Thursday, January 24. 2008Chewing betel-nut with the Mangyans of Mindoro In the upland village of Panaytayan, we met traditional Mangyans like Angheng, who felt comfortable in his bahag while chewing on betel nut. My team and I gave our lungs a break from city air and went up a mountain in Mindoro to spend time in a unique Mangyan village. We were in search of the Mangyan tisoys of legend, descendants of Dutch sailors shipwrecked off the coast of Mindoro centuries ago. Angheng was not one of them.  Enroute to the village, we took top shots of Mansalay Cove in southern Oriental Mindoro.  This young Mangyan mom named Lalen, with son Tamtam, was a welcome sight after our uphill hike. But she was not one of the tisays of lore. She was pure Mangyan with no Dutch ancestors, or she believes. She could have fooled us.  In preparing betel nut for chewing, upland people mix it with apog, or lime powder, before wrapping in a litlit leaf. While chewing, heat spreads throughout the body, keeping it momentarily warm in the upland chill. The apog gives the betel juice its red coloring when chewed.  In a riverside market in Mansalay, I tried chewing the betel-nut cocktail myself, which explains the dazed look and reddish teeth. It made my head light, gave my body a blast of heat, and a little later, precipitated the nausea of a first-timer. One betel-chewing veteran told us, "Kaya kahit wala kaming pantalon, hindi kami giniginaw." He was proudly wearing a bahag.  That's Angheng's dark-red betel spittle in the foreground, his bamboo container for betel-nut paraphernalia behind it. Note the Mangyan script on the bamboo. It is an ancient writing used most famously to immortalize the Mangyans' epic poetry, the ambahan.  Our new friends may know ancient poetry carved into bamboo, but are still getting acquainted with more recent media. Those are my colleagues Egay Navarro and director JJ Villamarin behind the cameras. Field producer Rommel Bernardo is partly visible in the upper left-hand corner. JJ took the above pics of moi. Our documentary on our search for Mangyan tisoys airs this Monday. Trackbacks
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Hi Howie, I've been reading your blog for quite some time now and I am always looking forward to your articles. Isn't the ancient Filipino script called "Baybayin"?
Hello madbong23, My limited knowledge tells me the baybayin was one of the pre-Hispanic scripts but is no longer in use. It is also known as alibata and had its most famous modern usage by the Magdalo rebel group. Surat Mangyan is an ancient script that is still in use.
That betel chewing habit can caused also throat cancer especially if accompanied with cigarette smoking....a grandma of mine died of it at ages 86 that normally her sisters and brothers reach the ages passed a hundred years before going to their graves.
Though it helps them to keep their bodywarm it has also it side effect...especially if it taking too often. I think those people you met has a blood of dutch,because a native or a really pure local one has a more dark skin and flat nose(referring to aetas) but those people probably inherited some of its "tisoy/tisay looks from spanish origin. Anyway nice pictures,fresh views and cool HOWIE smiling after having tasted the betel-nut chewing traditions...nakaka addict rin yan...ha ha ha. Hello. Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist.
I am from Malta and too bad know English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Providing oline insurance leads since." Thanks for the help ;-), health insurance sales leads. hello howie, ive been a fan of yours for ages na hehe..i love i-witness sobra hehe..i especially love those episodes of yours when you went to bohol with your bike and when you biked EDSA..more power sa i-witness and sine totoo..i hope you'd stiill give us amazing stories and documentaries kasi theyre very infromative and at the same time entertaining..i just hope that one day, you feature my town aliaga, nueva ecija and the life of farmers there hehe..hehe..wala lang..im proud of my hoetown kasi..
im an advertising student nga pala, and dream ko na makagawa ng dokyu one day, just like you and kara david..the best kayo..hehe..mabuhay! Hi Sir Howie!
 i'm a huge fan of your work and of your analyses of Media in the Philippines. I'm a communication major focusing on production and am currently taking a documentary film course in school. Your piece on the mangyans seems to be a very interesting topic to watch and learn from especially since most of the youth today tend to be ignorant of the fact that these Indigenous people contribute a lot to our national identity and culture. With a documentary piece like this, how do you avoid making the subject or human face that you are trying to portray not as an "other" to the audiences but as someone who is just like us? As i embark on creating my first documentary, do you have any words of wisdom for an aspiring media practitioner like me?:) to a more media literate society! -Mikey:) Badly need your help. Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.
I am from Benin and now teach English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "There are several types of window replacements that one can consider when." With love :o, Iona. Badly need your help. Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence.
I am from Kuwait and now teach English, give true I wrote the following sentence: " In the women, definitely always learned with the spectroscope next, laurie left to abstraction to amount a system." Thank  Rosetta stone italian v3 sale.wow,ang cute mo pala HOWIE bagay kaya sau ang pagngata ng betel nuts...!!! buti na lang di pango ang ilong mo at di malapad otherwise mapagkakamalan na din kitang Mangyan..well walang masama sa betel nuts with dahon and apog.naalala ko ang mahal kong lola umabot siya ng 80 anyos bago sumakabilang buhay.ang tibay ng mga ipin niya sabi niya dahil daw un sa NGANGA.siguro nga kasi di naman siya nagkasakit kahit na anong sakit.pati nga isip niya ay ok ,di nag-ulyanin,siguro dahil din sa NGANGA.
walang support tungkol dito sa pagsasabing nakaka-cancer o nakaka addict? pero sa mga MANGYAN,ito na ang libangan nila para din itong sigarilyo,hirap nang tangalin habbit na o bisyo. pero CUTE KA TALAGA, CRUSH NA NGA KITA EH..para ka kasing HERO in my EYES. tipong lalaking lalaki talaga. pwede kayang ma-in-love sau,HOWIE...?
o dina lang ako mag lo-log sa BLOG mo...BAWAL KASI ALAM KO...your married na din like me..pero ang lakas kasi ng dating mo sa akin eh,dont worry im in abroad,d2 lang sa blog kita kits lagi sana maligaw ka din dito sa amin. have a nice weekend I really enjoyed it. You have done a great job.
I am from African and now study English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: "Pleasing to the eyes, beautiful, and well maintained outdoor patio furniture only at seasonalconceptsonline." Thank you very much :p. Hastin. Hi all. Where facts are few, experts are many.
I am from Timor and also am speaking English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: "Keywords analog appointment black blue business clock.Lathem time systems contact us overview headquarters where to buy register your product the clock extends from the wall." Thanks for the help :), Jarman. Hello Sir Howie! I'd like to ask permission if I could repost your entry to my own blog to invite viewers? I'll put a link to this page. I'm a native in Mindoro, though Tagalog not Mangyan. I'd be excited to watch this dokyu.
BTW, like some people here, I'm also one admirer for ages now. One of those little UP students following you around in every docufest. :p Thanks! KC, I'd be honored. Pls do.
Mikey, no wise words, just the obvious: read a lot, ask many questions, be curious and relentless while trying not to annoy anyone. ; ) Paano nagkaron ng mga tisoy sa Mindoro? Nakaka-intriga ang impormasyong 'yan lalo na sa tulad kong hindi nakakapanood ng telebisyon. May mga libro, oo, pero wala pa akong nabasang ganyan. Napaka-interesante.
I-Witness on GMA Pinoy TV Wed 10:00-10:30 PM Pacific. I missed po kase the first few episodes this January. It used to be 9:00 PM. So excited to see this!
According to the doctors in PGH's ENT department, chewing betel nut increases the risk for developing oral cancers.
Good morning. Health consists of having the same diseases as one's neighbors.
I am from Andorra and now study English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: "Renault and avtovaz sign agreements to confirm strategic partnership and it will become equal shareholders of avtovaz in the spirit of a long term partnership.Berezovsky proposed to avtovaz that he provide help to the enterprise for the underpricing of the cars by avtovaz came as a result of the control of its." Waiting for a reply ;-), Noya. How are you. Whenever you have an efficient government you have a dictatorship.
I am from Singapore and now teach English, give please true I wrote the following sentence: "In trading, compulsory markets of effective company erased explained and are entirely introduced by the knowledge." Regards  Public bank online share trading.Hi howie, kudos to you! keep up the good work. i find your docus interesting and really informative but there is one thing about the Mangyans that is still bothering me since childhood. Fact or myth - there are some MANGYANS WITH ELONGATED COCCYXES (MAY BUNTOT DAW!), tutoo ba yon? have you encountered this talk when you went there?
Ed, the Mangyan tails are mythical. There are various theories how that myth started. One is that from a distance, the back side of the Mangyan bahag looks like a tail.
Sir Howie, ang galing ng docu niyo! puwede po bang malaman kung saan makakakuha ng kopya nung mga tula na ginamit niyo? ang ganda.
Paeng, for the book on ambahan, you can buy from Olak: 0927-3919423. Landline: 8103135.
Excuse me. The happiest is the person who suffers the least pain; the most miserable who enjoys the least pleasure. Help me! I find sites on the topic: Burton snowboards mission statement. I found only this - Burton snowboarding uk. Top skate site for photos, news, interviews quizzes sponsor burton snowboards sponsor is the sponsor and ccs is the. Motorola and burton snowboards announce relationship. Thank you very much :rolleyes:. Maxima from Yemen.
Thanks Howie for shining light on some of the local issues that most Filipinos, especially those of us abroad, do not normally see.
Unfortunately, advocacy concerns for local issues are often eclipsed by complaints about the short-sightedness of the national government...or by a curiosity that is limited to a provincial affiliation. Limiting one's relationship with the country to Manila or one's respective province misses out on the cultural treasures the country is fortunate enough to still have intact. Living in today's world, one can easily overlook the beauty of cultures that globalization has yet to transform... Anonymous, thank you for those heart-felt and eloquently worded sentiments. So true what you say about the tendency to miss out on the beauty of other cultures. We need to lift our gaze from our navels once in a while.
i also tried to chew a betel nut with a tobbaco leaf for the first time at tinglayan, kalinga. Grabe ang tama, parang ten straight shots of whiskey.
i felt dizzy for almost 30 minutes.Good work howie. pinanood ko i-witness last night. sir howie, galing ng dokyu kagabi. i was amazed when you mentioned na wala pang history ng mangyan na nagkaroon ng malaking kaguluhan dahil naaayos sa wastong usapan. ok din si Mr. Postma for his efforts in retaining the mangyan culture lalo na yung mangyan script. thanks for this dokyu. salamat din sa pagsagot sa mga querstions ko sa blog.
Hi all. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
I am from Romania and , too, and now am writing in English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Note we only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail." Best regards ;), Hartford beauty salon. Hello. It is not much for its beauty that makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanates from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.
I am from Solomon and , too, and now am writing in English, tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "Dale earnhardt jr amp toll tag cover." With best wishes 8-), Judy. Ang ganda po ng dokyu niyo po kagabi,salamat po sir howie sa pagsagot niyo sa e-mail ko po,first time ko po makapagcomment sa blog po ninyo,ang bait po ng Postma Family,sa mga kalahi nilang mangyan,salamat po sa dokyu!
i saw this episode last night and was impressed (as usual)... too bad though that the myth of the white mangyans was just that - a myth. i actually felt indignant when the dutch-mangyan ex-priest told you to "kalimutan mo na yan" when you inquired about the olandes mangyans.
Taroogs, Mr. Postma seemed fed up with the myth. He sounded like he's been asked about it many times.
haven't seen this latest "i-witness" episode of yours, sir howie (dahil wala pong GMA pinoytv yung cable namin dito sa toronto--it's only on one satellite provider so far over here)...but i'm pretty sure you enjoyed the trip, and discovering so much abt the mangyans...
seeing your picture here while trying the betel-nut...may i add that that should also probably explain yung medyo pamumula ng inyong mukha? hehehe...with your description (but not counting the reddish teeth), it looks like the feeling of the betel-nut cocktail was pretty much like having a shot or two of some strong alcoholic drink... Hi Daniel, Yes I got red from that "shot" of betel nut, a shock to my system. The show is on youtube. Just click on the links on the blog post, "Native poetry."
Hi Sir Howie!
San Diego po. I almost missed watching it. They moved the sched again but of course we waited to see even if it was 12:20am already. That was so cool having to spell your name in Mangyan! Looking forward to your next docu! Dia, So it's back to the witching hour! Thank goodness for its 24/7 sched on youtube ; >. Stay away from fires there.
hello sir howie! I was able to watch your documentary last monday. It was great! We also just recently came back from our immersion there, but we went to the Alangan Mangyans in Naujan. It was great seeing the Mangyans that you featured, it gave faces to the stories that our foster parents were telling us while we were there.
Thank you!taga mindoro ako, tagalog, maraming talagang makikitang tisoy/tisay sa mindoro (kabilang na me) kahit mga katutubong mangyan pa, ang ilan sa kanila ay maliliit at masasabi mong likas na maputi dahil kahit babad sila sa araw, di sila umiitim ng sobra. nagtaka din ako sa bagay na yan. marami ang iniisip na maiiitim ang mga taga mindoro, kabilang na dun ang mga naging kaklase ko sa kolehiyo. siguro ay dahil narin sa intermarriages sa mga intsik at kastila. sana magkaron pa ng maraming docu about philippine ethnic groups. nung mga bata pa kami, lumaki kami na mababa ang tingin sa mga katutubo, ang tingin namin sa kanila ay slaves, mababaho, kadiri etc. malimit silang abusuhin(in terms of money) ng mga tagalog, palagi silang dinadaya o niloloko. nung nagcollege ako, ang thesis ko ay tungkol sa mga katutubo sa buong pilipinas, dahil sa puspos na pagreresearch ko, nagkaron sila ng malaking bahagi sa puso ko, naintindihan ko na sila at pinalagahan, (naiyak pa nga ako true!). ngayon, unti-unti nang nauubos ang mayamang kultura nila, ina-adapt na nila ang "tagalog way of life" uti-tunti na nilang iniiwan ang kanilang nkagawian, (my celphones, dvds, colored tvs, mp4 etc.na ang iba sa kanila ngayon.) mahirap nang pigilan ito. ngayon, nakikita pa natin sila, napaka swerte natin!
Maring, kung tutuusin, lahat tayong ipinanganak sa Pinas ay mga katutubo. Mga ninuno ko taga rito rin.
Good morning. What's the earth With all its art, verse, music, worth - Compared with love, found, gained, and kept?
I am from Cuba and too poorly know English, please tell me right I wrote the following sentence: "If you like quick answers, the myplan snapshot can tell you how much you; ll need to save for retirement." With respect :P, Retirement planning services millersville md. Pwede po akong magtanong, kasi im taking up masteral, i just like to ask kung mayron bang Naujan Ethnic?
Thanks i am also a business man related with this arecanut since 20 years .iwatch this pic . iam happy because i thought arecanut is unknown to ur country .but now i know its truth .ur caountry also know its uses . thank u
Dear sir: I am a physician in Hawaii that used to treat elderly Filipino plantation workers here. Many chewed betel nut, with lime and leaves. I have forgotten what they called the nut; they called the leaves, gawite (?). I find buwa in Quisimbing as the possible nut name, but this does not sound familiar. Would you have any idea what they called the nut? We had Tagalog and Ilocono men, mostly. Any help on this would be appreciated. Thank you.
F L Tabrah MD Emeritus Prof. of Community Health, U. of H. School of medicine, Honolulu Dear sirs: some time ago we corresponded about the name of the nut inut that was used with gawite (leaves and lime). The most lkely name was buwa, which I did not recall at the time as what we were hearing at the time from our Philipino patients using it, was boa, at least this was their pronounciation. so I think our question is answered. Frank L. Tabrah Md Honolulu
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QuicksearchAbout SidetripMISSION
This blog will attempt to find relevance in the exotic and the commonplace, value the undervalued, and satisfy my personal curiosity about all things that have anything to do with being Filipino. Howie Severino is a journalist, documentary maker, mentor, father, husband, patriot and pilgrim. He does two main gigs on television: I-Witness, GMA Network's pioneering documentary program, and Sine Totoo, a showcase for some of GMA's best non-fiction public affairs programming. For four years, Howie also reported on culture and travel in the quirky Sidetrip sa Saksi stories on the late night news. He has also worked at, in reverse chronological order, The Probe Team (reporter), Phil. Center for Investigative Journalism (staff), The Manila Chronicle (reporter), The Journal Weekender (editor), Department of Health (speechwriter), Ateneo de Manila High School (teacher), the Philippine Embassy in Wash. D.C. (writer), the Boston Common (pretzel vendor), McDonald's (grill cook), newspaper delivery boy, choirboy. In the mid 1990s, Howie wrote a column in the Manila Times called Moving Mountains, which explored environmental issues and trends. His email: howieseverino@gmail.com  Shotlisting in Aceh after a day of covering the aftermath of the Asian tsunami, January 2005. (Photo by Aye Navarro) Top banner photo of Howie in Culion, Palawan by Ella Evangelista Calendar
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