SOME DEFINITIONS FIRST basic. ‘Pride’: a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other people.
PREJUDICE: AN UNFAIR feeling of dislike for a person or group because of race, sex, religion at cetera. Herein abbreviated as Prejs – to focus on just this one basic definition.
BINGAAN: A SETTLEMENT in the middle Middle-Agno River Basin that has embraced the Fancy of local socio-political and traditional leaders to play Pawn on its name, re-naming, status, and re-status, etc., as the decades rolled by: Bingaan
IN SPANISH TIMES, it was known as one of those las aldehuelas – hamlets, of those Ygollotes they sometimes spot.. but in small groups or bands, in el Pueblo de Ytogon; “in the (small) town of Itogon.”
DURING THE EARLY American Period, it was known as Sitio Binga, under Barrio Lucbuban(Itogon).. presently part or Sitio of Barangay Poblacion. (note: ‘Sitio Binga, Bo. Lucbuban’ is evidenced in the old documents, tax declarations, and titles of the Binga people.)
SOMETIME BEFORE WWII, it was referred to and written a Postal Address of: Bo. Binga, Itogon, Benguet, and like other units of that time, it was headed by a teniente del Barrio (Barrio Lieutenant, ri ‘Bo. Lt.’)
WHEN THE NPC (National Power Corporation) came in c.1954, Binga (or old Bingaan)’s mailing Address later shifted to: Binga H.E. Project, P.O. Box 124, Baguio City; more so because there was no direct road linking Binga to its municipality of Itogon, and: contact and communication was done – Binga via Baguio City; to Itogon, then back.
WHEN THE ‘Bo. Lts.’ became Barangay Captains, ‘Barrio’ Binga was ‘annexed’(?) – [but who did it? is as good your Guess, as mine] to Tinongdan; therefore, as [Sitio] Binga, Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet!
SO, THERE GO our Definitions and Preliminaries, now, to our main Discussion of some in-built samples of Bingaan ‘Pride’ and Prejs – reflected, shown or displayed.. whether latently, in-speech or by Gestural modes.. by some Present-day Ibingaans.
CLINGING TO PAST family prestige or Glory. The Peshit or highest prestige feast of the Ibingaans distinctified the family (– and later, the descendants as: anayaw ni Peshit (“they who danced the Peshit”) and thus the Enamshit/or Namdit (“they who performed the Peshit).
WITH THESE SUCH Accords, the Namdit’s family members often enjoy the pride and distinction, while the non-performing family members often had to bear the prejudice that they’re ‘of the non-Namdits’ families and thus the followers, Pastols or cattle-herders, or people-of the Namdits (e.g. some use the Expression: to-o ni Enamshit – although many of them rather value this as complimentary!.. especially, if the present wielder of the Distinction is a politically and socio-economically endowed one). Almost
IN THE SAME light of ‘Pride’ and Prejs come next the bearers of the Namdit’s name – especially the Surname.
PEOPLE HEAR OF the renowned name, and they accord the introduced one with the traditional respect and reverence, as or while the accorded one beams with the Pride and Thought, or Luck (?)
FOR.. WHY, JUST because of the Family or Surname? Yes, he’s lucky(!).. much unlike his maternal cousins who bear but the name as ‘middle Name’s, or ‘Middle Initial’s.
NOT ONLY ‘PRIDE’ nad Prejs result in these situations but also, sometimes: confusion, arguments, and what have you.
IF IMPROPERLY HANDLED, said arguments may fructify into prolonged or deep misunderstandings.
THEN, COME TOO the belief –[but also: the Ibingaan traditional ‘teaching’] that: ‘kinship first; then later, other things’.
[VERY MUCH AKIN to the Western concept of “Blood is thicker than water!” which you and I have heard many times before, ain’t that so]?
DURING ELECTION TIMES and when ‘cousins’ and relatives compete, he who belongs to the “biggest clan has better chances of winning; the individual voter can rank his choices: foremost, with 1st cousins; then, second-cousins; and so on.
HE FEELS HE is ‘happiest’ – when all or most of his candidate-relatives shall have won, regardless what. That is why he firmly believes he must always vote for them.
AMONG THE CONTEMPORARY Ibingaans, a lot of them are still held ‘under-spell’ of those everyday instances of clinged-to ‘Pride’ as well as inherited Prejudices, or locally: Prejs.
EDUCATION AND EXPOSURE have managed some ‘new developments’ of Erasure and Levelling, but it appears that: deciphering the False ‘Pride’ from the true and real ones, as well as the antiquated Prejs versus the stark realities of Today, are still way far from the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’!
