Given the present predicament that people around the world find themselves in, it is only right to ask, will the Filipino come out OK?

The answer could be in the palm of our hand.

“Palad” is our native word for the palm of the hand, which palmistry claims to be connected with one’s future. It is a mother lode rich with meanings, from which many popular terms have been derived.

It is in fact a root concept that has given rise to a way of thinking and a whole set of beliefs that are distinctively Filipino.

Guhit ng palad is a good phrase to start with. Literally, it means the lines etched in the palm of your hand. Like natives of other superstitious cultures, Filipinos put serious consideration to what the lines in one’s palm signify. Based on the lines that intersect in your palm, a seasoned reader will tell you what will happen to you in the years to come, whom you will marry, whether you will succeed in life or not, and whether you will live long or your life will be cut short.

The Filipino believes that there is a Supreme Creator who charts the individual’s fate or destiny. The lines in one’s palm may give clues to one’s lifeline, health line, and love line. Even the urban Filipino takes palm reading seriously. However, when one experiences a setback or achieves success, it is attributed to guhit ng palad.

Kapalaran is a twin term of guhit ng palad. It is also derived from palad andrefers to one’s fate, destiny, or fortune. Filipinos believe that everyone is assigned a role to play in life. This is your destiny or fate. You can be born poor or rich. You can be physically deformed from birth. You can be dark-skinned or blessed with a fair complexion. Whatever, this is your kapalaran. This, however, is not predestination. The Filipino is no less a fatalist than other people, but he is also very conscious of his own freedom and free will and believes that he can do something to rise above his lot or reverse his fortune, if he wants to. However, he also believes that God’s will is supreme and that abiding by His will, and accepting His will, is often the wisest course.

Gulong ng Palad. Literally it means “the wheel of fate.” You may be down now but there will come a time when you will be up. It is a way to summon up hope in the hearts of people who are undergoing trials or extreme suffering at the moment. But at the same time, it also serves as a warning to those who are experiencing success or good fortune at the moment.  There will come a time when these prosperous times will be no more. So one should not be cruel, indifferent, cold, unkind, or ungenerous to one’s relatives or neighbors. They may be the ones who will help you later on.

The Filipino accepts the reality that one’s destiny can either go north or south. And there are two terms that refer to these situations. One is kabutihang palad, which literally means good fortune. It is used to refer to an acquaintance who is enjoying success or has an abundance of possessions. Fortune is shining on him.  The opposite is kasamaang palad. Kasamaan means evil or bad. Hence, kasamaang palad means misfortune or luck that went in the opposite direction. These terms imply that situations are never permanent. They will change with the inexorable rolling of life’s gulong ng palad.

Mapalad. This means you are blessed. It is a contraction of two words, may palad. You possess good fortune or you are blessed with good things and happiness. It can also mean that you experience lesser misfortune because someone up there smiles at you.Kapuspalad describes a person who is deficient, short of, or deprived of blessings. This is a contraction of kinapos sa palad. This is the opposite of mapalad. Note that there is no ancient term for luckless or the complete absence of luck or blessings. Probably because the ancient Filipino believes that no one is totally damned by Bathala. He just withholds some of his blessings, that’s why you don’t have abundant success.

Maykapal is a contraction of the words May Kapalaran. The term refers to that almighty force that holds your destiny in the palm of his hand. He has control and power over your fate. He is the powerful being that charts your destiny. He can shower or withhold blessings. Usually, it goes with the honorific term Poon as in Poong Maykapal.

Sumpa is a contraction of the phrase “Sumama ang Palad.” It means to curse, or to wish someone bad luck. An elder or a witch can bring the powers-that-be to rain misfortune on you for being tampalasan or for going against his wishes, or for being ungrateful. A variation is manumpa—to take an oath under the pain of being cursed or under the threat of inviting misfortune or bad destiny if you do not stay true to your promise.

Ganti ng palad. Retribution, reward or punishment. This is fate’s reward for being good or for doing something good for others. Filipinos believe that being good is rewarded by the gods. This is also true of the opposite. It is similar to the concept of karma. You reap what you sow. God does the avenging for you. The Lord is my vengeance, for He is just.

Pagpalain. It means to receive blessings.  When a Filipino says, “Pagpalain ka sana ng Poong  Maykapal”, he is wishing someone, a loved one, relative, or friend good fortune. He means nothing but the best for you. Literally, this valediction is translated as ”May God shower you with good fortune.” It is like praying to God to grant blessings or good luck to someone who is going away.

All these native words and phrases derived from palad have become part of the Filipino’s everyday lingo, folk terms that convey a fatalistic perspective towards life and the world. But mind you, it is not the fatalism of the hopeless or the despairing. On the contrary, it is a willful or even hopeful resignation to or acceptance of the vicissitudes of fate.

The Filipino can accept his fate precisely because Bathala knows what is best for him. He knows in his heart that Bathala will pull him up in the end. It is the kind of forward-looking acceptance that enables the Filipino to believe he can outlast whatever kind of blow that life or fate can deal him.

Understanding the rich meanings of palad will help explain our native resilience in the face of the almost two-year long epidemic. Come what may, our simple folk faith in gulong ng palad is the key to our ultimate survival as a people.

Featured image: “Recollection of Pain”, watercolor painting by artist Cesar Gueta.