By Anjeanette Manuel
Living in a fortress, donned with flashy jewelries, wearing posh clothes, drowning in a pool of gold and adorned by all; these are just few of the characteristics of a princess and not to mention, a tiara in her head with a stunning prince charming kissing her hand. But things are different for the princess living beside the edge of the mountainous area at the province of Capiz.
Photo Courtesy of www.newsinfotoday.info One will encounter numerous stops and detours on rocky, uneven and dangerous landscapes of the area that neither the fastest horse nor the sturdiest cow can suffice. The journey can be compared to Super Mario finding his princess, but this time not to save but discover her.
After hours of traversing the road of danger and uncertainty, a group of tribesmen descended from the elevated area of the forest and when asked about the princess, they immediately referred to a “Binukot” or as what they call the most beautiful girl in their community. They too, served as the guide in finding the said girl.
Finding the small community settled on small nipa huts standing side by side on the distant part of the province is like discovering the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It was tiring and risky yet rewarding when you reached the place.
Who would’ve thought there are settlements on the other side of the mountain? Children are playing and life seems normal until one can see the isolated nipa hut on the corner, mysterious, alone and seemingly away from socialization.
“There’s where the Binukot is staying,” said a resident with a Visayan accent. Binukot is a cultural practice among the ethnic tribes in Panay hinterlands where a woman was chosen in a family to be away from the public eye and basically treated as a princess.
A woman covered in white cloth who is said to be the Binukot suddenly came out from the isolated nipa hut while sitting on a hammock carried by men. Curious eyes hungered out the covered woman and it was found out that this is Lola Ishang.
Lola Ishang, or as the tradition goes is a Binukot coming from the family of datu and tribe leader. Since then, she is not allowed to be seen by the public besides her family.
Lola Ishang, who speaks the dialect of her tribe, said she has no playmate. She is often seen peeking in the hut’s window and carefully avoiding not just the public’s eye but also the rays of the sun.
“Binukot is the princess of her tribe. She is secluded to preserve her beauty. She should keep her pale complexion as to why she is also hidden from the rays of the sun,” said a historian.
Lola Ishang narrated how her family wedded her to a man she doesn’t know when she was 15.
Binukots play a crucial role among the culture of the ethnic tribe of Panay. They are known for their exceptional oral mastery of the traditional folklore which is then handed down from generations to generations. They are the only ones who have the right to honor and memorize the legends.
Lola Ishang cannot walk nor stand at her own feet. She described her legs as “weak” and will never be allowed to touch the ground. At her little kingdom inside her nipa hut, she is seen sitting all day on her hammock subconsciously looking at her window. When eating, she always has the honor to have the first scoop of rice.
Lola Ishang is only seen on public when there is a special ceremony, people will gather and circle her as she sang the Sugidanon or the epic that takes 2 months for completion.
Binukots are the best dancers too. Their moves depicted an eagle; free and liberated.
She narrated how during World War II, it is not a surprise when Binukots were the last one to save themselves. Not only do they lack the skills to fight the Japanese, their exceptional beauty also became the reason why they failed to survive.
The most famous Binukot was known to be Ellena Gardoce, she was awarded by the Cultural Center of the Philippines for her special skills in reciting the Sugidanon.
Lola Ellena’s granddaughter on the other hand refused the call to be a Binukot for the greater demands of the education. This move marked the slow death of the Binukot culture.
As of now, there are only 7 Binukots in the island of Panay within the age 70 – 100 and it is also reported that they are dying one by one.
The daughters of a Binukot named Lola Susa, all refused and she was left with no choice but to pass the oral tradition to her husband, Lolo Pedring just to preserve the folklores.
Although the culture is said to vanish, a school was established for a chance to learn the epics being sang by the Binukot. Every Saturday, to avoid interruptions in their weekday classes, little girls, dressed in their colorful traditional outfit are taught the words of the song and the steps in the dance of a free bird. These are not just the effort of Lolo Pedring to keep the tradition, but also the people of the tribe to immortalize their heritage.
This culture is not just for the Panay to boost, but it is everyone’s duty to explore and take time to scratch the surfaces of our history no matter what the modern age is offering us.
A woman covered in white cloth who is said to be the Binukot suddenly came out from the isolated nipa hut while sitting on a hammock carried by men. Curious eyes hungered out the covered woman and it was found out that this is Lola Ishang.
Lola Ishang, or as the tradition goes is a Binukot coming from the family of datu and tribe leader. Since then, she is not allowed to be seen by the public besides her family.
Lola Ishang, who speaks the dialect of her tribe, said she has no playmate. She is often seen peeking in the hut’s window and carefully avoiding not just the public’s eye but also the rays of the sun.
“Binukot is the princess of her tribe. She is secluded to preserve her beauty. She should keep her pale complexion as to why she is also hidden from the rays of the sun,” said a historian.
Lola Ishang narrated how her family wedded her to a man she doesn’t know when she was 15.
Binukots play a crucial role among the culture of the ethnic tribe of Panay. They are known for their exceptional oral mastery of the traditional folklore which is then handed down from generations to generations. They are the only ones who have the right to honor and memorize the legends.
Lola Ishang cannot walk nor stand at her own feet. She described her legs as “weak” and will never be allowed to touch the ground. At her little kingdom inside her nipa hut, she is seen sitting all day on her hammock subconsciously looking at her window. When eating, she always has the honor to have the first scoop of rice.
Lola Ishang is only seen on public when there is a special ceremony, people will gather and circle her as she sang the Sugidanon or the epic that takes 2 months for completion.
Binukots are the best dancers too. Their moves depicted an eagle; free and liberated.
She narrated how during World War II, it is not a surprise when Binukots were the last one to save themselves. Not only do they lack the skills to fight the Japanese, their exceptional beauty also became the reason why they failed to survive.
The most famous Binukot was known to be Ellena Gardoce, she was awarded by the Cultural Center of the Philippines for her special skills in reciting the Sugidanon.
Lola Ellena’s granddaughter on the other hand refused the call to be a Binukot for the greater demands of the education. This move marked the slow death of the Binukot culture.
As of now, there are only 7 Binukots in the island of Panay within the age 70 – 100 and it is also reported that they are dying one by one.
The daughters of a Binukot named Lola Susa, all refused and she was left with no choice but to pass the oral tradition to her husband, Lolo Pedring just to preserve the folklores.
Although the culture is said to vanish, a school was established for a chance to learn the epics being sang by the Binukot. Every Saturday, to avoid interruptions in their weekday classes, little girls, dressed in their colorful traditional outfit are taught the words of the song and the steps in the dance of a free bird. These are not just the effort of Lolo Pedring to keep the tradition, but also the people of the tribe to immortalize their heritage.
This culture is not just for the Panay to boost, but it is everyone’s duty to explore and take time to scratch the surfaces of our history no matter what the modern age is offering us.
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