Historical Photo: Deer Hunters in Mount Pulag, Kabayan, Benguet (1995)

This is a photo taken 30 years ago on the grassy slopes of Mt. Pulag. These local hunters were bringing down the mountain the fruit of their hunt - a Philippine deer (Rusa marianna). 

The local term for the brown deer is "makawas" or "makwah". I believe the latter is a Kalanguya term.

Mt. Pulag has been a hunting ground for generations by Igorots who settled and built communities around the mountain. 

The population of wild deer has also decreased over the years because a sizable chunk of the forests where they used to roam have been converted into agricultural land. 

Deer are also rarely seen at or near the summit because of the presence of climbers and tourists. The Philippine deer are easily spooked animals and they prefer living away from humans. But they are sometimes spotted by hikers. Just a couple months ago, a "makawas" was seen and photographed by a group of hikers right on the Ambangeg hiking trail. 

[Photo by Nelson Palispis. Taken circa 1995.]

On This Day, William Henry Scott Was Born

Today (July 10) is the birth anniversary of this man: William Henry Scott. A man who dedicated a huge chunk of his life researching, studying, and recording Igorot/Cordillera history and culture. If you read scholarly work on Igorots, his articles and books often come up. 

His friends and colleagues called him Scotty. Although known primarily as a historian, he was also an anthropologist, linguist, teacher and activist (he was arrested and detained during the Marcos regime). He is a widely cited source when it comes to scholarship on the history of the Igorots and the Cordilleras. 

Scott has written numerous articles and books about Igorot/Cordillera history. These include the following:

1. The Discovery of the Igorots: Spanish Contacts with Pagans of Northern Luzon

2. Of Igorots and Independence: Two Essays

3. A Sagada Reader

4. On the Cordillera 

On October 4, 1993, Scott passed away at a hospital in Quezon City following what was supposed to be a routine surgical operation. 

He physically left but he also left behind a body of scholarly work that will keep his legacy intact for generations to come. Scott was buried at a cemetery in Sagada, Mountain Province.

Philippine Serpent Eagle Spotted Flying in Sabangan, Mountain Province

This is a Philippine serpent eagle (Spilornis holospilus) spotted flying over Losad in Sabangan, Mountain Province. This bird of prey feeds on reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and other birds. They eat snakes thus their name serpent eagle. 

Under Republic Act 9147, it is against the law to capture, hunt, or possess these wild serpent eagles.

These birds are called "kolin" or "kulin" in Kankana-ey.

[Photos by the Sabangan LGU.]

Huntsman Spiders in Baguio City and the Cordillera Region

These are "huntsman spiders" or "giant crab spiders". It's quite common to find them lurking in our homes. They can grow really large thus making them look intimidating and dangerous. For this reason, some people resort to squashing/killing them. 

In reality, these spiders are harmless. They rarely attack humans and they prefer scurrying away. They have venom but these are only enough to immobilize their prey (small insects). 

Unlike other spiders, huntsman spiders don't build webs to catch prey. Instead, they forage and hunt. 

Intimidating as they may look, huntsman spiders are not enemies. They're friends. They can help get rid of pests like cockroaches in your home.

The Benguet Lily (Lilium Philippinense) Conservation Status

This is the Benguet lily (Lilium philippinense), a plant species endemic to the Cordillera Central Range. We often take it for granted when we see it but this plant's population is rapidly declining to the point that researchers who studied it consider it a "threatened" species. This means that this plant is vanishing and if nothing is done about it, the road to extinction may not be too far-fetched. 

The Benguet lily usually grows on steep and grassy mountain slopes or rocky/gravelly open areas. When they're not flowering, they can be hard to spot because they blend very well among the grass and shrub. But they become very prominent when their flowers bloom which happens within the months of May to July.

Here are some of the reasons cited by researchers as to why the Benguet lily's population has seriously declined:

1. Over-collection. The plant and its flowers are often collected and used as adornments for occasions like weddings, graduation rites, etc. 

2. Destruction of their natural habitats.

3. Climate change. For the Benguet lily to survive and propagate, specific environmental requirements have to be met. 

Conservation of the Benguet lily is going to be a challenge because studies have shown that it's difficult to cultivate it outside of its natural habitat.

"Threats to this species are attributed to habitat loss which is caused by natural events such as soil erosion and anthropogenic activities such as road widening, over collection and land conversion. With these threats, the natural populations of this species are declining and therefore require immediate conservation strategies before they become totally extinct."

That's a quote from the published paper about the Benguet lily by Teodora D. Balangcod, Virginia C. Cuevas, Inocencio E. Buot Jr., and Ashlyn Kim D. Balangcod. If you're interested in reading their papers, see the cited sources below.

Sources:

1. Geographic Distribution of Lilium Philippinense Baker (Liliaceae) in the Cordillera Central Range, Luzon Island, Philippines by Teodora D. Balangcod, Virginia C. Cuevas, Inocencio E. Buot Jr., Ashlyn Kim D. Balangcod; 2011

2. Cultivation and Conservation of Lilium philippinense (Liliaceae), the Philippine Endemic Benguet Lily by Teodora D. Balangcod, Virginia C. Cuevas, Ashlyn Kim D. Balangcod; 2011

3. The Benguet Lily (Lilium Philippinenses Baker) by G. A. C. Herklots

Images: 

Photos 1-3: (Phyto Images, Southern Illinois University)

Photo 4: Reddit, Baguio subreddit

Becoming Mad and Asking Why the River is Flowing

Here's another book you can add to your shelf of Cordilleran literature. Penned by a homegrown Cordilleran author, it's an interesting concept for a book. It's presented as an ethnoautobiography, a form of writing that merges elements of autobiography and ethnography. 

So what you get is a brew of the traditional and the contemporary; eastern thoughts and western thoughts. Because it's an autobiography, the author meditates on what these are, what they mean, and how we might understand them better. 

It's a deeply personal book so as a reader, expect your understanding of things to clash rather often with the author's understanding of things. 

I think we need more books like this. It boldly meditates on culture, history, and religion beyond what's considered factual or established understanding. 

📖 Becoming Mad and Asking Why the River is Flowing: An Ethnoautobiographic Account of an Igorot Woman

✏️ Allu Kuy

*First published in 2014. The second edition was published in 2025 through the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Synopsis:

This thought-provoking ethnoautobiography offers an intimate account of three generations of Igorot women navigating the profound intersections of tradition, colonization, and personal identity. It explores subtle yet valuable Indigenous knowledge systems that can only be truly understood through an individual's lived experiences. The author traces her lineage and develops her wisdom through one of the longest surviving lines of shamanic practitioners in her community.

Through vivid folktales, dreams, and personal anecdotes, the story weaves a philosophical discourse that bridges Indigenous knowledge with contemporary thought. In an exploration of existential themes, it tackles issues of Indigeneity, social justice, spirituality, religions, colonization, and the complexities of reconciling modernity with ancestral beliefs.

The author challenges dominant narratives and dualistic perspectives while seeking to offer transformative solutions for understanding and embracing Indigenous ways of seeing in the modern world. At once personal and universal, this work is an essential contribution to decolonial studies, Indigenous philosophy, and women's studies. It is a call to action for scholars, communities, and individuals to reclaim their narratives and take control of their own histories. It paves the way for the empowerment of marginalized voices to articulate their experiences and insights, enriching the tapestry of the global discourse on decolonization.

Kaputan: The Wild Mushroom That You Can Eat Raw

In the Kankana-ey language, this wild mushroom is called "kaputan". Locals like to eat it raw.