*Note this story is in Bicol-Naga
Si Migo, nagpoon nang hilingong an saiyang homework sa heograpiya asin dai niya aram kun ano an gigibuhon kaini, kadakul na bagay na dapat tuomon asin kulang na sa oras. Malagpak siya sa eksaminasyon, asin sigurado siya kaini.
“Kun nagbabasa ka nin mapa, an mga ngaran asin lugar bako man sana an mga bagay na saimong mahihiling.” Sabi kan saiyang lolo na nasa likod niya. “Lolo! Dai mo iyan pag-gibuhon, ta tinakot mo ako!” Napangisi si Lolo Abay, an mga pagsubang iyang iyo an pirmi niyang ginigibo sa saiyang mga makuapo.
“Uya, ipahiling ko saimo.” Kinua ni Lolo Abay an mapa asin ibinugtak sa lamesa sa kusina. “Igwa nin nagkapirang bagay na dai na ninda itinotokdo sa saindong mga kaakian sa eskwelahan.”
“Ano an lugar na ini?” Itinukdo ni Lolo Abay an sarong lugar sa Luzon.
“Pangasinan?” Dai sigurado si Migo, alagad dapat yaon ini sa lugar na iyan. “Tama,” ngonyan ano an istorya manungod sa mga bukid na idto?” Si Lolo Abay nakaturuhok saiya nin maigot. “Dai ko aram alagad sigurado akong sasabihon mo sako.” Nakamansay man pabalik saiya si Migo. “Tama man,” an sabi niya.
“Kaidtong panahon, nawara kan higanteng si Añgalo an saiyang ataman na orig asin nilibot nya an isla kan Luzon sa paghanap. Yaon siya sa lugar na iyan kan paghona niya nahiling niya an orig sa Cagayan harani sa Cabo Engaño. Linakaw niya an sa mag-ibong na kabukidan, alagad nahiling niya na an saiyang hinahanap mayong iba kundi sarong tambak na maitom na laboy.” Napangisi si Lolo Abay.
“Halat, ano an koneksyon kaiyan sa heograpiya?” hapot ni Migo. “Kan magbalyo si Añgalo sa kabukidan, narumpag sinda sa irarom kan saiyang mga bitis, asin an kabukidan kan Cagayan asin Pangasinan yaon pa man giraray mahihiling an mga gira kan saiyang toong bitis asin an saiyang walang gira mahihiling man harani sa mga Cordillera,” an simbag ni Lolo Abay.
“Salamat sa estorya mo po, lolo, alagad bako man idto an tema kan sakuyang homework.” Kinua ni Migo an mapa asin ibinugtak ini sa may laptop niya. “Dai ko po aram kun paano iyan makakatabang sako sa sakuyang eksaminasyon.”
“An buhay bakong manungod sa mga quiz,” sabi ni Lolo Abay sa saiyang makuapo.
“Para man po sinda sa mga kaipuhan na magkua kaiyan,” an simbag man ni Migo.
Nagngisi si Lolo Abay. Pirmi niyang aram na magigin matali si Migo, dawa kan omboy pa an saiyang makuapo. “Bueno, babayaan taka na sa saimong pag-adal, alagad tandan mo, an lambang lugar igwa nin estorya, dawa dai mo iyan nadadangog.”
Naghalat si Migo sagkod na makaluwas an saiyang lolo sa kwarto asin minasdan niya sa saiyang kompyuter. Nagpoon siyang maghanap kan mga lugar na kaipuhan niyang tuomon para sa saiyang homework asin narealisar niya na tama an saiyang lolo.
Tibaad makapasar man giraray siya sa eksaminasyon niya sa huri.
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English Version
Migo, started to stare at his geography homework and he didn’t know what to make of it, too many things to memorize and not enough time. He was going to fail the test, he was sure of it.
“When you read a map, names and places aren’t the only things that you can find.” His lolo said from behind him. “Lolo! Don’t do that, you scared me!” Lolo Abay laughed, he was always playing those kinds of tricks on his grandchildren.
“Here, let me show you.” Lolo Abay took the map and set it on the kitchen table. “There are some things they don’t teach you kids at school anymore.”
“What is this place?” Lolo Abay pointed to an area in Luzon.
“Pangasinan?” Migo was unsure, but it should be in that area. “Correct,” now what is the story about those mountains?” Lolo Abay stared intently at him. “I don’t know but I’m pretty sure you’re going to tell me.” Migo stared back. “Also correct.”
“A long time ago the giant, Añgalo, lost his pet pig and went around the island of Luzon. He was in that area when he thought he saw the pig in Cagayan near Cape Engaño. He walked across the mountains only to find that what he was looking at was nothing but a pile of black mud.” Lolo Abay smiled.
“Wait, what does that have to do with geography?” Migo asked. “When Añgalo crossed the mountains, they crumbled beneath his feet and the mountains of Cagayan and Pangasinan still have the footprint of his right foot and his left footprint can be seen near the Cordilleras,” Lolo Abay replied.
“Thanks for the story, lolo, but that wasn’t the topic of my homework.” Migo took back the map and set it down by his laptop. “I don’t know how that’s going to help me with my quiz.”
“Life isn’t about quizzes,” Lolo Abay said to his grandson.
“They are for those who have to take them,” Migo replied.
Lolo Abay laughed. He always knew that Migo was going to be clever, even when his grandson was a baby. “Well I’ll leave you to your studies, but remember, every place has a story, even if it you don’t hear it.”
Migo waited until his lolo left the room and stared at his computer. He started looking up the places that he had to memorize for his homework and he realized his lolo was right.
Maybe he would pass the test after all.
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*Central Bicol, commonly called Bicol Naga, is the most-spoken language in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon, Philippines. It is spoken in the northern and western part of Camarines Sur, second congressional district of Camarines Norte, eastern part of Albay, northeastern part of Sorsogon, San Pascual town in Masbate, and southwestern part of Catanduanes. Central Bicol speakers can be found in all provinces of Bicol and it is a majority language in Camarines Sur.
Written by Karl Gaverza
Bicol Translation by Dominador N. Marcaida Jr.
Copyright © Karl Gaverza
Translation Copyright © Dominador N. Marcaida Jr.
Inspired by ‘Some Fragments of the Añgalo Legend’ in Philippine Folk Literature: The Legends. Eugenio. 2002.
Añgalo Illustration and Watercolor by Marc Magpantay
