Mount Panamao looms over the Atipolo Beach in Naval, Biliran Province.

(NOTE: The newly created Province of Biliran north of Leyte was known as Isla de Panamao in the early Spanish chronicles. Local folklore has it that there is not only one, but three, fairies in this (formerly) Panamao Island. This folklore had been memorialized in three contiguous mountains in the north-central part of the island, which have almost similar altitudes and apical shapes (when viewed from the capital town of Naval). These were aptly called by old folks as Tres Marias (Three Mary’s), though these are not their official Philippine geologic names.

Only two Marias are known to Biliran folk. One is Maria Canabe or Tanabe, a siren known to the common folk of Naval town. Her legendary exploits were described by writer Ben Granali in "Isla de Panamao: Isle of Mystery and Magic" (Women’s Journal, May 14, 1991, p. 14). The third Maria is still a mystery.

The Maria (Benita) immortalized in the following folklore is the fairy known to the people of Almeria and Kawayan, the northwestern towns of Biliran. The word benita is Spanish for "benighted" or "overcome by darkness," and mirrors the tumultuous history of both towns during the early American occupation, which we discussed elsewhere ("The Early American Period in Biliran," Philippines Free Press, Nov. 3, 1990, pp. 34, 36). The Almeria folklore translated below had a kaingin (swidden) farmer as Maria Benita’s lover. However, the Kawayan folklore, a paraphrase of which was included in a historical paper of Kawayan, had a game hunter (the legendary killer of the farmer-lover?) as Maria Benita’s lover. This folklore, therefore, encoded a harsh folk moral judgment that escaped the "educated" sectors of the Kawayan population for decades.

The transcribed text was in narrative form. However, I found out that I could not read it smoothly as documented (apparently from its oral form). It seemed to have been recited as a Cebuano balak (verse).

Thus, I "versified" the Cebuano text according to its perceived rhythm when recited as a balak. This altered format also served as my guide for doing the English translation (transliteration actually).

This chapter was originally published in Leyte-Samar Studies (Vol. 26, No. 1, 1996), pp. 33-41.)

Ang katahum sa lasang nga Panamao;
ang iyang mga kahoy mga tanos ug timgas;
ang nagkadaiyang bulok sa iyang kabulakan;
ang iyang mahumot nga kabuntagon
sa hapit na suyapan sa masigang adlaw
ang kangitngit sa kalibutan
nahimong awit ug harana
sa mga madalaygon sa buntag ug kalihukan sa kinaiyahan.

Kining tanang katahuman matuod nakapukaw
sa ilang mga pagdalayeg ug garbo
alang ni-ini nga lasang.
Kay kinsay dili bation ug garbo
sa mga talagsaon nga gilalang ni Bathala
sa dapit nga ginganlan ug Panamao?

Matuod kining tanang katahuman
gitipigan sa mga kasing-kasing sa mga tawo
nga maghalad sa hilom sa Panamao,
apan ang ilang gibating garbo ug kaibog mahimong luspad
kong atong itandi sa sugilanon sa gugma
nga nahimong tagik sa mga hitabo
aron mahimong usa sa mga lasang katingalahan
ang Panamao.

Sa dugay nang panahon
may usa ka magu-uma sa taliwala ni-ining lasang.
Usa siya ka tawo nga kansang kalipay mao lamang
ang pag sud-ong sa iyang mga tanum nga maayo ug tubo.
Sa tanang adlao, buntag ug hapon,
siya kanunay nag-atiman sa iyang tanum.

Usa ka adlao ni-ana
samtang siya namopo sa iyang mga utanon
gibati niya ang dili tiaw nga kahibulongan.
Didto ilalom sa iyang dakong punoan nga kamatis
nakita niya ang usa ka panyo
nga naputos sa mga gihay sa mga bulak.
Iyang gipunit ug diha diha
nahanggap niya ang langitnong kahumot.
Dugang sa dakung kahibulongan,
gibati niya dayon ang pag bati nga bisan gani
ang iyang kaugalingon wala masayud kong unsa.

Gidali niya pag popo ang iyang nga utanon
ug mipauli siya sa iyang payag
nga diha da usab nahimutang sa daplin sa iyang uma.
Sa wala lamang niya palandonga
gibati niya ang katulogon.

Nahinanok siya.

Sa iyang paghinanok
nakita niya ang usa ka matahum binuhat
kansang ka-anyag ikagtandi sa masigang bito-on.
Taliwala sa iyang damgo
gibati niya ang kainit sa mga bukton niadtong binuhat
nga karon pa lamang mag pakita kaniya.

Ug sa iyang damgo siya mibakod
ug nagkuyog silang duha ngadto sa usa ka matahum
nga dalan nga gilumbayan sa mga bungahoy.
Sa wala madugay misangko sila sa usa ka busay
ug sila nangaligo.

Didto taliwala niadtong ilang panag-uban
nagsumpaay sila sa ilang tim-os nga gugma
nga walay maka lumpag si bisan kinsa.
Gitapos nila ang matahum adlao sa kaligoay
didto sa lawom ug tin-aw nga busay.

Wala lamang niya palandonga
nahipugwat siya sa iyang paghinanok ug siya namata.
Basa pa gayod ang iyang buhok.

Mao kadto ang sinugdanan sa ilang duha ka gugma.

Nangligid ang mga adlao.
Ang mga gabii alang sa magu-uma mobo da kaayo alang kaniya
sanglit sa mga gabi-ing bulanon, kanunay silang duha
magdula-dula uban sa kahayag sa bulan.
Samtang nagpadayon ang ilang katawa
wala nila palandonga may moabot kanilang kadaot.

Usa ka gabii niana, sa igo pa lamang gayod
mogisi ang subangan sa tibuok nga bulan
silang duha naglingkod sa usa ka lapad nga bato.
Walay laing sugilanon kon dili ang sugilanon sa gugma.
Sa wala lamang nila paabuta
nabati nila ang masipang buto ug --
ang alaut nga magu-uma napukan
ngadto sa mga bukton sa iyang pinangga.

Midagan ang mamumusil ngadto kanila
ug igo lamang gayod niyang naabtan ang panyo
nga nahulog sa kamot sa matahom babaye.
Iyang gipunit ug gidala niya sa ila.
Tamog ug basa pa gayod sa mga luha.

Niadtong gabhiona wala mahikatulog ang mamumusil.
Natapos ang kagabhi-on sa iyang pag pamati
sa awit sa pagmahay ug kaguol.

Sukad niadtong taknaha
kanunay na lamang sa maanyag babaye
ihalad ang iyang takna sa pag tanum
ug mga mahumot tanaman
ug ang ilang kahumot
imong mahanggap sa sayong kabuntagon.

Dugay na kadto nahitabo
apan wala gayod ilubong sa kalimot ang kaguol nga gibati;
ang kamingaw nga gi-antus sa maanyag nga babaye
nga hangtud karon nagpangita pa sa iyang pinangga.

Wala na siyay kalipay’ng hingpit
kay ang iyang unang gugma natapos sa takulahaw.
Hangtud karon nag awit gihapon siya sa ilang gugma --
si Maria Benita.

How beautiful is the forest that is Panamao,
her trees are straight and sturdy,
the kalieodoscopic colors of her many flowers,
her sweet-scented dawn about to be singed by the radiant sun,
the darkness of the world,
have become (the) song and serenade
to those admirers of (the) morning and (the) ways of nature.

All these beauty truly awakened
their admiration and pride
for this forest.
For who will not feel a sense of pride
for the unique creations of Bathala (God)
in the place that had been named as Panamao?

Truly all these beauty
had been kept in the hearts of men
who perform rituals in secret for Panamao,
but their felt pride and envy will look pale
when compared by us to the tale of love
that had interwoven the events
such that will make an enchanting forest out of
the Panamao.

In the distant past
there lived a farmer in the middle of this forest.
He was a man whose main happiness was
to watch his plants that were growing well.
All the days, morning and afternoon,
he always tended to his plants.

One such day
while he was picking his vegetables
he sensed a not-so-amusing surprise.
Underneath his grown tomato plant
he saw a handkerchief
that was wrapped in stalks of flowers.
He picked this up and right there and then
he savored a heavenly scent.
Adding to the great surprise,
he was suddenly gripped by a feeling that even
he himself could not understand what it was.

He hastened in picking his vegetables
and he returned to his hut
that was also located at the edge of his farm.
Unintended by him
he sensed sleepiness.

He fell into a deep slumber.

In his slumber
he saw a beautiful creation (maiden)
whose beauty could be compared to that of a bright star.
In the middle of his dream
he felt the warmth of the arms of that creation (maiden)
that had just appeared to him.

And in his dream he got up
and both of them walked together along a beautiful
path that was edge-grown with fruiting trees.
In a little while, they reached a waterfall
and they took a bath.

There in the midst of their (intimate) companionship
they pledged to each other a faithful love
that nobody else can break.
They ended the beautiful day in the bath
there in that deep and clear waterfall.

Without really intending it
he was started from his slumber and he woke up.
His hair was still wet.

That was the beginning of love between both of them.

The days rolled by.
The (dark) nights for the farmer became very short for him
so that during moonlit evenings, both of them can always
play lovers’ games together with the moonlight.
While they continued with their laughter
they did not pause to think that a disaster would come to them.

One such evening, just as
the eastern sky was being torn by the rising full moon,
the two of them sat on a wide-surfaced rock.
They told no other tales but the tale of love.
Then, unawaited by both of them
they heard a loud gunshot and --
the pathetic farmer fell prostrate
into the arms of his beloved.

The hunter ran towards the place where they sat
but he was only able to find the handkerchief
that dropped from the hand of the beautiful maiden.
He picked this up and brought this home.
It was damp and still wet with tears.

That night the hunter could not sleep.
The night was spent by his listening to
the (maiden’s) songs of censuring regret and sorrow.

Since that time
the beautiful maiden mainly
dedicated her (waking) hours to the planting
of sweet-smelling plants
and their scent
you can savor in the early morning hours.

That event happened a long time ago
but the sorrow she felt has not been buried in forgetfulness;
the emptiness that was felt by the beautiful maiden
that until now is longing for (the presence of) her beloved.

She no longer has complete happiness
because her first love had ended so stealthily.
Until this time she is still singing of their love --
she, Maria Benita.