History of the Half-Tunnel (Halsema Highway) in Bonglo, Atok, Benguet

This is what the half-tunnel in Bonglo, Atok, Benguet looked like many years ago before the road was paved and before the construction of concrete parapets as a safety measure.

This section of the Halsema Highway is a popular stopover for motorists and travellers. It was carved out of solid rock. Construction of the Halsema Highway started in 1922 under then Baguio City mayor Eusebius Halsema. It's now the most important highway in the Cordillera region.

However, the half-tunnel was carved out only in the 1960s when Typhoon Trining washed out this section of the road. Two mining companies whose operations were heavily affected by the closed road decided to collaborate to help reopen the road. 

The whole story about the carving of the half-tunnel and reopening of Halsema Highway is best described by Rufino Bomasang who left a comment when we previously posted about the half-tunnel. 

Here's his comment in full:

"This portion of the Halsema Road was completely washed out by Typhoon Trining in the late 1960s (actually in October 1967). I know this for a fact because I was then Project Superintendent of the Boneng Copper Project in Atok, Benguet under Itogon-Suyoc Mines, Inc (ISMI) and we were monitoring what was happening because the road was closed for weeks and Suyoc Mine and Lepanto mine, both in Mankayan, Benguet were isolated. The two mining companies then agreed to cooperate to reopen Halsema Road with Lepanto clearing all the slides from Mankayan all the way to the washed out portion in Atok, while ISMI would drive a half tunnel through the washed out portion. Thus,  Eng’r. Godofredo Acosta of ISMI (who was formerly my Assistant at Boneng but reassigned to Itogon) was assigned as Project Engineer and under him was a crew of mostly Igorot miners from Itogon headed by Mr. Omero, Mine Foreman of ISMI. According to Eng’r Acosta, the driving of the half tunnel was completed by his crew from ISMI without the involvement of Lepanto, whose crew was concentrating on clearing the slides all the way to Mankayan."

Butatiw or Butattew: The Ghostly Lights in Cordillera's Mountains

The "butatiw" or "butattew" is a phenomenon that has fascinated people for centuries. It's a bright light or group of lights that you see from a distance at night-time. You usually see them at a far-off mountain. They look like they are dancing as they tend to dart from side to side. 

The "butatiw" inexplicably grows bright, dims, then grows bright again. It also has the abilities to divide, multiply in number, and then merge again to become one. One moment, you are seeing one light, the next moment you see two or three lights. It also seem to be able to travel from one place to another with amazing speed. In the blink of an eye, the light can disappear then reappear on the other side of the mountain. 

Cordillerans have various names for this mysterious light. They call it "butattaw" in Kalinga. The Kalanguyas call it the "banbanillag". The Ibalois call it the "buntatew" or "buntato". The Balangaos in Mountain Province call it the "manmanangaw". The Bontocs call it the "futattiw".

What exactly is this "butatiw"? The answers are diverse depending on who you ask. Some say these are harmless ghosts. Some say these are bad omens - a sign that there will be a death in the village or a natural disaster is approaching. Some say these are friendly spirits that guide lost travelers. Some say these are gods who have come down to earth to check on their creations. More modern interpretations say these are the lost souls of those who died during the Japanese occupation.

Taking these folkloric interpretations aside, is there a scientific explanation for these ghostly lights. Actually, there is and it's called the will-o-the-wisp phenomenon. The lights are a product of the combustion of natural gases. This combustion often occurs in marshy lands. This combustion produces the flame-like phosphoresence that people see from a distance.

This makes sense because the "butatiw" usually makes an appearance after a heavy rain.

These mysterious lights are very common in folklore all over the world.

Who Brought Horses to the Cordillera Region?

Who brought the first horses to the Cordillera region? There are several theories on how these animals came to our region.

Theory 1: Horses arrived in the Cordillera region way before the Philippines was colonized by Spain. Chinese historical accounts show that there were busy trading ports in what is now modern Pangasinan and La Union. Merchants from China and Japan arrived at these ports to do business. Merchants during these times didn't just trade goods, they also traded animals. It's possible that their ships came with horses. 

It's also an established fact that pre-colonial Igorots often went down to the lowlands (Agoo, etc.) to trade. So it's possible that Igorots bought horses with their precious gold. 

However, this theory is contested by some historians citing that there's no record of horses from China/Japan being traded in Pangasinan/La Union trading ports. They add however that there's evidence of donkeys being carried by these trading ships. A Chinese shipwreck for example, contained donkey bones, not horse bones.

Theory 2: Malaysians brought horses to southern Mindanao (also in pre-colonial times). Through trade and ports, these horses made their way to Luzon and eventually to the mountains of the Cordillera region. There's very good evidence that horses were indeed brought to Mindanao from neighboring Malaysia. However, there's no evidence that these horses found their way all the way to Luzon. 

Theory 3: Horses were introduced by the Spaniards. This is the most accepted theory as it's backed by historical evidence and accounts. The Spaniards tried numerous times to put the Igorots under their control. Expensive expeditions were launched to map the Cordillera region and subjugate the local populations. Hundreds of horses were used during these expeditions. 

The Spaniards were able to set up many command posts (comandancias) within the Cordillera region. Travel to these comandancias often utilized horses. 

*The accompanying image is from the archives of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (website). It shows a young man and a pony in Bontoc, Mountain Province. Taken between 1898 and 1912.

The Karowewin of the Gaddangs

I am yet to see a real "karowewin" in person. I've only seen these Gaddang collar beads in pictures and illustrations. 

Also, of all the indigenous peoples in the Cordillera region, I think the Gaddangs are among the least studied. The literature about them is minute compared to other Cordilleran indigenous peoples. 

I took this photo of a page from the 2024 calendar of the Museo Kordilyera at the University of the Philippines Baguio.

It's accompanied by the following description:

"The karowewin is an elaborate beaded collar necklace worn by Gaddang women. It has a large section composed of tiny red, yellow, white, black, and blue glass beads called bukat which is woven to form a net. From this bead net hangs evenly sized cowrie shells and metal bells. It is also common for old Spanish and American era coins to be seen attached on the karowewin. From this large section emanates a single strand of larger beads which serves as the strap of the necklace. The large section is displayed on the back and the single strand of beads is worn on the front."

Reasons Why Kalinga Women Got Tattoos on Their Bodies

As part of their celebration for National Women's Month, the Museo Kordilyera at the University of the Philippines Baguio held an event called "INKheritage: Women, Tattoos, and Cultural Identity in the Cordillera". The highlight of the event was a talk by Ammin Acha-ur, a traditional tattoo artist (mambabatok) from Kalinga. 

In her talk, Acha-ur explained the history and significance of tattoos in Kalinga, especially among the women. She pointed out the main reasons why Kalinga women got inked. These were as follows:

1. For fertility. They believed that getting a tattoo increases their chances of conceiving a child. 

2. For healing. They believed that getting a tattoo helps in getting well from an illness or disease. Applying "batok" on the part of the body that is experiencing pain will make the pain and sickness go away.

3. For protection. They believed that getting inked can help in shielding them from harm. They have this belief that hurting or attacking a tattooed woman brings bad fortune to the attacker. Think of it as bad karma. This gives pause to anyone intending to harm a tattooed woman. If you harm a tattooed woman, bad things will happen to you, sooner or later. 

4. For body decoration. 

Acha-ur also briefly discussed the reasons why Kalinga men had their bodies inked. But these would be for another post.

Face Tattoos Among Bontoc Igorots

"Face Tattoos Among Bontoc Igorots"

During a forum a few months back at the University of the Philippines Baguio, a speaker mentioned that tattooing the face was quite common in the past especially among Igorots in Bontoc and adjacent regions.

I was doubtful about the claim until I came across a collection of old photos taken in the Bontoc area between 1898 and 1912. Many of the Bontoc men who posed for portraits had tattoos on their faces. The designs which are very similar to the ones on the chest and arms/torso were usually tattooed on the lower half of the face.

I'm yet to see a modern person today sporting this traditional face tattoo. It looks cool though. Gives the bearer that "Bontoc warrior" aura.

[Images Source: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University; website]

A Classic Filipino Film/Movie Set in Banaue, Ifugao

Among Nora Aunor's most ambitious movie projects was an epic film called "Banaue: Stairway to the Sky" which was released in 1975. Aunor reportedly invested much of her own money into the production of the film. She mortgaged her house, she took bank loans, and she took advances from future films to help fund the project. 

The movie was among the most expensive film projects during its time. And it showed in the final product.

When it comes to historical accuracy and cultural authenticity, the film falls short. That's understandable since it's a movie, not a documentary. Entertainment-wise, it's worth checking out especially if you are an enthusiast of vintage/classic Filipino films. 

You can watch a restored/remastered version of the film on YouTube. Full and free. Just search for the film's title.