Si Juan Bobo sa Puerto Rico, si Juan Tamad sa Pilipinas

SI JUAN BOBO SA PUERTO RICO, SI JUAN TAMAD SA PILIPINAS

Maikling sanaysay ni Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.

Kung may Juan Tamad tayo sa Pilipinas, aba'y may Juan Bobo naman ang Puerto Rico. Aba'y oo. Nakita ko ito sa litrato ng pabalat ng kwentong Juan Bobo Goes to Work sa librong Children's Literature, 10th Edition, pahina 262. Habang ang pagbanggit tungkol dito ay tinipon lang sa iisang talata, na nasa pahina 259 at 261 ng nasabing aklat.

Nabili ko noong Abril 12, 2022 sa halagang P330.00 sa BookSale ng SM Megamall ang nasabing aklat na pinatnugutan ni Barbara K. Ziefer ng Ohio State University. At pag may panahon ay akin itong binabasa-basa, hanggang sa makita ko nga ang kwento ni Juan Bobo.

Narito at aking sinipi ang buong isang talata hinggil kay Juan Bobo sa nabanggit na aklat:

"Maria Montes's Juan Bobo is a favorite folk hero in Puerto Rico and is typical of the many noodlehead characters found around the world. In Juan Bobo Goes to Work, Juan sets out to get a job from a farmer. The first time he is paid he forgets what his mother, Doña Juana, told him and puts the coins in his holey pocket rather than holding them in his hand. The next time he sets out, Doña Juana tells him to put his pay in the burlap bag she gives him. This does not go well when he is paid in milk. The third day Juan goes to the grocer for work. Doña Juana instructs him to carry the pail of milk in his head. When he is paid with cheese instead of milk he puts it under his hat. Of course, the cheese melts as he walks home in the hot sun. The next week Doña Juana gives Juan Bobo a piece of string and tells him to tie up whatever the grocer gives him. He obeys, and drags a ham behind him on the string. The village dogs and cats proceed to have a feast. All is not lost because, as he walks by the window of a rich man, the man's sick daughter sees him. The daughter laughs out loud and is cured. In gratitude the rich man sends Juan and his mother a ham every Sunday."

Ang salitang "bobo" sa Puerto Rico ay kaparis ng kahulugan ng bobo sa ating wika. Ibig sabihin ay mangmang, tanga, tonto. Kaya nagsaliksik pa tayo.

Nakita natin na halos may pagkakapareho ang kwento ni Juan Bobo ng Puerto Rico sa kwento ni Juan Tamad, lalo na sa usaping katatawanan. Isinapelikula pa nga ang Juan Tamad Goes to Congress sa direksyon ni Manuel Conde. 

"Juan Tamad Goes to Congress" is the first political satire of Philippine cinema. Based on an original story by Congressman Pedro A. Venida of Camarines Norte (Nacionalista), who made a name for himself as a wit through his "Nothing" and "Something" speeches in Congress, the film is set in pre-Hispanic times. https://pelikulaatbp.blogspot.com/2017/05/juan-tamad-goes-to-congress-satire-on-html

Ito pa ang ilang kwento kay Juan Tamad, ayon naman sa Wikipedia:

Juan Tamad comes upon a guava tree bearing ripe fruit. Being too slothful to climb the tree and take the fruits, he instead decides to lie beneath the tree and let gravity do its work. There he remained, waiting for the fruit to fall into his gaping mouth.

Juan Tamad is instructed by his mother to purchase mud crabs at the market. Being too lazy to carry them home, he sets them free in a ditch and tells them to go home, as he would be along later.

Juan Tamad's mother makes some rice cakes and instructs him to sell these at the market. Passing by a pond, he sees frogs swimming to and fro. Being lazy to sell the cakes, he instead thrown them at the frogs, who eat the cakes. Upon reaching home, he tells his mother that all the cakes had been sold on credit; the buyers would pay for them the next week.

Juan Tamad's mother instructs him to go to the village market and buy a rice pot. A flea infestation in the village soon has Juan Tamad jumping and scratching for all he's worth; he lets go of the pot and it breaks into pieces. Thinking quickly, he picks up the pieces, grinds them into fine powder and wraps the powder in banana leaves, which he markets as "flea-killer."

Ang pangalang Juan ay sagisag ng karaniwang tao sa bansang Puerto Rico at Pilipinas, o sa iba pang bansang nasakop din ng bansang Espanya. Kaya minsan, mapapaisip ka kung bakit may kwentong Juan Bobo at Juan Tamad na animo'y pinagtiyap ang kapalaran. Kaya ginawan ko ng munting komento sa paraang patula ang dalawang magkatukayo.

SI JUAN BOBO AT SI JUAN TAMAD

ginawa bang katatawanan ng mga Kastila

ang mga katutubo sa sinakop nilang bansa

upang palabasing ang Kastila'y kahanga-hanga

at ang mga sinakop na Indyo'y kaawa-awa

tingni ang kwento ni Juan Bobo ng Puerto Rico

tingni ang kwento ni Juan Tamad sa Pilipino

parang pinagtiyap, animo'y iisa ang kwento

ang isa'y tamad, habang ang isa naman ay bobo

tila mga Kastila'y kumatha ng kwentong bayan

upang mga sakop ay balingan, mapagtawanan

dahil bobo't tamad, di yayaman o uunlad man

kaya karapatan ng Indyo'y madaling yurakan

aba'y ganitong kwento'y mabuting palitan natin

magandang katangian ng masa'y ating kathain

gawing kontrabida ang mga nanakop sa atin

at itanghal ang mga bayani nating magiting

06.09.2022