About Weather and Elements:
1. The mananggiti (Hiligaynon term for "toddy-gatherer" or "tuba collector") of Iloilo and Antique can predict if the weather will be good or bad by looking at the bamboo container that is used to collect and contain coconut sap or extract. If there are lots of froth on top of the tuba or palm wine, this foretells a bad weather. Usually, only few froths develop or buildup on top surface of the bamboo container.
2. If a frigate bird locally called kanuyos is seen flying northwards, it means there is a storm or typhoon in the south; if it goes southward, the storm or typhoon is in the north.
3. If some stars are seen that seems likely going towards the moon, it means that there is impending storm coming.
4. If a rainbow was seen in the atmosphere, it was thought that a heavy rainfall will take place.
5. If there is too much scorching heat during the day and then there's a heavy rainfall during the night, the belief is that a santermo or a dancing fire will appear.
6. If the sun splashes a reddish color at dusk, there will be a beautiful sunny weather the next day. If the sunrise in the morning is too red, there will be an intense heat in that day.
7. The elders or the old people are the still holding on the belief that if there's black clouds surrounding the moon, it will rain; if there is a long that seems like a line of white clouds from north to south in the sky at night, the next day will be a sunny day.
8. The first raindrops in May is considered a sacred water. They believed that the few raindrops of the year is the punishment of God to the people. After the rain which was immediately followed by a scorching hot afternoon, the parents do not allow their children to go outside and step on the earth or ground soil because the water vapor or the steam arises from the ground and the contributing humidity is bad for the health.
9. If a pig seems like coughing in a beautiful sunny day, this is a warning for the coming of the rain.
10. The bulalakaw (Hiligaynon term or word for meteor) is believed by the people as the falling star from the sky. If this kind of omen is sighted, one needs only to wish and it will always come true.
11. The appearance of a comet is a phenomenon of great shock to the people. They believe that if the tail of the comet shapes like a broom, a famine or plague will come. On the other hand, if the tail shapes in a pointed form like a sword, a war or battle is impending.
12. The rainbow is presumed a sign of blessing of God in heaven to remind the people that a great flood will never happen again. This belief was based on the Bible. However it is prohibited to point the rainbow that can cause the bending or twisting of fingers.
13. The people believe that above the clouds is the heaven.
14. According to the elders or the old people, the disappearance of the moon or sun is caused by the bakunawa or a giant snake. The people are putting a basin filled with water on a day or night of disappearance to prove the truth of what they said.
15. The wind coming from the northeast is considered by the farmers, tuba collector and fishermen as bad. It became the reason for the evaporation of tuba sap or extraction, the reddish color and the crop infestation of the rice, the low production or harvest of coconuts and the fish migration to the deep of the sea. The people describe the wind as mahinay Hiligaynon word for slow, and too hot and dry or humid.
16. If the southeasterly wind is blowing, people knows that the rainy season will start. This wind carries heavy rainfall needed by the farmers in plowing their farm fields.
17. If the northern winds arrive in the month of October, the people are rejoicing because the plants grow fast and most probably, there is a carrying coolness cure to the sickly infested plants and easily ripen the grains of rice.
18. For having the lightning, thunder and earthquake is also the development of its meaning and practices about it.
19. The people believe that the collision of the clouds is the cause of thunder.
20. If there is lightning or thunder, people immediately cover their mirrors because they can easily be hit of lightning.
21. If there is a lightning storm or thunder at night the people are going the next morning in the mountains and valleys where the mushrooms are lining up.
22. The people are sheltering or hiding in other trees except in coconut trees if there's lightning and thunderstorm because they can easily be hit by lightning.
23. The santol tree is the refuge of the people because this tree is often used as a material for making holy saint images and other sacred or holy sculptures thus they are always safe from lightning and thunder.
24. If caught by the lightning and thunder on top of a tree, one just need to shout loudly to be saved from lightning and thunder.
25. Do not ride a carabao if lightning and thunderstorm occurs because this animal is presumed a good conductor and easily hit by lightning.
26. Touching or holding the cat is being avoided during a lightning and thunderstorm because the cat is a good conductor of lightning.
27. There is a belief that those people who are having a conversation with or talking with animals especially the dogs can be hit by a lightning o if not will eventually become a hunchbacked.
28. It was a practice for the people to sing religious hymns, pray and make a sign of the cross to be saved from lightning and thunder.
29. A lot of people believe that lightning, thunder and earthquake are the punishments given by God to those people who don't believe and have a faith in him.
30. The appearance of flying ants is expected by the people as the sign for the coming of the rain.
31. The croaking of frog is a sign that the rainfall is coming.
32. If the thunder and lightning comes first before the rain, the rain will be short or will not last long.
33. The earthquake means a not so good harvest for the people in the remote barrios or villages.
34. If there is thunder and lightning, it is a belief for the people to burn feathers of wildfowl or chicken and cover the mirrors so that the thunder will not create so much noise and it will not be that intense.
35. The elders or the old people believes that the lightning came from a big cat which controls the strength of the thunder and lightning.
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