Did you know? Planting beliefs in Tarlac

-

 


    In the book Philippine Food & Life, the author Gilda Cordero-Fernando illustrated the planting rituals of Tarlac. The settlesrs were hardy, industrious and determined. "No awan anus, awan lamot." No patience, no food they said. Most of the farmers and the women wove clothes and mats and the succeeding generations continued to do the work begun by the first immigrants and retained the old customs and traditions.

    They had many planting beliefs such as:

  •  The best time to plant is when the moon is bright and the sky is full of stars.
  • Frequent lightning and thunder in May and June presage poor grain in the coming rice and corn harvest, but this can be avoided if it rains immediately before or after All Saints' Day (November 1st).  
  • Sour things should not be eaten when planting palay seedlings or the carabaos will break into the seedbeds.
  • Budding fruits should not be pointed at pregnant women, or they will rot.  
  • Plant root crops or fruit trees with a full stomach so that the yield will be plentiful. 
  •  
  • When planting coconuts, one must carry as many children on one's back as possible so that the nuts will be plentiful.
  • Kamote, sweet potato,  should be planted with no clothes on (naked?) so that the tubers will grow as big as one's arms and legs.  
  • Whoever plants corn, especially a person with missing teeth, should refrain from laughing or the cob will have missing kernels. 
  • When the cow sneezes frequently, rain is believed forthcoming.  If it is not, the farmers go on a procession called libot. It consists of making a round of ricefields with lighted candles, carrying the patron saint.  
  • A novena is made to the Virgin of Manaoag in Pangasinan, a cararag or petition for rain and protection for the crops.  

    These small independent farmers, mostly in the northern towns and barrios, are the backbone of Tarlac. These beliefs may sound a little silly, but they helped shape the province of Tarlac to be a predominantly agricultural economy. It is among the biggest producers of rice and sugarcane with its principal crops being rice, sugarcane, coconut, and corn.

 Sources:

     https://filipinawomensnetwork.org/epahayagan/tarlacs-planting-beliefs

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tarlac: Malatarlak Festival

-
Image
In Tarlac City, the people celebrate a festival called the Malatarlak Festival which was named after the same type of "malahib" weeds that were present in the area during its early days. The plant itself is the main focus of the festival and is celebrated with festive designs that are inspired by the types of grass while dancing to traditional music. It is usually celebrated for a week every second week of January. The week-long event contains an opening ceremony with an appropriate trade fair, food and drink stalls, and live music and dance entertainment. The festivities can then contain either sports competitions, cooking demonstrations, dance competitions, and other live entertainment shows. The festival soon ends with fireworks and a grand procession. In 2011, the mayor of Tarlac City renamed the festival to Melting Pot Festival, however it is still remembered through its former name. Sources: (n.d.). Kulturang Pilipino,Tatak Tarlaqueno : Malatarlak Festival (a glimps
Read more

Tarlac: Languages

-
Image
Kapampangan  MASANTING A ALDO! PU KEKAYUNGAN (Good day Everyone!).           Kapampangan is an austronesian language and one of the Philippines' eight main languages. It is the primary and most widely spoken language in the provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac in southern Philippines. For decades, Kapampángan has served as the community's language of contact, integration, and social harmony. Kapampangan Semantics: Counting Numbers            Pronunciation                1 - Metung               1st person singular: I - ku,aku,yaku      2 - Adwa                    2nd person singular: You - ka,ika      3 - Atlu                      3rd person singular: He, She, Them - ya, iya,ila      4 - Apat                                         5 - Lima         6 - Anam     7 - Pitu       8 - Walu      9 - Syam/Siyam      10 - Apulu Ilocano NAIMBAG NGA  ALDAW (Good day!).         Ilocano or Ilokano is an Austronesian language spoken in the Philippines. It is the third most-spoken nat
Read more

Tarlac: A brief history

-
Image
          The name tarlac originated from a talahib weed called Malatarlak , hence the name of this blog, Tarlac is well known as the Melting Pot of Central Luzon because of the presence of the following four major ethnolinguistic groups: Kapampangans, Ilocanos, Tagalogs and Pangasinenses. Despite the cultural diversities, the people have learned to live as one and at peace with one another thus serving it as the cradle of great men and women in every field of endeavor. The most notable people who came from Tarlac were the late Benigno S. Aquino Jr., the country's latter day hero and Carlos P. Romulo, the former Secretary General of the United Nations. Another notable figure was Leonor Rivera of Camiling, Tarlac who was Jose Rizal's beloved and better known as "Maria Clara" in his novel Noli Me Tangere. Tarlac also takes pride in being hom for the First Woman president of the Philippines who is Corazon C. Aquino who came from Concepcion, Tarlac.    Sources:          
Read more