Bayambang used to have a number of carrocerias (cart and carromata foundries) and pandayans (bolo/machete foundries), according to this article I found online: https://bayambangnewsletter.blogspot.com/2010/07/history-culture-arts-where-have-all.html

"Where have all the carrocerias, pandayans gone?"

"This is the question a number of Bayambangueños ask upon coming home to the town after four decades.

"Fat chances are the present generation does not understand what these old-timers are talking about.

"Carrocerias are the smithies or blacksmith's workshops that made, on orders, the carts farmers used to transport farm products or the carromatas that transported people.

"Pandayans are similar shops that made, also on orders, bladed implements of all shapes and sizes for sundry purposes.

"Sometimes, carrocerias and pandayans are one and the same shops. Many old-timers, one in Buayaen, another in Amancosiling Norte and a third in Tambac. But these artisans' shops do no longer exist.

"No one makes carromatas anymore after tricycles took over the roads. On the other hand, mass-produced or imported cutleries pushed pandayans into obsolescence."

Idioms and Other Expressions Used in Bayambang, Pangasinan

This content is being continuously updated here: Bayambang Municipal News: Glossary of Pangasinan Idiomatic Expressions 

"Lupa'y Aga Mamarigo," "Sinmabo'y Dala," and other Idiomatic Expressions in Bayambang, Pangasinan
 
 
Pangasinenses, particularly Bayambangueños, have very colorful everyday expressions, especially when it comes to idiomatic expressions.

To review our English class lesson... Idioms are words and phrases that mean something else, often very far away, from their literal meaning. They are a fascinating feature of speech in that they spice up the language and always have interesting backstories. How each idiomatic expression came about and eventually put into common usage needs a lot of historical research it would be like digging into a town's history.
 
Discovering the meaning of each idiom is revelatory, for it never fails to show the local color when the place was still young: what things surrounded our ancestors' daily lives, what they did for a living, and how they lived their life in general.

How many of these idiomatic expressions that have been "bunga'y sangi" (literally, "fruit of the mouth") or traditionally often used in Bayambang, Pangasinan, can we still hear being used these days?

Ampetang so sangim (literal translation: "You have a hot mouth.") – a more negative version of "Magdilang anghel"

Amputi'y layag (white-eared) – pala-away; war freak
 
Aga nalukso'y duweg (A carabao can't leap over it.) – matao, mataas; many/crowded; too high to hurdle

Anggapo’y kaasi-asin mo (You don't have an iota of salt in you.) – walang respeto; disrespectful
 
Umpepeket su bisukol (The snail sticks to it.) – mabagal; ever-so-slow
 
Singa manaakar ed bulan (like walking on the moon.) – mabagal; slow

Loob-loob ya singa aso (entering like a dog) – pumapasok nang walang paalam; entering without permission
 
Singa kinaykay na manok (like the chicken has scratched it) – magulo o pangit ang sulat; refers to messy handwriting

Manasewek so eleng (nose smoking) – galit; angry

Manngangalngal na ngalab (chewing on hot coals) – walang preno ang bibig pag nagalit; trash talker

Atagey so tikyab (matayog ang lipad; high-flyer) – mataas ang pangarap; dreaming of things too great or too big for oneself

Paatageya'y sirit (pataasan ng ihi; pissing contest) – payabangan; as though trying to outdo one another in boastfulness or pride

Matalker so tenger to (stiff-necked) –  di namamansin; snob

Tangay-tangay ed Pozorrubio (Looking up hopelessly lost somewhere in Pozorrubio [a town in northern Pangasinan]) – nawawala; lost one's way
 
Makarinyon inpanmata (karinyosong mata; coquettish eyes) - refers to a person who amorously attracts somebody through the eyes

Pekpek ed duweg, batil ed baka (the carabao takes the hit, but the cow gets the bruise) - refers to a person who got hurt by words that were directed at someone else

Impaduweg ya trabaho (like a carabao's work) - refers to a person who spends a lot of time working

Balbaleg so ulom (You're swell-headed.) - used to refer to someone boastful

Matarakin lalong (handsome rooster) - handsome man

Anggatel so dilam (your tongue is itchy) - refers to a person who talks too much and spreads gossip

Nanbukas ya pagew (opens his/her breast) - a person who expresses or shows his/her feeling from the heart

Di bato'y duweg (a carabao with stone) - refers to a person who eats a lot

Mata’y pantat (catfish eyes) - refers to someone chinky-eyed

Anaw-awet so ulo (hard-headed) - refers to someone whose ways are stubbornly difficult to change
 
Matdem so dila (matalim ang dila; has a sharp tongue) - refers to a person who talks too much, often below the belt

Bulsa ya abutaw (butas na bulsa; pocket with a hole) - walang pera; refers to a person who doesn’t have money

Alauka'y t*e (like sh*t suddenly got mixed with it) - yung biglang nasira ang seryosong usapan sa pagpasok ng isang panira sa usapan (maaaring komiko na karakter); refers to a conversation that is ruined with the arrival of an interloper

Wala'y sakit ya manok, Mansasakit so manok (The chicken is sick.) - makakaugip, inaantok, sleepy, looking drowsy all the time

Inibong to'y digo (He/she spilled the broth.) - "guminhawa na, napakawalan pa ang swerte"; unintentionally revealed something confidential

Namagaa'y dika (The grass will get dry.) - it takes one too long to do something

Naksel so kalsada, narasa'y kusina. (The street is full, the kitchen is hungry.) - being showy in an unseemly way

Inyanak ya maeta (born raw or uncooked) - born ugly

Samal (poison) - unwanted fellow, like one who uses his badge to get a free ride

Sangkakutdang (Kayang-kaya ng isang hakbang; You can reach it with just one step) - so near

Kalkalnaa'y dalan (slowly ease one's way to the road) - parting shot signaling to go ahead and go home

Ambete-betel so dalikan. (The clay stove is so cold.) - walang kaprepara-preparasyon; no preparation at all

Uusila'y apangat (a fly is running after something/someone) - mabaho; stinky

Manduruwa'y kanunutan (having two thoughts) - di sigurado; not sure, could hardly decide

Sansangkarangan (just a span) - sobrang liit; too small/too tiny

Martir ya ina/asawa, etc. (martyr mother/spouse) - ever patient

Agka la akilem! (how come the edge of your teeth is not in pain?; di ka na nangilo!) - di ka na nahiya; daring or not ashamed of bragging

Mansasnit (scorchingly hot) - tapos agad/ubos agad; easily done/easily sold out

Asasnit (scorched) - biglang naglaho/nawala; hastily gone

Ayaman to'y dalan (always on the road) - layas, laging umaalis; always on the go, or always on travel

Apatikey to'y kuldon to (had his/her shoelaces short) - madaling napikon; got easily irritated/impatient

Patageya'y sirit (having a pissing contest) - payabangan; competing as to who is smartest/best

Mabmabli'y imis (one's smile is expensive) - bihira kung ngumiti; hardly smiles

In-garahe (kept in the garage) - itinabi; set aside because it is no longer usable

Kinmamatis (turned tomato-like) - namaga; swollen

Nabilang na gamet (can be counted with one's fingers) - kaunti lang; few, can be counted

Aga nabilang na gamet (can't be counted with one's fingers) - di mabilang; innumerable

Dukol-dukol ed inawa (lying in comfort) - resting in one's riches

Napantanema'y agat (can be planted with ginger) - sobrang duming damit; so soiled/so dirty (referring to clothes)

Inabet da ed sangi'y buwaya (was met at the crocodile's mouth) - rescued by the skin of his teeth

Nalibre'y kinalat na uleg (the one bitten by a snake will receive a free treat) - aga nalibre; surely will not get a free treat

Nansementod pagew (cemented in the breast) - like truth that could hardly be accepted

Nanbuknol ed beklew (caused a knot inside the neck) - caused one to choke (like water)

Inyupot to'y pinanpisingan to (exhausted his or her source of vegetables) - tinodo ang handaan, ibinuhos na ang lahat ng pera at resources para sa engrandeng okasyon o handaan; threw all caution to the wind

Alaldis (struck or stricken with such ferocity or accuracy) - diretso sa punto; straight, direct to the point

Magata-gata (oozing with coconut milk) - "feel na feel"; very juicy; very expressive; e.g., Magata-gata'y ayew to. (Rough translation: He/she swears like a sailor.)

Bangaw (from the Tagalog word for blowfly?) - one who is always present during celebrations or gatherings that involve food; usually this person looks for one where he could eat for free. Ex.: Galila ta mi-bangaw tayo'd kakaabay. (Roughly: Let's go have free lunch at our neighbor's house.)

Inapuna'y kitat (possessed by a local species of frog that bloats its stomach) - magulo; unruly, uncontrollable, excessively playful

Aga makabini (can't sow a seed) - di makahintay; can’t wait for one’s turn; very impatient

Nikarunyas so dila (The tongue slipped.) - ay nadulas!; used to refer to someone when he or she unintentionally lets out a secret

Masangi-sangi (literally, too 'mouthy', large-mouthed, or speaks in a very loud voice) - matabil ang dila; refers to someone who mindlessly spills the beans (unmindfully reveals a secret to someone who is not supposed to know)

Sinmabo’y dala  (blood boils over) - nagalit ng todo; got enraged/extremely furious

Akagatin na t*e (stepped on poop) - mankitley; naglalakad na parang pilay; walks with a limp

Aga unkura-kurap (not batting an eyelash) - matigas sa kanyang desisyon; standing by his word, undeterred

Malmalet ya... (sturdy) - matibay na...; die-hard; Ex.: malmalet ya Katoliko, malmalet ya kaaro, etc. (Die-hard Catholic, die-hard friend, etc.)

Awet (tough) - kuripot; stingy

Ambon (gang up) - pagtulung-tulungan; exert combined effort/strength; Ex. Ambon yo la ta'y trabaho. (Get it done by working together as one.)

Dumalagan siwsiwan (young female chick) - marikit a nananak; gives birth while being single

Singa saksakulap (like an owl [Philippine frogmouth]) - angkakabaleg so mata to, nasilip, nalikas, naimano ton amin; has such big eyes that he can notice everything

Apataa'y lurem (hit by a cloud) - ambagel, makulang-kulang; crazy

Maragem (mahangin; windy) - mapangta; mayabang; boastful

Ag nabuwag na aso (can't be eaten by a dog) - masyadon maramsak a panagsalita; hyper-violent speech

Usila'y danganan (the pillow is chasing after him/her) - makakaugip odino mangiras

Binmuenlag ed layag (humarang ng pahalang sa tenga; blocked the ears horizontally) - something heard which can cause one to react violently

Ansaksakket so linggis (malagkit ang tingin; having a sticky in-a-glutinous-rice-kind-of-way gaze) - enticing, seductive look

Inmawe-awet (tumigas ng todo; hardened to the extreme) - hard-to-convince, die-hard

Anawnawet so bikking (ang tigas ng paa; having such hard feet) - when praised and the person being praised is sort of proud

Lupa'y anyani (mukhang multo; has the face of a ghost) - has an excessively made-up face, which doesn't look nice

Lupa'y aga mamarigo (may mukhang ayaw mamigay ng sabaw; has the face of someone who will not share some broth) - mahirap maloko o mapakiusapan; somebody who won’t give in to something; someone whom you can’t fool or take advantage of, or simply someone who has a stern face

Makmakdem so matam (ang talim ng mata mo; you have such sharp eyes) - matalas ang paningin; has a keen eyesight

Itangay ed tawen (itaas ang noo sa langit; lift one's head up to the heavens) - used when one is offended but doesn't plan to retaliate; leave it to God

Kalima-lima ([dumating na] tanging kamay lang ang dala; [showing up] with just his hands, empty-handed - coming in with nothing useful

Makapagew (nakakaumay sa dibdib; gets you feeling sickly full in the breast) - cloyingly sweet; to refer to an undesirably/excessively sweet/sugary food

Nantrabahon singa duweg (nagtrabahong parang kalabaw; worked like a carabao) - worked so hard with all his/her strength

Inmaltey (naging parang matigas na atay; has turned livery/liver-like in hardness) - not fluffy, like the consistency of the kutsinta rice cake

Kinmakalangakang - (naging mala-sampalok; has become like tamarind) - refers to feet that have turned like tamarinds

Piglatan la'y obet to, Andeket la'y obet to (scar- or black-bottomed) - dakel la'y pasantes/eksperiyensya to ed bilay; experienced

Akar bakokol (snail's walk) - kereg-kereg; usad pagong; painfully slow

Too'y polong o kalsada (taong daan; a fellow frequenting the street) - paakar; layas; someone always going out

Pananga'y tiki (pagkain ng butiki; house lizard's food) - maomit; mahinang kumain; eats sparingly

Ombak la'y lupa to (odino baog to) (old-faced) - matatken la; matanda na; already old

Misasalaok ya balaok (a meddling ladle) - mabetbet a miakan ed arom ya abong (see also Bangaw); malimit makikain sa ibang bahay; pakialamero; someone who often takes meals in someone else's household

Bunga'y sangi (literally, fruit of the mouth) - laging sinasabi; popular expression

***

Other Expressions That May be Non-Idiomatic 

The following may serve as similes, hyperboles, and metonyms:

Singa akagatin na ararawan (like you stepped on a mole cricket) - walks like doing a crazy dance

Singa manok ya kakalasan (like an undomesticated chicken; synonym: Singa maatap ya manok) - maatap; sobrang mahiyain; takot sa tao; unusually shy

Singa mata'y duweg (parang mata ng kalabaw; like a carabao's eyes) - incredibly big

Singa mata'y kulayot (parang mata ng kuwago; like an owl's eyes) - incredibly big

Singa agat (parang luya; like ginger) - refers to webbed feet with deformed toes

Singa napantanema'y agat so salim (parang pwedeng pagtaniman ng luya ang paa mo; looks like one can plant ginger in your feet) - you have such dirty feet

Singa duweg (parang kalabaw; like a carabao) - huge and untidy

Singa ginawan kanen (like some sort of rice cake) - nalnala; kuhang-kuha; done perfectly

Singa inapunan (as though possessed by spirits) - parang wala sa sarili; refers to someone who is not his usual self, or to someone acting strangely or weird

Singa ka inkutkot a kamote (you are like a sweet potato that was buried) – mostly refers to a child who gets dirty after playing

Singa ka mantatanem na belas (You are like planting rice.) - refers to a person who walks so slow 

Singa tayo managlako'y tuka (We are like vinegar vendors.) - patunda-tunda, patigil-tigil, stops every now and then 

Salin singa agat (o kinmakalangakang) - ginger or tamarind-looking toes or feet 

Singa inani ed sirom (like harvested in a shady place) - refers to someone abnormal or with developmental deficit

Singa uong a onsasabi (like a mushroom when coming) - refers to a person that turns up unexpectedly

Singa ka manyekew a manok ("You're like a chicken that is sickly.") – maysakit o mahina; weak or sick

Singa nalad salarek/salaret (like one caught in a bird trap; [salarek is panghuli ng ibon or bird trap]) - siguradong kuha o huli; sure hit

Paistar (istariray; feeling like a star in an unseemly way) - pa-bida; attention-getter

Man-munggo tayo (Let's have mung beans.) - eat halo-halo

Kodakan mo kami pa. (Shoot us with your Kodak camera.) - take our picture

Apaterter to'y luac (Caused my tears to fall) - has caused me to cry

Nu adiwit, nala. Nu akablit, akila (when touched, it is hit; when nudged by fingers, it goes with it) - "Parehas lamlamang!"; "Yun din yun!"; even if a word is not pronounced or spelled correctly, if it’s used and pronounced similarly as it should be, then the meaning is the same

Ambalbalanga syanga - (so red) - came from a local riddle: "Ambalbalanga syanga, andekereket syaket, say makabitla, nakewet; Answer: Bugayong"

Puera anto ca man - "May nothing (bad) happens!"; expressed when someone says something ominous to you
 
Anac na lasi; Anac na lasi ka; Lasi ka (anak ka ng kidlat; child of lightning) - local version of "Anak ng pating!"; a filler expression that has a range of meanings, from mock irritation to being a mild expletive 

Gumarangandyang (?) - used to refer to noisy girls who are having fun too much, in an unlady-like way

Maksil ya onsiyangob (malakas ang radar o pang-amoy; has a strong sense of smell) - has a strong sense of where a nice opportunity lies, as in he/she knows where every party is

Mandyalteng (?) - restless not because one is sick but just to get the attention of others, so she flits from one point to another

Talampyaw (?) - ill-mannered flirt

Sumayet (malandi; ) - flirt

Bandyaw (?) - sa mga kababaihan, baduy na pagdadala ng damit; lousy dressing style among women, i.e., those who love wearing ill-fitting because extra-loose skirts and the like

Dadarayet (?) - haggard-looking

Sirin? (ah ganun?; oh yeah?) - a local version of ngarud in Ilocano, gani in Visayan, and na in Tagalog; a sentence filler serving an intensive or emphatic purpose; Ex. Onla ti la sirin -- instead of just Onla ti la

Anggapo'y wala (walang meron; nothing there) - that's nothing; don't mention it (equivalent of "you're welcome")

Mangkungkuanan (nagkukunwari; pretending) - to pretend

Kuatit (baliw; crazy person) - a fool, and this includes her manner of dressing, grooming, and gestures

Ag ka pad 'tan! (Huwag ka nga diyan!; roughly, Don't you be so...?) - roughly, scram or leave me alone

Imbaga-bagam ("Sinabi mo pa!") - "You said it!"

Anigang met!/Animas! (euphemism for "Animal!") - exclamatory element in a situation like, Anigang met. Akin inbagam lan tampol? Animas la yan traffic, na-late ak la lamet! (roughly, What the heck! Why did you say it right away? What the heck, I'll be late again!)

Mataldit (?) - food that you least prefer to eat

Tunggal daiset (per little bit) - utay-utay, unti-unti; bit by bit; Ex.: Tunggal daiset ya napelag

Agka mangitaltalek; Aga mangabkabilang ("Di ka sumusunod [sa utos]!"?) - "You're not giving due respect, as though you hear nothing [I say]!"

Mamaong (roughly, domineering) - siga-siga, may kayabangan at pagkadominante; pretending to be somebody, domineering

Batot-banting ([no translation]) - burloloy; tiny, insignificant adornment; Ex.: Nambabangil ya batot-banting to!

Bakes; Bakes ka? (Unggoy!; Unggoy ka?; Monkey!; Are you a monkey?) - ekspresyong gamit upang pagsabihan ang kabataan na bastos, hindi nagmamano, dumadaan sa harap ng mga matatanda na nag-uusap nang walang "Excuse me!"; an expression used against a child who gives no reverence to elders

Anggales, Anggale-gales (madulas; slippy, slick) - Ex.: Angale-gales ya bii (Sexy woman)

Mareen la'y panamaley to (has a peaceful married life) - refers to a person who has settled down (gotten married and started his/her own family)

Agabangatan (short for “Aga abangatan”; literally, haven't been taught good manners [by one's parents]) - may refer to someone who is pilyo, naughty, playful or downright mean

Maka-tetano , Maka-tetanus (You can catch tetanus with it.) - latian, kinakalawang, rusty

Sarsarit, Saro-saro ([no literal translation]) - nakikisawsaw sa usapan; unnecessarily being around a group of people or a conversation where a person’s presence is not being sought

PROFILERS/MAPPERS: Marie B. Macaraeg, Lyka Mae S. Neri, Theresa M. Cayabyab, Via G. Garcia, Teddy Boy S. Cayabyab, Jerhome P. Ramos, Freda Joy R. Del Monte, Brix Adam Palarca, Renalyn Siapno, Princes Geen Andoy, Jandrei Frias, Rosemarie Macam, Grade 12 HUMSS-Psalms, Bayambang National High School

ADVISER: Mr. Christopher Q. Gozum (Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions)

Date Profiled: January 15, 2019

RESOURCE PERSONS: Lucida Ali, 63, Brgy. Telbang; Ma. Teresa D. Macaraeg, 60, Brgy. Tanolong; Rosalinda Jacalne, 63, Brgy. Tamaro; Erlinda dela Cruz, 62, Brgy. Bical Sur; Raul Garcia, 44, Brgy. Buayaen; Natividad Cayabyab, 83, Brgy. San Gabriel 1st; Pedro B. Lucena, 80, Nalsian Norte; Remedios I. Siapno, 63, Poblacion, Basista; Myrie M. Andoy, 58, San Gabriel 2nd; Leonora S. Rivera, 81, Tambac; Crispina Rives Malicdem, 88, M.H. Del Pilar; Susana S. Macabulos, 57, Nalsian Norte,

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE PERSONS: Dr. Leticia B. Ursua; Dr. Nicolas Miguel; Lily Luz Ursua-Abella; Flora Eve; Oscar Ora; Gloria Valenzuela; Mildred Odon; Resty S. Odon; Romeo J.  Odon; Verna M. Ferrer

CONSULTANTS: Santiago Villafania, Melchor Orpilla

TRANSLATOR: Resty S. Odon

Sensei Macky: Local cosplayer is perennial winner

His peers call him sensei, a Japanese word which means "teacher." This indicates how far Marc John  I. Martinez has gone in the world of cosplay.

Marc, or Macky to close friends, lives in Upper Cadre Site. A big guy with an unassuming mien, he surprises you with his total transformation once he gets into character at a given cosplay event.

Cosplay, he explains, is a term that came from the contraction of "costume and player." "It is a performance art in which participants called 'cosplayers' wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character."

During a cosplay event, the participants act in character to sustain the fun factor, he explains.

Let's listen to how he got started, in his own words:

"I started doing cosplay as Lambo Bovino (5-year old version) from "Katekeyo Hitman Reborn" at the 1st Manila Comic Con 2009 at SM Megamall. Then in 2011 in Manila, I was Gai Sensei from "Naruto Shippuden," where I had the opportunity of being on the Top 4 from the Top 6 group at the Otaku House Cosplay Idol-Asia category."

"And also in that same year, I was the declared winner in the Best Male category of the Cosplay and Toy Display 2011 at SM Rosales, Pangasinan. I was also the champion in the Male category of the PCI Cosplay 2014 at Robinsons Place, Calasiao, Pangasinan."

Back home in Bayambang, at one Halloween event in 2017, he reprised an old gender-bending role as Dora the Explorer that he used at Toycon 2010, but with a horror twist. And of course, he received the loudest laughs and ran away with the award for the Funniest category. The award was handed over by no less than Mayor Cezar Quiambao and wife Niña Jose-Quiambao.

Perhaps this is the apotheosis of his 'career' so far: "Sa Toycon 2012 sa Megamall, napasama ako sa music video ng Kamikazee sa song nila na "Wo-Oh."

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PKnzo7g0YpE" width="480"></iframe>

What got him interested in cosplay in the first place? His answer: "My love for anime! Gusto ko yung culture ng Japan."

And what does he get out of it? "When I do cosplay, I can do anything. Cosplay is an art, at dun lumalabas mga hidden talents mo, like how to make your own costume. Like ako, karamihan ng ginagamit ko recycled. Hindi kailangan gumastos ng malaki para gumawa ng costume. I can be creative plus maraming nami-meet na friends na same din ang hilig."

"Tapos, maganda rin sa mga kabataan [ang cosplay], kasi makakatulong makaiwas sa mga maling gawain."

It has come to a point where Marc is being sought after as a judge in cosplay competitions. He became a judge in Anicraze 2 in Baguio on  November 19, 2013, then at an event in Urdaneta on October 31, 2014, and then in Tarlac on November 10, 2018 sponsored by no less than the Tarlac City Tourism Office.

He also routinely gets invites for an appearance, for a fee. At the showing of "Dragonball Super Broly, the Movie" at the SM Cinemas Mall of Asia in 2018, he showed up as Zeno.

Consistently, his choices of roles to play are markedly surprising, even hilarious, especially since he gets the part right down to the most telling detail. And when the inquisitive spectator inspects closely how he pulled it off, one finds how creatively he puts together odds and ends just to come up with the right costume.

His latest appearance in a competition is in Cyber Craze, SM Rosales, Pangasinan on August 16, 2019 where he placed second as Mojo Jojo, the evil anthropomorphic ape, a supervillain, in the Cartoon Network animated series "The Powerpuff Girls."

Then in Megamall, at the Otaku Expo Reload Tanabata Festival 2019, he just participated (outside competition) and had fun on Day 1 being the Jack Black character Ignacio -- bare chest, red tights, curly hair and all -- in the hit comedy "Nacho Libre," which was of course a riot among the cosplayers. "Pinagkaguluhan ako!" he reveals. On Day 2, he was Genma Saotome (Oldman) from "Ranma 1/2."

"I feel awesome doing this, because I get to be with old friends and keep on meeting new ones," he reveals. "At marami akong napapasaya."

As 5-year old Lambo Bovino from "Katekeyo Hitman Reborn"

As Gai Sensei of "Naruto Shippuden" 

As Gai Sensei of "Naruto Shippuden"

As Gai Sensei of "Naruto Shippuden"

As Dora the Explorer in Cosylvania, CB Mall Urdaneta, October 31, 2014

As Gai Sensei of "Naruto Shippuden"

Dora the Explorer, er, judge at Toycon 2012

As Dora the Explorer in Cosylvania, October 31, 2014, CB Mall Urdaneta

As Gai Sensei of "Naruto Shippuden" 

As Mojo Jojo at a Tarlac City Tourism Office event

At the showing of "Dragonball Super Broly, the Movie," SM Cinemas, MOA, 2018

As Ignacio (of Nacho Libre), at the Otaku Expo Reload Tanabata Festival 2019, SM Megamall

As Zeno

As Genma Saotome of "Ranma 1/2"

As Mojo Jojo, suprvillain in Powerpuff Girls

As Zeno

As Mojo Jojo 

As Genma Saotome of "Ranma 1/2"

As Genma Saotome of "Ranma 1/2"

As Ignacio of Nacho Libre

At the showing of "Dragonball Super Broly, the Movie," SM Cinemas, MOA, 2018

As Mojo Jojo at a Tarlac City Tourism Office event

Toycon 2010 winning photo

As Mojo Jojo at a Tarlac City Tourism Office event

Toycon 2010

At the Otaku Expo Reload Tanabata Festival 2019, SM Megamall

At the showing of "Dragonball Super Broly, the Movie," SM Cinemas, MOA, 2018

At the Otaku Expo Reload Tanabata Festival 2019, SM Megamall

At the Otaku Expo Reload Tanabata Festival 2019, Megamall

Toycon 2010

Now, guess who were handing Marc the award at this Halloween event.

Pinakbet: How Bayambangueños cook their comfort food

It’s not enough that outsiders pronounce the name of the well-loved Pangasinense dish incorrectly: pi/nak/’bet instead of pi/nak/’bət. In Manila, in particular, they get it all wrong, too – by using pinakbet or pakbet to refer to what we routinely call here as bulanglang.

Here’s the lowdown on the specs to make a ginuwayn (genuine) pinakbet recipe:

Eggplants, the pale-colored, bulb-shaped variety (balbalosa)

Ampalaya (bitter melon/gourd), the dwarf, more potent variety

Tomatoes, whichever variety, but preferably the pumpkin-looking one (tres cantos)

Onion (preferably ‘shallot’) and garlic for sauteing

Ginger, crushed

Cayenne pepper (the long green sili/finger chili) – topped; optional

Bagnet/lechon kawali/roasted fish/pork with a generous portion of fat, boiled and set aside

Bagoong, the dark reddish-brown, salt-cured anchovy-based variety from Lingayen (bagoong/inasin a monamon)

Vegetable oil for sautéing (optional)

Ilocanos, in particular, prefer squeezing everything together inside a clay pot -- the harder ingredients first then the easy-cooking ones at the top, and then – using firewood, boil everything together until it turns into an almost amorphous blob of brown and black. That’s what they do to the unappetizing-looking (let’s be honest) dinengdeng, at least from the looks department. (Ilocanos do not care for appearances as much as essences.)

Some prefer sauteing the meat, onion, tomatoes, and the other vegetables first, then drowning the whole thing with water, but purists would do away with the sauteing. They prefer plain boiling until the broth is brought to near reduction -- this is where the term pakbet or pinakbet comes from: the original root word pinakebbet (Ilocano) or pinakubet (Pangasinan) means "shrunk" or "shriveled."

So the pot is brought to a boil until the shrunk or shriveled stage. Separately in a deep bowl, dilute 2 tablespoons of bagoong monamon (premium anchovy bagoong) with some of the boiling stock. Stir until the bagoong fish is reduced to its skeletal remains, then pour the diluted bagoong into the pot, taking care to strain any fish bones from falling into the mix. This step in called sagsagan or sinagsagan, with sagsag as the root word, referring to the use of bagoong as condiment.

Optional ingredients: Cubed camote (sweet potato, yellow variety, for use as salt buffer and to lend some sweetness), okra, saluyot, patani seeds (to lend a particular fragrance), segmented malunggay pods, and that legume with four “wings,” sigarilyas. Cabbage wedges also work nicely. Leftover adobo would be a good substitute for bagnet. If there is none, fresh pork cuts will do. Or pre-fried bangus.

Serve a bit overcooked. Of course you don't eat this without a gigantic mound of rice on the side, which is actually the main course. Pinakbet is heavenly with 'buro', but this part is not recommended for people with hypertension and kidney problems.

Lastly, kalabasa (squash) is a 'deal-breaker.' Once it is added, especially together with sitaw (string beans), the comfort food is no longer pinakbet but bulanglang.

Wildlife in Bayambang

Like other towns in the Philippines, Bayambang and many of its component barangays are named after native flora and fauna. The very name of the town is reputed to have come from the culibangbang tree (Bauhinia acuminata) thriving in its environs. Culibangbang's butterfly-shaped leaves, to this day, are an indigenous culinary souring agent among various ethnic groups in the country, from the Aetas of Luzon to the lumads of Mindanao.

There emerged other claims saying bayambang is really this plant (Piliostigma malabaricum) or that plant (Celosia or Deeringia polysperma Roxb.) or even another plant (Amaranthus spinosus f. inermis Lauterb. & K.Schum.), so will the real bayambang plant please stand up?

Even the former name of the town, Malungguey, sounds suspiciously close to another botanical, malunggay. And if we go further back in time, another plant name comes up: Binalatongan (Bayambang's mother town that is now San Carlos City).

Brgy. Mangayao is said to be named after wild cats making some serious noise in the area a long time ago, or so the story goes. Brgy. Pugo, as the name not-so-subtly indicates, is named after a native quail that used to abound in the area. Even Brgy. Wawa is reportedly named after a bird that makes a "wah-wah-wah" sound. (What could this bird be?) Buayaen and Balaybuaya suggest the ancient presence of swamps where crocodiles dwelt. Tamaro, so the legend goes, is named after the tamaraw. (It is believed that tamaraws once roamed wild in Luzon Island.) Warding is named after kalding, the Ilocano term for goat. Other barangay histories note the presence of "scary wild animals" living in their primeval forests.

Brgy. Sapang is named after sapang (Caesalpinia sappan), Brgy. Bani after bani (Millettia pinnata), and Brgy. Telbang after telbang (dapdap, Erythrina variegata Linn.). The same goes for Brgy. Caturay (of course, after the katuray tree with edible flowers, Sesbania grandiflora), Pantol (after pantol or santol, Sandoricum koetjape), Carungay (marunggay or malunggay, Moringa oleifera), Apalen (apaling (?) tree), and Banaban (banaba, Lagerstroemia speciosa).

Other trees that used to be common are abiang (anahaw), silag (buri), and mabolo (kamagong) -- even introduced species such as kukuwatit (madre de cacao), ipil-ipil, and chesa. Among those considered as weeds but turn out to have medicinal or culinary uses are dangla (lagundi), ngalub (pigweed, eaten in salads in Middle Eastern cultures), saluyot (jute), kulitis (uray), papait (sekan), biray (local basil), sampaga (damong maria), pansit-pansitan, tawa-tawa, takip-kuhol (gotu kola), tulango (?), and kulibetbet (pandakaki puti). Growing wild in places were makahiya, amorseko, and tagumbao (jatropha).

A popular folk song with the title, "Wala''y Manok kon Taras," refers to a sulky rattling bird-of-prey called taras or taraz or brown shrike. The brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) is a migratory species which is associated with the rice and corn harvest season, coming around by November(?).

Wala'y Manok kon Taras

Oala'y manok kon taras
Bagsit ya melamelag
Bangno mitutungtongak
siber-siber ed arap

Taras kuan kon taras
anto'y binarungan mo'd siak
ag ta ka met binakbak
dinuksan pinairap

Bangno maruksa ak
mangalmusal kay bakbak
mangugto kay basibas
tan mandem ka'y libog-lipak

Bangta marunong ak
mangalmusal kay gatas
mangugto kay prutas
tan mandem tamakay intortias.

Old folks attest to the presence of tilay (Varanus salvator monitor lizards), basakay (skink, a slinky type of small lizard), owls, wild ducks (Anas luzonica?), tikling (Gallirallus philippensis), and other endemic creatures in the woods of Bayambang.

As a young boy in the '70s, I myself have seen a quail (Coturnix coturnix), a pied bushchat (Saxicola caprata), common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), brahminy kite, assorted frogs, dragonflies (giant, medium-sized, and red-winged) and damselflies of different colors, at least ten kinds of butterflies, assorted moths including the giant Atticus, insects I could not identify, innumerable types of spiders, and snakes in the wild and in the neighborhood. There was even the occasional firefly regaling us at night! There were seasons when mayflies and winged termites would swarm under incandescent bulbs.

Among the amphibians, there was the patang or the common rice field frog that people eat, the kitat or botbotsog, a little blackish frog that bloats its stomach when you touch it, the kutattey (butete) or tadpole which we had fun catching and playing with, the talakba or the slithering type of frog that can leap like an Olympian, and other kinds. Then there was the karag or toad that everyone avoided as they were said to be poisonous. Each one of them made an interesting croaking sound when the rains started to fall.

With these animals, one is reminded of certain native expressions, such as "Singa ka akapanga'y gigang!" (You look like you just accidentally ingested a spider! -- meaning "You look like you were shocked, restless, or out of your mind."), "Singa ka akapanga'y sanggi" (a green bug that is extremely itchy to the skin upon contact), and "Puwera bwisit!" (an expression to break the spell when one catches sight of the basakay, which represents a bad omen).

Today, what remains wild and roaming around free among the large- and medium-sized animals are clearly the birds. Local bird names such as lalawigan, titikot (?), bilitsina (?), taraz, dulakak, arokotok, and palekpek indicate that locals have long distinguished between local bird species. A visiting birder or bird-watching enthusiast won't come home empty-handed when 'birding' Bayambang, for there are dozens of species that thrive in the hills, farms, undisturbed grasslands, ponds and lakes, rivers, and woods in the area. Here is a list of sightings among the fruit-bearing trees and in the sky, mainly in the yards of homes in Upper Cadre Site, except as otherwise indicated:

Maya, Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus)
Taraz, Taras, Brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) - seasonal visitors
Lalawigan, Philippine pied fantail (Rhipidura nigritorquis) 
Yellow-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)
Golden-bellied gerygone (Gerygone sulphurea)
Olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)
Asian glossy starling (Aplonis panayensis)
Bilitsina?, Lowland white-eye (Zosterops meyeni)
Arokotok, Zebra dove (Geopelia striata)
White-eared brown dove? (Phapitreron leucotis)
Palekpek?, Red turtle-dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica)
Colasisi? (Loriculus philippensis) - heard only
Long-tailed shrike (Lanius schach)
Titikot?, Maya, Chestnut munia (Lonchura atricapilla)
Maya, Scaly breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata)
Java finch (Lonchura oryzivora) - maybe an escapee from private cages
Night heron? (Nycticorax nycticorax) - associated with bad omen, so a sighting is met with an oracion to break the spell ("Baoninam! Awit mo'y asin! Awit mo'y barang!")
White egret (Ardea alba)
Dulakak?, Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)
Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica)
Grey heron? (Ardea cinerea)
Black-winged stilt? (Himantopus himantopus)
Barn swallow? (Hirundo rustica)
A brown-color tern-looking bird (maybe Sooty tern - Onychoprion fuscatus?)
Philippine pygmy woodpecker? (Dendrocopos maculatus) - suspected only, based on trilling sound
White-collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)
Martinez, Crested mynah (Acridotheres cristatellus)
Pied triller (Lalage nigra)
Red-keeled flowerpecker (Dicaeum australe)
Striated grassbird? (Megalurus palustris)
Pygmy flowerpecker (Dicaeum pygmaeum) - seasonal
Blue-throated bee-eater (Merops viridis) - spotted in Manambong's sorghum fields

Little spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra)

Oriental magpie-robin (Copsychus saularis) 

Now and then, depending on the season, other species keep turning up if one looked and listened hard enough. Because Bayambang is neighbor to the forestland of Mangatarem town, if one is lucky, one may even spot a scale-feathered malkoha, black-faced coucal, or any of the random wild doves (other than the ones on the list above) visiting. Their distinctive calls, silhouettes, and moves, especially flight patterns, give them away.

***

Local wildlife and biodiversity enrich our culture by forming an important part of our songs, poetry, lore, rituals and beliefs, everyday expressions, and even identity.

Threats to these irreplaceable resources include paltik- (slingshot) and eskopita (airgun)-wielding hunters, lack of enforcement of Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, deforestation, urbanization, and pollution due to pesticides and uncontrolled industrialization.