Moments to remember in September Tattoos, tags and tribes

SEPTEMBER is the ninth month of the Gregorian calendar. It is taken from the Latin numeral “septem” which means seven since it was the seventh month of the Roman calendar.

Emperor Caligula (the very dirty old man) named September “Germanicus” in honor of his father Germanicus Caesar. The change was short lived. The Filipinos always remember September, the month Martial Law was declared in the Philippines. President Ferdinand Marcos did it on Sept. 21, 1972. The symbol for September is Virgo or the Virgin.

(I was once requested in a cultural interaction to share about Virgo. It was that good until I reached a portion that the non-virgins reacted violently.

I was obliged to agree with them that virginity is not always an asset.) In tourism, September is Tourism Month. Tourism officers make themselves busy with so many events… tourism quiz, tour guiding competition, lecture series, familiarization tour, food presentation, product exhibition, and guided tours. The association of Negros Producers (ANP) will hold the Negros Trade Fair in Manila on Sept. 26- Oct. 1.

This is a rare opportunity that Negros can showcase its best products in the trade fair. It is one good moment also for towns and cities to showcase their tourism potentials and investment packages. It was on Sept. 3, 1898 that the “La Independencia,” official newspaper of the revolutionary government was first printed and it was edited by Antonio Luna.

On Sept. 5, 1976, the Philippine International Convention Center, the largest and most modern institution in the Philippines for world conferences and meetings, was inaugurated at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex (CCP). In 1969, CCP was established by Imelda Romualdez Marcos. On Sept. 16, 1991, the Philippine Senate rejected the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Security that would extend the stay of the U.S. bases in our country. As mentioned earlier, President Marcos declared Martial Law on Sept. 21, 1972 otherwise known as Proclamation 1081. Marcos wants to save the Republic from nationwide crime and violence. This was funny and painful. Congress was abolished and Marcos created his “rubber stamp,” the semi parliament Batasang Pambansa.

Presidential Decree No. 211 (Sept. 22, 1943) declared our National Anthem and National Flag as official symbols. It was on Sept. 30, 1898 that Emilio Aguinaldo had his Proclamation of Independence and this was ratified by Malolos Congress. The special flowers of September are the morning glory and the aster while its gem is the sapphire. The Christian calendar has provided names for babies born in September. I have here some samples for girls: Constancia, Calixta, Maxima, Serapia, Obdulia, Teodora, Perpetua, Constancia, Teopista, Fausta, Justina, and Eustaquia. The boys have their Christian names also taken from the names of saints… Prisco, Victorio, Elpidio, Viterbo, Lorenzo, Eugenio, Petronio, Zacarias, Clodwaldo, Nestonio, Gorgonio, Severino, Emiliano, Leoncio, Guido, Cipriano, Necomedes, Pofirio, Cresencio, Genaro, Eustaqio, Mateo, Panfilo, Mauricio, Candido, Dalmacio, Cosme, and Eutiquio. We don’t make fun of these names. My parents named me after one of those.

We would like you to know how we compare and contrast the naming of the children before and now. Names are still the same. Modern parents have just made them better sounding. We have here some samples: Maria Eleuteria (Mae), Restituta (Resty), Democrita (Critz), Olempia (Ole), Irenea (Renz), Bienvineda (Benny), Crispolo (Cris), Braulio (Brawl), Procopio (Procy), Eutequio (Ticky), Leoncio (Leony), Esteban (Steve), Gorgonio (Gonie), Wenceslao (Wency) and Clodwaldo (Clody).

September in our Almanaque Panayanhon is “Kangu-rulsol.” It sounds hard but it may mean “risky” especially when you travel at sea. This could have been a part of the belief of our sea-faring ancestors based on “Maragtas.”

This could be based also in our own “Bakunawa,” the legendary giant snake that changes the position of its body (head and tail) based on the four weather conditions in a year. Enjoy September. It is the month that starts mental Christmas because of BER. It’s near the bonus month, December. SSBacolod

Manases Carpio tapno sungbatan ken ilawlawagda ti nakalkalna a damag nga adda kano pakainaigan dagiti dua (Paolo ken Mans) iti isyu ti droga iti kustom. Kuna ni Digong a kina-ignorante kano ni Trillanes gapu ta mamatpati kadagiti saosao laeng a dipay napaneknekan (tsismis). Bira kano a bira ti senador nupay awanan iti pammaneknek, awanan umdas nga adal ken talent. Inawaganna pay ti senador kas Political Isis. “itong si Trillanes, political ISIS. Wala naman siyang talent. He will not...he does not even know between a democrat and a member of a party. How can I expect –kasi kulang. Actually, kulang yung nalaman niya sa buhay...basta gusto niya bira lang nang bira, akala niya tama siya. Ang nakakatawa roon riyan, kasi when he talks, it is as if talagang alam niya ang batas. But we have to forgive him. Hindi niya alam ang ginagawa nila, eh.” Daytoy ket paset laeng ti panangiruar ni Digong iti an-anek-ekenna kontra iti senador. Saanna met a kinanunongan ti impakita ni Trillanes a kasla awan respetona iti komite ni Sen. Gordon itay nabiit. “Pagka yung inaway niya si Gordon, ganun insisting on something which cannot be done legally, that’s in the...sa conduct nila, it’s unruly behavior. And then can always be punished for that and even ousted from the senate”, innayon a kumento ni Duterte. Ket itay kallabes a Huebes..nagparang dagiti agbayaw (Paolo ken Mans) iti Senado. Saan a naipakat ni Trillanes ti kayatna gapu ta adda dagiti saludsodna a saan a simmungbat dagiti dua.

-o0oNo intay obserbaran dagiti eksena a nagpinnudotan da Trillanes ken Digong .... makunam a kasla napukawen ti sao a respeto. Adu dagiti imbakbakal ti senador

THERE’S a side event in the ongoing Kampuhan of the National Minorities in University of the Philippines-Diliman which showcased the traditional manner of the magbabatok by the Igorots from Cordillera. While indigenous tattooing has become a fad and tourism attraction, the tattooing sessions in this kampuhan invites people to understand that tattoos are also stories of the struggles of the indigenous communities.

These stories can be told by the tattoos themselves, in which they serve as decorative art on bodies or even narratives or symbols. Even the Manobo women in Talaingod have tattoos that adorn their midsection as their clothes hang on their midriff. Tattoos are in the news recently, as a presidential son is charged of sporting a tattoo linking him to a drug syndicate.

That allegation raised eyebrows. But I am reminded of a story where a Lumad was held by a soldier at knife point, alleging him as a New People's Army because he bore the same "mole tattoo" in his face just like the New People’s Army (NPA).

This kind of accusation against Lumads, and their schools, that allegedly are supporting the NPAs are like tattoos being tagged on them.

Lumads have been the target of soldiers and paramilitary, who conjure stories that Lumad schools are actually teaching the students "how to rebel" and that Lumads who benefit from the social welfare's Pantawid Pamilya Program are helping NPAs.None of these is true. But the allegations prove deadly. On September 2, a 19-year old Manobo student of the Salugpongan Learning Center in Talaingod, Davao del Norte was shot several times by two paramilitary members. The boy, Obillo Bay-ao, was shot while tending his farm in Sitio Dulyan, Barangay Palma Gil. The paramilitary members, according to the Save Our School Networks are the Salangani brothers, where one of the brothers had killed another Salugpongan student previously in 2016. SSDavao

a sao (agkakasakit ken awanan respeto) banag nga immani iti disgust wenno pannakaikkat iti talek dagiti tao a simmuporta kenkuana idi panawen ti eleksiyon. Adu ti nadismaya. Nangato kanon ti ire ni Trillanes. Inawaganto payen ni Digong daytoy a Mr. Trililing! Kinuna met ni Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Secretary Salvador Panelo (kalpasan a nangipila ni Sen. Gordon iti reklamo kontra Trillanes iti Ethics Committee) a panawenen tapno maleksionan ken madisiplinaan ti Senado ni Trillanes. Saan kano a kasapulan ti Senado ti maysa a kas kenkuana agsipud ta maibabain laeng ti sibubukel nga institusyon. Innayon pay ti sekretaryo a di rumbeng ti pasig a binnastusan iti uneg ti Senado. Di rumbeng ti ar-aramiden ni Trillanes a panagimimporta ken panangdadael iti reputasyon dagiti saanna a kaalyado isu a kasapulan a maaksiyonan koman ti Senado ti nakuna a panaglablabes. Haayy biag...anianto ngata manen dagiti bumtak a kontrobersiya inton magnan dagiti impeachment da Sereno, Morales ken Bautista a madaman a magamgamulo idiay Lower House? Iti siripmi...baro manen a gubat dayta. No kaano a dandanin agringpas ti gubat sadiay Marawi (nupay mapadpadaanan ti tensiyon sadiay Maguindanao)...rumanipak met ti word war dagiti nangangato a turayen ti pagilian. Agyamankayo ta awanen daydi lolok...amangan ta iyasaannakayo iti aglatlati a kampilan...daytay ngay pinangkugitna idi iti daydi tatangko. Ngem no agbiagda...makabaruanandan a KATIPUNERO...ta saanen a silag ti kallugongda no di ketdi HELMET nga adda markana a DU30!! Adios mi amor, ciao, mabalos!