Iharubay ang Balaog nin Debosyon/Devocion

The first time I took note of "balaog" was in 2004. "Hiras nin Balaog" was supposedly the catchphrase when the Bikol Branch of Consuelo "Chito" Madrigal Foundation was launched.  So I asked, "Anong balaog?"  It's a shame that my Bikol vocabulary is limited to the everyday usage. No literary value, whatsoever. Although I do get creative with my Bikol when I am fuming mad.

Going back to "balaog," what stuck in my mind was that it meant "blessings." I was told that Doña Chito organized the Madrigal Foundation as a way to share her blessings to the poor. The catchphrase didn't catch much attention but the Foundation has gained ground.

My mother, Nueva Ecija-born but Naga-raised, asked me "Ano nga ang balaog?" I said, "Gift daw po." We had similar conversations a few times before.  I wasn't surprised she had to ask again.  It's easy to forget because we come across the term only in relation to the Tercentenary.

In any document where "Balaog Inako, Balaog Itao," - the Tercentenary slogan - gets an English translation, I always see "A gift received, A gift to share" as the equivalent. That's why now I understand "balaog" as "gift." I still have to ask if "balaog" can be used as "Dai nagtatao nin balaog ang Ninong ko."  Pardon the ignorance.

"Harubay" is another word I have spoken a number of times but I only understand it based on context. The first time I heard was only a few weeks ago. "Harubay Para ki Jesus asin ki Ina" is a novel idea to mark the beginning of the centuries-old Peñafrancia Fiesta.

On September 1, there will be a motorcade, simultaneous ringing of church bells, holy hour and confessions.  I learned that this string of activities is a reminder that the religious celebrations do not begin and end with the novena to Ina. The novena to Divino Rostro begins nine days before Traslacion and the Traslacion actually coincides with the feast day of the Divino Rostro. (This year, the novena to Divino Rostro begins on September 2. The feast day is on September 11.)

I heard that the activity is an initiative of religious organizations. No doubt it's inspired by the call for discernment and renewal. Its objective to invite "spiritual preparation" is noteworthy. The logic is plain but is clear as day:  the Fiesta is a religious celebration; therefore, we need to be prepared spiritually to "enter" the celebration.

To agree about the religious character and nature of the Peñafrancia Fiesta is to agree that it is meant to be a spiritual experience. And not carnivalesque.

One funny incident was when I asked a friend if she got my email about harubay, the activity. She asked me what "harubay" meant.  I couldn't answer.  I later learned that "harubay" means "to announce." I also learned that "bandilyo" is another word for it.

Everytime the conversation revolves around Bikol words, I see the irony. I say I am fluent in the language. But don't ask me about syntax and sentence construction, or even spelling!

I recently got interested in a book written in Bikol with some parts translated in English. It blew my mind when I came across "devocion," "abbreviacion," "introduccion," "leccion," "sacrificio" "ejemplo," "mensaje" and "pagcumpisal" to name a few. There was also "veinte cinco."

My fear about writing in Bikol sank deeper in my bone.  All the while, I thought "devocion" is spelled "debosyon," "sacrificio" is "sakripisyo"and "pagcumpisal" is "pagkumpisal." (I don't hear anyone refer to a twenty-five centavo coin as "veinte cinco")

The book was very enlightening. But I have to admit, I am left with a bewilderment of embarrassing proportions - do I now say "devosyon" instead of "debosyon?" Or should I say "devothyon" with the flair of the illustrados of old?