Kaanyag

The second lecture series on the Writers of Carcar resumed last March 2 at the St. Catherine’s College Audio-Visual Room with Jovito Abellana and Diosdado Alesna as the featured writers. Althea Capacio raised many questions in her presentation “In Search of a Cebuano Epic” with concentration on Jovito Abellana’s “Ang Bayok: Aginid sa Kampong Tawilik.” Capacio’s conscientiousness in her research brought about a rich glossary of Cebuano terms.

Kyle Matthew Q. Santelices made an interesting presentation on “Si Maming ug Uban Pa: An Inquiry into Female Beauty in the works of Diosdado Alesna” and I found it fitting for Women’s Month. Alesna started writing in 1920 when he was in his teens. He was honored as one of the outstanding poets of LUDABI (Lubas sa Dagang Bisaya) for the last ten years.  He is considered a natural poet according to D.M. Estabaya: “…Matagik ni Dadong bisan unsang matang sa balak sa bisan unsang takna, adlaw o gabii.”

He created the verse form siniloy inspired by the siloy or Black Shama which is endemic in the Visayas and was often used as symbols for poets. The siniloy is often taken to approximate to the six-note like song of the siloy. The siniloy also shows the influence of the sonanoy (Cebuano for sonnet) which was created by Fernando Buyser who also made many different kinds of poems in Cebuano. Poet Marjorie Evasco, in discussing the similarities in Buyser’s and Alesna’s poetry, said Alesna “pays homage to the power of music” but removes the sonnet form” to bring attention to “free speech as song.” Alesna’s best poems are “Ang Gahum sa Awit,” ug “Kalimti ug Biyai.” Kyle Santelices made the audience participate in the music of Alesna’s poetry by letting them read “Ang Gahum sa Awit ” where the first lines run – “Ang awit, nasangit, inanay – mingkanay, milagbas ning dughan, midulot, gikumhan…”

The topic central to Alesna’s poetry is about  Kaanyag.  His poems usually talk about a “woman” but he sends them off almost like letters to other women. “Maming “ (Kang Gn. Maming Mercado) and “Mahibagong Kaanyag” Kang Crisanta Caballero) reflect that.   In “Maming,” the lines “..Mopahid niining nagpanubod tang luha, Kana, si Maming nga hinatag sa langit” refer to the female body of the “mother.” Words like “hiyas,” “makabihag,” and “larawan” reflect the alluring figure like the image of Virgin Mary as that “venerated” piece of  female beauty. Re Santelices in most Filipino and Christian associations) the Virgin Mary is the perfect example of venerated beauty that holds both the mystery of sensuality (a mortal woman) and transcendence (an immortalized idea). It justifies Alesna’s myth of the mother figure and  his personal, mobile message of Maming as “everlasting.” In Mahibagong Kaanyag, the last stanza, “Bulak padayon sa imong kaanyag, sa kainit ug bugnaw ayaw kalarag. Kon Kanimo adunay nasilag, Pagnga sa kasilaw mo ug kaanyag” shows the empowered mother figure is still present, “beyond angelic figure.” This verifies the poet’s importance in shaping the beauty of this venerated female. According to D. M. Estabaya, Alesna’s poems reached a great height when his mother died in 1922. This may be believed as to why Alesna depicts his women with Kaanyag, who are not simply beautiful but they transcend a human body.

Congratulations again to the Cebuano Studies Center through its head Dr. Hope Yu and the Literature Section of the University of San Carlos for a very enriching project. Kudos also to the presentors Kyle Matthew Santelices and Althea Capacio for making vernacular literature alive and interesting. The Third Carcar Lecture Series will be on April 13, 2013 at 2 p.m.in the St. Catherine’s College Audio Visual Room featuring Sinforosa Alcordo and Epifanio Alfafara.  The Alcordos and Alfafaras are among the largest and oldest clans in Carcar, so we expect a bigger crowd this time.

* * *

I am very overjoyed with the election of a new pope coming from the Third World. All these years I have  hoped for a Latin American pope, a more accessible pope. Taking the name Francis and all that is related to the life and works of the saint, we can be sure that Pope Francis I will bring the church to the streets. Watching the body language of Pope Francis from the first appearance to the meeting with the cardinals, I see a very warm and approachable person, very Latin American, touching the cardinals‘ shoulders or holding their hands. I find his wave at the balcony very unique – one hand, unassuming different from the widespread arms of his predecessors. Up close, he reminds me of the actor Jonathan Pryce who played Juan Peron in the movie “Evita” and the Engineer in “Miss Saigon.” Now, I remember why during our graduations in high school we also sang the papal hymn while the papal flag was hoisted on stage and I still remember some of  the lyrics “Mabuhay our pontiff, our dear Holy Father, Successor of St. Peter, Representative of Christ. Mabuhay the Pope of Rome, vicar of the King of Kings. God bless him!”