ILOILO – Panay Bukidnon, an Indigenous Peoples (IP) community in Barangay Garangan, Calinog town, lost a respected elder to the ongoing pandemic.
Leopoldo “Tay Polding” Caballero, a 79-year-old chanter of the Panay epic Sugidanon, succumbed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) yesterday morning.
He expired at the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Iloilo City, his daughter Leosita Caballero-Yangco confirmed to Panay News.
“Maggwa na sia tani subong (Monday). Ginahulat na lang tani resulta ‘ya sang swab test nga ginhimu kagab-i (Sunday), ambot gulpi lang,” Yangco said.
Caballero was a revered culture bearer of the Panay Bukidnon which resides in the Capiz-Lambunao mountainous area and the Antique-Iloilo mountain area of Panay Island. From memory he could chant the hours-long Sugidanon which tells a story in 10 chapters of powerful noblemen, demi-goddesses, and mythical creatures.
“Nag-video call kami sang nurses kag doctor ‘ya. Five minutes kuno nadula heart beat ni Papa tapos pagka-five minutes nagbalik naman…Then nag-call liwat ang doctor, gin-check nila ang mata ni Papa pero wala na kuno pag-response,” said Yangco.
Caballero was immediately cremated – the first in his IP community to die of COVID-19.
The Panay Bukidnon, also known as the Suludnon, is one of the two only culturally indigenous groups of Visayan language-speakers in Western Visayas, along with the Halawodnon of Lambunao and Calinog and Iraynon-Bukidnon of Antique.
Caballero spent 16 days in the hospital, both at WVMC and at the Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Memorial District Hospital in Calinog where he was initially taken on Aug. 15.
Yangco had not seen her father since he was brought to the WVMC. She said she, together with her seven other siblings, are planning to bring their father’s ashes to Barangay Garangan.
“Bag-o sia nagbatyag naghambal sia sa amon nga baklan gid namon sia sang fiber glass pareho kay Mama kag i-upod lang kay Mama amo ‘na bilin niya sa amon,” said Yangco.
Meanwhile, Caballero’s two children who earlier tested positive for COVID-19 have already recovered.
Mayor Francisco Calvo expressed sympathy to the family.
“Ako, ang akon nga pamilya kag ang aton bilog nga banwa ang nagabuylog sa kasubo ka pamilya ka nagtaliwan nga si Tatay Polding Caballero, isa ka katapu ka Panay Bukidnon,” the mayor said.
“Ang ana nga pagtaliwan hanggud nga kawalan sa aton nga banwa sa termino ka kultura kag ang ana ga kontribusyon aton nga handurawon,” he added./PN
