The Naga I Know Or Apologia Pro Fiesta Sua Carlos Ojeda Aureus
C
ITY OF NAGA, heart of Bicol, thy son greets thee.
When Bicol Critic oods !antos as"ed #e if I $ould li"e to $rite on the Naga I "no$ for An%il, I said, $ould I& at once. I $as 'orn in Naga, I gre$ u( and studied in Naga, #y #other $as 'orn in Naga, #y grandfather $as 'orn in Naga. )ntil the age of *+, I "ne$ no other (lace on earth ece(t Naga. But $hen I sat do$n to 'egin $riting #y i#(ressions, I reali-ed that I $as not in (ossession of the occasion. It has 'een a good #any years e%er since I had left #y ho#eto$n, and #y (ortrait of Naga, for sure, $ould 'e i##ensely different fro# the uotidian city that it is today. Other $riters/Naga0'ased and not self0styled eiles li"e #yself/are certainly #ore eual to the tas". Ne%ertheless, I earnestly $ish you $ould indulge an old #an the (leasure of a (ortrait of the city he lo%es, al'eit a city of the (ast. I can only ho(e you could fish out so#ething you #ay find useful 1if there 'e any2 or discard $hat3s useless. useless. Begging your indulgence, therefore, here goes nothing . . . The Naga I "no$ is a city of calesas, %oti%e candles, and e%ening (rocessions. It is the dou'le (rogra# #o%ies at Cine Bichara, the toasted sio(ao and (ancit guisado at Naga 4estaurant, idoy 5en3 Na(i in Hagyanan in Hagyanan sa Kabitoonan, Kabitoonan, and 6olo Biloy in Darigold in Darigold Jamboree. Jamboree. The Naga I "no$ is li"e the 7ass in 6atin $ith the (riest facing the altar. It is Cala#ay, the local !ocrates, in the centro8 centro8 and in the afternoons, it is 9ddie Alanis o%er radio station :4B, the only radio station in Bicol then, in the (rogra#, ;ear 9ddie.< =as Naga changed #uch> I ho(e not. But if it has, 'ecause e%erything else #ust change, I ho(e it is along the %ein of continuities, li"e the change fro# Ateneo de Naga College to Ateneo de Naga University. University. Then the (ast $hich I (retend to re(resent could (erha(s not only 'e useful 'ut also true, good and 'eautiful. Ad#ittedly, Ad#ittedly, not e%erything a'out the (ast is (leasant. Not e%erything 'efore ?atican ?atican II $as (leasant. For ea#(le, I didn3t li"e it $hen o utsiders started cutting the trees into logs in #y neigh'orhood. I ha%e 'een an ad%ocate of total log 'an since 'irth, 'ecause I 'elie%e that all logging is i##oral, just as all #ining is i##oral. I also didn3t li"e it $hen the local "anto 'oys $ould #a"e fun of Ara'ia, a local $o#an in our neigh'orhood $ho (erha(s 'ecause of (o%erty had lost her #ind. I could not understand $hy, instead instead of (itying her, the "anto 'oys $ould #a"e fun of her/ 1
Kakak, Kakak! Arabia Kakak! /and I $ould cry each ti#e they3d do that, and then the "anto 'oys $ould call #e bakla, $hen that $ord #eant #a#a3s 'oy, sissy 'oy, or ;too sensiti%e.< Because #y #aternal grand#other ca#e fro# !(ain, I3%e had #y share of re%erse discri#ination@ Kastilang bagla Nag odo sa bala! Once, in school during recess ti#e, I $as suddenly (unched fro# 'ehind 'y an angry 'ully $ho 'la#ed #e for "illing 4i-al. Although these e(eriences ga%e #e years of insecurities and af"aesue feelings of guilt, they $ere rare and far 'et$een. The (leasant #e#ories o%erta"e the ugly ones. One e(erience stands out that to this day #ade #e (roud to 'e a Bicolano. In ++, the !(anish A#'assador ca#e to the =oly 4osary !e#inary u(on in%itation of Arch'isho( Dedro D. !antos. Arch'isho( !antos, the first Arch'isho( of Nue%a CEceres, $as a #an "no$n for his "indness, hu#ility, saintliness/and #astery of the !(anish language. =o$ $e lo%ed to hear his ho#ilies in the Naga Cathedral deli%ered entirely in !(anish and in the al#ost (oetic diction of Cer%antes and 4i-al. Any$ay, in the se#inary, during the (rogra#, after Arch'isho( !antos had deli%ered his ete#(oraneous s(eech, the A#'assador, 'rea"ing (rotocol, stood u( and declared@ ;Your Arch'isho( s(ea"s !(anish 'etter than H of #y country#en.< 9ach and e%ery one of us se#inarians stood ten feet tall, (roud to 'e a Fili(ino, (roud to 'e a Bicolano. Yes, I lo%e !(anish/not 'ecause #y #aternal grand#other ca#e fro# !(ain 'ut 'ecause it is, li"e Bicol, the language of the angels. Bah, I ha%e ne%er hidden #y lo%e for !(ain and its i#(rint on Naga, let the anti0 andor (ost0colonial eggheads go hang. Dedro de Cha%e- ca#e, rena#ed ou r ri%er to$n after CEceres in !(ain, and 'rought in the 4o#an Catholic Faith/$hat3s so (ro'le#atic a'out that> One of the fe$ things I $ant to see 'efore I dra$ the curtain do$n/a(art fro# #y $ish that #y se#inary class#ate, no$ Arch'isho(, Tito Yllana 'eco#e Cardinal/is the return of the teaching of !(anish in the classroo#s. And 6atin, too, for good #easure, $hy not>+ The !(ain that I lo%e, ho$e%er, is not (ost#odern !(ain 'ut Franco3s !(ain, the old !(ain, es(ecially the old 7adrid of #y youth, the city I $ant to descri'e a little 'it #ore in this essay 'ecause of its stri"ing cultural and geogra(hical rese#'lance to Naga. Once again, $ith your indulgence . . . An old 7adrid saying 'oasts that there is only one (lace on earth 'etter than 7adrid/ and that is hea%en. 1
And when my life is over, may Our Lady pull me by my Brown Scapular and bring me to God Who nows all things to answer the one burning !uestion " want to put to rest once and for all# W$O %&ALL' W%O(& S$A)&S*&A%&+
De Madrid al cielo But hea%en itself/our (ro%er'ial 7adrileJo $ould hasten to add /hea%en itself can 'e i#(ro%ed a 'it only if it had a little $indo$ o%erloo"ing 7adrid. Y desde el cielo, un agujerito ara seuir vi"ndolo# I #ust ad#it that 7adrid3s 'oast is $ell0deser%ed. 6i"e Naga, 7adrid lies at the %ery heart of !(ain. )nli"e Naga, ho$e%er, 7adrid 'eca#e ca(ital of !(ain #ore 'y g eogra(hical accident than as a result of any intrinsic %irtues. It had no natural ad%antages, and it had ne%er co#(ared in ter#s of cultural or historic interest $ith the great cities of !e%illa, Granada, or Toledo. ing Feli(e II #o%ed the ca(ital fro# ?alladolid to 7adrid in +K+ 'ecause, if you loo" at the #a( of !(ain, 7adrid is located right s#ac" in the center of the #a(. !o, argued the "ing in characteristic !(anish logic, the seat of go%ern#ent #ust 'e esta'lished here. Besides, the cli#ate $as good for the "ing3s gout. The Dhili((ines, 'y the $ay, is na#ed after Feli(e II. Be that as it #ay, 7adrid has gro$n fro# a relati%ely un"no$n %illage in +K+ to 'eco#e one of the #ost (leasant cities to %isit in 9uro(e. 7adrid, $ith its Duerta del !ol, its Dla-a 7ayor, its ta%erns and cafLs, and its (ar"s filled $ith flo$ers, truly, li"e Naga, is a ha((y (lace@ Madrid, Madrid, Madrid $eda%o de la &s$a'a en ue nac( $or eso te )i%o Dios la cuna del reuiebro y el c)otis Madrid, Madrid, Madrid en M"*ico se $iensa muc)o en ti $or el sabor ue tienen tus verbenas $or tantas cosas buenas ue so'amos desde au(# Y vas a ver lo ue es canela +ina y armar la tremolina cuando llegues a Madrid# If Naga 'y day $as the centro, Naga 'y night $as the )arana. I re#e#'er ho$ as a 'oy I3d acco#(any #y uncles, as $e negotiated the Bicol 4i%er 'y 'anca fro# Tinago to ayangdang, ar#ed $ith a guitar and a 'ass instru#ent #ade fro# an e#(ty gasoline dru#. Because I $as the only du##y a#ong 'lo"es $ho could (luc" the right strings, I $ould hide in the shado$s and $ait for their signal for #e to 'egin@ ;7aestro, (asa"alye.< The ueen of haranas $as of course arung -anggui@ arung banggi sa )igdaan Nakadangog ako )inuni nin sarung gamgam
-
a luba ko katorogan -ako kundi simong boses iyo $alan Dagos ako bangon si sakuyang mata binuklat, Kadtong kadikloman ako nangalagkalag i sakong $ag)eling $asiring sa itaas Na)eling ko simong la.og mali.anag
T
=9 OT=94 TODIC oods $anted #e to $rite a'out is Naga3s de%otion to Ina, as o'ser%ed
in the DeJafrancia fiesta, $hich is cele'rated e%ery third $ee" of !e(te#'er. Naga in !e(te#'er is different fro# Naga outside !e(te#'er. In !e(te#'er Naga City a$a"ens to 'eco#e the te#(oral seat of noise and cele'rations in honor of Nuesta !eJora de DeJafrancia, Datroness of Bicolandia. !e(te#'er is the #onth of the TraslaciMn and the Flu%ial Drocession. =ere3s a %ignette of $hat ha((ens during the Flu%ial Drocession. A'out the #iddle of the afternoon, a long (rocession led 'y (riests and se#inarians lea%es the Naga Cathedral ringing $ith 'ells. The ?irgin rides high on the shoulders of 'eery0 eyed #ales. A s$ar# of hu#anity, ignoring #ud and rain, stirs Naga to a tu#ult of e(loding ;?i%a3s.< The street (rocession ends in Ta'uco Bridge $here a Dagoda a$aits. As the i#age arri%es, the s"ies s(ar"le $ith $ater0'ursts, as (addles sla( hard the surface of the ri%er and s(lash u($ards so that $ater flies in all directions. All hands are cla((ing and cheering the i#age. Those $ho join the Dagoda include the 'and, so#e (riests and se#inarians, so#e (olice#en, and the ;chosen fe$.< Those not allo$ed e#'ar"ing cling to the sides of the raft. Their $eight (ulls do$n the raft that nearly ends u( half0sun" in the $ater. 7ean$hile, along the 'an"s of the ri%er, thousands a$ait the holy cruise. It is al#ost t$ilight $hen the ?irgin drifts fro# u( the ri%er, and the hillsides are no$ dotted $ith %oti%e candles, and the ri%er'an"s tee#, sardine0(ac"ed, $ith de%otees. !uddenly fire$or"s s$ish and e(lode. The ?irgin is arri%ing& =oarse shouts of ;?i%a3s< roar across the Bicol 4i%er. )( the ri%er no$ drifts the lu#inous Dagoda 'earing the ?irgin and the i%ino 4ostro. The 'and is (laying a religious #arch, $hile the louds(ea"er leads the faithful in singing /esuene 0ibrante. In the distance the church is ringing $ith 'ells, as voyadores 'o' and $ea%e in the $aters 'oo#ing 0iva la 0irgen& )ntil recently, it $as easy for #e to e(lain to non0Bicolanos the #anner in $h ich $e %enerate the ?irgin@ the drin"ing, the screa#ing, the scri##ages to$ards the i#age, the clinging to the Dagoda li"e des(erate #en. . . . We NagueJos ha%e often 'een as"ed $hy $e 'eha%e li"e this at all. What are %oyadores, 'eery0eyed s$igs, and gluttons doing in a religious e%ent li"e this> .
It3s a long story that goes $ay 'ac" to (ri#iti%e ti#es. When the !(aniards ca#e to this ri%er to$n and introduced Christianity, #any of us did not acce(t the ne$ religion. We already 'elie%ed in God. Only $e called =i#=er 'y a different na#e. We also 'elie%ed in Ina. We still call her Ina. We e(ressed this 'elief in God through dance and loud declarations of lo%e. Why change our $ays> !o the !(aniards called us cimarrones or montesinos. Than"s to the Catholic talent for ada(ta'ility/$ith a little (ersuasion, !(anish style/$e e#'raced Christianity, dressed our Ina 1and oursel%es2 in ur'an c lothes, and 'eha%ed li"e ur'anites ele%en #onths of the year. In !e(te#'er, ho$e%er, $e (referred to e(ress our de%otion the $ay $e felt $as #ost natural to us/the $ay of the ci#arrones, resulting in a cultural u#laut that is the DeJafrancia, a fiesta uniuely NagueJo, grounded in our nati%e history, $ith full a((urtenance to the Christian heritage. I ha%e su'titled this essay A(ologia Dro Fiesta !ua 'ecause of an incident that ha((ened last !e(te#'er, $hen a grou( of foreign and local 9%an gelicals Christians troo(ed the streets of Naga to hec"le our religious tradition. I could ha%e ta"en it on the chin in the s(irit of hos(itality, until the 'i'le0'angers started accusing us of idolatry, and, $orse, judging us guilty as hell for $orshi((ing 7ary. Worshi((ing> In this #y a(ologia, I shall use the ru'ric 9%angelical in its 'roadest generic sense to identify a #indset rather than a deno#ination of Bi'licists and 'orn0again Christians/e%en as #y descri(tion #ay a((ly to as sundry refor#ed churches such as (raise0the0lord charis#atics and (rotestants in general. The issue is not 7arian $orshi( 'ut analogy. The Catholic i#agination is analogical 1a%id Tracy2* as distinguished fro# dialectical 1Drotestant Christianity, Isla#, udais#2. By dialectical is #eant God is u( there, $e are do$n here. God is the Other, the =oly. In order for us to 'eco#e holy, $e #ust as(ire to 'e one $ith the Other. To the Catholic i#agination, ho$e%er, this $orld is an analogue of God, not only 'ecause God created it 'ut also 'ecause God is actually in the $orld. ou'tless, God transcends the $orld, 'ut God is nonetheless accessi'le to us in the $orld. This tension 'eco#es crucial $hen it co#es to 7arian de%otion. We 4o#an Catholics see no ris" to God3s otherness in seeing Nuestra !enora as an analogue of God3s nurturing, #aternal lo%e. 9%angelicals, on the other hand, $ould see it as not #aintaining a shar( enough distinction 'et$een God and the $orld. 9%angelicals teach that God is hidden e%ery$here and found only in the re%elation of esus Christ. esus alone is God3s Word. Nuestra !eJora is clearly not God3s Word. To co#(are her to God3s 7otherhood is not only ina((ro(riate 'ut also dangerous. =a%en3t $e learned our lessons fro# Old Testa#ent conflicts 'et$een Yah$ehis# and (agan fertility rites>
/avid (racy, The Analogical Imagination0 ew 'or# 2rossroad, 13410
5
The Catholic i#agination e#(hasi-es similarities 'et$een God and the $orld8 9%angelicalis# e#(hasi-es the di++erences, stressing o((osition, 'et$een God and the $orld. A Catholic has little fear of a God that is too do$n here. An 9%angelical $ould 'e horrified if $e identified God too closely to nature. The 9%angelical says only the $orthy ones $ill 'e sa%ed. The Catholic i#agination, li"e Finnegans Wa"e, (roclai#s ;=ere Co#es 9%ery'ody.< To the 9%angelical, this $orld is a tale told 'y an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. A Catholic $ould 'e 'ound to say, $ith Father Teilhard de Chardin, that ;so#ething is afoot in the uni%erse.< This is so, 'ecause $hile the 9%angelical sees the $orld as a dangerous (lace $here e%il lur"s e%ery$here, the Catholic sees the $orld, as =o ("ins does, charged $ith the grandeur of God. And I #ay add, God3s Beauty c)arges the $orld. For ho$ can there 'e a 'eautiful creation $ithout a 'eautiful Creator> A Catholic is 'ound to thin" of God, not of the de%il, each ti#e he sees a 'eautiful creature. For God3s Beauty lur"s in e%ery 'eautiful creature, in e%ery 'eautiful girl@ in 7ariang 7a"iling, in ?enus de 7ilo, in $an Yin, in the stri(teaser of Naga Ca'aret, in I"a(ati, in #y 'eautiful fe#ale student in 6atin, in #y #ischie%ous granddaughter nic"na#ed Ty(hoon, in the Blessed ?irgin 7ary. For ho$ can I relate to a God $ho resides 'eyond all hu#an e(erience> =o$ can God 'e a co#(elling (resence in #y life unless =e!he is i##anent> If your sensi'ility is 9%angelicaldialectical, you $on3t a((ro%e of the drin"ing and the shouting that acco#(any the 1raslaci2n and the Flu%ial Darade. That sounds #ore li"e (agan 'acchanalia. If your sensi'ility is Catholic, ho$e%er, you $ould see it as a ;'a(tis#< of the good custo#s and (ractices of the cimarrones, as they ha%e 'een a'sor'ed into the Christian Faith. If your sensi'ility is 9%angelicaldialectical, you3d fro$n at 'eer houses, .eteng , and sey dancers. These (ractices are occasions to sin/if not outright sinful/and sin, real or i#agined, is al$ays lur"ing in the $orld of the 9%angelical i#agination. But if you are 4o#an Catholic, you #ay 'e inclined to tolerate the#/e%en as you are a$are of their dangers/ 'ecause they are not e%il (er se, 'ecause .eteng is a (art of life, and 'ecause NagueJos are going to drin" and ga#'le and $atch sey dancers, any$ay. Ad#ittedly, the analogical i#agination lies in danger of o(ening the floodgates of su(erstition, idolatry, 7ariolatry, or, $orst of all, consu#eris#. We concede that Catholicis# has 'een %ulnera'le to a((ro(riation 'y nature religions and #aterialis#, $hile 9%angelicalis# has 'een a'le to a%oid such corru(tion. We ha%e not heard of fol"09%angelicalis#, 'ut fol"0 Catholicis# is nothing ne$ to us. I thin" 9%angelicalis#3s (ositi%e contri'ution is its negati%e dialectics. By not allo$ing any #eeting (oint 'et$een God and the $orld, 9%angelicalis# has acted as o#'uds#an to (re%ent us fro# going off trac" and fro# letting our i#agination run a#uc". What is not $elco#e is the siege #entality of those $ho clai# that they alone (ossess the truth, and the outright o((ression they inflict u(on those $ho do not share their uni%ocal ideologies.
6
What is $elco#e is a $illingness to listen, to engage in dialogue, or, 'etter, con%ersation, if dialogue can lead to argu#ent. In a (luralistic co##unity, $e all need to articulate the (articularities of our o$n journeys. Con%ersation allo$s us to see $hat si#ilarities #ay 'e disco%ered a#id our differences, $hat continuities for future har#ony #ay yet 'e disclosed. In the di--ying cele'rations of the DeJafrancia fiesta, $e run the ris" of sliding into the (reci(ice of so0called (agan conta#ination. There is al$ays the clear and (resent danger that if $e (er#it the $orld unli#ited access, $e #ay find oursel%es stuc" $ith altogether too #uch of hu#an nature. On the other hand, $e also "no$ that if $e eclude hu#an nature too #uch 'y thro$ing a$ay our statues and #iraculous #edals and sca(ulars and rosaries and i#ages of e%ery "ind8 if $e stri( our churches of e%erything 'ut a solitary cross and 'i'le, if $e cele'rate the fiesta $ithout the drin"ing and the shouting and the feasting, $e run the ris" of cele'rating a religious tradition that is denatured/decaffeinated, if you $ill/and not %ery a((ealing to those of us $ho (ossess hu#an nature. Why thro$ the 'a'y $ith the 'ath$ater> The origins of our de%otion are honest, as are its o(erations in the 4o#an Catholic Church. Why #ust $e 'e (ut off 'y the #isuse of the sy#'ol> Why can3t $e redisco%er that original re(resentation and reinter(ret that for the (resent day> I ha%e tal"ed $ith so#e Bicolano students a'out the fiesta. Fro# $hat I gather, I can see that the i#age of Nuestra !eJora a#ong the young generation is $ar#, (o$erful, and influential in their li%es, e%en though #any of the# #ay ha%e ne%er heard of !i#on ?ela or (rayed the no%ena or said the 4osary. What #atter. I thin" the DeJafrancia fiesta $ill (re%ail 'ecause the (o$er of its 4eferent, $hich is God3s nurturing, life0gi%ing, caring nature, is the urgent need for our ti#es. There is so #uch hatred, too #uch greed and en%y in the $orld. The challenge is not to esche$ the fe#inine side of God 'ut rather to redisco%er, to rearticulate, to reinter(ret it to the *+st century. I do not see ho$ e%en the 9%angelicals can e%en (re%ent this fro# ha((ening. I thin" the uestion is not ;$hether< 'ut ;ho$ soon>< The 9%angelicals #ay disli"e it, as they disli"e sca(ulars or #iraculous #edals8 yet Nuestra !eJora is ali%e and $ell in 4o#an Catholic Naga, and the sooner !he is redisco%ered, the sooner e%erything good, true, and 'eautiful a'out Naga $ill 'e redisco%ered. You #ay dis#iss #y A(ologia Dro Fiesta !ua as self0dece(ti%e, too cele'ratory, too ho(eful. 7y only (oint here is that it is 4o#an Catholic. I thin" no religion in the $orld in the last *K years has e#erged $ith a story line as o(enly and 'latantly ho(eful as the 4o#an Catholic story line/a history of rene$als, of reconciliations, of second chances, of (rodigal sons returning ho#e. Yes, there is sin and suffering and death. But in the end, life is stronger than death, lo%e is stronger than hate, light is stronger than dar"ness, good is stronger than e%il. In the Catholic i#agination, Cal%ary is not the last $ord. The last $ord is 9aster. I 'elie%e that this ho(e and cele'ration of the Catholic i#agination has not 'een co##unicated e(licitly to enough Catholics. But its i#(rint is sta#(ed in the 'lood and 'ones of e%ery NagueJo. If you studied at 7onsignor Belle-a3s Naga Darochial !chool, the =oly 7
4osary !e#inary, the Colegio de !anta Isa'el, and the Ateneo de Naga, the odds a re o%er$hel#ing that your sensi'ility $ill 'e 4o#an Catholic no #atter $hat else ha((ens. You #ay 'e a la(sed Catholic, an agnostic, or $hat not, 'ut you $ill ne%er 'e, no #atter ho$ hard you try, a non0Catholic. !o#e ti#e ago, inside a fastfood restaurant in ue-on City, t$o strangers a((roached #e and introduced the#sel%es as fello$ Bicolanos/ taga Naga. When Naguenos #eet outside Naga, our con%ersation $ill al#ost necessarily 'egin $ith ;ma $uli kamo>/ es(ecially $hen it3s !e(te#'er. And it .as !e(te#'er. Because none of us could go ho#e again, $e shared our life stories, $hich necessarily included ho$ the DeJafrancia fiesta had sha(ed our li%es/fro# the grand fa#ily reunions $here e%eryone $ould gather around the (iano to the #oonlight nights of haranas along the 'an"s of the Bicol 4i%er. And 'ecause it $as fiesta 'ac" ho#e, $e ended u( singing /esuene 0ibrante. In the #iddle of the song, ho$e%er, none of us cou ld continue, not 'ecause $e did not "no$ the $ords 1$hich $e learned 'y heart since "indergarten2, 'ut 'ecause $e all had lu#(s in our throats, and there $as not a dry eye a#ong us, #ature #en. It ha((ens all the ti#e, and I just sha"e #y head in a#a-e#ent. This is the Naga I "no$, the (eo(le and the city I lo%e, An 7aog#ang 6ugar, la Naga de la Nuestra !eJora de DeJafrancia@ ?i%a la ?irgen. 33/esuene vibrante, el )imno de amor 4ue entona tu $ueblo con grata emoci2n56*733 33atrona del -(col, gran Madre de Dios e siem$re la reina de nuestra regi2n56*733
For a full %ideo %ersion of ;The Naga I no$,< (lease go to@ htt(@$$$.youtu'e.co#$atch>%PQutn?BGc Or e#ail your reuest to@ coaureusRyahoo.co#
4
