[CPProt.net] When Cordillera communities let go of their relics

[Ellie Bruggeman]

When Cordillera communities let go of their relics

LIFE AND DEATH rituals are often evolved among indigenous communities of 
the Cordillera to preserve a memory, or a story, that has relevance to 
the villages’ survival. But what happens when the stories are no longer 
important to new generations?

That seems to be the fate of some of the country’s ancient relics.

In Kabayan town in Benguet, historians discovered the vandalism of one 
of three 14-inch rock impressions alongside a ridge near the more 
popular caves of the Ibaloi mummies. Old Ibaloi described the unique 
impressions as the footprint of a giant creature called “Besang.”

Youthful residents, who were irritated by onlookers that are drawn by 
these gigantic marks, destroyed one of the mythical figures.

In Besao town in Mt. Province, portions of a centuries-old stone 
calendar were stolen, ruining a rice cycle still practiced by indigenous 
Agawa residents.

Kenneth Kelcho, a local historian and leader of Kabayan’s youth 
organizations, cited efforts to educate the young people about their 
remaining antiquities and historical monuments.

Kelcho, who promotes scientific researches of the mummies, said the 
Kabayan Tourism Council has started discussing the value of “authentic 
natural landscapes” to ensure the safety of most indigenous relics there.

He said the present generation of indigenous Igorot needed to recover 
the tribal “respect” for archeological artifacts.

Members of the Agawa tribe in Besao are aware of their loss.

They tracked down the calendar when it disappeared in 1986, but 
recovered only a third of the relic. Many of them believed the loss was 
“political motivated.”

The stone tablet has deep markings, which describe village rituals as 
soon as the sun’s rays hit the calendar at certain periods of the year. 
The rays signal the start of rice planting.

Gloria Bantog, a member of the Agawa tribe, said the calendar was used 
as a community ritual journal.

The short marks on the tablet indicate that the village should butcher a 
small pig for the gods, while the longer lines suggest that a larger 
boar should be sacrificed for a specific planting period.

The late historian and anthropologist William Henry Scott found 
similarities in the markings on the defaced stone calendar and the 
ancient form of writing in China during the Shang Dynasty in 16 BC.

Politics also seems to have affected efforts to restore the country’s 
most popular relics: the Ifugao rice terraces.

Some Ifugao towns are now challenging the government for enlisting their 
ancient farms as World Heritage sites, according to a source from the 
Ifugao provincial government.

“This is a common observation among villages, who were surprised to find 
out that they are now obliged to restore their uneconomical farms on 
these terraces. ‘Why? Were we consulted?’ has become the new retort,” 
the source said.

He said the reactions stemmed from the absence of transparency regarding 
a P50-million grant to restore the terraces that had yet to be properly 
liquidated.

The communities are also offended by “unsolicited advice” from 
international experts who pressure local governments about the 
restoration, the source added.