I Can Be Your SUPERHERO♥

skin-N-bones

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:55:55 -0400

skin-N-bones

Happy Birthday bespren

Fri, 03 May 2013 08:02:00 -0400

ang pangalan niya ay GINO,
mabait, weirdo, at matalino,
asawa niya si kayne, anak niya si clay-clay,
kaibigan niya ako, pati narin si Enrique miles.

nakilala ko siya dun sa kubo ng mga makata,
mahilig kumanta, mag gitara, at mag patawa,
tatlo kami nung una, medyo nag kakahiyaan pa,
sa sumunod na linggo dumagdag si Marc Bicada.

kumain kami ng pizza, dun sa SM pala pala,
nabuo ang E1, ang pang habang buhay kong tropa,
dumagdag si otep, si bruce at si sher na ogre,
ang weird ng mga pangyayari, pati narin yung mga babae :(

at sa buwan at araw na hulyo uno,
nabuo ang bandang kapangalan ko,
ang mga weirdo ko na tropa, tumugtog sa taas ng intablado,
BILOG na bumuo ng samahan na ito sana kailanma’y di ka mag bago

si Gino ang bilog kong katukayo,
ay minsa’y pinasaya akong totoo,
at sa araw na ito gusto kong malaman niyo,
mahal ko yang kaibigan ko at kailanman hindi ipagkakalulo.

sa panahon ngayon mahirap na humanap ng katulad mo,
para kang planetang may buhay sa labas ng mundo,
lagi mo tandaan, maraming tao ang mawawala sayo,
pero ako, pakatandaan mo, mananatili hanggang magunaw ang buong kalawakan na ginagalawan mo.

Katiwalian ni INA.

Fri, 03 May 2013 06:33:00 -0400

sa aking nakita mata ko’y napaluha,
hindi lubos inakala na ika’y katulad rin nila,
tatlong limang daang piso katumbas ng madaliang proseso,
yung iba’y tatlong linggo na, di parin naaasikaso.

hindi mo na nga itinanggi,
dinamay mo pa kasamahan at si kapitan,
minsan hiya hiya rin naman,
wala ka bang paninindigan?

nakita ko ang nakita ko,
narinig ko ang narinig ko,
hindi tikom ang bibig ko
sapagkat mahal ko ang bansa ko,

siguro nga’y mabait kang ina, pero di ka tapat na Pilipino,
ang paglilikod sa kapwa ay hindi ang forte mo,
gusto mo’y kapatawaran dahil tingin mo’y ika’y nasiraan,
ang alam ko kasi “ang sorry binibigay sa taong nagawan ng kasalanan, hindi sa taong gumawa ng katiwalian”

kailangan ko ang mga oras na ito para maka-graduate ng kolehiyo,
pero sa hinahangad mo parehas tayong mabibigo,
ako’y kabataang Pilipino at ako ang kinabukasan ng bansa ko,
at nga pala ako’y hindi kailanman masisilaw ng asawa mo.

Alaric Riam Macaraig Yuson

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 02:49:00 -0500

hindi mabubuo ang fliptop sa pinas kung wala siya

nag papatunay na isa siyang matalinong makata

nag tiyaga iahon ang hiphop kahit AMPON lang siya

ito yung totoong presidente na maituturing talaga

siya’y marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan

hindi rin naman mahirap pakisamahan

ordinariyong tao na may pangarap at pangangailangan

huwag kutyain, minsan ay nag kakamali lamang

may sariling paninindigan sa mundo

at kailanma’y hindi nag padala sa uso

lahat ng desisiyon ay sariling ginusto

kaya naman siya’y naging matagumpay na tao

isang atenista na nag tapos ng pilosopiya

walang pag aalinlangan at isang magandang halimbawa

isang totoong tao at hindi nasisilaw ng pera

ang pangalan ay alaric riam at tinatawag ding anygma

ganito yun. ♥

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 02:28:36 -0500

Narinig ko lang sa kanto, akala ko kung sino na.
ako’y naging interesado, hanggang sa nainlove sakanya.
sa ganda ng tono, at tindi ng kanyang lyriko.
isang buhay na makata, ang taong hinahangaan ko.

Halos mabutas ang lalamunan, masabayan lang sa pag awit.
dahil sa diin ng mga salita, puso ko’y nakawit.
handa akong madawit sa gulo at galit
na magmumula sa mga taong sakanya’y hapit

Isa, dalawa, tatlo, andiyan na ang idolo ko
ang pangalan niya ay Loonie at siya ay totoong tao
marami man nakasampang kaso at galit sakanyang tao
wala akong pakeelam sa sasabihin ng mga gago

Di papantay si Dello sakanyang pag ra-rap
di maaabot ni Badang inaasam nya na pangarap
kahit sa malutong na mura ni Batas di siya mapapabagsak
dahil itong Idol ko parang si Gloc kung bumanat

sa lyriko at diskarte, siya ay angat
maamo kung minsan pero mas madalas mangagat
siya yung tipo ng tao na di kailangan mag ingat
dahil matigas pa sa platinum, di tatablan ng sugat

—————> sorry sa bad words :)♥

Tipsy D

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 02:25:46 -0500

ang pag-ibig sakanya hindi biro, :) ♥ (for real)

ito yung tipo ng lalake, babae’y di nilalaro,

maayos na tao, palibhasa napalaki ng mahusay ng guro, (parents, kailangan magkatunog ee)

mabait na kaibigan, panigurado wala kang itatago.

mabisyo mang bata, pero buo parin ang puso,

tipo ng tao na di madaling sumuko,

maayos makisama at hindi maluho,

isa mga rapper na hindi sumusunod sa uso.

batang makata na malupit bumanat,

bago sa fliptop pero kagad umangat,

parang BLKD at LOONIE, susunod na sisikat,

ito yung bata na napahanga ng todo lahat.

payat pero lahat ng kataga mabigat,

pag ito kalaban mo, para mong hinarang ang kidlat,

kahit tipsy, buong buo ang banat,

sa payabong na lyrisismo, panigurado isa to sa ugat.

(feeling ko kulang pa to. haha. kaunting stalk pa xD ♥)

BLKD hindi HDLNG

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 23:50:00 -0500

sa tindi ng lyriko, ako’y napatunganga.

nalaman kong taga UP to, ako’y napahanga.

sa talim ng mga salita, kaya nitong pumunit ng tingga.

isa sa mga idolo kong balakid nga talaga.

siya yung tipo ng rapper na pwedeng ipagyabang.

di pa nakitang may hang over, mabuti tong nilalang.

iniangat ang edukasyon mula sa lupang tigang.

ipapalasa ang letra, paniguradong iyong igagalang.

siya ang katibiyan, ang nerdo’y di baduy.

hindi iluluwa ng fliptop, kayang kumain ng apoy.

pag siya kalaban mo, para kang niliyaban na kahoy

sa tindi ng kataga, gagawin kang panggatong sa pag iinit ng ‘kaning baboy’

ito yung bata na talagang may kinabukasan.

sa talas ng isip nito, pag kausap siya’y parang nasa balagtasan

talento niya dapat suportahan at ingatan

ganito yung uri ng tao na pinapapatay ng dayuhan

siya yung taong halos kapantay ni Gloc at loonie.

hindi patawa katulad ng iba na parang pony.

ito ang taong ipagmamalaki talaga ng UP

lalong lalo na ni master KOKI

————————> idol :) haha

parang ang pangit lang ng 3rd paragraph .. haha

tatlumput-dalawang paro paro ang nag papangggap na kaibigan mo,may alinlangan man sa iba ay mas...

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 22:44:30 -0400

tatlumput-dalawang paro paro ang nag papangggap na kaibigan mo,
may alinlangan man sa iba ay mas mabuting huwag ng makihalobilo,
sumpa’y hindi na nararapat, manatili na lamang tapat,
hindi ka perpekto, pero mas makatarungan kang tao,
huwag tuluran ang mga paro paro, na ang tunay na anyo ay gamo gamo…

broken dream

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 22:33:55 -0400

so many people around me,
beautiful faces and personality,
but when I look at you, a deja vu I see,
it’s like forever definitely.

I saw people come and leave,
but still I’m waiting for you to sit,
beside me and say maybe we’re fit,
oh what a dream, I’m trying to reach.

as I sit along the nippa hut,
as time past by my eyes is trying to spot,
the face I saw in that block,
but there’s no more you, I guess I’m stock.

E1

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 22:17:00 -0400

we sit together, there’s four of us,

we talk about Hillary duff,

just like kindergarten on the top,

of Zen garden and we’re stock.

time passed by and words goes out,

we sing, we clap, and strike the spot,

the beauty of green along the hut,

it’s something to remember for a simple brat.

i know they’re not a crap,

ooh no! they’re definitely not,

they’re just like death setting the trap,

i do appreciate them and so our path.

my friends are my true treasure,

and they give me all the pleasure,

they are available not only on leisure,

annoying people, but I know their hearts are pure.

PAGANISM IN THE PHILIPPINES AND ITS PRESENT COUNTERPART

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 09:09:14 -0400

PAGANISM IN THEPHILIPPINESAND ITS PRESENT COUNTERPART

Fatima Jenesis S. Rosario

The research was carried out to determine the similarities and differences of Paganism in thePhilippinesbefore the colonization period, during the colonization period, after the colonization period, and up to the present time. The research contains the origin and evolution of Paganism in the world as a reference and more entirely the Paganism in thePhilippines, it includes; the practices and beliefs of Filipino Pagans; their struggle to the world for their survival; the different views of modern Filipino Pagans; and how they cope to the world.

And God said:

That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

Isaiah 45:6

I. INTRODUCTION

The objective of this research is for us to completely know and understand the real origin, history, and meaning of Paganism in accordance to the world view as an orientation and also the present situation of Paganism in the Philippines.

The significance of this research is to clearly give the real meaning of Paganism to the readers. Because this belief/ religion from the ancient time is rising again in the 21^st century, it is important for us to know the different factors that surrounds this belief/religion that might affect us, for example is there beliefs and most especially their practices.

Nowadays, for an ordinary Filipino, Paganism is not a Common word, I myself do not know this term until I reach on my first year college. In here we will know the beginning and evolution of Paganism in the world and in the Philippines, The meaning of Paganism for the Filipinos, what or who do they worship, why do they worship it or they, what kind of rituals or practices do they do when worshiping, if they do believe in the afterlife, what other practices do they do for the enhancement of being a pagan, what is the reaction of others regarding their rituals or practices, if they are being treated well by non-pagan person, and how do they cope with the world where Christianity is the primary religion.

This research will be flowing from the origin, evolution, and history of Paganism in the world and more exclusively in thePhilippines.

DEFINITION OF TERMS (General and most accepted)

Pagan- is someone who believed or practiced Paganism.

Paganism- is simply a Polytheistic belief or a belief to too many Gods.

II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The sources and references that I have used in this research are Books, Journals, Online articles, and Blogs that are related to religions and beliefs most particularly Paganism. Particulars about the review of related literature will be found at the latter part of the paper (bibliography).

III. METHODOLOGY

The subjects and participant of this research are the modern Filipino Pagans in the Philippines. They have been selected randomly in the internet then interviewed utterly. This research is conducted through Historical method and also through personal interview to the subjects. The instruments and tools that have been used during the interview is voice recorder from a cellphone, pen and papers.

IV. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

WORLD VIEW

Before I discuss the history of Paganism in the Philippines, let us first explore its origin and how the world viewed Paganism at the early times. In world view, I mean the collective understanding and treatment of the world towards the practices and beliefs of Pagans.

THE BEGINNING AND EVOLUTION

Paganism was said to be practiced even before the Stone Age. The belief that everything has its own spirit and that there is more than one God. Beliefs about Paganism had rapidly evolved through the centuries. And the change that happened to it brings a great change to its core, making it appealing and interesting.

PREHISTORY

Small cultures begin to develop spiritual structures and nature Spirits begin to appear. The hunter-gathering cultures gradually change to farming societies and Gods/Goddess of the harvest become prevalent and also sacrifices appear in rituals. The urban societies take root, communities form as spiritual sects formalize their beliefs and practices. The Goddess figures dominate most of the cultures. The Abrahamic times begin to record historical evolutions. And the Patriarchal governances begin to dominate most societies, the Celtic/Druid cultures survive into the Christian era. The 8 Sabbaths are further ingrained into ritual and spiritual practices. The small communities known as Clans become prevalent. Magical practices spread through eastern andWestern Europe. And Gypsy societies form and carry the practices of Witchcraft through all cultures. (carey, 2008)

THE BURNING TIMES

In the late 8th Century, Sorcery & Witchcraft are deemed harmful and associated with heresy by the Church. In 13th Century, The Inquisition is established, 1227-1233; many lose their lives for the sake of spiritual cleansing. Anglo-Saxons form covens and the label Witchcraft is born. In 15th Century, Witch trials begin, in 1490; the burning times begin with full vigor. In 16th Century, the 1st Witchcraft Act of England is established in 1542 under the realm of King Henry VIII. The Craft is deemed illegal and organized covens go underground, and the secrecy begins. In 16th Century, the 2nd Witchcraft Act of England is signed by Queen Elizabeth in 1563. In late 16th - early 17th Century, Fear of witches and their worships peak, this hysteria starts the creation of mis-information concerning Pagan ways and beliefs. Associations of Satan and Pagans are established by Church leaders to further the destruction of this wide spread belief system. In 17th Century, the 2nd Witchcraft Act is repealed and replaced with a much tougher one. The new law passes in 1604 and lives until 1736. In mid 17th Century, Hysteria in Englandis at its highest point and migrates to the American Colonies. In mid 17th Century, England’s laws govern the new pilgrim communities and the first hanging for Witchcraft occurs in Connecticut. In Late 17th Century, The Salem Witch Trials begin in Massachusettsduring 1692. Hangings expand to include drowning and the horrific burnings. In 18th Century, Some sanity finds its way into England’s grand halls and the 1604 Witchcraft Act is repealed by King George II in 1736. In Mid 19th Century, Many leaders of the ‘secret’ covens open the curtains and step out into the public eye. Many mystical novels and reference books are written and published in England. In late 19th Century, Spiritualism flourishes. Charles Godfrey Leland claims to have discovered hereditary witches in Tuscany. The Gospel of Aradia enters the public eye. (carey, 2008)

THE CURRENT CENTURY

In 20th Century, Anthropologist Margeret Murray publishes the theory of organized pagan cults. Sir Gerald Gardner was initiated into an English coven in 1939 and the Murraytheory is accepted. The last Witchcraft Acts of England are repealed; the Craft is no longer illegal in 1951. Sir Gerald Gardner establishes a tradition known as Wicca, combining beliefs from Crowley, Ordo, Templi Orientis, Masonry, Golden Dawn, Rosicrucians, folklore and mythology. The first Coven is founded in 1951. After that The Gardnerian sect is introduced into the U.S.in the 1960’s. The Alexandrian sect created by Alex Sander’s becomes popular in the 1970’s and The Gardnerian traditions begin to decline. In 1980’s it becomes a decade of feminine spirituality and Wicca is seen as a woman’s religion and often referred to as ‘Feminist spirituality’. In New Age, Metaphysical and Native American beliefs become increasingly popular. In the late 80’s and early 90’s it brings a new evolution of Paganism to its original balance of God/Goddess beliefs. In 1990s Wicca becomes increasingly popular and is more widely accepted as a system of belief in society and culture. An increase in the use of internet technology brings forth many websites defining Witchcraft traditions and sharing knowledge of various traditions. In the 21st Century, sees an increase in acceptance of Witchcraft through popular TV shows and movies. This popularity brings many out of the broom closet and open discussion about pagans and paganism begin. In 2007 The U.S. Veterans Administration approves the Pentagram as a symbol permitted on headstones for fallen soldiers in military cemeteries. (carey, 2008)

Quotation from Pagans’

“We are not evil. We don’t harm or seduce people. We are not dangerous. We are ordinary people like you. We have families, jobs, hopes, and dreams. We are not a cult. This religion is not a joke. We are not what you think we are from looking at T.V. We are real. We laugh, we cry. We are serious. We have a sense of humor. You don’t have to be afraid of us. We don’t want to convert you. And please don’t try to convert us. Just give us the same right we give you—to live in peace. We are much more similar to you than you think.”

Margot Adler 4

“When one defines oneself as Pagan, it means she or he follows an earth or nature religion, one that sees the divine manifest in all creation. The cycles of nature are our holy days, the earth is our temple, its plants and creatures our partners and teachers. We worship a deity that is both male and female, a mother Goddess and father God, who together created all that is, was, or will be. We respect life, cherish the free will of sentient beings, and accept the sacredness of all creation.”

Edain McCoy

PAGANISM IN THE PHILIPPINES

What we know of paganism comes from two main sources; the first source is the arena of the historian while the second is generally that of the anthropologist. In deeper phase it can also be the descriptions given by Spanish chroniclers most of whom are priests and the contemporary practices of cultural communities. (cantada, 2010)

PRE COLONIZATION

The first thing that we must keep in mind is that pagan religion does not have a written code like the Bible of how to and why people worship. It’s basically based on traditions passed down from one generation to another generation.

The religious leader of a balangay is the catalonan or babaylan. The office is not something you study for but is most likely handed down from one generation to another generation. Most catalonans are old women but sometimes homosexuals called bayogin perform the task. The bayogin wears female clothes, a cross dresser. (Plasencia, 1589) we must remember that there is no church hierarchy; there is no bishop of the catalonans. The catalonans of one balangay rule over the spiritual life of that balangay.

There is no building reserved for worship in a balangay. They usually worship at people homes during the nag-aanito, which is equivalent to our pagsisimba today. Sometimes caves are used. So the simbahan is wherever the worship is done, and is called so only during that time. The pag-aanito is done on an occasional basis.

It is done for the following reasons:

1. The recovery of a sick person

2. The prosperous voyage of those embarking on the sea

3. A good harvest in the sowed lands

4. A propitious results in wars

5. A successful delivery in childbirth

6. A happy outcome in married life

7. Whatever personal matter (Plasencia, 1589)

One special pag-aanito is called the pandot. The pandot is a feast/worship that usually last for four days. But it was reported that among the datus it could last for thirty days. The pandot is performed in the large house of the chief, or dalam. The dalam would be the largest house, but is also extended by putting temporary roofs or sibi on each side of the house. So the dalam becomes the simbahan during these four days. The posts of the house or haligi are decorated with lamps called sorihile, and in the center is one large lamp, adorned with leaves of the white palm or what we now call palaspas. In the center will also be the likha or statue that represents the anito or spirit to be worshipped that day. (Plasencia, 1589)

The entire balangay or family will join the worship. During the four days they will have drums that will be beaten successively. Throughout the pandot the catalonan will offer food—goats, fowl, swine, rice and buyo, a palm fruit which we use in nganga, and fragrant perfumes. The offering of rice was done by having the entire pot broken in front of the likha. The catalonan would perform songs or awit which is responded to by the participants. They would beseech the anito to favor them with those things which they need. The food offered would actually be eaten by the worshipers aside from drinking alcoholic beverages. (Plasencia, 1589)

While this is happening the catalonan will suddenly be possessed by the anito, or so it seems. We call this sapi. And she will be wild eyed (nanlilisik ang mga mata), her hair will stood on end, (nangangalisag ang balahibo), and she will utter words of arrogance or superiority. Her voice will probably change as well. Sometimes she will act into frenzy and the worshippers will tie her to a tree to prevent her from being harmed, supposedly by the anito. (Plasencia, 1589)

This is why the catalonan is called as such. Katalo ng anito, or one who talks or argues with the anito. The catalonan is therefore a person who knows magical knowledge that can be used to influence supernatural beings, and therefore events. The object of the pag-aanito is sort of bribing the anito to do certain things for the villagers. (cantada, 2010)

But what is an anito? The anito is the spirit of the dead ancestors. To the Tagalogs, they believed that the spirit of their ancestors lived with them. And sometimes it even resides in objects like the balete tree. They probably create the likha so that the anito will have a place to reside in. This practice of creating likhas and worshiping dead ancestors is something we share with other peoples in Indonesia, particularly the Toradja of Sulawesi who call their likhas tau-tau, which is to us tau-tauhan. (cantada, 2010)

The Tagalogs also believe in a supreme deity called Bathala. But for them Bathala lives in heaven or langit and is so far away that he doesn’t bother talking or dealing with people. Instead when someone dies and become anito, they served Bathala as some sort of messenger. They also believe in special messengers of Bathala called alagads. These include Dian Masalanta – the patron of lovers and generations, or something like the Tagalog Aphrodite or Venus, Lacapati – patron of cultivated lands, and Idianale – patron of husbandry. But there more like LakanBakod, the patron of fences whose likha has a very long penis. (Plasencia, 1589)

Related to the anitos is the buwaya or crocodile whom the Tagalogs rever and even called Nuno. Now nuno to us today means an ancestor. They would usually give some part of their cargo to the buwaya before they travel by river. Take note that most travel is done in the river. And this probably proved effective in distracting the buwaya from attacking the bangka or boat. The other animal is related to the alagads, and is called Tigmamanukin. It is believed to be a messenger of Bathala since it resides in langit. Supposedly when they hear this bird sing, the type of song it sings will tell them whether they will have good or bad luck. If they are going to war and they hear the bad luck song they will just go home. (Plasencia, 1589)

So generally, instead of worshiping Bathala, the Tagalogs will worship the alagads instead as some sort of intervenor with Bathala. Or more often they try to bribe bad anitos whom they believe are causing illness in the family. This echoes in the belief that some ancestors will try to pull your feet towards their grave (hinahatak ang paa mo papunta sa libingan nila). (Cantada, 2010)

The Tagalogs also adored stars like Tala or the morning star, which is not a star but is the planet Venus. Aside from this Mapolon or the Pleidas, and Balatic or the Greater Bear. (Plasencia, 1589)

Their lives were ruled by superstitious beliefs. This usually comes in the familiar form of the pamahiin which others call folk beliefs or superstitious beliefs. The pamahiin that one should not sleep with your feet pointed at the door because you may die, probably of bangungot. This pamahiin is related to the fact that among Tagalogs a coffin is always brought out of the house feet first. (Cantada, 2010)

The Tagalogs also believe in monsters or lower beings. Some of which are familiar to you like the tiyanak, manananggal and the aswang. The tiyanak was called patiyanak before. And they didn’t believe it was a baby but a woman who died in childbirth heard lamenting at night. The mananangal was believed to walk about without head or entrails and not the half bodied, bat winged woman we see in the movies. The aswang is believed to be male, can fly and ate people’s flesh it murdered. In the past the Tagalogs did not believe in the aswang, it was only believed by the Visayans. (Plasencia, 1589)

Folk beliefs change over time. One interesting change is with the belief in mangkukulam. Today people imagine it as a female witch with pins to poke a doll. But according to Plasencia (1589) the Tagalog believed that the mangkukulam was male whose duty it was to emit fire from himself at night, each month or oftener. He would crawl under the house of his victim and wallow in the filth, probably under the batalan, where people’s pee and what have you drop from. After being covered in crap he would emit fire and the occupants of the house will become sick and die. The illness is probably fever which is associated with some kind of fire. This is one of the bad spiritualists, while the good spiritualist for the Tagalogs was the catalonan. (Cantada, 2010)

The charms like gayuma and agimat. Gayuma is some charm or potion you use to make a man or woman fall in love with you. While an agimat could either make you invincible, bullet proof or even invisible as in the case of tagabulag. An agimat is usually a small stone, a necklace or even some cloth with unreadable characters. (Cantada, 2010)

SPANISH ERA

It is a strange thing that the history textbooks commonly in use in the public and private schools of the Republic of the Philippines never mention the fact that the Igorot peoples of Northern Luzon fought for their liberty against foreign aggressions all during the 350 years that their lowland brethren were being ruled over by Spanish invaders. One history book says we can never know the history of the Filipino people during the Spanish period because they were slaves to the Spaniards or at least forced to play the role of slaves.

Certainly this is not true of the Igorots. They were never slaves to the Spaniards nor did they play the role of slaves. Quite the contrary, Spanish records make it clear that they fought for their independence with every means at their disposal for three centuries, and that this resistance to invasion was deliberate, selfconscious, and continuous. That it was largely successful is indicated by the fact that at the end of the Spanish Regime, when theCordillera Centralhad been carved up into a dozen military districts, the last Spanish census listed one-third of the estimated mountain population as completely independent.

Foreign visitors to thePhilippinesall during the Spanish regime noticed this Igorot independence. An Italian traveller mentioned it in 1696, a Frenchman in 1766, an American in 1842, a German in 1878, and an Englishman in 1896. And it was a cause of great embarrassment to the Spaniards themselves.

When Governor Diego Salcedo landed in Aparri in 1662 and travelled to Manilathrough Ilocos and Pangasinan, he said he suffered a sense of shame to see all those mountains inhabited by the Igorots, “owners of the gold mines and enemies of the Christians”.

Of course the Spaniards did not consider this resistance a fight for independence. They considered the Igorots to be bandits and savages and lawbreakers because they did not submit to Spanish rule like the lowlanders. And they explained the Igorot defense of their liberty as the instincts of uncivilized tribes who had always been at war with their more peace-loving neighbors. But the first generation of Spanish records does not make it clear that the Igorots’ lowland neighbors were peace-loving, or that the Igorots were their enemies.

When Juan de Salcedo drove the Chinese corsair Limahong out of Lingayen in 1574, he found the bodies of Chinese who had escaped and were killed by the local people and they were all headless. In fact, when Salcedo’s own body was sent toManilafor burial in the San Agustin Church after he died outside Vigan, the head was missing.

The native mountaineers of Panay who were also unconquered by the Spaniards, to this day dig up their ancestors’ bones and bury them again after cleaning them just like the Ifugaos, and just so Dr. de Morga said the Tagalogs kept their ancestors’ bones in the houses and worshipped them.

Whatever the picture was in prehispanic times, after the Spaniards started the conquering of lowland Filipino tribes, those who submitted to the Spaniards naturally became enemies of those who didn’t. A Spanish complaint of 1606 says the Igorots prevented the other Filipinos from becoming Christians, and stole children who had been baptized to raise them in the old pagan religion. Some Jesuit theologians in 1619 argued that a just war could be made against the Igorots because they prevented free passage through their lands to the Ilocanos and Cagayanes, “our friends and vassals of the King, Our Lord.” And missionaries helped to make enmity between converts and pagans, too. The first missionary in Manaoag bribed converts to report pagans who secretly held caiaos. Governor Cruzat in 1690 issued an order that lowlanders would be punished by 100 lashes for having dealings with pagan Igorots. An Augustinian missionary handbook of 1731 says that Tinguianes and Igorots should be attracted by peaceful means, but that after all peaceful means have failed to convert them, they should be threatened and their fields taken away from them.

And the records make it clear that the Igorots often had justified complaints, too. In 1753 the head of the Augustinians had an Igorot petition translated for the Governor General, asking for the return of the gold, silver and blankets that had been grabbed’ by the agents of the Governor of Pangasinan. In 1773 the Igorots burned the church in San Nicolas, Pangasinan, in revenge for the loss of their gold which they entrusted to a local businessman. Accounts in both the 18th and 19th centuries say the Igorots collected land rentals in the foothills of the Ilocos, Cagayan and Isabela because they claimed to have owned that land before the Spaniards relocated lowland converts there. A friar writing in Kiangan in 1857 said the major cause of fighting between Ifugaos and Christians was conflicting claims to the same hunting grounds-and he adds, “The pagans are not always to blame, either”.

At any rate, if the Igorots and the lowlanders were natural enemies from time immemorial before the coming of the Spaniards, how come the Spaniards were always complaining that lowlanders were always escaping and running away to join the mountaineer pagans?

A 17th century petition calls Igorotland “a den of thieves where delinquent Christians take refuge and escape the law”, and after the Diego Silang uprising of 1762-63 the Governor General called it a place “where rebels take refuge because they are their allies and our enemies.” As a matter of fact, the whole population under control of the Spaniards in the Ilocos went down by onesixth during the first 25 years of the conquest. One modern scholar has concluded that they all escaped to the mountain provinces-and Father Lambrecht, after a careful study of the internal evidence of the Ifugao hudhuds, thinks all the Ifugaos migrated into the presentprovinceofIfugaoafter the Spaniards invaded the upperMagatRiverValley.

The Igorots quickly learned that living in the mountains did not spare them from Spanish attacks. In 1755 a Spanish friar went to live in thevillageofTonglo, near the public school in the presentmunicipalityofTubaoutsideBaguio. After he destroyed their idols, they threatened to stone him to death, and a few months later drove him out. Since they were only a day’s hike from Spanish garrisons on the coast, they must have known they were risking punishment. And in 1759 it came-three separate detachments of lowland soldiers who took three weeks to reach Tonglo, which they subjected to five hours of artillery fire and burned it to the ground so completely no trace of its location can be found today. Yet the Igorot survivors of the battle did not surrender. They simply retreated deeper into the mountains, and some of their descendants are living still inBaguiotoday.

This was part of the heavy price which the Igorots paid for their independence-always giving up their homes and villages and fields to Spanish fire and sword, and retreating deeper and deeper into higher and higher mountain ranges to struggle for a harder existence. It is clear that at the beginning of the Spanish occupation, the Igorots lived in better houses, in bigger villages than they did later. The 1620 expedition toBaguiofound fortifications so solid they used them to build their own fort. A 1740 account says Igorot houses were so spacious three families could live in one of them. The 1759 expedition found a settlement with 35 large houses all made of boards, arranged along a regular street, with a plaza, and a kind of church for their pagan ceremonies. When Galvey entered theTrinidadValleyin 1829, he found 500 houses there, and started burning them. In 1883 there were only fifty left. And a German traveler in 1861 found the Agno valley full of old stone walls in the fields, all grown over with underbrush, and he reported, “Today most villages bear the stamp of misery and deprivation: the fields are badly maintained, the stone walls around the houses are falling down, and the big villages of Galvey’s time have been deserted”.

When the Igorots were not literally overwhelmed by sheer numbers and firepower, however, they proved formidable opponents. No Spanish force ever maintained a garrison permanently on the Cordillera before the Remington repeating rifle replaced the old muskets that were almost useless in wet weather. The goldmining Igorots drove off two Spanish expeditions before they could sample their ores. When Martin Quirante was finally successful in carrying away gold samples in 1625, he brought along 85 Spaniards-double the number Salcedo took to the Ilocos in 1572 -as well as 1750 Chinese, Japanese and Filipinos. Nor could the Spanish government guarantee protection to their lowland vassals from Igorot attack. In the 18th century, a Spanish historian says the Ilocano farmers had to work their fields with the sickle in one hand and a weapon in the other, and travellers could not use the royal highway along the coast without armed escorts. When one officer proposed an attack on the Igorots in 1796 and told the governor it would be an easy victory, he replied, “Don’t forget to make an estimate of the pensions for the widows and mothers of those killed in battle”.

The traditional Igorot arsenal consisted of wooden shields, bamboo lances and highly effective stakes planted in the grassy trails to strike their enemies in the ankle or foot. Bows and arrows were only rarely used, and iron weapons like spears, bolos and head-axes only appeared later. Their defensive tactics included blockades of trees and branches in mountain passes where they could roll down big stones and treetrunks. They often pretended to retreat until the invaders lowered their guard, or even pretended -to surrender and then wiped out the supposed victors by ambush on their way home. More especially, they tried to keep all their trails and villages secret, and killed their fellow Igorots who acted as guides for the enemy. A Spanish friar in 1789 wrote: “Those who come down to trade in the lowlands are only men or chieftains in whom they have confidence, never women or children or slaves. If you ask them for information about their land or mines, they just act dumb, and if they say anything at all, it is just lies or nonsense, and only leaves you all the more confused”.

But whether the Igorots were better fighters than the Spaniards or not, it does not answer the question why they remained independent and their lowland brother submitted to Spanish conquest-because the Spaniards were always so few in number the lowlanders could surely have overcome them if they really tried to do so. Between 1572 and 1872, the Filipino population paying tribute increased from 500,000 to 5 million-yet there were never more than 2,000 Spanish soldiers in the.whole archipelago! Jose Rizal explained this phenomenon by saying, “The people were accustomed to bondage and would not defend themselves against the invader and would not fight-for them, it was just a change of masters.” And Professor Teodoro Agoncillo said it was because the natives would blindly follow anything the friars, their spiritual advisers, told them to do. Certainly this was not true of the Igorots. They were satisfied with their form of government, and they were satisfied with their kind of religion.

The pagans of Tonglo, for example, told the idol-smashing friar who came to convert them, “It’s no easier for the people to give up their ancient practices for the word of a priest, than for him to give up what he believes.” And their pagan priestess told him, “If you’re the priest of the Christians, so am I of the- Igorots, and if you have your God, I have mine.” In 1857, a Spanish priest in Ifugao told the following story: “When I was in Bunhian, I wanted to catechize a 12-year-old-boy who was very ill, in order to baptize him. But when I told him he would go to heaven if he died, his mother turned to me angrily and told me she didn’t want her son to go to heaven; why not give him some miedicine and cure him and leave him in this world?” And when a priest tried to persuade an old Igorot of Sumadel it was unsanitary to bury the- dead under the-house, he replied, “But don’t you understand that if we bury our dead out there in the cemetery on the mountain, they will come back at night, take up their bodies and eat up all our camotes?” The whole Igorot attitude toward their religion may be nicely summarized in an 18th century statement they made to some lowlanders:

“The fiestas of the Christians aren’t worth anything because it’s all just a lot of noise-making with bells and drums and muskets, and then everybody just goes home to his own house and eats what little he has. But the fiestas of our leaders are not like that. They are good-tasting and satisfying, and they don’t have all that racket. They kill animals by the dozens and everybody drinks until he passes out. Among you anybody is mayor or headman, but our leaders are never changed. No matter how much they spend, they always have more”.

Some Spaniards themselves understood the Igorot pride in their own way of life. Father Francisco Antolin, a Dominican friar stationed in Aritao, spent 18 years trying to learn as much as he could about the Igorots and their way of life, and he wrote a long book about them in 1789. The following is a quotation from his description of the Igorots almost 200 years ago:

“The small population of the Filipinos is usually attributed to smallpox, venereal disease and leprosy; or to wars, deforestation, tributes, divisions of lands, migrations, and similar things. But the Igorots have practically none of these. They take sufficient care of the mountain passes to prevent the entrance of smallpox and other epidemics from the Christians. They don’t navigate seas or rivers, nor do they leave their own country. They have nobody to order them to row, act as cargadors, or cut wood. They work, eat and drink as they wish and when they like. They have few long-range wars. The very fact of having maintained themselves as an independent republic this long, exploiting their mines, without the Christians or other pagans having been able to seize their mineral wealth, implies a great population. If they were few and not disposed to cooperate among themselves, they would not have been able to resist becoming Christians and obedient vassals until now.

This independent attitude would not have been so objectionable if it had been kept in aloof isolation on the heights of the Cordillera. But the fact was that the Igorots came and went to the lowlands as they pleased. It was galling enough that they raided tribute-paying Spanish subjects and carried off lowland heads-or even whole lowlanders as slaves or objects of ransom. But what was worse was that these depredations did not interrupt 350 years of lowland commercial cooperation with them.

These expeditions to the Igorot gold mines, however, were all so expensive and so unproductive that after the failure of the 1668 entry into Lepanto, the Spanish Government never attempted another one. By 1800, however, a new economic crisis arose with the Igorots. In 1780 the government instituted a monopoly on tobacco in thePhilippines, and it was so successful that, for the first time in 200 years, the colony actually showed a profit for the home government. The monopoly promptly became an object of sabotage by the Igorots. They not only grew contraband tobacco themselves, but carried it all the way from Cagayan to sell illegally in the Ilocos. At first, this Igorot trade was winked at under a hopeful policy of trying to attract them, and under the illusion that not much money was involved. By 1836, however, it was discovered that tobacco’ taxes in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur had dropped off by 66%. The government therefore sent Colonel Guillermo Galvey through Benguet, Lepanto, Bontoc and Ifugao in 1829-39 to put an end to the tobacco smuggling and Igorot independence. But still, even after their fields were burned, their villages leveled, and their population decimated by the smallpox carried by the soldiers, the Igorots continued to evade the monopoly. So the government agreed to exempt them on the understanding they would only sell their tobacco to a government station. But a Spanish official reported in 1842:

“Experience has shown the uselessness of this arrangement because the pagans carry ten bundles to the government and then sell a hundred as contraband, for the price they get from the lowlanders is always better than what they get from the government monopoly”.

Galvey’s decimation of Benguet, however, did make its miserable survivors the first tribe of Igorots to be officially listed as Spanish subjects. Lepanto soon followed, and Bontoc in 1859. But not until the 1890’s under energetic Governor General Valeriano Weyler, the so-called “Butcher of Cuba,” were troops permanently quartered in Kalinga or Ifugao. The last Spanish census of 1898 claimed 120,444 pagans recognizing vassalage to the King of Spain. It must have been a tenuous sort of vassalage, however, to judge from chance references by foreign travelers at the end of the Spanish regime-a detachment of 40 men wiped out on the march for example. Or two garrisons in theSaltanValleymassacred one Sunday morning during mass. Or the number of Spanish heads shown to German scientist Alexander Schadenberg. Or, for that matter, the Spanish jawbones still decorating heirloom gangsas in more remote parts of the mountain provinces even today.

Meanwhile, during those three centuries when Spanish firearms never really conquered the lofty liberty of the Igorots, they were paying a heavy price for their independence. Moving off into more remote parts of the Cordillera, they had to pit their brawn and brains against raw nature and sterile soil. And while they learned to carve whole mountainsides into terraces to wring out a bare subsistence of living, their tribute-paying brethren in the lowlands were learning to farm like Spaniards and cook like Chinese.

While Graciano Lopez Jaena was ornamenting the Spanish press with his graceful prose, and Jose Rizal was hobnobbing with European scholars in a half dozen foreign languages, their illiterate Igorot compatriots were being exhibited in the Philippine Exposition along with the other native plants and animals. In their mountain province independence, the Igorots missed out on, all those convenient innovations enjoyed by their conquered brethren - the iron plows, the horses and cows, the pancit and pan-de-sal, the camisas de chino and barong tagalog, the grade school primers and those prestigious blue eyes and curly, blond hair.

PRESENT ERA

Interviews

Interview with Adrenia:

My name is Adrenia and I am a 20 year old Animist following the beliefs and traditions of my ancestors from thePhilippines that still are alive today through the local tribes remaining throughout the islands that haven’t been influenced throughout the years. I currently live inNew York physically but my heart and kaluluwa (soul) lives in thePhilippines. I have been a practicing Pagan for 10 years, a Wiccan for 7 years before embracing my culture’s native indigenous and tribal beliefs.

I am in love with thePhilippines fauna, flora, landscapes, my culture, and the indigenous. I hope to one day work to protect these things I love from endangerment. I hope to bring awareness to the richness of life that is found in my ancestors’ homeland.

The Interview Beatrice Cabayan:

1. What is Paganism? (Ano ang Paganismo?)

-My name is Beatrice Cayaban. From what I understand, Paganism is a name for a group of religions or belief systems that usually revolve around a form of polytheism (the idea that there is more than one deity) and/or indigenous traditions. There are many branches, many beliefs, and many UPGs — way too many to name. As for myself, I am an Eclectic Pagan; the term refers to a Pagan who gathers their beliefs from other traditions in a way that is hopefully unoffensive to those traditions yet works for them. They don’t follow any particular path, or worship to any particular pantheon.

2. What/who do you worship? (Ano o Sino ang sinasamba mo?)

-I worship Isis, Greco-Roman style (ifIsisimmediately made you think of the Egyptian/Kemetic pantheon, you are thinking of Aset). Worship of Isis was, at one point, more widespread than justEgypt, and some say that She is from what many other Goddesses stem from. I’m still very attached to the Egyptian pantheon, as I’ve had interactions with Sekhmet, but I don’t actively worship them as I doIsis.

3. How do you worship it/they? (Paano mo sinasamba ito?)

-I worship Her in very simple ways that I’m sure She understands. I have morning prayers and evening devotionals. I keep an altar specifically for Her, and when times feel right I leave offerings for Her there. She doesn’t ask for much. She is mostly interested that I do what I’ve been charged to do (mostly further my dreamwalking and rootworking), and anything more is extra. Every deity is different, though.

4. Why do you worship it they? (Bakit mo sinasamba ito?)

-Why do I worship Her? Haha, that’s a very long story, but I’ll shorten it for you. Around February I stopped trying to reconnect with the Christian god and just started spending more time with myself. There is a sea wall of huge rocks right next to the bay on my school grounds, so I would hide there and just close my eyes and trance out. Meditate. Organize my thoughts. One day I took my friend along with me and she told me that I zoned out and wouldn’t respond to shaking or yelling or splashing water. I proceeded to sprint to my room, pull out my tarot cards (which up until then had merely been a form of entertainment), and draw a 19-card spread (which is unheard of) that described a major event for every year of my life. Afterwards, I had a series of dreams where I had a conversation with an unnamed deity who I could only recognize was a moon goddess of some sort. I asked all of these questions, from “What is life?” to “How do you make a dress?”, and she answered all of them. After such a disconnect with religion this was a welcome change and when I learned Her name and She charged me with a mission and a calling, I was sold.

5. What kind of rituals/practice do you do when worshiping? (Anong klase ng ritwal ang ginagawa mo pag sumasamba ka?)

-Worshiping and practicing are two very different things. Many people equate Pagans automatically to witches, which is untrue. I practice a lot of magic in that respect, but rituals specifically forIsis’ worship are rare. At the most I’ll light some candles and fall into trance so we can talk, but that hasn’t happened in a while.

6. Do you believe in the afterlife? (Naniniwala ka ba sa kabilang buhay?)

-I believe in a sort of afterlife. My guide-companion, my Thin Man, was once a mortal who is now a dreamwalker (though he’s still known as Dream Eater to other astral beings) and he has offered to me the opportunity to walk the same path he did. I’m sure that many go on into Death and live on there, unable to stand seeing the living world again because they would miss it too much, but at the same time I’m sure there are people who agree or WANT to go back and be the atoms on the wind and in the stars.Isisalways told me: “You have the power to do anything — you need only remember.”

7. What other practices do you do for you to enhance being a pagan? (Ano pa ang mga gawain ang iyong sinusunod para mapagtibay ang iyong pagiging Pagano?)

-I read Tarot cards, and practice herbalism and rootworking. Mostly Tarot cards. It’s the only way I’m able to communicate with my Thin Man nowadays due to unfortunate circumstances, so I’ve gotten very good at them and it helps that I’ve also built up a very healthy relationship with my cards. I also practice sigil magic, and normal spellwork isn’t impossible.

8. What is the reaction of others regarding your rituals/practice? (Ano ang reksyon ng ibang tao sa mga ritwal o paniniwala mo?)

-Most of them don’t care. As long as I’m a good person, they’re fine with it. A little weirded out, a little curious, but otherwise fine. The people who aren’t fine with it have mostly cut me off.

9. Are you being treated well by non-pagan person? (Maayos ba ang pakikiyungo sa iyo ng mga taong hindi Pagano?)

-A friend I’d known for 6 years just cut me off at a drop of a hat and I’m still recovering from that. I’m not very open about it at my school, so I haven’t felt the brunt of the severe bullying that the other Pagans here encounter, but I’m sure everyone will figure it out eventually.

10. How do you cope with the world where Christianity is the primary religion? (Paano ka sumasabay o nakikihalubilo sa mundong Kristyanismo ang pangunahing relihiyon)

-I only grow stronger in my faith. I try to get to know them better. I join Gospel Choir and make friends with other Christians, but establish in my head and in my heart that I am Pagan. I set up my altars in public places, and when other people see them and comment on them it makes me happy. I wear myIsispendant. It’s the little things that keep you going.

Interview with —— ——-:

1. What is Paganism? (Ano ang Paganismo?)

-Sa totoo po niyan hindi ko talaga alam ang eksaktong ibigsabihin ng relihiyon na ito, gawa nga ng napakaraming paliwanag sa relihiyon na ito. Pero ito yung relihiyong pumasok o sumakto sa mga paniniwala ko. Kaya ito ang tinatanggap kong relihiyon ko.

2. What/who do you worship? (Ano o Sino ang sinasamba mo?)

-Hindi ko siya o sila sinasamba, pero sobrang pasalamat ako sa kanya o sakanila, siya o sila yung lumikha sakin, hindi na mahalaga kung sino at anong pangalan niya o nila. Tyaka yung mga buhay na bagay sa buong universe, hindi ko sila sinasamba pero ginagalang ko sila.

3. How do you worship it/they? (Paano mo sinasamba ito?)

-katulad ng sinabi ko kanina hindi ko siya o sila sinasamba, pero nagdarasal ako katulad sa ibang relihiyon, directly kinakausap ko siya o sila.

4. Why do you worship it they? (Bakit mo sinasamba ito?)

-Naniniwala ako na may pinagmulan ako at may lumikha sakin at sa lahat ng nakikita at nararamdaman ko. Dun palang sa gawa na yun karapat-dapat na siya o silang sambahin.

5. What kind of rituals/practice do you do when worshiping? (Anong klase ng ritwal ang ginagawa mo pag sumasamba ka?)

-Wala, simple lang nag dadasal ako. Kinakausap ko siya o sila, yun lang.

6. Do you believe in the afterlife? (Naniniwala ka ba sa kabilang buhay?)

-Ewan, hindi ko pa alam ang sagot diyan. Perosanameron diba? (Hahaha) kung mamamatay ako, gusto ko ulit mabuhay. Masarap mabuhay.

7. What other practices do you do for you to enhance being a pagan? (Ano pa ang mga gawain ang iyong sinusunod para mapagtibay ang iyong pagiging Pagano?)

-Wala din, hindi naman practice ang pagiging mabuting tao diba? Yun lang naman ang ginagawa ko. Sinusubukan maging mabuting tao sa lahat ng nakakasalamuha ko.

8. What is the reaction of others regarding your rituals/practice? (Ano ang reksyon ng ibang tao sa mga ritwal o paniniwala mo?)

-Sa tingin ko hindi applicable tong tanong na ito sakin.

9. Are you being treated well by non-pagan person? (Maayos ba ang pakikiyungo sa iyo ng mga taong hindi Pagano?)

-okay lang, sakto. siyempre hindi kaagad sila naniniwala na may ganitong paniniwala na nag e-exist dito sa Pilipinas lalo na at katolikong bansa ito. Yung mga close friend ko ang madalas nang-gugulo sakin pero okay lang talaga (Hahaha) mga naguguluhan din sila sa mga relihiyon nila e.

10. How do you cope with the world where Christianity is the primary religion? (Paano ka sumasabay o nakikihalubilo sa mundong Kristyanismo ang pangunahing relihiyon)

-Sa totoo niyan wala kong pakeelam kung Christianity ang primary religion o kahit ano pang relihiyon, No offense. Basta totoo ako sa paniniwala ko at wala akong naaapakan na paniniwala at tao, okay ako. Cool ako sa mundo.

Interview with Carla Ko:

1. What is Paganism? (Ano ang Paganismo?)

- Ito ay isang paniniwala kung saan ang isang tao ay ginagalang ang lahat ng bagay sa paligid niya partikular ang lahat ng mga may buhay katulad ng tao, hayop, at halaman. Ito ay paniniwala sa hindi mabilang at walang mga datos na Diyos na sinasamba sa iba’t ibang klaseng paraan.

2. What/who do you worship? (Ano o Sino ang sinasamba mo?)

- Mga hayop, halaman, at iba pang ilemento.

3. How do you worship it/they? (Paano mo sinasamba ito?)

- Pag aalay ng pagkain, sa mga rituwal, at pag darasal.

4. Why do you worship it they? (Bakit mo sinasamba ito?)

- Dahil naniniwala ako na sakanila o sa ibang paraan ay tumutulong sila sa mga pangangailangan ko.

5. What kind of rituals/practice do you do when worshiping? (Anong klase ng ritwal ang ginagawa mo pag sumasamba ka?)

- Pag aalay ng pagkaen, pag darasal, pag sasayaw, at iba pa.

6. Do you believe in the afterlife? (Naniniwala ka ba sa kabilang buhay?)

- Oo, naniniwala ako na hindi natatapos sa pagkamatay ng pisikal ng katawan ang buhay at paglalakbay ng tao.

7. What other practices do you do for you to enhance being a pagan? (Ano pa ang mga gawain ang iyong sinusunod para mapagtibay ang iyong pagiging Pagano?)

- Pag gawa ng mga bagay na kumukonekta sakin sa mga Diyos ko. Katulad na lamang ng pagtatanim.

8. What is the reaction of others regarding your rituals/practice? (Ano ang reksyon ng ibang tao sa mga ritwal o paniniwala mo?)

- Sabi nila papansin daw ako, walang magawa sa buhay, nababaliw, demonyo, kinaiinisan, pero wala naman akong pakeelam sa sasabihin nila.

9. Are you being treated well by non-pagan person? (Maayos ba ang pakikiyungo sa iyo ng mga taong hindi Pagano?)

- Depende sa kung sino sila, yung iba, ginagalang ang paniniwala ko, yung iba sinisubukan akong baguhin.

10. How do you cope with the world where Christianity is the primary religion? (Paano ka sumasabay o nakikihalubilo sa mundong Kristyanismo ang pangunahing relihiyon?)

- Sa totoo niyan hindi ko sinusubukan na makisalo o makihalubilo sa mga tao na nakakasalamuha ko, naniniwala ako na dapat pakitunguhan nila ko dahil gusto ni at hindi dahil pinipilit kong isiksik ang sarili ko sa mundo nila.

V. CONCLUSION:

Paganism has too many definitions and a very misunderstood word to start with; I have read books, journals, magazines, blogs and I even interviewed people who actually practice Paganism. So I could carefully dissect its right meaning, so this research would be a reliable source in the future.Reading and listening to too many sources led me to curiosity and confusion and at the end it led me to the understanding that Paganism has a very simple meaning and only the development of it through the century complicates its distinction. As to what I have understood, Paganism is simply a Polytheistic belief or a belief to too many Gods and just like the other religion in the world it evolves through time like for example is the addition and extinction of beliefs and practices.

Paganism in other country, especially in the western is indeed widely accepted, but here in the Philippines, it had gone through too many insults and doubts from the judge mental eyes and minds of other religions. Paganism in the Philippines does not evolve or transformed in the long run; I believe that the core of it remains to be the beliefs and practices of our ancestors, the Igorots. Most of the Modern Filipino Pagans patterned their belief of Paganism to the Westerns. But it does not mean that Paganism in the Philippines is vulnerable, it is in fact being strengthen and preserved, and it is only practiced by few Modern Filipinos and most in the mountainous part or region of the Philippines where the tribes of indigenous people lives. Paganism in thePhilippines before is also Paganism in thePhilippines today. It not has been change even in its little aspect.

VI. RECOMMENDATION

I’m strictly recommending and hoping that the next potential researcher of this topic focuses on the practices and beliefs of Filipino pagans and their interaction to the Christians. If this recommended research will pursue it will be a great plus for us to clearly understand Modern Paganism in thePhilippines.

APPENDIXES:

Questions for the interviewee

Instruction: answer the following question clear and brief.

What is Paganism? (Ano ang Paganismo?)
What/who do you worship? (Ano o Sino ang sinasamba mo?)
How do you worship it/they? (Paano mo sinasamba ito?)
Why do you worship it they? (Bakit mo sinasamba ito?)
What kind of rituals/practice do you do when worshiping? (Anong klase ng ritwal ang ginagawa mo pag sumasamba ka?)
Do you believe in the afterlife? (Naniniwala ka ba sa kabilang buhay?)

What other practices do you do for you to enhance being a pagan? (Ano pa ang mga gawain ang iyong sinusunod para mapagtibay ang iyong pagiging Pagano?)
What is the reaction of others regarding your rituals/practice? (Ano ang reksyon ng ibang tao sa mga ritwal o paniniwala mo?)
Are you being treated well by non-pagan person? (Maayos ba ang pakikiyungo sa iyo ng mga taong hindi Pagano?)

How do you cope with the world where Christianity is the primary religion? (Paano ka sumasabay o nakikihalubilo sa mundong Kristyanismo ang pangunahing relihiyon?)

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

PRIMARY:

Adrenia. (2012, august 15). Interview by F.J.S. Rosario [Audio Tape Recording-Audio Tape]. , Life of a filipino pagan., Manila.

Cayaban, B. (2012, August 27). Interview by F.J.S. Rosario [Audio Tape Recording-Audio Tape]. , Life of a filipino pagan. Navotas.

Dayrit, J. (2012, August 29). Interview by F.J.S. Rosario [Audio Tape Recording-Audio Tape]. , Makati.

Ko, C. (2012, September 5). Interview by F.J.S. Rosario [Audio Tape Recording-Audio Tape]. , Tondo, Manila.

SECONDARY:

Antolin, F. (1988). Notices of the pagan igorots in the interior of the island of manila. (pp. 39-45-121). Manila: Corporation de PP. Dominicos de Filipinas.

Aspra, M. E. (2012, July 20). Interview by F.J.S. Rosario [Audio Tape Recording-Audio Tape]. , Social Science Department, DLSU-D, Cavite, Philippines.

Barton, R. (1963). Autobiographies of three pagans in the philippines . (pp. 21-142-212). New york city: University Books.

Beyer, O. H. (n.d.). Origin myths among the mountain peoples of the philippines. Filipiniana.net, Retrieved from http://www.filipiniana.net/publication/origin-myths-among-the-mountain-peoples-of-the-philippines/12791881654313/4/0

Cantada, R. (2010, October 11). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://mananalaysay.blogspot.com/2010/10/16th-century-paganism-in-philippine.html?showComment=1342066002713

Carey, V. (2008, november 16). An evolution of witchcraft. Retrieved from http://www.paganspath.com/magik/timeline.htm

Demetrio, F. R., Cordero-Fernando, G., Ziacita, F. N., & Feleo, R. B. (1991 ). The soul book. (1 ed., pp. 84-90). Quezon City: GCF Books.

De Plasencia, J. Customs of the tagalogs. In The Philippines at the Spanish contact. (1975) Jocano, F. J. Manila: MCS Enterprises. (Original work published 1589)

Mercado, L. N. (2000). From pagans to partners. (pp. 23-31-80). Manila : Logos Publication Inc.

Scott, W. H. (1921). The igorot struggle for independence. The Kahimyang Project, Retrieved from http://kahimyang.info/kauswagan/history_current_events/1239-the_igorot_struggle_for_independence

I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS INFORMATIONS, EXCEPT FROM THE INTERVIEWS (EXCLUDING Adrenia)… I AM GIVING ALL THE CREDITS TO ALL THE AUTHORS AND PEOPLE WHO I HAVE INTERVIEWED. THIS WOULD BE PROBABLY MY LAST PAPER ABOUT PAGANISM/PAGANS.

AND BY THE WAY… THANK YOU MR. REGINO PAULAR … FOR GIVING ME A FLAT 4.0 :)

Saddest Part Of Revenge

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:05:23 -0400

the sky is bluer than ever on that day

dull clouds with a cold breeze

i never thought of letting go, but i must

there she was standing across the street

she seems silent but her heart is screaming out loud

i know she knows everything

i cant forgive her, and i wont

its all her fault

now my dreams with him will not happen, ever!

i dont want to see her, hear her name, or even smell her perfume

she is nothing compare to me

i still cant get it

he cheated but i still forgive him

he dies for that crap but i still love him

its a miracle she survive

i guess my plans is not that good

i guess their love is true

i guess i’m wrong, or maybe not

i know she wont talk

she’s a coward

i know i won, did i?

this is the saddest part of my revenge

i won the fight, but i lose him

Pagmulat

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 06:27:45 -0400

Napatingin ako sa orasan, umaga na pala.

Sumulyap sa paningin ko ang kakaunting liwanag na nagmula sa bintana,

Umupo at panandaliang nanalangin para sa bagong umaga,

Binasa ang kwaderno na pinag sulatan ng aking nararamdaman sayo.

Napaisip kung makikita pa muli ang mukha mong maamo at puno ng gana.

Tinatamad pang bumangon, bumalik na lamang sa paghiga.

Sa aking pag tanday sa aking unan, katawan mo ang nais mayapos.

Sinimulan ang pangangarap ng kasama ka.

Sa ilalim ng kumot ko na may burda pa ng pangalan mo,

Ngunit, naalala ko, na may mahal ka na palang iba.

ILOVEYOU

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 19:32:00 -0400

I love the way you hold my hand, because you fill the spaces between my fingers.

I love the way you touch my face with your soft hands, it makes me feel beautiful.

I love the way you make me smile, with no reasons at all.

I love the way you look at me, as if I’m the only girl you’ll ever love.

I love the way you hug me so tight, I feel so secure and loved.

I love the way you kiss my forehead, I feel important and respected.

I love the noises your making, just to make your jokes funnier.

I love hearing your voice saying ‘I Love you too’, it keeps my faith that we will last.

I love the way ‘I love you’, and I love you with all my heart.

iloveyou.

Paganism

Tue, 08 May 2012 23:46:00 -0400

A Confusing Era

At the age of eight, the word “confusing” is very popular to me; it was like living on Earth with the ambiance of Pluto, very unimaginable. It was very confusing, being raised by different people with different beliefs. I have to do this, I have to do that, shocking that I’m still alive today, I’ve been living my life for the past nine years like a psychopath, being bullied and teased a story maker, a demon, and a witch. But I don’t and will never regret anything, because this is the life that I have chosen. To be able to have a good life, I have to go and have a life with my grandmother, because my parents back then were not able to sustain my needs and wants.

When I was with my grandmother, she was a business woman and an owner of a Dojo in Leyteback then. She used to go to different places to import different kinds of products and left me with our labandera, Nanay Hating. I couldn’t come with her because I’m studying. My grandmother is a Buddhist, Nanay Hating is a Catholic, and I was studying at Welwort Private School, a School whose principal is a member of Opus Dei. So when I was with my grandmother we used go to the temple, kneel and be suffocated by the smell of insenso, and when I was with Nanay Hating we used to go to the Catholic Church at Sunday and pray Rosary every three in the afternoon, and when I was at the school we were mastering the word God (exaggerated, but real), of course without my grandmother knowing it. I was so confused, why do religions contradict others’ beliefs (hell they care, right?)? Why does some religion contradict their bible (are they insane?)? And why does God have so many names and forms? These were some question that played in my mind. It is very confusing being with my grandmother, because she changes her beliefs according to her experiences. After being a Buddhist, she became an Alagad ng Iglesia ni Kristo sa Diyos, and then a Hindu, and later on a Catholic. She’s beyond normal in some way, but she’s a good person.

End of a Confusing Era

I still remember that day, the day that I started to refuse to do what they do and believe what they believed, that was the day when my confusion ended. It was an awful Sunday morning, Sabbath day as they called it, my grandmother asked me to escort her in the church, but I refused to do so. I was tired of praying to different Gods, following different beliefs like following what is stated in the horoscope, doing crazy things like making 3000 squat truss just to be forgiven or pleased Buddha (it’s awful to be a Buddhist, believe me). She looked at me straight in the eyes and told me “demonyo ka na, kakasama kay Aling Hating”, I was shocked, I never thought that she knew it, but still I refused to do what she asked me to do. I was 14 years old; I told her that I was confused of her different religions, with different beliefs. I told her that we have lived in different towns around the country—Davao, Leyte, Bulacan, and Manila—places that have different cultures, languages, accents, and most especially different schools, some people would think that I am making these stories when they’re asking me, they always say that “no man can change beliefs so easily”. So at the end of the day, I would just say that I don’t have a religion but I believe in God, and then their questions are much easier to answer.

The Search

I have searched for a religion that will fit my beliefs. I haven’t found any religion, but one belief opened my curiosity, it is “Paganism”. Before, pagans are believed to be witches and devils, because they don’t belong to any organized religion, and I think it is so judgmental and fallacious. But just like technology its meaning evolves rapidly. Some meanings are that a pagan is a person who has many Gods, like the moon and the sun, peoples who praised every living thing, like the trees and the water. Just like the latest technology “Iphone 4s” (just to relate in the present), pagan is believed to be a person without a religion but do believe in God. They don’t have any rituals that contradict other religions, and they are not really classified as a religion but only a belief. Paganism doesn’t have any founder and does not have exact birth date and place; it was believe to have popped up in some western tribe and other say that it was just an imagination of an insane person.

Who are involved?

And of course, I also searched for people who have the same belief as mine. And there are lots of them in western countries, especially inGreat Britain. There are different organizations that practiced paganism. They have workshops, seminars, and other different practiced to developed their devotion and faith to what they believed in.

Paganism Today

The stand of Paganism today is still undergoing developments for others to understand it. Paganism doesn’t want to convert the whole world, it just want understanding and respect from other religions and groups. Paganism gives a wide and clear view on how we should treat our world today. It enhances ones’ ability in coping to different cultures to understand and respect it. It is the same as the latter but with a more comprehensive view. But in the end of the day, as my mentor say it “a belief, without a proper understanding is stupidity”/ “a belief without practice, is just a theory”, so we must understand clearly and put into action what we really believed, because that’s the only time you can say that you are living.

I am a Pagan

Being born in a Christian country with this belief is not that bad, it’s AWFUL!!! People judge me easily, some would say I seek for attention, some would say that I’m insane, and worst is when some people would make a gossip that is not really related to my belief (Damn you all, you can’t bring me down!!!). and when people do that, I would just think that if I do the same, it will reflect to my belief and make everything I do senseless and worthless, I don’t need to explain my self, I just need to show them the differences. It is not my image that I’m trying to protect here, but my dignity and ability to make my own decision and change to my self. Being a Pagan is not about proving yourself or coping with others, it is about respecting everything around us and praising the one who made us.

I don’t go to church, I don’t do any rituals, I don’t wear anything that may symbolizes any religion, and most of all, the one who creates me is the only one I praised. My belief is the reason why I’ve changed from a confused girl to a matured lady. I am a Pagan and I am proud of it.

—

I got 4.0 on this paper J thanks Ma’am Jesser.

JEJEMON ?

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:03:28 -0400

diba ang jejemon, eh yung mga tao na KAKAIBA mag text/sulat? (ex. opfuoh, yhup, dbvah, ETC. ..) hindi naman jejemon tawag sa taong kakaiba manamit o OA manamit diba? I just don’t get it, may mga taong gusto na ganun sila makita ng iba. bakit pinapakeelaman niyo sila? HATERS NGA NAMAN.

Friend zone

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:10:00 -0400

We’ve been friends before we know it

I’m always by your side, I know you can see it,

I love you, and I’m a coward to say it,

I know, I’m in friend zone and I won’t accept it.

We’ve been together for a thousand times

Hundreds of laughter and few of your cries,

It’s like a cake; make me full even a slice,

Won’t exchange this even for a million price.

In the skies, there lie my promises,

Dedicated to you because of the intelligence you possess,

For you, I’ll be forever loyal and honest,

damn this friend zone, a love that can’t progress .

I don’t want to lose you as a friend,

but I don’t want to be just your friend,

I will say it, cause I want my misery to end,

LET’S start our love story , let us not follow the trend.

“Dedicated to you because of the intelligence you possess,”- palitan nyo yung salitang intelligence kung di yan ang dahilan niyo.(haha)

Ron Henley

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:52:00 -0400

may maginoong lalake, pangalan Ron Henley,

ito yung boyfriend ni Bea, at best friend ni Loonie,

fashonista at madalas jeans nya ay skinny,

pero matipuno tong lalake, at hindi beki, (no discrimination here)

siya ay pwedeng rapper, pwedeng artista,

pag ito nag showbiz, panigurado pag-kakaguluhan siya,

hindi feelingerong jejemon, ito’y tunay na makata,

patunay na may sense ang mga likha ni bathala. (exemption ang mga haters)

maginoo at mapagkumbaba, totoong tao to,

makulit man at palabiro, hindi mapang abuso,

(ang hirap gawan ng tula, walang info sa net. ahmp)

Meet the E1

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:42:09 -0400

Let Me Introduce My Self :)

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 02:49:00 -0400

My name is Fatima Jenesis “Yma” Rosario, I’m 17 years old. I’m single (hoping to be taken :D). I’m currently taking up AB Poltical Science, I want to be a GOOD lawyer, not GREAT, not FAMOUS, but GOOD :).

10 interesting facts about me.

1.) I’m not really Interesting !
2.) I hate people pretending to be REAL ! (people telling others that they are not plastic/backstabber)
3.) I play piano and guitar.
4.) I have a band named after me. (FAke TIme MAchinea.k.a. FATIMA)
5.) I only have 1 dream, and that is to be a GOOD LAWYER!
6.) I’m a SPOILED BRAT ! :) (Don’t worry I don’t bite)
7.) My dream school is DLSU since grade 3.
8.) I stand for what I believe is right.
9.) I don’t have religion, but I believe in God :)
10.) I’m boring, serious and ugly :)

done. :)
hope you enjoy this short introduction.