BIKOL CULTURE

Geography

A string of four irregularly shaped peninsular provinces and two insular provinces plus numerous
offshore islets comprises the region of Bicol. It is located on the southeastern extremity of Luzon, within
122 and 125 East longitude and 12 and 14 North latitude. The peninsular mainland looks like a huge
flying bird and has a total landmass of about 5,400 sq. miles or 17,632 sq. kilometers. Catanduanes and
Masbate are the two insular provinces on the east and south while the four peninsular provinces are
Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon. The Pacific Ocean bounds the region on the east
while Ragay Gulf separates it from the eastern Cordillera and Bondoc Peninsula.

Among the dominant topographic features are numerous coastal embayments and volcanic cones,
which dot its whole landscape. These provide the region with a uniquely varied relief consisting of steep
slopes and rolling hills during plains and valleys. Of the volcanic cones, Mount Mayon is the most well-
known and active; it is also considered one of the most perfect cones in the world. The rest are Mounts
Labo, Malinao, Isarog and Bulusan. The high degree of volcanism plus the lengthy coasts make the
region’s lowlands fit for both fishing and farming activities.

Bicol’s geographic location predisposes it to strong typhoons which usually occur during the months
of September to November. The six provinces differ with respect to their exposure to typhoons.

Large arable tracks of land, varied vegetation, extensive fishing grounds and rich mineral deposits
make up the region’s natural wealth. Cultivated crops include rice, corn, coconut, abaca and fruit trees.
Albay used to be top exporter of the world-famous Manila hemp while still in copra production. The region
used to occupy the sixth position among coconut producing regions in the country. Among the rich
mineral deposits are gold (in Camarines Norte), uranium (in Sorsogon), copper, coal, manganese, and
limestone (in Camarines Sur, Masbate, Albay and Catanduanes). Tiwi Hot Spring in Albay is a source of
geothermal energy. The seas around the peninsula are among the riches fishing grounds in the country;
these are in Burias Pass, Sibuyan Sea, Ticao Pass, Ragay Gulf and Lagonoy Gulf. Marine wealth is
concentrated in the coastal Sorsogon towns of Bulan, Donsol, Gubat, Magallanes and Pilar.

Demography

The region’s six provinces have varying numbers of municipalities, cities and towns. Camarines Sur
has the most numerous towns and barrios. There are three cities namely, Naga and Iriga (in Camarines
Sur) and Legaspi (in Albay). Airplanes, trains and buses make transportation in the region easy. Albay’s
strategic location makes it a gateway for the neighboring regions of Samar-Leyte and the Tagalog
provinces. Naga City serves as the center of communication with several commercial radio receivers and
government-owned and operated radio networks.

Regional public offices and private industrial institutions are found in both Naga City and Legaspi
City. With the number of collegiate institutions available, educational opportunities in the area are good.
Camarines Sur is the most populated province while the most dense is Bicol Plain. Other dense places
are the lowlands in Legaspi-Tabacco in Albay and the coasts of San Bernardino Strait and southern
Catanduanes.

The original settlers of Bicol were said to be hybridized by the Tagalog (who migrated to Camarines
Norte and Camarines Sur) and the Visayans (who moved to Masbate and Sorsogon).
Language

These migrations plus the isolation of certain areas led to the formation of diverse dialects. The Bicol
dialect in Camarines Norte is interchangeably used with Tagalog, while the one used in Masbate and
Sorsogon is mixed with northern Visayan language. On the other hand, the Catanduanes dialect had
been influenced by Samar-Leyte language. In the so-called Rinconada towns (which includes Buhi, Bula,
Baao, Iriga, Bato and Nabua), the dialects differ from the Naga language as well as from one another.
Though this is so, the Bicolanos can communicate with one another with the “Bicol proper” language in
Naga City and the lower Bicol valley.

History

According to a folk epic entitled Ibalong, the people of the region were formerly called Ibalong or
Ibalnong, a name believed to have been derived from Gat Ibal who ruled Sawangan (now Legaspi) in
ancient times. Ibalong used to mean the “people of Ibal;” eventually, this was shortened to Ibalon. The
word Bikol which replaced Ibalon was originally bikod (meaning ‘meandering”), a word which supposedly
described the principal river of that area.

Archeological diggings which date back to as early as the Neolithic and accidental findings resulting
from the mining industry, roadbuilding and railway projects in the region reveal that the Bicol mainland is a
rich storehouse of ceramic artifacts. Burial cave finding also point to the prehispanic practice of using
burial jars.

The Spanish influence in Bicol resulted mainly from the efforts of Augustinian and Franciscan
Spanish missionaries. Through the Franciscans, the annual feast of the Virgin of Peñafrancia, the
Patroness for Bicolandia, was started. Fr. Miguel Robles asked a local artist to carve a replica of the
statue of the Virgin in Salamanca; now, the statue is celebrated through an annual fluvial parade in Naga
City.

Bicolano actively participated in the national resistance to the American and Japanese colonization
through two known leaders who rose up in arms namely Simeon Ola and Governor Wenceslao Q.
Vinzons.

Material Culture

To suit the tropical climate, the Bicolanos use light material for their houses; others now have
bungalows to withstand the impact of strong typhoons. Light, western styled clothes are predominantly
used now.

The typical Bicolano wears light, western styled clothes similar to the Filipinos in urban centers.
Seldom, if ever, are there Bicolanos weaving sinamy or piña for clothing as in the past; sinamy is
reserved now for pillow cases, mosquito nets, fishing nets, bags and other decorative items.

Coconut and abaca are two dollar-earning products that are grown in the coastal valleys hillsides or
slopes of several fertile volcanoes respectively. The Bicol River basin or rice granary provide the
peasants rice, corn, and root crops for food and small cash surplus when crops evade the dreaded
frequent typhoons. For land preparation, carabao-drawn plow and harrow are generally used; sickles are
used for cutting rice stalks, threshing is done either by stepping on or beating the rice straws with basbas
and cleaning is done with the use of the nigo (winnowing basket).

Meals are generally rich in carbohydrates and viands of vegetables, fish and meat are cooked in
various ways. Bicolanos almost always cook their vegetables in coconut milk; for meat recipes such as
pochero, adobo and tapa. A special meat dish is the dinuguan. Fish that serve as common viand are
mackerel and anchovy; in Lake Buhi, the sinarapan or tabios (known as the smallest fish in the world) is
common. Except for those living in Rinconada, Bicolanos are not extraordinarily fond of eating hot or
peppery.

Copra processing and abaca stripping are generally done by hand. Fishing is also an important
industry and fish supply is normally plentiful during the months of May through September. Organized or
big-time fishing makes use of costly nets and motor-powered and electric-lighted boats or launches called
palakaya or basnigan. Individual fishermen, on the other hand, commonly use two types of nets – the
basnig and the pangki as well as the chinchoro, buliche and sarap.

In Buhi Lake, the sarap and sumbiling are used; the small fishes caught through the former is called
sinarapan. The bunuan (corral) of the inangcla, sakag, sibi-sibid and sakag types are common. The
banwit, two kinds of which are the og-og and kitang, are also used.

Mining and the manufacture of various items from abaca are important industries. The former started
when the Spaniards discovered the Paracale mines in Camarines Norte.

Non-Material Culture

Close family ties and religiosity are important traits for survival in the typhoon-prone physical
environment. Some persisting traditional practices are the pamalay, pantomina and tigsikan. Beliefs on
god, the soul and life after death are strongly held by the people. Related to these, there are annual
rituals like the pabasa, tanggal, fiestas and flores de mayo. Side by side with these are held beliefs on
spiritual beings as the tawo sa lipod, dwende, onglo, tambaluslos, kalag, katambay, aswang and
mangkukulam.

On the whole, the value system of the Bicolanos shows the influence of Spanish religious doctrines
and American materialism merged with the traditional animistic beliefs. It is thus, a multi-cultural system
which evolved through the years to accommodate the realities of the erratic regional climatic conditions in
a varihued geographical setting. Such traits can be gleaned from numerous folktales and folksongs that
abound, the most known of which is the Sarong Bangui. The heroic stories reflect such traits as kindness,
a determination to conquer evil forces, resourcefulness and courage. The folksong come in the form of
awit, sinamlampati, panayokyok, panambitan, hatol, pag-omaw, rawit-dawit and children’s song and
chants.

Languages/Dialects of Bicol

The languages of Bicol are a group of four languages that are spoken in the Bicol Region of the P
hilippines.
Despite being mutually unintelligible, the four languages are all called "Bikol"
(and to a lesser extent,
"Bicolano") by their speakers. This situation roughly mirrors that of the Visayan languages where
roughly three dozen speech varieties are called "Bisaya" by their speakers. In both cases, more s
pecific names based on the name of a municipality or province are also used.

Classification
Bikol languages are classified under the Central Philippine language family of which Tagalog and
the Visayan languages are a part of.
The four groups are outlined below.

Northern Bikol
North Coastal Standard Bikol (Ethnologue name: Coastal Bikol) or simply, Northern Bikol, is spok
en by over 2.4 million people (figure dates back from the 1990 Census)with native speakers in va
rious areas in all the provinces of the Bicol Region: Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Cat
anduanes, Sorsogon, and Masbate.
Northern Bikol is further divided into four languages:

1. Central Bicolano
::*Standard Bikol It is spoken in urban centers of the region such as Naga City and Legazpi City.

 BikolNaga.This is spoken invariety is based on the speech of Naga City; many other are
as in Camarines Sur; and San Pascual, Masbate on Burias Island.
 Bikol-Daet. It is also spoken in Daet, Camarines Norte.
 BikolLegazpi It is also spoken in Legazpi City, Tabaco City and the entire east coast of
Albay; and northeastern Sorsogon. Within this variety there are minor differences in voca
bulary, for example between the Bikol of Naga and Legazpi, comparable to that between
British and American English. The differences in pronunciation are even smaller and are
mainly to do with differences in intonation. Bikol Naga has a distinct seesaw intonation re
miniscent of Hiligaynon or Waray while Bikol Legazpi has a flat intonation and is said to b
e spoken rapidly.
 BikolPartido - Spoken in the Camarines Sur municipalities of Ocampo, Goa, Tigaon, La
gonoy, Sagñay, and San Jose.
 BikolVirac - Spoken in Virac, San Andres and southern part of Caramoran in Catanduan
es.

2. Isarog Agta
3. Mt. Iraya Agta
4. Southern Catanduanes Bicolano - Spoken in the southern end of Catanduanes.
The language of the city of Naga and adjacent towns or BikolNaga dialect is the basis of the stan
dard language and is used in media and mass communication.
Southern BikolSouthern Coastal and Inland Bikol (Ethnologue name: Inland Bikol), or simply, Sou
thern Bikol, is spoken by over 1.1 million people living mainly in the southwestern area of Camari
nes Sur as well as parts of western Albay and western Sorsogon.
Southern Bikol is further divided into three languages:

1. Iriga Bicolano or "Rinconada" -

Spoken in Iriga City, Baao, Balatan, Baao, and Nabua, Camarines Sur.

2. Albay Bicolano Buhinon –

 Spoken in Buhi, Camarines Sur.
 Libon - Spoken in Libon, Albay.
 West Miraya - Spoken in Ligao City, Polangui, Oas, and Pio Duran, Albay.
 East Miraya - Spoken in Guinobatan, Camalig, Daraga, Jovellar, Albay and in Do
nsol and Pilar, Sorsogon.

3. Mt. Iriga Agta

Northern Catanduanes
1. Northern Catanduanes Bicolano (Ethnologue name: "Pandan") is spoken by about 80,
000 people in the Northern Catanduanes towns of Caramoran, Pandan, Bagamanoc, Pan
ganiban, and Viga.

Bisakol
The portmanteau term Bisakol refers to Visayan languages spoken in the Bikol region. Th
ese languages are close to Waray-Waray and Hiligaynon but have a lot of influence from
other Bikol languages. There are roughly 850,000 Bisakol speakers, including roughly 53
0,000 Masbatenyo ones.
The three languages are:
 1. Central Sorsogon - Spoken in Sorsogon City, Castilla, Casiguran, and Juban, Sorsogo
n.
2. Southern Sorsogon - Spoken in Gubat, Barcelona, Bulusan, Santa Magdalena, Matno
g, Irosin, and Bulan, Sorsogon.
3. Masbatenyo - Spoken in Masbate City, Mobo, Uson, Dimasalang, Palanas, Masbate,
Aroroy on the island of Masbate, all of Ticao Island, and Claveria on the southern half of
Burias Island.

Other languages
The Bicol is also home to other languages. Tagalog, for example, is spoken in most of Camarines
Norte and in the town of Del Gallego, Camarines Sur. Hiligaynon is spoken in the southwestern M
asbate towns of Balud and Mandaon while Cebuano is spoken in the southeastern Masbate town
s of Placer, Cataingan, Pio V. Corpuz, and Esperanza.

Cultural Properties of Bicol

Site Name Province Municipality

Cagsawa Ruins Albay Daraga
Legazpi Church Albay Legazpi
Oas Church Albay Oas
Tabaco Church Albay Tabaco
First Jose Rizal Monument Camarines Sur Daet
Wenceslao Vinzons Shrine Camarines Norte Vinzons
Freedom Monument Camarines Norte Basud
San Pedro Apostol Church Camarines Norte Vinzons
Jorge Barlin Monument Camarines Sur Baao
Filipino-Japanese Friendship Camarines Sur Boncao Hill, Mt. Isarog, Pili
Historical Landmark
Quipayo Church Camarines Sur Calabanga
Holy Rosary Minor Seminary Camarines Sur Naga City
Holy Cross Parish Camarines Sur Nabua
Naga Cathedral Camarines Sur Naga City
Our Lady of Peñafrancia Shrine Camarines Sur Naga City
Minor Basilica of the Our Lady Camarines Sur Naga City
of Peñafrancia
San Francisco Parish Church Camarines Sur Naga City
International Chamber of Camarines Sur Naga City
Commerce of Bicol
Casa Tribunal de Nueva Camarines Sur Naga City
Caceres
Batalay Shrine Catanduanes Batalay, Bato

Symbols of Bicol

 The symbol most associated with Albay is the Mayon Volcano, a near perfectly shaped active
volcano, 2,462 meters (8,077 ft.) high, which could be seen throughout its 15 municipalities and 3
cities as well as in the surrounding provinces of Sorsogon, Masbate and Catanduanes.
Bicolano Deities in Ancient Philippine Mythology

GUGURANG – Gugurang loomed high in the Bikol pantheon of gods. He was their (the people’s)
benefactor, guide and defender against the god of evil, Aswang, who would anger Gugurang by inciting
the people to rebel against the good god, do evil deeds and resort to sloth and easy pleasures. Seeing
this, Gugurang would punish and pounce on Aswang and to his people, he gave protection and exhorted
them to make sacrifices to appease his anger. The myths disclose him as a powerful and loving god who
would vent his fury mercilessly on the transgressor but would shower them with gifts and protection in
return. (Realubit, Bikols of the Philippines, p. 10).

It is believed that ancient people looked up to him with great respect as they fervently gestured to the
skies and spoke with profound affection for a great lord whom they adored, revered, and feared.

‘Assistants’ of Gugurang:

Linti – controls lightning

Dalodog – controls thunder

ASUANG – Brother of Gugurang; an evil god who wanted Gugurang’s fire and gathered evil spirits and
advisers to cause immortality and crime to reign; vanquished by Gugurang but his influence still lingers.

BATALA – Batala was a special being inferior in power to Gugurang whose mission was to provide
peace to a village under its special care. Thus it was believed that the village that enjoyed peace and was
successful in its wars was due to the influence of a Batala which Gugurang has assigned to it as its
custodian.

LANGUITON – The god of the sky

TUBIGAN – The god of water and the celestial ocean, ruled over all the swimming beast.

DAGAT – goddess of the sea.

PAROS –god of the wind; married to Dagat

DAGA – After the death of Paros, Daga, being the eldest son, succeeded in the control of the winds.

ADLAO – Son of Dagat and Paros; joined Daga’s rebellion and died; his body became the sun; in another
myth, he was alive and during a battle, he cut one of Bulan’s arm and hit Bulan’s eyes, where the arm
was flattened and became the earth, while Bulan’s tears became the rivers and seas.

BULAN – Son of Dagat and Paros; joined Daga’s rebellion and died; his body became the moon;in
another myth, he was alive and from his cut arm, the earth was established, and from his tears, the rivers
and seas were established.

BITUOON –Daughter of Dagat and Paros; accidentally killed by Languit during a rage against his
grandsons’ rebellion; her shattered body became the stars.
CAGURANGAN – Former supreme to Gugurang and Asuang, until Gugurang proved to be far more
powerful and superior. Cagurangan had control over the winds and all the flying beast.

MAGINDANG – The god of fishing who leads fishermen in getting a good fish catch through sounds and
signs.

BAKUNAWA – Believed to be the cause of eclipse, Bakunawa is the deity of the deep and the
underworld.

KALAON – an evil god of destruction.

SON OF KALAON – son of Kalaon who defied his evil father’s wishes.

ONOS – Freed the great flood that changed the land’s features

OKOT – The forest god whose whistle would lead hunters to their prey.

ORYOL – A demi-goddess in Bicolano myths, she is mentioned in the Ibalong Epic. A wily serpent who
appeared as a beautiful maiden with a seductive voice; admired the hero Handyong’s bravery and
gallantry, leading her to aid the hero in clearing the region of beasts until peace came into the land

ANITO – Ancestral spirits venerated in communities and households, little wooden idols depict them.
Believed to guide their living descendants and bring graces and good fortune.

4 Bikolanos named national artists

By Kristian S. Cordero

Two days before the country’s celebration of Independence Day, the Cultural Center of the Philippines
and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through its chairman, Arsenio Lizaso
named new eight National Artists as approved by outgoing president Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Of these eight
national artists, four traces their origins and affections in Bikol, namely, Nora Cabaltera Villamayor aka as
Nora Aunor of Iriga City, who is named as National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts, Ricky Lee of Daet,
Camarines Norte who is named as National Artist for Film (initial public announcements cited Lee as NA
for Literature), Salvacion Lim-Higgins, (posthumous) who is named National Artist for Fashion Design and
Fides Cuyugan Asensio who is named National Artist for Music. Lim-Higgins was born on January 28,
1920 to Margarita Navera Diaz (a native of Legazpi City) and to Chinese trader Luis Samson Lim Katiam
while Cuyugan-Asensio’s mother, Jacinta Lachama Belza is from the town of Buhi, Camarines Sur.
The other artists honored by what is considered to be the highest recognition given to a Filipino artist are
UP Professor Tony Mabesa for Theater (posthumous), literary critic and poet Gemino Abad for Literature,
Agnes Locsin for Dance and Marilou Diaz-Abaya for Film (posthumous). It should be recalled as well that
Abaya-Diaz’s last film was Ikaw ang Pag-ibig which talks about the devotion to Our Lady of Peñafrancia
and was screened during the tercentenary celebration in 2010.

The conferment is set on June 16, 2022, at the Malacañang Palace.

Originally established as an award in 1972, it was elevated to the status of an order in 2003 and is
administered by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the
Arts. This award comes with a monetary compensation, a monthly life pension, medical and
hospitalization benefits, life insurance coverage to those who are still insurable, a place of honor, in line
with protocolar precedence at national state functions, and recognitions at cultural events and a state
funeral and burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. The first recipient is the visual artist Fernando
Amorosolo who also hails from the same town as Ricky Lee.

Of these four national artists, Nora Aunor and Riky Lee enjoy mass popularity due to their high stature in
Philippine film industry as an actor and producer in the case of Aunor and as scriptwriter in the case of
Lee. Aunor who is widely acknowledged as the country’s most important actor is also a film and television
producer. Fondly called as the Superstar, she has acted on several important films including Himala
which was written by Lee and directed by another National Artist for Film, Ishmael Bernal, Tatlong Taong
Walang Diyos, Banaue (directed by NA Gerry de Leon), and Bona (directed by Lino Brocka) (all three
films were produced by Aunor), and after her long hiatus in the US, she returned to the Philippines and
played major roles in films that tells the stories of the regions, like Brillante Mendoza’s Taklub and Thy
Womb where she won again major acting awards in Venice, Hongkong and Australia, Mes De Guzman’s
Ang Kuwento ni Mabuti, where she spoke Ilokano and in Kristian Sendon Cordero’s Hinulid where for the
first time she spoke her mother tongue, Rinconada. In 2015, Aunor received several recognitions for her
invaluable contribution to Philippine arts and culture from the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo
de Naga University Press.

Ricky Lee, who is the quintessential Filipino scriptwriter is also a celebrated fictionist and essayist. Aside
from writing some of the most important films of what critics call as the second golden age of Philippine
Cinema, Lee, is also a novelist and a teacher to several generations of upcoming and established writers
and artists who join his annual scriptwriting workshop called Trip to Quaipo. Lee as a novelist has written
best-selling works like Para kay B and Si Amapola sa 65 na Kabanata which will have their respective
sequels soon. Lee has also written pioneering essays on the life stories of those considered peripheral,
tragic, and revolutionaries.

Salvacion Lim-Higgins who is popularly known as Slim established the Slim’s Fashion Art and School,
which many consider as a pioneering fashion school in the country. In a short biographical note about her
and her works in the 2009 retrospective show in the National Museum, the curator writes, “Casting off
literal interpretations of Filipino and Western fashion, her work helped define modern Philippine couture
with three characteristic elements. The first was inventive, often audacious, construction. Her trademark
draping accented the female form, yet she also often altered it, through whimsical or geometric shapes.”
A commemorative book about her work documents the fascinating life story of Lim-Higgins who is
considered to be revolutionary in fashion design.
Fides Cuyugan Asensio is a soprano, a librettist, and a professor in the University of the Philippines-
Diliman. Most recently, she delivered memorable performances in the following independent films,
Aparisyon (2012), Nino (2011) and Mana (2013). Cuyugan-Asensio who will receive the award at 90
years old remains active in the music circle where she is considered as a driving and inspiring force by
many musicians and fellow artists. In bestowing her the highest accolade, the Palace cited her great
contribution in the opera and in the renaissance of the classical theater in the country. Like Lee and
Aunor, she also received the CCP Gawad Para sa Sining in 2015. No awardee for visual arts and
architecture was named for this batch.

To date, Bikol has several national artists which include Manuel Conde (Daet) and Lino Brocka
(Sorsogon) for Film, Fernando Amorsolo (Daet) Larry Alcala (Daraga) for Visual Arts and Ramon Obusan
(Camarines Norte) for Dance. On behalf of Bicol Mail and the Savage Mind Bookshop which curate the
essays featured in this special issue, we salute our new Bikolnon National Artists Nora Aunor, Ricky Lee,
Salvacion Lim-Higgins and Fides Cuyugan Asensio!

Visit this prezi link: https://prezi.com/p/vtidnecvhpfv/region-5/

The Pastores is an annual festival in the Bicol Region in celebration of the birth of the Messiah or the
Savior. This is a dramatization performed by (6) six men and women. It often starts at the “Noche Buena”
celebration up to the festive of the “Three Kings”. But sometimes the celebration can reach “Candelaria” –
February 2nd.

Bicolano Foods In a Nutshell

 Bicol Express

 Laing, Pinangat, and Tilmok

 Kinunot

 Kandingga

 Sinantolan

 Ginataang Labong and Ubod

 Picadillo or Sinanglay

 Kusido

 Boiled Pili Fruit

 Pancit Bato

 Kinalas

 Nilubak or Nilupak

 Rice Puto Bukayo

  Biniribid or Chakoy

 Sinapot / Baduya / Maruya

 Toasted Siopao

 Toasted Puto of Oas

 Marcasotes

 Pili Nut Candies

 Tiwi Halo-halo

 Sili Ice Cream

Bicol Express. From the name itself “Bicol Express”, this dish is the most popular cuisine in Bicol
Region.
It is natively known as “Sinilihan” because it is made with lots of long chilies that will make you think it is
the only main ingredient. Actually, it is made with pork, “balaw” or shrimp paste, and “gata” or coconut
milk.This dish did not really originate from Bicol but from Malate and Bicolanos adapted it and made their
own version that makes it a popular Bicolano Cuisine.

Laing, Pinangat, and Tilmok

Some say these three are just the same. But did you know, although they are all made with taro leaves
and gata, they actually have differences?
Laing is shredded taro leaves cooked in gata and can be cooked with pork, “tinapa” or smoked fish, or
just balaw. It can also be cooked with the combination of all mentioned ingredients plus “siling labuyo” or
hot chili.
While Pinangat is whole taro leaves stuffed with shredded taro leaves, pork or tinapa, and balaw. It is
cooked and topped with thick coconut milk.
Tilmok or Inulukan on the other hand is cooked the same as Pinangat but it is stuffed with crab meat or
shrimp and “lukadon” or young coconut meat instead of pork or tinapa. Can be also spiced with
calamansi, black pepper, and lemongrass. Both though can be also cooked with siling labuyo. Come on,
Bicolanos always put sili on their dishes.

Kinunot
Kinunot is another traditional Bicolano dish made with a combination of stingray or shark meat, coconut
milk, malunggay or moringa, onions, garlic, and of course hot chilies.
I can still remember there’s this one joke from a fellow Bicolano that if ever you are swimming in the
ocean, do not forget to bring moringa leaves so that if you see a shark, you can just show it the leaves
and it will swim away. Lol.

Kandingga or Bopis
Sometimes goat, sometimes beef, usually pork heart, lungs, spleen and other offal cooked in vinegar.
Can be cooked with vegetables like “kangkong” or water spinach, radish, and carrots. Others put coconut
milk as common to Bicolanos but some are fine with just topping it with hot chili.
Personally, when I eat Kandingga, I pair it with a glass of iced soda. The combination of the dish’
spiciness and the soda’s coldness is just perfect!
You can also have a taste of my favorite Kandingga by contacting my mother-in-law, Nemia Ogsila at
+63912 986 5498. Her Kandingga is the best for a very affordable price!

Sinantolan
Sinantol or Ginataang Santol is an underrated Bicolano dish but one of the region’s unique cuisines. It is
another dish cooked in coconut milk, together with smoked fish or shrimp paste and finished with a
topping of hot chili to make it spicy.
Amazing Santol, isn’t it?

Ginataang Labong and Ginataang Ubod

Ginataang labong, also known as ginataang tambo, is a Bicolano vegetable stew typically cooked with
bamboo shoots, coconut milk, and spices, and served with fish, crab meat, or canned sardines.
Ginataang ubod is a variation of the meal that uses banana pulp instead of bamboo shoots but otherwise
follows the same concept.

Picadillo or Sinanglay
Wrapped in pechay, the fish, (commonly tilapia), is stuffed with tomato, garlic, onion, ginger, and chili
which gives it a variety of flavors. And correct! It is cooked once again in our famous gata or coconut milk
that’s why you ‘gata’ try this dish soon!
Did you know that in Manila, Picadillo is a different dish than Bicol’s. Manila’s Picadillo is a ground pork
cooked with potato and carrots tidbits.

Kusido
Kusido is the Bicol version of Sinigang. Instead of “kangkong” or water spinach and other vegetables like
eggplant, string beans, okra, and radish, Bicolanos only use “talbos ng kamote” or sweet potato tops.
Sometimes they use malunggay as a substitute. And instead of using tamarind, they use calamansi to
give a mild sour taste. Tomatoes and onions are also present in this dish just like in Sinigang and fish of
any kind is the main ingredient.

Boiled Pili Fruit

Pili has 5 layers: The peel, the flesh, the shell, the seed’s peel, and the seed. Aside from the seed that
can be made candy, the flesh is also edible and can be made for snacks or even a dish!

Pancit Bato
Pancit Bato is not a stone or rock-like kind of pancit unlike what its name “bato” is suggesting. It is a
noodle dish that closely resembles pancit canton that actually originated in the province of Camarines Sur
in a municipality known as Bato. Yes, that’s where it got its name.
This dried noodle snack is sauteed in garlic, onion, and seasonings and topped with vegetables and
meat.

Kinalas
Kinalas is a Bicol dish consisting of noodles cooked with scraped meat from the head and other sections
of pork or beef, and a rich deep-brown sauce made from the brains of a cow or pig. Spices are added to
the meal, which is then served in a hot broth. Adding a boiled egg, siomai, and chicharon is optional. It is
perfectly paired with “baduya” or banana fritters. This Bicol food originated in Naga, Camarines Sur
Have you ever thought that noodle soup can be this exotic too?

Nilubak or Nilupak

Nilupak is a type of traditional Bicolano delicacy made with pounded cooked cassava or saba (a banana
variation) and sugar. They are formed into a variety of shapes and served on banana leaves with nuts,
cheese, butter, or margarine as toppings.

Rice Puto Bukayo

Ligao City’s pride, Rice Puto Bukayo is made with ground rice instead of flour. It is molded roundly and
filled with “bukayo” or candied shredded young coconut meat. You will always see this kind of snack
anywhere in Ligao City Albay.
Image Source: Ji’s Kitchen

Biniribid or Chakoy
Biniribid means twisted and this photo obviously tells you where it got its name. Biniribid also is made with
rice flour, young coconut meat, and coconut milk. It is deep-fried and rolled in or glazed with caramelized
brown sugar.

Sinapot / Baduya / Maruya

Sinapot or Maruya is made from saba bananas. The most typical variation involves deep frying thinly
sliced and “fanned” bananas coated in batter. Some likes it paired with cheese.

Toasted Siopao
Bicolanos never runs out of ideas when it comes to giving twists to foods. 3N Bakery is the first to offer
the said snacks from its main branch Libmanan, Camarines Sur.

Toasted Puto of Oas

Toasted Puto De Oas is a rice puto with milkmaid, vanilla, and egg yolk as special components. This kind
of puto began operations in Mayao, Oas, Albay in 1989 and continues to operate now. It is considered
one of the top dishes in the Bicol region and you can see this product being sold in the bus terminals,
pasalubong centers, and even at LCC Supermarket, the region’s biggest supermarket chain.

Marcasotes
Very similar to the Portuguese sponge cake Pão-de-Ló, Marcasotes is a native steamed cake cooked in
handmade paper bags. They are traditional steamed cakes created using handcrafted paper bags.
A large clay pot (which also functions as an oven) is coated with sliced banana bark at the bottom to
provide steam for cooking in the classic method. The subtle smoke flavor of the “gatong” beneath the clay
pot lends the native delicacy its distinct flavor and scent.
Desserts
Bicolano desserts are the highlight of a Bicolano meal. They are sweet, savory, and sometimes spicy at
the same time, and they come in different forms.

Pili Nut Candies

Just like other nuts, Pili Nuts can be versatile when it comes to candies and desserts. It can be the main
ingredient and it can be mixed, filled, and topped with other delicious Bicolano desserts. Pili tarts, glazed
pili nuts, chocolates with pili nuts, and shakes topped with crushed pili nuts are just a few to name.

Tiwi Halo-halo
Halo-halo is a common Filipino Dessert but in Bicol, there is one distinct halo-halo that you should never
really miss when you visit the region. It’s the DJC Halo-halo in Tiwi Albay. What makes it different as per
the people of Albay is that it is super milky and cheesy. Others also say that they do not use just ordinary
water because they use coconut water for their shaved or crushed ice. We haven’t confirmed this with the
owner yet but it’s a great idea, right?

Sili Ice Cream

1st Colonial Grill is the one who popularized it together with their other Bicolano-Flavored Ice cream. But
as far as we know, it is Small Talk who first invented hot ice cream and they call it Lava Ice cream. Now,
chili ice cream is also offered by a few other stores in Bicol, particularly in Daraga Albay.

BICOL ECONOMY

Camarines Sur is the Biggest Economy in Bicol Region; Province of Sorsogon Posts Double-Digit
Growth of 12.2 Percent in 2022

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released the first ever report of the Provincial Product Accounts
(PPA) of Bicol Region covering the period 2018 to 2022. The release covers six provinces, namely Albay,
Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon.

The PPA results showed that in 2022, Camarines Sur accounted for 33.4 percent of the total economy of
Bicol Region. Albay and Masbate followed with shares of 24.9 percent and 13.7 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, Sorsogon, Camarines Norte, and Catanduanes accounted for 12.8 percent, 10.3
percent, and 4.9 percent of the region’s economy. (Figure 1)

Figure 1. Share of Provinces to Bicol Region's GDP,

At Constant 2018 Prices: 2022 (In Percent)
Camarines Sur contributed the most to the PhP 91.94 billion total value of Bicol Region’s Agriculture,
forestry and fishing (AFF) with 43.0 percent. This was followed by Masbate and Albay 15.7
percent and 15.3 percent, respectively. (Table 1)

Of the PhP 209.73 billion total value of Industry in the region, Camarines Sur once again had the biggest
share with 28.2 percent. Albay and Masbate ranked second and third with respective shares of 24.3
percent and 15.9 percent. (Table 1)

Similarly, Camarines Sur had the biggest share to the PhP 282.04 billion total value of the region’s
Services with 34.1 percent. Albay followed with a share of 28.4 percent, while Sorsogon ranked third
with 12.1 percent. (Table 1)

Table 1. Share of Provinces to Bicol Region’s Major Industry,

At Constant 2018 Prices: 2022

In terms of growth rate, all economies in the region expanded in 2022, with Sorsogon recording the
fastest growth of 12.2 percent, followed by Camarines Sur with 8.6 percent. These two provinces
recorded growths faster than the region’s economic growth of 8.1 percent. Meanwhile, Masbate, Albay,
Camarines Norte, and Catanduanes posted growths of 7.3 percent, 6.8 percent, 6.6 percent, and 6.0
percent, respectively. (Figure 2)

Figure 2. Economic Performance of Provinces in Bicol Region

Growth Rates (in Percent), 2021 to 2022
At Constant 2018 Prices
The PPA is a mechanism to compile the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at the subregional level.
Complementing the GDP at the national and regional level, the PPA will provide a suitable measure of
economic performance at the provincial and highly urbanized city level. It will also be a source of
indicators to monitor economic development at the local level. Moreover, the PPA is also viewed as a
means to strengthen the planning and decision-making of subregional policymakers and stakeholders in
crafting more informed economic policies.

Bicol Region, along with Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Zamboanga Peninsula Caraga,
and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao were included as pilot regions for the
compilation of PPA in 2023. To date, 82 provinces and 17 HUCs have compiled their PPA from the 16
regions of the Philippines. Further, the results of the PPA were consistent with the annual regional
accounts released on 27 April 2023.

Pantomina as Bicolano norms

Pantomina is a Bicolano folk dance that came from the Spanish word for “pantomime”, because of its
courting/wooing movements. Its old name is “Salampati”, Bicol term for doves, so the dance is sometimes
referred to as the “dance of the doves”.

Religion of Early Bikolanos

The early chroniclers reported that the ancient peoples of the Philippines were moved by the belief of a
powerful being who was responsible for the creation of the skyworld and the earthworld and of everything
in it, the moon, the stars, the trees, the animals, the springs, rivers, mountains, lakes, flowers and man
himself. The name of this creator being varied with the tribes: Bathala Maykapal for the
Tagalogs, Makapatag for the Bisayas, Manama for the negritoes of the eastern region of Luzon
and Gugurang for the Bikols. The early Bikols regarded Gugurang to be a very good, all protecting and
kindly being. He was the god of good who lived in the skyworld called Kamurawayan . On the other hand,
an evil being also incessantly fought for the souls of these people. This being was the aswang, god of evil
and feared by all. The aswang lived in a place called gagamban – a place of torment in the underworld.

Gugurang was the supreme god of good, benign benefactor of the village, defender of the home, who
protected the tribe from the evil snares of the aswang. The general belief amongst the early Bikols was
that Gugurang always listened to their supplications on matters which were for their good benefit as well
as to their entreaties to protect them from their enemies. There were other kindred beings in the spirit
world of the Bikols. Batala was a special being inferior in power to Gugurang whose mission was to
provide peace to a village under its special care. Thus it was believed that the village that enjoyed peace
and was successful in its wars was due to the influence of a Batala which Gugurang has assigned to it as
its custodian. Another being inferior to Gugurang was the katambay. It had the specific mission to look
after an individual as distinguished from the Batala whose mission was to care for the entire village. The
hunter had a special protector called the okot. This being lived in the thick forests and whistled to indicate
the place of the hunt. The fishermen, too, have their spirit protector called magindang who by its cries and
signals on the water indicated the place where there is an abundant catch.
Like most of the early Filipinos, the ancient Bikols observed ritualism in diverse forms to communicate
with the gods which influenced greatly their tribal and personal wellbeing. Their sense of awe and worship
of the spirit world was one of obligation and commitment.

God of Good Rituals

There was a special ritual for Gugurang which was called atang. The place where the atang was usually
offered was called gulanggulangan. It was made of bamboo and coconut leaves and considered the
sacrificial temple of the ancient Bikols. The atang was the highest form and the most sublime sacrifice to
Gugurang done as thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest and to implore for more abundant harvests. The
atang consisted in offering the best of the fruits of the land which was called himoloan. The offerings were
brought to the gulanggulangan and placed on an altar table made of bamboo called salangat. On it they
would put many kinds of food. The native priestesses called baliana would intone the incantations
followed by body shiverings and contortions. The womenfolk gathered around would then sing the soraki,
reputedly a beautiful enchanting song dedicated to Gugurang. The rites over, the people consumed the
food offerings in a wild dancing feast.

God of Evil Rituals

The rituals for the god of evil, the aswang, depended on the purpose for which they were invoked.
The hidhid was a kind of exorcism resorted to whenever a public calamity like famine or pestilence
afflicted the village. The baliana performed the hidhid ritual to exorcise the aswang believed to have
brought the calamity and to force it to abandon the village in order to end the famine or the pestilence.
The hidhid was also performed on a sick person believed to be under the evil spell of the aswang. The
exorcism was performed by putting the leaves of the buiiga (areca nut) on the head of the sick. The
baliana moved around the sick person dancing, shivering and contorting, uttering incantations against the
aswang so the latter will go and abandon the sick person. If the sick was cured, they would say that the
ritual was effective. However, if the sick died, it was believed that the aswang wanted to bring the sick
person to the gagamban, there to suffer horrible torments. Another ritual for the aswang was the hogot. It
was believed that when a datu in the village died, the aswang will seek the entrails of the deceased. To
prevent this, a favorite slave of the datu was killed and his entrails were offered to the aswang as
substitute.

Superstitious Beliefs

They have the superstitious belief of the existence of the bonggos, an evil spirit in league with the aswang
which by its order moves around in the forests. The bonggos were black and ugly beings whose eyes
radiated flames of fire. They also believed in the existence of the drago or Oriol , a fabulous snake,
daughter of the aswang who appears and disappears at will. Her mission is to seduce men when she
wills. Her beauty and influence were irresistible. A thousand fables were said about this snake-
enchantress. Another evil spirit is the yasao whom the early Bikols regarded with fear and terror. The
yasao was a horrible phantasma that appears during moonlight nights, in the shadows of the trees,
terrorizing the people with fear. Sometimes this evil being transforms itself into the laqui a monster with
feet and hair of a goat and an ugly human face.

Belief in Afterworld

The ancient Bikols believed in an after life. The good eventually will go to the side of Gugurang to receive
the reward for their heroic deeds, their achievements and exploits in war in the skyworld
called kamurawayan where peace and rest await them. The bad will go to the side of the aswang in the
tormenting gagamban and there suffer the punishment for their evil deeds. This belief of the early Bikols
in a kamurawayan and a gagamban in the next world was higher in form to the belief of many early
Filipinos who considered the transition between life and the great beyond simply as a journey beyond the
seas, represented in that famous archeological soul-boat of the Manunggul burial jar, where the eternal
boatman, Maguayen, ferried a dead soul on the journey to the great beyond. Although the early Bikols
believed in the soul-boat symbol in much the same way as did the primitive makers of the manunggul
burial jar, there was a marked difference in their beliefs because the early Bikols believed that the journey
was not to the unknown but to some fixed destination of a life of reward or punishment represented by the
skyworld kamurawayan and the lower world gagambam.

Archeological finds in Bicol grave diggings have revealed crudely carved images of stone or clay figurines
of idols and deities. These are not common grave furniture. And yet, they have been found among the
articles which were interred with the early Bikol dead, indicating adherence to the belief of a journey to the
world which ends in the company of some deity. There are very few and scanty descriptions of these
pagan idols or deities in Spanish chronicles. One was Pigafetta’s who described them as “having arms
which were open, feet turned up under them and with a large face.” The early missionaries equated the
devil with these pagan idols. Hence, hundreds of them were burned and destroyed before they could be
described and recorded for posterity. Fray Marcelo de Rebadeniera wrote, “the natives would be asked to
bring out their idols which they still believe and revere by offering perfumes and odorous scents. The
natives would gather all their idols, in one case four hundred of them, and in the presence of the villagers
they bum them.” It is a rare find if today some stone or clay figurine of a pagan idol is excavated
approximating Pigafetta’ s description.

Cult Ministers

The ministers of the ancient Bikol religion were called asog. They wore necklaces and collars of precious
stones. In his ministry, the asog used to dress as a woman and acted in the manner of a woman both in
movement and in speech. Among the Suban-ons of Mindanao, a minority group separated from the Bikols
by innumerable islands in a wide expanse of seas, it is noteworthy to find the term Asog in their ethno-
epic as a god-deity who could resurrect the dead to life. To the ancient Bikols, however, Asog was a high
priest. The ridiculousness of his appearance and his wit caused much merriment among the participants
in the tribal rituals. It was the custom among the asogs to remain unmarried to prepare them better for
their ministry.

There were also woman ministers called balianas. The balianas were the women of the tribe who were
the most shrewd, libertine and seductive. The baliana, aside from officiating in the tribal rituals listened to
the complaints of the members of the tribe and in their behalf invoked and entreated the anitos for
guidance on the specific matter on hand.

Ancestor Worship

The most common of the cults of the ancient Bikols was anito worship or magaanito devoted to the spirit
of deceased elders. Dr. Pardo de Tavera traced the etymology of the word anito to the
sanskrit hantu which meant “death”, thence to the Javanese antu which represented spirits in general,
thereby expanding the connotation of the word in its Malay concept. In the Bicol spirit world, anito became
an almost filial relation that transcended death between the living and the spirit of a beloved deceased
elder. The anito was regarded as the messenger or agent of the living to the overlord Gugurang. As a
beloved person who in his lifetime was distinguished for his valor or goodness done to the family or to the
village, now that he has journeyed to the great beyond he must still look after those he had left behind.
The early Bikols believed that different kinds of anito exist, each one having a specific care function. An
anito that was privately revered by a tribal household was called tagna and usually engraved in an image
called lagdong and placed in a special place in their habitation called moog. This anito stood as the
guardian of the home and the members of the house hold. The anito which was considered the village
benefactor was called parangpan and was enshrined in a conspicuous place in the village. Its function
was to protest the village in general.

A magaanito rite took place when a maguinoo died. The natives performed a ceremony for the dead
called pasaka, which consisted in preserving and keeping unburied for a long time the remains of the
dead, until a big feast called abataya was celebrated to extol the qualities of the deceased during his
lifetime. In order that the remains will not deteriorate, they embalmed the dead in their own way – by
removing the entrails. This done, the body was placed between two halves of an agul tree the inside of
which had been hollowed out. The tree-coffin was then sealed with the sap of the dangkalan tree.
Strangely but true, no foul odor emitted from the tree-coffin which was left unburied for sometime.

The basbas was a rite for the dead which literally meant the washing of the dead. It was the common
belief that those who have died are impure, especially those who have died because of sickness and that
unless purified, they would suffer great torments inflicted by the aswang. The purification rites was
performed by the balianas, who fashioned at the end of a short pole the aromatic leaves of the lukban.
The pole was soaked in perfumed water and struck at the various parts of the body of the deceased
accompanied by the ritual song called katumba. Once the purification rites were made it was believed that
the anito of the deceased journeyed freely in the valleys and the luxuriant forests of their settlements.
Should a misfortune befall the village, they called upon the most celebrated of their anitos, and implore
him with reverential respect by way of sighs and shouts to cast away the malaise. In order to hasten the
grant of their petitions they performed the dool which was to abstain from eating foods which they usually
like to eat.

They have also the child ritual called the yocod which was to offer the young child or infant to the anitos of
their deceased ancestors by tossing and passing the child from one hand to another rapidly around their
dwelling place. It was believed that once the aswang heard the ritual it will allow the child to come under
the protection of the anitos.

Nature Cult and Rituals

The ancient Bikols were also nature worshippers. They stood in awe and prostrated themselves in
worship before the ineffable god of nature. The halia was a feast dedicated to the full moon to prevent
the bakonawa, a horrible sky serpent from devouring the moon and leaving them in perpetual darkness.
The feast was performed with the wild beating of the gimbals and the balalongs. The womenfolk of the
tribe assembled in two files and commenced singing incantations in praise of the attributes of light of the
moon they would also praise the moon in making the night as bright as day but enchantingly cooler than
daylight. The early Bikols also had great reverence for the rainbow which they called hablong-
dawani. They believed that it was the exquisite tapestry of a very famous weaver called Dawani who was
the mother of all weavers in ancient time. It was believed that, men who braved death, those killed by
arrows and crocodiles ascended directly to heaven by the rainbow.

A crudely drawn representation of the Bakunawa purportedly found in an old notebook of Bicol Shaman
Rituals.

The pre-hispanic Bikols were moved by these creator being belief and they manifested this sentiment in
their cults and rituals. This metaphysical gift of primitive faith in the Bikols’ pagan soul was not destroyed
nor obliterated by conquest and subjugation. many of the ancient Bikols’ belief and customs, some Bikol
Christian festivals and practices today still bear a vague image of the beliefs
and customs of 400 years ago.
The Tinagba harvest festival celebrated annually in the City of Iriga on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
which consists in offering the first best produce of the land and any product from the people’s toil is
another Christian practice that is reminiscent of the atang sacrificial ritual to Gugurang. The deep
devotion of the Bicolanos to the souls in purgatory is another Christian flowering of the early Bikols’
ancestor worship. The hablong-dawani, expression of ancient time is now even incorporated in a “dalit”
to the Virgin of Peniafrancia which figuratively says:

“An gabos nagsasabi

ika an hablon-dawani
na an damat o’ an peste
saimong pinadadai.”

“All are saying

You are the rainbow
Sickness or pestilence
Is yours to dispel.”

The present day interest in the unconscious or the subconscious; in the occult and the hidden processes
of the mind; in faith healers or arbularyo; in enkangtos, duwendes or taong lipod; in spirit exorcism or its
Bikol equivalent of pag-bawi, santiguar and apag are not really new. These practices and beliefs have
been with Bicolanos, as they have been with many Philippine ethnic language groups since time
immemorial.