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Ibaloi Conversation
Ibaloi Conversation
Ibaloi Conversation
Ibaloi
ON
Conversations
IDENTIT
IDENTITYY C OMMUNIT
COMMUNIT
OMMUNITYY ,
AND WELL-BEING
Published by:
Tebtebba Foundation
No. 1 Roman Ayson Road
2600 Baguio City, Philippines
Tel. 63 74 4447703 Tel/Fax: 63 74 4439459
Email: tebtebba@tebtebba.org
Website: www.tebtebba.org
ISBN: 978-971-0186-04-4
Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being III
Ibaloi
ON
Conversations
IDENTIT
IDENTITYY C OMMUNIT
COMMUNIT
OMMUNITYY ,
AND WELL-BEING
IV Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being
Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being V
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
Stories of the Ibalois in Baguio City .................... 1
CHAPTER TWO
Family Matters and Recollections ........................ 29
by Sofia Olga Anton
Muyot ................................................................. 31
Ghosts ................................................................. 41
Pongo .................................................................. 44
Snakes ................................................................. 46
Shalshal .............................................................. 51
VI Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being
CHAPTER THREE
Problems and Hopes of the Baguio
Ibalois Today .......................................................... 55
by Jill Cariño
Introduction
JILL CARIÑO
CHAPTER ONE
ava, balat, dangka, abocado tan eshom mai-asek. Afel ngoy uma
tan payew, nontan shaha ikuan e mauwang kitijo. No mauwang
kami shema Boken, Salat (Zigsag) shema Pidawan (PMA now)
tan shi Bonagnag (Atok Trail), kami ha ememel-at ni olay ni
Balat, dokto, mais, no tempu ni ani kamiha memel-at ngo ni
page. Say mausal ngo no kuwanshay mauwang kaybang, sigutoy
guaguashen maujon nontan. Nontan no endaw kamid uma
guara ni olay egshe nen nanang men pakkong, pakpakgongan
to no kami ha man-ekad.
Eshahel baha ra fay nontan, et say budusan, sama shontog
jen senekop ni Camp John Hay tan sama shontog jen enda
mowan ni PMA. Anggen pay keshel bulos era nontan, no en
anak era ket shema shontog. No man me isaho et emay-ekad.
No enanak e kaong nontan ket guaray kinse, sampulo.
Nem neman da ngay ayshe met day budusan ni baha isunga
manmano ngo lay manbeka tan memastol. Pati pemekan ni
keshel ayshe la ta ekuan ni enasgang mo e man-ogob.
Nontan say Ivadoy sheya Doakan no guaray en-esek ni sahi
eraha man-iinahan, anggen pay maosal shi avong no ayshi asin
to ono asukal.
Menemnem ko no man saja era af-afo nontan eraha
maulnong shi pupuan et eraha manshangshangshang, shiya
pupuan sigatoy kaypoone ni keyew et belsegan. No mesenop
eran emenangshang era ngo ha mais-istorya. Makdot ngo ered
sha Doakan enggato neman. No mangdot era ni tayao eraha
memalti ni nuwang, baha tan keshel nu kesho e guaray ekuan
ni amed e mengsho ni kavajo era met laeng ka memalti.
Nontan ket say karakdan jen bali ni ivadoy sheya Doakan
ket esem et tabda e shatal to. Et guaray doongan to et shema
doongan, bajoan, ekay pegori ni baha no puwek, guaray keshel
pay. Et shi avong guaray shapolan sigatoy dutoan, et shima
shapulan guaray safatan ni pagi. Shiyay jen safatan emay ehet
ngo sota kay beteni ni ginoday. Egmankodang e mekan nontan
ta masdo eray afafo, tatang tan nanang jen mangobda ni baday.
Songa say boday sigatoy kawad-an ni biag.
4 Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being
Sto. Tomas Mountain, circa 1900-1910. From the collection of Jack Cariño.
Just as any place has its history, so too has Bakakeng its
own story to tell. This dates back to the 18th century when
Bakakeng was inhabited by some Ibaloi and a few
Kankanaey families. Bakakeng then comprised these areas:
1. Shalshal (Bakakeng Road, Justice Village, Pucay
Village, Kitma Village and Pirasas Compound). This
area was prone to landslides, hence was named
Shalshal, an Ibaloi term that means easily eroded;
This section was written by Gina Binayan Kiswa and Rose Camilo
1
Two gongs
named the
kalsa and
pinsak
Two drums
called kimbal
and solibao
these are simply boiled. This was how simple our ancestors
cooked their food. This perhaps could explain why they
were healthier, stronger and lived longer.
The young women’s task is to peel and cook the gabi
and camote. The young boys are there to fetch water. The
children’s presence, laughter and voices add life to the
celebration. And there you find the respected elders, mostly
in their colorful Ibaloi attire. The men are with their smoke
pipes while the women enjoy their shubdaan (a bush that
grows wild on the mountainsides, with aromatic leaves
that are dried and rolled like cigarettes). This is the best
time when the elders recount their history and continue
sharing their dreams with one another. Sometimes they do
this through chanting called ba-diw or story-telling. Rice
wine is passed around for adults. At mealtime, the
mambunong says some prayers and calls on all spirits of
the Ibaloi ancestors to partake of the offerings. Then
everyone is invited to eat.
Looking at the scene, life seemed so beautiful and
simple! That was when Bakakeng was once upon a time a
haven for nature’s best and nature’s bounty was shared
with everyone. Time was when food was gathered for
consumption, not for exchange. That was when people
found time just to be with others and enjoy each other’s
presence. Such was a strong spirit of communal living
among the peace-loving Ibalois of Bakakeng!
The kedot is but a deep expression of their religious
beliefs, which was misunderstood by the early missionaries
and, sad to say, was branded as “pagan.” The early
missionaries tried to evangelize them but the elders
remained steadfast in their indigenous faith. But later, some
of them allowed their children to be baptized as Catholics
through the endeavor of Sister Mary Fidelis Dorsch, an
American Maryknoll Sister, who relentlessly visited the
Ibalois in their homes. How people appreciated her cordial
approach of dealing with them. She dared hiking the trails
of Bakakeng rain or shine. On her scheduled days to
Balacbac or Tuba, the “Pony Boys” like Durante Bangsi-il,
Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being 17
Irisan Story
JILL CARIÑO
CHAPTER TWO
Muyot
air slightly but just allowing for the chaff to be blown away
from the diga-o, but catching the rice back into it. When
most of the chaff had been removed, the second pounding
was done to refine the rice. It was done in the baju-an, a
deeper trestle made from a wood trunk. Nowadays it is
easier to make it out of cement and mortar. This time, the
chaff is finer and this is saved for pig food. This fine chaff
is called toyo. Voilà! The rice is ready to be cooked whenever
it is time. Rice to fill a dangaja, a deeper basket was the
normal amount at any one pounding job. The dangaja could
contain 20–25 pounds of rice, which would normally last
a week and the cycle of pounding would begin. When
company was expected or when there was a feast or
religious ceremony, rice pounding would take long hours,
and require several hands.
Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being 39
Gold Panning
L elang Casumei had all the land that provided them their
staples, but they needed money for other things. Lelang
made some money from the pigs she raised but the real
money came from gold.
On the season off from planting and harvesting, my
old folks did some gold panning. The men did prospecting
and sampling by digging rocks by the riverbanks or by the
hillsides. They crushed the rocks manually by hammering
them into as little pieces as possible. Later on they used a
ballmill to crush the rocks. The little pieces of rocks were
ground manually on the flat surface of a big rock. A stone
was used to grind the pieces into sand. The sand was then
sieved through a homemade wire sifter. That was to
separate the finer sand from the coarse ore that had to go
back through the process of grinding and sifting.
After the grinding and sieving, the fine sand was put
in a shallow basin and the process of separating the gold
from the sand began in the process called sayo. This was
usually done by the riverside, stream or brook. Water was
poured on the basin of sand, and a gentle shaking of the
basin ensued, gently and slowly, while the water was
drained from the pan. This was repeated several times and,
amazingly, the yellow or orange colored particles of gold
conglomerated on one side of the pan. The gold was then
put in a separate container, a glass jar or a bowl. The rest
of the sand was not thrown away. It went through many
40 Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being
Ghosts
Years ago when Lelong was still alive and Ann and
Jun were toddlers, some woman lived in our house which
was then unoccupied. She and her family rented Suwining’s
rice fields and planted them to vegetables. I don’t remember
her name but I think she was from Kapangan or Tublay.
Anyhow, she didn’t stay in our house for long. She kept
seeing in reality and in her dreams a young and beautiful
girl. Ma had an old folding spring bed. I think that was the
first bed they bought. Later they had other beds made and
they put the old spring bed in the third bedroom, which
Jone used. The room was also used as the sewing room
when Jone was not there. Well, this room was what the
woman used. She related that one time, she dreamt of this
beautiful young girl sitting on the spring bed. The girl asked
her, “Why are you using my bed?” The woman was really
alarmed. She said that sometimes she would get a glimpse
of the young girl even when she was fully awake.
Lelong performed a little cañao while the woman was
still living in our house. I myself didn’t go but Ma, Mart,
Bel, Nita, Ann, and Jun went. I could not leave school, and
besides, there were Arnel and Marnie in school, too. It is
the custom and part of the religious ceremony that the
family members gather around to eat first. Lelong and her
grandchildren were all gathered around the ayag (food that
had already been blessed and offered). The woman then
said that she could see the young girl she had seen in our
house amongst Lelong’s other grandchildren gathered
around. By the way, the woman had never seen Mart until
that day. When she saw Mart there at Lelong’s house, she
said that the girl in here dreams looked very much like
Mart—fair, red-lipped with long hair. At that time, Mart
too, had long hair. Mart was around 18 then and Lida
would have been 24.
That was really strange. It took an outsider and a
comparative stranger to see Lida where every one hadn’t.
It is true though that there are a few people who can see
ghosts. The woman did not stay long in our house. She
Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being 43
and her family built a shack in the land they were renting
from Suwining.
Other people who had lived in our house were relatives
and they all felt the presence of a ghost but they were not
frightened and they did not mind. The ghost did not show
itself to them. I guess it knows its own relatives and is happy
with the situation. The house has been empty for years
except for occasional visits when anyone of us might go to
a cañao or wedding or any social affair. Violeta and Nover
lived there until they built their own house. Nita and Greg
also lived there for a while until they moved to Tomasa’s
old houses in Shontog.
Lelong had always told us not to be afraid of ghosts
but rather of the living. He used to say that ghosts do no
harm, but the living would. How true it is, indeed.
When we were kids, we loved hearing stories from
Lelong and Lelang about ghosts. I can’t recall more of them
off hand.
44 Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being
Pongo
Snakes
house. They all came home to feed Johnson, their pigs and
dogs and to lock up their houses before they went back to
the cañao. We all converged in front of Marcela’s house.
While we were talking, we also noticed the grass moving
and heard some crackling noise right in front of us in what
we call the ba-eng (a sloping front yard in this case).
Lourdes went to check, looked down, and thought is was
a chicken. A few seconds went by and we heard the same
sound and the grass started moving and actually parting.
Lo and behold, a snake came out in the open. It was fairly
big—the size of my wrist—and at least 2–3 feet long. It slid
into the pathway, went down a few more yards and
disappeared into the grass. Well, for a moment, nobody
said a word. Finally, Nita said it was the same snake they
often see. She said, “It’s the one that lives there”—meaning
a ghost. She further added that it must have come out to
meet us and greet us since it has been some time that we
were all together in Marcela’s house, which used to be
Lelang’s and Lelong’s house. I am not about to dispute the
claim that it could have been either Lelong or Lelang or
any of our dead come to greet us. It may be true. In fact, I
like to think so.
Then their stories about other instances came pouring
out. Marcela related how one day when she came home
from the payew (rice field), where she had been weeding,
she found a snake trying to climb one of the posts of the
house. This was after she had repaired the old house from
the earthquake damage of 1990. The snake seemed to be
looking for a way to get into the house.
Auntie Marcela then murmured some prayers like
“pangnga-asi yo… kay-uli hayo nem tuwa i edafu-an jo; no
sih’kam itan tatang o no sih’kam itan nanang, egjo hami
tah’tah’koten. Pang-gavgavay jo hami sai ensukshuhey i biag
me; egsha hajo ngo depdepkan.” (Please go away, whoever
you are and wherever you came from, please go and leave
us in peace. If that be you, father, or if that be you, mother,
please don’t frighten us, help us instead to be healthy so
48 Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being
trees are laden with fruit. So nobody climbs the trees. They
either wait for the fruit to fall or use a pole to get the fruit.
Now, one can argue that there is a natural, logical
explanation for this which I suppose there is. It could be a
perfect spot for a snake’s habitat; it could be just
coincidence. But really, how come it is the star apple tree
when there are many other trees nearby? There are jackfruit
trees, mango trees, papaya trees, pines, chesa trees, brushes
and hedges. There is even a banaba tree where the snake
might feel more comfortable. It’s just like why would a snake
curl up on a chair and not budge in spite of the racket
going on around it?
When I was nine or 10, and Lelang was still well, Ma
found a snake in her kayabang (basket carried on the back
with a belt that holds basket and looped on the carrier’s
head). We had a detached dirty kitchen (avong), where we
used to cook the pigs’ food and where some baskets and
tools were kept. The cooking grill was right on the ground
(shah’polan). Early in the morning when Ma went to build
the fire to cook the pigs’ food (timol), she saw a snake curled
up in her kayabang. She was startled, of course, but she
managed to gently shoo away the snake. She called Lelang,
who did the madmad (invocations). In many instances, such
a case is interpreted as a harbinger of good luck (kasat).
But still, a snake is still a snake and it should not be treated
lightly.
My cousin Nenit (Marciana) and her husband used to
work the fields of their grandmother, Catalina, in Camp 7.
They had a daughter at that time. She was just over a year
old. They used to bring her with them to the fields where
they worked. They usually laid her under the shade as they
worked. The baby fell asleep so they kept working. The
next time they checked on her, they saw a snake curled up
next to her. I guess Fred’s fright turned to rage. He struck
the snake with his hoe (cabjun) ferociously. He hacked the
snake to pieces and flung them as he was swearing violently.
They inspected every inch of their baby to see if she might
have been bitten but she wasn’t. They were so relieved. A
50 Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being
few days later, the baby got sick. They took her to the doctor
who treated her for the fever. A few days later, the baby
died. Ma said that Fred should not have done what he did
to the snake. I don’t fault Fred. Anybody’s reaction could
have been the same. His first instinct was to protect his
daughter and that is a natural reflex. But what Ma said is
that he should not have hit the snake repeatedly and should
not have flung it with the nasty words he had used. Ma
says that the snake had taken its revenge. In that respect,
snakes are evil. In that respect, they can never be taken
lightly.
Now this is the story about a similar incident that
happened to Nita and Greg and their baby girl. They were
then living in Tomasa’s old house in Shontog which Ma
and Dad had bought. The little house stands surrounded
by the rice paddies. In fact, it is on one of the rice paddies.
Nita and Greg planted them to vegetables, which they were
then tending to that day. They left the baby asleep in the
house. They were close enough so they could hear her
when she would awake or cry. Greg went inside for a drink
of water and to look in on the baby. To his horror, he saw
a snake near the baby’s bed. Again, a father’s reaction was
to protect his child. Greg killed the snake by clubbing it.
But where Fred cut the snake into pieces and flung them,
Greg and Nita buried the snake in intoned prayers as well.
Thank God they were all right. The baby wasn’t harmed
nor did she get sick later. Gigi is now a beautiful girl.
Again, there are logical explanations. Or there could
be other interpretations. I leave that to you.
Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being 51
Shalshal
the north were the Pucay clan houses. On the hill to the
east and across the river, were the Parisas clan’s houses:
Binsay, Babay, Lelai, and Emily. Farther down south were
the houses of Pasi and Veronica Okubo. Houses were far
between. At that time, the properties were bigger for they
remained with the families from one generation to the next.
But, of course, the families grew and properties were
subdivided to provide for new family additions. Then, much
later, land was sold here and there, and so today, there is a
congestion and houses are just a few meters apart instead
of miles apart like when I was a kid.
Apology
I wrote these little stories years ago. I was rambling and I
put down only those that came to mind at that time. Now as
I’m reading them I realize that I might be slighting many
relatives for many omissions. I would like to apologize for
such. I never intended to slight any party. I only intended to
present a general and casual view of our roots for my
grandchildren so they will have some sense of identity and
belonging in this fast-changing universe. God willing and
with the help of numberous relatives, we may come up with a
more comprehensive and a more scholarly thesis of our
genealogy and Ibaloi heritage.
Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being 55
CHAPTER THREE
1
Boquiren 2008, 80.
58 Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being
References
Boquiren, Rowena Reyes. 2008. “The Nature of the Land Problem in
Baguio City.” In: Ti Daga ket Biag Land is Life. Baguio City: Cordillera
Peoples Alliance.
Cariño, Joanna. 2008. The Mateo Cariño & Bayosa Ortega Story: A
Case Study of the Dispossession of the Native Ibaloi in Baguio
City. Paper presented at the Baguio Land Conference, University
of the Philippines Baguio, Philippines, 28-29 August.
62 Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being
PCommunities
olitical Division of Large Ibaloi
and Lack of
Representation in Baguio Politics
2
Ibid, 274.
64 Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being
Reference
Gutierrez, ed. 1955. Memoirs of Baguio. Baguio City: Summer Capital
Publishing House.
Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being 65
1
Conversations with Vicky Macay.
74 Ibaloi Conversations on Identity, Community and Well-being
Celebration of First
Ibaloi Day, Feb. 23,
2010 at Ibaloi
Heritage Park in
Burnham.