“Bawal ang patiwarik”

By: Arch. Ernesto R. Zarate

YOU MAY BRAND ME SUPERSTITIOUS… nay, not just superstitious but overly superstitious for delving on this topic. But, as I have often said in my books, “Oro, Plata Mata, Filipino Building Beliefs” and its sequel, “More Filipino Building Beliefs,” (with tongue-in-cheek, of course) “Wala naman mawawala,e. Kaya sumunod ka na lang.”

There is this Batangueño building belief that they call “Bawal ang patiwarik” or “Upside-down is forbidden.” This means that building materials shall be installed in a house with their natural ends where they should be—the bottom end of a piece of bamboo should be at the bottom part, and the top end should be on top. Even wood members have to follow this “rule.”

The poser, as mentioned in the books, is—“How would you know which is the bottom or top part of a piece of wood that has been precision-cut in a lumberyard?” The ends look the same. One cannot visually differentiate the bottom from the top, it seems.

Well, there are three ways in which to distinguish the natural top from the natural bottom.

First, tie a piece of cord or rope at the exact middle of the length of wood. Raise it up. The end that tips down is the bottom. You see, wood is denser at the bottom.

Second, scratch both ends of the wood and smell it. The end that has the stronger scent of sap is the bottom because, by gravity, sap settles to the bottom of the wood.

The third method is by observing how the piece of wood flows down a stream. (Lumber used to be delivered to the job site in this manner during the olden days.) The leading end is usually the heavier end, thus the bottom end. The lighter end always trails.

Batangueños abide by this “Bawal ang patiwarik” idea because of the belief that if a post or vertical member is placed in a house with the wrong end up, “palubog din daw ang buhay ng mga nakatira doon.” (The lives of the people staying in that house would also sink.)

This belief applies also to other things and not necessarily limited to just construction materials.

Which is brings us to the bone of contention of my “dissertation”.

The root cause of all the ills and troubles of the Philippine National Police is this: their logo is upside down.

What I am talking about is the shield symbol… it is upside down.

I am from the North. And I observed that all the ceremonial shields used by the Igorots have their three points up and two points down. It is the representation of a warrior in a defense position. This is similar to a boxer in defense who has his two hands up. The third point would be his head. While the two ends pointing down would represent his legs.

In the course of my researches for the books I have written, in all the illustrations I have come across of indigenous Filipino weaponry, it is the same… three ends up and two ends down.

Baligtad ang ginagamit na kalasag ng PNP.

“Bawal ang patiwarik.”

Maybe the leadership of the PNP can look in to this. As I say again and again, “Wala namang mawawala kung sumunod sa pamihiin, e. Magastos nga lang kung ngayon pang gagawin ang pagbabago.

by Ernie Zárate.)