A new brand of riddles

As recorded by chroniclers of the past, early Filipinos displayed prominently a thriving history through folk speeches, folk songs, and the like. The riddle or tigmo in Cebuano is the most influential of these folk speeches. It is part of Filipino culture. At the newly reopened Yo! Latino bar and restaurant located at Salinas Drive, Lahug, six riddle enthusiasts were awarded for their new brand of riddles that poetically comprise a unique brand of metaphor.

Take these three winning riddles, for example, that disclose slight similarities between two contrasting images:

"Dalan nga nagliko liko, bombilyang nagtago tago..."
- kamote (Rogaciano Ugbaniel, Palanas, Ronda, Cebu) 1st Prize
"Kalan-ong walay bukog, sa dughan makabaskog..."
- hangin (Oliver Flores, Sogod, Cebu) 2nd Prize
"Gitanom gikan sa kagabhion, giani sa kabuntagon..."
- bituon (Clesk Kiamco, Toboso, Negros Occ.) 3rd Prize

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts through this section's executive editor Marlinda Angbetic-Tan (also Secretary, NCLA-NCCA) and Globelines-Innove Communications organized a competition entitled TEXTIGMO-Central Visayas that coalesces the significance of mobile phones and Filipino riddles. Through TEXTIGMO, which deserves our admiration and applause, our mobile phones have become an exceptional way of preserving the Filipino riddles and its unique brand of beauty and wit. Furthermore, it only costs P1 to send our new brand of riddles. For only P1, three major winners took home not just a peso but P9, 000 (1st prize); P5, 000 (2nd prize); and P3, 000 (3rd prize). And here are the three consolation prize winners (@ P1,000 each) that vividly merge two distant objects to form one poetic truth:

"Naglupad way makina, nagsiga way bateriya..."
- aninipot (Angelito Berog, Pob., Carmen, Cebu)

"Ang bukog adto sa kalayo, ang unod adto sa tawo..."
- mais (Rogaciano Ugbaniel, Ronda, Cebu)

"Balay ni Pepito, lot-ud lot-ud ang kwarto, walay tawo..."
- kawayan (Eliseo Cabriana, Calagasan, Argao, Cebu)