Philippine E-Journals

The Karā’an Songs of Romblon: A Proposed Framework on Regional Folkloric Research

Sherwin M. Perlas

 

Abstract:

Philippine regional oral literature scholarship is currently navigating against the current from the periphery to the center. Romblon’s oral tradition is likewise sailing across the turbulent sea. While a number of works had been anthologized and had undergone scrutiny, apparently not much exploration has been given to the proper collection, translation and subsequent analysis. This paper proposes a paradigm in collecting Romblon’s oral tradition, in particular and any regional oral tradition, in general. The collection, documentation, authentication, translation and analysis used the suggested holistic approach. In this study, the methods and approaches were discussed, the steps were outlined and the scholarly implications were identified. The main research question is a descriptive-analytic documentation of the tradition: What are the surviving karā’an oral literatures of Romblon based on primary secondary and sources? The process starts from collecting the tradition from secondary sources: the province’s historical data found in microfilm, internet posts, email correspondences, and personal collections tracked and documented in the field. The text’s provenance, singer, context of singing, audience reaction, historical, cultural, and geographical relevance – the “metadata” and field notes – were likewise recorded with the researcher interpreting data from the informants’ perspectives. The focus of investigation is proper documentation that ensures authenticity of materials that could then be The Karā’an Songs of Romblon: A Proposed Framework on Regional Folkloric Research