Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
of the Philippines consists of the provinces of Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Benguet,
Mountain Province, and Ifugao. CAR is known for its rich cultural heritage. The
Igorots are the inhabitants of this region. The people in Ifugao were originally called
Igorots and once thought to be one of them as a single tribe but from what the
Ifugao elders said, they are not called Igorots but rather Ifugaos. CAR has
different kinds of cultural artifacts and some of them are to be discussed in
this blog. An Artifact is defined as anything made or created by man that gives
information about its creator and users.
Here are some cultural artifacts of CAR: Bulul is originally from Banaue,
Ifugao. It signifies an Ifugao Rice God and it is called as the "guardians
of the harvest". Bululs are carved into human figure and are usually in
pairs, the mumbaki (a native priest who does a ritual) said that the male bulul
must be placed on the right side while the female one is at the left side
facing the fore of such agricultural crops. Ifugaos’ belief is that the spirits
of their ancestors reside on it. Hagabi signifies an individual or a
family's wealth belonging to the kadangyan(elite) class. The Hagabi can be seen
in front of Kiangan Memorial Shrine in Ifugao and it is made of stone but some are made of wood. It is a bench that is only used by the
rich Ifugaos. Lingling-o is usually
made of gold and considered to be valuable that can be used as a wedding gift.
Some are made of copper or silver, it's a sign of the wearer's status. The hole
at the center signifies fertility. It is a symbol of pride that is used by the
youth of the mountain-dwelling people. Gangsa
is generally used by Cordillerans. It is an instrument that produces rhythms
and it is played during ceremonies and occasions. In Ifugao dialect (tuwali),
they call it "gangha" and use it as music in performing the Igorot
dance or the native dance. There are two types of native dance: Pagaddut dance
and the dinnuy-a dance of Ifugao. The beat of the gongs in the pagaddut dance
is much faster than the beat in the dinnuy-a dance. Kalasag is an ancient shield that is used by the Cordilleran
warriors during tribal wars for protection. Some of the Kalasag are decorated
with elaborate carvings. The shield's wood came from native trees that is hard and cannot easily be broken. Sangi or pasiking is a rattan backpack
made or created by the ethnic groups of the Cordillera. It is a sturdy woven
backpack and is known for its durability. The Sangis are used by the ancestors
of the Igorots before on their long journey. Today, there were only a few
Igorots who are using this kind of bag. Gosi
is a jar that is used by the Cordillerans in storing rice wine or in Ifugao dialect "baya". It has different sizes and different styles.
Most of the Gosis are made of clay. Ginutto
is a hand carved shell that is worn by men around their waist, attached to it
is the bolo and the wooden sheath. It is worn by the Ifugao warriors during
tribal wars. Also, it signifies prestige and only the elite ones who use it. Balabog is a spear that has a wood or a
metal blade. Since Igorots are known before as headhunters, the balabog is what
they use in hunting. They also use it to hunt for animals in the forest as their food. Also, they use the balabog as a weapon during tribal wars together with
their kalasag as their shield. Kango is
a headdress that is worn by men during the uya-uy marriage wherein the bride
and the groom with their native attires will dance the pagaddut dance. It is
decorated with beads, feathers, and a newly woven man's garb. On the other
hand, Dungdung is the headdress that
is worn by the female. The outstretched arms of the tiny wooden statue at the
center of the headdress refer to the dancing person during the uya-uy marriage.
Both the Kango and the Dungdung are only worn by the Ifugao kadangyan
propertied elite. Wooden scooters of Banaue, Ifugao is originally made to
transfer harvested crops and chopped firewoods which they have gathered from
the mountains down the hill, more quickly. It is handmade and each person who
makes his/her own has its own style making it unique from others. Bahag or g-string is worn by males as
clothing before to cover their private part. It signifies prestige and anyone
who has g-string is considered to be one of the social elite or kadangyan class
according to the Igorots. Bangibang
is an instrument that is usually used in ethnic ensembles. Each bar has its own
pitch and is hit by the player with one short wooden stick. Each player has its own
stick and they play their own rhythm which falls together (interlocking). Pakgung and Palipal are also
instruments and usually used in ethnic ensembles. The pakgung produces a
buzzing sound when one tongue is struck on the lower palm of your left hand
while the palipal produces a clap sound. Each instrument is played
interchangeably, first is the sound of the pakgung then the palipal.
In conclusion, we should preserve our treasure for it
makes us unique from other ethnic groups. Our culture is way different from
others. These cultural artifacts are important because it talks about our
history-the past. In order to understand the past, we must understand the
artifacts of the past. We should take a look at how the life of our ancestors
from the past until it was passed on to us their cultural practices and beliefs
systems. In these artifacts, we can find our identity and learn from all its
uses and symbols and be able to appreciate all of them.
