TALAKAG - the etymology of which came from the Bisayan dialect LAKAG meaning "to go after” or
“follow in pursuit” and the prefix TA denoting “fondness in doing such”.
In other words, Talakag means “fondness in giving pursuit”.


Friday 16 May 2008

Talakag, Bukidnon - My Home

Wherever I may roam
the distant land to see
I long to go back soon
to sweet Bukidnon home.

Her lovely mountains high
her forest old and grand
bring memories to me
the home I long to see.

There my heart, yearns to be
in far away, Bukidnon land
under its blue and starry skies
where love and joy never die.


When you think of Bukidnon, what springs to mind? We all have our own ideas. The word bukid means mountain. So it follows that the word bukidnon means full of mountains, mountainous, or highlands? Bukidnon is a province in the heart of Mindanao and is often called the highland paradise. The province of Bukidnon, of course, is more than just mountains. It is famous for the Kaamulan festival, the cattle and farming industry, being home to Del Monte’s pineapple plantation, and the second home of sugar centrals.

You couldn’t blame me for wanting to move back home to Talakag, Bukidnon. Just read the lyrics of the song above. It says it all. It’s a beautiful song, although I can’t remember who wrote or composed it.

We used to sing the song in our primary class every morning before starting our lessons. It was almost like the provincial anthem (next to Lupang Hinirang which is the national anthem). When I come to think about it now, we were perhaps indoctrinated into a sense of belonging and taking pride of our origin by our educators at that time. I wonder if the school children in Bukidnon still sing the same song these days. Do other provinces in Mindanao have their own song? I do not know - but it should be interesting to find out.

At that time, the song didn’t mean so much to me. Perhaps it’s true that you have to leave home in order to realise what you’re missing. Living and working abroad is challenging and life-enhancing but it’s not easy when you often long for your sweet Bukidnon home. This time I’ve put a lot of thought into each line of the song and recently started humming the tune again. I guess I’m just excited because my husband and I are moving back home to Talakag, Bukidnon soon. There is absolutely nowhere else we would rather be.

Extract from my article in the Mindanao Blog
Photograph by Bob Martin

8 comments:

  1. One day I will visit this place with my partner, Dan and friends, Vivian and David Jamison.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Ramon - the Welcome mat is always there for friends.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Marilou! I was born in San Antonio. I really loved the song you created. I wish I can hear the song. Where in Talakag you came from?
    God Bless!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Anonymous - I live in Poblacion Talakag. Thanks for dropping by.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Ate Marilou! how r u? I really got shocked, surprised but thankful for discovering TalBuks Cafe. I'm a resident of San Antonio Talakag Bukidnon or i Have to say LUMAD sa Talakag but this time I am here in Manila for 4 years and wasn't able to go back home for that entire years. I heard already about Banana Plantation in Talakag coz some of my brothers and other relatives used to work in Del Monte and Dole, i only knew it thru their news on text messages but i wasnt see it by myself.... I left Talakag since 2004 and at that time Banana plantation was not yet established. I would like to say thank you for having this site, from now on i have already the source where i can get an update of what is happening about Talakag....
    Best Wishes and Good luck...

    joepeter tigsay

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Joepeter Tigsay - Thank you for your comments. I'm glad you found the updates helpful. Please read my post about Christmas and New Year in Talakag. Hope you can visit Talakag sometime soon.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Marilou,thanks for posting my comment,I am very happy to hear from you again.And since we have many fellow Talakagnons here in U.A.E.,I invited them to visit your site to hear from you also.
    GOOD lUCK & KEEP IT UP!

    EVA & AWENG

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello, I am a FILIPINO living here in Santa Clara Valley knowns as SILICON VALLEY, my whole family emigrated here in 1971. We finally realized how beautiful the Philippines and we missed the gold old days in ILOCOS SUR and BUKIDNON.

    Looking back, and studying the socio-economics of this provivince of BUKIDNON is RICH in agricultural productivity...so sad that that there are POLITICIANS there that PRACTICE GRAFT AND CORRUPTION AND GET AWAY WITH IT..
    nonetheless, PEACE, LAW AND ORDER AND JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL...We Hope to VISIT THIS PROVINCE: the KAAMULAN FESTIVAL, THE 7 TRIBES OF
    BUKIDNON AND IT'S COOL WEATHER ON SOME AREAS...

    ...WE ARE ONE NATION FILIPINO WITH DIVERSE TRIBAL TRADITIONS AND THE GREATEST NATURAL WONDERS AND RESOURCES...


    God Bless You All IN BUKIDNON

    Rod Samoranos {ILOCANO/IGOROT originally from MOUNTAIN PROVINCE OF KALINGA, FILIPINO AMERICAN US
    CITIZEN, Aerospace Engineer, US NAVY VETERAN..

    ReplyDelete