SCRIPT: CORDILLERA RITUALS as a WAY of LIFE
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SCRIPT: CORDILLERA RITUALS as a WAY of LIFE
(An account of a popular life story in the Cordillera from birth to a happy death)
By Caridad B. Fiar-od, Ph.D.
Narrator 1:
In 1918 before World War II, the whole Cordillera was struck with famine. People had to journey to survive. Specifically, people of the Mountain Province had to traverse the Cordillera range for three days or more to reach the lowlands like Candon, Ilocos Sur. They carried flint stone (palidan) in exchange for food and salt. One day, a platoon of sturdy men led by Cay-asen, Lam-en, Dugayen, Guinayen, Solimen, Pooten, and others went on journey passing through Aluling, Cervantes, La Union and to the fields of Candon. Along the rice fields, they met a father and a young boy, about five years old. The father and son were so scared of the platoon of men thinking they were headhunters from hinterlands since headhunting was common those days. They ran as fast as they could but the able-bodied men were able to get hold of the young boy. The group of elders brought the young boy to their home in Golinsan. In Golinsan, the elders named the boy, Laongan. Laongan, born in the Ilocos, was raised as an Igorot.
At age 15, Laongan informed the Council of Elders (COE) at the Dap-ay/Ato that he wanted to go on a journey too. The COE was more than happy so a BEGNAS festival was declared as a thanksgiving and as a sort of despedida for Laongan. Laongan’s surrogate parents performed the daw-es to empower Laongan. A series of prayers were recited to wish Laongan the best of everything should he decide to search for a wife.
SCENE 1: BEGNAS (MOUNTAIN PROVINCE)
Props: Patpatayan (sacred tree) and also the scene of a dap-ay and/or ato where there are stones to sit on and a pile of burning wood (could be improvised as look alike.)
Costume: Ballaka or head gear (at least three) and the arm band or the bone necklace (buaya) for the Council of Elders in the Dap-ay and/or Ato
(Grand entry with the Khayew. Participants procession to the stage and as part of the Begnas, the luweb is performed to empower Laongan, the pitik of tapey done and the symbolic opening dance ‘tebyag’ done.)
Narrator 2:
After the Begnas, Laongan passed through mountains and reached Maeng, Abra. In Abra, he learned to speak Maeng and Ilocano. Likewise, he was more accepted in the community. He introduced himself as Laongan Marrerro. Laongan was so industrious that one of the young girls of the Valera clan named Dona, half the age of Laongan, who traced her roots from the Maeng tribe of Senga clan, fell in love with Laongan. They were later married in a traditional Abra wedding ceremony.
SCENE 2: TRADITIONAL ABRA WEDDING CEREMONY
Props: The pronouncement of vows with bride and groom in their Abra gala attire.
Costume: Gala costume for the Abranian used in weddings.
Narrator 3.
In less than a year stay in Abra, two traders from Kalinga passed by Dona and Laongan’s house. The couple invited the traders, who introduced themselves as Gumawang and Linggayo, to stay with them. Gumawang and Linggayo were actually tribal leaders and when they left for Kalinga, they told the village people of Dona and Laongan’s hospitality. In appreciation of the couple’s hospitality, Gumawang and Linngayo invited them to Kalinga to live with the village people. Dona and Laongan built a hut in a communal land shared by the Kalinga people. A ritual was performed before the young couple entered the hut.
SCENE 3. KALINGA RITUAL BEFORE HOUSE OCCUPANCY
Props: A small hut in Kalinga (with some palay or rice being the rice granary) to be considered for the ritual before occupancy. At least a Kalinga hut and Ifugao hut in tarpaulin to be used as a background. If there is difficulty for a make-shift, these could be painted in the country of residence.
Narrator 4.
One night, Laongan and Dona dreamed that Kabunyan, the Almighty, whispered to them to go to Apayao, the nearest province to Kalinga, and teach the people rice agriculture. The couple, led by their dream, traveled to Apayao where they met the Cadag and Aliten clans. In the vast lands of Apayao, they tilled a portion of land, which seemed to have opened the people’s eyes to learn to produce rice.
SCENE 4. APAYAO AGRICULTURAL RITUAL
Props: A wide tract of land of Apayao could be painted in the country of residence. Likewise, the woman ritualist to perform should be in complete Apayao costume.
Narrator 5.
When more people came to the area, Laongan and Dona were so happy. At the same time, they were sad because they were childless. At this time, a man named Ortega advised them to leave Apayao and go to Ifugao to seek the help of a Mambunong who will pray to Maknongan or Kabunyan for them to have a child. Laongan and Dona went to Ifugao and were introduced to elder Buduhan. Amused with Laongan’s industriousness and perseverance, Buduhan and Dunuan gave them a terraced rice field to tend, until their prayers of having a child were answered. True to Buduhan’s prayer Dono said one day that she was pregnant. For Laongan to always attend to Dona’s needs, he stayed at home to carve wood of ‘bulul’ as a symbolic guardian of their rice harvest. One night, Dona delivered to a baby girl.
SCENE 5. IFUGAO RITUAL OF WELCOMING AND NAMING THE CHILD
Props: “Bulul” and Ifugao hut.
Naming of the child - The baby was named Bangan meaning beautiful maiden.
Narrator 6.
It came to pass that Bangan, the daughter of Laongan and Dona, manifest the beauty and brains of the Cordillera peoples. Bangan at age five could dance, chant, fetch water and pound rice. She was a friend to everyone. One day when she was 15, Bangan asked permission from her parents to join all others like Bugan, Kadmani, Kindeman, Yemyeman for a mountain trekking. Bangan and all others, with the company of gold panners, reached Benguet. As inquisitive as Bangan was, she learned that her father who was renamed Laongan was actually Tabio, the son of Dumalos from Kapangan of the Bado Dangwa clan. Suitors came far and near to court Bangan. In the end, she fell in love with Dulnuan who traced his roots from Kapangan and Kiangan. Laongan and Dona followed their daughter, Bangan, to Benguet where Laongan died at the age of 100. He was survived by his wife Dona, who was only 50 years old. Laongan’s wake was for 21 days of happy celebration of his fulfilled life on earth.
SCENE 6. DEATH-RELATED
(Rituals among the Benguets for those dying of old age.)
Props: chicken, bundled elongated leaves, and basin of water for cleansing.
Narrator 7. CONCLUDING STATEMENT
During the death of the 100-year old Laongan, it was surmised that Cordillerans wherever they are around the world come from one or two clans. They are identified with such values of being generally ritualistic (prayerful) as the root of their present Christian belief - the presence of the powerful Almighty God called in different names. These Cordillerans in general, or Igorots in particular, are identified by their determination to search for greener pastures, their strong family ties from birth to death and their innate capability to survive.
SCENE 7. PATTONG by all Participants.
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Guide for performers:
Estimated time of whole performance with some waiting time: 1.5 hours
Estimated time for actual performances: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Allotted time for reading narration:
- To open Mountain Province, Begnas 10 minutes
- Traditional Wedding, Abra 10 minutes
- House warming, Kalinga 10 minutes
- Agricultural Ritual, Apayao 5 minutes
- Naming the baby, Ifugao 10 minutes
- Death-related ritual, Benguet 10 minutes
- Pattong 5 minutes
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This article appeared in the magazine, “Cordillera Rituals as a Way of Life,” published by Igorot Cordillera BIMAAK Europe (ICBE) in April 2009. The magazine was presented during the 5th ICBE Consultation held in Vallendar, Germany on April 10-13, 2009.