Sibagat

Submitted by gat on Sat, 08/30/2008 - 9:48pm

Sibagat or dry season rice crop used to be planted in June but due to heavy rains in April, planting started early and most harvesting was done in August. This land in northern Catanduanes was used to be irrigated some 10 years ago but due to government's minimal funding for irrigation systems, hindi na ito irrigated kaya sahod ulan na lang. Due to the recent rice crisis, binubuhay uli irrigation systems. Sana makapag irrigate na especially during the dry season in early 2009. The other problem of farmers is high cost of fertilizers and chemicals. This results in low harvest due to the practice of leisa or low external input system of agriculture.

The image of new rice harvest brings to mind the saying by old folks na gahababaw daw ang bubot pag bagong ani ang kinaon na humay or maluto. Bakit kaya?

Sibagat

Rice Fields

Jorge O. Macenas's picture
Submitted by Jorge O. Macenas on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 8:22pm.

Thank you Gat for posting this beautiful picture of our folks reaping the fruit of their labor so to speak. I cant help but be nostalgic while looking at the picture. I'm not sure if this picture was taken in Viga but seems to me the panoramic view is a place after Penafrancia going to Bangkerohan with the open cut mountain pass in the backdrop.

Harvest time is always a special event with the old folks saying hababaw na naman an bubot. It means the bo-ak ( a big wooden box with 50 or more cavans capacity) is again filled to the brim. It also means goodbye for now to baraning kamote or moros or taryan kaya nabawasan an pag utot kaya sabi nila hababaw an bubot kun bagong ani nin paray.

Those were the days when I always volunteered na magbantay sa pag ani looking forward to Palusot of a few cavans of palay, or secretly accepting a shot or two of Sioktong and puffing some smoke from unfiltered penafrancia cigarette when my grandafather was not watching.

Thresing ( paguron using the feet doing cha cha steps) the palay was usually done until seven or eight PM using Karaba or petromax for lighting. The best part was the hauling of palay from the ricefield using kangga or kariton. This was the moment a cavan or two of palay usually "fell" from the kariton while passing in front of Lola Silay's store.

Memories oh! wonderful sweet memories.

Sibagat@JOM

Dave's picture
Submitted by Dave on Mon, 09/01/2008 - 11:57pm.

I had the same thought... I also think this was taken along the Provincial Road... stretch towards Bagamanoc from Penafrancia with the Suba to the left of this picture. Thanks Gat.

He he he... kagi ka man paran ninyon ano jorge... natanak na sako... ha ha ha... tinanak ka pabakaran! ha ha ha.

In Baras I always enjoy how my father would bring along gin and forcing the women to drink till drunk and the singing and the dancing while threashing starts. This is the time when a two hour of threshing last till wee hours in the morning with everyone singing and dancing! I remember how many folks will volunteer to help because papa always do that every harvest time and stories of how some would creep through the sagop sa kaburtokan will surface the next harvest season.

Yeah, those were the days.

Dave

Anihan Then and Now

Submitted by gat on Tue, 09/02/2008 - 6:28pm.

You're right Sirs. The place is called Mahaba of Brgy Penafrancia near the national road from Viga to Payo. I too have fond memories of anihan back then. A unique kind of trade happens only during anihan - barter with palay. The seller would go to each farm na may ga ani. For drinks aside from Sioktong, there is tuba and paog (from nipa), ngayon ginebra na. Sa pang meryenda naman, noon ikan special kind of puto that comes only during anihan, made from binayong bigas, hinorma sa bagor at may minatamis na niyog sa loog. Ngayon tinapay na. Noon pigaguron nin siki kaya madari pag dakuro ang bitiis. Now there is mechanical tresher. Noon ang sharing sa gaani pag magayon ay 1/9 now it's 1/7. Then, there are more nutritious brown rice like bakhaw and milagrosa, ngayon, halos wala na.

But then as now, due to lack of irrigation and other factors, and despite the introduction of new technologies, hindi pa rin masyadong umaangat ang ani ng ating mga parauma. And then as now, ang mga bakero ay laging umaabang sa dating ng anihan dahil puede nang buhian ang karbaw.

sibagat

Submitted by mandariman on Wed, 09/03/2008 - 7:21am.

familiar ako sa lugar na to. permi ko tong piga agihan from payo going to viga or virac. pag 'kataonan' magayon yan paray dinto pag 'sibagat' medyo maluya ta patiprak lang yan paagi nin pag tanaman nin binhi. nagilomduman ko excited ako pag matagbo ko sa pag ani, ang rason ikan 'makipanhanap' or makibanli nin paray dara yan "binotong" kinis sioktong, gin atp. kaya maabot man yan pag banga nin paray hingaw na ako.

Paghingaw sa Anihan

Submitted by gat on Fri, 09/05/2008 - 8:37pm.

Baga pigatuyo yan paghingaw sa kagsadili nin uma paggaani. Para mag dawha ang tanaw mo sa sadong sakong nakatindog. Naguilomdoman ko ang ganitong bangaan - Sado sa imong kagsadili, sado sa akong paraoma; Dawha sa imo, sado, dawha sa ako....etc. Makareklamo ka pa man daw kong bundat buda lashhingg ka na?