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 Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:31 pm Post subject: The Various Uses of Kawayan (Bamboo) in Filipino Culture |
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The Various Uses of Kawayan (Bamboo) in Filipino Culture
Donna Galicinao
Dominant in East Asian regions, bamboo are the largest grasses, growing to almost 100 feet in height. The stalks are round, jointed, sometimes thorny, and hollow or solid with green leaves. Many Asian cultures rely on the use of the bamboo because of its sturdiness and versatile uses. In many cultures bamboo is used as wood for construction work, furniture, utensils, fiber, paper, fuel, and countless small articles. One of those Asian cultures is the Filipino culture. Filipinos use the kawayan (bamboo in Tagalog) many ways in daily living, from home use, to food, to folk arts and music. I observed this growing up in a traditional Filipino family, when visiting the Philippines, and at other times at local cultural events and in stores and shops (usually Filipino mini marts). I saw how important and large a role the kawayan has in the Filipino culture.
Within the province of Pangasinan lies the town of Pozzorubbio, well known for their craftsmanship in the use of the kawayan, which is one of their mainstays of economic development. Many of their bamboo crafts are exported. A very popular one is bamboo furniture. Unlike the rattan that we see in our home furniture departments in the United States, their bamboo chairs are much sturdier and built with great craftsmanship. Those chairs last for many years. Watching the men work on the chairs, you are able to see the hard work and heart that is put into it. Though the chairs and sofas have no cushions, they are still very comfortable to sit on as well as sleep on.
Another use of the kawayan is the bahay kubo also known as the nipa hut. It is a native Filipino dwelling house. Bamboo is used for the structure, and nipa leaves are used for the roofing. The bahay kubo is very airy and provides a cool, comfortable resting place in the hot, humid climate of the Philippines. There are many bahay kubos especially at the beaches and common tourist areas, where many go for enjoyment and relaxation. Kawayan is also used in many of the homes that are styled after the old Spanish homes built during the conquest by Spain. There are two types of structural floorings that use the kawayan. One is the standard flat flooring where the kawayan is cut in flat boards and placed side by side and plastered down. This type of flooring is usually used as bedroom floorings. The second type is used in the kitchen. Because of the style of the Spanish house (built high above the ground with a large enough space to walk around under the house), the kitchen floor is a bit unusual. It is made of bands of stripped kawayan woven together like a mat. One can easily see through the floor. The first time I saw this, I was amazed at how strong the kawayan was. It was able to hold up a table and sets of chairs, a bench, and people all at once. At first I was afraid to go into the kitchen because of fear of falling through the woven floor. (Falling more than six feet from a house and landing on a pile of dirt, rocks, and broken wood can be a scary thought, not to mention painful). I eventually went into the kitchen just to feel the floor, and luckily I did not fall.
Filipinos not only love food but they love to cook. All around the Philippines you will see barbeque stands. Bamboo is used as barbeque sticks, cut into thin flat strips and then covered with the meat of choice (usually pork). Bamboo is also used as an ingredient for one of the dishes. A famous one is the labong (small bamboo shoots) mixed with saluyot (okra leaves), a popular Ilocano dish called dinegdeng. The labong is cut off from the bamboo stalk and then cut into tiny strips. It is then steamed with the saluyot together with dried shrimp and bagoong (fermented brine shrimp) for taste. Another style of cooking the labong is the labong salad. The labong is steamed first, then later marinated with vinegar and a bit of oil with some salt and pepper for taste. It may seem a little odd, but both dishes taste very good, especially with bigas (Tagalog for rice) or inapoy (Ilocano for rice).
Music has long been a part of a the Filipino heritage since the time of the natives. From childhood, the Filipinos become acquainted with music whether in voice lessons or musical instruments. The bontok kalaleng, or nose flute, is made of anes, a small variety of bamboo. It is usually about two feet long, and its length is determined by the nodes of the bamboo, one of which is removed and the other left on. A half-centimeter hole is then made in the remaining node for the air to be forced through. Another hole is made about midway on the bottom for the thumb, while three more are usually made on the top for the right hand fingers. This nose flute is popular to all the native mountain tribes of the Philippines, whether it be the Igorots, Tinggians, or Ifugaos. Each tribe decorates the flute in its own artistic way. Another is the didiwas or pan flute, often played by the Tinggians. An instrument found almost everywhere is the bamboo guitar. Several strands of surface fiber are lifted from the body while remaining loose at the ends. Bridges are then attached to provide tension and a tuning device. I also discovered from a friend of mine that in earlier days many of the pianos and organs made in the Philippines were made out of large bamboos. Some churches in the Philippines still have these great works of wonder.
One of the most well-known uses of the kawayan in Hawai‘i in the Filipino culture is the Tinikling, a dance similar to the game of jump rope. Many stories of the origin of Tinikling have been passed from generation to generation. One is the story of the Tikling, a native bird of the Philippines with long legs and a long neck. The Tinikling dance is said to imitate the movement of the Tikling bird as it walks between grass stems or jumps over tree branches.
A longer variation of the Tinikling dance story, taken from my lolo (grandfather), is an explanation of a much more painful origin of the dance. It began in the colonial days around the mid 1500s, when there was no fun nor joy for the Indios (the Spanish term for Philippine natives) who worked day in and day out for their conquering masters, the Spanish. Under the encomienda system, an economic system that was largely based on rural and agricultural operations of haciendas (large farmlands) run by encargados (caretakers) for the King of Spain, the natives lost control of their lands. For almost four hundred years the natives were the labor force in the fields and paddies of their own land.
The natives who were dragged out from the fields and paddies because they were too slow faced a type of punishment in which they stood between rough poles of bamboo cut from the grove. The kawayan poles were then clapped to beat the natives’ feet, with the natives trying to get away between the clapping of the kawayan by jumping up and down to avoid the kawayan poles. The natives’ feet ended up bruised and beaten because the poles had thorns sticking from them. This form of punishment became a ruthless cycle. The more their feet were bruised, the less work they could put in the fields and the more they were punished.
Now the Tinikling is marked as a national folklore dance of the Philippines and danced in many Filipino celebrations, like weddings and fiestas (town celebrations that last for about a week).
I was fortunate enough to be allowed to follow one of my classmates and her group in their dance preparation for a party for three days. One of the dances that they were practicing was the Tinikling. Later she explained to me how to dance it. I tried following along but it’s easier said than done — getting your feet caught between those kawayan sticks isn’t fun at all, especially when you end up failing on your hands. Like many things the art of Tinikling takes practice and time; not to mention a lot of coordination.
Unlike jump rope, two long pieces of kawayan (around 9 feet long) are placed horizontally on the ground. The setup of the two poles are as follows: two kawayan players sit opposite of each other on the ground holding the ends of the kawayan poles. Two pieces of board or kawayan about thirty inches long and two inches thick are placed under the poles about one foot from the ends. The poles are then struck together in time with the music counting one, two, three to a measure. Two people stand on the left of the kawayan in opposite directions. The female faces the audience, which usually sits behind one of the pole holders. The dance begins with a musical introduction, then, starting with the right foot, dancers take four waltz steps forward going to their proper places. The female holds her skirt and the male places his hand on his waist (hand positions are kept this way throughout the whole dance).
After one minute of the music introduction, the kawayan poles are struck together once at every first beat of the second, third, and fourth measures. Dancers stand at the left side of the poles on the left foot. They tap with the right foot twice between the poles on counts two and three of measure five and this movement is repeated three times more on the sixth to eighth measures. Dancers show their skills by dancing between the poles, trying not to get their feet caught when the poles are struck together. The dance can bring spectators into a trance as they watch the dancers jumping and moving here and there. The music is divided into two parts: A and B. It usually starts off slow then later speeds up, which makes it much more interesting to dance to and watch.
And of course a dance would not be complete without costumes. Females wear a balintawak or patadiong and males wear a barong tagalog and long red trousers with one pant leg rolled up. All dancers dance barefoot.
A very popular game among the young males of the Philippines is the Palo Sebo (greased bamboo climbing). The players consist of two or more males ages nine to fifteen. Boys of the same age group compete with each other. The game is played outdoors in a wide open area (usually a town plaza) and is played usually during a town fiesta or other special occasion. The game uses a long, stout, well-polished and greased kawayan pole that is about four inches in diameter. Colorful strips of rice paper or ribbon are used to decorate the pole. The objective of the game is to climb the slippery pole and get the prize that is hanging at the top of the pole. The prize is usually a small bag of money or a gift. For the older players, a pole is assigned to each player and others stand behind him ready to play if the first player drops from the pole. No one else is allowed to climb the pole unless the player before him has dropped down the pole. The game begins at the given signal and the boy begins to climb quickly with his hands and feet trying reach the top. (Keep in mind the poles are heavily greased with oil/fat which makes the game harder and much more interesting and enjoyable to play). If the player is able to reach the top of the pole he unties the prize and slides to the bottom of the pole. The first person to reach the ground with the prize in his hand, is the winner and also receives an additional prize from the town officials. This version, however is for the much older boys.
In the second version for the younger boys, about three to four boys form a team. The best climber is the first in line. At the start of the game, the first boy climbs the pole. As soon as his feet are off the ground, the second player climbs after him, then the third person follows (and then the fourth if there is a fourth player). As soon as the first player starts slipping, the second player allows the first player to stand on his shoulders. The third player then lets the second player stand on his shoulders. The whole team inches their way to the top of the pole, helping each other along the way. When the first player reaches the top and grabs the prize, the whole team slides to the bottom of the pole. The first team to get the prize from the top of the pole wins the first prize in competition. They receive money, gifts, or toys from the committee of the town fiesta as an included prize. There is much excitement going on while the teams race to the top. Music is being played by the town brass band and friends, family, and relatives are cheering for their favorite teams.
Another use of bamboo is in Arnis de Mano, a form of martial arts found in the Phillipines. Commonly known as Arnis, this involves the use of sticks which are usually made out of wood, or rattan (a special bamboo from the Philipines), 70 cm long and about 2 - 2.5 cm in diameter. The length can vary from style to style though, ranging from 30 cm to 220 cm (the art also involves the use of body parts to attack an opponent). Like many cultural arts, the art of Arnis has a long history and story. There are early records dating as far back as 8th century C.E. of the Sri-Visaya empire which mentions Kali, the martial art of the Philippines. The migration and intermarrying of the Malays with the natives resulted in the blending of movements and techniques that resulted in the creation of the fighting art of Kali (from Kalis, Malay word for bladed weapon). The ten datus (chiefs) of Borneo, remainders of the Malay empire, further helped spread the martial art of Kali throughout the Philippines. These datus required each of their warriors to learn Kali. Later, Kali was taught to everyone along with reading and writing.
In 1521, Rajah Lapu Lapu, a master of Kali, refused to bow down to Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer, an act that resulted in a battle between the two. The Battle of Mactan Island resulted in the death of Magellan, and Kali was recognized by the European historians. Pigafetta, the Spanish historian of Magellan’s expedition, stated that “the natives used sticks hardened with fire, lances, poisoned arrows and other tools as weapons against Magellan.”
After Magellan’s death, another Spanish expedition reached the islands and started establishing settlements. Kali was renamed Escrima, the Spanish word for fencing, and Arnis de Mano (harness of the hands). The Spaniards felt, however, that the art was too brutal and later banned its practice. The real motive of the Spaniards was really to abolish the art altogether. The skillfulness of the Filipinos, however, carried through. They disguised the art by depicting plays like Moro-Moro, and dances like sayaw or Katas.
There are a number of styles of Filipino stick fighting, but they all have one common character that gives them an effectiveness that seems superior to most martial arts today. The principle of combat is based on patterns of angles that all attacks must fall into, no matter the style or choice of the weapons. The vicious, swift, deceitful strikes of the Filipino stick fighting are feared. Their oval-shaped motion made the art of Arnis, Kali, and Escrima very difficult to defend against. The art of Arnis de Mano is still practiced worldwide more than a thousand years later. Again, I was fortunate enough to follow one of my friends to her Arnis classes, where I watched some of the students demonstrate some moves. Almost like a dance, the moves put the spectator into a trance. Like the tinikling, Arnis takes time and practice to fully develop the techniques. There are numerous types of stances, blocking, kicking, and striking. One move that my friend taught me was the Single Sinawali (two sticks). The moves are as follows:
Begin by placing right stick on right shoulder, and left stick on left shoulder.
1. Hit head with right stick, and then place it on left shoulder.
2. Hit knee with right stick, and then place it on right shoulder.
3. Hit head with left stick, and then place it on right shoulder.
4. Hit knee with left stick, and then place it on left shoulder.
I started off slow in the beginning, I didn’t want to give up and slowly but surely I got to a point where I could do it a little bit faster. Maybe with a little more lessons I could become like the Pundador (grandmaster/founder).
There are endless uses of the kawayan in the Filipino culture, from small utensils for cooking, to home decor and souvenirs, to fishing and hunting, or fun and games. There is no doubt about it, the Filipino culture makes great use of the kawayan. Though many other cultures use the bamboo, the Filipinos have made the kawayan their own creative, unique, and admirable art. It is one of a kind that no other culture can duplicate.
Bibliography
“Arnis Balite”. 12 Nov. 1995. 5 Nov. 2002. http://www.amisbalite.com
“Bamboo.” Encarta Encyclopedia. CD. Microsoft 2000.
Bumagat, Felipe. personal communication. 2002.
Lopez, Mellie Leandicho. A Study of Philippine Games. University of The Philippines 2nd edition 2001.
Santos. Rogelio A., “Filipino Music”. 1999. 13 Oct. 2002. http://www.jetlink.net-rogers/songs.html
Ruiz, Gelina. Class Interview for Arnis. 2002.
Tolentino, Francisca, Reyes. Philippine National Dances. Kayumanggi Press Inc., 1993.
Valmoja, Loraine. Tinikling interview. 2002.
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full article link: http://bosp.kcc.hawaii.edu/Horizons/Horizons2003/the_various.html
source: Kapiolani (Hawaii) Community College website
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www.Yuli-Romo.com - Official Website of Grandmaster Epifanio 'Yuli' Romo
"...tulad ng isang kawayan, habang tumataas, lalong yumuyuko't humahalik sa lupa at pagdating ng unos ay sumasayaw sa saliw. Sa gayon, walang makabubuwal..." |
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