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Roll, then row
along the river
Clockwise from
top: The local
womenfolk
performing on the
tour; pulverizing
palm flour jelly balls
for dessert
accompanied by three of the
women on a unique percussion
instrument. “This is where we pound
the bark of the raffia palm, to make
the powder that is then turned into
landang
,”
says Aparece, gesturing
to a hollowed out log and three long
sticks with rounded out bottoms. Three
women, in a surprising syncopation,
re-enact the process of how these palm
flour jelly balls are pulverized, thereby
providing the rhythm to which the other
A R I V E R R U N S T H R O U G H I T
ready for drying. Lydia is on her loom,
throwing a spindle under the weave as
her feet dance to set the contraption
in motion. “It takes an average of one
week to make 10 meters of the fabric.”
The finished product is then sold for
around PHP1,200 for a 25m bolt, to
be made into designer bags, colorful
placemats, and yes, the clothes they
wear for the mini-concert.
Meanwhile the show intensifies
with a dance sequence, this time
three ladies fill in the rest of the story
through dance. It is a self-contained
act, imagined entirely by the townsfolk.
It all ends with the serving of dessert:
bowls made from coconut shells filled
with a porridge made from sweetened
cooked rice and translucent landang
balls, much like a homegrown version
of the popular bubble drinks.
