Republic of the Philippines

APAYAO STATE COLLEGE

3813 Luna, Apayao, Philippines

Official website: www.asc.edu.ph

e-mail address: op_asc@yahoo.com

mobile: 09189376233

I. Rationale

Rationale

Tourists visiting the Cordillera are often curious how the natives “painted the town red”. In

the Cordilleras, they literally paint the town red. Going further into the rural areas,

unfamiliar people would be shocked with sights of reddish, stains on the floor. Some might

even think that a blood but happened recently in the area. These are spits of betel nut or

what the locals would refer to us nga-nga or momma.

Betel nut is a seed of the Areca Catechu which is a type of a palm tree. Tribes from tropical

areas specifically, south and Southeast Asia and the Pacific have passed on through

generations the custom of chewing betel nut. It is usually sliced then combined with slaked

lime known a “apog”, tobacco and other spices and wrapped in betel substance in the world

after nicotine , alcohol and caffeine period chewing betel nut is a party of the cultures and

traditions of some tribes , there are strong and growing evidences of therapist problems

from frequent and regular use.

Everyday thousand Yapayao’s consumes momma without any second thought. What they

don't know is that this momma may contain notorious chemicals that can cause health

problems in the future. According to World Health Organization or WHO momma is

classified as a carcinogen. Studies show that chewing betel nut may cause mouth,

esophagus, laryngeal and cancers. It can also cause oral sub mucous fibrosis, diabetes and

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 hypertension, cancerous lesions, withdrawal symptoms in newborn and tooth destruction. It

acts as a main which is a stimulant and just like it, betel nut is addictive. Its effect is more

harmful than beneficial.

People chew betel nut from claims that they get sense of well-being and in addition their

hunger is satisfied and their breath is sweetened. This not is also use rationally as a

medicine to relieve some ailments from digestive problems to cardiovascular illness and it

is even said that it has some cancer fighting properties. But this still needs further research

to prove them.

The WHO released an action plan back in 2012 to raise awareness and to reduce its usage.

Betel nut is considered as harmful for eating and chewing. They even listed it under the

poisonous plants database. In addition, Taiwan has annual betel nut prevention they and

requires sugars to attend withdrawal classes. (Mae Fatima Colosan).

The researchers came up with the idea to know the usefulness of momma to the lives of

Yapayao’s. Many health regulations and protocols about betel nut consumption were

released but the consumption of momma doesn't stop and one of the fastest-growing

culture in the locality.

Scope and Delimitation

This study focuses on the usefulness of momma to the lives of Yapayao’s. The scope of the

study involves time and money spent, materials, tools used and the number of respondent

needed in the study to be completed. The respondents of the study were the citizens of San

Mariano, Sta. Marcela, Apayao. Their age ranges from 13 to 75 years of age.

Significance of the Study

The results of this study will benefit the following:

Respondents: This study seeks to help the respondents to be aware of the usefulness of

eating momma or Betel Nut and the health problems that they might encounter.

Researchers:The result of this study would give the researcher an idea of how eating

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 momma or Betel Nut benefits the respondents and their bad effects in their health.

Future Researchers: This study would be helpful and useful to the future researchers who

would have the same study with this research work since they can use this as their

reference to expand on their studies.

Community: This study will serve as their basis in their policy making regarding eating

momma or Betel Nut

Research Paradigm

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

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 Figure 1.

The Research Paradigm showing the relationship between the Independent and Dependent

Variables.

II. Related Literature

Introduction

Momma is practiced by the Cordillera because of social reasons. It is used to

initiate, maintain, and propagate friendship and camaraderie. The Cordillera

offers momma as a sign of friendship. According to Magno (1998), “acceptance

or rejection” of a betel offer is a sign of acceptance or rejection of friendship.

“The momma brings the them together and closer to each other as they share

each other stash. Even the picking of the bunga is a group activity. As a way to

identify themselves, the some cordilleras elders use the momma. In the

mountains, if there is a large boulder of rock along the way, the elders will

chew momma and spit on the rock. When other passes Igorot the same way,

they will know whose spit was on the rock. The spitting is done in such as way

that a certain mark, design or symbol is discernible on the rock this mark,

design or symbol is associated with a certain Igorot.

Nga-nga: Betel chewing in the Philippines

- In the Philippines, betel chewing is referred to as nga-nga: nga- nga as the

composite of ingredients, nag-nga-nga-nga as betel chewing.

- Betel chewing used to be prevalent in the Philippines, from the Cordillera

mountains in the north to the Muslim communities in the south.

- Time was, nga-nga was an item of hospitality and friendship, a social lubricant

proffered during social encounters, as tea, coffee or wine, or the marijuana joint

in more recent times. In earlier Spanish times, the buyo was served in elegant

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 plates or service sets for the indulgence of the burgis.

- In central or southern Mindanao, betel chewing is a ritualistic custom among

the among the Maranao, Maguindanao, Bagobo and Tausug groups.

- The essential ingredients are (1) the areca nut, the seed of the areca palm

(Areca catechu). (2) betel leaves, which wraps the areca nut, and referred to by

some as the betel nut. (3) lime or apog, daubed on the betel leaf.

- Mascada, a plug of chewing tobacco, is a popular addition to the betel chew,

providing an addition kick.

Related Research and Studies

Reasons for Continued Practice of Coldillera

Pagmamaman's prevalence in the Coldilleras society can be attributed to four

reasons. First, the parents admit that they cannot and do not stop their children

from chewing maman. Their children want to experience pagmamaman, too,

just like what their parents are doing. On their own and among their friends,

these Dumagat children experiment and try to find out why their parents chew

maman. The second reason for the continued practice of pagmamaman is the

availability of the maman ingredients. The bunga and lamika can be planted and

cultivated in a short time even in the backyard. They also grow even unattended

in the mountains. The seat shells that are made into apog (just the simple

process of roasting the shells) are abundant in riverbanks and along the Matawe

beach which is just in front of the Coldillera settlement. The mascada is sold at

an affordable price. Third, there is no local law or ordinance regulating the use

of maman that prevents the cordillera from pagmamaman that can result in the

non-practice of the habit. In the province of Apayao, especially in the Coldillera

settlement, the Coldilleras are free to chew maman anytime and anywhere they

want. And fourth, the Coldilleras refuse to let go of it. When the Coldillera

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 were asked for their reaction in the event that pagmamaman is regulated or even

prohibited, some of the male half-seriously said they would rather be

imprisoned than stop chewing maman.

For the people in that area, giving up pagmamaman is like losing a long held

tradition. One of the leaders explained why he refuses to give up chewing

maman:

“Dahil yung kultura namin gusto ko inizia Na kung baga ito yung isang alaala

na quaw kung iwanan”.

Traslations. I want to preserve our culture. This is one memory that I don't want

to forget.

Effects of Momma (Eating Betel Nut)

Depending on the users, momma brings about dizziness, intoxication,

thickening or numbness of the gums, addiction, or difficulty in oral reading.

There are three sure things that momma users experience: discoloration of the

gums, teeth and lips, excessive salivation, and spitting First time users may

experience dizziness or intoxication especially when the saliva is swallowed.

Despite the intoxication, giddiness, or numbing of gums, the first time momma

user is not threatened by the experience, instead relishes and repeats it. The

Dumagats said that the person tries the momma again because it is addictive. If

they are deprived of momma for a long time, they become irritated. They suffer

headache resulting in not being able to concentrate and work. In a fact sheet

produced by the Australian Drug Foundation (ADF), it states that: "People who

chew large amounts of arcae nut and betel quid on a regular basis may become

dependent on it” and when they stop using it they may experience withdrawal

symptoms. The withdrawal symptoms are generally mild and include: mood

swings, feeling uneasy, anxious, irritable, paranoid, poor concentration lack of

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 energy. fidgety, sleep disturbance and increased appetite" (ADI. 2000) appetite

One parent stated that the children who chew momma have difficulty in oral

reading and they stutter when they do. Some parents tell their children not to

chew momma because "bibigat ang dila niyo kung kayo babasa" (Translation:

your tongue will get heavy when you read).

A very telling effect of prolonged and continuous use of momma is the

discoloration of the Dumagat's gums, teeth and lips. Even Mog-got is described

as having "agiw" because of the maman. To quote again the popular Coldilleras

song

"Ako si ikmo, pamangkin Apog

Apo ni Mascada, huwa haku Pag dong apat nagsama-sama

Labi ng matanday laging namumula”

Translation. I am limo, nephew of Apoc. Grandsen of Mascada, futher of

Tabakas Put all four together Lips of the elderly are always red. The song tells

of the effect of pagmamaman wherein the lips of old people who use maman

become red. The perennial user of maman experiences the changing of the

colors of the gums, teeth and lips into bright orange-red color. This color is

produced by the bunga (David Gallardo, 2009)

The person who chews maman inordinately salivates. Areca nut has the alkaloid

arecoline that "stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, resulting in a

contraction of the pupils and an increased secretion of tears and saliva" (Fowler,

2005). As a consequence of excessive salivation from moman chewing, users

spit a lot. The spit everywhere even right at the place where they are seated or

standing. MoreMore alarming than all of the negative effects of betel-nut

chowing on health is contracting diseases like cancer, upper respiratory tract

infection (URTI), peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and diabetes,

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 According to the Philippine Cancer Society (PCS) betel-nut chewing is one of

the main causes of mouth cancer (another one is cigarette smoking) in the

Philippines (Jimenez, 2004). Dr. Jence Bautista, President of the Philippine

Dental Association Baguio Chapter, warns that betel nut "is carcinogenic and it

does not make the teeth stronger" and that cases of oral cancer caused by betel

nut chewing are on the rise in the Philippines wherein Northern Luzon and

Mindanao have the most number of cases (Caluza, 2007).

Chewing nganga can also cause are upper respiratory tract infection (URTI),

peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and diabetes. During a medical mission for the

Dumagats of Angat Watershed, Bulacan conducted by the Foundation of Our

Lady of Peace Mission, Inc. (FOLPMI), it observed that the Dumagats "habit of

nganga or betel nut chewing is also very common which could partly explain

the URTI transmission and predisposition for PUD.

The Apayao province are aware that medical authorities warn against the health

risk of maman chewing. According to them doctors are indeed concemed about

the chemicals from the maskada that may reach their lungs. In addition, some of

the people no longer make the apog in the traditional way of roasting the

seashells but some of them avail of chemically treated apog For them, as long

as the ingredients, i.e. maskada and apag, are produced naturally the maman

would be safe to use.

Pagmamaman as Practiced by the Coldillera

Pagmamaman is the Coldillera's practice of chewing maman (nganga in

Tagalog), a betel nut quid made of bunga (Areca nut), lamika or litlit or ikmo or

buyo (Betel leaf), apog (lime) and mascada or tabako (tobacco), The Dumagat

practices the pagmamanan in two ways. One way is to put each ingredient

separately inside the mouth and chew them one after the other (bunga first,

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 lamika next, followed by the maskada and last the apog). The other way is to

wrap the bunga, maskada and apog with the lamika and put the package inside

the mouth and chew them altogether. The maman is a concoction of bunga seed,

one whole lumika leaf (if average size. if bigger will do), and a pinch of

maxkada and apog each. The Dumagats attest that there is no difference in taste

and effect between the two ways of chewing maman.

According to the Dumagats, the maman is bitter and spicy. The bitter taste

comes from the lamika (Wikipedia, 2010). Mr. Ambida, one of the LPU faculty

researchers who chewed maman, confirmed that fact.

Since in Cordillera cannot go about their everyday business without chewing

maman, they bring the it with them everywhere they go. They can be seen

wearing bags where they put their supply of maman, For the Dumagat women,

they have a small purse, a handbag or ladies bag or pouch, just like the ones

used by the Tagalog women. For the men, they use belt bags on plastic bags. Ka

Romy, the president of the MAEDUP (Magkaeisin 1 Dumagat de Matawe e

LPU), one of the tribal leaders who is very keen on protecting their rights and

preserving their culture, puts his maman ingredients in a traditional container,

the "Inok" that is made from anahaw leaves.

Pagmamaman is done any time of the day by women and men, adult and young

people, among themselves and even in the presence of the Tagalog. One said

that it does not even take a minute after the spittle is spat that the next mix of

maman is chewed. They start the habit even at seven years old. During the

Focus Group Discussion (FGD), the Coldillera introduced an eight year old boy

who already started to chew the momma.

Shows the ingredients and procedures of making maman, Maman is a

concoction of the following ingredients: bunga, litlit, apog and tahako. The first

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 ingredient, hunga is the fruit of the betel nut palm or areca catechu palm

(Staples and Bevacqua, 2006). The fruit which is commonly known as the areca

nut is egg-shaped, more or less four inches in height and two inches in width,

and has a thin husk not unlike a small coconut which enclosed the seed. The

husk is used as a toothbrush by the Dumagats. When the areea nut is unripe it is

green and when ripe it may be yellow, orange, red or brown. The Dumagats

said that the hunga falls off from the branch when it is ready to be planted. The

seed is light brown and looks like and smaller than a walnut The areca palm

which can grow up to 25 meters high (BPI, n.d.) can be found anywhere in the

Coldillera area in between or among different vegetation like groups of coconut

trees. The chew ripe or unripe bunga. The trunk of the areca palm which was

planted beside a coconut tree was half the diameter of the coconut trunk.

Lamika (Dumagat) or Ikmo/Buyo/Litlit (Tagalog) is betel leaf, a vine classified

as Piper berle (Pinoy Herbs, 2009). It is the second ingredient, Litlit is green,

heart-shaped, shiny, 15 cm long (Shipard, n.d.) and has more or less seven ribs.

The Dumagats have easy access to litlit leaves since the vine is wild and grows

abundantly in the mountains. They also cultivate the litt in the backyard and

after a month of planting, litlit is already knee high and can be harvested.

A third ingredient of maman is apog which is made from seashells like suso.

The Dumagat make their own apog by roasting the seashells (after making a

meal of the flesh) until they turn into powder. They are abundant and can be

found in the ocean, on the seashore and along riverbeds.

Maman would not be thoroughly enjoyed without this fourth ingredient which

is the tobacco leaves or niascada. Among the four ingredients of maman, only

the mascada is bought by the Dumagats. They buy one stick of mascada at eight

or nine pesos. One stick comprises several tobacco leaves rolled in a compact

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 way. This can be bought from the sari-sari stores of the Tagalog.

An estimated 600 million people around the world chew betel quids, which,

after tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine drinks, makes them the fourth most

commonly used psychoactive substance internationally.

According to scientific research, betel nut chewing greatly increases likelihood

of developing serious diseases including cancers of the mouth and esophagus.

Chewing areca nut on its own has been linked to oral submucosal fibrosis, and

in 2003, the World Health Organization sponsored group, International Agency

for Research on Cancer (IARC) concluded that sufficient evidence of chewing

betel quid, even without tobacco, is carcinogenic to humans. Further immediate

health effects include gum damage and tooth decay."Banarasi Paan betel nuts

arranged on betel leaves."

The same goes for Thailand. However, in the Maldives, Taiwan, Papua New

Guinea, Guam, and India, the chewing of areca nuts is ubiquitous and they are

available almost everywhere, with or without betel leaf, and almost always with

tobacco. The severe tooth decay and stained crimson mouths of millions of

Asian, South East Asian and Pacific inhabitants around the world can be

attributed to their addiction to betel. Interestingly, and tellingly, possession of

betel nut or leaf is banned in the UAE and is a punishable offence. The selling

of betel in places such as the UK or USA, however, go largely unnoticed, sold

openly at Chinese supermarkets or Asian markets. Paan stalls and vendors can

also be found predominantly Indian areas of London (although there are fines of

up to £80 in some areas if you spit in public!). In places like Vietnam, the betel

ritual forms a very important part of new marriages. When the areca nut and the

betel leaf come together, it is a physical signifier of their love joining together

as one.

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 High blood pressure

Long-term effects

Regular, heavy use of betel nut may eventually cause:

Discolouration of teeth and gums, sometimes turning them reddish-brown

Mouth ulcers and gum disease

Oral cancers or sub mucous fibrosis (a pre-cancer condition)

Stomach ulcer

Heart disease6

Needing to use more to get the same effect

Dependence on betel nut

Financial, work and social problems

Using betel nut with other drugs

The effects of taking betel nut with other drugs – including over-the-counter or

prescribed medications – can be unpredictable and dangerous, and could cause:

Betel nut + tobacco: greatly increases the risk of developing oral cancers.

According to Guha (2006), betel leaf has traditionally been used to cure

halitosis, boils and abscesses, constipation, headaches, itches, mastitis,

conjunctivitis, ringworm, and rheumatism. Health effects are reported

differently in different cultures.

Problems encountered In Momma Consumption

Apart from being carcinogenic to the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, liver and

uterus, it has many diverse effects on the human body affecting almost all the

organs. The systemic effects of areca nut are mainly due to the principle

alkaloid arecoline. Areca nut causes euphoria, increase in heart rate, increased

blood pressure, GABA inhibition and damage to neurons, but has no effect on

concentration and memory. Areca nut causes hyperlipidemia, vasospasm and

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 cardiac arrhythmias leading to an increased risk of myocardial ischemia.

Arecoline interferes with the fat metabolism leading to Type II diabetes,

metabolic syndromes and deranged blood lipid levels. Chronic areca nut

consumption causes hypothyroidism, prostate hyperplasia, infertility and

Vitamin D deficiency. Areca nut interferes with the immune system by

interfering with the activation of T-cells and production of cytokines. Areca nut

chewers are predisposed to asthma as it causes bronchoconstriction and

decreased FEV1. Women who consume areca nut regularly have more

incidences of low birth weight and preterm deliveries. Thus, it is evident that

areca nut is a harmful and addictive substance that affects the whole human

body, and its use must be tightly regulated for the welfare of the society.

After coffee, alcohol, and nicotine, betel nut is the fourth most regularly used

psychoactive stimulant on the planet. Mawa, paan, gutkha, khaini, and paan

masala are all chewing goods that contain betel nut. Betel nut is used for a

variety of reasons, including euphoria, fatigue reduction, increased salivation,

satiation, and even toothache relief.

III. Objectives

General:

The study aims to describe the usefulness of momma or eating betel nut to the Yapayao’s.

Specific:

1. What are the profile of the respondents in terms of :

a. age;

b. sex;

c. civil status;

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 d. occupation;

e. educational attainment;

f. monthly income; and

g. religion?

2. Who influences the respondents in eating momma or betel nut?

3. What do the respondent gain from eating momma or betel nut?

4. What are the health problems do the respondents encounter?

IV. Methodology

This Chapter presents the methods and procedures, sampling technique, the measuring

instrument, the data gathering procedure and the statistical tools that will be used in this

study.

Research Design

The Qualitative research design was used in this study. The design was chosen

because according to Best, this is the most appropriate design for describing events,

circumstances, and or other variables to be related to another variable or he dependent

variable.

The descriptive research design described the profile of the respondents in terms of age,

sex, civil status, occupation, educational attainment, monthly income, and religion.

Locale of the Study

The study was conducted at the barangay of San Mariano, Sta. Marcela Apayao. The target

respondents for the study are the men who ages 15-75 years old who’s currently living at

San Mariano, Sta. Marcela Apayao. The place of interview was conducted in their

workplace during their free time while others were in their houses. Thus, the place and

time depends on the respondents’ and the researchers’ schedule.

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 Respondents of the Study

The researcher selects the target population consisting of 20 male respondents that were

residing at San Mariano, Sta. Marcela Apayao. The researchers select the respondent

whose age is 15-75 years old. This study uses purposive sampling as a type of non-

probability sampling to choose the respondents. In order to conduct the Purposive selection

Strategy, the researcher first defined the population by listing down all the members of the

population and evaluating them using their possible answers.

Instrumentation

The main research tool was the Survey-questionnaire which consists of two parts. Part 1

was on their personal information, while part 2 consists on the descriptive questionnaire.

This is definitely appropriate because the study sought to identify the usefulness of

Momma to the lives of Yapayao’s.

Data Analysis

In analyzing the data obtained via the administration of survey questionnaire, weighted

mean was the statistical tool used in this study.

The data were gathered and tabulated, analyzed and interpreted with the use of the

following statistical tool. Frequency count means and percentages were used in treating the

profile of the respondents. Values of the computed mean, was used to provide initial

description of the different explanatory factors based on the interpretation, as follows:

Likert Scale

Numerical Scale Range Interval Descriptive Value

5 3.68-4.34 - Strongly Agree

4 3.01-3.67 - Agree

3 2.34-3.00 - Neutral

2 1.67-2.33 - Dis Agree

1 1.00-1.66 - Strongly Dis Agree

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 V. Results and Discussion

VI. Conclusion & Recommendations

References

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The Usefulness of Momma (Eating Betel Nut) to the lives of the Y’Apayaos

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Course

Research in Social Studies (SSE 105)

Submitted by:

Renz A. Avanzado

Aila Joy S. Angyaen

Jae-m Mabanag

Mery Grace Corpuz

Jeffrey Viernes

Submitted to:

REYMARIE M. CABAN, PhD

Course Instructor

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 JUNE 2022

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