THE WIFE AS FAMILY TREASURER

The Loonanon wife holds the family purse. Every payday, if the husband is an employee, he turns over to her all his earnings for disbursement or safekeeping. If one is a professional, like a physician or a lawyer, he turns over to his wife whatever he may receive for his professional service. If a merchant, he turns over his sales and profits.
So general and deep-seated is this practice that one sure way of making a Loonanon wife unhappy would be for the husband to keep his earnings and just let her run the home of an allowance. Unmarried sons and daughters also give their earnings to their mother, who spends it as she sees fit but bearing in mind the welfare of the whole family.

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USE OF HONORIFIC TITLES

Loonanons consider it disrespectful for younger persons to address their older brothers or sisters without using any of the conventional titles of respect, such as manong, manang, manoy, manay, uray, ingko, insi, manding, oyong, uyang, etc. Old folks, irrespective of relationship, are addressed as iyo or iya.

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SHARING GOOD THINGS WITH RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS

The spirit of neighborliness is shown by the Loonanons by sharing good things with their neighbors. When the father returns from a long trip, he brings gifts or sinugatan for his children and neighbors. If a housewife prepares something that is out of the ordinary, she sends part of it to the neighbor to let them have a taste of it. If a fisherman makes a good catch, he sends some of it to his neighbors so that the latter can share his good luck. This practice is called panghilas or patilaw.

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PASSING IN FRONT OF OR BETWEEN PEOPLE

One of the interesting experiences which a foreigner will not fail to notice in Loon, as well as in other parts of the country, is the quaint way one asks permission to pass in front of or between people. Bending forward and extending one or both hands in front, he walks quietly, sometimes saying "Tabi" but usually saying nothing.

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PASSING BY SOMEONE'S HOUSE

In Loon, it is customary for one who has to pass by a house, to tell the owner about it, saying, "Mo-agi (We shall pass by)." Upon hemiaring this, the owner invites the passerby to drop in for a few minutes, and if the latter cannot accept the invitation, he excuses himself, saying that he would do so next time.

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CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS

Being primarily a Catholic town, Loon celebrates Christmas every year. During this season, the air rings with joyful music, and everything wears a happy face. The season is ushered in by the misa de gallo, which is celebrated at dawn for nine days. On the twenty-fourth of December, a midnight mass is said.

People put up gay decorations with lanterns and multi-colored lights. Many families hold their family reunions on Christmas Eve while waiting for the midnight mass to begin.

On Christmas day children go to their maninoy or maninay to get their blessings and whatever gifts may have been prepared for them. Of course, during the visit, they enjoy eating biko, suman, fruits, candies, and other delicacies.

Groups of people go from house to house to carol and raise funds for charitable and other civic purposes, and sometimes for themselves. This practice is called daygon. A variant of the daygon is the playlet participated in by pastores (shepherds) and depicting the Nativity and the visit to Bethlehem of the Three Kings.

The Christmas season is also the time for reconciliation between feuding parties and for making up among relatives and friends that have had a falling out.

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PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD

In the olden days when embalming services were not yet available, the remains of a deceased are immediately buried, after which the relatives and neighbors pray for nine days for the eternal repose of his or her soul. After the prayer on the ninth day food is served for those who attend. This is called tapus. Today, the nine-day period is observed starting on the first day of the wake. It is followed by forty more days of prayer, and on the last day another gathering is held during which food is again served.

During these forty days, the soul of the deceased is believed to remain on earth after which it goes to its final destination.

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FAMILY SHRINE

Every Catholic family has a shrine at home before which the members pray at the sound of the Angelus and at other times. At the shrine may be found the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus or a saint whom the family has chosen as its patron or protector.

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ALL SAINTS' DAY

The firs day of November is an important day among the Loonanons. On this day they visit the graves of their departed relatives, clean and decorate them, and offer prayers for the eternal peace of the souls of the deceased. This practice shows that they hold their dead in great esteem.

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COCKFIGHTING

Cockfighting is still a popular pastime in Loon, particularly on Sundays and holidays at which time the men go to the cockpit with their fighting cocks and bet money on them.

Those without roosters choose their favorite cocks and bet on them. Everybody derives great excitement from watching the performance of the cocks, shouting every time his favorite scores a hit. The cock aficionados go home in high spirits when they win, but feel dejected when they lose. Such discouragement, however, is temporary, for they cling to the hope that the next cockfight would bring them better luck.

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SINU'OG OR SAYAW

This is a dance to the rhythm of gongs and drums made in compliance with a vow made to a saint either to thank for a favor received or to ask for some help. For example, if one is sick of a certain ailment, one dances before the image of the Birhen sa Kasilak (Our Lady of Light) who is known for her ability to cure sickness. After one gets well, he dances the sinu'og during the next fiesta in grateful thanksgiving for the cure of his ailment. In this dance, he makes all sorts of contortions of his body and movement of his arms, hands and legs.

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FAMILY SOLIDARITY

Family solidarity is the rule among the Loonanons. The members of the family stick together through thick and thin. Any misfortune suffered by one member of the family is shared by the other members just as honors achieved by one are shared by the other members.

In some instances this feeling goes beyond the confines of the family and includes the barangays and the town. This spirit sometimes manifests itself during elections when a candidate is preferred by the people of a barangay or town to all others with the same or similar qualifications because he is a home product.

This solidarity is strengthened by family reunions that are held every year, usually on Christmas Eve. At this reunion the children who may have grown up and established their own homes gather under the parental roof with their own offspring for a renewal of family associations.

Associated with this solidarity is the authoritarian nature of the Loonanon family. The father and the mother make important decisions of the family and the children abide by these decisions while they are under the family roof. They get out of the family control only when they get married and establish their own homes. The children accept the idea that "Father and Mother know best."

This idea of submitting to the parent's will and decision is further strengthened by the belief in what is known as gaba or curse, which means that bad luck or misfortune will befall any son or daughter who disobeys the will of, or is ungrateful to the parents. If the disobedient son meets a misfortune, people may say that he is nagabaan, that is, he met it because of the curse that had been laid on him.

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