The Igorot in Philippine Literature: Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay

Courtesy of this blog, every now and then I would receive an email, mostly from university students, asking for recommendations with regards to books about Igorots. These requests are usually due to them burdened with an assignment or a research project the completion of which requires them to accumulate knowledge about certain aspects of "the Igorot". When it comes to non-fiction books about Igorots, I have quite a pile to recommend. There's a good number of non-fiction books out there that cover Igorot-related topics from our history starting from the arrival of the Spaniards to our cultural traditions (then and now).

Want to read about pre-colonial and colonial Igorots? Read the books by William Henry Scott and Albert Jenks. Want to read about the art of Kalinga tattooing? Analyn Salvador-Amores has you covered. To anyone looking for reading materials about the Igorots, I highly suggest he/she visits the library of the University of the Philippines in Baguio or the bookstore at the Museo Kordilyera (also inside the UP Baguio campus).

Around November of last year, I received an email from a student currently studying at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. She introduced herself as a half-Igorot and half-Tagalog. Kristine is her name. Her father is from Angono, Rizal and her mother is from Tadian, Mt. Province. She explains that she is very proud of her Igorot origin but she adds that she rarely brings it up to people because aside from having 50% Igorot blood, there's not much else that would identify her as Igorot. She was born and raised in Angono. She doesn't speak nor understand Kankana-ey, the language of her mother. She is completely clueless about the traditions and cultural practices of the Igorots.

She emailed me because she wanted help in looking for reading materials about the Igorots. She specifically asked what books should she read. I sent her a patented reply. I recommended the usual books by Salvador-Amores, Jenks, Scott, and a few others. She thanked me for the recommendations. I didn't hear from her for a couple of months. Then this February, I received another email from her. She enthusiastically narrated that she read all the books I've recommended and that she found them engrossing and eye-opening. She then noted that all the titles are non-fiction. She also wanted another set of recommendations from me. This time, she asked for fiction books about Igorots. Now that she has knowledge about the Igorots and their history, she wanted to move forward and read how they are depicted in works of fiction. How are Igorots portrayed in literature? Do their portrayals in literary works jive with the words and observations of Scott, Jenks, Salvador-Amores, and company? These are questions she wanted some answers to.

At this point, I realized that I haven't read a single fiction book which feature the Igorot as a character. It has never occurred to me to go looking for one. So I told Kristine that I have nothing to recommend because just like her, I haven't read a single fiction book featuring Igorot characters. But I also told her that I'll help her find one. This sent me into a little journey looking for novels with Igorot characters.

And I found out there's very few of them. The one that got the bulk of my attention is Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay. I chose to read Bone Talk first for several reasons. One, the novel's author is a known name in the Philippine writing community. Two, it was published by Anvil which is one of the more prestigious (or should I say reliable) publishers in the country. So far, my experience with Anvil-published books has been within the realms of good to excellent. And three, the book has mostly good reviews with several influential Filipino authors vouching for it.

So for a couple of nights, I had to forego bingeing Trailer Park Boys on Netflix to devour the book. Bone Talk was marketed as a YA (Young Adult) novel. The style and flow of the prose definitely stayed close with the genre. Set in 1899 in a village in Bontoc, the novel is basically the coming-of-age story of an Igorot boy named Samkad. Serving as a backdrop for Samkad's transition from boy to man are real historical events like tribal conflicts and the arrival of American colonizers.

The plot is pretty simple. There are no grand twists and turns. But that doesn't matter because it's a well-written tale made colorful and engrossing with the way Gourlay weaved aspects of Igorot culture and history into the story. I also liked the pace of the story. It wasn't too slow. Gourlay didn't rush things either. So many YA authors these days have this annoying habit of rushing the plot forward in an attempt to drum up excitement. Fortunately, Gourlay didn't commit that grave error here. The pace of the story was close to perfect. Not too slow. Not too fast.

With historical novels like Bone Talk, it's expected that readers inquire about its accuracy. I grew up in Besao, a town in Mt. Province. Besao and Bontoc are neighbors. This should give me a tiny bit of authority to judge the accuracy of the book with regards to its depiction of the Bontoc Igorots and their culture/traditions. I think the book was mostly fair and on point. However, there are certain parts of the story that are not historically accurate. A lot of these are on the culture/traditions front. I am not going to divulge these in this article because I don't want to ruin the story for those who haven't read the book. Suffice it to say that Gourlay used her artistic freedom in crafting her tale to give it more color. To give it more sting, if you may.

To be fair to Gourlay, she doesn't claim her book to be historically accurate. In fact, she is very straightforward in saying that Bone Talk is not a history book. In notes at the end of the book, she wrote: "This story is not history though it is set during a real time, in a real place." It's also worth mentioning that Gourlay is not an Igorot. Some readers especially Igorot readers may feel some doubts after knowing this important fact. But at the end, whether Gourlay is or is not an Igorot is a non-issue. She did her research, she wrote the story, and she used her artistic freedom to craft the final product. It's what writers do.

Still, probably to appease those who might still be harboring doubts because of Gourlay's non-Igorot roots, she has this to say in her notes at the end of the book: "I do not hail from the Cordillera and I beg the forgiveness of its many and diverse peoples for any misreading of their culture. As a storyteller I can only spin a pale imitation of any reality. I hope that this story awakens the world's curiosity about this extraordinary time and place. With utmost respect to the people of the Cordillera."

Gourlay has been more than fair in depicting the Igorot in her book. And she's been more than humble in addressing those who might think otherwise. That's more than good enough for me. So dear reader, read this book.

And lest I forget, Kristine, you should read this book. This serves as a recommendation.

Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay

The Shekang of the Ibaloys: an Ornamental Mouthpiece Made of Either Gold or Copper

Usually, what strikes me the most when looking at old photos of Igorots, especially those of women, is their penchant for decoratives and ornamentals. Their feet and hands are often adorned with bangles. Colorful strings of beads cascade down their chests as necklaces. More beads loop around their heads and hair. Heavy gold earrings dangle from their already strained ears. And many of them go so far as to have their skins tattooed. I thought this was where the ancient Igorot woman's love for decoration ended. I was wrong.

Today, I learned that Ibaloy women of old also decorated their mouth/teeth with mouthpieces made of either gold or copper. This mouthpiece is called a "shekang". I've read a few sources that refer to it as "chakang". So yes, centuries before rappers and celebrities popularized mouth grills, our Igorot ancestors had been sporting their own version of a mouth bling.

The design of the "shekang" is pretty rudimentary. A thin strip of gold or copper is hammered into shape so that it can fit over the teeth. The finished product would cover the whole frontal aspect of the teeth. So when a wearer of a "shekang" smiles, what you see is a mouth glittering in either gold or copper. The "shekang" is attached to the teeth using any of two methods. One, both ends of the strip are inserted into the gaps between two teeth. Two, pegs are made in the two ends of the strip then inserted into holes in the teeth. This means that in this second method, holes need to be bored in the teeth. This is where the pegs of the "shekang" are inserted to keep the mouthpiece in place. Sometimes, designs and patterns were etched into the metal.

It's believed that the "shekang" was casually worn by wealthy Ibaloy women. These are women from the "baknang" families. This makes sense because a person has to be wealthy to be able to afford precious metals like gold and copper. However, according to the Museo Kordilyera of the University of the Philippines Baguio, by the 20th century, the use of the mouthpiece "seems to have been limited to festive occasions".

The wearing of the "shekang" by the Ibaloys had been observed as early as the 18th century. A visiting Spanish missionary named Francisco Antolin had observed the Igorots and had written a study about them which he titled "Notices of the Pagan Igorots in 1789". Antolin arrived in the Philippines in 1769. He spent a considerable amount of time among the Igorots. In his study "Notices of the Pagan Igorots in 1789", Antolin wrote that in Kabayan, "leading women would place a plate of gold over their teeth and remove it to eat". [People interested in reading Antolin's accounts can get a copy of his study online. Obviously, Antolin wrote it in Spanish. But it was translated into English in 1970 by no other than William Henry Scott. Just search for "Notices of the Pagan Igorots in 1789".]

Also, a photograph of an Ibaloy woman wearing a "shekang" was taken by Dean C. Worcester, an American who served as the Philippine Secretary of the Interior from 1901 to 1913. The photo is of an Ibaloy family in Atok, Benguet. The woman in the photo was wearing a "shekang".

As to the purpose of the "shekang", it seems like the consensus among historians and scholars is that it's purely for decorative/ornamental purposes and as a status symbol/marker given that it's believed to be exclusively worn by women from wealthy families.

Image source: Emil Maranon III/Facebook

Beey Manok Falls in Kayapa, Bakun, Benguet

Located in barangay Kayapa in Bakun, this is a waterfall being eyed as a potential tourist destination. We tried visiting this sometime in 2019 but it wasn't yet open for trekkers. The name of the waterfall is in the Kankana-ey language. Beey is house, manok is chicken. So it roughly translates to "chicken house" or "house of the chicken".

Should the town decide to open the site for trekkers, it will add to the several waterfalls in the area that already accepts visitors. Most of these waterfalls are within barangay Poblacion - Tekip Falls, Mangta Falls, Pattan Falls, Pikaw Falls, and Sakup Falls. Also south of barangay Sinacbat is Dalingaoan Falls which some people refer to as Tres Marias Falls. This is actually a series of several waterfalls with 3 major drops. Thus explains the "Tres Marias" nickname.

Barangays Poblacion, Sinacbat, and Kayapa are adjacent to each other. This means a trekker can visit all these waterfall sites within a couple of days.

Even better, hiking destinations like Mt. Kabunian, Mt. Lubo, and Mt. Tenglawan are also within the same vicinity. Thus, a trekker can come up with a well-planned itinerary that can shoot at all these sites with one go.

Ifugao Bulul Sculpture to Be Auctioned Off for Up to 17 Million Pesos

[Update; October 21, 2022 - The bulul realized 630,000 Euros (that's 36,000,000 pesos and some change) during the auction. This is more than double the maximum estimate of 300,000 Euros.]

An Ifugao "bulul" is set to be auctioned off by Christie's this coming October 20 in Paris, France. Measuring 31 inches (79 centimeters), this particular "bulul" is from the private collection of Beatrice and Patrick Caput. The statue is 1 of 34 statues from around the world that are up for sale during the auction.

The "bulul" is estimated to fetch between 200,000 to 300,000 Euros. That's between 11 to 17 million pesos. Why is it very expensive? There are a lot of factors that decide a work's auction price. These include source, age, material, condition, size, and provenance.

Provenance is very important in this case. Provenance is basically the "history of ownership" for the statue. Who owned it? How did it transfer from one owner to another?

This bulul came from the collection of William Gambuk Beyer. William is the son of no other than H. Otley Beyer, the American anthropologist who is often referred to as the Father of Philippine Anthropology. The bulul was then acquired from Beyer by Alain Schoffel in 1970. The Caput couple, in turn, acquired the bulul from Schoffel in 1989.

The accompanying essay for the piece states thus:

"A masterpiece of Ifugao art, this sculpture dazzles by the universality of its form. Thanks to its purified aspect, we can see as many possible links with the great statuary of the past as with that of the present. Notably, thanks to its intrinsic geometry, it is possible to evoke a kinship with some of the oldest anthropomorphic representations, such as certain plastic creations of the Neolithic or Cycladic art. At the same time, by reducing and simplifying the anthropomorphic representation as much as possible, the artist has created an abstract interpretation of the human figure, giving it a powerful serenity. In the case of this formidable sculpture, it is its great plastic quality and in particular its formal ambiguity - its archaism and its modernity - that convey an indisputable timelessness."

The Origin of Tapuy and Other Cordillera Tales (Book)

The Origin of Tapuy and Other Cordillera Tales is a book featuring a collection of folk tales originating from the Cordillera region. Published in 1998 as an initiative by the Igorota Foundation, the volume contains 18 stories by various authors. The book was a collaborative effort with three editors (Rosella Camte - Bahni, Teresa R. Dagdag, and Marjorie M. Balay-as) and three illustrators (Anne Claire Delen, Brian Batong, and Edwin Dicksen).

I found myself a copy of the book through the Baguio Book Club group page on Facebook. This is an online book club where bibliophiles based in Baguio and La Trinidad talk about books and yes, sell books. 

Considering that the book was published in 1998, I was surprised when I got my hands on it because it was nearly in mint condition. Completely intact and good as new. 

The book, in a way, champions women as all of the stories have prominent female protagonists. After all, it was published by the Igorota Foundation, a non-profit organization who has made it one of their goals to recognize the roles that women play in community development and in inspiring localized progress.

Rosella Camte Bahni has this to say in her Introduction: "This book is special not only because it is the initial production if Igorota Foundation on the Cordillera culture presented in book form, but also because it highlights Cordillera folktales featuring Cordillera women as lead characters. It explores various non-stereotypic images of women and challenges us to review our taken-for-granted perspectives about them."

As to the stories themselves, I found them very interesting but lacking. Many of the stories feel like summaries. There's great material in the plots but they were not as fleshed out as I expected. The stories felt rushed.

I also feel a bit confused as to the authorship of the individual stories. There's a reference section at the end of the book that details the sources of the stories. However, it's not clear if the stories were taken verbatim from the sources or the editors concocted the stories based on the materials from the sources.

Overall, this is an interesting book for people who are looking for Cordillera folk tales and legends. The collection features stories from all corners of the Cordillera region. As I said, most of the stories are super-short. You can finish the whole thing in one sitting.

Where can you get a copy of the book? I got my copy from an online seller on Facebook. Search for Montanosa Bibliophile and ask if he/she still has copies left. If this doesn't work, you can try university libraries. UP Baguio sells a good collection of literature on the Cordillera. There's a chance they carry copies of this particular title. 

July 15 (Monday) Declared as a Special Non-Working Day in the Cordilleras

July 15, a Monday, has been declared as a special non-working day in the Cordillera region. In a proclamation dated July 4, Malacanang made the declaration through Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea by authority of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The provided date marks the 32nd founding anniversary of the Cordillera Administrative Region. "It is but fitting and proper that the people of the CAR be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies", the document reads.

You can read the full document here at the Official Gazette website.

Daniel Feliciano / The Cordilleran Sun

The Cordillera Administrative Region was officially created on July 15, 1987 through an executive order issued by then President Corazon C. Aquino. The region is currently comprised of six provinces. These are Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province.

Quick Thoughts On Cordilleran Culture In The 21st Century

Cordilleran culture evolves. It's malleable. It's pliant. It changes. It adapts to the times. It adds. It subtracts. I personally believe that being a cultural purist in this age of globalization is tantamount to putting up a wall against the advance of civilization.

There's a reason why we don't wear the "wanes", "tapis", or "ingay" in our daily lives. Our culture has evolved.

There's a reason why our traditional textiles have made the jump to tablecloths, curtains, and modern bags. Our culture is malleable.

There's a reason why traditional Cordilleran weddings are merged with Judeo-Christian practices (sometimes to the point where you can't identify which is which). The priest does his duties. The elders perform their chants. Our culture is pliant.

There's a reason why activists among us use our indigenous identities to stage rallies with political underpinnings. Our culture is adapting to the current times.

There's a reason why we wear cowboy hats, put on customized leather boots, and listen to good old country music. Our culture adds to itself by borrowing from other cultures.

There's a reason why we go to doctors instead of village healers for illnesses of the body and the mind. Our culture subtracts from itself. Essentially, in the words of the great Bob Dylan, the times, they are a-changin'.

I'm currently writing an article that further explores these talking points. In a way, it's my response to several issues concerning Cordilleran culture and Cordilleran identity that had people talking during the last few weeks and months. At the forefront of these issues are the Whang-od controversy and the activists wearing Igorot garb during political rallies here in Baguio City and at the recently concluded ASEAN Summit in Manila.

Allow me to make clear my positions on said issues. With regards to our brothers and sisters wearing Igorot attire during their protest activities, I support them. I may agree or not agree with the things they are fighting for but they have every right to voice out against the government. And they have every right to wear their traditional attires during such activities. To say that they can't wear Igorot attire during these rallies borders on foolishness. It's their identity as much as ours. In this day and age, you can't separate culture and politics. You can't order a fellow Igorot not to wear the traditional attire just because he has different political leanings or different methods in expressing such leanings.

As to the Whang-od issue, it's as muddy and murky as it gets. As someone who has personally went to Buscalan, Kalinga and saw the tattoo artist in action, I saw where culture, commercialization, and (you might say) capitalism merged to create both positive and negative effects. The thing that saddened me most about the discussions that ensued after Whang-od's Manila stint is that a lot of people looked at it with a black-and-white lens. This breeds unnecessary hate and division especially at this age of social media where it's rather too easy to hate on a person you haven't even met. People are too bent on trying to disprove each other instead of discussing each other's contentions with logic and rationality.

I'll try to explain further my arguments about these issues in the upcoming article. Until then, have a good day. Matago-tago tako am-in!

Photo: I took this snapshot of a glass-encased exhibit during a visit at the Museo Kordilyera at the University of the Philippines Baguio campus. I chose this photo because it sort of props up some of my arguments. The book, the hoodie with traditional tattoo designs, and the tattooed girl which strangely reminds me of pop art.

Another Cordilleran Soldier Killed In Action In Marawi City

The ongoing conflict in Marawi City has taken yet another soldier from the Cordillera region. Scout Ranger Corporal Nelson Lasang Wailan was shot and killed during an encounter with Maute terrorists inside the besieged city on August 3 (Thursday). Wailan hails from Tabuk City in Kalinga. He was 35 years old and about to turn 36 this coming 27th of August. He has served in the Philippine Army for thirteen years.

Wailan is the second child in a family of eleven siblings. In an interview with Bombo Radyo Baguio, his sister Madonna Lasang Wailan described him as a kind, loving, industrious, and very responsible brother.

Wailan is the sixth Cordilleran to perish in the conflict that has been brewing for more than two months and one week now. The war erupted in May 23 when Maute militants attacked the city and occupied several buildings.

The other five heroes who sacrificed their lives in service for the country are Philippine Marines Private First Class Gener Tinangag from Barlig, Police Senior Inspector Freddie Manuel Solar from Baguio City, Special Action Force PO1 Moises Kimayong from Lagawe, Ifugao, Special Action Force PO3 Alexis Mangaldan from Bangued, Abra, and Philippine Army Corporal Benito Serrano from Conner, Apayao.

Nelson Lasang Wailan. Photo from Facebook.

OWWA Cordillera Is Now Accepting Applicants For Its College Scholarship Programs

Here's a piece of good news for dependents of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). The regional office of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) here in the Cordillera has announced that it's accepting applications for its college scholarship programs. Qualified applicants will get financial assistance amounting to 60,000 pesos per school year from the agency.

There are two scholarship programs that you can choose from. These are the Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP) and the Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Program (CMWSP). You should start processing your documents right now since all applications must be submitted before July 31, 2017.

Below are the details about the programs [Source: OWWA CAR]:

A N N O U N C E M E N T

Be part Of OWWA CAR Scholars

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration - CAR is now accepting applicants under the OWWA College Scholarships on the following programs for the qualified dependents of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with active OWWA membership for financial assistance of Php 60, 000. per School Year.

A. Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP) for courses leading to any 4 to 5-year Baccalaureate course.

Who may apply under EDSP
1. For incoming Freshmen
a. Child /sibling of active OFW for EDSP
b. Single
c. Grade 12 graduating student this coming 2018
d. Not more than 21 years old.

2. For those already enrolled in 2nd to 5th year college
a. Single
b. Not more than 30 yrs old
c. With a general Weighted average not lower than B letter grade or 85% equivalence in all academic and non-academic subjects during the last school year attended in full load.

B. Congressional Migrant Workers Scholarship Program (CMWSP) for baccalaureate courses from the priority fields in Science and Technology as identified by Department of Science & Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI).

Basic qualifications under CMWSP
1. Be a child of an OFW whose annual gross income is not more than US $6,780.00
2. Not more than 21 year-old and graduating high school student or who has graduated but never enrolled to college or associate courses; 3. A Filipino citizen with good health and of good moral character;
4. Not a recipient of any scholarship award from any government or private institution;
5. Has passed the qualifying examination for OWWA CMWSP scholarship conducted nationwide by DOST on 15 October 2017.

Where to file:
a. OWWA BAGUIO Office-17 Manongdo Bldg.,Private Rd, Magsaysay Avenue, Baguio City
b. You may also file your application at DOLE provincial office, Municipal Office (look for PESO or Migrant Desk officer)

When: All applications must be submitted before July 31, 2017.

What are the basic requirements?
a. Application forms (available at OWWA office of at OWWA website)
b. 2x2 picture of applicant
c. Birth certificate of applicant(proof of relationship to OFW)
d. Proof of OWWA membership

Pls submit applications at
Owwa Baguio 17 Manongdo Bldg
Private Road Magsaysay Avenue
Baguio City

Mobile number is 0999-994-9296,
0917-500-1294 or
Landline 300-3658
Tele fax 445-2260

The Museo Kordilyera In Baguio City Is Now Open To The Public

Culture evolves with the passage of time. In the manner of the scientific theory of evolution, we add and subtract to our culture and traditions depending on the prevailing situations of the current age. With that said, the Cordilleran culture of today is vastly different from the prevailing culture 10 years, 50 years, 150 years, or 200 years ago. There are activities that we performed ages ago (i.e. headhunting) that's virtually non-existent today. The pieces of clothing that our ancestors wore on a daily basis are now semi-permanent inhabitants of our "bauls", taken out and worn only during certain occasions.

For someone like me and others who were born in a time wherein the Cordillera people's cultural assimilation with that of outside cultures has long been completed, our best chance in learning about what our culture looked and felt like in another time is through the works of artists, researchers, and academics. These are people who made it their mission to study and record Cordilleran culture and history. This brings us to the recent opening of Museo Kordilyera inside University of the Philippines (Baguio). Categorized as an ethnographic museum, it "conserves, displays, and contextualizes items relevant to the field of ethnography which is the systematic study of people and cultures."

It's apt that the museum's inaugural exhibits feature mostly visual items of Cordilleran culture: tattoos, photographs of various rituals, clothing, trinkets, weapons, and furniture. Even the most avid student of Cordilleran culture will find something new in the beautiful displays. The academics credited with the exhibits are Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores, Roland Rabang, and Jules de Raedt. These were curated by Professor Emeritus Delfin Tolentino, Jr., Prof. Victoria Diaz, archivist Cristina Villanueva and Dr. Salvador-Amores.

The exhibits are as follows:
1. Batok: Body as an Archive: by Dr. Salvador-Amores
2. Ethnographic Photographs by Roland Rabang
3. The Works of the Late Anthropologist Jules de Raedt

Some of the items on display came from various sources including the BenCab Museum, Saint Louis University Museum, Diocese of Baguio Museum, and the UP Baguio Library and Archives. According to the museum's Facebook page, their mission is to "cultivate an understanding of and respect for the identity and culture of the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera and Northern Luzon as an integral part of the evolving Filipino culture."

Museo Kordilyera is open from 9:00 in the morning to 5:00 in the afternoon. There's an entrance fee of 25 pesos for non-UP students and 50 pesos for non-UP adults. The museum also has a gift shop where you can purchase books, magazines, post cards, t-shirts, and mugs.

Museo Kordilyera to Open on January 31 at UP Baguio

[Press Release] The University of the Philippines Baguio (UPB) will hold the formal opening of its ethnographic museum, the Museo Kordilyera, on January 31.

The event caps seven months of preparatory activities reckoned from the museum’s soft opening on June 23, 2016. After the formal opening this month, the museum would be open to the public where they will view three inaugural exhibits - on tattoos as body archive from the research work of anthropologist Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores; a retrospective of the works of the late anthropologist Jules de Raedt; as well as selected ethnographic photographs by Roland Rabang of the UPB College of Arts and Communication.

The inaugural exhibits were the result of more than a year of curatorial work undertaken by Professor Emeritus Delfin Tolentino, Jr., Prof. Victoria Diaz, archivist Cristina Villanueva and Dr. Salvador-Amores. The curators’ selection of works to be featured in the museum follows the concept of the ethnographic museum in which it is “distinguished by its integral connection to the scholarly work of the faculty from the different colleges of the University.”

Guidance on the physical layout and museum content were provided by museum consultants Ma. Victoria “Boots” Herrera, director and chief curator of the Ateneo Art Gallery, Dannie Alvarez, administrator of the Yuchengco Museum, and Peter John Natividad, art collections management consultant of the Lopez Museum and Library.

Dr. Salvador-Amores, who is also the museum’s director said that this and succeeding scholarly works from the faculty that will be featured in the museum are works “dedicated to regional culture, (since the museum) will serve as a repository of the tangible and intangible heritage of the Cordillera.”

She added that the focus of the museum which is ethnography points to its “essential connection to anthropology,” as the discipline partakes of a particular “mode of anthropological research and discourse known as ethnography.”

Photo credit: Museo Kordilyera

The museum, she said, will focus “on the collection, preservation and display of objects associated with the unique societies and cultures of the Cordillera region.

The Museo Kordilyera is a three-level structure with only its reception level visible on the surface. Vice-chancellor for Administration Prof. Jessica K. Cariño said this follows the university’s policy that the structures should integrate with the university’s terrain and topography for “sustainability and preservation of ecology.”

She added that structures at UP Baguio should be “future proof,” explaining that the cost of maintenance for the use of the facilities in the succeeding years should be at the minimum.

Most of Museo Kordilyera’s essential facilities are at the second and third ground levels which include a permanent collection and curatorial space for ethnographic materials; a temporary exhibition space for loaned exhibitions and collateral activities by students, faculty and alumni; a visitor’s room for museum orientation purposes; an audio-visual room; and a museum shop and café.

The Museo Kordilyera is part of an infrastructure development plan initiated by Chancellor Raymundo D. Rovillos. This development plan had been approved and funded by the UP system under the administration of university President Alfredo A. Pascual.

[This is a press release by the University of the Philippines Baguio. For more information, you may contact Roland Rabang of the university's Office of Public Affairs. Or call them at 444-8719.]

Quick Thoughts on Cordilleran Culture in the 21st Century

I was at an obscure and fairly deserted bar in Baguio City a few nights ago, having a heated conversation with an old friend from college. We were in the thick of discussing the main arguments I've put forth in the book about Igorot history and culture that I'm currently attempting to write. We've met that night with the sole intention of trying to iron out some of our differences when it comes to our views on Cordilleran culture. I'm her most ardent critic. She extends to me the same courtesy.

Our exchange of cultural ideas has always been fervent ever since we met at a philosophy class in Saint Louis University over a decade ago. She has always been and will always be a good friend. But when it comes to certain ideologies and thought movements, we are the worst of enemies. I lost count how many times we've called each other "tabbed". That's the Kankanaey/Ilocano term for "idiot" or "moron". This is one of the things that I truly admire about her aside from being too smart (sometimes too smart for her own good). She's not afraid to call me an idiot if she catches me saying something idiotic. She is always quick to cut me off when I attempt to misdirect the conversation with another white lie.

One time, I joined her and her husband, and their immensely cute little daughter for lunch. I was with the impression that she won't be that harsh with her critique of me in the company of others. I was dreadfully wrong. She called me "tabbed" numerous times in front of her husband and child while we conversed over steamed pork and carrot cake. That’s how uncensored and unguarded she is when it comes to topics she is very passionate about. I’ve always taken her outbursts as compliments because if I said something that jolted her brain, that means I’m making her think. I’m making a mark. This unique habit of hers amuses me sometimes. Her husband tried to apologize. I chuckled and brushed it off. I told him I’m more than used to it. We all had a good laugh before we called it a day.

In a nutshell, she and I disagree more than we find common ground with regards to culturally-charged ideas and concepts. Most times, we find ourselves on opposite sides of the street. The conversations we have often have the same ending – we simply agree to disagree. Culturally speaking, she’s a purist. I, on the other hand, take a more flexible stance. For example, she loses her wits when she notices someone wearing the traditional Igorot attire wrong. She rattles her head as she starts another diatribe about women wearing the “bakget” or “ingay” wrong.

Her attention to detail is beyond phenomenal. She knows the specific designs of traditional textiles woven within the confines of Kalinga, Mt. Province, Ifugao, and Benguet. She often sends me links to YouTube videos of people claiming to be dancing an Igorot dance when in fact the steps and the music are an "unbelievable mess" (her words, not mine). She thinks that the old Igorot folks at the Botanical Garden are giving the tribe a bad name. In essence, she wants our culture and our traditions to be where they were before western civilization came marching in and injected all sorts of influences and modifications.

I understand her purist stance. In fact, I have the feeling that majority of Igorots today share her sentiments especially on the issue of preserving our culture and traditions to the exact letter. The consensus, I believe, is that nothing should get out nor get in. Keep the dances as is. Keep the indigenous attires as is. Keep the songs as is. To a certain degree, I agree with these purist tactics. However, I also believe that culture should evolve. It should be subject to change. Let us not forget how our ancestors danced, how they sang, how they dressed, and how they performed rituals. In fact, let’s record and put all of these original things into paper, into digital files, into moving pictures so that we can remember and celebrate them. Let’s practice and observe them for as long as we are able to. But at the same time, let us not allow this purist attitude turn into an impregnable wall that prevents our culture from evolving into something else.

Photo credit: scion_cho via Flickr. [CC BY-NC 2.0]

In pursuit of fairness, I have to admit that I used to have these purist tendencies with regards to Cordilleran culture. However, after soaking up the limited but data-rich historical records and papers on the region’s history, my reluctance to change slowly crumbled and ebbed away. It’s not completely gone, of course. Change has its limits, at least as far as cultures and traditions are concerned. A perfect example would be cultural misappropriation. Both non-Igorots and Igorots are guilty of this sin. It’s bad because it wants to affect change through ignorance. The kind of change we can accept should be the ones that are done with respect, with class, and in good taste.

Lest the reader makes the assumption that I look down on purists, I do not. I’m simply offering these ideas as things to think about. I'm also not saying that I carry the right stance and that those who oppose it are wrong. Like I always do with my old friend from college, I'd be more than willing to agree to disagree.

Erroneous And Misleading Information About Igorots In K To 12 Educational Book

If you are to visit the official website set up by the Philippine government for its K to 12 basic education program, there's a section there that goes into details about the "salient features" of the program. Two of these "salient features" involve contextualization and enhancement [making lessons relevant to the learners by using examples and illustrations based on local culture, history, and reality] and mother tongue-based multilingual education [using the local language as the medium of instruction inside the classroom]. This is why public schools nowadays make use of textbooks that utilize contextualization and that are written in local languages. These are good concepts. They make complete sense.

However, it becomes very problematic when some of the information in the books are erroneous or are totally untrue. Take for instance the recent discovery of another error in an Ilocano-language K to 12 book. In a lesson about various indigenous groups in the country, the book committed at least two errors in its description of Igorots. One, the book claims that Igorots live in the mountains of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan. Two, the book further claims that Igorots in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) can be found in "Italia". What is this "Italia"? Where can it be found? Are the writers of the book referring to the European country or are they alluding that there's a place within CAR called "Italia"?

Here's the description as found in the book: "Dagiti tattao nga agnaed kadagiti il-ili a masarakan kadagiti probinsia to Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, ken dagiti ili iti daya a paset ti Pangasinan. Iti CAR, makita dagiti Igorot iti Italia."

Here's a rough English translation: "Igorots are the people living in the mountains within the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and some areas in Pangasinan. In CAR, the Igorots can be found in Italia."

Errors of this nature shouldn't even be possible given the available resources out there. It makes one to wonder if the writers behind these books consulted with people knowledgeable about the different indigenous groups in the country. Did they even perform standard research? Just a quick Google search will lead you to a fairly accurate resource about Igorots on Wikipedia. There's not a single sentence there mentioning "Italia".

Looking back at the erroneous description on the book, it seems that the writers were referring to the Bago tribes. These are tribes that occupy the borders between the provinces of Region 1 and the provinces of CAR. There's no consensus as to whether they can be called Igorots or not. Some of them refer to themselves as Igorots while others prefer calling them Bagos.

Photo courtesy of Rose Bacaoat via Facebook.

This is not the first time that wrong information about Igorots was found in a K to 12 book. Several months ago, a grade 4 workbook called Edukasyon Sa Pagkakatao said that Aetas are found in Mountain Province. The writers obviously got confused in the differences between Aetas and Igorots. What's so damning about this error is that the book had a consultant, three editors, thirteen writers, and two examiners. So it's mind-boggling that this army of writers and editors didn't  spot the error before publication. After the discovery of the error, we sent an email to the Department of Education. We still don't know if the error has been fixed or if they're doing something about it. We are yet to receive a reply from them.

Mark Eddiva Of Team Lakay Loses Via Submission In Brisbane, Australia

Victory remains elusive for Mark Eddiva. The mixed martial arts fighter from Team Lakay lost his third fight in a row when he got submitted by Dan Hooker in the undercard of UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs Mir last March 19 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Eddiva tapped out just a minute and a half through the first round after getting caught in a guillotine choke.

Eddiva was the underdog going into the fight. The exchange was pretty even until Eddiva went for a high single-leg takedown. With his back pushed against the cage wall, Hooker saw Eddiva's open neck and quickly wrapped his arms around it. The two fighters dropped to the ground and Hooker ended up in full mount with the guillotine choke still in place. Eddiva tried to wriggle his way out of it to no avail. He tapped out at the 1:24 mark in the first round.

The loss is Eddiva's third loss in a row. He previously lost to Edimilson Souza and Levan Makashvili. With the loss, his record drops to six wins and three losses. Hooker improves his to thirteen wins and six losses.

A day after the loss, Eddiva thanked his fans and supporters through his Facebook page, He wrote: "I did not win today but I won lessons that I won't get from winning.Thanks for all the prayers and the support even after the fight. Priceless. God is good all the time. We are safe and I got no injuries."

10 Exotic Foods By The Igorots Of The Cordillera Region. How Many Have You Tried?

Most outsiders know the Igorots of the Cordillera region for their unique culture. To them, the word Igorot usually conjures images of bright and colorful attires, of spears with matching shields, and of rituals where the blood of pigs and chickens soak the earth (or pavement) while an elder utters a prayer to the gods. Of course, the word Igorot also often conjures an amalgam of misconceptions about the tribes. Tails, big feet, dark skin, the usual suspects. These misconceptions are discussed in a previous article published in this blog. [Check it out here.]

Anyway, a lesser known aspect of Igorot culture is its cuisine. In all honesty, we don't have much to offer when it comes to this department given the fact that the sources of food for our ancestors were rather limited. What they ate were basically composed of what they hunted from the woods, what they planted on their farms, and what they fished from the rivers. Our ancestors didn't have much to experiment with. Still, they were able to concoct rare recipes, many of which are still being done today. Let's take a look into some of these exotic foods below. Whether you are a tourist, a non-local, or a Cordilleran who is still unaccustomed to the region's culinary specialties, these delicacies will make for an exciting and challenging culinary adventure. So saddle up, and get your taste buds ready.

1) Pinikpikan - When it comes to Cordilleran cuisine, this is without a doubt the recipe that is most well-known. If you are an advocate of animal rights, you might find the preparation shocking. The butchering process is basically beating a chicken to death with a stick. Why? To preserve the blood in the chicken's body. To allow the blood to coagulate within the parts of the chicken that are beaten with a stick - mostly the neck and wings. It's surprising that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is yet to stick its nose into the matter.

Cooking genuine pinikpikan is a breeze. All you need is a live chicken, sayote, etag (pork that's been dried or smoked the Igorot way), and any leafy vegetables like pechay or wombok. Use barn chickens or what we call "native" chickens. What does pinikpikan taste like? It's like tinola with a smoky taste courtesy of the etag added into it. If you are in Baguio City, you can have a taste of it either at Cafe Yagam or at the Cafe by the Ruins.

Chicken and etag cooked together as pinikpikan. Photo source: mtholyoke.edu.

2) Etag or kiniing - This is salted meat that's preserved by either drying it under the sun or smoking it. Yes, it's basically ham. Igorots usually don't cook and eat them as is. The meat is mostly used as an added ingredient for pinikpikan. It also tastes great when cooked alongside white or black beans or any other legume. The preservation process is also very efficient that the dried meat can last for months or years if stored properly.

3) Tengba - This is quite commonly prepared in municipalities within Mt. Province. Preparation and serving of tengba is usually associated with life events. For instance, there's a tradition called nilayaan in the town of Besao in Mt. Province wherein the parents of a newborn child invite friends, neighbors, and relatives to a feast/gathering. Tradition dictates that tengba be served for the guests.

Tengba is fermented rice paste and freshwater crab (the Kankana-eys call this crab gaki). The freshwater crabs are salted thoroughly and placed in an earthen jar (gosi). After about 24 hours, pulverized white rice and an ample amount of clean water are mixed with the salted crabs. Yeast (bubod) is then added and mixed with the other ingredients to kick off the fermentation process. The jar is then sealed for at least three weeks. The tengba can be served as is. However, it's usually very salty so it's commonly used as an added ingredient to other recipes like vegetables soups or boiled meat.

4) Tapey (or tapuy, tapuey) - This is the Igorot people's version of the Japanese sake (rice wine). The great thing about tapey is that its taste depends on the amount of time it spent inside the fermentation jar. The older the wine gets, the more bitter it becomes. Tapey that are a few weeks or a few months old have the fresh and sweet taste attributed to rice wine. If the aging time goes beyond a year, the taste drastically changes. The liquid starts tasting like whiskey or brandy.

Adding bubod which is one of the steps in preparing tapey. Photo source: mtholyoke.edu

5) Safeng or sabeng - I am yet to taste this one so I don't know how it tastes or how it's prepared. However, it's described by Dumay Solinggay (a Cordilleran artist/poet) as, "a non-alcoholic fermented drink, like yogurt. This drink has live microorganisms, helpful bacteria that aid our body to recover from deteriorating cells. I suppose it also strengthens our immune system. In the Cordillera region, the base is usually the left over water from boiling sweet potatoes. It is placed in an earthen jar and is consistently added with corn, cooked rice, and herbs."

6) Duom - This is a snack the only ingredient of which are young heads of rice that ain't yet ready for harvesting. The young grains are plucked off their stalks then slightly fried over a pan or vat (silyasi). The grains are then pounded using a wooden pestle and a stone mortar to remove the dry or burnt husks. The grains which have been pounded flat are then separated from the husks using a winnower (bilao). Voila, the thing is now ready to eat. Sprinkle sugar to give it a sweeter taste.

7) Wildlife delicacies - The mountains and hills of the Cordilleras are now rather lacking when it comes to wildlife. Wild boars and deer are probably extinct by now. But that doesn't mean Cordillerans have stopped hunting. There are are still some who do. And among their common targets are monitor lizards (banyas, banias), wild cats (lidaga), and civets (motet, musang). These are usually cooked by roasting them or boiling them in a stew.

8) Dog meat - This speaks for itself. There are eateries in Baguio City that serve this. Men in the region are rather fond of consuming it alongside bottles of gin.

9) Binungor - This is also a dish that I'm yet to try. So I'll leave it to a fellow Baguio City blogger to describe what it is and how it tastes like. Writing for the blog Eats In Baguio, Krish says, "binungor is a Kalinga dish that is served as an appetizer or side dish and not a viand. It is made of various vegetables found around a Kalinga household along with tenga ng daga and other wild mushrooms, and ot-an, that spiral shaped shell-fish you suck to get the meat inside. The Binungor had slight hints of sweetness and spiciness to it. I tried sucking on a couple of the ot-an but I wasn’t successful. Oh well. The vegetables tasted fresh and were deliciously chewy. I kind of understand why it’s served as a side dish because of it’s consistency."

10) Sigtim or sinigtiman (meat, fish, or freshwater snails cooked with tapey) - Tapey is not only consumed as a beverage, it's also eaten (the rice grains, that is). A lot of Cordillerans take out the fermented rice grains from the earthen jars and use these as additional ingredients for cooking. They can be added to meat-based or fish-based dishes. A favorite among Cordillerans is a tapey-freshwater snail tandem. We call these snails ket-an in the local dialect. The fermented grains can also be added for kuhol-based dishes.

These are just the Igorot dishes that I'm familiar with. I'm sure there are others. If you have anything to add to our list, feel free to leave your comments and suggestions in the comments section below. Thanks.

For detailed steps and procedures on how to prepare or cook some of the items discussed above, visit this Igorot Exotic Food resource by a guy named Daoey. So far, it's the best resource I've found on the topic.

Related Articles:

1. Iyaman Farm in Bila, Bauko, Mountain Province

July 15 Has Been Declared As A Special Non-Working Holiday In The Cordillera Region

The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will be celebrating its 28th foundation day this coming July 15 (Wednesday). In order to give the people of the region the chance to participate in events and ceremonies that observe the occasion, the Aquino administration has declared the date as a special non-working holiday for CAR. Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. made the declaration through Proclamation No. 1056.

This year's celebrations carry the theme "Conserving the Environment Towards a Greener Cordillera". It will be hosted by the province of Apayao. Activities will start in July 9 at the town of Luna in said province. Events include a unity gong relay that will pass through all provinces of the region, tree planting activities, a job fair, an agricultural trade fair, a biodiversity exhibit, eco-tours, and forums on environmental governance, environmental biodiversity, and autonomy.

The celebrations will culminate on July 15 with a program and a parade in Luna. Invited to speak on the program is Senator Koko Pimental, a supporter of Cordillera autonomy.

The Cordillera Administrative Region was officially created on July 15, 1987 when then Philippine President Corazon Aquino issued Executive Order 220. The order separated Abra, Benguet and Mountain Province from the Ilocos region and Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao from the Cagayan Valley to create a new administrative region. Kalinga-Apayao remained as one province until they were split in 1995 through the enactment of Republic Act No. 7878.

CAR now has 6 provinces, 2 cities, and 75 municipalities. The latest census (2010) put the region's population at 1,616,867.

Photo by Daniel Feliciano / The Cordilleran Sun.

Cordilleran Wushu Athlete Wins Gold Medal At Southeast Asian Games In Singapore

The Cordillera region has always been a hotbed for athletes in the martial arts discipline. When it comes to exhibition and combat sports associated with martial arts, majority of the athletes that the country sends off to international competitions often come from Baguio City and nearby Cordillera provinces. This is the case in the ongoing 2015 Southeast Asian Games in the city-state of Singapore.

And last Sunday (June 7), another Cordilleran bagged the gold medal in the event taijiquan. Daniel Parantac, an alumnus of the University of the Cordilleras bested delegates from the other ten participating countries. This is the second time that Parantac won a gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games. The first time was in 2013 when he competed in the same event in Myanmar.

Parantac also competed at the Asian Games last year in Incheon, South Korea. He ended up taking home a silver medal. The 24-year-old wushu practitioner was the recipient of the Athlete of the Year award at the 2013 Kafagway Sports Achievers Awards in Baguio City.

Wushu athlete Daniel Parantac. Image credit: Parantac via Facebook.

The 28th Southeast Asian Games will end on June 16. Aside from the Philippines, the participating nations are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. As of this writing, Singapore leads the medal tally with 51 gold, 43 silver and 53 bronze medals. Thailand is second with 37 gold medals and Vietnam is third with 32 gold medals. The Philippines is currently at the sixth spot with 12 gold, 17 silver, and 27 bronze medals.

Philippine Mining Act of 1995: A Curse To The Environment And Communities

This is a press release courtesy of Jude Baggo, Public Information Officer of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance.

On March 3, 1995, Republic Act 7942 otherwise known as the Philippine Mining Act was passed into law. As a law liberalizing the mining industry, the Mining Act was hailed to boost the country’s economic growth. The law was also hyped to bring rural progress and development especially in communities hosting large scale mining corporations.

20 years after the passage of the law, the promises of economic growth, rural progress and development are pure myths and far from becoming a reality. More than economic growth, the Mining Act paved way for the massive plunder and destruction of natural resources, displacement of communities, and violations of the collective rights of indigenous peoples over our ancestral domains and natural resources as experienced by the Igorot communities in the Cordillera from decades of large-scale mining operations.

Some of the oldest and biggest mining operations in the country are found in Benguet province – the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company, Philex and Benguet Corporation. These mining operations have left permanent scars to the residents of Mankayan and Itogon municipalities and other affected communities due to the destructions wrought by the mining operations on their ways of life, the environment, and to robbing the future of the next generations.

At the onset, large mining firms have been exploiting our natural resources for gold, copper and other minerals for the sake of super profit, while leaving mountains flattened, excavated and hollowed; rivers and creeks contaminated; and people’s livelihood lost. While mining firms indulge in gold extraction, communities face constant risks and dangers from impending disasters as a result of mining activities. The experiences of mining-affected communities in the Cordillera region are a living proof and witnesses to the impacts of large scale mining operations.

The ground subsidence and massive sinking of communities in Mankayan which claimed lives and destruction of livelihood, the collapse of Philex’s tailings dam 3, and the continuing pollution of rivers are only a few of the serious environmental crimes committed by Lepanto, Philex and Benguet Corporation. In spite of these, Lepanto aims to further expand its operations in partnership with trans-national companies such as the South African Goldfields Mining Ltd. while Philex continues to use its tailings dam 3.

At present and due to the liberalization of the mining industry in the country, mining companies continue to target the Cordillera region for the extraction of gold, copper, silver and other minerals, with numerous mining applications covering more than 60% or 1.2 million hectares of the region’s total land area. These mining applications are coupled with militarization and violations of the Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and mining companies. These are a cause of trouble and chaos in communities. For instance, the manipulation by the NCIP-Kalinga in the FPIC process in favor of the Makilala Mining Company in Guinaang, Pasil, Kalinga is in no way a move that promotes our rights as indigenous peoples. FPIC violations are similarly experienced in other Cordillera communities.

The mining industry is among the least contributors to the country’s wealth contrary to the government’s claim of bringing about prosperity to the country. In 2012, a study conducted by IBON revealed that the gross-value added (GVA) of the mining industry, which government itself measures, registered an average of 1% in 2000-2011. The mining contribution only peaked in 2007 at only 1.63 percent. IBON also added that while the GVA in mining in absolute terms has been increasing on average albeit in a slow pace, the share of mining’s GVA to the gross domestic product (GDP) is actually decreasing on average after peaking in the 1970s.

The Mining Act of 1995 has been selling-out our national patrimony to trans-national corporations. Let us be reminded of the salient points of the Mining Act which clearly put mining firms in a pedestal while alienating and plundering our own lands and resources for greed and profit:
·100 percent foreign ownership of mining projects;
·Foreign company can lay claim to 81,000 hectares onshore or 324,000 hectares offshore;
·Companies can repatriate all profits, equipment and investment; Companies are guaranteed against expropriation by the state;
·Excise duties are cut from five to two percent and tax holidays and deferred payment are allowed until all costs are recovered;
·Losses can be carried forward against income tax;
·The government commits itself to ensuring the removal of all obstacles to mining, including settlements and farms;
·Companies are promised priority access to water resources within their concession;
·Companies are given the right to sell gold directly to the international market without Central Bank intervention;
·Mining leases last 25 years with an option of a 25-year extension.

The Philippine Mining Act of 1995 is clearly anti-people and anti-environment. Worst, it does not protect the Filipino people from foreign mining firms. The people are neither benefitting from, nor in control, of these resources.

The Philippine government must heed the voice of the people: Uphold indigenous people’s rights. Scrap the Philippine Mining Act of 1995. Nationalize and industrialize the mining industry for the people.

Teddy Baguilat Wants Justice For Slain Cops, Still Supports The Bangsamoro Basic Law

Congressman Teddy Brawner Baguilat Jr, the representative of the lone district of Ifugao is calling for justice for the dozens of police officers who were killed during an encounter with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao last Sunday (January 25). Among those who perished during the encounter were 12 Cordilleran cops who belong to the Philippine National Police's Special Action Force group.

In a press release, Baguilat said that all the victims of the encounter in Maguindanao deserve justice. However, he added that he still maintains his support for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law or BBL. He also called for his fellow legislators to "take “the high road” and retain support for lasting peace in Mindanao through the passage" of the BBL.

Baguilat observes that some legislators are now doubting the proposed law because of the massacre. His stance is that the peace process should continue despite the problems raised by the Maguindanao incident. According to him, those responsible for the "mistake of miscoordination and inefficient intelligence gathering" should be investigated and held accountable.

Following the clash between the government special forces and Muslim rebels, Senator Bongbong Marcos has suspended the hearings on the passage of the proposed law under his committee. Two other Senators - Alan Cayetano and JV Ejercito - also withdrew their authorship of the proposed law.

In this file photo by the US Army taken in 2010, Special Action Force cops serve as security during a medical outreach in Lamitan, Basila. Source: US Department of Defense

Posts by Baguilat on Twitter and Facebook made some people think that the solon might also be changing his mind on the BBL. In one post, he wrote, "Just found out that one of those killed is a cousin. Two more are also Ifugaos. Hard for me to be hopeful of the process." It turned out, however, that the cousin he was referring to didn't actually die but was only wounded during the encounter. Three of the more than 40 cops who perished in the encounter are from Ifugao.

With the recent press release which he posted on Facebook, Baguilat set the record straight that he is retaining his support of the proposed law. He said it's emotionally difficult for him to support the BBL since a lot of those killed were Cordillerans but he believes it's the way for finally achieving peace in Mindanao.

"I remembered my brother, Capt. Winston Baguilat, who died in 1998 in the fields of Basilan, killed probably by a Muslim insurgent’s bullet. I felt grief. But I told myself if I could make a difference someday, I would rather take the tougher road to lasting peace than a knee jerk call for total war," Baguilat said.

The 6 Most Common Misconceptions About Us Igorots And Our Way Of Life

Before anything else, allow me to reiterate the fact that indigenous peoples/groups in the Philippines are often awfully misunderstood. We, the Igorots of the Cordilleras, are in the same boat as the Aetas of Southern and Central Luzon, the Mangyans of Mindoro, the Lumads, Manobos and Subanons of Mindanao, and other groups I've failed to mention. Other people just keep on getting things wrong when they talk about us.

Now, I don't know the experiences of our Aeta and Lumad brothers. I leave it up to them to write about the many wrong ideas that other people have about them. But as an Igorot who lived all of my current life in the Cordillera, I've had my own share of experiences with people who carry the belief that Igorots live in trees. That Igorots are stuck in the 1920s while the rest of the world march on in the 21st century. Believe me, these just compose the tip of the iceberg.

People who do not belong to our group often have ideas about us that are either not true or grossly exaggerated. The roots of these misconceptions can be attributed to a lot of things, the two most logical of which are the lack of accurate information concerning us and the spread of faulty descriptions about us.

I'm sure you remember looking at a textbook when you were in elementary school and there in its pages is an Igorot man with a pipe stuck in his mouth, a moronic grin on his leathery face, and a haircut that seems to have been patterned after a halved coconut husk. Completing the picture is a soiled Igorot kid running around with nothing on except for the bahag that covers his most private part. This was when I was in elementary school. Unfortunately, such stereotypes continue to this day.

With that said, I've decided to try and compile the most common misconceptions that non-Igorots have about us. So here we go.

1) Igorots wear their g-strings and other traditional clothes at home.
To be fair, there's a bit of truth to this. There are still Igorots in some communities in the Cordillera region who prefer wearing the wanes (g-string) and ingay (wrap-around skirt for women). Most of them are elderly, folks who were born during a time when wearing the native attire is common practice. For a long time now, however, traditional attires are stored in bauls and used only during community gatherings, festivals, and events like weddings, baptisms, etc.

The biggest reason why many people think that Igorots still wear their traditional attires in their daily lives is the way we are shown in popular media. Every time an Igorot is shown on television, plastered on a newspaper, or presented in a book, he/she is always wearing the native attire. This creates the impression that it's what we wear when we go to the farm, when we walk down the street, when we go to work, or when we go to the beach.

2) Igorots are short and have dark skins.
We are often mistakenly believed by other people to have the salient features of our Aeta brothers. Some even go as far as saying that Igorots and Aetas are from the same tribe. That Igorots also have curly and kinky hair.

There's nothing wrong with being short. There's nothing wrong with being dark-skinned. And there's nothing wrong with having crisp and curly hair. I'm simply stating the facts here. These are the recognizable features of Aetas, not Igorots. There are Igorots who are short. There are Igorots who have dark skins. And there are Igorots who have curly hair. But these are not our salient features in the same way that the Caucasian race doesn't have "almond-shaped eyes" as a recognizable feature.

This misconception is wrong and can cause serious harm. I remember a year or so ago when a local television station posted a photo of one of its celebrity stars posing with what it then called Igorots. The people in the photo weren't Igorots. They were Aetas wearing Igorot garb. This sloppy portrayal breeds even more ignorance in people.

Igorot girl in Coney Island in 1905. [Context]

3) Igorots have tails.
This is a classic one. We Igorots hear it with such regularity that we often joke about it among ourselves. To state the obvious, a human having a tail like that of a monkey's is a physical impossibility. We didn't go through hundreds of thousands of human evolution to get rid of the tail only to take it back in the snap of a generation.

There are several theories why this misconception abounds. One is that our native attires look like tails when we wear them. The wanes for men can look like a tail to an outsider. The skirt for women has with it a woven belt that extends to the length of the skirt. It does also look like a tail when observed from a distance. The Ilocanos, Tagalogs, and Spaniards of old may have seen these and spread rumors (either seriously or jokingly) that Igorots have tails. Suffice it to say that the joke was passed down through generations.

In this age and times, only a person who has never read a science book can believe the proposition that a man (a tribe for that matter) can grow a tail similar to that of a baboon.

4) Igorots have huge feet and gnarly toes.
This misconception had its roots generations ago. In the olden times, we hunted in the mountains of Benguet, fished in the rivers of Kalinga and walked down to the lowlands to trade with the Tagalogs and the Ilocanos with nothing on our feet. Naturally, our toes sort of stretched themselves to the left and to the right. The corns and calluses on our feet grew making our feet look much larger than normal. But do we have huge feet? No, we have the same feet that our Ilocano and Tagalog neighbors had.

Historians and anthropologists like William Henry Scott who came to the Cordillera region to study us and our ways of life brought more fire to this misconception by detailed studies about our feet. The studies came with great pictures too. These scholars are not to be faulted of course. Their research were often sound. It was the wrong interpretations of some readers that led to the misleading information about our feet.

5) Igorots eat dogs as regularly as they eat pork and chicken.
To be fair, some of us do eat dog meat. But the vast majority of us don't. And the way other people say it, they seem to imply that we eat dog meat the way we eat rice. As a staple presence in our dining tables. That is just not the case. I for instance have a taste of dog meat for like twice or once and sometimes never in a year.

As to the root of this misconception, it dates back to colonial times. Spaniards have always described us as eaters of dogs. Then the Americans came. In the early 1900s, one particular business-minded American named Truman Hunt brought Igorots to the United States and displayed them in a human zoo.

The Igorots replicated a typical Igorot village and was told to go on with their lives the way they always did back home. Dogs were brought to them on a regular basis which they butchered and ate in front of shocked Americans. From there on, Igorots have always been looked upon as dog-eaters.

Igorots for show in Coney Island in the summer of 1905. [Context]

6) Igorots still live in cogon huts and tree houses.
Many people still think that we are very behind when it comes to being civilized and modernized. Many people harbor ideas that we still run around in forests in our bahags and climbing into our tree houses when the days end. The fact that our mountains are teeming with pine trees, in a way, gives a bit of a push to this misinformed idea.

Your turn.
If you have anything to add to what we already discussed above or you simply wish to chime in, feel free to leave your reactions and responses to the comments section below.