SABUNGANAY! NAGANUSKAY PAYLA UNAY

SABUNGANAY! SABUNGANAY! NAGANUSKAY PAYLA UNAY

RANDY GIANAN JR.

itmo iti musiko iti may-

Rsa a sala ti agawaweng kadaytoy panunotko. Kabayatanna ti pananglagipko no ayanno’t nakangngegak kadaytoy a kanta. “No ibueltam samo ikumintang, dayta imam a makannawan.”, ti tuloyna a mangkurkuriro ditoy utekko a saanko pulos mapanunot no ana daytoy. Agtultuloy laeng nga umawaweng kaniak ti unina. Ngem, kimmitaak iti kalendaryo.

Aha! Pebrero gayamen! Ay wen!

Malagipkon no apay agululit ti awengna daytoy a kanta gapota pananglagip manen iti fiesta! “Guling Guling koma manen…”, kunak kadaytoy bagik. “Naragsak, narambak, Guling Guling, Paoay!” Saanko pulos malipatan daytoy a panagrarambak – maysa a tradision ken kultura iti maysa nga ili iti Ilocos Norte, idiay Paoay. “Sabunganay, sabunganay. Naganoskay payla unay. Ita ken lawasna umayka kasarenkayto la unay.”, kuna iti umuna a linyana. Panagraragsak ken rambak kadagiti pamma-

titayo a kas Kristiyano – aldaw sakbay a maiselebrar ti Ash Wednesday wenno “Mierkules kurkuros” a makuna. A kas pananglagip dagiti Katoliko kenni Apo Hesus panggep pammati ken talek. Sakbay a simmangbay daytoy didigra nga intayo mapadpadasan nga agdama, napunoan maris, ritmo, ken sala ti aglawlaw iti Paoay. Mangrugi iti daya a paset iti ili, aginggana idiay sango iti madaydayaw a Paoay Church, ragsak ken rag-o ti mariknam kadagiti rupa iti agbuybuya. Daytoy a pananglagip ket saan laeng a sala, musiko, costume, maris, ken ragsak. Daytoy ket napunoan sarita dagiti naglabas a panawen panggep kadagiti pasamak a laglagipen iti simbaan ken tattao iti ili. Agtultuloyko laeng a malaglagip daytoy a sala. Dagiti kumintang, lateral, ken naduma-duma pay a steps dagiti agsalsala. Madaydayaw daytoy kadagiti karruba nga ili a kas ili iti San Nicolas, Sarrat, Badoc, ciudad iti Batac ken Laoag. Dagitoy dagiti pasamak a kailiwak unay. Agtitipon a tattao, agraragsak nga uubbing, agsasala a babbaket, agririnnaman iti dudol, ken panangipapan iti dapo kadagiti muging iti tattao. Saan laeng a pasamak dagitoy no ketdi istoria nga agtultuloy kadagiti sumarsaruno a henerasion – ita ken agnanayon. “Kasalam la ipmatmat ta napudno a panagayat.”, ti maudi a linyana iti kanta sakbayko insardeng nga ikantan, ken sakbayak a permi a mailiw kadaytoy.

Every human kind possesses me –a gift, for those who appreciate me. I am something that cannot be replaced –a blessing from God that no one can take. I am Beauty. How do you define me? People would define me by imagining Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. That perfect body with glowing aura, shining eyes, pointed nose, long lashes, plucked eyebrows and lips like

Cupid’s bow –a shallow definition, I can say. Don’t be blinded by a mere illusion, live in reality, and you will clearly see… Look in the mirror. Look at your unique features you call your flaws. Look at those freckles, those pimples, those misshapen eyes, overlapping eyebrows and that flat nose.

Do you see me? No, because I don’t just dwell in those faces or even in that stout or thin body. Do you appreciate me?

No, because you don’t see me clearly. No, because you don’t appreciate me. No, because you never look nor listen to your heart. I am so powerful that even those pretty and exquisite faces cannot handle me. I can change the world, if only you let me. If only you’ll let go of your insecurities. If only you’ll see what’s more of me. I am within yourself–living in your heart–waiting to be unveiled. I am beyond your complexions–black, white, or brown. I am beyond your straight, curly, wavy, shaggy, dull, shiny hair. I am beyond the shape of your eyes–round, almond, narrow, slant, triangular, deep-set, and prominent. You don’t need to be dazzling to be me, just let the world see your crooked smile and let it be. It doesn’t matter if you are fit, skinny, stout, or lanky. Your hair color doesn't even matter to me –red is flaming, blonde is gleaming, brown is outstanding, and black makes you shine out from everything. Those scars are marks of bravery, flaunt them so everyone can see. Those white hair and wrinkles are wisdom, a treasure earned for a lifetime. I am in you, but I live beyond the face that matters to the eyes only. My true essence can be reflected in every good thing you do; in every ounce of strength you use in your silent battles… In every tear you've cried for the people around you. I am in you, in every courage you’ve mustered to go against the wrong. I am in every powerful heart that has changed the world for the better. I am in every atom of love that lives within you. That is me. That is beauty –being strong, confident, and brave; dignified, and having a pure heart. I am Beauty –something that isn’t only for the eyes to see, but something the heart always feels.

ON THE COVER

RAISE THE FLAG: Unique and Proud! JESUSA MAE SUMAOANG

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else, is the greatest accomplishment. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's undeniable that the current society we live in, is not yet accepting of those that dares to challenge the norms. Despite uniqueness being widely accepted, some still raise a brow to those brave souls that dared to be unique and extraordinary. This is maybe because, as Magneto from X-Men once said, Mankind has always feared what it doesn’t understand. Just like the mutants from the X-Men Franchise, the LGBTQIA+ Community had their fair share of persecution, hate, and judgment from the public eye, due to the fact that they have a different sexual orientation and gender preference from the rest of the society. The very first rainbow flag was designed by the artist Gilbert Baker in 1978. Hot pink representing Sex, Red representing Life, Orange representing Healing, Yellow representing Sunlight, Green representing Nature, Turquoise representing Art, Indigo representing Harmony, and Violet representing Spirit. The first versions of the rainbow flag were proudly waved on June 25, 1978. The flag was used for the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day parade. Baker and a team of volunteers had the flag handmade. However, due to production issues, the pink and turquoise stripes were removed from the flag. Indigo was then replaced by basic blue. This resulted in the contemporary six-striped flag with the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. At present, the six-striped flag is the most common variant of the rainbow flag, along with a red stripe on top, resembling a natural rainbow. The various colors became a reflection of both the immense diversity and the unity of the LGBTQ community. In 1944, the rainbow flag finally became the official symbol of the LGBTQ’s pride. That year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, which is why Baker created a mile-long version of it. Aside from Baker’s and the 1978 Pride Flag, other versions of the pride flag include:

Philadelphia Pride Flag (Philly-based PR Agency, June 08, 2017) - To modify the original six stripes, Philadelphia’s pride flag included Black and Brown, which became the symbol for the people of color.

Progress Pride Flag (Daniel Quasar, 2018) - White, Pink, and Light Blue striped chevron design on the Progress Pride Flag reflected the colors of the Transgender Flag, while the Brown and Black stripes represented the marginalized people of color. Black also became a way to honor those who lost to HIV/AIDS, at the same time, it also embodies the stigma surrounding those still living with HIV.

Bisexual Flag (Michael Page, 1998) - Pink for the attraction to those of the same gender identity. Blue for attraction to people who identify themselves as a different gender. Purple stripe in the middle for attraction to two genders.

Pansexual Pride Flag (2010) - Pink for attraction to people who identify as female. Blue for attraction to those who identify as male. Yellow stripe in the middle for attraction to those who identify as genderqueer, non-binary, agender, androgynous, or anyone who doesn’t identify on the male-female binary.

Asexual Flag (2010) - Black for Asexuality. Gray for Gray-asexuality and demisexuality. White for Non-asexual partners and allies. Purple for Community.

Labrys Lesbian Pride Flag (1999) - Purple for cisgender women. Black triangle for lesbians.

Polyamory Flag (Jim Evans, 1995) - Blue for Openness and Honesty, Red for Love and Passion, and Black for Solidarity. Yellow Pi symbol in the middle, for the infinite number representing the infinite options for partners. In 2017, an alternative version of the flag was created. The pi symbol was replaced with the infinity hearts symbol.

Intersex Pride Flag (Morgan Carpenter, 2013) - The flag features a Purple circle on a Yellow background. These two colors are seen as gender-neutral colors. The Circle represents Wholeness and Completeness.

Transgender Flag (Monica Helms, 1999) - Light blue and Pink are featured in the flag, due to the reason that these colors were the traditional colors associated with baby boys and girls, respectively. White represents those who are intersex, transitioning, or those who see themselves as having either a neutral, or undefined gender.

Genderfluid Pride Flag (JJ Poole, 2013) - Pink for Femininity, White for Lack of Gender, Purple for a combination of both Masculinity and Femininity, Black for all genders anywhere on the spectrum, and Blue for Masculinity.

Genderqueer Flag (Marilyn Roxie, 2011) - Lavender represents Androgyny and other queer identities. White represents Agender Identity. Green represents those whose identities are defined outside the binary.

Ally Pride Flag (2000) - The A at the center of the flag represents the word ally, which features the six colors of the rainbow pride flag. Black and White stripes in the background represents the heterosexual and/or cisgender people.

Leather Pride Flag (Tony DeBlase, 1989) - The flag is composed of nine horizontal stripes alternating between Black and Blue. It also has a White stripe in the middle, and a Red heart in the upper left hand corner.

Bear Brotherhood Flag (1995) - Dark Brown, Orange/Rust, Golden Yellow, Tan, White, Gray, and Black stripes represent the fur colors of a bear.

Rubber Pride Flag (Peter Tolos/Scott Moats, 1995) - Black for the leather/rubber, and Red for the group’s blood passion for rubber and rubbermen. Yellow for their drive for intense rubber play and fantasies.

Polysexual Flag (Samlin, 2012) - Pink for those who identify as Female, and Green for those who identify outside the Traditional Male-Female binary.

Aromantic Flag (2014) - Green represents aromanticism, White represents Platonic and Aesthetic attraction, Gray represents Gray-aromantic and demiromantic people, and Black represents the Sexuality Spectrum.

RAISE THE FLAG: Unique and Proud!

Nonbinary Flag (2014) - Yellow for Binary, White for Many or All Genders, Purple for a mix or somewhere between male/female, and Black for those without gender.

Lesbian Pride Flag (2018) - 7 different shades of Pink, Orange, White, and Red for various types of Femininity.

Demisexual Pride Flag (Unknown) - Black for Asexuality. Gray for Asexuality, Demisexuality. White for Sexuality. Purple for Community.

Two-Spirit Pride Flag (Unknown) - Feather for Masculine/Feminine identities. Circle for Unification of Masculine/Feminine identities. Rainbow for LGBTQ identities.

The various pride flags of the LGBTQ Community show how inclusive and accepting they are of various gender identities. It serves as both a symbol and reminder to us that by embracing who you truly are, only then will you feel what genuine freedom feels like. There’s no need for you to hide, because although some cannot accept you yet, you are never alone. The real ones will accept you regardless of your sexuality or gender identity. As Mystique said and I quote, Mutant and Proud!. In this case, Unique and Proud!.

Kampay! JESUSA MAE SUMAOANG FOOD

Alonso of Aragon was won’t to say in commendation of age, that ‘age appears to be best in four things - old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read. - Francis Bacon

ine making, also referred to as vinification, is the process of producing wine,

Wstarting from the selection of the fruit to be used, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquor. The history of wine-making stretches for over a millennia already. The science of wine making is referred to as oenology. A winemaker may also be referred to as a vintner. The growing of grapes is known asviticulture. There is a wide variety of grapes that can be used for making wine. Wine making can be divided into two general categories: still wine production, which refers to the one without carbonation, and sparkling wine production, which pertains to the one with carbonation. This could either be natural or injected. Red wine, white wine, and rosé, are the other main categories. Although grapes are the primary ingredient used for making wine, it can also be made from other plants. Other similar light alcoholic drinks, which is opposed to beer or spirits, includes mead. Mead is made through fermenting honey, water, and kumis, made from fermented mare’s milk.

Ilocos Norte is steadily gaining a reputation in wine making. Cormel Foods, an Ilocano company that is owned by Mr. Anthony Abadilla, was the one that brought Ilocano liquor to the forefront of the winemaking industry through tourism exhibits, and trade. Robinsons Supermarket IN also now carries Cormel Foods’ innovative products. Wine has now become one of the customary pasalubong from Ilocano tourists who visit a relative, and their friends abroad. Aside from the traditional basi, which is a liquor made from fermented sugarcane, Duhat and Bugnay wines are now also being commercially sold. There were also some innovations made, and locals had been using santol and laya as a primary ingredient for making wine.

Duhat Wine

Locally, duhat is called lomboy. The lomboy is widely known in rural places, especially places that are near the mountains. It somewhat resembles grapes, but duhat has a bigger seed compared to grapes. It is seasonal, as it only bears fruits during summer. Duhat Wine was the product of careful research and product development that was conducted by Cormel Foods, through the support of the Department of Science and Technology, and the Mariano Marcos State University.

Tapuey Wine

Tapuey lies in the majestic mountainous town of Adams. Tapuey or also referred to as rice wine making is an art that had been mastered by Lola Ingga Acupan, who hails from Adams. Lola Ingga inherited the recipe of tapuey making from her Kankanaey ancestors. It is made from fermentation through adding yeast to a half-cooked organic mountain diket or balatinaw, a local variety of sticky rice. The exotic tapuey wine is characterized by a delicate and sweet taste.

Tapuey is fermented from six months to two years. The fermentation period depends on the desired strength of the wine. It is similar to the sake of Japan, and maotai of China. The different ethnic tribes of Adams such as the Bago, Imallod, Kankanaey, Yapayao and Ilocano had engaged in wine making. Due to the abundance of a wide variety of fruits seen in the town, they considered turning these fruits into fruit wines.

Laya Wine

Another local wine that’s currently making a buzz in the market, can be found in Dumalneg, Ilocos Norte. Its a wine that was made from ginger, or referred to as laya in the Ilocano dialect. Apart from the local laya as its main ingredient, it has other components which includes honey, some yeast, and manageable alcohol content, in order to boost its marketability. The municipality of Dumalneg started to offer the laya wine as their OTOP in 2011, after the locals started to process the ginger juice into wine.

Bugnay Wine

The people of Adams are fond of experimenting other possible fruity alcoholic concoctions. One of which is the Bugnay Wine. Bugnay is a tropical fruit and berry which contains anti-oxidants, and is good for the heart. The wines are all proudly natural and handmade by the wine making tribes of Adams.

Ilocanos are indeed creative and innovative. They can turn any available local product into something that can create a buzz in the market. And by having these products showcased in trade fairs and other events, this could help boost the popularity of the province’s local products. This also can help provide a more stable and sustainable income and economy for the locals.