I WAS invited by the Provincial Tourism Office and the Department of Tourism to be a resource person on the topic, "The Role of Myth, Legend, Folklore and Tales in Tour Guiding." Seminar coordinator Mike Poblador told me, "Ver, please tell stories about Negros and Western Visayas."
For me, tour guiding is not just giving facts and figures. Tour guiding is storytelling and acting. Some may not agree with me. Tour guide Roger of "The Ruins" is not only an informer of facts but a gifted wag. He amuses you by telling interesting events about the house for 20 minutes; and he will demonstrate how he amuses you for another 20 minutes.
A tour guide with a task to bring tourists in the Bacolod-Talisay-Silay Heritage Circuit will not be talking about Art Deco and Art Noveau alone. The bus will be passing by areas wherein good stories can be told about their origin and legends. There is always a myth concerning fabulous or supernatural beings. You may have a legend that is handed down from the past.
A tour guide can fascinate tourists with sayings, local customs, songs, and dances. He can narrate an account of a real or imagined event (even a piece of gossip). A tale teller (effective one) is a person who does not totally believe in what he is saying, but is able to let everybody believe him. We are in a Sugarlandia and it is best that we tell our tourists "The Legend of Sugarcane." The "Binukot Princess" of the Bukidnon Tribe may interest our guests. To highlight the story, the tour guide may give a sample of "Hinilawod" chant. Our story of Negros and Panay can be made colorful if we insert the "Odyssey of the Ten Bornean Datus."
In our early social class, it is good to mention the "agalun" (master), "timawa" (free men), "kabulig" (helper), "ulipon" (lower class of "kabulig"), and the "remontados" (fugitives). Our ancestors have identified the "dalagangan" (leader with soul-force) among them who are always considered as the "busali-an (gifted men).
"Manaul" is an important bird for our ancestors. In Talisay City, there is Sitio Manaul; and in Silay, there is Manaul Street. "Manaul" is believed to be the spirit of the gods. We always have the "panabi-tabi" (excuse me) ritual if we go to a "palhi" (the territories of the unseen spirits) and the dwelling place of the "diwata," "tamawo" and "duwende."
In a "babaylan" ritual for Lolo Pedro, the "serohano" is able to convince me that two balls of fire coming from a burning kamonsil tree are the twin "bulalakaw." The mountain guides of Patag assured me that there is a big snake inside the cave near Maaslom and Maaplod springs. The snake uses its "trabungko" (fiery shinning ball to attract its prey).
There are still people among us who open the "Almanaque Panayanhon" to determine what is best for business, house building, and farming. We refer to the position of the "bakunawa" (local dragon) to check what is best and what is worst. A tour guide can tell stories about "lumay" (love potion), "anting-anting" (talisman), "libreta" (booklet from the dead), and "habak" (a concoction of stones and herbs against evil doer).
There are amazing and amusing testimonies about the flying horse of Tan Juan Araneta, the long-distance vision of Aniceto Lacson, the bewitching beauty of Susan Magalona and the espionage acumen of Jovito Pacete (my lolo spy-killer during World War II). Even ABS-CBN Bacolod was hunting for the "ukoy" (merman) of Guinhalaran and GMA Bacolod was intrigued with the Genghis Khan treasure of Sitio Estaca (both are in Silay).
A tour guide can always transform his guided tour into a wonderland of experience if he only knows where interest begins and amazement ends. Don't forget the exciting story of "Tipulo" trees at Bangga Bubog and the "santermo" appearance at Bangga Bagol. Tour guiding amuses the spirit, delights the heart, and confuses the brains.