Tuba whips up Waray energy

Tuba does not only lighten up the mood but it doubles the gaiety. Any gathering among Warays would not be complete without it.

TACLOBAN CITY — The presence of a bottle of red coconut wine, or tuba, is the best way to know if a certain celebration is a Waray gathering.

In whatever occasion it may be — weddings, fiestas, graduations, family reunions, an unexpected meeting of friends, or even a wake in a funeral parlor — expect that tuba would always make its presence felt.

Tuba does not only lighten up the mood but it doubles the gaiety. Any gathering among Warays would not be complete without it.

And at P200 a gallon, this organic wine is the most affordable and is much better than any other alcoholic beverage because it does not result in any headache or hangover.

“Tuba is an integral part of our identity as Waray people,” says An Waray Rep. Florencio “Bem” Noel.

Even before the Spaniards came, tuba was already the centerpiece of any celebration in this part of the country. When the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan came to Philippine shores in 1521, his chronicler Antonio de Pigafetta documented how tuba plays a role in the social and cultural practices of the natives.

Pigafetta noted that during the initial encounter at sea near Suluan Island, the southernmost island of Samar, the natives offered them rice, bananas and tuba.

In Homonhon, he also noted the stages of preparing tuba — the way of extracting milk from the coconut flesh, the gathering and fermentation process.

Even in local poetry, drama, songs and dances, the Waray’s love for tuba has been a favorite theme. Literary luminaries like Eduardo Makabenta, Norberto Romualdez Sr., Vicente de Veyra and Iluminado Lucente have noted the importance of tuba in social gatherings and interpersonal relationships among the locals.

Last month, the ubiquitous tuba once again took center stage in the eleventh edition of Oktubafest, the local copy of Germany’s Oktoberfest, as part of the 75th MacArthur Landing anniversary.

The annual festival also showcased the best tuba products of the region. Local government units (LGU) in Eastern Visayas vied for best bahal (old) and bahalina (aged), best Siday (poetry) and best tuba-infused dishes.

The festival likewise featured an on-the-spot kawit painting contest, or the best depiction of the container of the freshly harvested juice. The kawit, made of a bamboo pole attached to the shoulder by a wooden hook, is used by tuba harvesters in their trade.

Since 2009, the annual festival was organized by the An Waray partylist with the support of the provincial government of Leyte, LGU, academe and big hotels and restaurants in the region.

While Leyte was the most affected region by typhoon “Yolanda” in November 2013 and farmers lamented the low price of copra in the world market, many farmers in Leyte planted coconut not to produce copra or sell the nuts, but to make tuba.

“We do not only produce the finest tuba; we also have the most number of tuba lovers,” says Leyte Gov. Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, who admitted that his decision to enter into politics came after a sharing of the wine with small farmers in a town fiesta.

Tuba is produced by mixing coconut sap with barok, the reddish bark of a mangrove tree. Barok not only gives it the reddish color, but it also prevents the coconut sap from turning sour and allows the tuba to ferment.

Tuba which is fermented for up to three years is called bahal, while an aged one is called bahalina. Some tuba producers keep theirs to age for 10 years to keep it more potent and of higher alcohol content.

Coconut sap is produced by cutting the tip of an unopened flower to release the sap. The sap is then transferred to the kawit that a mananguete (tuba gatherer) carries along when climbing the tree. The sap is mixed with a handful of finely chopped barok placed in a small container attached to the waist of the mananguete as he climbs the tree. One tree can produce as much as one liter of coconut sap.