Heritage of 'unaw'
Ten hours after the surprise military strike by the imperial
Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu on
December 7, 1941, the Japanese occupation in the Philippines occurred, imposing
food blockage in the entire country until 1945.
It was believed that the natives, dwellers and indigenous people residing in
the marshy areas of old Butuan survived the food scarcity and hunger brought by
World War II by eating "unaw."
The Lumbia tree
Old folks would ascertain that Lumbia tree is said to be the oldest food plant
existing even before pre-colonial period.
It grows to about 30 feet high and three feet wide in diameter.
At the end of its fifteen-year life cycle, right before it begins to flower,
the tree is felled for the starch stored in its trunk.
Unaw is the starch made from the inner part of the Lumbia tree which is the
prime ingredient of many local delicacies in Butuan City like tumpi, kinabol,
dabaw-dabaw, the natural and colorful sago mixed in delicious binignit, and
above all the famous palagsing.
The abundance of the tree is confirmed in barangay Baan in Butuan City as it
celebrates the Unaw Festival on June 27 of every year.
Palagsing: only in Butuan City
An old chestnut goes, “You have never been to Butuan if you have not eaten the
palagsing!”
Palagsing is a Butuanon delicacy which is made in barangays
Banza and Maug, two of the oldest communities of the city. This local delicacy
has some similarities to the suman and budbud in other parts of the country,
since it is wrapped with leaves and goes well with a cup of hot chocolate
or coffee.
However, unlike suman and budbod which are made of rice, the palagsing
has a deeper flavor because it is made of unaw, mixed well with young
coconut meat and sprinkled moderately with sugar. This brown and sticky
palagsing is pretty sweet compared to the other delicacies and has a gelatinous
consistency with strips of coconut meat for chewy texture.
What is more, Barangay Banza celebrates food bounty of the place through the
Palagsing Festival which is usually held on Adlaw Hong Butuan Celebration,
every 2nd day of August.
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| Manong Pilo |
Sergio Pilo of Barangay Bobon who is a tenure unaw maker shared that unaw is the primary source of livelihood of his family. His parents trained him and his siblings the hard work and vitality behind cutting a Lumbia tree at dawn and the making of the unaw until dusk with an income of P500 a day, which is enough to survive the basic needs of his family.
“Kini nga trabaho dili jud basta basta kay mogawas jud imo kusog sugod sa pagputol sa kahoy og paghimo sa unaw nga maabtan ka ug gabie. Tungod sa kahago sa trabaho, ang mga batan-on karon dili na mutoon unsaon paghimo sa unaw mao nang pipila nalang kami diri sa syudad kabalo motrabaho diani, ug may edad na pod mi. [This work is not ordinary because you really have to exert effort from cutting the Lumbia tree to extracting its starch that oftenly I would end late in the evening. Because it is very strenuous, the youth now are no longer interested to learn the work that is why we are already few doing the job, and we are old],” Manong Pilo expressed in worry.
Manong Pilo humbly reaches out if the government can provide a machine to the unaw makers that will aid in the processing in order to save time, for them to become more productive, and to increase their income and continue this livelihood.
“Mohangyo tani mi sa gobyerno kung pwede mi matagaan og makinarya para makatabang sa among pag-unaw para dili jud ni mabugto og mawala diri sa Butuan kay gusto namo mapreserba kini nga heritage gikan sa among mga kanuno-nunoan. [We are seeking assistance from the government to provide a machine so that unaw making will not wind up in Butuan, as we want to preserve our forefather's heritage]," appealed by Manong Pilo.
He is just one of the unaw makers who is afraid that this legacy will soon vanish as the young generation is reluctant to continue the groove.
Manong Pilo is hopeful that this reaches the kind heart of the people in authority, the local or national government, and guarantee the survival of unaw and its contribution to food and livelihood in the community. (RLE/PIA-Caraga)
