TUKAB

TUKAB

2026 CORDILLERA UK ORGANIZATION - FIRST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

By Edmund Bugnosen Sr

 

GOOD AFTERNOON …  

With the assembly theme in mind, please allow me to briefly introduce myself.

My name is Ayban – per our tradition, one name was enough identity to go by. But due to western culture intervention, I am now called Edmund Bugnosen. I came to settle in the UK almost half a century ago when I was summoned by my wife who happened to be one of the first few Igorot ladies who came to work in this country in the early nineteen seventies. 

But despite all these years of living in this my new ili, I am still navigating my journey in life within the culture of our forefathers and norms in this land; and I believe the same applies to many of you for it is due to this very sentiment that we have gatherings like this.

Anyway, my role this afternoon is to lead the Tukab – or opening… 

And may I speak in the ancient words of our forebears with the blessings of ApoKabonyan.

NAN IGOROT AY BINATON APO KABONYAN AD SANG-ADOM, ET INPEYNA DAIDA ASNAN MENSIKAW YA MABILIG AY DOGON DI BATAWA

NAGASATDA NAN IGOROT AY NAYDA TAY NAN NAITDOANDA ET, MAPAGPAG AY POONDI DANUM. ADIPAY NAWAWADA NAN NAGAPUAN NAN KATAGOWANDA, ET DATDA SUMYA ET MAWADA NAN ENDA KANAN AY ILIDA.

OSDONGAN PAY APO KABONYAN DAIDA DATNA KANAN ISNAN IITAWDA.  MEN-ESET KAYO AS DAP-AY, TA WADAY MANG IWANWANED ISNAN AM-IN AY BANAGDI KATAGOWANYO YA KAIPOGAWYO. ADIPAY SIYA NAN DATDA ANGNEN ET NAWADA NAN KADAPADAPAY.

NGEM NAN BATAWADA ET ADI OMANANNAWA, ADIPAY NAN TAPINA ET DATDA BOMALA AY MAKISA-OY ISNAN TEKEN AY ILI.  ADI OMANO ET WADA NAN NA-AGAG AY MAKILAGBO AD LONDON, TA ENDA IPABPABOYA NAN KAIPOGAWDA YA NAN ENDA KOLTURA TA MENGASINGAN YA MENSOLOWAN NAN BIBISITA. 

SUMA-A DAPAY NAN NAYDA NAKISAOY AD LONDON DAT DAIDA NAN SUMYA. DADAPAY KANAN:– GAWIS NAN LONDON AY MEN-ANAPAN AS GAMENG YA KATAGOAN. NGEM ANG-NONA ET SOKOD MAETENG NAN IKADWAN DI AP-O DA, SAPAY KASIN ITDON APO KABONYAN ET OMEYDA ABES MAKILAGBO AD LONDON. 

KABABAIYAN NAN INMONA AY MEN-NURSE, MEN-AUPAIR, YA MAKIBA-A.  ILANPAY NAN NAYDA KABABAIYAN AY IN-MONA ET TET-EWA AY AMAY NAN LONDON AY MENLAGBOWAN YA MAKI-ILIYAN GEDAN. 

ADIPAY DATDA AYAGAN NAN KALALAKIYANDA. MID-EYA ET OMANAKDA, DADAPAY MAGANAK ET MAWADA NAN ILIN DI IGOROT AD LONDON AY NANG-GEGEMGEM ISNAN OGALI YA SORSORON DI ENDA NAGAPUAN. ET SIYA NAN ENDA NAILALASINAN. 

DATDOMATENG ABESNAN TAPINA AY NALPOD MIDDLE EAST, HONGKONG YA TEKEN AY BATAWA AY INYALIN NAN AAMODA, ET AMEDDA MATAPYAN. 

MADAGOPDAPAY DATDA KANAN, ONODON TAKO DIN INIKKAN DIN AALLAPO TAKO AD KASIN TA MENBANGON TAKOS DAP-AY TA, WADAY MANGKOGKOGONG KENDATAKO YA, MANIKAMKAMANGAN TAKOSNAN OGALI YA SORSORON DI NAGAPUAN TAKO TA, ADI MAKOTKOTAW NAN NAILALASINAN KAIPOGAW TAKO. ADIPAY SIYANAN DATDA ANGNEN, ET MAWADA ENDA DAP-AY.

GOMAGET ABES NAN ODOM AY INMONOD AY MAKI OBLA YA MAKI OSKILA DAT DATDA IPAKAT NAN LAINGDA YA GETKENDA ET MAWADA NAN TAPIN DI KADAPADAP-AY, KEG NAN KADA PROBINSIYA YA MUNICIPIO AY ENDA NAGAPOWAN. ORAYNAN NADAGOP ISNAN SOLSOLINEK DI UK DATDA ABES BANGONEN NAN DAP-AYDA. 

ADIPAY DEY GAWIS TAY ORAY NO ES-ESA TAKO AY ILI ASNA UK DAPAY ADO AY DAP-AY NAN MAKISIDONGAN TAKO BOMALAAN TAKO KAMANNAN CORDILLERA UK AY NANGDAGOP KENDA TAKO ADWANI AY MASDEM. ET GAWIS TAY NAY ASITAK0 BABALA.

ADIPAY NAN IKAKKANA TANNAY NAWADA TAKO AM-IN, IDAWAT NAN AY ESA AY BESAT, AMA, YA ALAPO TA, MAEESA TAKO AY, MANG-AYAG KEN APO KABONYAN TA SIYA NAN MANGTUKAB ISNAN DAGDAGOP TAKO.

DAWATEN TAKO GEDAN TA TUKABANA NAN AWAWAKTAKO, NEMNEMTAKO, YA POSPOSOTAKO, TETSAY - KAPYA, ORNOS, GASING, LAYAD, YA PANAKA-AWAT SI KADWA AY IPOGAW NAN MAWAWADA KENDATAKO AM-IN ADWANI YA ISNAN KAAGEAGEW.   

DAWATEN TAKO ABES KEN APO KABONYAN TA:-

• ITIDNA KENDATAKO NAN BIKAS YA SALON-AT DI AWAK, 

• IPAPAGEMGEMNA NAN TALNANDI AB-ABI-IK TAKO TA, MID OMEEGYAT YA MAIILEW

• SALINANANA DATAKO ISNAN KESAW YA DAKES 

• ADINA ITOLOK NAN UGALI AY AGOM, YA LAWA AY APAL ISNAN KAIPOGAO TAKO, ISNAN DAP-AY TAKO YASNAN ILI AY GINAEB TAKOSNA 

• IBANAGNA NAN NINKOLANG TAKO, DATNA ITDO NAN DAAN AY ENTAKO ONODEN 

• DANAPAY PASIKA-EN NAN LAGBO TAKO TA WAS ESA EN SOMYA
  
  

MEN-IYAMAN TAKO ABES ISNAN NAAY NAIDATENG AY TAPEY. TA MAKISIKOBAN NAN PIPINADING TAKO AY ADI KAILA AY MENLIWLIWES ISNAN BATAWA TA, BIYANGENDA AY MANGIPITIK. ANONA ET KITKITOY NAN GOSI, DAPAY AD-ADO TAKO AY NADAGOP. ADIPAY ITALEK TAKO KEN APO KABONYAN TA IKISEBNA NAN NAAY TAPEY TA SOMIKA TA OMANAY AY, MANGWALIT KEN DATAKO AM-IN AY NADAGOP YANAN KIB-A TAKO AY EGAY DOMATENG TA, MID EN MAILAKLAKSIG. SIYA DI NAN INTAKO KANAN

DEY NAKWANI NAN TUKAB ET LATON, AWET GAWIS NAN DAGDAGOP TAKO DAPAY MATONGPAL NAN ADAWAG TAKO KEN APO KABONYAN.

London, July 2026

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CORDILLERA UK ORGANIZATION - FIRST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Tukab Interpretation/Translation 

By Jane Bugnosen 

Tukab is basically opening remarks and prayers combined. It is traditionally rendered while opening a jar of newly brewed rice wine, hence also known as Tukab di Banga (pot) or Tukab di Gosi (jar). Like other faiths, saying Igorot prayers in traditional chants via the mother tongue is inherent to enhance the spiritual power of the prayer.

The Tukab led by Ed followed a usual way of Igorot praying by starting with an introduction (in this case a historical background - bearing in mind the theme of the assembly) followed by an appeal to the participants and plea to God Almighty. Roughly interpreted or translated as follows:

Introduction:

The introduction mentions that when the Igorots were brought into this world, God led them to a cool mountainous corner of the world – now called the Philippines. And that they were blessed because it was thickly forested with plenty of water sources; so, they had an immediate source of food to survive while developing the land. Hence, they thrived and prospered and became a community.

And that once settled, they – with God’s grace – formed community centres/organizations or dap-ays, which became the foundation in developing their political, social, economic and cultural norms or their way of life as a whole; and, in the process, created their own identity. 

However, their homeland could not sustain them all, so some went looking for means of livelihood or work elsewhere. And few were recruited to perform at fairs and expositions in major cities of the US and Europe including London. Although not specifically mentioned in the Tukab, Ed must have referred to his earlier searches on Igorots; wherein he noted that the first Igorots to work in the UK were performers at the Shakespeare’s England Exhibition held in Earl’s Court in 1912.  He also noted a post card showing the Igorots at the Exhibition and a building permit application with drawings for an Igorot dwelling to be built at Earl’s Court. Hence, concluded that they must have been among the “star performing artists” during the event.

He then mentions of the second wave of Igorot migrant workers in the UK in the early nineteen seventies, and that they were all women, coming mostly as pupil nurses and au pairs and few to work as house helpers; perhaps worth noting that two worked in the royalty household of then Lord Shelbourne.  And when the pioneering ladies brought their husbands and had children, a small Igorot community in the UK evolved, which grew with the coming of women domestic workers (from Middle East and Hong Kong) brought by their employers.

He then mentioned that while they have slowly integrated and embraced the local culture, they have also kept and practiced their cultural ways, norms and traditions, thus keeping their identity as a distinct tribe of people, which led them to band together and form their initial community organizations. And with more coming to the country- to work, study or just visit, other organizations (by province, by municipality, by regions in the UK, etc.) were formed, which include the Cordillera UK Organization that invited us all today.

Pleadings:

Now that we are gathered this afternoon as one community, let us all in one voice humbly beseech Almighty God to open our programme and pray for His guidance, support and presence during the assembly and in our daily lives.

Let us also welcome the Almighty to open our bodies, minds and hearts so that peace, joy, love and understanding reign with us all. 

We also pray that God

• give us strength in body and peace of mind 

• keep our spirits strong to withstand fear, anxiety and loneliness

• shield us from all evil and harm

• banish greed and envy from within us, within our organizations and within the community 

• mend our failures and show us the path to follow

• enhance the fruits of our labour
  
  

Let us also give thanks and praise for this jar of rice wine that is presented before us and invite the spirits of our forebears to partake with us with their blessings. The jar may be small, and we are many who are gathered; but with God’s grace, it will be enough to bless every one of us including all members of our different dap-ays and our community who are not present, so that no one is left behind.

This is what we say and with the Tukab done, all should be good during the assembly and God will heed our prayers. And with the blessing of Apo Kabonyan, the assembly is now OPEN. 

July 2026