By Melvin MagsanocTHE 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.
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.
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