by: Ma. Christina Perez
Tablas is the largest island, and the leading producer of staple crops.
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History
The Spanish historian Loarca visited the place in 1582 and referred to it as "Lomlon" or "Domblon." In 1635 the Recollects established Christian churches in Banton, Romblon, and Cajidiocan. Like many Visayan provinces, Romblon experienced frequent attacks, initially from the Muslims, and in 1646, from the Dutch. Loarca noted that the Muslim pirates would swoop down on Romblon villages, burn the churches and houses, kill the men and bring the women and children with them. In order to protect the people from the devastating effects wrought by these invasions, the Recollects built a fort in Romblon and another in Banton Island in 1650.
In the 19th century, under the Spanish colonial government, the province underwent various political and jurisdictional reorganizations. In 1818, it was incorporated into the province of Capiz, and later in 1853, the islands were reorganized into a politicomilitary commandancia with its center in Capiz.
In 1898 Romblon was administered by army captain with Romblon town as its capital. Other municipalities were named Azagra, Badajoz (now San Agustin), Banton, Cajidiocan, Corcuera, Looc, Magallanes (now Magdiwang), Odiongan, Despujol (now San Andres), and Santa Fe. During the latter part of the Philippine Revolution, Romblon, as part of Capiz was administered by General Mariano Riego de Dios who headed the Filipino revolutionary forces in the Visayas during the Philippine-American War.
On 16 Mar 1901 a civil government was established by the Americans. Romblon was
In 1947 Romblon regained its provincial status which had been abolished in October 1946 by a Commonwealth Act. The municipalities of the province constituted in 1940 were also restored.
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Economy
Due to its location along typhoon paths, the province experiences devastation every year, aside from the drought that usually occurs during the dry season. These phenomena do not allow the Rombloanon engage heavily in agriculture except for cultivating few cash crops and staple goods for domestic consumption. Romblon's mountain terrain provides advantageous conditions for the growing of coconuts which is a major source of income for the people. The islands have more coconuts planted per square meter than any other island in the Philippines.
Romblon is best known as the island of marble. The very foundation of Romblon island is marble, thus making this valuable, highly prized resource virtually inexhaustible. The islet alone of Alad is said to have enough marble to last 20 years if quarried under full time operation every day of the year. The other major marble deposits are found in Cobrador and on the northern side of Tablas (Platon 1958:49).
There are at least two dozen varieties of marble underneath Romblon Island and approximately 158 different shades in the entire province. However, there is a possibility that more shades can be found under the surface since marble shades vary as extraction goes deeper under the surface crust. Marbles are classified according to their colors. Since quarrying began in the early part of the century, the following are the most common: white or light gray with grayish spots similar to that of Carrara in Italy; light bluish gray with white spots known as Pentellic; a variation of white to cream with mellowed tones of rusty yellow veins and spots, labelled as Golden Romblon; dark bluish gray to blackish with patches of white, tagged as Bardilli; and white with tints of green, named Romblon Green Onyx (Duyan 1989:38-39).
Marble is very popular as construction material for flooring tiles, wall panelling, and structural pillars. It can also be made into decorative items such as ashtrays, chess pieces, powder bowls, animal figurines, statuettes, miniature mortars and pestles, globes, pen holders, jars, and flower vases. Marble has been used in making monumental and lapidary name tablets, garden sets, table tops, chess tables, and stools. These items are crafted by some 100 small enterprises. mostly family businesses, in Romblon. Finished products mostly find their way into the local novelty stores where they are sold to tourists or Manila distributors (Duyan 1989:38-39).
Romblon town boasts of an enclosed harbor. Protected by the three islets of Logbon, Alad, and Cobrador, the harbor is known to be the country's safest and most natural. Visitors are greeted with goods displayed at the pier where the tourist ships dock.
Other means of livelihood include logging, copra-making, fishing, and bamboo crafts.
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Provincial government building with an accompanying US flag is a Spanish period structure made of stone, bamboo, and palm leaves. (Report of the US Philippine Commission to the Secretary of War 1901 Ayala Museum Collection)
Romblon is governed by the Department of Local Government, acting in behalf of the president through its local government units. The barangay is the basic unit of government. It consists of not less than one thousand inhabitants and is administered by a set of elective officials headed by a punong barangay. The barangay functions as a basic arm for delivering goods and services at the community level. The municipality is a conglomeration of a number of barangays and is administered by elective and appointive officials. The city has large centers of population and have relatively high degree of economic development (Philippine Yearbook 1989:70-73).
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Social Organization and Customs
There are a number of beliefs which guide the Rombloanon in the different stages of their life cycle.
Ease in the delivery of a baby is associated with loosening objects in the house. Thus, an expectant mother's husband refrains from tying knots as this may cause problems in the delivery of the child. At the time of delivery, when an expectant mother is undergoing labor, some closed objects used inside the house are opened, or some knotted or tied objects are loosened to "make way" for the baby. Expectant mothers are not allowed to wear any kind of scarf as this may cause the death of the child before or after delivery (Demetrio 1991:403-462).
The way the inonlan or placenta is disposed of determine the child's degree of attachment to the home in its adulthood. If the inonlan is buried in the ground near the midpost of the house, the child is likely to stay home most of the time. If the inonlan is buried at the post of the stairs, the child, even if it travels far, will always return home. And if the inonlan is thrown into the sea, the child will travel most of the time.
Pregnancy is also a sign of good luck, so pregnant women are believed to make good planters of rice as they ensure abundant harvests (Demetrio 1991:403-462).
The Rombloanon take notice of natural phenomena to guide them through marriage. For example, a star close to the moon foretells elopement as women, during this period, are easily won. Another belief is that if on the day of the betrothal either the groom or the bride gets sick, they will have a short married life (Demetrio 1991:243-342).
During and after the wedding, the objects used in the ceremony are cared for as these may influence the marriage. The candles lighted in front of the couple during the ceremony determines their life span. If the candle near the girl is brighter and lasts longer for the duration of the ceremony than that of the boy, it means that she will live longer. A ring falling during the wedding ceremony is a sign that something bad will happen to the couple. If the wedding veil falls from the groom's head during the ceremony, it signals that the party concerned will not live long. In contrast, if a pot, a glass, or a plate is broken during the wedding reception, the couple will prosper (Demetrio 1991:243-342).
Several other practices are observed after the wedding ceremony. In the bride's house, the groom and the bride each lights a candle. This is then followed by the saboangan or galahan, the practice of throwing coins or paper money at the newlyweds while they dance. The money thrown at the couple becomes part of the couple's first income. While they have not yet changed their wedding attire, both the groom and the bride refrain from looking at the mirror as this may cause bad luck (Demetrio 1991:243-342).
The Rombloanon take notice of signs which foretell the death of relatives like a moon resembling a cradle, the combing of the hair at night, dreaming of losing a tooth, riding on a boat, or the chirping of the salagunting, a kind of beetle. Even a dying person can have a premonition about his death when he is heard to utter meaningful words about it. To forestall death, the person who hears it should interrupt the ominous speech and change the subjects of the conversation (Demetrio 1991:463-540).
When a person dies, his relatives go into mourning. The girls wear black clothes while the boys wear ribbons. Within three days, no member of the bereaved family is allowed to dean any portion of the house including the -kitchen and the yard for fear of death. Death in the family may also come when a dead person's toes point toward each other, or are inclined inwards. During the belasyon (wake), food is served to neighbors and visitors to ensure the passage of the dead man's soul to heaven (Demetrio 1991:463-540).
After the burial, the widow or the widower is not allowed to peep out of the window until after the third day. Relatives and other people who stay in the house where the death occurred are prohibited from combing or cutting their hair during those three days.
On the third day after the burial, relatives partake of the gulgul (washing) to help the soul of the departed cross the river Jordan (Demetrio 199 1:463-540).
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Religious Beliefs and Practices
The Rombloanon believe in anito or engkanto (spirits) that inhabit the mortal world. These spirits live in balete trees which they call lonok, and the Rombloanon see to it that the frees are not destroyed, harmed or despised as unseen inhabitants have the power to do harm or offer good luck. They also believe in the kapre, a big creature whose height reaches 5 m, similar to a Coconut tree. It appears at night and does not harm innocent persons (Demetrio 1991:587-638).
Together with the good spirits that bring luck, there are wizards and witches that harm people. An example is the asuwang who loves to eat babies and assumes different forms at night in search of victims. The Rombloanon believe in .the barang (amulet) that protects a person from all physical encounters. One way of acquiring a barang is by swallowing a small stone yielded by a certain type of banana at midnight on Good Friday (Demetrio 1991:587-638).
The Christian Rombloanon celebrate their nine-day town fiesta every January, in honor of the Santo Niņo, Patron Saint of Romblon town. With Loarca's expedition came the image of the Santo Niņo, a replica of the one in Cebu. Legend has it that when the expedition was ready to depart, strong typhoons prevented it from getting out of Romblon Bay. The Spaniards attempted seven times to leave and each time they had to turn back. It was believed that the Santo Niņo wanted to stay in Romblon. When the Spaniards decided to leave it on shore, it stuck to its present place and the expedition sailed safely out to sea. This even resulted in the conversion of many natives to the Catholic faith.
During the town fiesta in January, people decorate themselves with flowers and vines, paint their faces, and dance in the streets. A fluvial procession honoring the image of the Holy Child circles the bay seven times to reenact the Spaniards' futile attempt to leave the bay (Carballo 1964:22-23).
Carved out of black wood with gold boots, the 30-cm tall image is associated with many tales. Sometimes it is seen playing with little children but it immediately disappears when approached by an adult. Many times, its clothes and feet would be stained with mud although these had been unsoiled the previous night (Carballo 1964:23).
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Architecture and Community Planning
Traditional beliefs which guided the early Rombloanon in the construction of their houses are still prevalent among many Rombloanon families. The time for building a new house is determined not only by the availability of material or the suitability of the weather but also by the beliefs associated with each month of the year. Houses built during the months of March, June, September, and November will bring luck and prosperity to their owners. Owners of houses built in July will also prosper if they raise animals such as pigs and cattle. Houses built during the months of May and October will easily catch fire and all household belongings including the owners will perish the fire(Demetrio 1991:123-162).
In the selection of housing materials, the Rombloanon believe that a halite tree where balite vine has grown is not suitable for building a house, as this is the dwelling place of engkanto. Bamboo to be used for construction is cut in December to make it more durable. Dead trees are not used as this may cause the family members to be sickly (Demetrio 1991:123-162).
During the construction of the house, burying a centavo beneath every post ensures prosperity for the inhabitants. Also, the posts are placed clockwise in order for it to become windproof.
Building a house disturbs the unseen owners of the land; therefore, a peace offering is prepared for the spirits. For this purpose, the Rombloanon kill a pig or pure white chicken and pour the animal's blood into the holes where the posts are supposed to stand. Permission of the spirits is also secured when repairs are made on the house; otherwise, the person who repairs it will get sick (Demetrio 1991:123-162).
Transferring to another house is best during full moon and never on a quarter moon. The first commodities brought into the new house are water, rice, and salt to ensure that the prime necessities of life will always be abundant. Once in the house, the jar is not emptied for one week and the stove is kept open for one day. Also, during the first seven days, the family avoids spending a centavo (Demetrio 1991:123-162).
Many bridges and houses of stone from the 16th century dot the province of Romblon, particularly the capital. Romblon Cathedral and its accompanying bell tower date back to 1635 when the Recollects arrived in lands. The church has a Byzantine-type altar and several distinctive paintings and icons.
The present Romblon Cathedral and its bell tower, both made of stone, date back to 1635 when it was built by the Recollects. (Summer Institute of Linguistics Collection)
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Visual Arts and Crafts
Basketry is not only a major industry in Romblon but also a source of aesthetic pride. Romblon baskets are unique in material and weaving technique. An important basket material is kokolongkoy vine, used in about 3-mm osiers and utilized to form a small bowl in a technique called roping. This formation highlights the natural luster and resilience of the vine and makes an unusual basket with great spring and expansiveness. This technique is used only in Romblon.
Another technique involves the splitting of the kokolongkoy vine to form a jar-shaped butit or locust jar for the collection of grasshoppers. This highly decorative craft allows enough air inside to keep the captured insect alive. A fitted cap formed from a split kokolongkoy vine in knotted wed is placed on top of the jar. When formed in a weblike structure surrounded by a frame made of whole vine in twined construction, the split vine may also serve as an open screen or drying tray.
Another popular basket material is the nito vine, used principally for covered market baskets and bowls of various sizes. The usual design would be dark nito woven against a ground of light-colored vine.
Other products use the combination of buri strips overlaid with split nito by means of plaiting. For the export baskets, many other kinds of vines are available, such as malipali, ungali, and sagagap. Other products of leaf and vine weaving in Romblon are coiled baskets, small coin purses, men's hats and salakot, nested sets of as many as six boxes, covered jars, open bowls, and covered trays (Lane 1986:64, 125, 132).
The Rombloanon take pride in their basketry and weaving traditions, utilizing leaves and vines dyed in various colors woven in different patterns to create an embroidered look, as seen in these doilies. (Philippine Craftsman 1912, American Historical Collection)
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Most of the collected Rombloanon literature is in the form of proverbs which use metaphorical expression in referring to traditional lore and everyday experience. In content, these proverbs may have a wide variety of subject matter and may explain general views and laws of life, recommend certain virtues, condemn vices, and express a system of values. Rombloanon proverbs may either be proselike statements, while some are monoriming couplets with 5 to 12 syllable lines. Others are longer, coming in 3 to 4 line stanza form. Examples of these proverbs are (Demetrio 1991: 59-122):
Performing Arts
The Rombloanon have songs for the different life stages intimating a close relationship between life and music. Thus, songs may be classified as cradle songs, love and courtship songs, work songs, and death and burial songs. Most of the collected songs are translations of the Visayan version based on the original Tagalog songs (Obrique 1983:11-16).
Cradle songs are sung to put the children to sleep to enable the mothers to attend to other domestic duties. Here is an example (Obrique 1983:15):
To while away long hours of vigil, the people play games and sing songs during the wake. A popular song for wakes is "Ahay Singsing" (Oh Ring), sung by both young and old who participate in the game. The game starts with participants forming a circle and assigning an "it" in the middle. The participants hold hands and swing them alternately. A ring is secretly passed from one person to another. The objective of the game is for the "it" to catch the person who holds the ring before it reaches its point of origin. When the "it" has successfully guessed the holder of the ring, the one caught will become the next "it." The "it" is spared from the penalty
Early Rombloanon theater was in the form of rituals performed as peace offerings to the unseen spirits. These rituals were handed down from one generation to another and some are still performed in remote communities of Romblon province.
An example is a ritual called mahikaw. Usually held during January, June or December, this ritual is performed by the head of the family to invoke the spirits' protection of the family from sickness and other misfortunes. Before the ritual proper, the head of the family prepares: seven bundles of suman (rice-cake), each bundle consisting of seven pieces; seven pieces of rice cakes; seven sticks of tobacco; a young banana leaf; a glass of tuba (coconut wine); a glass of water; charcoal and incense; two lighted candles; and a piece of clothing used by the head of the family. An important element in this ritual is the chicken which is delicately prepared by cutting off the head and making sure that the organs are intact. The chicken's head is set aside while the rest of the chicken is boiled for the offering (Obrique 1983:17-19).
At eight o'clock in the evening, these paraphernalia are meticulously arranged before the bedroom altar. A buri mat is set on the floor, at the center of which the banana leaf is placed. The chicken's head is again to its body to make it appear whole again, after which it is placed on top of the folded piece of clothing. Four tobacco sticks, four bundles of suman, and three pieces of rice cakes are set on the right side of the chicken while on the left side are three tobacco sticks, three bundles of suman, and three pieces of rice cakes. The remaining piece of rice cake is placed on top of the chicken. The glass of tube and water are set on each side of the mat. Candles are then lighted before the religious image.
As the ritual begins, family members are gathered around the mat. The head of the family chants a prayer as he spreads the incense smoke from the coconut shell to the entire room. The chant is repeated seven times after which he sprinkles water, then the tuba, seven times each over the offering and throws this under the house. He sprinkles water over this seven times and ends his prayers.
What remains of the offering is divided in two. The first half is distributed among all those present in the room, who must consume everything before they leave the area. The other half is shared with the other relatives in the house. After eating, the head of the family buries the chicken's head which serves as protection against sicknesses and misfortune.
This practice is handed down by the head of the family to the eldest child. If the child, however, wishes to end this ritual, the head of the family must bury all the offerings to signify the end of the tradition. If the ritual is to be continued, the banana leaf is stored. An interesting element of this ritual is the gender of the chicken which determines the storing place of the banana leaf. If the chicken is male, the leaf is placed in the ceiling of the porch, but if female, the leaf is placed in the ceiling of the bedroom. The Rombloanon who practise this ritual are consistent in choosing the gender of the chicken.
Another Rombloanon ritual is called paghahalin which literally means "transferring." Usually performed on a Saturday, this ritual is done to cure the sick. In a remote area, a makeshift house is built under a tree. The head of the family prepares food offerings which he places in a basket tied with a yantok (rattan). He brings this basket to the makeshift house and scatters the food inside. During the ritual, he chants prayers for the spirits and malignos (evil spirits) (Obrique 1983:19).
A commencement ceremony performed just before planting or harvesting is called tuna. For this ritual, leaves of tanglad (lemon grass) or those of nipa palm are used. Prayers are offered to the spirits for a bountiful harvest (Demetrio 1991:507).
A harvest ritual is performed when farmers begin their first harvest. In this rite, a farmer takes seven stalks of rice and leaves them in the place of harvest. After this, the farmer harvests one basketful of rice and puts it away in the granary. It is believed that with this ritual, the spirits will help the farmer harvest the rice quickly and will provide a bountiful harvest (Demetrio 1991:537). G. Zafra
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Other Sites in Romblon
References
Carballo, Bibsy M. "Romblon." Mirror Magazine. (23 May 1964), 22-23.
CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art Volume II. Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila, 1994.
Census of the Philippines. Manila: Bureau of Census and Statistics, 1980.
Demetrio, Francisco R. Encyclopedia of Philippine Folk Beliefs and Customs. Vols I & II. Cagayan de Oro City: Xavier University, 1991.
Duyan ng Magiting: the Folk Culture of the Southern Tagalog Region. Kalinangan Series
No 3. Quezon City: Instructional Materials Corporation, 1989.
http://www.philippine.org/04maps/romblon-map.html
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http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9047/guiting2.html
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/9047/guiting4.html
Lane, Robert F. Philippine Basketry: An Appreciation. Manila: Bookmark Inc. 1986.
Obrique, Ma. Lourdes V. "Song: A Means of Oral Communications." Manuscript submitted to Dr. Nicanor G. Tiongson for Communications 222 (Philippine Traditional Folk Media),
1 Oct 1983.
Philippine Craftsman. Vol I, No 3, (Sept 1912).
Philippine Yearbook. Manila: National Statistics Office, 1989.
Platon, F.G. "Romblon: The Marble Rock." Philippine Free Press. (2 Sept 1958), 49-51.
Regional Map of the Philippines -IVB. Manila: Edmundo R. Abigan Jr., 1988.
Report of the U.S. Philippine Commission to the Secretary of War. Washington DC: Government Printing Office, 1901.
Timario, Connie Calsado. "Romblon: Of Marble and Marvels." Philippine Panorama. (13 Apr 1980).
Unlad, Vol I, No 1, (15 Aug 1978), 42.
