BASI REVOLT (Movement for the Love of Ilocano wine)

 HISTORICAL MONUMENT OF  PIDDIG

Basi Revolt monument

Basi Revolt

The Philippines is an alcohol loving country. No matter what life style they have, wines and liqueur are always available  when Filipinos are celebrating spacial occasions. Even without any occasion they still drink, you can see a group of men in the streets sitting with an alcoholic beverage in front of them, they may also  invite you to drink when you pass by even if you are not a drinker. Times like this strengthens brotherhood among neighbors in any part of the Philippines. In fact,  a liqueur alone is enough to celebrate ones birthday.

Aside from grapes the country is full of different wines made out of  berries. There are also wines that are originally  improved and made by the natives like the Tapuey (a rice wine of the Igorot and Ifugao), Lambanog (wine from coconut), Basi (an Ilocano wine made form sugarcane) and many more. In connection, the production of wine or Basi in Ilocos Norte has an important contribution in history.

 

 The Basi Revolt is a symbol of  heroic movement of the Ilocanos  love for Basi particularly in Piddig, Ilocos Norte. The Basi Revolution happened during the Spanish era, when the government forbid the private manufacturers to sell Basi in the public and force the market (the people) to buy Basi from the government.

The Basi Revolt Monument in the highway of Piddig has a Salakot ( native hat), Kalasag (shield), Badang (bolo), and Burnay (ceramic jar).

The Salakot ( native hat) may simbolize the Filipinos who joined this revolution. 

The Kalasag (shield) may simbolize the strength, unity, and solidity of Ilocanos.

The Badang (bolo) may sibolize the bravery of the members to fight for their right and love.

The Burnay (ceramic jar) may simbolize the Basi that the revolutionaries are fighting for. The Burnay is         where the Basi is being fermented.

The Basi revolt never succeeded but it serves as stepping stone for achieving freedom. It  deserves a recognition among Ilocanos because it reminds them their ancestors culture and story of preserving the Piddiguenos history. This is then engraved in a limestone that is installed in the monument of Basi revolt.

summary of 1807 Basi revolt

"Panag-tubo" harvest of sugarcane

covered "Dadapilan"- not in use

Antique Dadapilan

Dadapilan - a cattle drawn  wooden mill used to squeeze sugarcane in the process of extracting "Bennal",
the process is called "Panagdapil"

Karaang - an underground furnace which consume firewood for cooking.
Sinublan - a huge cooking pan that comes in different sizes. A cooking vat that resembles a large container or tub  which is normally used in cooking sugarcane extract "Bennal" or molasses.

The sugarcane extract is heated in the Karaang and Sinublan for at least 30 minutes before transferring it to the Burnay . The Karaang is covered in rice hull if not in use so that when ever the "Mammasi" (one who makes Basi) need it, it is easier to dig unto it.

Samak /Binunga - a tree that belongs to the family Moraceae,
 it is an ingredient for brewing Basi that adds color and unique flavor in it. 

The bark,  fruits and leaves of  Samak (Macaranga tanarius) tree is pounded and sometimes dried then added in the sugarcane extract before the fermentation process to attain its unique flavor. Binuñga is a small, dioecious tree, growing to a height of 4 to 8 meters. Leaves are peltate, ovate to oblong-ovate, 10 to 25 centimeters long, with entire or toothed margins, with a rounded base and pointed apex. Male flowers are small and born on slender, branched peduncles which are shorter than the leaves. Female flowers are usually found in simple panicled spikes or racemes. Capsules are 10 to 12 millimeters in diameter, of 2 or 3 cocci, covered with pale, waxy glands and with soft, scattered, elongated spinelike processes ( http://www.stuartxchange.com/Binunga.html).

Burnay - a ceramic or earthen ware used in brewing Basi, it comes in different sizes.
-not in use-

Basi under fermentation 

Burnay is covered with round stone slabs called "Arapang"

Arapang-  a limestone that accumulated and solidified out of the minerals of a stream,
a "Mammasi" formed it to a round stone slab that is used to cover Burnays.

 

According to Tata. Fernando Felipe (a mammasi in Brgy. Tonoton -town of Piddig, province of Ilocos Norte) during his childhood days, Basi is made by borrowing the Burnays under their houses for several months or years. Others borrow their Burnay underground then plant banana on top of it, it will serve as a marking where the Burnay is located. The mammasi will wait until the Banana will bare fruits. At the time they will harvest the fruits of Banana, it is also the time that they will dig up the Burnay which contains Basi. Today, this methods of brewing Basi are no longer practiced.

BS Forestry students with Tata. Fernando Felipe
Socio-cultural development

Tata. Fernando Felipe owns a Dadapilan which he uses in extracting the sugarcane for more than a jubilee. He stated that his Dadapilan is made out of Sagat/Molave (Vitex parviflora), it was erected when he was still 6 years old, today he is already 81 years old. 

DINAMILI (pottery of San Nicolas Ilocos Norte)

   CLAY POTS INDUSTRY IN NORTHERN PHILIPPINES

 

Sirkulo

 The town of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte is known for its clay pots called Banga. In  additoin, there are also other products like bricks, tiles, garden pots, jar coin bank, Lusob (braces in making a well) and many more. Banga has an important role in the lives of the Ilocanos. It is a part of their tradition and culture. They use it to cook Pinakbet (an Ilocano dish assorting vegetables), they start the funeral parade with a ceremony, the Ilocanos smash it to kill the chicken underneath  before the casket leaves the gate of the house.

 The traditional procedure of pottery making in Ilocos Norte is called Damili. In fact, the people of San Nicolas celebrates the Damili Festival by December 26-30. The Sirkulo  is  a land mark showing the main products of San Nicolas, it is locate on the center of the road. You may see it before entering the town proper.

 The pottery products are transported to neighboring towns and being sold during market days. the prize ranges from Php15 - Php300.

GOT TO BECOME LEGEND ( Sinking Bell Tower)

The Historical Sinking Bell Tower of  Laoag  on Day and Night

Sinking bell tower

 The sinking bell tower  is an ancient structure that reminds the colonization of the Spanish government in Laoag city. It sinks by one to two inches during earthquakes. This is a tourist attraction in the City of Laoag.

 There are images of angels and demons on every sides of it, the image of Mama Mary is the biggest image shown on this side. To give emphasize on it , the government of Ilocos Norte decided to put up lights on its windows. 

There are also residential and business structures that were attached on it before and I wanted those to be removed. Luckily and finally the government of Ilocos Norte wanted to promote tourism in the province, so they renovated the place living the bell tower alone, now the people can enjoy its overall view.

The bell tower is still functional and being used during spacial occasions.

ASIAN GARDEN ORNAMENT

ASIAN GARDEN ORNAMENT

Garden Lantern Ornaments of Asia

The countries of Asia are very rich when it comes to designs and concepts. The gardens of old Asia are being maintained until this days. That's why people can still enjoy the aesthetic views of it for the incoming generations. The neighboring countries also share some of their traditions and culture.

One of the designs of Asian gardens is the lantern ornament. The garden lanterns are usually carved rocks or made out of concrete. This are commonly seen in Chinese and Japanese gardens. Garden lanterns have different designs, shapes, and styles based on where it is made. The roof of garden lanterns in China are hooked. Most garden lanterns has a cube shape body but there are octagon shape bodies too. Circle and square is the simplest shapes of its windows but there are also latticed.      

CERAMIC KINGDOM OF THE NORTH

 Sunshine City Ceramics

Open Fired Ceramic Sculpture

 The Ilocos regions in the northern part of the Philippines has their own way on pottery making. It was brought and introduced by  the Chinese  who lived in the Philippines. 

Besides from the city of Vigan in Ilocos Sur, Iocos Norte also has its own way and procedure in pottery making and they can be found in the towns  of San Nicolas and Paoay. In connection, some public schools in the cities of Laoag and Batac teaches traditional and modern ceramics.


After preparing the clay with rice hull, ash or sand, they cut it with a string tied on bamboo sticks making a sheets of clay. Then, they start making Banga (clay pot), Dalikan (Ilocano pottery used for cooking), Masiterya (flower pot), wind chimes, jewelries, souvenir.

The prepared products are dried on shade. After a few days, it will dry up and ready for firing. The prepared products are piled for firing, usually they use the open firing method but only in the town  of San Nicolas. The ceramic product  turned into a luminous orange color. The finished product are transported to other towns of Iocos Norte and sell them during market days.

My Tiger Figure

This is my creation, a tiger figure made out of clay from the field. I started making ceramic products since first year high school. I made this before the year of the tiger Chinese new year celebration.

CORAL SCULPTURE (PINOY GARDEN ORNAMENT) by Kanuto wong

CORAL SCULPTURE

Coral craft

This is a miniature of the bell tower of Paoay, Ilocos Norte. I was inspired of making this when my friend invited me to visit the town of Paoay to introduce its rich historical background that was preserved way back from the colonial period.  I made this when I was in second year high school or at the age of 14.

The church of Paoay is made out of coral blocs and not bricks, the Spaniards that colonized the Philippines is the engineers of the church but the Filipinos are the one who made it. This is actually a fallen part of it, that is why this sculpture is already more than a hundred years old.

I pick stones whenever I go to a tour as a remembrance but I would really want to specify where those stones came from and instead of writing on it, I wanted to make it more meaningful, so I make different crafts out of those stones.

This is actually a miniature design or ornaments  for gardens just like the  stone crafts of the Chinese and Japanese. I think this is the Filipino version of it. Their stone crafts are inspired by the shape of their temples and this is also inspired by the bell tower of a church, they are pretty much the same.