Cordillera Nonsense Rhymes and Children's Songs

2009-04-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

Credits to my colleague, Helen Magata for providing the text of the following Cordillera rhymes.
I would appreciate additional contributions so we could come up with a more definitive list and ultimately a reference. Comments on source and other information is also welcomed.

Duldullanis
Duldullanis, saluppakin utanis
Umud-udong gutib ti bado isto.

Issallat, duwallat
Tamtamang en mab-uwang
Buambayang

- Helen says this is a game that they play at home back in Paracelis, Mt. Province where they sit and an "IT" taps the players' laps. The lap which is tapped at the end of the song is retracted or hidden.

Kulunged
Kulunged tanged tange
Tanggayom nan dinuple
Dinuplen palluyapoy
Palluyapoy nungippo
Nungippon naminhula
Naminhulan katiti
Katitin bumangiwa
Bangiwaom nan bugan
Nan bugan biklayugan
Layu layu layugan

Kong Kong Kong
Kong kong kong
Pakgong ko'y mankongakong
Is-islong ko ed bakong
Ta umeyak ed num-a
Ta umeyak mensadak
Sin igtok sinan lagbak

Kong kong kong
Pakgong ko'y mankongakong
Ta nu wada'y lames na
Sin ube ay kanan da
Ta isaak ed baey
Ta way kanen ungung-a

Kong kong kong
Pakgong ko'y mangkongakong.

Bagbagto
Bagbagto, bagbagto lambik
Tolambik, tulambawikan
Bawikan, bawikalanay
Kalanay, kalana punay
Napunay, napunayagta
Nayagta, nayagta kumpa
Takumpa, takumpayaaw
Payaaw, paya-astibaw
Astibaw, astibalangaw
Balangaw, balangawisdan
Gawisdan, gawis tannabo
Tannabo, tannabugaoy
Bugaoy, buga papayos
Papayos, papayudtiken
Dyutiken, dyutika mek-en
Kamek-en, kamek chiyungas
Chiyungas, chiyung asa-as
Asa-as, asa-as binyas!

- Bagbagto is probably the most popular nonsense ryhyme in the Cordillera. Nobody has claimed yet to know what it means.

I was asked whether I am infringing the copyright properties of my ancestors by publishing these rhymes online. But I think that in this modern times where indigenous languages are facing threats of extinction, I would rather have these rhymes available - than forgotten.

You Know You're From Baguio If...

2009-01-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

1. you bought your school supplies from CID Educational Supplies

2. you bought your fabrics from Tiong San Bazaar (before there was the Old, the New and Harrison aside from Valiram’s, Bheromull’s, Bombay and Fil-Indian)

3. you bought your imported ingredients from D & S Fine Foods

4. you went to Tea House for all its delicacies like the pancit,the cakes, etc.

5. you went to see movies at Pines or Session Theatre either in the orchestra, lodge or the balcony section (without airconditioning)

6. you went to Gold Mine Disco at Hyatt Terraces for night outs(sometime later Spirits became the “in” place)

7. you thought that the best Chinese restaurants in town were Rosebowl and Star café (Mt. Peak where Abanao Mall now is was also good)

8. the only grocery store you remember is Sunshine Grocery (the small one)

9. you had your photos developed at Pines or Mountain Studio

10. you remember where the politicians met for coffee - Dainty!

11. you know where to buy the best Sans Rival - Sizzling Plate

12. you bought chiffon birthday cakes at Tesoro’s

13. you know what cooking oil looked like if not in bottles

14. you remember there was a real tree in the rotunda fronting what is now SM Baguio and the post office (which was cut down to give way to the fountain of tiyanaks and eventually to the concrete pine tree)

15. you remember that there was a Session Cafe

16. you ate toasted siopao from Handaan when it was the craze.

17. you enjoyed eating pizza at the old Shakey’s located at the basement of Skyworld (now the haven of ukay ukay)

18. you had your milk supplied in bottles from the Baguio dairy farm

19. you had eaten good food at the slaughterhouse (like papaitan)

20. you speak straight and clear english without an annoying colegiala accent

21. you listened to DWHB when it was not yet corny (or in fact it was the only cool FM station playing the latest hits)

22. you ate lunch at Benedict’s

23. you spent your free time hanging out at FRB

24. you ate the best fried chicken at Mother’s

25. you roller skated at John Hay

26. you remember that Sharon Cuneta’s half brother had a restaurant in Maharlika

27. you bought imported goods either at John Hay commissary (for those who had the privilege), the PX goods stores in the market or at GP arcade (for the rubber shoes)

28. you studied music at Musar or at the Girls’ High music department

29. you remember that there was no Berlin Wall between Center and Lab

30. you were once hospitalized in Notre Dame, the hospital run by sisters

31. your mom studied at St. Theresa’s boarding school

32. you had friends studying in Marishan or UP High School

33. you felt sad at Pines Hotel burning down (it was always featured in the movies of the 70s and 80s)

33.1. you rode the jeep at the paradahan where the Baguio Center Mall is now located

34. if you are Chinese, you were enrolled in Chinese lessons at Patriotic

35. you could hear the voice of Baby de Guzman, a local announcer, emanating from your lolo’s AM radio in the early hours of the morning

36. you used oil lamps back home

37. you are/were not awestruck at the sight of an artista or celebrity

38. you did not wear the Baguio City bonnet

39. your idea of a good weekend was a picnic at Burnham or Camp John Hay or swimming at Asin or Klondike hot springs

40. you ate imported ice cream on cones with square ends in John Hay or the best American food in Halfway House or 19th tee

41. you somehow attended a classy party in the Main Club when it was still just one wing (which eventually became two wings and which were demolished to give way to the Manor)

42. you played at the bowling lanes lining Mabini St. * Olympia and Aurora (Mile Hi was in John Hay)

43. you regarded Hilltop hotel as a monstrosity looming over the market (a predecessor of SM Baguio!)

44. you traveled to La Trinidad without encountering traffic

45. you managed to sample fried ice cream at Greenwich (back when it was not yet owned by Jollibee)

46. you at one time or another wore “civilian” clothes in school instead of the usual blue and white uniforms because the laundry didn’t dry up in time during the rainy season.

47. you visited the Orchidarium which was located where the skating rink is now which used to be the original site of the original skating rink(?)

48. if you studied in Girls High, you remember the Kundirana (AnimoLa Salle!) visiting every year

49. you paraded on the street because it was Baguio Day (not because of Panagbenga)

50. you somehow graduated from playing with spiders to pigeons to aquarium fish to fighting cocks

51. you could actually leave home and be at the plaza in 5 minutes(which is totally impossible now)

52. you had a sayotehan in the backyard

53. you knew the lion head in Kennon had a different color (what is it now anyway? From black to red to yellow to ???)

54. you ate the raisin bread from Country Club

55. you remember the PMA graduating class always giving a dress parade

56. you recalled that the Baguio Botanical Garden was formerly known as Imelda park (and you knew of the urban legend that it was an old zoo and that a giant snake escaped from its cage)

57. you tried ghost hunting (or as they now call it spirit questing)at Diplomat Hotel

58. you crossed the streets and not the overpasses

59. you knew that Hangar was where you could buy the cheapest veggies 60. you bought medicine from the Parungao pharmacy (the only competitor of Mercury)

61. you ate merienda and bought hopia from Master Hopia! & you could buy the yellow cinnamon roll (in the form a round cake) anywhere

62. You ate cheap long johns stuffed with cheese

63. you had shoes bought and fixed along General Luna road (if you didn’t buy from Greggs in Session road)

64. you marveled at the fact that you could see your breathe out in the cold! (which meant it was still that cold then!)

65. you wore those colorful plastic boots (in red, blue or black) to school when the rains got so heavy

66. you could recall that there were indeed mines in Mines View Park (and not the roofs of houses)

67. you rode on cabs that were 4 door sedans and not FXs.

68. you knew what Chaparral signified

69. you wore socks to bed to keep warm70. you had a 4 digit telephone number courtesy of PILTEL

71. you were able to venture into the Crystal Caves when it was still pristine

72. you knew Boys’ High as being only for boys and Girls’ High and Holy Fam as two separate high schools for females (with different uniforms)

73. you can enter the SLU campus without having to show any ID (it was that open)

74. you read the Midland Courier or the Gold Ore due to your lola’s proddings

75. you saw elderly men wearing their best suits and hats while walking along Session Road

76. you had leather shoes shined by a shoeshine boy

77. you witnessed a dog show at the soccer field in Burnham

78. you knew of the Golden Buddha story

79. you once enjoyed camping as a boy or girl scout at the site near the John Hay fire station (where a convention center is now located)

80. you had a school-sponsored recollection in one of the many convents and seminaries in the city

81. you saw the Marcos mansions while they were still not ruins

82. you passed by Kennon while there were still the Twin Peaks (due to numerous landslides the other peak has disappeared) and Bridal Veil Falls

83. you once planted a pine tree sapling for the regreening movement effort

84. you had a dried up garland of everlasting around the Infant Jesus statue at home

85. you ate the best bananas from Sablan (not anymore!)

86. you somehow ate at any of these Cating owned restos * Solibao, Ganza, Cañao and Tom Sawyer’s

87. you were able to travel to Manila using the old non-airconditioned buses (there was even a train from Manila to Damortis)

88. you had FEN courtesy of those special antennas and therefore enjoyed to the max all the hit Western TV shows (that’s why you were so angry when the bases were pulled out!)

89. you ate at Café by the Ruins and O-Mai-Khan

90. you rode on the Philippine Rabbit back when its terminal was at Magsaysay avenue

91. you traveled to Manila using Dangwa or to Ilocos using BAL or Times

92. you drank Benguet coffee

93. your family may have owned a Volkswagen beetle (Baguio has one of the highest densities of this car since the Tabandas of La Trinidad had a dealership)

94. you always were afraid of that pine tree in the middle of the road on the way to the Loakan airport (it has been cut down)

95. you attempted to explore Mt. Sto. Tomas and remembered to remove your watch (they said it was going to be damaged if you didn’t)

96. you used your fireplace during Christmases of yore

97. you knew Europa as the one and only condominium

98. you bought your vinyl albums and eventually cassette tapes and the posters at Plakabar

99. you distinctly remember that there was a small public library near the Athletic Bowl and the tennis courts in Burnham

100. you enjoyed the bump car rides at the basement of Maharlika (back when it was not yet a food court)

101.you never went malling and instead enjoyed the numerous parks and outdoor amusements that Baguio

My Baguio Dreams

Cordillera Nonsense Rhymes and Children's Songs

You Know You're From Baguio If...