Momma diplomacy

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

Years ago, I had the chance to visit parts of Mindanao. Most of our hosts, officials of LGUs that were part of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, were the not so practical spenders, especially in terms of serving food that consists of expensive beef.

After eating beef recipes served with chili or halal that is required by Islamic law, the taste buds begin to crave for pork menu or Igorot food such as pinikpikan, tinunu nga baboy or simple pinulpugan that may not be found in a Muslim nation. As we combed the sidewalks of Cotabato City looking for familiar Luzon recipe, I noticed betel-chewing Muslims and indigenous peoples belonging to Mindanao tribes. Then someone in the group remarked, “kasla da met lang Igorot” (they are like Igorots). In fact,momma-chewing or chewing betel nut has spread even in Benguet’s 13 towns. In La Trinidad, you will see farmers busy cleaning their cut-flower gardens in Tomay, Shilan, Bahong, Alno and the neighboring sitios while they are high on momma.  

I remember holding on to the skirt of my mom as we go out on a weekend to buy things for the house. More often, we would pass by the Old Stone Market where the Maharlika now stands. There, you will see Ifugao traders waiting for customers who would gladly buy their shiny woodcarvings.

Beside their wares you will find can spittoons that momma chewers use, although sometimes the shiny red spittle lands on the floor, not inside the can. An aunt owned a store nearby so that every weekend I would drop by to watch the small assembly of peaceful betel-chewing traders seated at the center of the Old Stone Market.

I never saw them become unruly and never heard them talk noisily. They just sat there, chewed peacefully and spit shiny blood-red spittle that often misses the can in front of them. I do not know but I guess there was thrill in doing what they did. It was like an impromptu momma-shooting competition.

For curiosity, I tried chewing betel nut sometime in the 80s. After a couple of minutes of chewing, the preparation stimulates the salivary glands that induce the chewer to keep on spitting. So if you see chewers, you will surely find bright-red spittle on the ground around them. It also induces a gush of energy and an unwanted and uncontrollable “high” that you want to get rid of right away. While others enjoy it, I regret trying the formula. At first I thought it was as easy as chewing Chiclets. I did not know that my first try was going to be the last.

“Joy to momma, gawed ken bua, ada pay apogna! Ngar-ngarem ket ngar-ngarem, ngar-ngarem ket ngar-ngarem! Sakantu itupla, sakantu itupla; kitaem, kitaem narabbaga! As a kid, I used to sing this to the tune of the popular Christmas jingle “Joy to the World” with my New Lucban playmates. Momma, I understand is the mixed preparation of gawed (Piper Vine leaf), bua (Betel Nut from the Areca Palm tree) and apog (lime from burnt and powdered sea shell).

Chewing betel nut is customary not only in the mountains and lowlands of most Asian countries, the Cordillera and Mindanao but also in the Visayas, parts of Manila and Southern Tagalog provinces, especially in IP areas. Although there is a strong legislation prohibiting the “spitting of momma” in public places in Bontoc, Tabuk and Ifugao, momma-chewing Cordillerans seem to be hit with amnesia once they pop inside their mouths the influential momma.

Sharing momma to a complete stranger, an act which I am sure happens everyday in betel-chewing communities, may just be a simple form of starting new friend­ship. The betel nut has become an ingredient that provided the solution to a complicated and uncomfortable situation between strangers. Sometime ago, I remember hearing a story by momma-chewing elders in the wake of a relative in La Trinidad that during the Spanish period in Southern Luzon and after the First World War in the Philippines, betel nut and cigars were served with coffee to visitors of a certain household. This was looked upon as courtesy and hospitality on the part of the owners of the house.

There were also researches indicating that Chinese homeowners in 12th century China welcomed their house guests with betel nut. This could be true, considering that today, neighboring countries of China such as Vietnam, Laos, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Philippines are all betel nut-chewing nations.

According to those I have talked to, they insist that momma-chewing was good for the teeth and gums despite recent laboratory research that revealed that it can cause cancer. Betel nut chewers also say it helps endure tiredness and hunger, especially for gardeners who work in the fields from sunrise to sunset. Other chewers believe that momma has something to do with long life.

Whatever, momma-chewing is something that many of us in the Cordillera have not tried but understand and accept. Joking aside, working for regional autonomy by rejuvenating our forests as suggested in the theme “Bridging one green Cordillera” for this year’s 26th CAR anniversary is one challenge worth aiming for. But again, joking aside, we can also aim to work for autonomy through a theme such as “bridging one red Cordillera” if momma-chewing and momma-spitting are the means by which we can see each other eye to eye.

Betel nut-chewing has become a controversial topic in so many circles, whether this involved politicians, the rich and poor, and ordinary citizens. And I am sure that many will say that this is a crazy idea, but if the influential nut that has united our ancestors have been chewing since the 10th Century can unite us today, then so be it. Why not a Cordillera Momma Festival next time? –ozram.666@gmail.com