It's More Fun to be an Ilonggo

Good morning ladies and gentlemen! One day, a member of our tribe’s elderly women council told me a story-actually the right pronoun is “us”. And this was how it went, as told by Jumawan - the elder:

            One day, a young American lad was walking through the corridor of the American Embassy in Roxas Boulevard Manila. He saw there variety of visitors with variety of appointments and meetings. But one lady caught his attention, she was striking-well, because she was a little bit different, unique, and exquisite. He immediately got attracted and wanted so bad to have a conversation with her. So for a starter he said, “Hi young lady!” then to his amazement the lady spread her legs 180 degrees! “Oh my fucking god, what happen?!”, ask the lad, then the Ilongga replied,”Hapin? Ay doy wa nay hapin2x!!” – oh boy so much for an exquisite girl. And that, my friends, is one of those countless possible cranky moments that can just happen to you, me, and everybody else. Thanks to the wonders of the different kinds of barriers between languages.

            The Philippines alone has 171 native tongues, others consider them dialects and one of these is Ilonggo. It is distinctive from most Filipino languages for its sing-song intonation, much like Italian particularly in the Bacolodnon dialect. Ilonggos are fond of different expressions and many people are quite confused whenever they hear Ilonggos speak. It cannot be denied that one of our famous and witty Senators, Senator Miriam Santiago is an Ilongga. She has been called, the dragon lady, the iron lady of Asia, and the undisputed campus heroine. The way she speaks and delivers her speech described her true native roots as an Ilongga. Last March, a 80-year-old Jesuit Fr.Catalino Arrevalo, reprimanded Santiago in his homily. Santiago did not let this pass and to her anger she replied to the priest using her native tongue: “Kung akig ka akigi lang ako. Hindi ako pagbuyayawa. (If you’re angry, scold me; don’t humiliate or demean me.”).

Another good example having a gentle tone is the bubbly twins of the ABS-CBN’s reality show former housemates, Joj and Jai. When they first entered the PBB House, they automatically caught the attention of viewers because of their soothing tone when they talk with their fellow housemates. They did not win in the contest but they win the hearts of many.

In Mindanao, particularly in SK Province, a place where I came from where guns and improvised explosive device exploded which became our way of life. I consider myself as a new breed of an Ilonggo. My attitudes and behaviour especially the way I talk can be the best describes that of a rapid firing of a gun and explosion of a bomb, Nagalupok kag nagasigabong gid mo. Compare to Bacolodnon, they have different way of expressing themselves while the Ilonggo of Mindanao, we sound like a military that has an authority when we speak. 
-See the difference??

#MajorSpeech ko! ayiee.