Early hour of May 15, 2008, while having breakfast with my wife at our P. Burgos r
esidence I heard knocks on our front door------it’s "aling talia" (Natalia) saying “ihahanda na namin ang kubol”
( it’s time to prepare the altar).
Oh yes, it’s time! Our one-day San Isidro (St Isidore) celebration has to begin.
So I opened the gate of our garage as children and neighbours eagerly waits to make native “pahiyas” (decors) bringing “palaspas” (young coconut leaves) to adorn the improvised altar of San Isidro. As everyone twists, curls, cut “suman-like” shaped coco leaves and cut banana trunk to pick some fresh flowers taken from neighbors’ gardens and where else but from the municipal cemetery and central elementary school located just adjacent to our place. In about an hour, the kubol is ready so my wife and I (the annual host of the celebration) prepared snacks for everyone. This year it's chilled almond jelly with raisins and pinipig and lots of “jacobinas and paboritas” bought at a local bakery.
After the kubol, it’s also time to set up the “tungko and tulyasi” (big wok) at the side of the street. Bedside the tungko is a table for all the ingredients, some chopping board and kitchen knives to be used in the preparation of this year’s handa: 10 kilos of macaroni shells for sopas and its traditional ingredients: chicken, hibe (dried shrimps), cabbage, potatoes, carrots, milk, some peppers and patis (fish sauce). Meanwhile, back at our house, some of our neighbours are busy preparing another set of food for the afternoon’s handaan: 4 kilos of native sticky rice with beans, corn, tapioca and coconut milk. We call it “tutong”. Another traditional delight is the suman to be served for the elders after the prayers.
As everyboy enjoys preparing, three of our neighbours help me set up another highlight of the celebration: the “hampas palayok” (hit-the-pot) traditional Filipino game. Rope ends were tied at the electrical post infront of our house and the other at the handrail of our veranda. I asked kids to buy 6 pieces of palayok at our palengke (market). Later, the palayoks will then be filled with coins, candies and some flour to have it ready for the game.
Weeks before the celebration, my wife and I have to prepare for the main highlight of the annual feast: “The paagaw”. Several thousand peso worth of coins and a few thousand peso worth of twenty peso bills. Aside from money, we also prepared goodies like old toys, clothes and old personal collections (rag dolls, bags, jackets) we already decided to give-away. For the past three years, my wife’s stuffed toys collection was the special treat for everyone. This year is my baseball cap collection that I finally opted to give in the name fun and sharing. Understanding the joy of the celebration, our relatives residing outside the country contributes goodies by sending us balikbayan boxes once in a while.
Interesting idea we devised to include bills in the “paagaw”. We placed a folded bill inside a knotted plastic (small icecandy-size). Then put the knotted plastic (with a bill) into a bigger plastic filled with water then sealed again with a knot. These are one of the several special treats for the paagaw. The effect of the water filled plastic when thrown is to break on impact leaving the catcher wet but not assured if he gets the bill inside (lol). It’s so interesting that everyone seems to like it and love to get wet. It’s summertime, remember. And getting wet is very refreshing.
At about three o’clock in the afternoon, the neighbourhood elders then begin prayers for San Isidro. “Dalit” and songs for the patron saint were then delivered. It is interesting to note that some young adults and kids are showing interest in learning the prayers reciting the dalit and songs together with the elders. Good thing though that the interest will then be transferred to the next generation to continue this simple tradition.
Next to prayers and adoration is the much awaited "handaan". After some “paputok” or firecrackers prepared by a neighbour who happened to be celebrating his birthday, both the sopas and sticky rice kakanin is served. First, to the elders, then to everyone in the area. So if you happened to pass by at our neighbourhood around the time of our handaan...you will be delighted that everyone would accommodate you and care to give you food.
After about 30 minutes of handaan, more paputoks will then be fired to signal the start of the “hampas-palayok”. The first palayok will then be readied.
We prepared 6 palayoks in different categories: we have 2 palayok for senior citizen (for lolos and lolas), 2 palayoks for Adults (for tatay and nanays including dalagas and binatas) and the remaining 2 for kids (inengs and utoys). The game hampas-palayok merges with the paagaw highlight. The cue to start the paagaw is when somebody hits the palayok. The fun and excitement is indescribable when someone is about to hit the pot (Imagine the yells and shouts and what not!) This year’s prizes for the lucky palayok hitters are: Stanley cooler, bath and body works toiletries, Kipling travel pouch, Paul Mitchell Shampoo and Conditioner, a battery operated toothbrush, and John Parker body spray plus fifty pesos more for each of them. All senior citizens who joined the game were given additional metal key chain which my wife bought from our last trip to Singapore.
At the verge of fun on the paagaw, interesting to see that our neighbours also prepared water filled plastics (though empty of twenty pesos bill!) that were also thrown while everyone is crazy scrambling for the paagaw. Water is thrown from all directions too, using planggana and plastic balde from someone elses’s bathroom. I let my nephew tak
e charge of the water hose being pointed at the crowd while we were throwing goodies from our veranda. It was really a blast!
The celebration ends around 6:00 pm. After which, very noticeably you can immediately expect everyone to clean the area while the Patron San Isidro will be staying with us for the rest of night. Early hour next day, we will be bringing the patron back to our barangay chapel and thank him for another year of joyful celebration.
de streets where everybody, local and foreign tourists alike enjoys eating. Delicious Pho ga (chicken noodles) and com ga (rice chicken) is everywhere. Goi cuon ( rice paper rolls with herbs, cucumber, pork, shrimp, lettuce) with peanut sauce is amazing. And yes, those tiny stools and tables set-up at most street corners were a great “free-and –easy, watch-the-world-go-by” late afternoon trip. Was really one heck of good experience! Quan An Ngon is unforgettable. There, I got to taste heaven in banh tom ho tay (shrimp cake)! Fresh coconut is available all over. And prawns..............yes prawns ( tom hap dua-tiger prawns in coco milk) are just as exciting!
