Ghiellie Balan
Niyogyugan Festival 2017
It was my second time witnessing the Niyogyugan Festival. Last year was a spectacle of colors, and the jingle “Tara na! tara na! Niyugyugan. Tara na! Tara na! Niyugyugan. Niyugyugan! Queeeezzzoooooonnnn….” left an imprint in my mind that I could hear in my head for a week. The same thing happened this year as I tried to ward off the beat by listening to Verdi’s Rigoletto.
It’s hot and humid, but they never cared for the love of their town, all for the win.
I am not complaining. It was a catchy beat. Ati-atihanesque, maglalatikesque, and hyper-bass pumping greeted everyone’s ears upon entering Lucena City’s provincial capitol grounds. The smell of coconut oil enticed the senses as each booth under the sun roasted each fiber of their basic building material. And that is, of course, the coconut.
The ten-day affair started on August 17 and ended with the street dance competition last Sunday, August 27. Upon arrival, we were made to have tagay and given a primer by Jun Bay, the Provincial Tourism head of Quezon Province.
The art of tagay
When I was eight years old, I read Alejandro Roces’s “We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers.” It’s a story of a government-issued (GI) soldier named Joe and a farmer with a carabao named Carpio. He explained to the GI what lambanog was as the American boasted that he could drink anything –from tequila to Chanel Number 5.
Well, of course, the tagay was unfortunate for the American while the Filipino farmer brought the soldier to his camp.
The process of getting drunk on lambanog traces its roots back to when men and women of Quezon made the umpukan a way of settling disputes, merrymaking, or simple get-togethers. As the crowd gathered, the people sang or paawitan. The lyrics go something like this:
“Inom na’y inom na
Sa kamay ko galling
Ay sukdang ito’y lason
Ay ‘di ka papatayin
Kung magkasakit ka
Sa akin ang dahil
Ako’y malayo man
Iyong ipagbilin.”
The umpukan is led by a well-respected person called a tanggero. The person leads the drinking spree by first carrying a large clay jar of lambanog and, second, pouring its contents into a smaller bottle without spilling. Skill, accuracy, and precision are among the qualities necessary to be a tanggero, as they reflect his values of justice, fairness, and maturity. He will pour the first shot and then throw the contents to the Earth to give homage to the life it gives.
Everyone is entitled to be a part of the umpukan. Men, women, and children can participate, but of course, kids and pregnant women can’t drink. A round of drinking is called lipos, as the glass roams from one hand to another after equal parts of lambanog are poured. During the process, people discuss their agenda, and the process ends once they reach a settlement. Or maybe, when no one can lift the glass to their mouths anymore.
The tanggero will pour lambanog into a glass and give it to the next person as he says, “Naay po,” and the reply should be, “Pakikinabangan po.” It means that each grace must be made of use in all manners possible. As I said earlier, kids and pregnant women can’t drink, or if someone refuses to take the shot, another person must take the round and will say “Sasakupin ko”. But of course, the individual will not lose the shot meant for him.
When a lady wants to pass the round, she will say “Timtiman ko lang” as she presses the glass against her lips. She will wait for a man to take her drink. If someone takes an interest, he will say “Sasakupin kita” and drink the contents opposite the lip mark. “Napakatamis ng tagay mo” will be his reply after downing the lambanog. Well, if nobody wants to “sakop” the shot, the lipos won’t end. Just kidding.
Nowadays, the “tomaan” happens anywhere at any time and on any occasion, or lack of it. We must never forget that the tagayan has etiquette to follow – it’s methodical yet aims for respect and unity.
Product development
I will not bore you with figures on how much the festival earned from booth sales or other fundraisers. The seven-figure earnings and the exponential growth since the Niyogyugan was conceptualized six years ago are proof of its potential as a crowd-bringer, comparable to the Ati-Atihan in Kalibo or the Flower Festival in Baguio. Though Lucena City itself is not ready to accommodate large numbers of tourists due to a shortage of hotels in the vicinity where the festival is held annually, the booths are crowd-drawers. Each municipality, from as near as Tiaong to as far as Jomalig, showcased its products with assistance from the Department of Agriculture.
I am a sucker for leaf and fiber weavings, and it was my bad to look for Luisiana crafts (forgive my geographical idiocy, it is in Louisiana). Last year, I was able to buy a purse, which I still have as of this writing, and I was looking forward to seeing more and whether the weaving industry has evolved. It was quite disappointing to see no improvements. I know I expected a lot after touring weaving communities from various parts of the country and attending trade expos, and saw how each strived to innovate as they adjusted to market demands.
The food and delicacies are still as good, but assistance in branding and labeling of their products is a must. Some missed putting expiry dates. Some products are great but lack presentation in terms of packaging, while I doubt that others practice food safety, given the crazy weather that affects temperatures.
It was fortunate that some producers found buyers and asked them if they could be suppliers. They were given a deal to buy wholesale, relabel, and dilute the original formula for mass production, while adding preservatives to extend shelf life. In fact, we can all buy directly from the sources and get the best quality sans the harmful additives.
Since the Niyugyugan Festival gave them the opportunity to show off, it is up to us, well-meaning individuals, to give aid in our own way. Lend our expertise to the communities that cannot afford to pay consultants. Help them innovate and learn how they do things, then integrate all these criteria for a meaningful production, and then find an applicable market for their craft. Or if not, introduce them to the mainstream.
Merry-making on the streets
Costumes with coconut shell appliqués, the streets of Lucena were like New Orleans’ Mardi Gras. I assume the dancers were 13 and up and devoted their time to win the street dance contest. I admire their courage to soak themselves in the midday sun given the hot weather (but believe me, last year was hotter than this year).
I just found myself laughing over some not-so-put-together costumes like the Maria Clara dress and the Japanese umbrella ensemble. Plus, Ms. Quezon was wearing four-inch platform shoes, which could have created more elevation on the float. It must have been agonizing for her wearing those shoes, as every time the float stopped, she slightly stumbled. I just wish that organizers would stop punishing women by wearing footwear like that on floats where they are made to stand for prolonged periods.
The municipality and city contestants danced to the same tune, and it took great skill and creativity not to make each group move in step. I was amused by Lucban’s costume, in which longanisa leis adorned the dancers’ necks. I am not a dance expert, and my rhythmic skills are terrible, but I was trying to figure out if the movements were apt representations of their communities. That, I have to find out in my next expedition.
As far as marketing and promoting the event is concerned, the Tourism offices at both the local and regional levels did a great job. The parade is a touristic spectacle of colors and a major show-off of how Quezon Province will always survive all the storms that hit the area. And how this region will keep on growing upwards, steadfast and resilient, like the coconut.
“Itataas ko na’y
Hawak kong tagay
At sa aking ulo
Ay nakakorona
Ang laman ba nito’y
Agua de kolonya?
Ay sa atay ko’t puso
Ay do’n ko kinuha
Ang tagay na iyan
Aking iinumin
Ay sukdang lason
Aking titiisin”
“Tagay pa more!”
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Read:
- Beautiful Beaches in Quezon Province
- Jomalig Island Travel Guide: Another Hidden Paradise Found!
- Exploring the Historic City of Tayabas
