Balete Tree in History and Superstitions

                                          

The balete tree which is called weeping fig in English is endemic to the Philippines and belongs to the genus Ficus. Balete is thus a species of fig tree and is a close relative of the banyan tree of India. It grows in the forest and in built-up areas.                                                                                                                                  

Balete grows about 15 meters or more when mature. It has a drooping branch with elliptical green leathery leaves. The fruit is small, round, and fleshy with a dark or purple color which people do not consider edible although birds, bats, and monkeys feed on it. The wood is soft and inferior in quality and not fit for furniture or housing purposes. The tree has wide spreading branches that make it ideal for shade. Balete comes into many species. Some are big while others are small which make them suitable for use as bonsai and ornaments.

Although balete can grow independently as plant on the ground, it can also grow dependent on other trees for its nutrients and development. Birds and other animals eat the fruit. The seeds that are still intact are egested from animals’ stomachs through their drooping. On the ground, seeds sprout then develop as saplings. Next to another tree, the young balete through its roots will gradually attach to that tree. Over time, the parasitic balete spreads its invasive roots down to the ground and wraps around its host until it envelops and strangles it. The host tree will die later and the balete takes its place. It is for that reason that most balete when it is fully grown has a hollow in its trunk.

Balete grows in the forest and in the urban areas of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The tree is known for its longevity. Balete trees that are left alone can grow to be hundreds or over thousand-year-old. When I was in elementary school in Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro, there was a balete which stood at the gate of the school. It was said that it was already there even at the time of our parents. Decades passed since I graduated from that school and the tree is still there and a fixture at the school’s entrancel. By now the tree must have been more than a hundred years old. There is also an old balete that stands on the ground of Malacañang palace, the Philippine equivalent of the white house. It is the first officially declared heritage tree in Manila. It is said that the tree has adorned the palace ground even during the time of the Spanish governors-general, and into the time of the American civil governors and the Filipino Presidents. Huge balete trees are also found along the streets of Manila and in other cities in the Philippines. The oldest reported balete tree is in Lumapao, Canlaon City, Negros Oriental which is believed to be 1,328 years old. Its huge trunk will take about 42 people to encircle. The tree is also known for the glow of fireflies that can be seen at night. Another balete in Campalanas, Lazi, Siquijor Island is believed to be 400 years old, and is noted for its spring whose water comes from the tree’s underground. Those trees in Canlaon and Siquijor are tourist attractions.

Balete is a tree associated with folktales and superstitions. Most people do not want it near their house believing that its presence would invite ghosts and evil spirits. For them, balete is a dwelling place of fairies, dwarves, “white ladies” and mythical creatures called in Filipino as Kapre, tikbalangs, among others. For this reason, the tree has received undeserved and unsavory reputation because some people consider all fully grown balete as enchanted. In Siquijor Island in central Philippines sorcerers are said to perform their rituals in the hollow of the balete’s trunk. In other places offerings are made by shamans at the tree to seek protection or blessing from nature spirits. And it is usual for some superstitious people to utter appeasing words to the “spirits” if they pass by the tree lest they will be harmed.

Parts of the tree are used for folkloric medicines. The barks of the root, the root and the leaves boiled in oil are used to cure wounds and bruises. The juice of the bark is said to cure liver disease, and pounded leaves and bark are used to cure headaches.

The Coptic Christianity in Egypt

 

St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral
Photo by Roland Unger

                                               

Christianity in Egypt was brought by Saint Mark the evangelist and apostle of Christ. Saint Mark is regarded as the founder of the Coptic Orthodox Church and the first bishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Christianity became the majority religion of Egypt from 4^th to 6^th century until the Islamic conquest in the 7^th century. The church of Egypt which is also called Coptic Orthodox Church belongs to the oriental orthodox family of churches. The Copts were the original native inhabitants of Egypt who were Christians. The word Copt is a westernized version of the Arabic “qubt” which was derived from Greek “Aigyptus” or Egypt.  There are also other foreign Christian groups such as the Europeans and the Americans, but Copts only refer to native Egyptian Christians. Coptic is a language which was spoken in Egypt until it was supplanted by Arabic in the 8^th century. Coptic is now extinct and used only in liturgical services in the church. Other languages used in church services include Greek and Arabic.        

Coptic Altar in the Church of Holy Sepulchre
Photo by Afandus

                                                           

Alexandria, a city founded by Alexander the Great and named after him was the center of trade and learning during the Greek and Roman eras in Egypt. It was also a hub for the spread of Christianity to that country and to Africa and some parts of Asia.  In ancient times Alexandria rivaled Rome and Constantinople as the capital cities of Christendom.

The different interpretation on the nature of Christ led to schism among early Christians. A priest named Arianus maintained that Christ was not co-equal with God the Father because He created him.  Nestorius, a patriarch of Constantinople disputed the adoration of Virgin Mary as the mother of God.  Two bishops of Alexandria, Saints Athanasius and Cyril, defended the Christian orthodoxy against Arianism and Nestorianism. To settle misunderstandings, Pope Leo of Rome called the Council of Chalcedon in 451 A.D. to settle the issue. In the council the church authorities defined the nature of Christ as one person with two distinct natures which are human and divine a position that was accepted by the churches of Rome and Constantinople.

Most Egyptian Christians who rejected the council’s decree were accused by Rome of Monophysitism, a doctrine that says that Christ has only one nature. Taking exception of that labelling, the churches of Alexandria broke away from Rome. For them, their doctrine is miaphysitism which is believing in incarnate word, and that Christ is united in divine and human natures without mingling, without confusion and without alteration. Doctrinal and cultural differences created rift between most Egyptians and their Byzantine rulers. This situation facilitated the Arab conquest of Egypt in the 7^th century.

During the Arab conquest, the Arabs were regarded as liberators at first. But later the Copts were made to pay jizya tax and relegated to dhimmi status. These impositions caused discontent on the Copts, but the Islamic authorities were able to deal effectively with them. Later the tax was abolished, and Copts were allowed to join the army, and they were given equal rights as other citizens of Egypt such as the freedom to exercise their religion.  But despite those accommodations Copts complained of being discriminated against and of being treated as second class citizens. A case in point is the construction of a church. Christians are required to seek first the permission from the president before a construction could be undertaken. The authority to grant them permits was later lowered to the office of a provincial governor. On the other hand, there is no restriction regarding the construction of a mosque. The degree of freedom the faithful exercised depended on the personality of who the incumbent ruler was. Some officials could be harsh while others could be kind. The restrictions placed on the Copts forced many of them to convert to Islam or to immigrate to other countries such as the United States, Canada, and Europe. This situation has resulted in the decrease of the Copts’ population. Once the majority of Egypt the Copts now constitute only about 10% of the population.

Sectarian problem in Egypt manifests itself during a riot in the early second decade of 2000 which killed 26 people mostly Christians. After a destruction of a church, Christian made a sit-in strike in front of a TV stations. Suddenly, men with sticks barged in their midst and attacked them. Clashes ensued. Instead of quelling the violence, the army soldiers rammed the Christian protesters with their vehicles. Christians accused the authorities for not doing enough to stop the violence and for not bringing the perpetrators of the attack to justice.

At present the headquarters of the Coptic Orthodox Church is the Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt and is headed by Pope Tawadros II. There are also churches in Africa, Asia and overseas churches in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Coptic Christians makes up the largest and most significant minority in Egypt’s 2025 population of 118, 365, 995.

Although Copts constitute only a minority in Egypt, most of them are economically better off than other Egyptians, and they hold about 25% of the nation’s wealth.  Among the famous Copts are Boutrous Boutrous Ghali, the sixth Secretary General of the United Nations and the late Fayez Sarofim, who was one of the richest men in the world.

 

 

 

Tabon-tabon, an Exotic Southern Philippine Fruit

                      

The tabon-tabon which is scientifically named atuna racemosa is a native tree of Northern Mindanao in Southern Philippines. It also grows in Papua, New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and other tropical Asian countries as well as in the Pacific islands.

Some people consider the tabon-tabon a nut because it has a hard outer shell with a single seed that does not split or open to release the seeds to the world. The difference between tabon-tabon with other nuts is that its kernel is juicy.

Tabon-tabon tree has elliptical leaves and can grow from 8 to 10 meters tall and bears fruit all year long. The brown ovate-shaped fruit has a hard shell. Inside the shell is a single large seed. When cut vertically in half, the fruit bares a cross section of a seed that resembles a brain. The fruit must be used within 10 days after harvest because it hardens after several days.

The seed of tabon-tabon is not usually eaten. It is mainly used as an ingredient of raw fish dish called in the local dialect as kinilaw. The seed is scraped off with a spoon and then the bits are squeezed to extract off their sap to mix with vinegar and other ingredients. The sap of tabon-tabon removes the “fishy” smell of the fish and neutralizes the acidity of the vinegar. Without the sap, the vinegar will change the texture of the fish meat. The vinegar will sort of “cook” the fish and toughens it. Because of it, tabon-tabon is an essential ingredient in kinilaw prepared Northern Mindanao style.

Many people in the coastal areas of Northen Mindanao love to eat kinilaw and tabon-tabon is always associated with the dish. Tabon-tabon along with tuba or coconut toddy, suwa or native lime, wild native chili peppers or siling labuyo make the taste of the dish distinctive from those that are prepared from other parts of the Philippines. One fruit is enough for one kilo of kinilaw. The anti-bacterial properties of the tabon-tabon extract not only make the dish desirable but also keep it safe to eat.

A study at Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro has found out that the fruit has anti-bacterial properties. This is probably the reason why over a long time there have been no reported health issues or food poisoning related with the consumption of raw fish added with tabon-tabon sap. Another reason is that only fresh fish is used in the preparation of kinilaw.

Aside from its culinary use in the locality, there are no other reported applications of tabon-tabon such as herbal medicine. In other places in the Pacific the seed of the fruit is made as putty for sealing canoes, as wood glues, and as basket water proofing.

 

The Feast Day of the Black Nazarene 2026

 

                                     

An estimated 23,000 devotees celebrated the Feast Day of the Black Nazarene in Cagayan de Oro on January 9, 2026. The feast activity started on the evening of January 8, 2026, at 8 p. m. with the transport of the replica of the Black Nazarene from Jesus Nazareno Parish along C.M. Recto Ave. to Saint Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral. The following day at dawn on January 9, 2025, a mass was held at 3:00 a.m. After it was a holy procession with the image boarded on an open carriage drawn by devotees of Santo Nino. The procession passed the thoroughfare of Velez St. and made a right turn at the junction of Julio Pacana St. and C.M Recto Ave., and from there it proceeded to its destination, the Jesus Nazareno Parish.  

Following the Nazarene, some devotees were carrying along with them statuettes of the infant Jesus as the procession went on. Others had their face towels or banners. They then tossed those towels to the escorts who were on the carriage. The escorts then wiped those towels on the Nazarene and tossed them back to their owners. The faithful believed that the towels and statuettes that were touched to the Black Nazarene would have miraculous healing power.

Occasionally, the carriage paused so that the escorts would be able to catch the towels and to take the statuettes. Throughout the procession the devotees were shouting “Viva Señor Jesus Nazareno!” and waiving their small towels or banners or raising their statuettes.  

The feast and its related activities which is called “translacion” originated in Quiapo, Manila. Jesus Nazareno Parish copied it  after the Archdiocese of Manila sent a replica of the statue of the Black Nazarene to the church.

The original statue of the Nazarene is believed to have come from Mexico via the Galleon Trade during the Spanish colonial era. The original sculpture is said to have a fair color. But it was burned in transit when a ship that carried it was sailing to the Philippines. That incident caused its color to turn into dark.

Reforming the Party List System

 

                                                     

The year 2025 was rainy in the Philippines which resulted in massive floodings in Metro Manila. Investigations revealed that corruption in flood control projects aggravated the sufferings of people because of substandard, overpriced and ghost projects. There were allegations of commission received by legislators on projects worth billions of pesos. With that amount, those accused politicians are believed to have earned big money that could make an ordinary Filipino an instant multi-millionaire. As an example, a billion-peso project with just 10% commission will yield 100 million pesos earnings!

The scandals angered people and galvanized them so that thousands in various walks of life took to the streets in Metro Manila and some parts of the country. They asked for accountability to those who are involved in corruption and the government to take the necessary measures to stop or minimize corruption. Other issues they brought up included the constitutionally mandated but long taken for granted political anti-dynasty law and along with it the reform of the party list system. In this blog I shall focus more on the party list reform which is my main topic.

Under the previous Philippine constitutions there were only representatives elected from electoral districts. That set up was good enough for legislature. However, in1987, the framers of the new constitution introduced a novel concept in Philippines congress that was the party list. Under that system members of congress should consist of district and party list representatives. Originally, congress should be composed of 250 members with 20% of that coming from the Party list. The concept of the party list was to give the marginalized and underrepresented sectors of the society a voice in congress.  

In the beginning, candidates including those from the leftist groups were elected through the party list without issues from the public. But later, some dynastic politicians, business and influential religious groups also set their eyes on the party list. Their desire came to a head in 2013 when the Supreme Court ruled that party list representatives should not necessarily belong to the parties or groups they claim to represent. That ruling opened the doors for dynastic families and other interested groups to infiltrate the party list.

Although not all the representatives from the party list come from political dynasties and elites, many of them are.  A 2025 study by election watchdog Kontra Daya found that 86 of the 156 accredited party list groups in 2025 were linked to political dynasties and big business corporations.

The adoption by the country of the party list system is not an ideal experience because it does not serve the purpose to which it was originally intended. Instead, it is exploited by powerful political dynasties, business groups, and religious groups using their fronts to further enrich and empower them.

As an offshoot of the flood control scandal and the resulting people’s clamor for justice and reforms, there is a big possibility that the anti-political dynasty law will be passed in the 20^th congress; and it is hoped that it will be implemented in the 2028 elections and the succeeding 21^st congress. At present Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV filed Senate Bill 1559 which is called the “Party List Reform Act”.     

In the bill the COMELEC is mandated to thoroughly vet the parties or groups who wish to be elected through the party list to ensure their authenticity, and that the nominees should truly belong to the sectors or parties they claim to represent. In addition, the nominees should not be related within the third degree of consanguinity to incumbent elected government officials or connected to government funded infrastructure projects as a contractor or as an officer of a company building the projects. The passing of the bill plus the Anti-Political Dynasty Law will hopefully improve the country’s political and electoral situations and usher economic prosperity.

A system that is deviated from its original purpose for the benefit of those who should be excluded from it needs to be reformed so that it would not become a burden to our political system. Keeping it defies logic and insults our common sense. The other alternative is to abolish it. However, doing so is difficult because the system is embedded in the constitution.