MAGLALATIK
(Coconut Meat Gatherers)

Maglalatik is a mock-war dance of Spanish origin that depicts a fight between the Moros and the Christians over the prized latik, or coconut meat residue. It was first seen in Biñan, Laguna, Philippines, and is also performed as a tribute to the patron saint of farmers, San Isidro de Labrador. Moro dancers wear red trousers while the Christian dancers show up in blue. All dancers are male, with harnesses of coconut shells attached on their chests, backs, thighs, and hips.

In this guitar adaptation by Bayani Mendoza de Leon, the brisk, lilting character of the dance has been essentially captured, but some sections were given a different treatment to convey a more delicate and in turn rhapsodic feeling, making for refreshing contrast to the normally spirited pulse of the music.