KIPALAT: Payment to the Walian (Priestess)

The walian (priestess or quack midwife) should be paid or given gifts for her participation in caring the pregnant woman from pregnancy to giving birth.

Based on old practices, the mother should give the malong she used when she delivered the baby, one new malong (two if twins), the knife used in cutting the umbilical cord or any silver-made items.

After that, the walian should visit the mother and the child often. On the third day, the walian should place the baby (for the first time) to his/her hammock. The walian will recite an incantation that the baby will have comfortable sleep all the time. Then after that, the walian will quickly get or remove the child from the hammock (meaning: so that the child will get well easily if he/she is sick or will have an illness).

In drying the umbilical cord, the mother should use coconut oil and rice residues from “pansing or pansingan” or a rice measuring cup made of coconut shells, but rice flour is okay.

A portion of the dried umbilical cord will soon separate from the umbilicus. That dried portion should be kept on a weaved and purse-shaped pandan leaves, with lucky charms (usually dried leaves), lucky coins and his/her hair. This is to be placed or pinned in the baby’s hammock.

The dried cord is dipped in a glass of water and the baby will drink it every time he/she has tummy aches. A dried garlic is also pinned on the hammock to drive away bad spirits. If the mother have to go outside and the child will be left alone in the room, the mother should place a basin filed with water and a “bolo” below the hammock to drive away bad spirits that might inflict harm to the baby. (There’s a belief that bad spirits are afraid of their reflections – in the water).

All of the above not any more done nowadays, but as for giving gifts to the walian, some Islamic clerics believe that it is okay because gift-giving is not un-Islamic anyway.

KAPEMBATA: Giving Birth

PART I

When a woman is about to give birth/labor, household members should be silent and should not make any sounds/noises, if possible they should be just whispering or waving their hands. They should close the doors and the windows.

Saying the words “giving birth” or “laboring” (pembata) is a no-no. According to the old belief, it adds to the the difficulty of laboring. (Nyahahaha).

Also, when calling a walian (priestess or quack midwife), one cannot utter the word “pembata” or say “Soandso needs you, she’s about to give birth.” Instead, the one calling the walian should say “Babo,” unot ka pan sa laki lo sa walay.” (Babo, please come to our house…).

If the walian forgot what was it all about or she can’t understand why she’s needed, the person should say “You already know it…” (Katawan nengka bun).

When asked by other people what was it all about, the answer is “none” or “it’s nothing” or he/she should answer in some other way, concealing what is going on. (hmmmm…) There are many reasons why this is done or practiced, but I only know one reason: to avoid bad/evil spirits to intercept the message that somebody is giving birth.

Observe that, Maguindanaons are very careful of how they utter words because they believe that spirits are always listening to them.

The laboring woman should not shout or groan. A cloth is placed on her mouth so that she will not make noise or shout in pain. Reasons: she should display grace under pressure and so that bad spirits will not know that somebody is giving birth.

The baby’s first bowel movement is meconium. When stressed during labor, the fetus can eliminate meconium into the amniotic fluid prior to birth, which can cause problems if inhaled into its lungs before taking its first breath of air.

According to Maguindanao folk belief, if the child defecated after labor, the child will become disobedient, hard-headed, or delinquent, or will live a wretched or misguided life. If the child will urinate while or after being brought outside the womb, she/he will have a sarcastic/bitchy/feisty personality, and will always go against his/her parents’ will.