Trouble in the highlands

A crowd of lowlanders stood transfixed at the sight of mumbakis (healers) conducting a ceremonial killing of a chicken and a pig. People who don’t understand would probably quickly label such rituals as barbaric but if they keep an open mind, they would only see culture unfolding right before their very eyes, something which, as Filipinos, they are very much a part of.

Called leppot where warriors dance to invoke the blessing of the gods and ensure the fertility of women, animals and crops, it’s part of a series of rituals known as Tigkhaw performed after a successful battle. Done by the people of Mayoyao in the province of Ifugao, the ritual ends with the agamid – the blessing of the people by the mumbaki.

The said reenactment is just one of the activities held recently in Intramuros meant to re-introduce the rest of the country to the oft-misunderstood Ifugao culture. The whole event was also a cry for help for the sad plight of the once mighty rice terraces, now facing its greatest challenge yet. Perhaps, if lowlanders get to understand the Ifugao culture through its age-old traditions, then they will truly understand how the rice terraces play a vital role in the Ifugaos’ cultural identity.

Ifugao Province is nestled at the foot of the Cordillera mountain ranges and consists of 11 municipalities – Aguinaldo, Asipulo, Banaue, Hingyon, Hungduan, Kiangan, Lagawe, Lamut, Mayoyao, Alfonso Lista and Tinoc. Its three major tribes include the Tuwali, Ayangan and Kalanguya. According to myth, the Ifugaos are "the direct descendants of Wigan, the god of the Skyworld, whose son and daughter – Kabbigat and Bugan – became the first parents of the Ifugaos who made Kiangan their home. Legend also has it that a god from the Skyworld gave the first sacred rice to the Ifugaos. The majestic rice terraces scattered all over the province are a silent testament to the once thriving rice culture of the Ifugaos.

Judging from the warm response and interest of the spectators that day, it was clear that the impassioned presentation conquered the hearts of the lowlanders. In a way, it also reaffirmed the Ifugaos’ unique place in this nation’s history.

It was a colorful sight – schoolchildren from Batad dressed in their traditional costumes, elderly mumbakis proudly garbed in their baki (healing ritual) clothes, members of the nobility wore their finest accessories including necklaces made of real gold nuggets.

One of the most applauded performances was the Asipulo presentation of a Tuwali wedding dance. The bride and groom performed a deceivingly simple series of hops and skips and graceful movements reminiscent of soaring eagles.

From Lagawe, a group of schoolkids eagerly performed the Humagabi rite, done when a kadangyan or a rich Ifugao couple wants to celebrate and thank God for their wealth and blessings. The ritual centers around a wooden couch called hagabi – a symbol of wealth and prestige. Traditionally, men gather in the forest to cut and carve the hagabi. The couch is then carried home but not without stopping in every village where a pig is butchered, dances are performed and wine is served. When the hagabi reaches its destination, the couple is asked to sit on each side of the hagabi completing the prestige rites. Dancing and butchering of pigs and carabaos follow soon after to celebrate the occasion.

The guests who witnessed the event also had the rare opportunity to listen to what Unesco has declared "a masterpiece of oral tradition and an invaluable contribution to the heritage of humanity" – the Hudhud epic chant. Performed by the elders of Kiangan, the Hudhud extolls the wealth and nobility of the Ifugao and is often recited during wakes and harvest time. The chanting is recited from memory and could go on for days.

It was just a pity that the guests weren’t given copies of the translations of the chants but it didn’t matter. The crowd remained glued to their seats, as if hypnotized by the haunting way the chants, as well as the Ifugao folk songs and ballads, were recited or sung.

But of all the activities that took place, it was the community dance that became a hit with the crowd. Every person in the venue was urged and coaxed to dance the traditional Ifugao way to celebrate camaraderie and goodwill. Kids especially, eagerly held up their arms, swayed and did the familiar hop-and-skip routine.

"It’s important that the younger generation of Ifugao children be exposed to their ancestors’ culture. Again, education is an important component in our goal to not only save the rice terraces but also to bring back our pride to our cultural traditions," says Ifugao Gov. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. who, together with DOT Secretary Richard Gordon and Unesco Philippines Preciosa Soliven, led the enthusiastic dancing inside the Clamshell in Intramuros. Rice wine and binakle rice cakes were also distributed among the appreciative crowd.

On one hand, the event was clearly an expression of solidarity and celebration of the Ifugao identity. But the most telling sign, however, was the presence of donation boxes in the area which hinted at a deeper, more urgent need – that of assuring the future of the rice terraces. It was a silent plea that effectively drowned out all the noise of the merrymaking. For without the rice terraces, we might as well say goodbye and see the last of these traditional dances, songs, games, and chants that once upon a time were common in Ifugao.