"Bayanihan" A Filipino Tradition

Bayanihan

During the time of our forefathers, "Bayanihan " is a common scene in the Philippines. This is the term we are using when referring to the Filipino way of brotherhood, where people were helping each other in doing a task without a pay/salary/wages, whatever you call it.

When bricks and cement were not common materials in building houses here (of course that is in the 1600's to 1800's) people build their houses using bamboos for the wall and nipa for the roof. Most houses are single storey since the materials were not good for a 2 storey house and cannot hold too much weight. When people moved from one place to another, their houses will be moved too. How'd they do that? No machines, no pulleys, just the mere shoulders of Filipino men. Don't worry because the weight was not that heavy since the houses were built using light materials and with neighbors arms ready to help anytime. Yup, that is one way of "Bayanihan". I'll provide you with pictures when I get the chance to come across one (hope so cause it's rare now) because most houses here were built with cement, so they were permanent.

Another way of "Bayanihan" is when farmers were helping each other to plant rice. I saw an old picture of my aunt helping in the farm of our neighbor, but it's just now that I realized that I should've taken it with me so that I could scan it and share it here ( I suck...!) I will do it next time, but that would take a long time because I'm uncertain when will I go to the province (as we refer to countryside here) again. Going back to planting, the farmer would just provide food for the people who are helping and they all ate using banana leaves. It's pretty amazing with the singing men beside them to give a mood boost. (ya'y).

Opps, and about the picture above, I saw them yesterday when I'm off from work. That is a school bus which obviously stopped in the middle of the road ( sorry though, I didn't bother to asked what is the problem) but I did bother to take a picture so that I could post it here (I cared for the picture and not for the children.....what kind of a person am I?, it's just now that I realized, sorry) and those men in uniforms were the street sweepers. A round of applause for those guys who helped in pushing the bus on the side street so that it wouldn't cause any traffic.