The white towels for the GIWANG-GIWANG have already been delivered to my office.
Last year, the prints were colored maroon. This time, the design is exactly the same, I just changed the color to green and of course the date. Everything else remained the same.
2011
2012
It took me a long time last year deciding on what to print on the towel. I initially thought of honoring my parents by putting “handog ni Ka Cardo and Ka Felicing”. But my parents are no longer around. Then I thought of putting “from Tan Family” and placing all the names of my siblings. In the end, I just printed my name. I knew beforehand that some people would frown upon seeing my name. They might think I am promoting myself, that I am running for public office, specifically for mayor. Ha ha ha! Naku hindi po, natupad ko na po lahat ng childhood dreams ko, at wala sa listahan ko ang maging mayor.
I just placed my full name so that people would know where the towels came from. Gusto ko lang malaman nung mga bumubuhat sa Giwang-giwang kung saan galing ang bimpo, sinong nagbigay, at para sa susunod na Mahal na Araw eh alam nila kung saan sila hihingi uli nitong bimpo.
The Giwang-giwang is a part of the history of Tan’s Family. My parents, Ka Cardo (+) and Ka Felicing (+), my four brothers, Kuya Junior, Kuya Romy, Kuya Lito and Kuya Ben (+), our bunso Aileen and yours truly all lived in Binangonan and participated in the town’s traditions which included the observance of Holy Week. The sinakulo, prusisyon, pabasa, even the tirimbi, beto-beto sa pritil at aplaya, yung lugaw na may matigas na manok at itlog ng manok, pospas at lalung-lalo na ang inihaw na pusit na nakatusok sa patpat na amoy-na amoy kahit ang layo-layo ko pa, ay bahagi na nang aming kinagisnan at kasaysayan. Ang mga Kuya ko lahat ay nakaranas na bumuhat sa Santo Sepulcro, na kung tagurian nung araw at nung bata pa ako ay Giwang-giwang.
Ang Giwang-giwang ay ang pinaka importanteng tradisyon sa buhay ng mga taga Binangonan na dapat ay pinahahalagahan ng mga tao at hindi kinakalimutan. Dapat ang mga kabataan ay iminumulat ng kanilang magulang sa tradisyong ito. Just like what I am doing. My children were born here in Manila, studied somewhere else and have not lived in Binangonan. Isinasama ko sila sa simbahan, sa pritil, sa palengke, sa sementeryo pagbisita sa Tito Ben nila. Kumakain sila ng puto-bumbong, fried itik at inihaw na pusit. Kasama ko sila sa prusisyon simula nung maliliit pa sila at tulad ngayon, katuwang ko sila sa pamimigay ng tubig, tinapay at tuwalya tuwing Mahal na Araw.
When I was little, thousands of people flocked to the poblacion to join the prusisyon (procession) and libo rin ang may panata na bumuhat. There were many foreigners and people from other places that came to our town. The number of people joining the procession has multiplied by the thousands due to the exponential increase of population in Binangonan. Pero ang mga kalalakihan na bumubuhat sa giwang-giwang ay nangangaunti na at taon-taon ay napapansin namin na nababawasan pa.
Nuong araw, ang mga tao ay may dalang puting panyolito at bulak (cotton) para ipunas sa Santo Sepulcro. Ito ay kanilang itinatago bilang anting-anting, kontra sakit at kontra problema. In keeping with this tradition and belief, I am giving away this white towels for that purpose. Ito ang pwede nilang ipahid sa Imahen at magsilbing souvenir din taon-taon that’s why I printed the date. At para sa mga bumuhat ng Giwang-giwang na hingal-na-hingal, ang white towel ay pwedeng pampahid ng pawis.
Last year, I heard some men saying na sobrang liit daw. It should really be small, pampahid sa Santo, hindi pang ligo.
In 2011 we gave away 495 pieces. I kept a few just in case meron pang gustong humingi.
This year we are giving away 700 pieces to 700 men na bubuhat sa Giwang-giwang. We are still studying on how to best distribute the towels orderly kasi last year umuga yung bakod namin sa Libis sa dami ng humihingi.
