MUNICIPALITY OF DASOL (PANGASINAN), History and Cultural Life of Part II

The wedding may be over, but the newlyweds will not yet sleep together. In the first night after the marriage, nine pillows are placed between them. Every night, one pillow is removed, and this continues until the tenth night when the last pillow is removed and they are allowed to sleep together. The newlyweds are again advised not to bathe until after the third day is over so that the graces they have received will not be washed away.

Then, there are also traditions, customs, and practices in connection with death. When the person dies, the members of the family do not eat vegetables that are rounded in shape and those with rough surfaces like beans, mongoes, and ampalaya. Eating any of these will cause the appearance of outgrowths from the skin similar to the shape of the vegetable eaten. They must also not eat sour fruits like tamarind and mango and the blood of animals, otherwise stains will appear on the skin, particularly on the face.

The following was believed in yesteryears but only a few believe it now. There was a belief that it was not good to sweep the floor and the yard in homes where a person died. Sweeping would cause another death of one of the members of the family. So, in homes where a person died, cleaning was postponed until the ninth day was over. The time of death was always noted down. Dying at sunset meant bad luck for those who were left behind and dying at sunrise would mean financial progress on the part of the [unreadable handwritten insert] dead should not be buried at noon as this would mean another death in the family.

Festivals in this municipality are always celebrated in connection with religious ceremonies. There are two fiestas, one is the first Friday of the Lenten celebration and the other is the town fiesta in honor of the patron saint.

Punishments were always severe. When people could not pay their personal taxes, they were required to lie prone and whipped two hundred times with a whip made of rattan, and after this, they had to work in public construction for a month or more depending upon the discretion of the ruler. Schoolchildren were always at the mercy of the schoolmaster. Pupils who did not memorize their lessons were whipped or were punished by kneeling on rounded objects like rice or mongo seeds.

1. Broken mirror brings bad luck.

2. Snake crossing your way brings good luck.

3. Black cat crossing your way brings bad luck.

4. Lizard seen on your way is a bad omen.

5. When an owl perches on the window of a house, someone living in that house will die.

6. When the thirteenth day of the month falls on a Friday, it is an unlucky day.

7. If you spend for something on Monday, you will not stop spending for the whole week.

8. It is not good for a mother who is on the family way to be going around in the open air at night.

9. When a cat scratches its face while facing the door, a visitor will arrive.

10. Cutting fingernails at night is not good.

11. If katuray plants are planted in a yard, those persons living in the house within that yard are apt to leave the place and go live in another place.

12. When planting fruit trees or plants of any kind during low tide, they will bear plenty of fruits, but if planted during high tide, the leaves are abundant, but will not bear fruit.

13. Giving out money or rice at night makes the family poorer.

14. It is not good to plant katuray and kapok near the house. If they grow tall and overlook the occupants of the house, the persons in that house will either go away from that home or they will die.

15. It is not good to eat when there is thunder and lightning because the thunder and lightning will enter the house and eat the persons in the house and kill them all with its mighty fiery light.

16. When a hen crows, somebody in the neighborhood is to become a mother but not a wife.

In the olden days, Dasol was not behind in games and amusements from the neighboring towns. The people had different kinds of games and entertainments, especially during fiestas. They had to invite people from neighboring towns for the purpose of playing the games with them.

These games — "juego de anillo, baseball, horce racing" — were played during fiestas. These were the highly organized games that they had. Old men and young ones played in these games. In juego de anillo and horse races, the men had to select the best horses for them to compete with their comrades. Prizes were awarded to those winners of the different games. "Sipa" and "palo sibo" were the games of the younger sets.

There was a season for flying kites. During these days, men and children made their kites. Everyone had to make his best in form and size. They had to fly their kites in the fields. There was much fun in watching the kites as they went high up, up in the air. The highest kite would receive the greatest appreciation. They sometimes tied their kites to trees or poles and let the kites fly until the kites go down.

Comedy (comedia) had entertained many people in fiestas. Old folks enjoyed it. Comedy portrayed the lives of the people within the country or empire, their costumes and customs.

It was customary that the old people went serenading at night, especially on moonlit nights. They brought their guitars and sang their old sentimental songs.

Fencing was practiced, too, during the olden days. Men of strength and ability practiced and made this a source of amusement and pleasure.

The women played pang-ging-gi and bomtatoc. They spent their days or leisure hours sitting around with their cards at hand. It was said that some even went to the extent of losing their wealth because of the games.

There were other games played, but these were the favorites of the old, old folks during their days.

The people are music-loving. Below are some of the popular songs in the native language, either Ilocano or Pangasinan.

I -

Ñgalñgalin pagco coy ondetdet ombetag Ed pan nonnomot coy arac lan abagbag Mandcan can puso ta sicatoy ni-anakan mo Akin ta't mi-arowan ca akin ta't ni-arowan ca'd Toon nanañgi — talirak. Tikiab ka lan papel, papel ya dicarta Diman ca ondapod arap men polama Tapatan to bilang no iner so man lapuan mo "Siac imay imaron ya "Siac Imay imaron ya "Imcaenmdan mo la."

II -

Palar co la comoy palar nen sibaweng Onkotkot ed dalin ompaway no ñgaren Ompeket ed bolong mansayasayengseng Ikankanta toray liket to tan ermuan. Palarco la comoy palar man balite Pantod toonan day duaran culasisi Wawak ya masinan bagan alcaguete Imbantac moy aroc andi pasantabi. Palar co la comoy palar man manok Mantañgal na rosas imbaliw tod ilog Nem apetakan toray marakep ya venus Inkankanta toray lugar mo tan arok. Palar co la comoy palar men Abrahan Mansibo na ilik dima'd kapalandeyan Say pin munta'd bato sicatoy maiyan Say pimmunta ed buer sicatoy macbetan.

III -

Carumay cabuasan apalabas taca Iban si polanon paypayoñgan toca Samad cami polana cuan con insalita Intewek moy lupan agmo la intangan.

Ontoriñgac comon panom con onturing Wadia lad paguco con pinokoc lan amin Tepetac lan tepet musiadoy pan-burim Mapatnag inaro ya wala lay pinablin.

IV -	Walay imaroc dimad Tambobong Gilig na baybay mablin abong Gilig na baybay pansipuacay danum Ligliwa to ray dal-daluyon. Labi agew cabuasan ñgarem Parmid bintanan arap toy taew Pitopuetuac ya wadiad baley Mensajeros to ray sirad danum.

V -

Baliwan co'd mundo señales day luram So agco pacanengneng inaro ya saksakey Inaron pimablic diamantes ed pagueo Panom co la casi no agtaca namengmeng. Itañgay co'd tawan irayan sanduan matac Insamco iyosdong, manag-agum iray luac Cuan con isisipan, abagueyac muet la Casi lay palar con nisiyan ed sica.

VI -

Matalag ya agueo, matalag ya simba Matalag ya tiempoy paen pantuyaw ta Inisip mo la lagi angoman lay walna Masbali manenden so aroc ed sica Maminsan ya agueo ya agtaca nanengneng [unreadable] toy oloc lupuken toy pokel Amin ya camen co et man cemento'd pagueo Inumen con danum manbocnol ed beclew. Inanom pa agui ma-aweyco natan Laman coy man ebeng aliling coy bangcay [unreadable] day doctores agac la man bilay Walad sicay remedien beben benan day liman. Diac lara itonday sarayan relacion Agco muet cabat ya siac imay imaron No inaro muac ya tuan imyotel ed puson Cada minotoy horas cailio muac comon.

Ipuon co nga irugui
Ti cabibing co a naca ca ca asi
Maysaac nga anac ti pubre
A nailas – ud ti daytoy nga ili.

Idi siac ti naulila
Binilbilin nac daydi ina
Ay neneng angsingsingpet ca
Ta mapanac iti adayo nga daga.

Umulogac iti big-bigat
Awan ni Namangco nga makitac
Luluac ti manacnacanac
Barucong co awanan ragsac.

Apo bulan sadi ngato
Silawanan ti dalan co
Barbareng no nasurot co
Ti ayan na ni Nanangco.

Roruot ti daldalan
Madaldalanan madaldalapus
Luluac ti manibug-sibog
Mamarangpaya mama-rucbos

No ñgaya-ñgayem ti agayat
O manong malap - it a biag
Ammommanong ti cayar-igac
Cas maysa a sabong dipay nag-ucrad.

Diay bukol ñga immaris mo
Idiay uneg ti jarden co
Awan muet ti nacatubo
Nagbalin da amin ñga sabidong co.

No sip-akem daydiay nañga
Malaylay maipadaga
No pidotem mapucao da
No sab-okem mayocoyoc da.

O manong agawid can
Idiay lugar ñga dinak-kelan
Awan muet ti mulmulam
Nga umay mo sarsarungcaran.

LOCAL LANGUAGE	ENGLISH
1. No awan ti anus awan ti lamut	1. Without patience, there is no food.
2. No nalpas ti ani awan garami.	2. After harvest, there is no more hay.
3. Ti tao ñga mairu-ru-men, Dios ti agtaraken.	3. God will take care of persons who are cursed.
4. Aganus ca bagui ta dica muet nagpadi.	4. Be patient body because you did not take priesthood.
5. Dica agcapoy-capuy no bassit ti innapoy.	5. Don't be too slow when there is little cooked rice.
6. No agca nanlangtaw agca onletaw.	6. If you do not boast, you will not become popular.
7. Mandasal ca man andi man, mangan ca lamlamang.	7. Whether you pray or not, you will still eat.
8. No iner so akatombaan diman so bañgonan.	8. Where you fall, you rise.
9. Mantanem ca pian manami ca.	9. You plant so you have something to reap.
10. Bokor na inatay so angapoy remedio.	10. Only the dead has no remedy.
11. Dika agdil-dillaw no cadduan ti agtak-takao.	11. Don't ask if your companions are the ones stealing.

Transcribed from:

History of Dasol, online at the National Library of the Philippines Digital Collections. The pagination in this transcription is as they appear in the original document.