few. In this section, she explained the reason behind her exhibitâs name, Pagsulang. âDili iyan musulang kung walaây buogâ was what Rajah Eddie Asaytona said. A translation to what he said was âAn empty shell does not go against the current.â Pagsulang, in this sense, means going against the current.
The last of her exhibit were showcases of more murals and stories, the communityâs clothing, and the letters of the community to the urban people. It was said that the clan wears an alternative to their traditional clothing; they wear red shirts and bandanas and their own made accessories. The murals illustrate the gore of Datu Calixtro who tore open a pregnant womanâs stomach and pulled out her intestines, and Supremoâs childhood memory of their endless land. Â Noreen made clear that the community feels a certain prejudice from the urban people, that they are undeveloped. As she was explaining this, a melody started to resonate within the room. It was a woman who was singing. Her voice switched from deep to reaching higher notes. It made my skin crawl, it was creepy. Although who am I to judge their when it is part of their culture?
It was in this part that she requested us to write a reply to the women of the community who shared their thoughts. I did not have time to write a reply since I was busy reading and observing the other objects in the exhibit, though I did read some letters of the community women. Those among the objects in the exhibit that were not fully explained were the leaves that can be commonly found in the community and their clanâs long list of history. The stack of papers tells of the clanâs start and foundation until Rajah Eddieâs reign. The prologue stuck to me the most.
âAyaw gayod balhina and karaang utlanan sa yuta o iloga ang yuta sa mga ilo. Gamhanan ang ilang tigpanalipod ug siya ang molaban sa kanila.â Proverbs 23:10-11
This verse fits the communityâs way of thinking with their lands. It is theirs. They have created families and families within their community. Their land, which keeps getting claimed by outsiders, should be theirs. They have their rights. Whatâs the use of the Indigenous People's Rights Act if this keeps happening? As said in the explanation for the exhibit, this was Noreenâs way of showing the reality of the indigenous people. We should open our eyes to the situation that is happening in their land. As I exited the room and waited for the bus to take us home, it was then that I remembered that this community are people of the Philippines. They may not be as modern as most are, but they are still Filipinos. We share the same blood from our ancestors, the same color of blood. We share the same color of red.
