UP Ibalon Bicol: Handiong

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Calle Natong: Naga City’s populist way of naming a street

8/28/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

In earlier days, ill-descript Bagumbayan Interior, in Naga City, Philippines could barely be regarded as a street. It was a short and dusty alley close to Ateneo de Naga University (AdenU) campus. The name gave a hint of a semi-wild location where planks of rickety wood served as elevated platforms---like toy bridges over muddy ditches behind the main road leading to Canaman, Bombon, Quipayo, Magarao, and Calabanga, not far from Universidad de Sta Isabel University (USI) and Camarines Sur National High (CSNHS.)

The unpaved alley’s name stuck for years. No one raised any objection or asked for a law or ordinance to change the village path's name where zacate grass and snakeheads (talusog) in muddy pools grew wild. Maybe, it’s because Bagumbayan Interior is secluded. The alley with very confusing boundaries had a neutral reputation. There was no major historical meaning in the street unlike the old great Calle Via Gainza, named after Bishop Francisco Gainza, but later renamed as Penafrancia Avenue.

In the 1970’s, ordinary people started calling Bagumbayan Interior “Calle Natong,” a populist reference to the wild taro plants (dasheen bush) which grew aplenty in that marshy locale. We, the few low-brow barangay residents, didn’t object. Calle Natong was just the right name to keep us reminded of our favorite, Bicolano dish, the spicy ginota’an na natong (laing, sinilihan na katnga) when the proverbial green leaves of the dasheen bush got burning hot with bedeviled red peppers (lada,siling labuyo.)

The informal appellation took root and tricycle drivers who rode the peaceful place knew where Calle Natong was. The building of homes much later altered the course of the street and the landscape. It didn’t take long when more people settled in the place, Calle Natong gave way to a more urbane, but unfamiliar name: Seminary Road then later becoming the Mother Francisca Street, perhaps because a convent was there in the area.

These were confusing changes we didn't understand. Natong which we held dear being our celebrated Bicol regional plant---the source of nourishment of Handiong's children, was waylaid on the side. After our street was renamed, Calle Natong, was never the same.=0=

Labels: Bagumbayan, balao, bicol, Bicol Express, Calabanga, Calle Natong, Canaman, Dasheen bush, food, Handiong, History, laing, Magarao, Naga City, natong, Philippines, Quipayo, sili, snakehead, talusog

Para makusog an fuerza ni Handiong, sa panga-nga-ipo, padagos an hingo'a!

3/09/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

Wowowie! Maogmang basahon na an dating Miss Guinobatan kan UP Ibalon iguang marhay na projecto. Bako lang si Vines agom na may ugos an pagka-moot. Bilang ina, lola, sagkod esposa ni Bob Reis, si Vines may pusong bulawan. Husto na sana an paguiromdoman niya sa mga taga Bikol. Lalo na, an mga biktima kan baha diyan sa Albay!

Aram ni Vines an remalaso sa rugaring kan Maogmang Lugar. Nagpuli siya kan sarong taon para mahiling an destrosong dara ni Reming. Mala ngani, si harong kan mga Nolasco, hinalon kan dakulang tubig na nag-agui. An tubig naka-gadan kan katabang ni Fems Espinas-Paladin, saro man na Ibalonian na nasa Geneva, Switzerland.

Ngonian naghi-hingno'a si Vines, para makatabang. Siguro sa consejo y ayuda nina Micky, Andy, Fatima, Ray, Ann, Bingbing, Analee, Eden, Arnel, Gods, Mac, Mighty, Pitoy atbp, baka man an mga Ibalon maging ma-triumpo sa planong ini ni Vines.

Kaya an mga miembros na dae pa igdi: su mga yaon sa balyong kalye na ina-apod kan UP Ibalon---hari na kamo tabi, magbale! Kaipuhan tang magka-sararo guiraray, para magkusog an fuerza kan mga aki ni Handiong laban ki Rabot.

Lingaw na kita kan estoryang Ibalon? Si Handiong inabot baga nin mga remalaso sa Ibalon. Bako lang kinalaban siya kan tawong-hayop na si Rabot, nag-agui siya nin pagtios---pati na an delubyo na naglantop sa kinaguilid-guilidan kan Bikolan!

Arog kita kan mga aki ni Handiong. An kusog ta hale sa paboritong "pansit bato," ni Vines na haloy nang hagad ki May Velasco-Yorobe, an dentistang Ibalon na mabisita digdi samuya pagtapos kan tag-lipot sa America.

Si Vines an satuyang experto sa lason sagkod gayuma! Ehem! Ngonian na naman lang siya nawaras nin gayuma nin pagka-mo'ot para sa Bikol. Kaipuhan niya an tabang! Segun saiya, an pagka-mo'ot, "iyo an contra (anti-venino lagarto!) kan satong maribong na kinaban!"

An maw'ot ni Vines arog kan hilig niya sa pag-adal. Tinapos niya an saiyang MS, PhD habang siya abala ki Virgil sagkod MaiMai, duwa niyang aki. Ngonian, igua na siyang maku-apo, si Chamrin, na mestizang magayon! Bicolana sa Indiana!

Sayang! Mas magayon kuta si Chamrin kun bako lang bitis, dangan kuko an minana niya sa lola! Pero sa hiling ko, an maku-apo kan Ibalon, dae mahaloy, saro man na matinabangon, mabo'ot, lipotok an pagkamo'ot sa mga tawong mayong sukat sagkod nanga-nga-ipo!

TotieM

Labels: Albay, Handiong, Miss Guinobatan, Totie Mesia

UP Ibalon Bicol

Calle Natong: Naga City’s populist way of naming a street

Para makusog an fuerza ni Handiong, sa panga-nga-ipo, padagos an hingo'a!

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