Sitsiritsit, also known as Sitsiritsit Alibangbang, is a
Filipinofolk song. This humorous song describes a flirtatious woman threatening a storeowner that the
ants are going to get him if he is not going to extend
credit, as well as unusual situations of exchanging a child for a doll or
bagoong. It is said to have originated during the country's
Spanish colonization, as its lyrics suggest the ordinary life during that time. The melody of the song is similar to Fly, Fly the Butterfly, another Filipino folk song but in the English language.
Mama, mama namamangka
Pasakayin yaring bata
Pagdating sa
Maynila
Ipagpalit ng manika
Ale, aleng namamayong,
Pasukubin yaring sanggol
Pagdating sa
Malabon,
Ipagpalit ng
Bagoong.
Cicada, Butterfly
Jewelled beetle, Rhinoceros beetle
The woman on the street,
Struts her hips like a rooster.
Holy Child of Pandacan,
Rice cookies at the store.
If you do not extend credit,
The ants will eat you up.
Mister, Mister, rowing a boat,
Kindly take this here child for a ride
Once you reach Manila,
Exchange it for a doll.
Miss, Miss, holding an umbrella,
Kindly take this here baby.
Once you reach Malabón,
Exchange it for shrimp paste.
Popular culture
In the children's program
Batibot, there are two
alienpuppets named Sitsiritsit and Alibangbang who love discovering new things, places, and people around them.[1]
In the 1920s, a jazzy version performed with a raspy voice by
Vicente Ocampo was popularized on the
Manilabodabil circuit.[2]
^Luningning B. Ira (December 1998), "Two Tickets to Vod-A-Vil", 1898:The Shaping of Philippine History, 16, vol. II, Manila: Asia Pacific Communications Network, Inc., p. 22