Pinoy's Love Affair with Basketball

Have you ever wondered why basketball is still the favorite sport of Pinoys? What makes basketball so endearing to us? I asked other people about their insights through facebook and twitter and collated their responses in Storify. I wrote about this at the Buhay Pinoy section of the Philippine Online Chronicles and entitled the article:

The Pinoy and basketball: " it must be love"

Thursday, 27 January 2011 12:00 PM Simon Francis Blaise R. Vistro

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Basketball is acknowledged by Wikipilipinas.org as the most beloved and popular entertainment in the Philippines and widely accepted to be the national sport of the Philippines. Its popularity has not waned despite the elusiveness of an Olympic basketball gold and increased spotlight on other sports. Boxing which has our national pride Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao and football with the newest sensation and crowd darling Azkals team still pale in comparison to basketball as the Pinoy everyman's favored sport.  Basketball enjoys the bulk of support much to the consternation of other sports bodies. Our national basketball team "Team Pilipinas" or "Smart Gilas Pilipinas" for example is sponsored by Manny Pangilinan’s Smart Communications and organized by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

Read the full article here.


Read my other articles at Philippine Online Chronicles here.

Why do I love the SPA?

Repost from: Philippine Online Chronicles Buhay Pinoy Channel

Tara na sa spa! This is what the Pinoys of today say after a tiring day.  The spa masseurs are, in a sense,  the modern-day hilot --practitioners of folk medicine, that have existed even before the Spaniards came to the Philippines. 

In Pangasinan, the term for soothing massage is kemkem. In Bukidnon, it is known as hagud. In Ilocos, Zambales and Pampanga it is known as ilut or ilot. The hilots use a variety of methodologies involving materials like stones, drinking glass, aromatic herbs and bamboo sticks. Modern spas in the Philippines have included these traditional  ways as part of the repertoire/ techniques of massage therapists. In Iloilo, some spas use fish as part of the regimen. The dagdagay, which features two small sticks with which to massage the feet in a scratching and rolling motion from the heels up to the toes to stimulate circulation, is from the Mountain Province. This makes our spas unique and truly Filipino.

Since 2003, the number of spas has grown as much as 74% as indicated by the research of Intelligent Spas in 2007. With the proliferation of spas in the Philippines, the Department of Tourism and the Department of Healthhave promoted wellness and medical tourism to attract tourists. Despite the travel ban advisories of other countries, many tourists still flock to our country, thanks in part to the health and wellness industry that complements our ecotourism and historic-cultural travel sites.

Acknowledged for its beneficial effects, spa massage (and other forms of relaxing manipulations like reflexology and chiropractics) has increased its stock as an authentic  treatment for ailments. It is known not only to relieve pain but also to reduce anxiety, temporarily lower blood pressure and heart rate, as well as stimulate the immune system and cure diseases.

The putting up of medical spas, a hybrid of a medical clinic and a day spa, is now being encouraged.  More and more entrepreneurs have heeded the call. The number of spas has increased exponentially even in the provinces. This is true especially of areas near tourist spots and travel destinations. The next move is obviously  to professionalize the industry. Most of the therapists of legit spas are now either DOH- or TESDA-certified. Although fly-by-night spas are still around, they may be on the decline as repeat business is very important in a service-oriented industry.

Are spas the next lechon manok? Will their popularity wane and will they become saturated in the future? At the moment, I could not see this possibility as demand for spa services  continues to rise. Pinoys are becoming more and more beauty- and health- conscious. I suppose spas are here to stay.

The clientele is not confined to the ladies as men nowadays enjoy pampering themselves. Indulgence, after all, does not choose genders. Women, who once upon a time regarded touching by a stranger as taboo, now enjoy the professional strokes of a masseur or a masseuse. Men are no longer contented with massages offered at barber shops. Spas have become synonymous to rejuvenation and relaxation.

Admittedly, I am an “espastic" person. It is a word my editor, Annamanila and I coined to denote a person who is ecstatic at the spa. I love massages.

For a massage at home, I usually call Kuya Bernie, a self-taught masseur who counts as his clients prominent politicians and others in the Who’s who of Dagupan. I came to know him way back 1998 through my bestfriend and kumpare Jack Coson.

For the spa experience, I usually go to the Footprints Footspa and Massage on the 2^nd Floor of the Orient Pacific Center, Perez Boulevard, Dagupan City (beside Hall of Fame Bar and Restaurant where I hang out during nightgimmicks). I’m a suki of the spa as I avail of its services once or twice a week. My favorite services are the invigorating two-hour combination  massage (Swiss and Thai) and the cleansing and rejuvenating body scrub. For special bonding spa moments with my wife, we go to Terra (2nd Floor of East Gate Plaza, A.B Fernandez East, Dagupan City). It has special amenities like a posh couple room with jacuzzi. What makes me secure and at home in both Footprints and Terra is the cleanliness of the place, superb customer service, amiable TESDA-trained therapists and reasonable price. Both spas are managed by Tina Reyes and are owned by Derrick Dulay. Tina, who is a TESDA-certified trainer, does community service by conducting free livelihood seminars on wellness and massage therapy. The therapists of Footprints and Terra also conduct free back massage demos at various events and gatherings in Dagupan as part of their marketing strategy. As a secretary of the Rotary Club of Dagupan East, I often invite the therapists to our meetings to massage our members who come early.

I’m such a spa addict that I’ve tried all 11 spas in Dagupan. I also patronize the blind masseurs whenever I go to Nepo Mall. I enjoy going to the spa not because I’m a very stressed person but because I enjoy pampering myself. Who wouldn’t be ecstatic when you smell the aroma of scents and oils? Each fragrant whiff reverberates in the lungs and slowly creeps to the head as if massaged by invisible hands. The minty and mentholated liquid slowly envelopes the whole body and rocks it to a deep and sweet slumber. The muscle pain and stiffness magically disappear as though each stroke is a mother’s assuring touch. Every ooh and aah during a massage session is melodic music. The calming effect and soothing sensation of each massage is nirvana!

There used to be a time when “Relax, see a movie” was a famous line. Now it’s "relax, tara na sa spa!" So what are you waiting for? Tara na.  Me? I’m espastic!

Photo 1: by Simon Francis Blaise Vistro

Photo 2: courtesy of Terra

Ghosts in the time of Facebook

Repost from: Philippine Online Chronicles Buhay Pinoy Channel

Uso pa ba ang mumu sa panahon ng facebook? Nagiging passé na rin ba ang ghost stories tulad ng friendster?

Modern na nga raw ngayon kaya halos lahat ng kababalaghan at nakakatakot na kwento ay hinahanapan na ng scientific explanation. Bihira na rin siguro ang sleep-over at outdoor camping kung saan ang highlight ay ang kwentuhan tungkol sa multo. Text at babad sa internet na kasi ang uso ngayon. Kung sakaling may get together naman, madalas mga gadgets, lovelife at political ek ek ang topic.

Napakayaman sa kwento tungkol sa kababalaghan ang Pinoy. Isa tayo siguro sa mga lahing maraming alam namythological creatures. Walang panama ang mga ghosts, vampires, at werewolves ng mga dayuhan sa ating mga kapre, bungisngis, mananangal, ekek, tikbalang, tiyanak, at aswang (na napagkakamalan o naipagpapalit sa ibang halimaw tulad ng wakwak, balbal, kubot, tiktik, mansusopsop, at sigbin). Specialized din ang mga masamang espiritu tulad ng multong pasatsat (kung tawagin sa Pangasinan) na siyang nakabalot daw sa banig.

Naaalala nyo pa ba yung kwento tungkol sa “White Lady sa Balete Drive?” Noong college days namin, nagtapangtapangan kami at sinubukan naming dumaan doon sakay ng Ford Laser ni Rob pauwi sa apartment nila sa QC. Kakatapos ng gimik naming sa Greenhills noon. Palibhasa puro kami lalaki at medyo nakainom na rin kaya napagtripang i-explore kung meron ngang multo doon. Walang aircon yung kotse kaya ramdam namin yung lamig ng hangin. Madilim ang daan noon at tila tinatago ng mga dahon at sanga ng mga puno ang liwanag ng buwan. Hindi madrowing ang mga mukha namin pagkadaan dun. Lahat tahimik at nagpapakiramdaman. Wala kaming nakitang white lady pero nakakakaba nga kasi minsan mapagbiro ang imahinasyon lalo na’t iniisip namin na baka masiraan yung sasakyan sa daan at magpakita nga yung mumu.

Kung tungkol sa multo ang paguusapan, sikat ang Baguio dahil sa iba’t-ibang lugar tulad ng Diplomat Hotel, PMA grounds, Teachers Camp at ang Loakan Road. May eerie effect kasi yung lugar- malamig, foggy at mula pa noong panahon ng Americano ang mga kinakatakutang buildings na nandun. Sikat din ang mga lugar na sinasabing haunted dahil sa kalumaan nito. Nandyan ang Malinta tunnel sa Corregidor, Intramuros sa Manila, Ruby Hall at Valentine Hall ng Central Philippine University sa Iloilo at ang UST Main Building kung saan ako naglagi ng apat na taon noong kolehiyo.

Sumikat din ang mga nakakatakot na pelikula at TV show noon. Kung mapanood mo uli ngayon sasabihin mo nga corny o baduy. Inaabangan at kinakatakutan ang Pinoy Thriller (with matching mala-LSS na intro: “Ano ang nasa dakong paroon, bunga ng malilikot na pagiisip, likha ng balintataw o halaw mula sa daigdig ng kababalaghan…di kayang ipaliwanag ngunit alam mong magaganap…”) at Regal Shocker. Sa pelikulang Pinoy naging sikat yung Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara, Halimaw sa Banga at Shake, Rattle and Roll (na nasobrahan na yata sa sequels). Ang mga hinding hindi ko makalimutan na pelikulang Ingles noon ay The Exorcist (kung saan umikot ang ulo ni Linda Blair), Evil Dead, Amityville at Stir of Echoes.

Dinadaan na lang kasi sa digital effects ang shows and movies ngayon pero yung mga plot ay halaw sa mga lumang kwento. Pati mga vampire stories ngayon puro patweetums na lang tulad ng Twilight movie series at Vampire Diaries. Umuso sandali si Sadaku at mga iba pang Japanese and Korean horror kaso nagfizzle out din.

Marahil demystified at trivialized na ang mga multo at mga kwento tungkol dito sa panahon ngayon. Natawa nga ako nung may binalita sa Balitang Amianan nung isang araw na may aswang sa Malasiqui, Pangasinan ayon sa mga nainterview nilang mga residente. Ngunit hindi ko maisantabi ang mga pinamahaging personal experiences ng aking mga followers and friends sa twitter at facebook.

Kwento ni Regiele: “When I was working in a call center, I used to stay in a female dormitory. There was this time when I was alone and I woke up at 3am. I was surprised to see the shattered pieces of glass mirror which were scattered all over the room. This was a big glass mirror but I never heard anything at all when it fell on the floor. The wind could not knock it down as the mirror was big and heavy. No one could have entered the room and break it because the room was locked inside. At that instant, I looked at the window and saw what seemed to be an old man at our gate. I swear he was staring at me. When I looked back again, he was gone in a split second.”

Si Mylls naman nagpost sa facebook wall ko at nagkwento tungkol sa closest encounter nya sa multo noong second year college siya. Mga alas otso ng gabi daw noon sa barangay Pogo, Calasiao, Pangasinan. Nakakita siya ng white lady na naglakad patungo sa kanya. Mukha daw madre na walang mukha. Lumulutang ang multo ngunit dinig na dinig ang yapak nito. Sa takot nabuhat nya ang mountain bike na dala nya habang mabilis na binaybay ang kawayang tulay na umuuga-uga.

Tungkol sa kapre naman ang kwento ni Becca Jane. This year lang daw ito. Hindi daw nya makakalimutan ang nangyari sa hipag nya na siyang sinaniban ng kapre. Ayaw niyang maniwala nung una pero nung actual nyang nakita ang pangyayari naniwala din siya. Nakakatakot talaga ayon sa kanya. Ang hipag niya ay may open na third eye at nakakakita ng multo.

Sabi naman ni Grace na taga barangay Pantal, Dagupan City na noong April 4, 2001, alas dos ng madaling araw nakahiga sila ng ate nya sa sala. Naalimpungatan siya at nagkaroon ng premonition na magbrobrowout. Pagkaraan ng ilang minuto, nagbrownout nga. Narinig nya na parang may taong nagbukas ng bahay nila (sarado yun kasi nilock ng mommy niya bago umalis). Pumasok yung inakala nyang tao na may maingay na footsteps at parang may kadena at takong yung sapatos. Nakakumot si Grace ngunit nakita nya ang anino na huminto sa tapat niya. Nung una akala nya nananaginip siya ngunit nagulat kasi tinanong ng ate nya kung sino yung pumasok. Hindi nila pinansin yun at pagkaraan ng kalahating oras, dumating yung mommy nila at binuksan pa ang pinto gamit ang susi.

May multo pa ba sa panahon ngayon? Oo. Bahagi na kasi ito ng ating kultura at hanggat may magkwekwento at naniniwala dito. Ang mga multong ito ay maaaring mga mahal natin sa buhay na yumao na at nanganagilangan ng dasal. Pwede ring mga sinanunang tao na siyang nagpapaalala ng history ng lugar. Ito rin ay pwedeng kathang isip o matinding imahinasyon lamang o di kaya panakot lang ng ating magulang at mga nakakatanda. Maniwala man tayo sa multo o hindi, ito ay nagpapakulay sa ating pagka-Filipino at nagpapaalala kung gaano kasarap at kahalaga ang mabuhay.

Photo courtesy of WikiPilipinas.org

Cosplay in the Philippines: Conversations with a Pinay Cosplayer

Repost from: Philippine Online Chronicles Buhay Pinoy Channel



As a boy, I used to dress up and pretend I was Superman. On weekends, I would wear my favorite blue shirt and slip on my red brief over my pajamas. I would rummage through our closet for a towel, drape it on my back and use it as a cape. I tried so hard to look like my idol that I even wore “kiss-me” locks like Christopher Reeve. I’d fly off chairs and jump off flight of stairs. I was the Man of Steel! Want to know what my green kryptonite was? It was the unfinished homework that my maternal grandmother, Mamang Manding would follow me around with. But oh boy, it was so much fun playing dress-up and make-believe! It was well worth the bruises, sprains and aches from falling and stumbling.

When I got tired of being the “Red Blue Blur,” I became Sho Kosugi!  Watching so many karate and ninja movies at Jade Cinema in Dagupan City made me want to be a ninja. My friends and Iwould wear t-shirts over our heads with the hole for the neck that would reveal only our eyes. The sleeves were knotted together to keep the shirt from falling off. We improvised nunchucks from Johnson’s baby powder containers and plastic rope. Our katanas were bamboo poles, rattan stick or rolled-up newspaper. Our shurikens were folded scrap paper. We fluttered like butterflies as we climbed trees and hid in dirty crevices. We would sprinkle powder as our metsubushi. Then, poof! -- we were gone!

Pinoys like to mimic their idols – real or fictional. They wear costumes, role-play and emulate their idols’ actions and mannerisms.

Birthdays, United Nations celebration and Halloween used to be the only occasions we could “legitimately” strut about in costumes. Today, children and adults dress up and cosplay for different events. Companies even employ cosplaying as part of their marketing strategy.

My knowledge of cosplay was once only through comic magazines and the internet. This changed recently when on the Rayos Clan page in Facebook, I came across Winnie Rayos-Dimanlig, a distant relative who has a cosplaying daughter named Monique. Within days, I had set up an email interview with Monique.

Monique Dimanlig aka “Geisha Girl” started cosplaying in 2008. According to her, cosplay originated in Japan. It’s where anime (Japanese animation) and manga (Japanese comic books) came from. As people started going to conventions dressed up as their favorite characters, they soon attracted attention and generated interest. The practice eventually spread overseas and became a global phenomenon. With the rise of anime in the Philippines, it was inevitable that cosplay would also begin and flourish here.

What attracted Monique to cosplaying is the opportunity to portray a character. After all, most everyone wants to be his or her favorite movie, literary, video or cartoon character. The appeal of cosplay is that you get to BE that character. Evident in her monicker -- Geisha Girl -- Monique’s favorite cosplay is Geiko (geisha). It has since become her trademark, the character she is now well-known for among cosplaying circles.

Unforgettable for Monique is winning a competition for the first time. It was during Ame 8^th Avenue in 2008; it was also her second attempt to cosplay and to “catwalk.” She confessed she was perfectly happy just to compete.“The other contestants were so amazing, really incredible, so winning was really unexpected,” she exclaims.

Another hard to forget experience took place during theMangaholix event in 2009. Struck by what she calls as Murphy’s Law, she had a costume fail. Dressed asSorceress Edea from Final Fantasy VIII, she wore a gigantic arch which unfortunately fell apart in the middle of the convention. “There was practically no saving it but as professional artists say, the show must go on,” she laughs.

Monique loves cosplaying so much that her only regret is not having co-splayed sooner.

I asked who her favorite cosplayer is and who she thinks is the icon of cosplaying in the Philippines. At first, she demurred, saying she would have a hard time picking a favorite cosplayer. In the two years she has been in the cosplay scene, she had seen so many people and so many “amazing,amazing” cosplayers, both in the Philippines and around the world. Eventually, she lets on that she holds in high esteem the legendary Kaname from Japan. As far as cosplay icons in the country go, she believes Alodia holds the distinction. Alodia Gosiengfiao, Animax's first ever Levi's Kawaii girl winner in Mad Mad Fun remains the most famous and iconic Filipino cosplayer.

Monique plans to continue cosplaying with traditional characters. But she is capable of breaking the pattern every now and then to try something new.

Her dream cosplay is to become a perfect geiko. By that she means a genuine hikizuri (geiko kimono), with the perfect wig, accessories and make-up -- the works! 

Cosplaying is at once a hobby and passion for Geisha girl. She admits that she really doesn’t earn enough from it to call it work. She would give anything, though, to make it her full-time career, she gushes. But right now, she only gets paid for appearances on TV and magazine articles and interviews. 

Her advice to people who would like to try cosplay is for them to find the character that they would truly love to be.“It’s not about going with the trend or what’s popular. It all comes down to who they feel they want to be and want to portray.” For her, each convention she goes to is like a massive stage. “When people look at you, they should see the character you ought to be,” she asserts. 

When not cosplaying, she adopts a fashion style she describes as “hyper-trendy.” She favors Shibuya-style or Korean pop style clothes, as she loves to dress up and have fun. 

The latest cosplay event where she sashayed as her favorite character was at the Cosplaymania X in the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia last October 2, 2010. A portfolio of Monique in cosplay can be found on her deviantart, multiply, and facebook page which she updates regularly.

Photo credits to Monique Dimanlig

___

Simon Francis Blaise R. Vistro wants to be known as SiRVis (an amalgamation of his name, profession as a teacher and penchant for service). He is a polymath wannabe in the fields of training and education, civic voluntarism, sports, arts, travel and social networking. Born and raised in Dagupan City, he is a staunch advocate of the preservation of Pangasinan language, arts, and culture.

Ang Tabo: Proudly Pinoy

Reposted from: The Philippine Online Chronicles Buhay Pinoy Section.

Tayong mga Pinoy ay sadyang matalino at malikhain. Magaling tayong gumawa ng paraan lalo na kapag kinakailangan. Filipino ingenuity kumbaga. May isang bagay na matatagpuan sa ating bahay na siyang maihahantulad sa katangiang ito ng Filipino. Ito’y tan-ta-ran-tan-tan (sound effect)… ang tabo.

Oo, tabo. Ang bagay na kung wala ay mahihirapan tayong gawin ang maraming bagay at tila kulang ang ating buhay. Sinasalamin nito ang ating pagkaFilipino saan lupalop man tayo ng mundo. Ito na rin marahil ay kabilang sa ating kaugalian at kultura. Mahirap o mayaman man ay gumagamit ng tabo. Sabi nga nila, siguradong Pinoy ka kung may tabo ka sa banyo. Ito’y isa sa mga tinaguriang bagay na ‘onli in da Pilipins’. Ito ay dipper o water scooper para sa mga Ingleserang Pinoy (na kung akalain mo ay parang hindi marunong magsalita ng sariling wika), ‘kaor’ sa aking kinagisnang salitang Pangasinan, ‘tako’ sa Ilocano, ‘kabo’ sa Bisaya, at simpleng ‘tabo’ para sa karamihan ng Pinoy.

Ito ay kadalasang gawa sa plastic. Minsan ito ay aluminum, tin o bakal. Ang tabo ay maaaring bilhin sa mall, tiangge at bangketa, “rolling store” ng isang maglalakong umiikot sa bahay-/bahay, kasama ng relief goods noong bagyong Ondoy at Pepeng, o kaya’y napanalunan sa ‘roleta ng kapalaran’ sa perya. Pwede na ring tabo  yung lata ng gatas ni James, plastic na pinaglagyan ng payborit mong Stick ‘O, kaserolang hindi na mahanap yung takip, disposable cup ng paborito mong fastfood chain (lalo na kung walang tissue at inabutan ka ng matinding tawag ng kalikasan sa may mall) o yung gallon na may hawakan (automatic pa ang refill tulad sa CR ng mga babae sa QC Hall of justice ayon sa tweet in @cesdrilon)

Maraming gamit ang tabo. Hindi lang ito ginagamit tuwing maliligo, maghuhugas ng kamay o puwet at pandilig ng halaman. Bukod dito, pwede itong maging lalagyan ng sabon, shampoo at conditioner. Sa may kanto namin, ito ay ginagamit na pantagay ng mga tambay at lalagyan ng tinimplang ‘chaser’ o kaya ginagawang ice bucket. Ito ay ginagamit na pinagiinuman ng tubig poso pagkatapos ng ‘salong’ o pick-up games ng basketball sa may maalikabok na basketball court. Madalas din itong gamitin bilang baso habang nagsisipilyo. Pinaglalagyan ito ng mainit na noodles (expired na pero pwede pa daw kainin) na galing sa ‘pakurong’ o pinambili ng boto ng mga politiko noong eleksyon. Ito rin ay upuan ni Manang Ising habang naglalaba. Baso ito para kay Mang Gil habang naghihintay ng rasyon ng tubig. Tuwing lamay, ito ay lalagyan ng ‘tong’ mula sa ‘Lucky Nine’ at ‘Pusoy Dos’. Dito rin inilalagay ni Atsi Cora yung barya nya habang naglalaro ng ‘Tong Its’ buong araw. Pinangtatakal din ito ng bigas, bagoong o suka kung bibili ka ng tingi sa iyong suking tindahan. Pinangsasadok din ito ng mainit na sabaw ng ‘kaleskes’ na specialty ng Dagupan, ‘sinanglaw’ ng Vigan at pampabatang bulalo. Pinambabato ito ni misis kay mister na inuumaga ng uwi. Siguro tabo na ngayon ang binabato kse mahal na ang plato. Tool box ito at lalagyan ng pako, turnilyo at toks ng karpinterong si Kuya Paquing. Dito binababad ang ‘bimpo’ sa maaligamgam na tubig na siyang ipampupunas sa batang nilalagnat para pababain ang temperature. Tuwing tag-ulan, itinatapat ito sa butas ng bubong kung saan sinasalo nito ang tubig ulan. Pansamantalang aquarium ito sa pet shop at paso sa plant shop. Dito kumakain si Spotty at si Miming, ang aming aso at pusa. Pangsandok din ito ng kanin at ulam tuwing ‘poncia’ at malaking handaan sa probinsya. Ashtray din daw ito tuwing inuman session comment ni Wenax facebook ko. Aba’y ginagamit din pala ang tabo sa pagrampa sa isang fashion show. Dito binababad ng mga alahera ang alahas sa suka para malaman kung peke ito o hindi. Pinaglalagyan ito ng bulaklak ng Rosal na pinitas ni Mama sa aming hardin. Ito ay sombrero ni Luke habang naglalaro at nagkukunyaring bumbero. Ito ay arinola ni Mamang Manding nung buhay pa siya. Ginagawa din itong metaphor at halimbawa ng mga matatanda habang nangangaral sa mga kabataang lakwatsera at hindi nagpapaalam: “Kung tabo nga ay hinahanap, ikaw pa kaya?”

Napakahalaga para sa atin ang tabo. Nakasulat sa Definitely Filipino facebook page na hindi kumpleto ang pagligo kahit may shower kung walang tabo. Minsan kahit may basag at butas na ito, hindi pa pinapalitan at gustong gusto pa nating gamitin. Kaysa palitan ang butas na tabo, tinatapalan na lang natin ito ng Vulca Seal. Sa dami ng gamit nito, para itong niyog na tinaguriang “tree of life”. Samakatuwid ang tabo ay matatawag na “cup of life”. Ang tabo ay kulturang Pinoy at prinsipyong pinaglaban ni Amador Bernabe, isang migranteng manggagawa sa Australia na natanggal sa trabaho dahil sa paggamit ng improvised tabo. Mahiwagang tabo ito para sa Anak ni Kulapo. Hinahanap niya ang kakaibang sarap na dulot nito kahit sangkatutak ang tissue at kahit merong gripong panghugas sa ilalim ng inuupuang inidoro. Kahit ang mga sosyal at pinakamayaman na pamilya ay gumagamit na tabo. Simbolo din ito ng kaugaliang kalinisan ng Pinoy. Ang paggamit ng tabo ay mahusay na paraan upang makatipid ng tubig.

Bukod sa kaugalian at nakasanayang gawain, bahagi din ng kasaysayan at literaturang Filipino ang tabo. Tuwing Pista ni San Juan ito ay paboritong gamitin para sa tradisyonal na ‘basaan’. Noong sinaunang panahon ang diyos ng ulan at hangin ay tinatawag na Anitong Tabo. Sa El Filibusterismo ni Rizal, ang bapor na inihahambing sa pamahalaan ay Bapor Tabo. Ang tabo noong panahon ng ating lolo’t lola ay gawa sa kawayan o bao ng niyog at ang banga na nasa batalan ang siyang lalagyan ng tubig.

Kung ako ang masusunod, imumungkahi ko na ang tabo ang gawing ‘pambansang bagay o gamit’.  Isasama ko ito sa hanay ni Manny Pacquiao, ang pambansang kamao; Philippine eagle na siyang pambansang ibon; at Eat Bulaga ang pambansang palatuntunan tuwing tanghali.

Ang tabo ay parang Pinoy. Iba’t-ibang uri at yari, matatagpuan kung saan-saan (Ayon sa Tabo Travel Troupe, ito ay metapora para sa Filipino diaspora), versatile, magaling sa multi-tasking, maabilidad, maasahaan, malinis, at maraming pakinabang at gamit.

Mahalin natin at ipagmalaki ang tabo. Sapagkat ang tabo ay proudly Filipino.

Photos: Edited from Tabo Travel Troupe.