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Bya-bya misses Daddy Lo and Mommy La

Kyle Eris M. Gacias, "Bya-bya" to his Kuya and Ate, would often say that he misses his Mommy La and Daddy Lo. "I miss Ate Kecia, Kuya Justine, Tita Erma, Tito Ting, Ate Cel and Ate Susan," he would add. "Let us go home to Bicol," he would beg his dad.

Bya-bya has stayed with his Mommy La and Daddy Lo in Bicol for 10 months in 2001. He was with his Dad when the latter put up a shoe store in Legaspi City and decided to stay in Bicol to attend to the business.

Kiko writes a book on Bicol and Bicolanos

ORAGON: FACTS ABOUT BICOL AND THE BICOLANOS

Author: Erlano Francisco R. Gacias

CHAPTER ONE: BICOL IN HISTORY

A.     In Retrospect: Footnotes to the History of Bicol

This piece discusses the history of the place which was once called Ibalon, covering different periods, from the pre-colonization up to the present.  Historical highlights include: the saying of the first mass in Luzon which was held in Magallanes, Sorsogon; the significance of Donsol, Sorsogon as once a major port and repair station of the galleons during the Galleon Trade; the Moro raids, etc.

B.     A Bicolano Pope? (Bicol’s Gift and Contribution to the Church)

This article highlights the Bicol region as the number one source of vocation to religious life in the country and of producing the most number of bishops in the Philippine Church.  It boasts of producing the first Filipino bishop in the person of Bishop Domingo de Salazar.  It lists the names of bishops and cardinal which to date the region has produced.

C.     Bicol for Premo (The Bicolano for President Movement)

This piece discusses the possibility of electing a Bicolano to the highest elective post in the land.  Premo, a shortened form of supremo, means the supreme one, hence directly alluding to the presidency.  Incidentally, premo or primo is also a native term which means kin or in a broader perspective, relative, which has come to be addressed not only to every known relative but also now used as an endearing and friendly form of personal address.  This article relevantly asks, why not a Bicolano president? and lists the most urgent and pressing qualities of a leader the government currently needs, viz. a is a list of the qualities portraying the Bicolano – oragon and much like the “sili, maanghang ngunit ano’t kawili-wili.”

D.     Towards an Autonomous and Independent Republic of Bicol

This treatise treats the prospect of an autonomous and independent republic of Bicol.  Employing the successful establishment of the Republic Act 8438 or the Organic Act of Cordillera  Autonomy and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao as backdrops, it tackles the process and tasks as well as the possible problems in “autonomozation.”  The treatise is in toto based on the fact that the region is self-sufficient in terms of resources, both natural and human.  It has two gold mines – Paracale and Masbate, two geothermal plants – Tiwi and Bacman, with a possibility of a third – Irosin, which could easily generate dollars in terms of revenues.  It has several tourist spots that can be readily developed, industries for export, etc.

E.      Charting the Stars: Bicol in the 21^st Century

This article rubs the seer’s magic ball and peeks at the future of the region and the Bicolanos.

CHAPTER TWO: BICOL FEATURES

A.     The Pepper: the Bicolano Aphrodisiac

This article treats the Bicolano’s penchant for pepper and superficially, its alleged effect on his sexuality.  It quotes statistics revealing the Bicolano as the “sexiest” among the Filipinos, being the most sexually active with the highest case in premarital sex and even teenage pregnancies (statistics provided by National Statistics Office and the Dep’t of Health).  It also lists the different Bicolano dishes using pepper such as Bicol Express and Laing, and the ingredients needed therein.

B.     Pili:  the World’s Rarest Nut

This article discusses the nut that is not quite popular and not quite common, in fact the rarest in the world.  It enumerates the different pili delicacies including the processes involved in their preparation and simply discusses everything about this Bicol favorite.

C.     Daragang Magayon’s Bosom:  the World’s Most Perfect Cone

This article talks about the facts about Mayon Volcano, its periodic eruption, the Cagsawa Ruins, and the legend of Daragang Magayon.  It promotes Mayon as one of nature’s wonders and a major tourist destination.

D. Sarong Banggi:  One Night in Bicol

This piece talks about the number one Bicolano folk song and its composer and shares its original lyrics and notes.  It advances an analysis of the song, both of its lyrics and melody.

F.      Pantomina: The Dance of the Gods

This piece treats the favorite dance of the Bicolanos, its evolution and history as well as its purpose and the tradition behind it.  It also shares its lyrics and reconstructs and describes its dance steps.

CHAPTER THREE: DISCUSSIONS

A.     Towards an Hermeneutics of the Word Oragon

This opus treats from the viewpoint of hermeneutics the word oragon – the word that is used to describe the Bicolanos.

B.     A Prolegomenon to a Phenomenology of Sibang

This opus discusses the phenomenon of sibang, a kind of illness believably inflicted by a person to another person through some kind of cosmic power, but which to date still dodges scientific explanations.  This article advances an analysis of the phenomenon based on the phenomenological and sociological perspectives and concludes in part that the Bicolano’s traditional expression of modesty is an offshoot of an evolution that is traced to the local’s concept of sibang.