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.
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.
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.
