Dap-ay Malingeb’s anahaw roofing and 8 mandalas

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA MOUNTAIN PROVINCE- Host dap-ay Malingeb  has a new look witnessed on the conduct of the annual Tangeb di Babayas (closing of wedding celebrations) or Begnas di Tangeb di Ogas  (closing of the rice harvest season) last July 22 by dumap-ay (members) of the 12 dap-ay of central Sagada.

A roofing made of insulated anahaw, two giant statues by the front side, painted walls and an extended mosaic designed dance floor with eight mandalas that intrigued the Sagada public.

A different look from what it was before it got remodeled recently this second quarter of the year, the dap-ay was then made of GI roofing, unpainted cement walls and no giant statues at the front side.

The GI roofed dap-ay in the ‘90s replaced the older dap-ay made of ‘gu-un’ (cogon) roofing and wooden plank walling. Said replacement was then a project of the then Office of National Cultural Communities (ONCC) before it was nationally called National Commission of Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

             Sagada which must have been of cogonal terrain before the American Period, ‘gu-un’(cogon) was the material used for the construction of dwellings before as noted in old pictures.  ‘Gu-un’ must have been the material used in the making of dap-ay Malingeb the first dap-ay by Biag, the legendary founder of Sagada. And/or it may have been other indigenous material then at that time.

And, the first dap-ay must have been a much smaller hut than its size now but as years went by and changes of replacing the ‘gu-un’ went by must have increased a little bit bigger till it reached its size now, surmised Irenius Tauli, elder of dap-ay Malingeb, in an interview.

And so it was told that Biag came from Bika, from the hinterlands of eastern Abra then went to the Ilocos to avoid invasion of headhunters. Not wanting to be Christianized, Biag found his way to Sagada and established the first dap-ay in Malingeb followed by dap-ay Bilig and Pikong in Demang built by his two children Bandowa and Konyap and eight others in the old settlements of Dagdag and Demang and eventually one in barangay Patay. 

And so other dap-ay were built by others as Biag found three men- Ganga, Peng-as and Puse-  when he first came to Sagada before the Spanish period said elders Jaime Timpac , Jesse Pelayo from dap-ay Maballay  and Joseph Guitilen Capuyan from dap-ay Lukong of Demang.  

             And so it was noted that the climate then was cold  and so was built a low lying hut for sleeping quarters called ‘abong’ built near the ‘amlangan’ section where the stone-seats and  ‘padao’ (totem poles) were firmly planted. The ‘padao’ signified that heads of invading buso (headhunters) from other places were cut off by ‘dumap-ay’ warriors and these hung on the poles to signify victory.

The sleeping quarters called ‘abong ‘ and the ‘amlangan’ compose the dap-ay. And men would come together from time to time to commune and talk about important ili concerns while warming themselves around a bonfire.

The dap-ay embeds the cultural  fabric of economic, social, political and educational activities done in the  immediate ili (community). For one, when the begnas, an agricultural feast  is decided  when it shall happen among other  activities.

The young boys learned values of respect to elders, honesty, industry, and ‘inayan’ or ‘lawa’ are inculcated to them while they do chores such as gathering firewood to keep the fire burning at night or massage the feet of older men using sticks in a foot massage called ‘kolkolis’.     

‘Inayan’ is the indigenous interpretation of the universal saying/teaching of Jesus Christ to “do unto others what you like others do unto you”. For it is ‘inayan’ not to do harm to another lest harm shall befall any member of the family when harm is done to another. 

Sukyab

From time to time the weathered roofing of the dap-ay got replaced with fresh ‘gu-un’ as done in a practice called ‘sukyab’ or ‘sekyab’ for the new ‘gu-un’ to prevent rain from seeping inside the sleeping quarters. 

              A practice that got ignored or not anymore practiced as the dap-ay roofing was changed to GI sheets by ONCC in the ‘90s.

Elders Guitilen Capuyan of dap-ay Lukong of Demang, Jesse Pelayo and Jaime Timpac of dap-ay Maballay of Dagdag said many of the dap-ay of central Sagada then had been burned by matchstick- playing children before these were changed to GI sheets and wooden walls to concrete.

Other dap-ay in other parts of Sagada had also been changed to GI sheet roofing and cemented walls.

So for quite some time, the practice to ‘mensukyab’ got ignored with already installed GI sheet roofing of the 12 dap-ay of central Sagada.  And must be so with other dap-ay of the whole town where the roofing had been changed to GI sheets.

The dap-ay of the old settlement of Fidelisan of northern Sagada has also been changed to GI sheet roofing. 

What more, ‘gu-un’ is ‘manmanu’ (not so much to find) much as cows graze the mountains and these burned with the occurrence of forest fires, elder Archie Sumedca of dap-ay Matuba of Dagdag said.

             With the equally persistent burning of mountains and the changing of flora into other plants and trees, cogon has been not so visible in the mountainsides not only in Sagada but in other mountainous areas as well.

Though Forester Christopher Bosaing of the Community Environment Natural Resources Office(CENRO) said there is still cogon but these do not grow long due to the burning of mountains.  

Comes now Malingeb having opted to change the GI roofing to anahaw sourced from warm weathered Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte and Quezon province.

Anahaw is more durable with a 20-year life span as compared to a 5-year durability of ‘gu-un’ before it shall be changed again said Aldwin Ayban a dumap-ay of Malingeb and who supervised the replacement to anahaw roofing.

And to prevent the anahaw from fire threats, the material was covered with insulated net, Ayban added.

A much commented issue in social media, changing of the roof to anahaw stirred the question of what ‘heritage’ means with some sending the question of why not use ‘gu-un’.

            Anahaw is ‘ananga’ in our dialect, that material which people in our place then used to cover their heads and back from the rain, Tauli added.  

Anahaw gets ‘closer to what heritage means”, he added.

Heritage

With the advocacy of and legislative enactions passed in national laws and local ordinances on heritage, a conscious query on what is heritage prompts people to know what the ‘old’ is to be preserved.

            The question on what was the traditional material of the dap-ay roofing came in time with the recent passing of the heritage ordinance on man-made structures by the Sangguniang Bayan of the municipality of Sagada as approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and transmitted to the SB on June 25 this year.

The SB defined ‘heritage’ as the “traditions, achievements, beliefs, culture and the like that are part of the history of a group, community or nation”; and man-made structures to strictly refer “to any building or edifice either made of stone, wood, grass or materials or any combination thereof intended either as family or public shelter, community congregation, and or gathering coupled with the noble intentions of its use and purpose.”

As broad as it is defined, heritage includes the intangible aspect of the culture of a people distinguished from the tangible physical structure which is the material form.

Purist- critic netizens from Sagada say the cogon or gu-un roofing of the dap-ay has to be preserved.               And that there should be no changes in the roofing, walling, and everything of it. For that structure shall tell what heritage of what it was before. For indeed, what is a story to tell if there is no historical structure to see.

Former Sagada vice mayor Richard Yodong suggests that one structure be restored to have the look of the old ‘gu-un’ roofed dap-ay so to refer to what materially was the historical structure before the dap-ay now were replaced to GI sheet roofing and anahaw.
Yodong exhorts on the responsibility of the dumap-ay to look after the upkeep of their respective dap-ay. 
Among the 12 dap-ay of central Sagada, some are dilapidated while others are maintained. Some are visited most of the time while others obviously are abandoned by the look of the  dilapidated abong itself or some celllophane wrappers strewn at the dap-ay's pantew (frontyard). One needs physical relocation for the dap-ay to be moved away from a curve at the roadside as it shows hazardous location as noticed elder Guitilen of dap-ay Lukong of Demang.    

The Heritage Act of 2009 or RA 10066 differentiated tangible from intangible culture.
Said Act referred “tangible cultural property” to cultural property with historical, archival, anthropological, archaeological, artistic and architectural value, and with exceptional or traditional production, whether of Philippine origin or not, including antiques and natural history specimens with significant value.

Tangible cultural property includes ‘built heritage” to refer to "architectural and engineering structures such as, but not limited to, bridges, government buildings, houses of ancestry, traditional dwellings, quartels, train stations, lighthouses, small ports, educational, technological and industrial complexes, and their settings, and landscapes with notable historical and cultural significance."

Much commented issue in social media heavily participated by netizens from Sagada and other members in three Facebook group accounts- Save Sagada, Sagada Dap-ayan and Sagada Reports- was the use of anahaw vs the use of traditional cogon as the roofing, and the stone flooring of the extended section to remain rather than a flooring with a designed mosaic.

Here, the intangible cannot be separate from what is tangible considering the nature of what is being questioned- that of the dap-ay or abong which houses the sleeping quarters and educational space for young boys which as obviously seen is integral in the overall meaning of dap-ay.

With the change of  ‘gu-un’ to anahaw has raised spirited questions of “ay waday dap-ay di Ilocano” (is there a dap-ay of Ilocanos) overheard from young boys who were heavily discussing in a store.

Restoration being a vital part of ‘conservation” refer to “all the processes and measures of maintaining the cultural significance of a cultural property including, but not limited to, preservation, restoration, reconstruction, protection, adaptation or any combination thereof by the Heritage Act of 2009.”

Where an old material has weathered and where that old material may not be available anymore goes into practical remedies such as the availability of  GI sheet or anahaw bringing up the question of what is the extent of restoration.

Throughout varied periods in time, availability and practicality of materials had been demonstrated in the restoration of the dap-ay roofing from ‘gu-un’ to GI sheets to anahaw.

             Should there have been GI sheets in the olden times, such may have been used as roofing of the dap-ay, elder Bisogong  Badongen of dapay Maballay said.

Sagada elder and writer Benjamin Longid says ‘depending on how it is rendered, the dap-ay can be not too far a departure from the past while providing space for its present functions. A table miniature of an old dap-ay can be made to educate the younger generation and visitors so they can have an idea of that simple institution that has helped shape our values.”

Nethertheless, Malingeb elder and former Sagada mayor Thomas Killip emphasize the strengthening by the community of the “intangible role or function of the dap-ay referring to values system, traditional rituals, practices, social gatherings even if the physical look of the dap-ay is changed’  

             “Intangible cultural heritage” as defined by the Heritage Act refers to the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills, as well as the instruments, objects and artifacts associated therewith, that communities, groups and individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage, such as oral traditions, languages and expressions; performing arts; social practices, rituals and festive events; knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; and traditional craftsmanship.”

            To this differentiate from “intangible cultural property” to refer to the peoples’ learned processes along with the knowledge, skills and creativity that inform and are developed by them, the products they create and the resources, spaces and other aspects of social and natural context necessary for their sustainability.

And so the people of Sagada practice their cultural ways since then passed down by elders who actually performed these. One of which is the begnas, an agricultural feast capped with playing of gongs and dancing. 

Though for this July begnas called Begnas di Tangeb di Babayas does not customarily observe dancing as done in the other begnas celebrations.

In the pursuit of cultural preservation, “the nation’s cultural heritage, its property and histories, and the ethnicity of local communities shall likewise endeavor to create a balanced atmosphere where the historic past coexists in harmony with modern society. It shall approach the problem of conservation in an integrated and holistic manner, cutting across all relevant disciplines and technologies."

“Artistic imagination can be given free rein but within the framework of conservation for posterity, shouldn’t that be of primary consideration?” exhorts  Benjamin Longid, a descendant of Ganga yas Labanet (AGL) one of the old family- ancestries of Sagada.  

            And with a relatively new heritage ordinance of the municipality considering the issues raised in the innovations done by dap-ay Malingeb, raises queries on implementing rules of the code or ammending the heritage code itself for one, on what alteration means or who is the ‘proper authority’ in deciding what restoration or improvement of a cultural structure is.

The Umbon

The ‘dumap-ay’ per dap-ay are obligated to take care of their own dap-ay either when to ‘sukyab’ their roofing or come together and decide on issues that affect them.

This including where to get support from projects they want to do with their dap-ay and other activities they want conducted.

And so upon request by the Malingeb ‘umbon’ to businessman Alfonso ‘Boy’ Yuchengco Jr, long-time friend of Sagada, the ‘umbon’ asked for support for the installation of the anahaw roofing of the abong and the enhancement of the extended dance floor.

Commonly called Boyu, Boy Yuchengco Jr is the son of philanthropist - businessman Alfonso Yuchengco who supported the building of the new St Mary’s School in 1979 after the old pine wood-made school was razed in1975. 

How the restoration came about emphasized the role of the ‘umbon’ or the ‘pangbon’ referring to the ‘dumap-ay’ or members of the dap-ay.

Aptly, as Demang elder and tourist guide Aklayan Aben said “ay daida baw” (its up to them) or elder Badongen of dap-ay Maballay of Dagdag said, “sha met nan ikkan da” referring to the umbon of Malingeb's consensual agreement when asked on their comment on the replacement of the roof material to anahaw.

The ‘umbon’ for three consecutive times since the early months of the second quarter of the year had to come together and discuss the changes that happened, Tauli recalled.

Consultation being a prime and fundamental requirement on what happens in the dap-ay is a conscious practice to follow for the dap-ay is a collective composition of the ‘dumap-ay’.

Changing the roofing,the look of the frontage and the walling, and working on the floor mosaic was left to the decision of the ‘umbon’ to decide following the consensus method of coming up with a collective decision.

‘Nu ngan nan kanan nan tapina et sha nan maikkan’ ( what others say shall it be), said elder Jaime Capuyan, thereby placing great emphasis on what others say rather than what only one says.

For indeed, a dap-ay member from another dap-ay in Sagada or from another place to dictate or interfere in the affairs of a dap-ay not their own is frowned upon to follow cultural sovereignty and respect to another.

Where, as the colors and designs of tapis or wanes have their separate distinction from another culture or tribe so are decisions of one tribe as to their sovereign own.

And shall the municipality’s heritage ordinance qualify criteria of what heritage means? Tauli who is himself the secretary of Sangguniang Bayan of Sagada said, let ‘heritage’ stay as how it is worded and to be particularly qualified by respective members of the dap-ay.

So does that include the changing of the low lying one storey dap-ay structure now to a two- story building in the future for example to mean heritage?

“That would be a different building then”, Tauli said.

And what about those two big statues at the front side of the dap-ay?

Demang elder Joseph Guitilen Capuyan frowned on the sculptured human forms at the front side saying he has never seen ‘tinagtago’ (sculptured human forms) at the front side of a dap-ay.  And for wall paintings?  “kigad das sa” (that’s up to them”), he quipped.  

Malingeb elder Jaime Capuyan has a different opinion on the placing of the statue  at the front side of the dap-ay, saying in dialect,  ‘dati tako ay buso” (we are former headhunters).

The human form statues symbolically guard the dap-ay and the ili (community) from invaders.

And so history and the present says, the dap-ay locates the ‘padao’ placed in a circular arrangement where the cut-off heads of invading headhunters from other places were hung. 

The heads cut off by warriors and placed in totem poles was the practice during the head hunting days in Sagada, Bontoc, other places of Mountain Province, Abra, Kalinga and Ifugao. The cut-off heads placed in totem poles meant victory and that the ili shall be protected from invaders.

“The elders told us that the dap-ay itself where the ‘padao’ and the stone-seats are located should remain as is”, local artist James Wandag said.

And so the sacred part of the dap-ay remained as is, the padao and stone-seats intact as how these originally looked like.

The not so sacred part of the dap-ay referring to the extended dance floor was left to the imagination of artists who worked on the mosaic designed flooring.

Said flooring was a former pigsty eventually backfilled with river stones and levelled to become the dance floor.

Malingeb elder Jaime Capuyan sees there is nothing wrong with the mosaic saying “baken dakes’ (not bad) except that the carabao horns installed on the wall of the dance floor be taken down as there was no babayas (wedding celebration) that ever happened in dap-ay Malingeb.

Though other members of the dap-ay look at it differently.  Elder and barangay captain Edward Ayban said there was a time that lakay Omaweng, elder of Mallingeb dap-ay butchered two carabaos in the 1960s and hung these in one part of the dap-ay in observance of the ‘goliweng’.

Asked what ‘goliweng’ is Lakay Guitilen from nearby Demang recalled a star-like object which went on circular motions with a clanging sound installed high above one section of the dap-ay and for what purpose he did not know.

The Mosaic

The extended dance floor with designs of earth elements- sun, moon, plants, sky, waters, cultural artifacts and man- incorporated tiles and paint on the mosaic worked on a cemented flooring June this year.

Surrounded by eight mandalas in a circular pattern surrounding the shape of a lizard enclosed a ‘wising’-shaped geometric pattern enclosing a blue shaped circle signifying the earth and sky.

Called collaborative art by artist Bong Sanchez from Bauko and married to one from Ambasing, Sagada the work was done with other members of dap-ay Malingeb namely local artists James Wandag who co-conceptualized the mosaic. Other local artists and members of Malingeb came in to help namely Aspil Capuyan, Puclis Guitilen, with the two children of  Eril Bistoguey helped in grouting the mosaic with tiles and Sanchez and Wandag in painting the designs.

Curves and lines make up the mosaic with meanings etched in motifs mostly of which are earth elements, cultural artifacts and man.  

Around the central mandala is a wider shape showing the cultural ‘wising’ the sign for fertility. And so man and woman was created after the heaven and earth were made by God. Wising  was commonly used as an earring used by elders in the past.

Malingeb known to be a dap-ay for the ‘mamaleng-ag’ or the ‘mamakedse’ is commonly referred to as the dap-ay of businessmen and perfectly, as the wising is traditionally made of gold which means wealth.

Around the wising is the form of a lizard which symbolizes longevity.

Etched around the lizard form are eight mandalas signifying one set of gongs culturally played by men during occasions as begnas.  

Local artist James Wandag said the eight gong mandalas speak of harmony and resounding impact when all played as a collective team. In popular numerology, eight speaks of dynamism and balance.  

The traditional gong instruments are played during occasions mostly during joyful events- begnas, weddings, dangtey, and in contemporary times when there are graduations, conferences, meetings.

The ‘balbeg’ (spear) with its pointed arrow to the blue form in the middle of mosaic refers to direction- to earth and sky with the base of the arrow at the back of the head of a person with outstretched arms praising a higher being. Sagada culture worships Kabunian, local term for God. 

Sanchez said the person is reclining on the pole of a spear which finds below the figure of two persons in two separate round geometric shapes colored blue aquatic waters and green agriculture. Elements which naturally compose the spiritual and economic life of the Sagada Igorot.  

On the same handle of the spear towards the base of the motif is a ‘kalasag’ (shield) showing man and his cultural ways with linear motiffs of earth elements, cultural patterns such as weaves, and man all intertwined in what makes a community. Kalasag signifies defense and aptly, the upright practise and defense on community and culture.   

Sanchez and Wandag said some mandalas need pronounced enhancement pending ceramic art works by local potters Siegrid Angway- Rogers and Tessie Baldo.

The subject ‘understanding culture society and politics’ in senior high school makes this mosaic a perfect summarized art work of what the subject means, the beginning of creation, the intertwining weaves of nature with that of man and culture and valuing the earth.

Another part of the dance floor is a waiting space where a bench was installed with sculptured faces on the window part and where other mandalas are found on the flooring including the popular universal yin-yang symbol.  Sculptured art works were done by local artist and carpenter Jessie  Gaongen.

Though “one of my favorite images in my personal reflections, the Yin-Yang figure is misplaced and contributes nothing to affirm the dap-ay's identity”, Longid commented.

The mosaic in a wider meaning tells the material culture of Sagada. The land is worked on, waters are crucial in farming, and pigs, chickens and even dogs are offered to  Kabunian for bountiful harvest, fertility, longevity, prosperity, security and banning of disease.

Like what elder Jaime Capuyan popularly called Lakay Saime prayed during the Begnas id Malingeb  that the dreaded Covid virus shall not enter Sagada.

Begnas di Tangeb di Babayas

Begnas di Tangeb di Babayas (wedding celebrations) annually happens July after the Begnas di Ani (rice harvest in June.

The July begnas then closes the wedding celebrations done in May and the rice harvest in June.

Tangeb di Babayas is an annual event which caps the wedding season culturally held in May. Though there were no wedding celebrations due to the Covid pandemic, the begnas event went on as observed along with the Tangeb di Ogas or the closing of rice harvest.

Begnas di Tangeb di Babayas comes with Begnas di Latab or Begnas di Ogas (closing of harvest).

There are five regular begnas events done the whole  year round. The first called Begnas di Yabyab is done in November to signify the start of the rice planting season with the legendary ‘Bangan’ doing the first rice planting.

Rice seedlings were planted in December and eventually the ripened palay harvested June to July.

Begnas in Sagada is an agricultural feast held five times a year.

Begnas di Yabyab is followed by the second begnas in March to signify the construction of houses and milling of sugarcane thus Begnas di Lebek followed in May to signify Begnas di Tiyagew (dry season) and wedding celebrations.

And the cycle repeats again in November’s Begnas di Yabyab depending on the phase of the moon.

During the Begnas, the men clad in their G- strings and each holding a spear walk the pathway from river Tudey to the host dap-ay loudly chanting the ‘wawe’, shouts of men having began their walk from the river to the host dap-ay. Waters compose an integral essence of the agricultural feast.

The giving of wine, ‘tupig’ or sticky rice wrapped in sugarcane leaves, bread from women follow and these materially collected for the dap-ay. From the earth, earth’s products are offered and the ritual begins. 

The ritual implores Kabunian for health, procreation, longevity, prosperity, and good harvest for the people of the ili (community).

Malingeb’s new intros

The replacement of  ‘gu-un’ to anahaw roofing is not new on what dap-ay Malingeb has done in the past on its innovations to cite the "goliweng' and now the anahaw roofing and  mosaic designed dance floor. What is more to see in the near future?

James Wandag envisions the dance floor to serve as an educational workshop site where children can come together and learn what the culture of Sagada is. He also envisions the newly enhanced extension to serve as a venue where art works of Sagada artists- both children and adults can display their arts and crafts. And this to accommodate other dumap-ay of Sagada.

And so goes the song ‘It’s a new world’ by The Moody Blues.