Tales from the ‘Margins:’ A Tausug Girl and Kahawa Sug - Blueboard by Ma. Lourdes Veneracion-Rallonza, PhD.
In the ‘politics of narratives,’ we are imprisoned by the hegemony of dominant discourses that largely frame how we think about what we know. For example, in constructing an ‘official narrative,’ we do not question the voices that were privileged nor do we not pay attention to the stories that do not fall within the purview of dominant ‘script.’ In this light, when we talk about a particular conflict-affected area in the country, we are limited to stories of violence; or when we talk about women in situations of conflict, we usually see them as victims. March is Women’s Month and in my mind, this would be the best time to share a story from the ‘margins’, the tale of a Tausug girl and Lupah Sug (Sulu) coffee against a backdrop of culture and history.
I was on research field work last January and while on an evening stop in Zamboanga City, I was invited by colleagues for dinner at Dennis Coffee Garden. The café itself has a different feel. It did not have the usual hustle and bustle of highly commercialized coffee shops, the interior proudly displayed heritage images and ornaments of a particular era, the food offered the experience of a particular cuisine…and the coffee served, only one kind – kahawa sug (Sulu coffee).
Suddenly, it dawned on me that this was no ordinary coffee shop --- it was a living space that breathes nostalgia, exudes warmth in remembering and sharing a culture, and invites a peek into an alternative narrative of Lupah Sug. And as I sat while sipping a bursting aromatic cup of kahawa sug, I listened to the story behind the café. This was the story of the proprietors’ grandmother, Hubbaisa Ahalun.
Hubbaisa was born in the 1920s. She grew up in the Municipality of Patikul and her childhood revolved around Lumbaan (Tausug for karerahan or race track). Her father was a public figure, a friend to many, across various sectors in their town; her mother always prepared to welcome his visitors in their house. Hubbaisa, as the eldest daughter, learned the art of her mother. Quite conveniently, food was available in their backyard and every Saturday, little Hubbaisa will pick wild coffee berries, grind and roast them, boil the ground, and filter the coffee with cloth.
Lumbaan had a race track and sabungan or place for cockfighting. It was here that 8-year old Hubbaisa established her first coffee stand --- much like a little girl’s lemonade stand with two tables and a few chairs. People coming mostly from the race track would buy coffee from her, enjoying the drink while sitting by her make-shift coffee stand.
Hubbaisa was already in her 20s when World War II broke out. She recalled then that Japanese soldiers would stop at her coffee stand and smoke tobacco from Pangutaran that she rolled herself while they drank their coffee. Since her father was a friend to many, neither the Japanese soldiers nor the Moro armed fighters against the Japanese harmed their family. However, when the Japanese left Patikul, conflict still continued in their town, this time as waged by armed rebels and as consequence of rido or clan feuds. Hubbaisa and her family moved to Jolo after her husband was abducted by bandits in Patikul.
In Jolo, she rented a space in Busbus and set up her coffee shop in 1962. Her coffee shop prospered and so did coffee shops eventually established by other people in Jolo --- around a hundred coffee shops, side-by-side each other, and spread all throughout the city. According to Hubbaisa’s grandson, “you do not even need to build a market because coffee is already part of the culture.” This culture that he spoke about was that of having meals in their homes but taking their coffee in shops --- where they will happen to meet friends and talk about politics, business, and other things while drinking their coffee. Coffee drinking was a social activity and the coffee shop as a social space.
But then the war between the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Philippine Government broke out in Jolo. In February 1974, the whole city was razed to the ground during what will come to be known as the ‘Burning of Jolo.’ For days people did not have food, shelter, or medicine; properties were destroyed and many died. Some women and children were eventually allowed to leave aboard navy boats. Hubbaisa left with her family for Zamboanga City. Several months later, she returned to Jolo and rebuilt her coffee shop --- along with others who tried to rebuild the city and their lives.
In 1978, Hubbaisa had two coffee shops in Jolo; by the 1980s, she had nine more. It grew in number because those who worked in the shops found love, ended up getting married, and set up other shops. Thus, the engine of growth was not driven by a financial vision but instead by the passion to serve coffee and provide for the growing family. Dennis Coffee Garden embodies this mindset that has been passed on by Hubbaisa.
I first had kahawa sug at Dennis Coffee Garden and was told that they get their coffee from Sulu where other coffee shops owned by relatives are still located in Jolo. At the onset, I found the aroma and flavor of the coffee to be very distinct. In fact, a friend who has been to Sulu described it as “peculiar or different, reflective of the character of the province, bold and subtle at the same time.” The distinctiveness of the coffee can only be surmised as probably owing to the richness and uniqueness of Sulu soil, geologically by some natural make up or metaphorically where bloodshed had been part of the land and people’s history. My Tausug friends are very proud of their kahawa sug and the stories they attach to it: “in our generation, we have been drinking kahawa sug after our breastfeeding years from our moms…we drank coffee that early, without milk, in glasses;” “Tausug like to talk over coffee served on the table and at 3:00pm, we enjoy drinking them in coffee shops;” “most of us Tausug drink coffee without sugar;” and “coffee is like a spiritual drink because it has the elements of earth, water, wind, and fire.”
I have been to many coffee shops, nooks, and tables but what I gathered from my experience at Dennis Coffee Garden was special --- like the coffee they serve, it is distinguished by the story behind it: that of a Tausug woman whose life has been weaved in the narrative of preparing coffee in shops that served as a social space accompanying the everyday life of people --- and that despite the challenges of war and conflict, she persisted. When Dennis Coffee Garden opened in Zamboanga City, Hubbaisa, said to have been on the verge of tears, told her family, “I am glad you came back…that you came back to make coffee…”
In the ‘politics of narratives,’ there are many tales at the ‘margins’ that are not usually heard. In a place where the dominant discourse is war and conflict, there are stories that depict other realities. The story of Hubbaisa is one of them --- for many who are nestled in the hegemonic narrative of violence in Patikul or Jolo, it may not be as significant or grand. But for those who were part of her narrative journey, it need not be. Just like the kahawa sug, it is simply different.
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Dr. Ma. Lourdes Veneracion-Rallonza (mrallonza@ateneo.edu) is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, Ateneo de Manila University.
