ANNO

The Legend

Studies conducted by scientists revealed that the mummy of Anno was over 500 years in age. This
revered leader of the Benguet people lived before the Spanish came to the Philippines. He is a
descendant of Kitongan, a pure blooded Kalanguya from Ahin, Hungduan, Ifugao who first inhabited the
Province of Benguet, particularly in Northern Buguias. The mountain where Kitongan settled was named
after him, thus we can find Mount Kitongan in Loo, Buguias. Kitongan married in Banao, Bauko and he
was supposed to bring his wife in his hometown in Ifugao but along his journey, his wife complained
because of the child in her womb, so Kitongan, an expectant father, decided to settle in the North of
Buguias near the Tri-boundary of Benguet, Ifugao and Mountain provinces. His clan grew and following
the tribe of his wife, his clan became the Kankanaey tribe that comprises the majority of Benguet
indigenous people.

Simultaneously, the headhunting tribes of the Kalanguyas settled in Amlimay, Buguias. This tribe, who
were the second inhabitants of Benguet, expanded to Kabayan, Bokod, Itogon, Tuba, Sablan, La Trinidad,
Tublay, Kapangan and Atok and were called the Ibaloi tribe that composes the second largest tribe of
Benguet. This Ibaloi tribe were the fierce warriors that defended the Montanosa frontline from invasion
by the Spanish Conquestadores. Some went to Nueva Viscaya and Pangasinan and their intermarriages
influenced the pangasinense dialect.

The mother tribe of Benguet, which is Kalanguya became the minority tribe of Benguet Province.

From the tribe of Kitongan, Tugtugaka was born. He was a hunter from his childhood till he married and
had children. While he is a family man, he went on hunting and one time, his dog stopped and barked
towards the grasses at the river bank. Tugtugaka aimed his arrow but as he looked beyond the grasses,
he instead saw a beautiful enchanted lady bathing in the river. (This scene from Tugtugaka's view in
ancient time foretold for generations was portrayed at present in a sculpture that can be seen at the
Benguet Provincial Capitol.)

The lady asked Tugtugaka:"Why are you persecuting me and my family?" He answered: " I never met
you, how could you say I had been persecuting you and your family? The lady told him that the wild
animals are her family and the forest is their home.
Tugtugaka had an affair with the lady and wanted to stay but she told him that he is a married man and
that he must go home to his family. She further requested Tugtugaka to stop hunting the wild animals
and go back to the river after nine months. Tugtugaka followed the request. After nine months, he went
back to the river and there he saw the lady again. This time, the lady was holding a baby boy. The lady
told Tugtugaka that this will be their final meeting on this mortal life and told him to take the baby, their
son and name him "ANNO."

From infancy to adulthood, Anno exhibited supernatural qualities. He could never be a hunter as some
have claimed because of his mother Cuyapon and the promise of his father. He was actually the sign and
warning against destruction of wildlife and the forest. It is also the reason he came to this world. He was
indeed a great warrior and leader of the Province of Mountain. In his lifetime, there was peace in the
whole land of Montanosa, including the neighboring regions. He is also friend and protector of wildlife
and the forest. He never married nor had any affair with a woman and therefore, he did not have any
direct descendands. His father is a relative of Mantak and Aguindang. They all belong to the clan of
Kitongan.

One day, he went to his father and gave details about his departure. His father was astonished and did
not understand. A few days later, the lifeless body of Anno was found and the people did not know the
cause of his passing. His father fulfilled all the details Anno spoken to him. Finally, to perform his last
wish, his father ordered the tribesmen to put his wooden water buffalo coffin into the river in "Pusong"
located at Loo, Buguias. The coffin of Anno floated like boat and drifted downstream. His father
instructed the tribesmen to follow and protect the coffin while it is carried by the river current. After a
long travel on the river and as the coffin reached the portion in Kabayan, where the river from
Nabalicong joins the main river, the coffin stopped moving downstream but moved in a stationary
circular motion. It was revealed to the spiritual leaders by the "Unseen Spirit" that the coffin is to be
moved by force upstream the river coming from Nabalicong. The tribesmen then carried-out the
instruction until they were exhausted. At this point, the elders decided that all will have rest and the
coffin was moved to the river bank.

When prayer and eating was finished, some of the men discovered a cave and the elders were informed.
Another praying session was done and it was again revealed by the "Unseen Spirit" that the natural cave
was prepared as tomb for Anno. After burial rites were done, the elders appointed a guard whom the
"Unseen" has chosen to guard his tomb. For many generations, a guard was appointed in each
generation. The last appointed guard from Alinso Clan left the place to look for food for his family and
started a job in Itogon. While this last guard was away, the mummy of Anno was stolen in 1918 by a
suspected Spanish Soldier then brought it to Spain.
His coffin, where his long hairs have fallen and where his expensive blanket was placed, was brought
outside the cave by the intruders and placed near the river. It decayed and was carried by the swolen
river during a heavy rain. His mummy went from one buyer to another because every buyer experienced
mysterious things. After travelling all over Europe, an American buyer brought it to the US and like in
Europe, it also passed from one buyer to another around America until the last American buyer who was
also terrorized donated the mummy of Anno to the US Museum.

Many tourists who saw his mummy in the museum put coins beside it. The total acummulated money
amounted to US$20,000.00. After the second world war, the US Federal Government telegrammed the
Buguias Mayor then World War 2 Veteran Juanito Bacquian, informing that there is a mummy in their
museum discovered to have originated from Buguias and that it should be claimed, together with the
$20,000.00. Mayor Bacquian immediately called his Vice Mayor Daoanis Awal, who was also a war
veteran and they agreed to travel to the US and claim the mummy with the amount declared.

The elders and spiritual leaders were called and it was decided that the travel of these two top Buguias
Officials be cancelled. The Jimenez family in the Ilocos took advantage of this situation and sent
telegram to the US informing that the mummy is their ancestor and that they are willing to claim it
together with the amount. As soon as their letter was granted, the Jimenez family travelled to the US,
then they took the mummy and the amount. Since they were only interested with the money, they sold
the mummy to a Filipino buyer and it passed again from one Filipino buyer to another until the last
buyer donated it to the Museum in Manila.

Sometime in 1998, Benguet Provincial Board Member Sario Mesa Copas, who is from Natubleng,
Buguias, Benguet discovered the mummy of Anno at the museum in Manila. Aside from Buguias,
Benguet many claimants arose from other Cordillera Provinces, including the municipality of Kabayan,
Benguet. After the National Commission on Culture and Arts conducted thorough investigation of all the
claims, it was verified that the Mummy rightfully belong to Buguias. Anno was then returned on May
1999 to his resting place in Sitio Nabalicong, Buguias, Benguet, with the assistance of Benguet Provincial
Government, headed by then Governor Raul Mencio Molntas, a son of a World War 2 veteran. The
"AGNO RIVER" that flows from Loo, Buguias passing through Kabayan, Bokod, Itogon, Tuba, Pangasinan
and exits into the South China Sea in Lingayen gulf was named after "ANNO".