“BINLAN taka, ha” – a five-syllable statement that, to others, may seem like an odd collection of words. But to Ilonggos, this sentence encapsulates one of our best traits: setting aside things for our loved ones.
Whether it may be a bowl of steaming La Paz batchoy on a rainy day, a few bites of caramelized yema from a school canteen, or a sizzling plate of sisig, our love never falters to reincarnate itself into remembering what our loved ones are fond of, and doing our best to leave behind something for them once we get the chance to grab a bite of their favorite food, a sip of a drink they once loved, or a picture of their childhood tambayan when we pass by it during our morning commute.
A memory can last from a day to a lifetime. And to think that, with hectic routines, deadlines to meet, papers to submit, and problems to ponder on, our best friend’s birthday, our mother’s favorite color, the place where we first held hands with someone, and the exact moment when we decided to open up to our favorite upperclassman — still lingers with us, signaling that the people who mean the most to ourselves have, not only, a special place in our hearts but in our minds as well. As our senses pick up on the familiar scent of our childhood neighbor’s cologne, and as we commute on the jeep that crashed when we went home with our classmates, or even as we pass by the fast-food chain where we had our first accidental “dates,” our brain prioritizes certain people or moments that serve a great significance in our lives, even more than our own materialistic priorities.
We Ilonggos have sentimental souls. We give love to others with not only our words, but with actions that hold our loved ones in places where our hands could not reach. And with these small efforts, we can turn something mundane into a moment that we look forward to. Every piece of Japanese siomai that we take a bite of can make us remember our seatmate’s lunch. Every soundbite of The 1975’s ‘About You,’ that traverses through our earphones can spark memories of our best friend’s favorite song while they were trying to get over their situationship. Every sip of taho can bring us back to our elementary days when we would beg our parents to buy us a cup. And because we get attached to these memories, we save them for later, just as we set aside a piece of something for the people we cherish in life.
Known as the “People of Love” who live in the “City of Love” and the provinces around us, pagpalangga, or the act of loving, is etched into our culture. And as a community, we give it to each other in many different ways. Be it by remembering, speaking out about our feelings, or praying for our loved ones — gapalangga ta nga magahod. We aren’t ashamed to love who we want, to give to who we want, and to remember who we need to. When we learn that someone else correlates us with something, we feel seen; “Ay, nadumduman taka sa muni,” is a sentence that we, so badly, long to hear. We also yearn for our efforts to be reciprocated, jittering for the day when someone else can give us love like how we encapsulate them into ours. We write, sing, dance, draw, cook, and lie in wait for someone who we can leave a piece of us with — someone who can take care of the remnants of our love./PN
