AKLANON FOLKTALES: Mga Sugilanon ni Payo (Part 1)

(Photo by Roy G. Escalona)

INTRODUCTION

Bonifacio “Payo” Bautista, who popularized the oral satire “Mga Sugilanon ni Payo”, once lived in Western Aklan. No one knows his birth and lineage. He was once a lackey to a squeamish peninsular (Spaniard) who “reflected the idiosyncrasies of a spoiled and vicious people”, according to Beato A. de la Cruz (1958) who first compiled these tales. Payo’s experiences with his master were woven into what is now known as the “Tales of Payo”. This is a series of “humorous tales bursting with native wit and humor which made even the objects of his subtle tirades chuckle” (De la Cruz, 1958:40). The gobernadorcillo (town head) of Ibajay town in Aklan is the center of mockery in these tales. The English version of the tales below were all taken from De la Cruz's “Contributions of the Aklan Mind to Philippine Literature” (1958). The Aklanon texts were written with the assistance of Mr. John Barrios and were verified with Mrs. Florencia Franco Silva vda. de Solano, eldest daughter of Pia Franco who had narrated the tales to De la Cruz almost 50 years ago. Mrs. Solano remembers all the tales except the one entitled “Ro Santikan” (The Flintlock). Her mother used to narrate the “Tales of Payo” during drinking sprees, and she would tell those who talk or argue like a “pilosopo” these words: “Makay Payo ka gid ing.” (You are really like Payo.) or “Ikaw gid a ro nakabuoe sa mga linahi ni Payo.” (You are really the one who inherited the characteristics of a Payo descendant.).

Here is the first of the “Tales of Payo”.

SI PAYO AG RO BAROTO (Payo and the Boat)

Isaeang adlaw, ginsugo si Payo it gobernadorcillo nga mag-usoy it baroto para sakyan it mga bisita nga magahalin sa tabok it suba. Nag-agto si Payo sa suba ag igto hay nakakita imaw it mabahoe nga baroto. Ginuyod nana ra paeapit sa pangpang ag ginpakueob para magmaea ag igto rayon imaw sa idaeom it baroto nageubog hasta hay imaw hay hakatueogan. Pag-abot it mga bisita hay gintawag nanda si Payo pero owa sanda habatii it nagakatueog nga si Payo. Nagpaeupok it baril ro mga bisita pero owa man gihapon habugtaw si Payo. Nagkaeagulo eon sa banwa bangud sa linupok nga habatian halin sa tabok it suba. Ngani, nag-usisa ro gobernadorcillo. Nakita nana ro anang mga bisita sa tabok it suba ag ro nagakueob nga baroto ag si Payo nga nagakatueog sa idaeom kara. Gulpi nana nga binugtaw si Payo ag ginpangisgan, pero ginsabat imaw it anang sueoguon nga, “Indi baea nga ginhambaean mo ako nga mag-usoy it baroto ag bantayan ra para sa imong mga bisita? Owa mo man ako ginhambaean nga pasakyon sanda patabok it suba a?” Ag dikato eang rayon nagtawhay ro gobernadorcillo dahil narealisar nana nga bukon it kumpleto ro anang sugo.

(One day, the gobernadorcillo of Ibajay asked Payo to find a boat for some visitors who were coming from across the river that day. Payo went to the river and found a big boat. This he hauled to the bank and turned it upside down to dry, and lay down under it where he fell asleep. When the visitors came, they called for a boat but Payo did not mind them. The visitors fired their guns as they called again but Payo slept on. There were already some consternation in the town because of the firing across the river. So the gobernadorcillo went to see what the matter was. He found his expected guests on the other side of the river while the boat was upside down on the bank with Payo sleeping beneath it. He woke Payo rudely and reprimanded him for his act but the servant answered, “Did you not tell me to find a boat and watch it only for your guests? Whoever told me to ferry them across?” The gobernadorcillo calmed down when he realized the incompleteness of his order.)

ANALYSIS

This particular tale shows defiance of order. This is shown in the subtle defiance of Payo which represents the Aklanon’s disobedience to orders of the Spanish colonial masters represented by the gobernadorcillo. To defy a colonial master’s order is to refuse to submit oneself to the Spanish rule; to defy the gobernadorcillo and his guest is to show contempt and disrespect to the government he serves. Not treating the guests as VIP’s is a way of showing them that they are not as important as they think they are and that Payo or any Aklanon is their equal or even their superior. Payo’s way of making the gobernadorcillo realize the lack of foresight in his order is a way of pointing out that the people they call indios could be smarter than they are.

(To be continued...)

THE AKLANON FOLKTALES SERIES:

A. MGA SUGILANON NI PAYO
1. Si Payo ag ro Baroto (Payo and the Boat)
2. Ro mga Tae sa Tinapay (Dung on the Bread)
3. Ro Santikan (The Flintlock)
4. Ro mga Alimango (The Crabs)
5. Ro Kurae (The Fence)

B. OTHER AKLANON FOLKTALES
1. Ro Pag-abu it mga Tawo sa Kalibutan (The Peopling of the Earth)
2. Ro Amo ag ro Buaya (The Monkey and the Crodile)
3. Ro Kuring nga Nag-usoy it Mananod (The Cat Who Looked for a Midwife)
4. Si Tungkuang Langit ag Alunsina (Tungkuang Langit and Alunsina)
5. Si Juan ag ro Hari (John and the King) [as told by the Ati in Brgy. Cubay, Malay]



*Excerpts from De Juan, Alexander C. “The Tongue and the Pen versus the Spanish Rule in Aklan”. In Palayag: Selected Papers from the Proceedings of the 7th Conference on West Visayan History and Culture (pp. 80-95). Iloilo City: Center for West Visayan Studies, University of the Philippines in the Visayas, 1999.

A paper read during the 7th Conference on West Visayan History and Culture, held in Corcordia, Nueva Valencia, Guimaras on Nov. 21-22, 1996, with the theme “Folk History and Philippine Revolution”.




REFERENCES: 


Books, Published and Unpublished Printed Materials

Barrios, John, Melchor Cichon and Dominador Ilio. The Katipunan in Aklan. A research presented to the Sub-commission for Cultural Dissemination, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, 1993. (Later published in 1997)

De la Cruz, Beato A. Contributions of the Aklan Mind to Philippine Literature. Rizal: Kalantiao Press, 1958.

Magos, Alicia, Henry Funtecha and Emmeline Cabalum. “Culture, Mass Media and National Development.” In Danyag, Journal of Studies in the Humanities, Education and the Sciences. Iloilo City: U.P. in the Visayas, June 1989.

Manyas, Peping Tansinko. Tagipuson nga Hueowaran. Kalibo: Limbagan nay G. Francisco J. Albar, 1926.

Perla-Imson, Ma. Elnora. “Philippine Literature in Spanish: Evolving a National Literature.” Celebrating the Word/Pagdiwang ng Salita. Efren Abueg, et al. (eds.). Manila: Linangan ng Literatura ng Pilipinas (Literary League of the Philippines), n.d.


Interviewees

Concepcion, Crisalinda, 64 years old, resident of Batan, Aklan, interviewed in Batan, November 3, 1996.

Cortes, Editha, 69 years old, resident of Batan, Aklan, interviewed in Batan, November 3, 1996.

Cortes, Almyra, 52 years old, resident of Batan, Aklan, interviewed in Batan, October 27, 1996.

Recidoro, Efren, 71 years old, resident of Balete, Aklan, interviewed in Balete, August 15, 1995.


Solano, Florencia Franco Silva, 76 years old, resident of Ondoy, Ibajay, Aklan, interviewed in Ondoy, June 20, 1999.