Cuyo Island Fiesta
Cuyo is a beautiful and remote island in the Sulu Sea. Colonised by the Spanish in the early 17th century, it has a different feel to it that the other islands which make up the Province of Palawan in the South-west Philippines. Cuyo is known for its fiesta, held at the end of August, during which street dancers paint their bodies indigo and re-enact the conversion of native islanders to the Catholic faith. Accompanied by native drums and bamboo flutes, it is a strange and complex tradition – a celebration and thanksgiving which weaves two cultures together.
Being a small island, Cuyo has many emigrants on mainland Palawan, as well as scattered around the Philippines and abroad. After two years living among Cuyonons on Palawan Island, I decided to visit Cuyo at fiesta time to find out more about its culture and traditions.
The islands of Cuyo are isolated and not easy to reach. I went aboard the Milagrosa, the only regular passenger vessel making the 200 kilometre journey from Puerto Princesa City to Cuyo. The boat was crowded and lively, filled as it was with Cuyonons returning for the fiesta. We left before sunset and sailed through the night sleeping in closely packed bunk beds on deck. We travelled swiftly through the calm waters of the Sulu Sea and as the sun rose the next morning Cuyo Island was on the horizon.
The sandy beach leading away from the pier is long and clean, save for some seaweeds washed up by a recent typhoon. The water, bright turquoise, sparkles in the intense sunshine. Walking around Cuyo town, you notice the Spanish influence almost immediately. Cuyonon architecture is a mixture of native Filipino - using mostly bamboo - and wooden or coral Spanish-style buildings incorporating archways and large, shuttered windows. During the day, the streets are hot and the light bounces off the brightly painted walls of the shops and houses. The town is dotted with statues of saints and other reminders that this is a community of devout Catholics.
The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia and Cuyo – because of its isolation and the fact that it was practically the only Spanish foothold in the South-west of the country – is a fascinating place to see traditions which have survived for hundreds of years. Before Spanish times, most of what is now the Province of Palawan fell within the sphere of power of the Sultan of Borneo and was populated by largely animistic tribal groups. The Spanish fort in Cuyo was built in 1622, however the Muslims did not give up power easily and continued to attack the island throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Traces of similar conflicts can still be found today in the political tensions of the Southern Philippines.
Cuyonon culture is filled with references to the rich history of the island. The comedia – theatrical performances which were traditionally part of fiesta activities – tell of appeasement between Christians and Moros (the name given to Muslim Filipinos). According to Cuyonon cultural historian Fetria Fernandez, the comedia open with a fierce sword fight between the warring parties. After the battle, a beautiful Moro or Christian princess comes on stage. Peace is made between the combatants through the marriage of the princess to a prince from the opposing side.
It is often said that the Spanish colonisation and Christianisation of the Philippines all but wiped out original cultures and ways of life. Before their arrival, there was no unified government of this somewhat disparate archipelago of over 7,000 islands (many of which remain uninhabited to this day). The Philippine nation is a foreign creation named after King Philippe II of Spain. Even the name ‘Cuyo’ is said to come from the Spanish word ‘cuyos’ meaning ‘whose’. According to folklore, the name was taken from the sailors first reaching Cuyo. Curious to find out whose island it was, the approached the local people to ask who was in charge. The islanders did not understand Spanish and, hearing the word ‘cuyos’ repeatedly, took this to be the official naming of their island. However, looking at Cuyo today it is clear that, although the Spanish have left a strong imprint on the culture, there are still many elements which are uniquely Cuyonon.
As one might expect of an archipelago this size, there are around 70 different languages spoken in the Philippines. Cuyonon is sprinkled with Spanish vocabulary, however, the underlying structure and roots are not Spanish and are closer to the languages of neighbouring islands Negros and Panay. It is a melodic language with unique vowel sounds which are hard for outsiders to pronounce. Listening to the characteristic lilt of Cuyonons as they chat among themselves, it is easy to imagine how well versed they are in composing riddles and poetry, an integral part of their fiesta activities.
Generally Cuyonons are talented musicians with a passion for singing and playing any kind of tune. Central to fiesta performances are two instruments - the tipano, a native, high-pitched bamboo flute and the tambor a traditional goat skin drum. Typically shy people, it seems even the most retiring of Cuyonons have few inhibitions at fiesta time – a wild and outwardly primitive celebration in honour of Saint Augustine, their Patron Saint.
Saint Augustine - himself a convert to Christianity - holds a prominent place in Cuyonon history and culture. The island was Christianised in the early 17th century by Augustinian Recollects, a Roman Catholic monastic order from Spain. One century earlier, Andrés de Urdaneta, an Augustinian friar, was navigator on a voyage bringing the first Christian missionaries and establishing the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. In 1622, the Augustinians arrived in Cuyo by boat form Cebu, founding a line of priests which survived until 1999.
On August 28 - the day Saint Augustine died - canon fire from the fort wakes the town before dawn. The fiesta starts with early morning mass after which the churchgoers parade a statue of Saint Augustine through the streets. Dancers called ati (a name referring to dark-skinned tribal people) perform in front the saint while others sing or play the banjo, tipano and tambor. The ati wear chicken-feather headdresses and paint their body with anyel - an indigo dye traditionally made from crushed flower seeds - to darken their skin. For most Cuyonons, these dancers represent their ancestors, the original Cuyonon islanders who were converted to Christianity by the Augustinian missionaries. However, for local teacher Fe Pediapco ‘ati represent the dark-skinned North Africans to whom Saint Augustine himself preached in the 5th century.’ There are no written records on the precise origins of Cuyo’s fiesta tradition and Cuyonons themselves can be vague about how and when it started. ‘I’m not sure when exactly, said Fetria Fernandez, it has been a tradition for so many years…’
However, the reason of the dance is clear. Through their performance, the ati give thanks to Saint Augustine for his help in their lives. In their daily prayers to their patron saint, many Cuyonons pledge to dance on fiesta day should they be answered.
‘The ati performance is authentically Cuyonon, with very little Spanish influence,’ says Fetria Fernandez. The music – strong drum beats accompanied by melodic tipano flutes – is an integral part of primitive yet complex tradition. ‘It is comforting to connect to the past and to remember again the primitive way,’ the Priest of Cuyo told me.
After the parade, troupes of ati dancers would traditionally go from house to house. At each house they shout a greeting before launching into their performance. Tipanos play and some dancers clap bows and arrows while others move rhythmically to the tambor beat. A spontaneous dance follows during which historical events, current issues and gossip may all be acted out to music and poetry. Cuyonons have a wonderful sense of humour and these sketches can be a time to air tension or to poke fun at people of authority. Perhaps the most provocative character however, is the last to enter. The alakayo – a kind of masked jester – performs a unique and energetic dance and is the cause of much fear and excitement among the children whom he chases around the streets.
This year ati troupes did not go from house to house but performed in the town square where a competition was held. After experiencing a period of decline, the tipano bands and ati dancers have come back in force returning the fiesta to its former vibrancy. This year was perhaps wilder than ever as ati delighted in painting everyone with anyel – supposedly a blessing from San Augustine – and other coloured paints. After hours of music and dance the brightly painted people made their way off the scorching streets and went home for a siesta or down to the seashore to bathe.
So many people had come to join the fiesta that, when it was time to leave, there was not enough room on the boat and some had to wait for it to return again. The originality and authenticity of Cuyo’s fiesta is what keeps emigrants coming back. It is a story, hundreds of years old, that is retold each August through music and dance - reconnecting modern Cuyo with that of the past.
Currently unpublished
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