UNIQUE CELEBRATION | Men in the coastal town of Minalin in Pampanga join a parade dressed as women in the New Year revelry called “Aguman Sanduk” (Fellowship of the Ladle), started by 12 men on Jan. 1, 1932, following a drought. (Photo by TONETTE OREJAS / Inquirer Central Luzon)
MINALIN, Pampanga, Philippines — The Philippines’ only all-men New Year revelry marked its 91st year on Monday, with openly gay men still staying out of what many described as an “outrageously happy” street parade.
The Aguman Sanduk (Fellowship of the Ladle) also honored the 12 founders of the Jan. 1, 1932, spectacle by reciting their names before the original manuscript of a poem, dated Jan. 1, 1954, was read for the coronation of the Reyna ning Sanduk (Queen of the Ladle).
The 1932 event — which saw the pioneers strolling in villages around the Sta. Monica parish and spreading cheers by wearing the clothes and makeup of women in their families — was preceded by the Aguman Alang Tutud (Fellowship of Sore Losers) on Dec. 30, 1931, which was a period of drought, according to Rolando Yabut, 76, and grandson of one of the Aguman founders, Feliciano Yabut.
For the “hilarious” gathering that year, the elder Yabut was joined by his brother Aguedo, Rev. Fr. Esteban David, Dr. Gabriel Jocson, Gaudencio Lagman, Anastacio Garia, Marcos Pangilinan, Gervacio Macapinlac, Jose Yabut, Mateo Vergara, Crispin Gagui and Raymundo Tayag, according to a list handed by Feliciano to Rolando who retired as staff of the provincial legislative board. Feliciano served as provincial treasurer in the time of then-Gov. Sotero Baluyut.
Hilarion Serrano won as the first Reyna ning Sanduk, a list showed.
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Good standing
These men in their 50s, regarded to have good standing in the communities, managed to get contributions in money and kind, which they used to cook “lelut” (rice porridge) that they gave to poor villagers.
“Seganan de ing bayung banua king simpleng says [They greeted the new year with simple joy],” Rolando said, echoing the accounts of Feliciano.
The 12 men next raised funds to build the municipal hall, now the town’s museum. The Aguman Sanduk caught on, continued by their younger wards.
Private organizations always led the festivity up to the 1990s when the Minalin Peddlers Association and its members began to feel the economic crunch. The local government, since the time of former Mayor Edgar Flores, sustained the tradition.
“We are hopeful people. We start our year by being happy and funny together. That’s our tradition,” said Mayor Philip Naguit.
Without qualms, the men in women’s clothes, makeup, even in underwear and wigs, danced, sashayed, and did pranks. The audience laughed out loud.
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‘Time to shine’
Like in recent years, no gay men joined the Aguman to “give the men and boys their time to shine and spread happiness,” according to Kenneth de Lauta, one of the organizers of Rosas ning Minalin, whose 252 gay members stayed out of the event.
“The tradition had men as pioneers. We do not want to upstage them. In fairness, we have our own parade during Pride Month,” De Lauta explained.
Working on the theme of culinary gems of Minalin, the villages of Sta. Rita and San Isidro won as the best street performance and the best float, respectively.
The village chief of San Isidro, Rodrigo “Boy” Talavera, looking every inch a woman in her 50s, reigned as Reyna ning Sanduk. San Isidro also ended up as grand champion of the Aguman Sanduk, taking home a P50,000 prize.