National Commission on Indigenous Peoples

Cordillera Administrative Region

Project EPANAW

IP Profiling

Applai

Applay means upstream. Iyaplay are people upstream. These are the people of the
municipalities of Sagada and Besao in the western part of Mountain Province. In the list
of NCIP, the Iyaplay also includes people from other western Mountain Province
municipalities particularly Tadian Bauko and Sabangan.

While the whole of western Mountain Province is from the upper tributaries of the Chico
River what sets the boundary between Applai and Kankana-ey is self-ascription, a result
of proximity to the main Kankana-ey area towards Benguet and the main Applay area of
Besao and Sagada.

The people of western Mountain Province were once classified as Northern Kankana-ey
to differentiate them from those in Benguet province who were called Southern
Kankanaey. Northern Kankana-ey people have harder intonation than their Southern
Kankana-ey brethrens.

Recently, the Applay worked for their recognition as a distinct IP group.

The Applai Ancestral Domain (AD)

The AD of the Applay is the whole of Sagada and Besao and some parts of Tadian,
Bauko and Sabangan. These municipalities have Certificates of Ancestral Domain
Claims (CADC) issued by the DENR and based on political boundaries.

There is no objection to these CADCs but NCIP experiences with the two towns proved
that the actual ADs are different. People of these towns know that they were once
comprised of independent villages with defined boundaries called “beddeng” which goes
beyond the political boundaries. These villages were commonly called “ili” and have
now expanded into clusters of villages but remain bonded by their distinctiveness.

The following table shows distinct ili of both towns which they termed sub-domains.

Ancestral Claimant Barangay/Sitio Coverage Total Status as to Issuance

Domain Pop’n of CADT
Sagada
 Ankileng Iyangkileng Gutang (Balintaugan), These ili agreed to
Angkileng, Taccong apply for the
 Balugan Ibalugan Balugan (also Bugang), convergence of their
Balintaugan (except Sitio CADC into a CADT.
Gutang) and part of Their application was
Ambasing however stalled by
 Sagada Isagada Demang, Dagdag, Patay boundary conflicts
(or Poblacion) and part between Tetep-an and
of Ambasing Bontoc-Ili; Pidlisan and
 Kiltepan* Ikiltepan or Tetep-an, Kilong, Dallican; Angkileng
Itetep-an Antadao and Bagnen; Angkileng
  Pidlisan Ipidlisan Pidlisan, Pide, Aguid, and Bauko.
Banga-an
 Tanulong Itanulong Tanulong, Madongo
Besao
 Talayca* Italayca or Tamboan, Laylaya, These ili were brought
Ikinali Catengan together in one Besao
 Laga* Ilaga or Lacma-an, Agawa, CADC but there was
Iyaggawa Gueday, Ambagiw never an application to
 Kinpadpa Ikinpadpa Kin-iway, Padanga-an, convert the CADC into
* Payeo a CADT.
 Bebasu* Ibebasu or Besao, Banguitan,
Ibesao Suquib
Overall Total
* These are modern AD names derived from the first syllables of the barangays comprising the
ADs.

Other Applay Territories

As far as NCIP is concerned, there are twelve Munici- Applay Applai

barangays in the other three western palities Barangays Pop’n
municipalities of Mountain Province that are Sabangan Tambingan,
considered Applay: seven out of 19 barangays in Data
Tadian; three out of 22 barangays in Bauko; and Bauko Balintaugan,
two out of 15 barangays in Sabangan. Bagnen
Proper and
The Applai barangays of Bauko town are very Oriente
proximate to Sagada. In fact Barangay Tadian Lubon,
Balintaugan except its sitio Gutang is considered Masla,
part of Balugan AD and Sitio Gutang is considered Mabalite,
part of Angkileng AD. Both Angkileng and Sumadel,
Batayan,
Balugan are ADs within Sagada.
Duwagan,
and Bantey
The two barangays of Sabangan are very Overall Total
proximate to Barangay Bagnen, which shares a
boundary with Angkileng and Balugan. The seven barangays of Tadian are the most
proximate barangays to Besao and Sagada.

Socio-Economic Conditions of the Applay

There are many college-educated members of the Applay IP group. Many among the
earlier ones, took jobs abroad and became pioneer members of the Igorot Global
Organization (IGO), an international organization promoting pride of Igorot identity. A
factor to this was the successful mission work of the Episcopal Church of the United
States of America which established St. Mary’s School (SMS) in Sagada in 1908. SMS
was among the very few high schools in the Cordillera then so that it attracted students
from different parts of Mountain Province and other provinces of the Cordillera region.

Today, almost all civil service positions and elected positions in the Applay ADs, are
occupied by the Iyapplay themselves

Farming, however is still the dominant source of livelihood. For a long time, before the
early *0’s when commercial vegetable farming was introduced, everyone was engaged
in traditional rice farming. In fact, many community cultural rituals evolved from the rice
farming cycle. Today, there is gradual but continuing shift to commercial vegetable
farming which may impact on the community cultural rituals.

Sagada, a solid Applay territory, is now a popular tourist destination. Tourism-related

businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, and tourist guiding have
become a major source of income.

Traditonal mining is active in some barangays of Sagada, Besao, and the Applay part of
Tadian. Elders have strong control over its activities.

Infrastructure, particularly transportation and communication is considered good.

Several barangays that used to be out of reach have cemented roads and is being
serviced by local jeepneys. Still reachable only by foot or by unreliable roads especially
during the rainy season are some barangays like Angkileng, Tanulong, Pide and
Pidlisan in Sagada; Ambagiw, Laylaya, Catengan and Gueday in Besao; Balugan and
Bagnen in Bauko; Mabalite, and some parts of Duagan, Bantey and Batayan in Tadian.

All areas of the Applay territories had been electrified. And cellphone signals are
generally good except in barangays ________, _______, ________________.

On the environment, many still have intact communal forests. This is where the
remaining biodiversity is concentrated. Because of the growing population, there is
increasing conflict on land such as the privatization of what used to be communal or
clan properties.

There is also the continuing conversion of land use.

Ethnicity

Communal land including its resources is the strongest indicator of ethnicity among the
Applay. They are protective of these resources as shown by the strong opposition
against the Cellophil Resources Corporation, a logging company that have included the
Applay forest in its logging concession in the early 1980’s. They also remain vigilant
against the entry of corporate mining into their domains so that no less than the
Municipal Local Government of western Mountain Province passed resolution opposing
corporate mining within their jurisdictions.

Begnas, a celebratory community ritual for good bounty and community health remains
active. This is done in the dap-ay, a traditional institution where elders hold meetings
on matters concerning the community.

Begnas is done following the cycle of traditional rice production.

The unwritten value of inayan and lawa, remains a strong although elders lament its
deteriorating influence. Inayan, which is akin to karma prevents one from doing a
certain behavior because it entails negative consequences that may come back to you
or your family or the community. Lawa means “bad” and therefore must not be done.

References:

1. Igorots: People who daily touch the sky,

2. Inayan and Lawa
3. Sagada ADSDPP 2nd Edition, 2019.
4. FPIC Report for the Proposed BIMAKA Renewable Energy Development Corporation
Hydro Power Plan for Besao AD, 2016.
5. Interview with Sagada Municipal IPMR Jaime “Tigan-o” Dugao
6. 2010 National Census, NSO