Ginaw Bilog

Manlilikha ng Bayan: Ginaw Bilog

The oral tradition, which is characterized by poetic verses that are either sung or chanted, is a popular cultural feature among cultural communities across the country. The ambahan, a poetic literary type composed of seven-syllable lines used to express messages through metaphors and images, distinguishes the rich Mangyan literary tradition from others. The ambahan is sung, with messages ranging from courtship to giving advice to the young, requesting a place to stay, and saying goodbye to a dear friend, among other things. Although such oral traditions are popular among indigenous cultural groups, the ambahan has survived because it is etched on bamboo tubes using surat Mangyan, an ancient Southeast Asian pre-colonial script.

Ginaw Bilog, Hanunoo Mangyan of Mansalay, Mindoro, grew up in a particular cultural environment. Ginaw took it upon himself to keep scores of ambahan poetry preserved, not only on bamboo tubes but also on ancient, dog-eared notebooks passed down to him by friends, already steeped in the wisdom that the ambahan is a key to understanding the Mangyan soul.

Born in 1953, he helped to preserve the Ambahan, or traditional poetry of the Hanunuo Mangyans in Oriental Mindoro. Those inherited from his father and grandparents, sources of inspiration and encouragement for his artistic endeavors, were his most prized possessions. Ginaw continued to exchange old and new ambahans with his fellow Mangyans and encouraged this poetic form at all times. Through the dedication of individuals like Ginaw, the ambahan poetry and other traditional art forms from our indigenous peoples will continue to live.

On December 17, 1993, President Fidel V. Ramos awarded Ginaw Bilog with the National Living Treasure Award in recognition of his people's efforts to preserve the ambahan poetry, which is written on bamboo. He died of a lingering illness on June 3, 2003, at the age of 50.

Sources:

http://gwhs-stg02.i.gov.ph/~s2govnccaph/about-culture-and-arts/in-focus/ginaw-bilog-and-the-ambahan-tradition/

https://philippineculturaleducation.com.ph/ginaw-bilog/

Photos:

https://fundrazr.com/SendEmilytoBarcelona?ref=ab_0RQasfZDz6M0RQasfZDz6M

https://www.facebook.com/109059674360524/posts/ambahanis-the-traditional-poetry-of-hanunuo-mangyans-of-oriental-mindoro-it-is-a/109080294358462/