“From southern Palawan, it only takes about two hours by speedboat to Northern tip of Sabah” I remember one of our host tell us delightedly. The Philippines is so close to Sabah that there is so much similarity in terms of culture and tradition. A large part of the inhabitants were trickled down from the southern archipelago of Mindanao when land bridges still exist explaining the prevalent resemblance from the traditions, clothing and even the language. In fact, the word “Sabah” for Malaysians, also refers to the same type of banana we call in the Philippines. In our visit to the Mari Mari Cultural Village, a village in Kota Kinabalu showcasing 5 of the 32 ethnic groups populating Sabah we get a good portrait of each tribes, showing the distinctness of their character.
Tag: Culture
Aliwan Fiesta 2013, Revisiting the Philippines’ Mother of Festivals
“Aliwan” is a tagalog word which means to amuse or entertain. A term fitting for this so-called “Mother of Festivals” called Aliwan Fiesta, running annually in Manila for 10 years (since 2003) which aims to gather some of the best festivals in the country and present them in one place. An ambitious task but successfully realized by Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) and Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Maybe it’s the cheery and festive nature of Filipinos that made it successful every year.
Ramayana Ballet and Wayang Kulit Night at Manohara Hotel
After a full day of exploring Jumog Waterfalls, Sukuh and Cetho Temple outside Solo, I decided to take it easy that morning at Istana Griya Hotel. Dabbing my wounds with ointment the night before I can still feel the sting and the soreness underneath the skin. It’s a good thing today is about transit, going from Solo to Magelang for Manohara Hotel Borobudur.
El Nido Barotuan Ati-Atihan Festival
“Ang gusto lang namin ay ipagpatuloy ang tradisyon ng aming mga katutubo na nanggaling ng Aklan. Siguradong matutuwa ang aming mga magulang na nabuhuhay pa rin ang aming paniniwala at panata sa Sto Niño kahit nasaang lugar. Manalo o matalo kami sa kompetisyon ay di na mahalaga. (What we only want is to continue the tradition our natives from Aklan practice. We’re sure our ancestors and parents would be proud that our beliefs and devotion to Sto Niño still lives on wherever we are. It doesn’t matter whether we win or not in this competition)” Says Ricky, a middle-aged man from Purok (District) Taberna who’s part of the group in charge of their performers competing for the Barotuan Ati-atihan Festival. Despite his humble words and devotion, his group of dancers from this farthest district of Barotuan holds the championship for 9 years already.
Batik Tulis: Traditional Indonesian Batik Making in Solo
I’ve seen the fascinating Batik patterns in many shops when I was wandering the streets of Solo Indonesia. An Indonesian Batik is a cloth traditionally made using a wax-resistant dyeing technique. It is believed the age old tradition of batik making was introduced in Java between 6th and 7th century from India and Sri Lanka. Batik are usually sold in meters (2-2.5m) like tubes or sarong, but these days wit has been widely popular for contemporary use like a polo shirt for formal occasions (akin to Filipino’s barong) or a kebaya, similar to what the female flight attendants of Garuda Airline wear. Interestingly, the Indonesian Batik was also awarded by UNESCO as one of the “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”, this makes it worthwhile to go deeper and inspect how these Indonesian Batik are made.
Sabong in Lio El Nido, the Cockfight Center
The energy shifted to a sudden high as soon as we heard the announcer yell “Larga! (Lets go!)”. Mixed screams of “Meron (Have)” and “Wala (None)” filled the crudely made cockfighting arena as spectators placed their bets. While all the betting is happening, the handlers coax their cocks to anger by letting their the battling cocks peck each other before releasing them. Welcome to the world of Sabong (Philippine Cockfight) found at Lio El Nido (Villa Libertad) in the paradise destination of El Nido Palawan.
Wandering the Jl Slamet Riyadi, Solo’s Main Avenue
Walking has been the usual way for me to get oriented with a new place. It gives me a better perspective on a location and familiarize myself with the landmarks near the place where I am staying. It’s also a great way to take a glimpse of the local’s everyday life. Like for Solo (or Surakarta), this city unraveled its unique character by seeing it on foot along the paved pedestrian walk of Jl Slamet Riyadi. The low rise buildings, the less touristy crowd, a sit-back and relax atmosphere, amiable people and great showing of Javanese culture. After setting down my baggage at Cakra Homestay, I went out for an afternoon walk along Solo’s main avenue.
