Litratong Pinoy#7 Tatak Pinoy

Itong bahay ay ang Bahay ni Dakay, pinakamatandang bahay ng Batan na itinayo noong 1870s. Ito ay kasali na sa listahan ng UNESCO. Nakatira ay isang babaeng Ivatan na nasa mga edad na siyamnapu na.

Translation: This is the House of Dakay, oldest house in Batan, Batanes which was built in the 1870s. It is already included in the list of UNESCO Heritage sites. The occupant is an Ivatan lady already in her 90s.




Batanes…parte ng Pilipinas pero parang hiwalay sa kabuuan dahil na rin sa kalayuan at sa kahirapang mapuntahan ng karamihan. Ito ay mas malapit sa bansang Taiwan kaysa Luzon. Ang lugar ay laging daanan ng bagyo kaya naman ang mga bahay ay karaniwang gawa sa singkuwentang toneladang batong apog, tambo at cogon para maprotektahan ang mga taong nasa loob. Ang isang bahay ay tulong-tulong gawain ng buong komunidad na tinatawag nilang “payuhman” o kooperasyon.
Ivatan, ang tawag sa mga taga-Batanes. Itinuturing ko silang magandang ehemplo ng pagiging Pinoy dahil na rin sa kanilang lakas ng loob at tibay sa pagharap sa kahit anong sitwasyon at kahit anong lupit ng panahon. Dahil na rin sa bulubundukin nilang lugar, ang mga Ivatan ay natutong magtiyaga at magsumikap para mabuhay at pagyamanin ang kanilang kapaligiran. Sa Batanes, makikita pa rin ang pagtutulungan sa isa’t isa o bayanihan tuwing may itatayong bahay, pagkakaroon ng komyunal na pastulan na tinatawag nilag “payaman” o mas kilala ng mga turista sa tawag na “Marlboro Country”.

Para sa akin, ang Batanes at ang mga Ivatan ay dapat nating ipagmalaki at mahalin dahil hindi pa rin nawawala sa kanila ang tatak ng tunay na Pinoy.

Translation:

Batanes..part of the Philippines but seems separated from the whole country because it is farther and harder to reach by many. It is nearer to Taiwan than the main Philippine island of Luzon. The place lies in the typhoon path and that is why their houses were usually made of 50 tons of limestone, reed and cogon to protect its occupants inside. One house is usually done by the whole community’s cooperation which is locally called “payuhman”.

Ivatan is the name of the people from Batanes. I consider them as good example of what a Pinoy is for their strength and endurance in facing whatever situation there is and however tough the times are. Because of the place being mountainous, the Ivatans learned to strive and persevere, nurture and cultivate whatever they have and their surroundings. In Batanes, you can still see people helping each other (bayanihan) each time there is a house to build, and their sharing of the communal pastureland called “payaman” or more popularly known by tourists as “Marlboro Country”.

For me, we should be proud and should love Batanes and the Ivatans for they have not lost the embodiment of the real Pinoy.