PEDRO BUKANEG
1591?
Pedro Bukaneg, the "Father of Iloko
Literature," was born blind and ugly but his God-given gifts of
intellectual brilliance, sensitive and retentive memory, poetic and musical
talents, eloquence and mastery of Latin, Spanish, Iloko, and Isneg languages
made him a renowned native literary figure. Through sheer intelligence and
native talent he made possible the recording of Spanish literary works into
Iloko, and thus bridged the gap between the Iloko and Spanish cultures.
The circumstances of Bukaneg's birth in
Samtoy, the old name of the Ilokos region, sometime in 1591, were comparable to
those of Moses who was found by the daughter of the Pharaoh, floating in a
basket among the reeds of the Nile River. Bukaneg was likewise recovered by a
woman, in a tampipi (a valise made of bamboo) that floated along the banks of
the Banaoang River which separates Vigan from Bantay in Ilocos Sur. It was a
custom of the early natives of Samtoy to kill or bury alive infants born
defective to avoid the curse of evil spirits. Being ugly, Bukaneg was also
likened to Socrates, the Greek philosopher.
Bukaneg's parents were not known and from
infancy to manhood, he was cared for by the Augustinians, first by Fr. Jeronimo
Cavero and later by Fr. Francisco Lopez of the Bantay Church. He was baptized
Pedro Bukaneg. "Bukaneg" is derived from the Isneg words: Nabuka-an
ng Isneg, meaning "a Christianized Isneg."
Eventually, Bantay Church became the
permanent home of Bukaneg. Here, the Augustinians taught him reading, writing
and arithmetic. Here, too, he completed studies equal to the primera and
segunda ensenanza with high scholastic ratings. With his brilliant achievement,
he pursued higher cultural and theological studies through the help of the
friars at the Bantay rectory and priory.
The Augustinians were the first to become
aware of his special talents. They saw how he mastered Latin and the Spanish
language in addition to the Ilokano and Isneg languages, in just a short time.
These talents naturally endeared him to
the friars. Many of the fiars, before going to their missions to convert the
natives to Christianity. first learned
Isneg and Ilokano from Bukaneg.
Not only was Bukaneg looked up to as a
teacher but also as a translator of Latin and Spanish religious works into
Iloko. For in
stance in the translation of the Doctrina
Cristiana by Robert Cardinal Belarmino to Iloko in 1606, the assistance of
Bukaneg was urgently sought by the friars. This Iloko version of the doctrina Cristiana
appeared in 1621 under the title: Libro a nai / suratan/ amin ti
bagas/Doctrina Cristiana nga naisurat iti libro / ti Cardinal a agnagan
Belarmino ket insen ti P. Fr. Francisco/ Lopez padre a S. Agustin, iti Sinafan
toy. Copies of this book were sent to the libraries of Madrid and Rome. Its
simplicity and familiar approach and style made the translation appealing to
the natives and facilitated their conversion to Christianity. It was the result
of Bukaneg's efforts.
Fr. Francisco Lopez, in writing the first
Iloko Grammar, Arte de la Lengua Ilokana, acknowledged the valuable assistance
of Bukaneg in the preparation of the material for publication.
Bukaneg also translated Latin and Spanish
sermons and prayers into Iloko. One of the oldest prayers in Iloko, the Cararag
ken Sta. Maria is included in the last page of the Doctrina Cristiana. It was
presumed that before Bukaneg died, he left many Spanish translations of native
songs, poems and other folkways depicting native culture. But no records of
these works have been found extant.
Awed by Bukaneg's fluent command of the
Spanish, Latin, Iloko, and Isneg languages, the friars turned to him for help
in preaching the gospel. In the streets and villages from Aringay to Ilauag,
now Laoag City, he carried his evangelical work zealously. The eloquence and
magic of his words swayed his audience who often forgot that he was ugly and
blind.
Bukaneg was also a seer. On one occasion
the servant of Don Nicolas de Figueroa, an encomendero of Narvacan, was
murdered. Because the authorities were at a loss as to who was the perpetrator
of the crime, Bukaneg was called upon to help. When he arrived at the town and
knowing that the suspects were tied, he ordered them released immediately. He
circled the men with stolid faces and placed his hands over their breasts, one
by one. After this, and to the surprise of all, he pointed to one man as the
culprit. Interrogated by the authorities. the man confessed that he shot the
servant with a poison arrrow and robbed the victim of the arquebusses he
carried. Greatly relieved for being
saved from execution, the other suspects returned to their own villages and
recounted the incident to the people, who marvelled at the strange power of
second sight of Bukaneg.
The greatest achievement attributed to
Bukaneg was the writing of the epic poem, Biag ni Lam-ang. Since he was blind,
it was presumed that he dictated the lines to an amanuensis and because of his
undying gratitude to the friars who took care of him, substituted some of the
characters, and native ideas for Spanish thoughts and practices.
In recognition of his intellectual
talents and qualities, one of the friars wrote:
" ... This
native showed a very exceptional understanding... contemplate so greatly on things of God ... he was not only an
example ... but a teacher and a preacher... endowed with eloquence and grace to speak the language ... and
instructor in religion ...in the Iloko
language."
Bukaneg was highly respected and loved by
the friars and people alike. Sometime in the intervening years between 1622 and
1626, he passed away. For this great loss, the people mourned deeply.
To the lasting memory of Pedro Bukaneg,
besides his works, the Bukanegan, a literary joust similar to the Tagalog
balagtasan owes its origin to him.
The works of Bukaneg focused the
attention of the present generation to the wealth of Iloko literature as a
valuable sourer for depicting the struggle for national identity of past Filipino
wise and great men. For an extraordinary performance during a colonial period
when suppression was the rule of the day, Bukaneg can be acclaimed as the
"Father of Iloko Literature."