Dapa

Dapa -- Number 5 in a series of articles about Tagalog Words and everything Tagalog by Evelyn Miranda Feliciano, a best-selling author of books on Filipino culture and family life. Mrs Evelyn Miranda Feliciano is also a Wordhouse Consultant in Ilonggo.

“Dapa!” shouts our bida (hero) as bullets from enemies’ fire zing in the air. He and his comrades hit the ground with guns answering the unseen enemies in a blaze. A choreographed firefight scene ensues, putting us on the edge of our seats as we watch a cops-and-robbers movie.

The word dapa (to fall prostrate) is an interesting word. We usually associate it with a toddler learning to walk. Unable to balance on her still stubbly legs, she is often nadadapa (keeps on falling on her face without meaning to). The protective mother would rush to the child and chide her. “Huwag takbo nang takbo, para ‘di ka madapa!” (Don’t run so you won’t fall!). While the let-be mom would say, “O, nadapa ka na naman, bangon! Okay lang.” (O, you’ve fallen again, get up!).

Walang gustong madapa (Nobody likes to fall kissing the earth) unless, of course, there is a necessity for it. A police officer suspects you are carrying contraband goods in your car and orders you to make dapa, what can you do? Or, in a hold-up situation where the hold-upper shouts, “Dapa!” you don’t have any choice, do you? Most times, however, this kind of ungraceful fall is unintentional. You stub your toe against a jutting root while rushing for a jeepney ride home and you fall flat on the ground, you are nadapa. Or, you slide awkwardly on a wet cement floor on your stiletto heels and land spread-eagled smooching grainy sand, you are nadapa. If any of these happens in a public place, the unintended audience would laugh, and the victim of the fall would laugh with them. Or, manage a twisted smile if the pain is considerable. The laughter is not so much to embarrass the victim, as much as to make him feel better. Together with the amusement, some good Samaritan would come around and help you – not with grave, heavy demeanor but with smiles on their faces. This way your pain is eased and your embarrassment is diminished.

Dapa could take on a moral tone as well. “Nadapa ka na minsan, e, huwag mo nang ulitin pa” (If you have fallen once, then don’t repeat it), adviced Aling Rosa to a niece who has had a baby out-of-wedlock. But the niece insisted that kung saan siya nadapa, doon na siya (where she had fallen, there she stays). “No, no, no!” protested Aling Rosa. “Kung saan ka nadapa, doon ka bumangon. Hindi pa huli ang lahat.” (Where you have fallen, there you rise up. All is not lost yet).

I strongly suspect, the movie title “Babangon ako at dudurugin kita” (I will rise up and crush you) comes from pagkadapa (having fallen). Nagkakandarapa has dapa for its root word. To be nagkakandarapa is to be in a highly agitated state of obsequious busyness usually meant to please someone respected and superior. Example, Carmen my manicurist explained, “Noong piyesta, nagkandarapa ang mga tao rito sa paghahanda” (In our recent fiesta, people were falling all over themselves, or literally, falling-flat-on-their-faces-busy).

“Why?” I asked her. “E, darating si Gov at ibang opisyales” (The governor and his officials were coming). It is the kind of preparation that is frenzy and slavish, hungry for attention and praise.

Nagkakandarapa is the same description that the insightful could attach to the recent visit of the President to the United States. She had a huge train of delegation and hangers-on spending $1.5 million at a time when the Filipinos were, and still are dapang-dapa na: typhoon “Frank” devastated the whole country, an ocean liner sank along with some 800 passengers, people queued for cheap rice, half of the population are experiencing hunger, etc., etc. Our pagkadapa (fall) appears not only material but moral and spiritual.

Speaking of spiritual, one columnist in a national broadsheet, commented that the Catholic Church as an institution seemed not to be nagkakandarapa enough in helping the victims of the sea tragedy as it did with whistle-blower Rodolfo Lozada, Jr. on the NBN-ZTE deal. (It was a communications project entered into by the government and China that is perceived as riddled with corruption. Mercifully, the President halted the deal but only after a full-blown investigation by the Senate was just beginning and names, including hers, were bandied about). For all the cowering and slobbering that go with nagkakandarapa towards people, to God alone tayo’y magpatirapa (we fall down to worship). This is more than bowing our heads or kneeling and mumbling a prayer. This is to prostrate ourselves before the living God who alone is able to help us.

King David of the Old Testament, upon knowing that God could not be swayed by his appeal to let his child by Batsheba lived, rose from his lament. He took a bath, donned on a set of fresh clothes, went to the house of God and nagpatirapa at nanalangin (fell on his face and prayed). It must have been a prayer of relinquishment, acceptance and renewal of fellowship with God again.

Ang magpatirapa, is a position of humility (pagpakumbaba). Of helplessness (kawalan ng kakayahan). Of surrender (pagsuko). From that position of weakness before Yahweh, David was given strength. His military prowess became formidable. His geographical boundaries expanded. His nation’s wealth grew, and his people enjoyed peace and abundance.

Perhaps, it is high time for this nation to make patirapa before the Almighty. For, “…if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). evelynmiranda-feliciano14july08

Dapa is to fall on one's face, see what she has got to say about "face"