Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Bug Tong
Bug Tong
Compiled by Laura B. Corpuz, laurabc@bumail.bradley.edu, from High School and College Notes (1956 -
1966) with more riddles from the References listed at the bottom of the page. Some of these riddles
were translated from many dialects into our national language, Filipino, for rhyming and better
understanding purposes.
Many of our old folks never allowed us to say riddles except during wake time and only if the riddles
were "homework." My cousins and I oftentimes would use "homework" as an excuse for reciting riddles.
Some of these riddles may sound familiar, however, there are a few that are hardly heard of because of
their antiquity. When I was still young, the riddles almost always started like this- "Marunong ka man at
maalam, angkan ka ng mga paham, turan mo." ("You may be wise and intelligent, belonging to a learned
ancestry, name it.") Well, let's have a little brain exercise. (Note: These riddles may have been heard,
said, or written in a different way, but they express the same ideas.)
11. May alaga akong hayop malaki pa ang ulo kaysa tuhod.
12. Nakatira sa gubat hindi mahawakan sa balikat.
~~
Sagot: 1) tandang, 2) tandang, 3) tandang, 4) alitaptap, 5) paniki, 6) lima, lumipad ang apat, 7) palaka, 8)
palaka, 9) ahas, 9) pagong, 10) manok/tandang, 11) tutubi, 12) ahas, 13) ahas, 14) ahas
20. Halamang hindi namumulaklak marami ang dahon wala namang prutas.
~~
Sagot: pagbiyak ng niyog, 2) kasoy, 3) bibingka, 4) alimango, 5) papaya, 6) papaya, 7) pinya, 8) pinya, 9)
asin, 10) tubig, 11) hugas bigas, 12) saging,13) saha ng saging, 14) sibuyas, 15) langka, 16) mais, 17) mais,
18) itlog, 19) alak, 20) kawayan, 21) kawayan, 22) bunga) 23) bayabas, 24) itlog, 25) tubig, 26) saging, 27)
palay, 28) sampalok, 29) pinya, 30) niyog, 31) tubig ng niyog, 32) kalabasa, 33) kasoy, 34) mais, 35)
mabolo, 36) damong makahiya, 37) damong makahiya, 38) itlog na balot
Bahagi ng Katawan
~~
Sagot: 1) mata, 2) mata, 3) mata, 4) mata, 5) mata at pilikmata, 6) bulag ang isang mata, 7) buhok, 8)
tainga, 9) tainga, 10) daliri, 11) binti, 12) dila, 13) ngipin, 14) tainga, 15) tumutubong buhok, 16)
bunganga, 17) mukha, 18) sampung daliri
12. Kung hindi sa tatlong letra (t,o,s) makakain natin ito sana.
27. Tatlong pari sa probinsya, ‘di makapagmisa kung wala ang isa.
~~
Sagot: 1) tulay na kawayan, 2) bangka, 3) bangka, 4) bahay ng manok, 5 kandila, 6) kandila, 7) hikaw, 8)
langis na ilaw, 9) kalsada, 10) duyan, 11) sungka, 12) asintos, 13) tungko ng kalan, 14) paying, 15) sandok,
16) tabo,17) salamin, 18) salamin, 19) anino, 20) bakya, sapatos, tsinelas, 21) bakya, sapatos, tsinelas,
22) arao, 23) gilingan/kiskisan, 24) buslo, 25) ataol, 26, ) butas, 27) tungko ng kalan, 28) nganga ng
matanda, 29) relo, 30) lapis/pluma, 31) alon, 32) basket na kwadrado, 33) bingwit, 34) palantsahan
2. Nagtanin ako ng dayap sa gitna ng dagat, marami ang humanap iisa ang nagkapalad.
~~
Sagot: 1) pag-ibig, 2) dalaga, 3) panganganak, 4) rosaryong dasalan, 5) Kristo, 6) sinag ng araw, 7) buwan,
8) bituin, 9) bituin, 10) bahaghari, 11) kidlat, 12) buwan, 13) kampana, 14) kampana
15) kaliwang balikat kung English, kanan kung Tagalog/Filipino - Nag-aantanda ng Santa Krus
References:
1) Corpuz, Laura B., Personal Collection from High School and College Notes, Philippines
2) Frederick Starr, 1909 Filipino Riddles. World Book Co. Yonkers, New York.
3) Donn V. Hart, 1964 Riddles in Filipino Folklore an Anthropological Analysis Syracuse University Press.
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