BALITAW (THE VISAYAN FOLK SONG)

The balitaw is the song traditionally associated with the Visayas region in the same way the
kundiman and kumintang are associated with ancient Tagalog music.  The music of the balitaw
is usually written in 3/4 time. It is also danced to, although it originally was something that was
merely sung. This folk air has a more developed form called balitao romansada. The traditional
instrument used to accompany the balitaw was a three- string coconut-shell guitar; later, a harp
was adopted as the instrument of choice because more chords could be played on it. When
performed today in modern rendition, a five-string guitar is used.
The balitaw is an extemporaneous exchange of love verses between a man and a woman. Danced
and mimed, it is accompanied by a song, or the dancers themselves sing, improvising the steps
and verses. It may last for hours, ending with the woman accepting or rejecting the man's suit.
The balitaw is found mainly in the Tagalog and Visayan regions.  The dancers may be
costumed in balintawak or patadyong or in contemporary everyday clothes. Its accompaniments
could be provided by the subing(bamboo flute), castanets, coconut guitar, harp, the five-stringed
guitar, or a combination of the three. The Visayan balitaw is usually in the minor key, while the
Tagalog is in the major. Both are related to the kumintang and kundiman in their styles of
accenting.

BALITAW (Lyrics)
Ang balat mo'y huwag ibilad kung mainit
Kailangan mo'y salakot na pambukid
Kung masungit ang panahon parang payong din 'yan
Maiilagan mo ang ulan at araw.

Ang balat mo'y huwag ibilad kung mainit

Kailangan mo'y salakot na pambukid
Kung masungit ang panahon parang payong din 'yan
Maiilagan mo ang ulan at araw.

Koro:
Huwag mo nang paiitimin ang balat na talusaling
Pag-ingatan ang alindog ang ganda'y sadyang kay rupok
Kung kulimlim ang panahon salakot ay dalhin
At iya'y pananda sa init man at hangin
ILI-ILI (THE Ilonggo FOLK SONG)
It must be a mother’s instinct that makes me hum Ilonggo folk song Ili-Ili nowadays. Any day
from now I am going to be a mother myself and the thought makes me reminisce my childhood
and remember the lullaby that my Nanay used to sing to me to make me fall asleep.

I can’t remember much of my toddler days but Nanay’s voice singing to me the hauntingly
beautiful lullaby Ili-Ili is so vivid in my memory. Yes, my baby will definitely going to hear me
sing it to her no matter how buki others may think of it.

The lyrics of Ili-Ili is really simple. Maybe that’s why it’s easy to remember even by a kid. In the
song, somebody sings to the baby telling her to sleep while her mother went to the market to buy
bread. Then the mother wakes up the child asking help in carrying what she bought. Those of us
who grew up with this lullaby would probably be very familiar with the first stanza of the song
because that’s what gets repeated often.

ILI-ILI (Lyrics)

Ili-ili Tulog anay

wala diri imo nanay
Kadto tienda bakal papay
ili ili tulog anay

Mata ka na tabangan mo
ikarga ang nakumpra ko
kay bug-at man sing putos ko
Tabangan mo
ako anay

ili ili tulog anay

wala diri imo nanay
kadto tienda bakal papay
ili ili tulog anay
HARANA (THE CEBUANO FOLK SONG)

The Harana first gained popularity in the early part of the Spanish period. Its influence comes
from folk Music of Spain and the mariachi sounds of Mexico. It is a traditional form of courtship
music in which a man woos a woman by singing underneath her window at night. It is widely
practiced in many parts of the Philippines with a set of protocols, a code of conduct, and a
specific style of music. Harana itself uses mainly Hispanic protocols in music, although its
origins lie in the old pre-colonial Philippine musical styles which still practised around the
country (See Also Kapanirong style of the Maguindanao of Mindanao). The main instrument
used for Harana is the guitar, played by the courter, although other string instruments such as the
Ukulele and less frequently, the violin and trumpets are also used.
The word harana has derived from the Spanish string instrument of the same name. It resembles
a guitar, but is smaller in nature.

HARANA (Lyrics)
Hangyo-on kong imong pasaylo
Ning akong pagtugaw kanimo
Tuguti nga ako magsangpit
Tuguti nga ako magawit

II
Kung mahimo pamati-a
Kining kabus kung pangaliya
Tungod ning putling panghimugna
Naaghat na awitan ka

Chorus:
Ikaw day akong damgo
Ikaw day akong gugma
Himaya ko, Langit ko ang Gugma mo

Bridge:
Ihatag na imong gugma
Pinangga ko malu-oy ka

(Instrumental)

(Repeat II, Chorus and Bridge)

Riddles
A riddle is a question, a puzzle, a phrase, or a statement devised to get unexpected or clever
answers. It is a folklore genre as well as rhetorical device, often having veiled or double
meanings. When someone uses it as a puzzle or a question, it could be a thought-provoking
challenge for the audienceto figure it out themselves, or it could be a funny comment intended to
make the audience laugh.
Some riddles show the wit of protagonists in a narrative, allowing them to escape a terrible
situation by using their wit rather than their strength. Often times, puzzling riddles tell us that we
cannot answer some questions, leading to hours of perturbed head scratching. However, they
open our minds to a number of possibilities.

1. Heto na ang magkapatid, nag-uunahang pumanhik.

Sagot: Mga paa
2. Dalawang batong itim, malayo ang nararating.
Sagot: Mga mata
3. Kay lapit-lapit na sa mata, di mo pa rin makita.
Sagot: Tenga
4. Ate mo, ate ko, ate ng lahat ng tao.
Sagot: Atis
5. Isang tabo, laman ay pako.
Sagot: Suha
6. Kung tawagin nila’y “santo” hindi naman milagroso.
Sagot: Santol
7. Munting tampipi, puno ng salapi.
Sagot: Sili
8. Ulan nang ulan, hindi pa rin mabasa ang tiyan.
Sagot: Dahon ng gabi
9. Puno ko sa probinsiya, puno’t dulo ay may bunga.
Sagot: Puno ng Kamyas
10. Gulay na granate ang kulay, matigas pa sa binti ni Aruray, pag nilaga ay lantang katuray.
Sagot: Talong