TUKAL AND TUGTUGIN



(Source: http://fotosa.ru/stock_photo/Fancy%20by%20Veer/p_2698846.jpg) 



TUKal and Tugtugin

Where are the Tukal now? Where are the Tugtugin?

When I was young, about 8 or 10 years old, during the months of September to November we used to eat a gabi/taro - (Colocasia esculenta) like root crops. My mother used to boil them, pilled, pound with mortar and pestle and mixed with grated coconut and sugar and atlas a delicious afternoon snack we enjoyed so much. Their flowers are so beautiful that comes in different colors, white, pink, and fuchsia to fuchsia red. A bunch of them are very fond to see. I asked my father the name of this plant and he said it is known locally as Tukal and the gabi – like roots are called tugtugin.  According to him this plant made them survived during the “bakwisan” era (force transfer of residence to a safe place because of Japanese – American war in the Philippines in the mid 40’s). During their (tukal) season, the whole water in our place is covered with this plant, full of flowers in different colors, like a bed of roses. The leaves are wide and tooted floating at the top of water where insects are happy to ride. But as the time goes on, they gradually vanished until such time they are nowhere to find. Until one day I saw the plant as the screen saver of a certain computer. I learned that the English name of tukal is Lotus plant its scientific name is Nymphaea lotus and other species of the same genus.

I used to describe the plants to my nephews and nieces but they could not relate to the story because they haven’t seen one at this time. I told them, the flowers are beautiful and being sold to Manila traders during “All Saints Day”. I told them that the rhizomes are delicious and taste like gabi, but they looked at me with blank eyes. It’s really hard to imagine a thing which you haven’t seen yet in your life. I asked my father (a farmer) on what happened to the Tukal, to the Tugtugin? Where are they now? My father told me that, they were invaded by the water hyacinths. Others could not withstand anymore the fertilizer and pesticide/insecticide run offs. Their habitats were also studded with garbage and wastes. Hence, they could not tribe anymore here, as my father further explains.  I’m a bit sad with what I heard, because, the young generations like my children and their cousins and their playmates as well, will not experience the enjoyment I experienced with this plant. The story of “bakwisan” related to the tugtugin will not be heard anymore. How pity this generation. They missed a good story of a life time. Well, pictures are still around, I hope this could suffice their curiosity if ever they have.      

                                                                                      

There lots of plants in our place that I could no longer see which I used to play, eat and saw in my younger years. Example of which are the “tigbi”, “tikiwan”, “susong dalaga” and the “corales”. Their habitat were also no longer seen here, what present now are commercial establishments and the likes.

             Indeed, habitat loss is biodiversity loss.

Image Source: http://www.boloji.com/photoessays/flowers/fl011.htm