Colvo, Bauan, Batangas: Historical Data Part II

Historical data from the National Library of the Philippines.

(4) The godparents and parents of the child call each other comadre and compadre as a sign of intimacy and esteem.

Courtship and Marriage

(1) A young man who wants to marry a woman serves her family for a certain length of time before they are married.

(2) Before marriage, the young man repairs the house.

(3) The young lady to be married should not try on her wedding gown before [the] marriage.

(4) When the wedding day is approaching, the bride and the bridegroom must take care of themselves for accidents are more likely to come.

(5) Throwing grains of rice to the newlyweds means good grace for them.

Death and Burial

(1) A dead person uses a pillow of camias leaves.

(2) They never notice or make remarks on the extraordinary appearance of the dead.

(3) The whole night after a person dies, the people read the “pasiyon,” even if it is not Lenten season.

(4) Anything that is new is not worn when going to the cemetery.

(5) After the dead person in a coffin has been brought down from the house for burial, the windows of the house are closed immediately.

(6) All the relatives of the dead wear black clothing as a sign of mourning.

VISIT

(1) When a woman gives birth to a child, people pay a visit with some sort of remembrance for her.

(2) If someone dies, the people who visit the dead person give some money to the relatives of the dead.

Plants, trees, animals

(1) When planting bananas, the planter never looks upward.
(2) In planting corn, the planters never look backward.
(3) When dogs howl at night, someone in the neighborhood

will die or is dying.

(4) When you meet a snake on the way, it means you will have good luck.

(5) When a snake enters the house, it means good luck for the family.

(6) When two families live in a house, each family should not take care [of] a pig of its own, because either one of the two pigs will die.

Moon, stars, eclipses, earthquake, lightning and thunder, clouds, rain, storm.

(1) When a star shines near the moon, someone will elope.
(2) When there is an eclipse expected, mothers take [a] hard time to deliver their children.
(3) When there is an earthquake, people should sit down because it is not good to stumble down by the great shake of the house or ground.
(4) When there is lightning, people cover the mirrors for they reflect light.
(5) Mushrooms will be found somewhere after lightning has occurred.
(6) When birds and fowls are playing and are having a great joy, it will rain.
(7) Clouds going southward means there is an approaching storm.
(8) Strong winds will come when the western skies burn red.
(9) When the leaves of trees turn upside down, there is an approaching storm.

BIRTH AND TWINS

A married woman never eats twin bananas for one might have twin babies.

SICKNESS

(1) People believe in the knowledge of the “quack doctor.”
(2) When they were bitten by a snake, they tread [thread?] the bite with “tawak.”
(3) People believe in “paraya.”

SUPERSTITIONS

(1) Never cut the nails on days that have r’s like “Biyernes,” “Martes” and “Miyerkules.”
(2) They do not comb their hair at night.
(3) They never cook malunggay when a relative dies.
(4) Never sing in front of the fire.
(5) In making stairs of the house, the steps should

(1) Planting Rice
(2) Tinikling
(3) Salokot
(4) Don’t You Go
(5) Pilipinas
(6) Paru-parong Bukid
(7) Leron-Leron Sinta
(8) Christmas Carol
(9) Halloween Songs

Games and Amusements

1. Serenades 2. Parties 3. Sabalan 4. Subli 5. Kurido 6. Dama

7. Fencing 8. Pandango 9. Wrestling 10. Blackjack 11. Sungka 12. Swimming

(1) Run there, run here

(2) There it is, there it is. You can’t see it. – Wind

(3) The captain took a bath without wetting his stomach. – Boat

(4) My cow’s mooing in Manila can be heard here. – Thunder

(5) There is a trunk but no branches. – Ladle

(6) Open in the afternoon

(7) My pig at Sorsogon will not eat without riding on it. – Coconut grater.

(8) It has four feet, but cannot walk. – Table

(9) Already a fruit, still bears another fruit. – Betel nut

(10) The blessed water cannot be taken except by a child. – Mother’s milk

(11) Which bird cannot perch on a tree? – Quail

(12) One plate is seen throughout the country. – Moon

(13) Tall when sitting down. Small when standing. – Dog

(14) Walking [probably standing] without feet. Crying without eyes. [probably Candle. Word not scanned.]

(15) When I killed it, life became longer. - - - Candle
(16) Two friends always running after the other. – Two feet
(17) I am [a] coward against one and brave against two. – Bridge
(18) Bones and skin that fly. – Kit
(19) Gold wrapped with silver, silver wrapped with skin. – Eggs
(20) Heart shaped, gold in color. – Mango
(21) I have a slave that follows me always. – Shadow
(22) My elder brother’s house cannot be look up at. – Forehead
(23) Two balls of thread reached the sky. – Two eyes
(24) You carry [it] but it carries you. – Wooden shoes
(25) A grain of rice overcrowds the house. – Lamp
(26) In leaves grow foot, and in fruit grows fruit. – Pineapple
(27) When he is young, he has a tail and when it grows up, it disappears. – Frog

1. He who does not know how to save money throws money thoughtlessly.
2. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
3. One who plants early, reaps early.
4. Money earned from bubbles disappears like bubbles.
5. What use is the grass when the horse is dead?
6. Don’t be overconfident, storms come even during Lent.
7. No debt will ever remain unpaid.
8. What one usually says is what he feels.
9. He who will not sacrifice will not succeed.
10. Without patient effort, nobody can accomplish work.
11. Though firewood is fresh and wet never near the flame should it be placed. Sooner, it will burn into a big bright fire.
12. You can judge a person who is well-bred by his words and deeds.
13. Spare the rod and you spoil the child.
14. He who looks not from where he starts wouldn’t arrive at the desired spot.
15. Bend the tree while it is young, long afterwards it cannot be done.
16. Wipe off your own blemishes before you point to the mote in the eyes of others.
17. Do not put off till tomorrow what you can do for today.
18. Iron is destroyed by its own rust.
19. A shallow river makes much noise.

1. People measure the time through the shadows of trees and roof of houses.
2. Through the crows of the rooster, people can detect the approximate time of the night.

3. When the patola flowers begin to bloom, it is already late in the afternoon.

Special Calendars

1. From [the] first 24 days of January, the people can tell what month of the year will have much rain.

2. When Christmas day falls on Friday, there will be plenty of mice the following harvest season.

3. When a horse neighs at New Year’s Eve, there is a plentiful harvest for the year.

4. The name of the day of every first of the month is also the day in the fifteenth.

5. The wedding day should always fall on the full moon or when nearly full moon.

Prepared by:

Notes and references: