Bridging the Gap
Early traits of the Ilonggo-Bisaya (2)
In the previous article, it was pointed out that two of the traits of the early Ilonggo-Bisaya written about by the early Spanish and other foreign writers were their being "maisog" (brave or courageous) and their being "mapisan" (industrious or hardworking). Other prominent traits of the Ilonggos that caught the attention of the colonizers were their being "matinlo" (clean and hygienic) and their being "madayaw" (vain or conscious of their appearance).
The Ilonggos since time past have been noted for being "matinlo." In fact, their personal cleanliness and of the rest of the Filipino people for that matter always attracted the attention of the Spaniards who came early to the Philippines. They noted that the villages were mostly situated along river banks or in mouths of rivers spilling out into the sea. The newcomers thought that the main reason for this was the natives' fondness for bathing which, or course, is partly correct. The river and the sea were sources of protein food through its teeming marine life. Transporting goods and people from the interior villages to the seacoasts and vice-versa was easier by "bangka" (wooden boat) or by "balsa" (bamboo raft) down and up the river.
Going back to the Ilonggo-Bisaya's fondness for bathing, Spanish missionaries like Father Colin and Father Chirino made a reference to the natives, both men and women, as being able to "swim like fish even when younger" (Blair & Robertson 1903-1909). They took a bath at any time during the day for cleanliness and pleasure, and not just once or twice, but sometimes thrice. Not even a woman who had just given birth, according to the Spanish friars, refrained from bathing. Newborn infants were immediately bathed in the river or spring of cold water (Scott 1995).
The Ilonggos scrubbed their bodies with pumice when bathing in order for them to have a pleasing smell. They also used shampoo to have a beautiful hair and to get rid of dandruff. Their shampoo was made of the scrapings of the bark or a certain tree known as "pipi" or "bobho." They also used the fruit of another tree called "katmon" which has a citric scent. After their bath, the Ilonggos anointed their hair with certain fragrant lotion made from flowers, e.g. Ilang-ilang, sesame seed oil or from a compound of many ingredients.
The people also laundered their clothes with citrus not only because it was effective in removing stains but also because of the fresh scent it left in them. For stubborn dirt, the early Ilonggos made use of a small and slender wooden paddle known as "pakang." Interestingly, this is still the common aid among laundry women in the rural areas nowadays.
On their way home, usually the early Ilonggos took along a jar or a bamboo tube container called "bi-as" for household use. In each house, they had a "tadyaw" or water jar at the door where anyone who wanted to enter the house took water from there to wash his/her feet, especially during the rainy season when the pathways were muddy. They did this with ease by rubbing on foot against the other, while the water runs through the bamboo flooring of the "tambi" or "pantaw" (entrance platform).
The early Ilonggo also cleaned out their ears with a feather or a swab, and the process was called "kulkug" or "kilikug." For cleaning and polishing the teeth, they used "silat", a kind of toothbrush made of vegetable husk or the "sipan", made from the betel nut husk. They too removed head lice or ringworm scales through the use of a fine comb known as the "sulud" or "puno." They, moreover, made sure that their nails and their private parts were always clean (Scott 1995).
The Ilonggo-Bisaya of pre-colonial times were "madayaw" as observed by the earliest Spanish writers (Chirino 1604 and Colin 1663). They wore brightly colored "patadyongs" accentuated by an abundance of jewelry in the form or bracelets, wristlets, anklets, rings, earrings and earplugs, necklaces, collars and leg bands. The women had three or four holes per earlobe to accommodate a variety of ornaments. Men, on the other hand, had one to two holes per lobe.
With regard to hair, the Ilonggos grew it long – shoulder length for men and down to their ankles on the part of women with curls over their forehead. However, facial hair – and in some places body hair, too – was removed with a pair of clam shells or tweezers. Both men and women had their eyebrows shaved into thin arcs likened to a crescent moon (Scott 1995).