What is “The Good Life” Really?
Life on the Countryside - The Good Life, mural painting by AV Rotor
It is good to look back and compare ourselves with our ancestors from the viewpoint of how life is well lived. Were our ancestors a happier lot? Did they have more time for themselves and their family, and more things to share with their community? Did they live healthier lives? Were they endowed - more than we are - with the good life brought about by the bounty and beauty of nature?
These questions bring us to analyze ten major concerns about living. In the midst of socio-cultural and economic transformation from traditional to modern to globalization - an experience that is sweeping all over the world today - these concerns serve as parameters to know how well we are living with life. It is likely that as the reader goes over these items he can’t help but relate them with his own knowledge and experiences, and in fact they way he lives. This is essentially the purpose of this article. The major concerns are
· Simple lifestyle
· Environment-friendly
· Peace of mind
· Functional literacy
· Good health and longer active life
· Family and community commitment
· Self-managed time
· Self-employment
· Cooperation (bayanihan) and unity
· Sustainable development
The following are some traditional beliefs and practices I have been able to gather and put into writing since the idea was conceived late last year. Actually this is the third of a series under the general topic of Folk Wisdom published in Ad Veritatem, both in the 2006 issues. Primarily these are ethnic or indigenous, and certainly there are commonalities with those in other countries, particularly in Asia, albeit of their local versions and adaptations. It leads us to appreciate with wonder the vast richness of cultures shared between and among peoples and countries even in very early times. Ironically modern times have overshadowed tradition, and many of these beliefs and practices have been either lost or forgotten, and even those that have survived are facing endangerment and the possibility of extinction. It is a rare opportunity and privilege to gather and analyze traditional beliefs and practices.
It is to the old folks that we owe much gratitude and respect because they are our living link with the past. They are the Homer of Iliad and Odyssey of our times, so to speak. They are the Disciples of Christ’s parables, the Fabulists of Aesop. They are the likes of a certain Ilocano farmer by the name of Juan Magana who recited Biag ni Lam-ang from memory, Mang Inting Buena, an herbolario of Bolinao Pangasinan, whom I interviewed about the effectiveness of herbal medicine. It is to people who, in spite of genetic engineering, would still prefer the taste of native chicken and upland rice varieties. It is to these people that this piece of work is sincerely dedicated.
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“These narratives offer an exploration into the world of ethno science covering a wide range of practical interest from climate to agriculture; medicine to food and nutrition. In lucid prose, the author paints the landscape of the beliefs and practices of our indigenous peoples and local communities revealing the science behind traditional wisdom.
Many authors variously describe this system of indigenous technical knowledge as “people science, ethno science, folk ecology, village science, or simply local knowledge.” This traditional knowledge includes concepts, beliefs, perceptions and worldviews originating and naturally produced within a local community emphasizing the practical or applicability of such knowledge. Our forefathers have accumulated this knowledge through long association with nature and the environment in which they were brought up. They relied heavily on the innate abilities to observe and discriminate to sustain themselves and to preserve their cultural identity. They acquired and transmitted this knowledge through informal teaching, apprenticeship and story telling.
Because traditional knowledge often incorporates ecological wisdom in a very strong holistic way, the Scientific Community, in recent years, has recognized indigenous technical knowledge as a valuable source of ecological information. Today, a growing body of literature attests to the existence of effective indigenous strategies for ensuring the sustainable use of local resources.”
Lilian J. Sison, Ph.D.
Dean, Graduate School
University of Santo Tomas (PHOTO)
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A. Indigenous Beliefs
1. The balete (Ficus benjamina) is the home of bad spirits which cause those who go near the tree to become sick.
Balete has indeed a bad reputation. In fact its real name is strangler’s fig because it slowly strangles its host tree to death, using its trunk as if it were its own until it decomposes underneath its interlacing roots and branches. Years after nothing can be traced of its once benevolent host.
The juvenile balete is popularly made into bonsai, and the young tree is domesticated into shrub and grace our homes, roadside and parks. But in the forest, it is a monster, taking over towering trees. Some wrest with the emergents, trees that rise above the canopy layer of the forest, virtually piercing through the cloud. The tree house in the novel Swiss Family Robinson written by Johan Wyss in the 17th century, was built atop a huge balete. A proof of this contention is that the core of the trunk is hollow, which could only mean, the tree strangled its host tree to death. I had the chance to climb the Swiss Family Robinson tree at the Disneyland in Los Angeles, USA, through the tree’s interior spiraling stairs. From the tree house everything below is Lilliputian. Here the Robinsons were safe from the beasts of the forest; it served as their watchtower, too. Of course the tree in Disneyland is made of steel and concrete, but it appeared real the way it is described in the novel.
Anyone who gets near an old balete will develop goose bumps. Imagine walking along Balete Drive (Quezon City) at night and meet a white lady. Old folk will tell you it was a balete Judas Escariot hanged himself. Others will relate how a kapre (black hairy monster) sits high up in the tree, his long thin legs dangling with its cavernous prop roots. But in India and other parts of Asia, the banyan tree, a relative of the balete (Family Moraceae) is the home of kind spirits. Banyan is the longest living tree species after the Redwood and the Bristle Pine. Unlike the latter, the banyan actually “walks around,” its prop roots colonizing the immediate surroundings so that a centuries-old tree may reach a diameter of twenty meters or more. Imagine how massive and extensive the banyan is – it can house a temple under its prop roots, making it Ripley’s living house of worship.
2. Strange sea creatures feed our imagination with awe and fear.
Now and then we are fascinated by pictures or stories of odd-looking creatures. It takes some time to realize that they exist, but thanks to science and technology, what couldn’t be presented before are now seen on TV, in colored photographs, and the most authentic of all – actual specimens found in exhibits, museums and laboratories.
What make creatures extraordinary? First, they are rarely seen. Second they differ greatly from their counterparts that we commonly know. Third, they possess outstanding characteristics that lie at the boundary of reality and fantasy. Lastly, they are encountered in fiction, legends and folklores.
Here are some examples of strange creatures old folks used to relate. Let’s find out if they really exist.
· Angler fish – It has a built-in lure that leads to a trap – a gaping mouth that snaps automatically at the deceived prey. Angler fish that live on the ocean floor in total darkness are equipped with phosphorescent lure that can be waved like a flag to signal at would-be preys.
· Turtle with a wormlike tongue. Worms are a favorite food of fish, so that we can only imagine how this creature earns its meal by luring its prey right inside its mouth.
· Stonefish – As the name implies, this creature is perfectly camouflaged among corals and stones, and sheltered in sand and seaweeds. It lives on unwary passersby ending up in a cavernous mouth walled with spike teeth. To compensate for the docile nature of this creature, nature provided it with sharp poisonous fins, and a weird appearance few predators would seem interested of. Beware, don’t wade barefooted when angler fish abound. One who steps on a stonefish needs immediate medical attention. It is an extremely painful experience.
During low tide while promenading on the coral reef, you may find one or two of these creatures.
· Flounder or dapa (half-fish)
· Cowfish – It has a face of a cow, complete with a pair of horns
· Octopus – a master of camouflage, a contortionist
· Puffer fish (butete) – poisonous, one species is covered with spines
· Sapsap – flat laterally, thus difficult to recognize it frontally
· Seahorse – It has the features of a horse, including the way it moves
Old folks tell us the octopus is the master of camouflage at sea. Hands and eyes and sound effects recreate the octopus in the mind of children listening to old fisher folks. Like the chameleon it can change colors and body designs. It is even a contortionist, assuming the shapes of many creatures and inanimate objects, either for defense or aggression. It squirts a cloud of ink in times of danger, which can also stun its enemies and preys. Octopus can grow into a monster’s size portrayed by Jules Verne in his novel, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Actual specimens but on a lesser scale have been presented to prove that Verne’s creature actually exists. One specimen was discovered by Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of an all time favorite novel, Treasure Island, when he was living among the fishermen of Cannery Row, California, once the sardine capital of the world.
The sea is the home of enigmatic creatures. Imagine its vastness (three-fourths of the earth surface), and its enormous depth (nearly 4 km on the average, 12 km at its deepest). Except for some 100 m from the surface, the sea below is totally dark. Here 80 percent of the earth’s organisms live; many of them have not been discovered and identified.
It would take hours listening to old folks relating strange creatures. Unfortunately, a long list of strange creatures has emerged with cartoon and virtual reality characters, making it difficult to separate reality and fantasy. Besides, certain creatures are being projected with bad reputation. Take the movies of sharks (Jaws), bats, spiders and birds attacking people, creatures which in reality are friendly and beneficial. Even how strange looking an organism may be, it has a revered place in the biosphere and a crucial role to play in the web of life.
3. Tree surrounded by fireflies brings good luck.
Fireflies are biological indicators of a pristine environment and good weather. Letizia Constantino wrote in Issues without Tears, a moving article –You don’t see fireflies anymore. It is reminiscent of Rachel Carson’s winning novel, Silent Spring, a moving story when the birds failed to return one spring. It is all about man’s growing indifference in protecting the environment from pesticides, pollution and many other forms of destruction.
4. People with large ears live long.
Study the ears of centenarians and you will conclude it is not true. Well, in the animal kingdom, elephants, which have very large ears live as long as 70 years - so with giraffes, lions and hippopotamuses which have relatively smaller ears. Large ears (pinnae) can pick up sounds better. Having large ears helps us in coping with certain situations, especially in times of danger. The long ears of the rabbits also help regulate body temperature; they conserve or radiate heat, as it may be the case.
5. Hair pool (puyo) on the forehead or having more than one is a sign of stubbornness,
Normally there is only one puyo or alipuspos (Ilk) located on top of the head - the tonsure area – around it the hair spreads out uniformly over the head like a whirlpool. When it is located at the front or anywhere else, the hair tends to become disorderly, and often untidy, more so if there are two or more hair pools. With this condition the hair becomes difficult to tame, so to speak, especially the type that is coarse and firm, thus affecting good grooming if it is not properly given attention. It is this unique condition that gives us the impression of stubbornness on the one wearing it, what with the puyo building the hair around it to resemble a horn stub.
It reminds me of the owl which has ears which sometimes appear as horns made of feather tufts, and chickens and birds having inverted feathers. Breeders take advantage of hair pools in developing unique breeds of dogs, cats and fowls. Hair pools also serve as official marker in identifying and registering cattle.
Thanks to today’s cosmetic science, the puyo can be tucked in conveniently and do away with the false impression that goes with it.
6. Kugtong or giant lapu-lapu (PHOTO) – does it really exists?
I am witness of a pair of giant lapu-lapu (kugtong) in Sablayan Occidental Mindoro caught by local fishermen sometime in 1982. I had been hearing kugtong since childhood, a threat to fishermen and picnickers because it could swallow a whole human being, and here with my own eyes the kugtong in Lola Basiang’s story is true after all. So huge are these overgrown lapulapu that two men could hardly carry one of them with a bamboo pole on their shoulders. A third man had to lift its tail from the ground as they inched their way to a waiting vehicle. I examined the fish; its body is coarse and shaggy, covered with seaweeds and tiny mollusks, and had lost all semblance of the favorite lapulapu on our dining table. But this makes a perfect camouflage that suits the predatory habit of this benthic fish.
There is a story about a kugtong that lived under the old pier of San Fernando, La Union. For a long time the strange fish was feared by the residents and many animals around had mysteriously disappeared. Then the local fishermen decided to catch it with a big hook luring the fish with a live piglet as bait. The fish took it and struggled until it was finally subdued. It was hauled by many men and if the story is accurate it took a six-by-six truck to transport it.
There are giants in the deep. After the tsunami in 2004 that hit the Indian Ocean, by coincidence I saw giant squids measuring 3 feet long being sold at the SM Fairview supermarket. I surmise that these were flushed out from their deep dwellings and landed in the fisherman’s net when the calamity struck. I remember the giant squid that almost sank Captain Nemo’s submarine in Jules Verne’s “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.”
7. Nature medicine - can animals really heal themselves?
Old folks tell us of a number of cases animals can actually heal themselves.
· Dogs, deer, cattle, and the like, clean their wounds by licking them. Their saliva contains natural antibiotics. It is often that they deliberately expose their wounds to sunlight. Others like the muskrat seal its wounds with resin or gum.
· Harvestime, painting by AVRotor
Domestic fowls and birds have the habit of preening to arrange their feathers in place, and to get rid of parasites and foreign matters.
· Birds and animals bathe regularly, and these baths are of many varieties – water, sun (sun bath), mud (carabao and pigs), and dust (ground fouls).
· A wounded orangutan or gorilla will attempt to staunch the flow of blood with its hands, and will then close the hole with packing of astringent aromatic leaves.
· Old grizzly bears use the hot sulfur baths, which may alleviate the aches incident to age.
· A wolf bitten by rattlesnake chews snakeroot; a wild turkey during a rainy spell, compels her babies to eat spicebush leaves.
· An animal with fever hunts up an airy, shady place near water and remains quiet, eating very little and drinking often.
· Female birds need lime to form eggshells, and it is a common thing to see pet birds eating cuttlebone.
When sick or wounded, wild creatures resort to the ancient remedies of nature: medicines, pure air and complete relaxation. This observation has inspired humans in the art of natural healing. To this day, barefoot doctors and spiritual healers (herbolarios) use many of the ways animals heal themselves.
8. Black ants in lansones means the fruit is sweet.
Lansones (Lansium domesticum) from Paete has a singular reputation that it is the sweetest lansones. But if you can’t find the Paete variety, you can settle for other sweet varieties. If there are black ants crawling on the fruit, it must be sweet.
Not really. The black ants feed on the sugary secretion of mealy bugs and scale insects clinging on the bunch of fruits. Actually they are parasitic, feeding on plant sap. Some unscrupulous fruits vendors sprinkle sugar solution which attracts red ants instead.
9. One can read how nature intended plants to be used by examining their resemblances and other physical features.
This is a belief called Doctrine of Signatures, which was popular during the Middle Ages. Liverworts (Riccia and Marchantia) which resemble the shape of liver are effective for liver diseases. The shapes of eggplant and avocado suggest fertility and aphrodisiac value. Apple and mango resemble the heart and are therefore good when it comes to matters of love. Kidney beans are good for the kidney, but the truth is that it has high uric acid content. The garlic plant has a hollow stem so that it would be of benefit in afflictions of the windpipe, hence used in all types of respiratory disorders such as cough, colds, catarrh, asthma and bronchial problems.
Physical appearance has nothing to do with the curative powers of plants, or animals for that matter. It is true that garlic is an effective respiratory cure, but it is its active ingredients that are responsible for it.
10. Eating shark influences human character with the animal’s behavior.
For a long time people would just let the sharks live alone. In fact they were feared and revered creatures until someone discovered that shark fins taste good and its liver has curative power. The shark since then became the prey, and no longer the predator.
What is mysterious about the shark? The shark does not only live very long, it is a living fossil, which means it has not changed for the last 100 million years or so. What could be its secret?
The US National Institute of Health discovered a previously unknown molecule in the liver of the dogfish shark. Called squalamine, the natural steroid fights cancer by cutting off blood flow to tumors. Now we are saying, “Eat shark and be as healthy as the shark.”
11. May cancer din ang halaman. Old folk liken galls affecting certain plants as tumors.
Observe the leaf galls of santol (Sandoricum koetjape), dita (Alstonia scholaris), ikmo (Piper icmo), and lately, dapdap (Erythrina variegata var orientalis) PHOTO. They have something in common – tumor growth arising from the nether side of the leaf. Inside these conical tumors live minute parasites. Here they grow and reproduce. Their progeny make new galls on new leaves and also the stems. Galls often coalesce into ugly tumors as colonies grow. The tree soon loses its leaves, and without leaves it starves and dies. Such is the case of the demise of dapdap trees in many parts of the country.
Plant galls are also useful. It is a source of dye in the case of galls produced by Homopterans on certain cactus species. But in most cases it is destructive as it causes decline in the productivity, if it does not kill the plant. Fortunately, contrary to some beliefs, plant galls are harmless to humans and animals.
12. Old folks tell us of many unusual things about pigs. It is uncouth to call a person a pig, and these are the reasons why.
· Pigs, by their physical built, can’t look up in the sky. It always looks downtrodden.
· Pigs are the only animals that will drink hard liquor voluntarily – and you know what happens next.
· Pigs are carriers of diseases and parasites transmitted to human, such as tapeworm and hookworm. Pork is high in cholesterol and uric acid that cause many ailments.
· They are voracious (sarabusab Ilk) and omnivorous, eating on almost anything, including spoiled food and wastes of other animals.
· They have a very poor digestive system, the smell of their sty is almost unbearable.
· Their barrel shape bodies are a perfect model of obesity.
On the brighter side of these obnoxious habits, and other disagreeable characteristics that we may attribute to the pig, it is surprising to know – and we should be thankful - that the pig’s heart, being compatible with ours, has been used in heart tissue transplants. Thousands of heart patients owe their lives to the lowly pig.
13. If the father or mother leaves the house, place the clothes he or she last worn beside the sleeping child so that he goes into deep sleep.
This is pheromones in action. Pheromones are chemical signals for bonding in the animal world, and among humans. Like the queen bee that keeps its colony intact through pheromones, so we are attracted by a similar odor, although of a less specific one. People are compatible through smell. Pheromones are left in clothes and other belongings, so that a baby may remain fast asleep as if he were in his mother’s or father’s arms.
14. Swarms of bees, locusts (PHOTO), gnats fill the imagination with awe and fear.
Biologically swarming is essentially a social act enabling members of a colony to share genes with others belonging to the same species but different colonies. Nature has so timed swarming to occur simultaneously in order to enhance gene sharing which is vital to the survival of the species, otherwise in-breeding within the colony is perpetuated like brothers, sisters, marrying each other.
A kind of swarming is also observed among coelenterates (corals). At a given precise time, eggs and sperms are released into the water in countless numbers, and there fertilization takes place, the resulting zygotes becoming minute hydras that will soon attach themselves to become new corals. In certain islands in the Pacific ghost crabs crowd the shorelines and beaches during a particular period of the year at a certain phase of the moon, and there mating takes place in a kind of orgy. The gravid females then shake off their eggs in the water where they will soon hatch and initially become zooplanktons. Very few of these survive to maturity.
Swarming among winged termites (simut-simut Ilk.) is perhaps the most romantic, in fact it is called nuptial flight because in the sweltering night air lovers meet, and then they descend and seal their vows. The couple seeks a suitable place where they will establish a colony.
Swarms of gamu-gamu (gnats and midges) become nuisance to communities in sheer number, swarms of locust destroy fields of standing crops overnight, swarms of bees, especially the African bees, may send a whole community to abandon homes and belongings. In the bible King Solomon halted his troop to let an army of ants pass by. This could be the kind of ants we know that invade homes and schools, and there are killer ants that destroy everything on their path.
Old folks attribute swarming to several reasons which science has tried to explain scientifically.
· Swarming is a seasonal occurrence dictated by a biological clock, and therefore timed with the life cycle of the species. (e.g. termites and ants). This kind of swarming occurs regularly to a particular species.
· Certain organisms such as locusts (Locusta migratoria manilensis) are driven by necessity to gather into a swarm. Small groups first congregate where food is available and then coalesce into huge numbers, mating and reproducing along the way, before turning into migratory swarms. This kind of swarming though unpredictable has historical records in a place. It often jibes with the occurrence of widespread drought or with the El Niño phenomenon.
· Ecological imbalance may lead to swarming such as the case of gamu-gamu swarming on Laguna Bay in the sixties. Overfishing in the lake triggered a population explosion of gnats which constitute the main food of fish. Thus swarming is an indicator of the conditions happening in an ecosystem.
Much of what we know about the subject can’t sufficiently explain pathological conditions where bacteria suddenly burst in numbers, or how fungi all of a sudden grow over an entire forest floor. Why do people move to cities? Is urbanization a kind of swarming? Why did the Israelites turn to the golden calf, a symbol of fertility, after their deliverance from Egypt? Do we harbor the genes for swarming called orgy?
16. It’s lucky to find a four-leaf clover. (PHOTO)
There are freaks in nature all around us. Some are common, others occur only in a million chances. It is the latter that people who find them feel they are favored by some kind of luck.
But we also fancy on common ones like an elephant shaped papaya fruit, twin bunches of banana, ginseng root forked like beautiful legs, squash fruit with a face, and the like. These are deviations that appear suddenly and unexpectedly. Nature after all is not perfect. It also commits errors, and these errors may occur only temporarily in the organism concerned, or it is passed on to its offspring – which is the key to speciation, a progressive deviation of traits that ultimately leads to the making of a new species.
Try your luck again if you can’t find a real clover leaf representing the logo of the Boy Scout. Steal a leaf of makahiya, one that does not droop, and your wish – any wish – will be granted.
B. Indigenous Practices
1. Some religious practices that are environment-friendly, and are not.
· Fasting is cleansing, it helps the body stop the accumulation of unwanted substances such as cholesterol, and allows the body to eliminate toxic materials.
· Retreat and reflection is therapy, helps the mind and body release tension and do away with the effects of stress.
· Abstinence conserves animal population especially during the lean months, conserving breeding stocks - like seeds (binhi) – in order to multiply in the next season.
· To some religions pork is banned. Pork is a carrier of known parasites such as tapeworm, hookworm, and ascaris.
· On Palm Sunday trees are stripped off of their buds, leaves and stems. This is detrimental to the environment especially in summer when plants face tight water regime.
· Ancient religions regard certain places and trees sacred, thus enhancing their conservation. Such worship was replaced by later religions, thus losing their protection.
· The washing of feet is not only ritual, it is also sanitation, getting rid of germs and preventing them to spread.
There are a lot of religious rituals and practices in various religions that fall under either of the categories – to help or destroy our environment. This is a good exercise in schools and workshops. It is time to review them in the light of the environmental crisis.
2. Writing on the ground with stick – it’s blackboard of sort, and more.
Without map and you are in the field, the best thing you can do is get a stick and draw on the ground. That’s how village folks plan out irrigation schedules, show the location of a remote sitio (purok), design a makeshift hut – or simply to while away time in thoughts and ideas. Christ did write on the ground, and on one occasion made two curves facing each other to look like fish - one end its tail, the other its mouth. It is the simplest yet most symbolic drawing I’ve ever seen. Before he uttered these famous words, “He who has no sin cast the first stone,” He wrote something on the ground which we can only assume to be a mark of godly meditation.
Writing hones the senses into deeper thinking and analysis, catalyses understanding and comprehension, and keeps memory longer. Scientists say that we learn but a measly one-fourth of the lesson by just listening to it alone, but with the use of pen and paper, learning can be enhanced twice, if not thrice.
“Put it in writing,” goes a saying. Yes, even only on the ground as our old folks have always done.
By the way, who has not experienced “writing love letters on the sand?” Listen to balladeer, Pat Boone, sing the song of the same title, and you know what I mean.
3. Sterilize handkerchief with hot iron in the absence of cotton gauze and bandage.
In an emergency case, or for simple treatment, this is what you can do. Get a clean handkerchief and iron it repeatedly at high temperature for a duration of five minutes to seven minutes. To save on energy, you may prepare two or three handkerchiefs for the purpose.
4. Close windows at night because breathing the night air outside is bad to your health.
This is particularly true when the night air is damp, meaning Relative Humidity (RH) is high. Notice that people who sleep outdoors wake up with a colds. Old folks attribute this to the condensing humid air (limna-aw Ilk) particularly towards morning.
5. Old folks conquer fatigue and pain by drinking wine.
Alcohol is immediately absorbed and burned by our body. It is an instant fuel. It warms us up. It soothes tired muscles and nerves, quiets the mind, and even lulls us to sleep – that is, if taken moderately.
Not when we take a bottle too many. Alcohol - or to be more precise, ethanol or ethyl alcohol, which the only edible form of alcohol - is not transformed and stored into glycogen, unlike food. Alcohol is absorbed by the body once it reaches the stomach and is carried through the bloodstream. On the other hand, food undergoes a series of digestion, before it is absorbed in the small intestine.
Because of the false feeling of being full, habitual drinkers often miss meals, thus they become malnourished. As a consequence they suffer of various ailments which include tuberculosis.
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“Among the many failures of colonial education - both Hispanic and American -[and fortunately so] was its failure to achieve a wholesale national cultural amnesia. This was in part due to the quality of education and the drop-out rate of those days, as well as the very low accessibility of modern health, medical, and other life and social services thus leaving the overwhelming part of the population to depend on traditional wisdom, science, and technology. In this way, tradition survived and survives to this day. This book is the evidence of that survival, and to our great benefit there are scholars like Professor Rotor whose profound and integral respect for every authentic facet and expression of life and culture has inspired him to re-encounter the living traditions of the country and put them on record. And he has done so with the clarity of both the scientist and the humanist, recording the "folk wisdom" and building the bridge between the traditional and the current by providing his professional scientific explanation of why folk wisdom, is often right. In so doing he has enhanced the scientific value of folk knowledge and the popular usefulness of scientific explanation.”
Florentino H. Hornedo, Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy, University of Santo Tomas;
Philippine Cultural History Commissioner,
UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines
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6. More medicinal plants used by old folks are being discovered.
· Mutha – Cyperus rotundus (barsanga Ilk)– a grass-like annual plants belonging to Family Cyperaceae, whose rhizomes survive the dry months to resume growth the following season. According to Salamat Dok (ABS TV program) the rhizome is dried and made into tea, a cure for stomach disorder, fresh rhizome is crushed and applied on wound.
· Sampa-sampalokan (Phyllantus niruri), a tamarind-like bush, is an effective cure of kidney trouble and in keeping HIV virus dormant. (Salamat Dok, March 19, 2006)
· Makahiya (PHOTO) is remedy for colds, cough, fever and flu. Who would believe this extremely shy plant to be a potent cure? Gather some ten fresh mature leaves of makahiya (Mimosa pudica), boil for five minute in two cups of water in clay or stainless pot. Allow the decoction to cool before drinking it. Take it twice or thrice a day.
· Bark of narra controls diabetes.Now it is being commercialized – a tablet for diabetic patients prepared from the bark of narra (Pterocarpus indicus). Actually this is an old remedy in the tropics where narra abounds. Narra belongs to Dipterocarpaceae (two winged seed), the family which constitutes the dominant trees in a tropical rainforest. Old folks simply strip off a part of the bark, boil it and drink the decoction. According to laboratory analysis narra is rich in tannin which is the active principle that controls diabetes.
· Oregano (Coleus amboinicus) is effective for sore throat and as expectorant. Simply crush the leaves, fresh or blanched, mix with fruit juice or sugar and warm water.
· Pansit-pansitan or Piperomia pellucida relieves arthritis. This annual herb appears waxy and translucent for which it got its name, pellucidus. It is shallow rooted, its stem succulent and bears alternate heart-shaped turgid leaves that are transparent and smooth as candle wax. It grows 20 to 40 cm high, often in groups, and favoring damp and shady places in some nooks in the garden and around the house. It bears tiny dot-like flowers scattered along a stalk which develop into naked and dark seeds loosely attached to it. The whole plant is prepared either as fresh or blanched salad, complete with fresh tomato, onion and a dash of salt. The more common preparation is as decoction, with appreciable amount of the plant’s stem and leaves brought to boiling. A glassful of this preparation taken daily proves effective to people who are suffering of arthritis.
· Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globules labillardiere) or bagras yields oil that smells like Vicks. To prepare a tooth drop, get some 30 fresh leaves that are mature, air dry and grind. Add ethyl alcohol one-fourth the level of the ground leaves in a glass container. The extract is now ready for use as tooth drop and can be kept for months. When someone in the family complains of toothache all you do is to apply a drop on the aching tooth or dip it in cotton and apply on the affected area.
1. for the treatment of skin diseases
2. it relieves stomachache, applied externally (tapal)
3. leaf extract essence in soap
4. fruit made into candy
7. Don’t eat too much kamias, old folks warn us.
It is because oxalic acid in kamias weakens the bones. Sinigang with kamias (Averrhoa balimbi) is a favorite dish no Filipino kitchen is without. But too much intake of kamias is not good for the health because of the oxalic acid it contains which doctors and nutritionists found to be a cause of osteoporosis. The principle is that, acids react with calcium compounds forming a neutral product – salt. In the process, the bone gets thinner and thinner predisposing it to break especially in old age. Thus, we should caution ourselves from taking too much acidic food, and in particular, kamias and balimbing (A. carambola) which belong to Family Oxalidaceae.
8. Garlic is remedy for heart burn and gas pain.
This is an old remedy I learned from my auntie when I was a kid. Anyone is predisposed to suffer of colic pain and heart burn which are usually associated with tension, indigestion, and sudden change of weather. And sufferers are of all ages. Try this folk remedy.
Roast four cloves of garlic under low heat. While still warm place them in a pair of bandage made of gauze or strip of cloth, and wrap each around the large toes with the garlic placed well below the toe nail. Allow the garlic for a couple of hours or overnight to draw out the trapped gas in the chest cavity that causes heart burn, and colic gas in the stomach and intestine. It is effective. Try it.
9. Old folks warn us of poisonous plants.
There are hundreds – probably thousands of plants that are injurious to health of humans and animals. The most classical is hemlock, the poison that killed the great Greek philosopher, Socrates. We do not have hemlock in the Philippines but there are species that are as poisonous. Here is a list of the most common poisonous plants found in gardens, parks, fields, and even wastelands.
· Tubang bakod (Jatropha curcas) – the seeds look and taste like peanut. They are extremely poisonous. It causes drastic diarrhea.
· Castor bean or tangan-tangan (Ricinus communis) – Seeds contain one of the most poisonous substances in nature – ricinin. This is the reason castor oil purgative is no longer recommended. Purified ricinin is reportedly used in the manufacture of lethal weapons.
· Priwinkle or chichirica (Catharanthus roseus) – While it is refuted for its curative power for cancer and diabetes, it causes abortion, and reportedly the cause of death of grazing cattle.
· Oleander or Adelfa (Nerium oleander) PHOTO – The bark and leaves are poisonous. The poison consists of glucosides allied to digitalin sometimes referred to as oleandrin, rosaginin, neriin, oleander-digitalein, which act on the heart and even in quite small amounts may cause death. There are cases children choke after putting into their mouth the stem or any part of the plant. The poison causes muscle paralysis.
· Kamagsa-tagalis (Rourea erecta), also known as palo santo (Spanish) or gikos-gikos – The wood of the root is pounded, boiled, and mixed with the food of dogs in order to kill them. The fruit contain an active poison, a glucoside. It cannot be explained why the poison does not affect herbivores like guinea pig, but is effective on carnivores.
· Derris ( Derris eliptica) – The roots contain an active principle known as rotenone, with a formula C23H22O6, a potent insecticide, which also kills fish and animals, including grazing cattle. According to Dr. W.H. Brown, Derris roots have been long associated with suicidal and murder cases.
· Cassava (Manihot esculenta) – Hydrocyanic acid resides in the bark of the tuber or enlarged root, so that it is important to remove the bark before cooking. And when cooking, remove the pot cover to allow the poison to escape as cyanogas.
· Patani (Phaseolus lunatus) – When I was a farmhand I witnessed a case of goat poisoning after the stray animal had ingested leaves of this legume whose seed is rich in carbohydrate and protein. The belly was greatly distended, and while the animal was agonizing, the owner had it slaughtered. In my research I did not encounter any poisonous substance in Phaseolus. Could it be a case of overeating or allergic reaction?
Can you recall the ending of the movie, Blue Lagoon, after the couple and their son had eaten a kind of poisonous berries? Here is the then rule when you are not sure of the plant - or anything that appeals to you as food. Do not eat it. This is especially true with mushrooms. There is no antidote of poisonous Amanita.
10. Malunggay is the most popular backyard vegetable in the tropics.
In the province no home is without this small tree at the backyard or in a vacant lot. The leaves, flowers, juvenile pods and young fruits of Moringa oleifera (Family Moringaceae) go well with fish, meat, shrimp, mushroom, and the like. It is one plant that does not need agronomic attention, not even weeding and fertilization, much less chemical spraying. You simply plant an arms length cutting or two, in some corner or along the fence and there it grows into a tree that can give you a ready supply of vegetables yearound. What nutrients do we get from malunggay?
Here is a comparison of the food value of the fresh leaves and young fruits, respectively, in percent. (Marañon and Hermano, Useful Plants of the Philippines)
· Proteins 7.30 7.29
· Carbohydrates 11.04 2.61
· Fats 1.10 0.16
· Crude Fiber 1.75 0.76
· Phosphorus (P2 O 5) 0.24 0.19
· Calcium (CaO) 0.72 0.01
· Iron (Fe2O3) 0.108 0.0005
Owing to these properties and other uses, rural folks regard malunggay a “miracle tree.” Take for example the following uses.
· The root has a taste somewhat like that of horse-radish, and in India it is eaten as a substitute to it.
· Ben oil extracted from the seed is used for salad and culinary purposes, and also as illuminant.
· Mature seeds have antibacterial and flocculants properties that render drinking water safe and clear.
From these data, it is no wonder malunggay is highly recommended by doctors and nutritionists for both children and adults, particularly to nursing mothers and the convalescents.
11. This is how old folks make patis and bagoong at home.
Before these indigenous products became commercialized, rural households had been making their own supply following this simple procedure.
· Wash fish or alamang in clean water.
· For every three cups of fish (e.g. anchovies or munamon), add one cup of salt and mix well.
· Place fish and salt mixture in earthenware (banga or burnay) or glass container.
· Cover container tightly with muslim cloth and banana leaves to keep away flies and other insects.
· Let the setup stand for at least a month; better still after a year to develop its aroma and flavor.
Seasoned bagoong yields a clear golden layer of patis on top. If the patis layer is at the middle or bottom it means the bagoong is not yet mature, or it must have been diluted with water.
12. Homemade salted eggs, anyone?
Making salted eggs is a very old technology, and most likely originated in China.
Here is an easy-to-follow procedure, the old folks’ way.
· Mix 12 cups of clay and 4 cups of salt, adding water gradually until they are well blended.
· Apply a layer of this mixture at the bottom of a palayok or banga.
· Coat each egg with the mixture.
· Arrange the coated eggs in layers, giving a space of 3 to 5 cm in between them.
· Add the extra mixture of clay and salt on top, cover the container with banana leaves, and keep the setup in a safe and cool place.
· Try one egg after 15 days by cooking below boiling point for 15 minutes. If not salty enough, extend storing period.
· Color eggs if desired.
Salted eggs plus fresh ripe tomato and onions makes a wholesome viand. It goes well with any meal.
13. Some old folks prefer red chicken meat.
Chicken meat is always known as white meat. But some people like it red. This is what old folks do it. Hold the head of the chicken with one hand, and the otherhand at the base of the neck. With one quick twist detach the skull from the first vertebral bone (atlas). The chicken is instantly killed without struggle. The blood is not drained - unlike in conventional dressing – which explains the red meat of the chicken.
14. Mango jam for home and business, too.
When it is peak season for mango, a lot of this farm resource goes to waste. Don’t allow this to happen. Mango makes a perfect jam for snacks and dessert. Try this easy-to-follow procedure.
· Wash mangoes thoroughly in running water.
· Cut into halves, scoop out pulp and pass through a coarse sieve.
· Measure pulp and add sugar.
· For every two cups of mango pulp, add one cup of sugar.
· Cook in a heavy aluminum pan. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until thick enough to be spooned out.
· Pack in warm sterilized jars while hot and seal immediately.
It is a practice to make the inferior fruits into jam. Well, as long as they are well ripe, fresh and clean. A word of caution though - just a single overripe fruit mixed inadvertently is enough to spoil the wholesome taste of the jam. Also, use stainless knife and pan to prevent discoloration of the product.
This formula is applicable for other fruits like pineapple, papaya, chico, tiesa and the like
15. To clean hito, dalag (PHOTO) and the like, use vinegar and salt to immobilize them.
It is indeed a problem on how to kill dalag (mudfish or snakehead) and hito (catfish) when preparing them for our favorite recipe. It is a common practice to strike them on the head with a blunt object. But they don’t easily die this way, and quite often, especially for the catfish, the dying creature puts up a fight with its dangerous sharp lateral fins. The mudfish simply gathers its last strength for a final leap and may hit us on the face.
But not when vinegar with salt is poured on them. They simply writhe and soon succumb, making it easier to clean and cut them. But first, rub them with stove ash to remove the slimy substance secreted by their skin.
16. How do we know an egg is fresh?
Immerse egg in water. If it lies on its side (horizontal) it is fresh. An old egg has larger air space at its rear end so that its tendency is to tilt vertically. An egg that floats is spoiled. Another method is candling, that is to “look through the egg” against bright light – or a lighted candle in the dark, for which the term was derived. A trained eye can tell the stage of incubation of an egg – or if the egg is unfertile (bugok).
By the way, old folk prefer brown eggs over white eggs. Brown eggs come from native fowls that subsist mainly on farm products. They are very resistant to the elements and diseases that they simply grow on the range. White eggs on the other hand, come from commercial poultry farms and are highly dependent on antibiotics and formulated feeds. Another advantage of brown eggs is that they have thicker shells. Besides, their yolk is brighter yellow as compared to that of white eggs.
Since the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMO), among them genetically engineered chicken, many people are now avoiding the consumption of white eggs, more so the GE fowls themselves. Preference to natural and organically grown food is gaining popularity worldwide. It is because many ailments, from allergy to cancer, are traced to the kinds of food we eat. Many kinds of allergies have evolved from genetically engineered food, for which they have gained the reputation of Frankenfood, after the novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, published in 1818.
17. Try this ancestral menu - stone soup. (PHOTO)
Sometimes this is called “poor man’s delicacy.” Along the pristine shallow shores of the sea, lakes and rivers, you will find stones coated with living algae. Along coral reefs the algae growing on these stones are mainly Enteromorpha, and a host of juvenile seaweeds, while those in freshwater the dominant algae are Chlorella and Nostoc, all commonly called lumot. These are edible species listed in books in phycology, the study of algae.
Now there are two ways old folks prepare the soup from these algae-rich stones. The stones are roasted under low fire to bring out the aroma, and then dropped simmering in a waiting bowl of water complete with tomato, onion and a dash of salt. The other method follows the traditional way of cooking of broth, with the addition of vegetables - and even fish or meat. The recipe is rich in calcium because of the calcareous nature of the stones, especially those gathered in coral reefs.
18. Bignay (Antidesma bunius), a wild food plant is now endangered.
It used to be that bignay or bugnay (Ilk) grew extensively in forests, thickets, wastelands, field borders and in backyards. You seldom find it anymore, and this means it is an endangered species. It joins today the rank of dozens of plants that are now rare, and are likely to vanish forever - if we don’t act to conserve them.
A member of Family Euphorbiaceae, bignay – unlike its relatives, cassava, sorosoro, and castor bean - is a small tree whose fruits are in tight clusters along a common peduncle, red to purple when ripe. In the province the fruits are directly eaten, made into jam or marmalade, or fermented into wine. They are rich in carbohydrates (2%), protein (0.75%), calcium (CaO 0.12%), phosphorus (P203 0.04%), with a fair amount of iron (Fe203 0.0001%). The ripe fruits are boiled and made into decoction for diabetic patients, while the young leaves are eaten with rice, which is now a rare practice even in remote areas. Caution should be exercised not to use the bark for medicine because it contains alkaloid, a poisonous substance.
Bignay is a typical case of an uncultivated plant whose importance appears to be no longer appreciated. Plants of this category are gradually eliminated in favor of those that are deemed more useful, this being the reason of their endangered status. Such plants include sapote, anahao, kamagong, and batocanag, which were once good sources of food and medicine for our ancestors, especially in difficult times. That is why they are also called famine food plants. Is it not time to give importance to these plants given the present tight economic situation we are experiencing?
19. Never handle a bolo or any metallic thing when there is a storm; lightning might strike you. Metals are good conductors of electricity, and may serve as lightning rod.
20. Lightning doesn’t strike twice on the same place.
Yes, unless of course, if it is a lightning rod intended to protect high rise buildings and towers. Otherwise, lightning occurs but once on the same spot, but not necessarily the same area though. Lightning has no standard pattern, but we know when it occurs and strikes most, and the subjects and materials that attract it. Follow this guide during thunderstorm.
1. Don’t seek shelter under isolated trees.
2. Stop playing golf; the club may serve as lightning rod.
3. Keep away from transmission lines and electric posts.
4. Pull off the main switch to protect appliances.
5. Don’t walk in the rain or wade in water.
6. Keep away from large animals, especially the carabao.
7. Stay at home. Or stay inside the car if you are traveling.
Take precaution but don’t be alarmed. The chance of being harmed is very slight; if you compare the tiny number of people killed in a year with the fact that round the earth nearly two thousand thunderstorms are going on at every moment.
21. When walking through a forest, wear a reverse mask, to ward off tiger or lion attack.
This may not apply in the Philippines because we have don’t have tigers and lions. But in some parts of Asia and Africa, there are cases of people attacked from behind by these ferocious animals. Reversed mask makes the fellow appear always on the watch. But recently, these animals could no longer be deceived. Either they have become bolder, or it is simply a case of poor art.
22. The distance one has walked is determined by his ace factor.
The idea is to count the number of steps you make and multiply it with your pace factor, which is determined by this simple method.
On a concrete pavement, take ten steps at normal stride, marking the starting point and last step. Measure and record the distance you made with a meter stick or tape. This is Trial 1. Now repeat the same procedure for Trials 2, 3 and 4. This formula will give you your pace factor.
Trials 1+ 2 + 3 +4
Pace Factor (m) = --------------------- divided by 10
4
By knowing your pace factor, all you need to do is to jot down the total steps you made for a certain distance and multiply it with your pace factor (distance in kilometers). One thing though to remember is that, the topography, kind of road surface, and kind of shoes you wear are likely to affect your pace factor. It is then necessary to re-compute it as the condition requires.
23. Rice is the best substitute for wheat flour.
Of all alternative flour products that are potential substitutes for wheat flour, it is rice flour that is acclaimed to be the best for the following reasons:
· Rice has many indigenous uses from suman to bihon (local noodle), aside from its being a staple food of Filipinos and most Asians.
· In making leavened products, rice can be compared with wheat, with today’s leavening agents and techniques.
· Rice is more digestible than wheat. Gluten in wheat is hard to digest and can cause a degenerative disease which is common to Americans and Europeans.
· Rice is affordable and available everywhere, principally on the farm and in households.
Other alternative flour substitutes are those from native crops which are made into various preparations - corn starch (maja), ube (halaya), gabi (binagol), and tugui’ (ginatan), cassava (cassava cake and sago).
Lastly, the local rice industry is the mainstay of our agriculture. Patronizing it is the greatest incentive to production and it saves the country of precious dollar that would otherwise be spent on imported wheat.
24. What to do when an ant has entered into the ear?
When an insect, say an ant, has entered your ear, immediately plug the other ear. Tilt your head until it is on a perpendicular level with the affected ear upward. Keep still. The insect, sensing the pressure built up by plugging the other ear, crawls out to the open.
Do not pour oil or use cotton bud. If the technique fails, seek medical help immediately.
25. Folk wisdom may be used by someone to outwit another.
Wa-is, coming from the word wise, is the local parlance to describe a person who puts one over his fellowmen. It is taking advantage of others of their situation, ignorance or weaknesses (lamangan). Here are common cases.
· It is the culled piglets (bansot) that are made into lechon. The robust ones are grown for meat.
· Broken and inferior peanut is ground into peanut butter. It is high in aflatoxin. Healthy nuts are sold whole peanut.
· Coffee is adulterated with ipil-ipil (Leucaena glauca) seeds. The seeds contain mimosin that retards growth and causes baldness.
· Papaya seeds are mixed with black pepper. They look similar.
· Inferior quality fruits such as strawberry, orange and mango are made into jam and puree.
· Ordinary milkfish (bangos) is passed on as prized Bonoan bangus from Dagupan. The lower tail of Bonoan bangos is shorter than the other tail.
· Unscrupulous traders add water and salt to bagoong and patis to increase their volume.
· Premium grade fruits are arranged on top of kaing (basket); inside are of inferior grade.
· Ordinary rice is mixed with premium rice, and passed on as premium grade.
· Cabbage grown on the lowlands of Ilocos is brought up to Baguio and passed on as Baguio cabbage which commands a higher price.
· Before a large animal like cow is sold to the auction market it is first bathed with patis to make its body to swell and appear fat. This is a malpractice observed in Padre Garcia, Batangas, the biggest animal auction market in the Philippines.
· Tomatoes are forced to ripe when price is high, This is done by uprooting the whole plant laden with fruits and hang it upside down until all the fruits, including the immature ones, are ripe.
These and many more bad practices attest to the negative traits of some Filipinos - and other nationalities for that matter. It is by knowing these bad practices that folk wisdom should be able to expose in order to warn the people to avoid them.
References
1. Ad Veritatem (Multi-Disciplinary Research Journal of the University of Santo TomasGraduate School) Vol 5 No 2 and 3
2. Flora and Fauna of the Philippines, 20 volumes, DENR,1985
3. The Living with Nature Handbook, A.V. Rotor, 2003
4. Light from the Old Arch, AV Rotor, UST Publishing, 2001
5. Time-Life Illustrated World of Science Series, 13 volumes, 1995
6. Useful Plants of the Philippines (3 volumes), William H. Brown Bu of Printing 1937
7. The Mother Earth Handbook, Edith Scherff, 1991
8. Marvels and Mysteries of Our Animal World, Reader’s Digest, 1964
9. Salamat Dok (ABS-CBN TV program, 6-7 am Sat and Sun) 2006
10. Living Asia (TV program) 2006
