Poetry and the Ibaloi Literary Tradition

By Melvin Magsanoc

THE Ibaloi literary tradition is an oral tradition; thus, it doesn't have the art of writing poetry.

Poetic lines are found in other literary genres such as the budikay (riddles), ba-diw (chants), and songs. The Ibaloi sayings, idioms, curses, and praises are also poetic in nature. Most of which are metaphorical.

But most of these literary pieces remain in the mouth of the Ibalois while some are written in personal journals like anthologies, and researches.

Before, the Ibalois weren't able to develop a system of writing although the spoken language is well-developed. Everything in Ibaloi is spoken.

The Ibalois started to learn how to write after the Americans in the early 1900s taught them the ABCs, However, not everybody was able to write and so even the brightest chanter wasn't able to write his chants.

And even if there were those who learned how to write, creatively writing and translating these literary pieces were not the main concern. The only book that was translated is the New Testament of the Bible.

The Ibaloi culture doesn't also put much emphasis on the literary arts. The focus of learning was more on the industrial and agricultural arts. The riddles, for instance, were just favorite past times and a good social activity in gatherings. Nobody has really taken the job of being a literary genius.

The Ibalois gather not to hear somebody deliver his speech or oration but to perform rituals and ceremonies.

If somebody has to speak, it is the mambunong (local priest) or the nagka-ama (elders) presiding the rituals and ceremonies.

At present, most Ibalois can read and write and even write poems. Many studied in the universities but only a few would take up literary arts and write poetry. There's a minimal interest in it.

Up to now, the industrial and the agricultural arts are the main concern of the people. And the use of the Ibaloi language is also becoming limited. Most would only use it at home and with fellow Ibalois.

My fellow Ibalois use other languages at work, in school, and in other institutions. The English language, Filipino language, and the regional language Ilocano became the dominant language of the Ibalois in the city.

Most became Christians also and have done away with the rituals and ceremonies which have these poetic lines. Who would recite the mambunong's chants since there are no more mambunongs?

But I'm happy because lately there's a growing interest among linguists and intellectuals in the Ibaloi language.

Hence, I'm very much happy to share what I know about the language. Just a week ago, an instructor from UP Los Banos, Monica Macansantos, the daughter of Palanca-winning poet Butch Macansantos and UP Baguio Chancellor Priscilla Macansantos, who is doing her paper about the use of languages in their respective communities, asked me about the Ibaloi language.

UP Baguio, in partnership with the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), initiated a Cordillera Literary competition and one of the target languages is the Ibaloi language.

Baguio City is also celebrating its centennial year as a chartered city and I think it is just appropriate that its native beginnings would be recognized. One of it is its Ibaloi heritage and that the use of the Ibaloi language should flourish here.

With these initiatives and the continued use and appreciation and support from other people, it's not impossible that the Ibaloi language be intellectualized.

And so long as more Ibalois will write poems in their language and put to writing these oral literary pieces, the Ibaloi literary tradition will no longer only be in the oral tradition. There would be poetry as part of its literary genre and that there would be a word equivalent for poetry in Ibaloi.

Literature brings back 'relics'

By Charisse C. Acquisio

NOVEMBER is usually attributed to burning lamps on the eaves of our homes and setting out food for the departed.

In like manner, one could feel that the veil between the two separate worlds is just thin. Thus, November would always pull me back to my Lola's memoirs.

As a cultural practice, we set fires and light torches near our houses to guide her and other bereaved family members to the funeral meal that awaited them. Then, we would gather as complete families to eat, drink, make music, dance, and celebrate the love that we continue to share with them.

As the burning torch would keep its blaze, it always brings me to medias res when Lola used to tell stories.

Most of her stories speak volumes to Cordillera's past and even present philosophies and belief systems. In one way or another, her stories brought out my indulgence to the fascinating facets of Literature.

Every time my Lola is done sharing a chapter of her story, I'd always think -- if the history of Cordillera was not exactly written and, if its literature was not thoroughly transmitted, or they were at least hinted, in the dump.

For rummaging through its foul purlieus, I had several times been surprised and shocked to find relics of my own life tossed out there to blow away or not.

And yet not the blow that something else was, something that impressed me even more is with how closely the dump reflected the village's intimate life. This tingling thought often gets in my mind whenever I get to recall the story of my Lola about the relics of her nuang or carabao.

She once had this carabao, whose picked skeleton lay out somewhere in Bakun. Her nuang had been incurably crippled with no much reason to consider. She had worked then for months to make her nuang well, had fed it by hand, curried it, and talked to her forefather into having iron braces made for the carabao's front legs.

Although, Lola had not known that the nuang would have to be destroyed. A few days later, she found the nuang's skinned body, with the braces still on his crippled front legs, lying on the dump.

Now, I've been thinking, not even finding the nuang's body cured me of going to the dump, though my father forbade me on pain of cholera or worse.

The place fascinated me, as it should have. For this gave me the most tantalizing glimpses into our neighbors' lives and our own; it provided an aesthetic distance from which to know myself, ourselves.

The village dump was our poetry and our history.

We took it home with us by any vehicle, bringing back into the village, the things the village had used and thrown away.

Probably, the best way for us to keep our treasures which, always depict our rich culture, is to deem just how helpful literature is I our lives. Yes, it's maybe seldom useful, but always memorable.

I remember lola's nuang and her stories; I regret her yet. I regret her more whenever I hear elderly stories and chants during mourning nights.

Hence, in loving memory of our bereaved "chanters and story-tellers", let their chants and stories be recreated into any would-be-remarkable pieces that rather depict the rich signs of our culture.

Tuklas Katutubo: Balik Tribo

By Napoleon E. Paris

“Bakit sa Maynila ang daming tulay ngunit wala naman akong nakikitang tubig na umaagos sa ilalim? Sa bundok maraming ilog ngunit wala namang tulay na maaring maging daanan ng aming kalabaw upang ihatid ang aming mga pagkain…”- Manobo Children

These were the haunting words of the Manobo children. The Lumads of Mindanao are indeed subjected to issues concerning the lives of Indigenous Peoples throughout the country. The tribal communities in the Philippines have become one of the most inexpressive topics around our neighbors for time now.

Even in the socio-political scenario, IP issues are further isolated, or say, slowly forgotten by the modern society but considered important only when festivities and other major tourism celebrations take place.

These days, the IPs has become “endangered” like the country’s endemic flora and fauna. However, their reasons for disappearing are not only brought about by hunger but also because their way of living is threatened by the continuing affection of marginalization. As a result, they have become neglected and their situation later breeds to continuous poverty.

In view of, most of us, youth of this generation, would-be leaders in our local places, are facing many challenges as we play a critical role in the development of our tribal communities.
In dealing with the issues, we might wish to be in existence in a world like those of Bellamy’s Looking Back, B. F. Skinner’s Walden Two, Thoreau’s Walden, etc. —which are ideas of Utopia. Yes, we are too idealistic then; however, we only find ourselves struggling for breath in this smothering present situation of our poor country.

Now, the challenge for us to address are the gargantuan issues of these IPs. Or how we may be part of the solution to these IP problems?

Considering that we are natives living in the urban areas, and even in the rustic places, the primary requisite to be able to be part of the campaign in empowering the roles of IPs in the local setting and in nation building is being proud of our own ethnic group.
Like saying, “I’m proud to be an Igorot!” Isn’t it so simple to say yet difficult to prove? This is the case of some fellow IPs who are uprooted from their indigenous culture. The sense of being proud of one’s identity would be having a pioneering heart and initiative to help our brethren in need nearby.

To this cause, the idea of Balik Tribo was started. It is a program initiated by an Indigenous organization called TUKLAS Katutubo or Tuklasan at Ugnayan ng Kultura, Lahi at Sining ng mga Katutubo, which I am a part of.
Also known as the National Organization of Young Tribal Leaders of the Philippines, the organization aims to get back and rediscover one’s roots, and also bridge the gap between the tribal communities and the mainstream society.

Recently, I joined another Balik Tribo project that was successfully held in Barangay Upper Lumabat, Malungon, Sarangani Province on October 23-28, 2008.

“The place is where the Tagakaulo tribe hails. The residents there have undergone capability-building and life skills training that will help them become self-empowered and self-reliant” Edgar Tomino, one of the national organizers said.

Nevertheless, the program is designed to reach, to provide and to bring humanitarian services to different IP communities living in remote areas that will help them be equipped with skills, knowledge and proper attitude to become productive members of society.