TRANCE, MARLOU A.

FEBRUARY 12, 2020

BENGUET AND IBALOY CULTURE

The Benguet people-Ibaloys, Kankanaey, Kalanguya and Karaos- have similar beliefs,
traditions and culture. They only vary in naming them in their dialect. The Benguet people
believe in Kaboniyan (God), which the Ibaloys call Apo Shiyos and Goddesses egma on-an or
kedaring called by Ibaloys. The Kankanaey call them adikaila, which the old folks believe can
give sickness to anyone who disturbs them. These are considered the bad spirits while the
good spirits are called kaapo-an, which are believed to be the spirits of beloved departed
ones. From time to time, these kaapo-an are honored by butchering pigs or animals like cow
or carabao. Their names are called or shouted while they are represented by a relative
performing the tayaw and served a tapey (ricewine) on their name while being cheered by the
crowd shouting the ooway adivay.

It is believed that when someone is sick, He or She offended a kedaring, the bad spirit. The
local priest called mambunong, thru his prayer, asks the kedaring what is needed. Depending
on the graveness of the offense, the kedaring thru the mambunong, may ask for a pig or
smaller animal to be butchered. He may also ask for clothings, blanket, tobacco and money to
be offered and placed in a winower or kiyag, biga-o.

WHAT IS IBALOY TRIBE?

The ibaloi or nabaloi is an indigenous ethnic group of people found in northern Philippines.
The ibaloi's occupy the southeastern two thrids of benguet particularly the municipalities of
Kabayan, Bokod, Sablan, Tublay, La Trinidad, Tuba and Itogon and the southern portion of
Kapangan and Atok.

WHAT IS KANYAW OR CAÑAO

Cañao or Kanyaw is a festival or a ceremony of the indigenous mountain people of Northern

Luzon. It is a socio-religious ritual where chickens, pigs and/or carabaos are butchered as a
sacrifice and feasted on. Today, Igorots and Filipino of Igorot ancestry a still practice this
traditional feast wherever they are. Canao or kanyaw is simply " festival "or ceremony or
liturgy or service or rite/ritual or offering.

SOME FORMS OF KANYAW

1. Peshit

It is the highest form of kanyaw or kesheng (Ibaloy term for feast), a prestige feast performed
by the wealthy, who owns many heads of animals and a vast rice plantation. Relatives or
prominent people from other towns or communities are invited called Awit in Nabaloy dialect.
It is believed that by sharing his blessings to the community, to Kaboniyan and kaapo-ans, he
will be more blessed with riches and long life. The peshit has a various stage. One must start
in butchering 3 keshel or big castrated hogs, then 6 pigs, 9 and 12 pigs. Then he has to start
all over again from 3 pigs if he is still strong and rich. Big animals are also butchered like cow
or carabao. The feast may last for a week. Many jars or salaw of tapey is consumed while
tayaw dance and ba-diw is done day and night.

2. Batbat

It is a kanyaw to honor a kaapo-an and is usually done during death anniversary of a departed
one. A minimum of 3 pigs is butchered and big animals like cow, carabao and horse maybe
also butchered. Tayaw dance and ba-diw is performed with drinking of tapey. It lasts two
days.

3. Debbon (lebon in Kankanaey dialect)

It is a kanyaw done to ask the blessings of kaapo-an “soul of departed one.” A pig is
butchered and cooked together with other food cooked like taro, aba in Nabaloy dialect. Rice
is offered to the kaapo-an spirits together with tapey. The mambunong assures the spirits
that if the family is blessed with fortune and progress, they can give more offering to the
concerned spirits. There is no tayaw and ba-diw performed.

4. Kapi

It is a small kanyaw usually done a day after a wake, after a wedding or before going or
arriving from a travel to far place. A pig is butchered and accompanied by a jar of rice wine.
Ba-diw is performed but not the tayaw.

THE BENDIYAN DANCE

Bendiyan, the Benguet dance, is a ritual and ceremonial dance to celebrate victory and
vengeance in the olden times. It originated in Kabayan, Benguet. At present, it is modified to
honor Kaboniyan for a bountiful harvest since there is no longer tribal war. It is performed for
the entertainment of local and foreign visitors. Bendiyan is a mass dance. It is participated in
by as many as there are present in the celebration. It is a fatigue dance and the word
Bendiyan or Binendiyan means “let us see who gets tired.” As the dancing starts, the lead
man shouts at the top of his voice, Woo-oy!

1.While executing the first dance position, Penesbekan, “attack and take over,” the other
lead dancers follow with uniform movements as the long line of dancers go in two-line
formation. Men, separated from women, join them and form a circle with the right hand
extended down near the ground.
2.The rest of the dance steps are Salawasaw announcing to the World “we are the bravest
victorious warriors” both arms extended upward.

3.Third, Kinitangan, a relax position both hands on hips.

4.Fourth, Kinikiyan, a challenge to the enemy.

5.Fifth, Inoshongan or protection “The warriors protect the community.”

6.Sixth, Inodiyan “turn or reverse position to confuse the enemy.”

7.Seventh, Pinadjosan “fortune” carrying the bountiful harvest.

8.Eighth, Innabaya “put up your hands to receive the crops to be carried home.”

TAYAW DANCE

In Ibaloy tradition Tayaw is an expression of feast, joy or celebration. It is never performed

during wake period. A man and a woman dance a different part to the rhythm of the gong.
The man dances with blankets dropped over his shoulder. The woman dances the sarong
wrapped with the blanket.

The movements of the arms while performing Tayaw for the Benguet people have meanings or
interpretations.

A. Spreads arms like an eagle, means independence and freedom.

B. Hands palm upwards symbolizes praise to Kaboniyan.

C. Arms palm downwards, respect to the dead ancestors keep on the ground.

D. Fingers close together symbolizes unity and close relations.

E. During the tayaw the male portrays bravery and self- confidence, the female portrays
meekness and submission.

F. During the tayaw from time to time the dancers looks up the sky and looks down the
ground, it’s the supplication for fertility and bountiful harvest.

THE BENGUET IBALOI TAYAW DANCE

BAGUIO CITY - The Ibalois of Benguet had their songs and dances performed during social
occasions like canao. Among the dances is the tayaw where a pair of dancers: the manedjaw
or male dancer and the meneshung or female dancer perform the tayaw dance.
The manedjaw hangs two blankets on each of his shoulder as he goes around dancing around
(circle) followed by the players of gongs and palas. The meneshung follows the manedjaw
behind. They go around several times, dancing with a hop-and-skip with their stretched arms
outwards, according to the Cordillera Schools Group' book entitled: "Ethnography of the major
ethnolinguistic groups in the Cordillera.

The meneshung can change her style by skipping and mincing steps with her two arms raised,
like in a surrender.

Making the dance interesting, a group does the owag by shouting: "O-owag, hooh, hooh!" a
chant that is allegedly to honor the manedjaw specially, in the olden days, he is a well-known
leader in their village, or if his ancestors had performed canaos (grand festival where animals
were offered).

During the tayaw, rice wine (tapey) is offered to the dancers and to those playing the
instruments. At the same time while the music is palyed, an offering to the spirits is made
where a parayer (datok) in the form of a wish is said aloud to the dancers.

BA-DIW (CHANT)

It is also referred as “Adivay” which signifies to gather or chat to exchange of stories. It is one
of the most important part of Ibaloy culture in times of gatherings of feast or kanyaw, and
during wake, a form of instant poetry to express one’s emotions, give advices on wedding
celebration, express grief during wakes, or a prayer to Kaboniyan. Ba-diw is similar to the
ogayam of the Mountain Province. The ba-diw is instantly composed depending on the
appropriate occasion, wedding, festivities and waking period. Ba-diw text is picked up by a
group of women including men repeats the words in a laryngeal, undulating tone called the
Atob or Asbayat. Ba-diw chant consists of a chant in near monotone given by a leader who is
usually male. A female can also lead the Ba-diw. The language used in ba-diw are usually
ancient Ibaloy words and ancient pronunciation related to Kalanguya dialect.

THE KARAOS

The Karaos are people of Benguet occupying the areas of Karao and Ekip, two barangays of
Bokod located at the northwest foot of Mount Pulag, bounded northeast by Tenek, Ifugao and
the south about three kilómeters away to Bokod central.

The Karaos were able to retain some of their customs, belief, practices and possess a dialect
different from its neighboring Ibaloys and Kalanguya.

Their difference to the rest of Bokod dialect according to oral stories handed thru generations
is that their ancestors originated from what is Mountain Province of today, particularly in the
municipality of Natonin in a village called Kalaw. Oral stories among the Karao elders related
that their ancestors were forced to move from one place to another driven by epidemics and
tribal war until they landed in Bokod. The Bokodian elders accepted them and placed them in
what is now barangay Karao of today. But one of the conditions the Bokod elders asked them
is to be vigilant to the busol enemy passing thru that area, which they Karaos agreed.

Proofs of their Mountain Provnce origin as of today are visible. The Karao have a public center
where they perform their rituals called abonan, similar to the ato or dap-ay in Mountain
Province. They have a dance called taychek similar to the pattong of Mountain Province.

THE KALANGUYAS

The Kalanguya tribe in Benguet is found in the eastern part of Buguias, eastern part of
Kabayan and southeast of Bokod in the barangay of Pito, at the boundary of Benguet and
Nueva Vizcaya. They occupy the municipality of Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya adjacent to the said
boundary. The Kalanguyans originated from the mossy mountain range of Tinok, Ifugao.
Another name attributed to them is Ikadasan in Ibaloy. Kadasan in Ibaloy is trees or thick
mossy inner forest. It is believed that most of Ibaloys originated from the Kalanguya, wherein
Ibaloys and Kalanguya have the same practices and tradition. They only differ in dialect.

SOME OTHER IBALOY ASPECTS

Ibaloys are peace loving people. They usually solve community problems and conflict.

1. Tongtong

In this aspect, our respected elders facilitate the process of objectively talking about the
issues and problems by the parties involved and coming up with the solutions that work for
both sides, be it a problem between individuals, family or community members. The tongtong
provides a safe environment where both parties may express freely their ideas a feeling
without being judges as bad or good. Whatever agreement made during the tongtong is bound
sacred as it is prayed over by the elders and both sides are bound to honor it.

2. Kaising (Kaihing in Kalanguya)

It is usually done to solve community conflict. The family agrees to engage a pair of their
child when the time comes.

3. Adoyan or Kamal

The community unites to build the house or abong of a neighbor. The community unites to
construct a common irrigation for their own ricefield.
4. Awil

A family visits a relative who lives quiet far. The visiting child is usually gifted with a chicken,
a dog or any animal easy to carry travelling home.