Nelmida is world-class

Fro the perspective of a present-day reader with superficial knowledge of Pangasinan culture, reading through Dr. Perla S. Nelmida's much-referenced post-grad thesis at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, "Pangasinan Folklore" (1983), is such a rewarding experience. 

The thesis is what we can call a landmark work. It is not just a compilation -- and what a compilation it is, comprised of131 folk stories, 631 proverbs, 465 riddles, and 170 folk songs -- the most extensive so far, to my knowledge. Accompanying the collection is a highly perceptive analysis honed through years of first-hand immersion in the culture and at the same time looking at it from the perspective of an assiduous academic.

For her work, she had to translate all of it, a thankless task in itself, and her translation is top-notch. Rare is a translation of hers that I disagree with in the slightest. 

Nelmida also takes time explaining the most definitive riddles and sayings in terms of what they imply about the culture of Pangasinenses, and she does this while being backed up by an adequate knowledge of equivalents from other Philippine ethnic groups and even global cultures. Her citation of references spans the entire history of writings on Pangasinense folkways, Filipino studies, and global folk literature studies.

Her level of language nears perfection for someone trained in English, and for this alone, it is my personal belief that her thesis is world-class.

In discussing folk literature, of course, she could not help but delve into the local way of life, and this aspect gives the thesis unexpected treasures in terms of the knowledge gained in traditional beliefs and practices. 

If Rosario Cortez is the grand dame of Pangasinan history or historians, then Nelmida is the grand dame of Pangasinan folkways researchers. This is great news, because Nelmida tackled subjects about Pangasinan that Cortez could not delve deep into, for want of pre-existing resources, limited as she was with knowledge filtered through the eyes of white European missionaries and conquistadores. From Nelmida's thesis, I learned, for instance, about certain traditional items like the stringed instrument called kutibeng and the long, sharp bolo called kampilan, which is encased in a scabbard. 

I am reminded of so many things I once heard from my grandmother, like the cartilla reading primer (which later reminds of the katon), the use of kungkong and such artifacts, and so on.

What a rewarding experience to encounter such work, that I want to discover more by seeking out all the other references she has cited about Pangasinan oral folk literature, such as the ones by Viray, Marina Sabangan, and other pioneers who predated her work by years, even decades, but because of current inaccessibility we unfortunately can not comment on right now, much less weigh against Nelmida's own.