Written by Joanna Marie I. Mag-apan | B.S.

in Applied Mathematics

In ancient times, masks were usually associated to religious purposes such as rituals,
ceremonies, and religious festivals. The ‘Batak Ceremonial Mask’ of Sumatra,
Indonesia were used during funerals while traditional masks of Cherokees were worn
while performing traditional dances like “The Booger Dance”. Philippines did not
have prevalent use of masks in their rituals but a few were used in their festivals.

Niños Inocentes is a traditional holiday which is part of Philippines’ extended

Christmas celebration. It is celebrated every 28th of December and on this day,
Filipinos would play practical jokes on one another like borrowing money without the
intention of paying it back. These pranks were justifiable on this special day and
victims of such pranks were once called out, “Na-Niños Inocentes ka!”

Citizens from Ibajay, Aklan, however, celebrates this holiday in a different manner. A
group of men in farmer’s clothes/dress would scare children roaming at the street by
wearing masks while holding scythes. These masks are called “Yawa-Yawa Mask”,
referring the wearer as the ‘yawa-yawa’.

The association between Yawa-Yawa mask and Niños Inocentes can be understood
with the story behind this holiday:
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a bright star came up to the sky. Three wise
men from the East who have witnessed the star came to Jerusalem to give their
praise to the “baby born to be the King of Jews”. Upon hearing about this, King
Herod gathered all the chief priests and asked them where the Messiah will be born.
They told him of a prophecy that foretold a leader, who was prophesied to guide the
people of Israel, will come from the town of Bethlehem in Judea. So Herod called the
men of the East for a secret meeting and found out about the exact time that the
star had appeared. He then sent them to Bethlehem and told them to let him know
the location of the child so he can go and worship him as well.

The wise men located Jesus and presented him their gifts which were gold,
frankincense and myrrh. However, these men never returned to King Herod. They
received a dream warning them not to go back. When Herod realized that the
visitors had tricked him, he was furious.

He ordered his men to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its neighborhood who were
2 years old and younger—this was done in accordance with what he had learned
from the visitors about the time when the star had appeared. Fortunately, he had
never found Jesus since Joseph hid them to Egypt and came back only after the
death of Herod.
The yawa-yawa represents Herod’s soldiers who killed the innocent young boys. On
the day of the ninos inocentes, which Ibayjanons prefer to call Day of the Yawa or
Yawa-Yawa Festival, the yawa-yawas reenact their evildoings by scaring toddlers
and terrorizing the household.

The slow beat of the bass drum along with the chant “Wa! Wa! Ngayo kwarta!
Ngayo paeay!” which translates to “Wa! Wa! Give us money! Give us grains!”
signifies the arrival of the yawa. These are also the ques for children to lock their
rooms and hide under their beds until the pounding at their gate accompanied with
unintelligible shouts have stopped—only if the family gives the yawa money or food.

On the other hand, some parents conspire with these yawa to “kidnap” their children
to get them to behave. The yawa would threaten the child that they would not
return them to their parents unless they promise to be good.

An elder giving money to the yawa to stop them from scaring children.A goup of
yawa-yawa while roaming the streets.

Aside from scaring children, they also steal personal belongings that are left outside
the house like newly washed clothes or slippers. They parade on the streets, travel
from barangay to barangay, jumping from house to house to demand alms and
peace-offering from the family. They also block public transportations and ask for
some charity from the driver and passengers, whether local or tourists.

Their main objective is similar to the soldier’s objective—that is, to find baby Jesus.
There was a time that a group of yawa-yawasuccessfully acquired the image of baby
Jesus and the church had to pay certain amounts just to get it back. This is also the
reason why pasticum, a tradition wherein the image of baby Jesus is brought house
to house during the duration of Christmas season, is never done on the 28 th of
December in Ibajay.

“Yawa”, in Visayas, is a local term for the word ‘devil’ or ‘demon’. Thus, the Yawa-
Yawa mask embodies the devil within King Herod’s soldiers. It symbolizes their sin,
their immorality and their heartlessness in blindly following the king’s orders. It aims
to instill fear but it also projects the ugly aspect of these murderers.

There are different groups of yawa-yawa coming from different barangays. The
group usually consist of 7-15 men and together they roam the district. The most
active group that annually participates in the festival are the groups from Brgy.
Maloco, Ibajay, Aklan. It is believed that the tradition started from this place but the
people of Brgy. San Joaquin, Pandan, Antique disputes this claim.

San Joaquin is a neighboring barangay that is often assumed as a part of Ibajay.

They believe that the first group of yawa-yawa came from them before it was
adopted by Ibajaynons. Only because Ibajay was much closer and much more
civilized at that time that they decided that it was a better place for seeking alms
and donations.

No one can prove or disprove either one of their claims since no written record can
be found about the Yawa-Yawa Mask and its festival. It is a tradition that the
Ibajaynons have been doing for as long as they can remember.

Nevertheless, no one can argue that Maloco made the Yawa-Yawa Festival,
regardless of its origin, a widespread tradition in Ibajay and kept it going. No one
can also argue that the best Yawa-Yawa masks came from this place.
Yawa-Yawa from Maloco, Ibajay, Aklan
The mask is made from coconut sheaths. It is characterized by long slick
tongue, large bat-like ears and thick eyebrows. The sizes, structures and designs
may vary depending on the maker’s intention.

“Different variations of Yawa-Yawa Mask”

The simplest and most common design of yawa-yawa mask is made by cutting its
parts from the sheath and attaching it to the mask’s base. The base can be made by
cutting a rectangular shape and pasting the ends to form a cylinder. The hair can be
done by vertically slicing the end of the cylinder up until the middle. Oversized ears,
jaw, nose and tongue are also formed from the sheath and then sewn to the
cylinder base. Alternatively, rugby and white glue are ideally used to attach these
parts.

More intricate details are added like eyebrows and mustache made from coconut
coir. The hair can also be made from this material and after the glues have dried,
the paints are applied.

Red and black paints are the typical colors of the mask. The red is the color of fire
and blood. It represents war and danger. Black, on the other hand, is associated
with power, death, evil, and mystery. It is a mysterious color linked with fear and
the unknown. Together, these two colors emphasize the mask’s negative
connotation and give it a very aggressive color scheme.

White, on the other hand, represents innocence and purity. The mask is hardly
painted with this color but on some occasions, the maker dabs small amount of
white paints. The black and red should dominate this color—a symbolism that
immorality and death overwhelmed the innocent ones.

Others who see men wearing Yawa-Yawa mask for the first time cower in fear but
Ibajaynons are accustomed to seeing this on a certain day of December. For the
people in Ibajay, it is part of the fun and tradition every Christmas.

“Since this[Yawa-Yawa Festival] was purely a lay initiative, the church

does not have any official comment about it. Surely, it originated from a
religious event, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and I think it encourages
children and adults to remain innocent, though not naive.” ~ Fr.
Emmanuele “Am” Mijares
Every December 28 along the national highway of Ibajay, Aklan, a group of men wear
masks portraying various evil characters. They stop passenger jeepneys and ask for
alms. For some, this tradition is horrifying but for the Ibajaynons, the holiday season is
not complete without celebrating their Yawa-Yawa (demon) Festival.

Ibajaynons are already accustomed seeing people wearing Halloween costumes every
December 28 roaming around their town. This is part of their Christmas tradition.

But the wearing of Halloween costumes is not just for asking for alms among their
neighbors. It is also meant to discipline their children and teach them to behave or they
will be kidnapped by the ‘yawa’ (demon).

Eighteen-year-old Miko Delfin recalled that when he was six years old his father paid the
‘yawa’ men to abduct him and urge him to behave.

“At the time, I was not aware of the deal made by my father with the yawa yawa
participants. I always wanted to roam around the town alone so I was surprised when
the 'evil' men forcibly took me. They did not release me until I gave them the P3 I have in
my pocket. My father later told me that he ordered the ‘yawa’ men to abduct me so that I
would stop roaming around town,” Delfin related.

Many parents in Ibajay allow the yawa yawa participants to harass their children to make
them behave.

The participants also visit houses not only to ask for Christmas gifts but also to take your
personal belongings.

“One time, I left my newly washed clothes outside when I was informed that it was taken
by a yawa yawa participant. To get it back, I gathered all the leftover food inside the
house and gave it to the one who took my clothes. For us here in Ibajay, it’s part of the
fun and tradition every Christmas,” said Rudy Ann Cerencio.

Cerencio also revealed that the yawa yawa participants also took the image of child
Jesus and paraded it around the town. She said the Catholic Church had to pay certain
goods to get the image back.

Dante Mijares, a non-government organization worker, said most of the participants who
join the annual Yawa Yawa Festival are residents of Brgys. Capilian, Maloco and
Laguinbanua.

“I am not sure why the residents of these barangays actively participate in it. The
participants are plying along the national highway where tourists bound for Boracay
Island pass. So for them, it’s part of their tourism endeavor by scaring tourists and
residents onboard a public utility vehicle asking for Christmas gifts,” explained Mijares.

On the other hand, Father Emmanuele “Am” Mijares told Panay News that based on his
research, the tradition may have started in Brgy. Maloco many years ago.

“By oral tradition, as told by Jun Placio, it (Yawa Yawa Festival) aimed at
commemorating the holy innocents. On the morning of Dec. 28, some people
summoned by a bell gather at the chapel to pray for the holy innocents. After which, they
organize into groups dressed as devils (with coconut materials) to go around the barrio
to scare children so they will become good. Understandably, those who are bad will be
caught under the reign of the devil. They also go house to house to ask for some
money,” Mijares said.
He confirmed that the participants before succeeded in “hiding” the image of Baby Jesus
to prove that they are evil but it was also returned after the symbolic giving of ransom
money or food.

“Now, they also go to the town. Some groups from other barrios do the same. Since this
was purely a lay initiative, the church does not have any official comment about it.
Surely, it originated from a religious event, the Feast of the Holy Innocents, and I think it
encourages children and adults to remain innocent, though not naive. It appears, too,
that they have a municipal permit to do this in Ibajay,” Mijares said. /PN