Malaca

.  A commemorative marker for the tree was unveiled as part of a program to “intensify mitigating and adaptation measures to avert the effects of climate change while enhancing biodiversity in the urban forest ecosystem.” The massive balete or dalakit is at the state entrance of Malacañang and is believed to have been planted in the 19th century. I had seen this balete tree or dalakit (dakit, lunok in Hiligaynon/ilonggo) once when we have courtesy call to then President Corazon Aquino, the mother of now President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino. Balete, the most common name given to strangler figs in the Philippines, is a term coined from a number of species such as Ficus concinna. Such trees are common in urban areas, but few attain the age and size of the one at Malacañang. The other one can be seen in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental where it was declared as the oldest tree by historical commission.

      It seems there’s nothing significance on this event since it was link to folk belief of the existence of a kapre. In Philippine folklore, a kapre is a giant tree demon, usually a brown, hairy and bearded man. It is depicted to be smoking a big pipe, whose strong smell attracts human attention. Of course the President himself in an ambush interview told reporters that he had not encountered this kapre.  However one should take note what Aquino said – “ in making it (the balete) a heritage tree, it will constantly reminds us of our obligations, both as citizens of this country and as stewards of this planet.”

     Philippine folklore or indigenous belief depicts the deep religiosity of our ancestors. Long before the Spaniards and Americans came to colonize us, our ancestors are deeply and innately religious. To a large extent, this Filipino spirituality, indigenous as it is in the eyes of the western, mirrors the strong belief in the spirit world, something which is perfect and incorruptible.  Our ancestors believe in the interrelatedness of all creation whereas everything they did in the everyday life has something to do with such interrelatedness. I can still remember one has to say “excuse me” or in Hiligaynon “tabi po, or tabi-tabi” when we do some cutting of trees for fuel in cooking our food. In fact, because of such acknowledgment and belief, uncalled floodings and cutting of trees is not so wanton. Only upon the arrival of the colonizers specifically the Americans with their stateside ‘religion’ where massive (until now) cutting of trees become flagrant.

      Rightly, we as humans have an obligation as stewards of this planet – mother earth. The saddest note is that we forget this stewardship all because of greed introduced to us by our colonizers, both the Spaniards as well as the Americans. These colonizers had unjustly snatched away our own thinking and intellect, our indigenous spirituality which is deeply devout to God. It is good therefore that through this simple act of the President, we Filipinos can restore also our obligation to creation, as well as restoring our indigenous Filipino spirituality.

     As we said, our Filipino indigenous spirituality mirrors the strong belief in the spirit world, something which is incorruptible and perfect. From the pre-colonial times, good life and abundance is endowed by the Deity. Similarly natural calamities, illnesses and other misfortunes are attributed to the displeasure of Diety or God.

    We as Filipinos have our Supreme Being, the Poong Maykapal (the provident one, the Christ) and Bathala (the most High God).*