Friday, April 25, 2025

The Karowewin of the Gaddangs

I am yet to see a real "karowewin" in person. I've only seen these Gaddang collar beads in pictures and illustrations. 

Also, of all the indigenous peoples in the Cordillera region, I think the Gaddangs are among the least studied. The literature about them is minute compared to other Cordilleran indigenous peoples. 

I took this photo of a page from the 2024 calendar of the Museo Kordilyera at the University of the Philippines Baguio.

It's accompanied by the following description:

"The karowewin is an elaborate beaded collar necklace worn by Gaddang women. It has a large section composed of tiny red, yellow, white, black, and blue glass beads called bukat which is woven to form a net. From this bead net hangs evenly sized cowrie shells and metal bells. It is also common for old Spanish and American era coins to be seen attached on the karowewin. From this large section emanates a single strand of larger beads which serves as the strap of the necklace. The large section is displayed on the back and the single strand of beads is worn on the front."

Reasons Why Kalinga Women Got Tattoos on Their Bodies

As part of their celebration for National Women's Month, the Museo Kordilyera at the University of the Philippines Baguio held an event called "INKheritage: Women, Tattoos, and Cultural Identity in the Cordillera". The highlight of the event was a talk by Ammin Acha-ur, a traditional tattoo artist (mambabatok) from Kalinga. 

In her talk, Acha-ur explained the history and significance of tattoos in Kalinga, especially among the women. She pointed out the main reasons why Kalinga women got inked. These were as follows:

1. For fertility. They believed that getting a tattoo increases their chances of conceiving a child. 

2. For healing. They believed that getting a tattoo helps in getting well from an illness or disease. Applying "batok" on the part of the body that is experiencing pain will make the pain and sickness go away.

3. For protection. They believed that getting inked can help in shielding them from harm. They have this belief that hurting or attacking a tattooed woman brings bad fortune to the attacker. Think of it as bad karma. This gives pause to anyone intending to harm a tattooed woman. If you harm a tattooed woman, bad things will happen to you, sooner or later. 

4. For body decoration. 

Acha-ur also briefly discussed the reasons why Kalinga men had their bodies inked. But these would be for another post.

Face Tattoos Among Bontoc Igorots

"Face Tattoos Among Bontoc Igorots"

During a forum a few months back at the University of the Philippines Baguio, a speaker mentioned that tattooing the face was quite common in the past especially among Igorots in Bontoc and adjacent regions.

I was doubtful about the claim until I came across a collection of old photos taken in the Bontoc area between 1898 and 1912. Many of the Bontoc men who posed for portraits had tattoos on their faces. The designs which are very similar to the ones on the chest and arms/torso were usually tattooed on the lower half of the face.

I'm yet to see a modern person today sporting this traditional face tattoo. It looks cool though. Gives the bearer that "Bontoc warrior" aura.

[Images Source: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University; website]

A Classic Filipino Film/Movie Set in Banaue, Ifugao

Among Nora Aunor's most ambitious movie projects was an epic film called "Banaue: Stairway to the Sky" which was released in 1975. Aunor reportedly invested much of her own money into the production of the film. She mortgaged her house, she took bank loans, and she took advances from future films to help fund the project. 

The movie was among the most expensive film projects during its time. And it showed in the final product.

When it comes to historical accuracy and cultural authenticity, the film falls short. That's understandable since it's a movie, not a documentary. Entertainment-wise, it's worth checking out especially if you are an enthusiast of vintage/classic Filipino films. 

You can watch a restored/remastered version of the film on YouTube. Full and free. Just search for the film's title. 

Where Did Our Igorot Ancestors Get Their Salt?

Where did our Igorot ancestors get their salt? Salt was a very valuable commodity in the olden days mostly because of its rarity. Igorot communities that were near the lowlands where salt were readily available often go down there to trade and acquire salt.

But what about the Igorots who were deep in the interior of the Cordillera mountains? They were hundreds of miles away from the lowlands. Where did they get their supply of the much-coveted salt?

Well, one major source of salt for these interior Igorots were natural hot springs. A great example were the Igorots in Bontoc especially those who lived in or near the village of Mainit where hot springs were plentiful. They found a way to extract salt from the hot springs using a long and complicated process. 

How did they do it? 

Here's an excerpt from an article published in 1966 and written by Augustus Ulat Saboy that detailed the salt-making process of the Igorots in Mainit: 

[Beginning of excerpt.] "A suitable hot spring is selected from among the hundreds of thermal springs spurting all over the village. Moderately warm mineral springs usually are chosen.

The surrounding area is cleared of grass, rocks and dirt, and the hot spring is impounded into a small puddle by ringing it with small rocks. The floor of impounded mineral water is leveled to allow the water to rise about six inches from the floor of the puddle.

Stones Planted

Stones as big as man’s fist are gathered and “planted” at even distances on the water pool. An outlet is opened with a small stone used as value. This serves to regulate the flow of water so that the top of each stone on the floor of the puddle is left dry.

A conical shelter is then constructed over the puddle, with its caves reaching the ground edge of the hot spring pool. The sides of the ground are left open to let the air in.

Condensation

Through the natural process of condensation, which takes place in the sheltered pool, salt in the water vapor settles on the planted stones. In one week, the stones are thick with encrusted snow-white salt particles.

The salt is scraped off after it thickens to about an inch on top of the stones. The work, exclusively a woman’s job, is done with a bladed bamboo stick. Then the salt is winnowed into a vat on fresh water where it is dissolved.

Boiling

The vat, now full of salt solution, is boiled to extract the salt. Before it cools off, the salt in the vat is ladled into prepared base for wrapping into cakes.

The wrapped salt is “toasted” over charcoal fire until it hardens. The salt is now ready for long storage." [End of excerpt.]

Many of the folks in Mainit turned salt-making into a profession. "Mainit salt" reportedly travelled as far as Kalinga and Abra. 

Salt-making in natural hot springs is no longer practical these days. Commercial salt is easily accessible and very cheap. 

Photos: Images from the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University (Website) 

Vintage Photo of a Family in La Trinidad, Benguet

A photo of an Igorot man and his family taken in the town of La Trinidad, Benguet sometime between 1904 and 1920. Digitized by Princeton University, the photo had a description saying the man was a member of the local police force.

Around this time, the town was under the control of the American government. Local men were often enlisted as members of the police force.

Also take note of the Western coat the man was wearing. These coats were coveted back in the day. It's often seen as a community status symbol.

Photographer: Steven Charles Martin 
Image source: Graphic Arts Collection, Firestone Library, Princeton University.

#latrinidad #benguet #benguethistory

Macli-ing Dulag: Kalinga Chief, Defender of the Cordillera

This is a book worth reading for those interested in Macliing Dulag, his activism against the Chico Dam Project, and his impact on Cordillera social struggles. 

It was written by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo, a journalist who covered the aftermath of Dulag's assassination by state forces in 1980. Doyo wrote an investigative article about Dulag's death which wasn't a good look for the Marcos Sr. regime. She was chastised and even interrogated by the military authorities. 

This book is an expanded version of the article Doyo wrote in 1980. It was published by the University of the Philippines Press. So if you are interested in getting a copy, check out the UP Press website.

In the book's "Author's Note", Doyo writes: "This book is a way to remind Filipinos and those in foreign lands who supported his cause about the essence of his struggle and the price of triumph. The younger generation, particularly those in the Cordillera, needs models like Macliing." 

If you visit the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City, among the hundreds of names etched on the granite Wall of Remembrance is that of Macliing Dulag.