Eulogy for a True I-Taloctoc, Kalinga

I am an i-Kalinga. I pay homage to my ancestors by following the native customs of honesty, integrity, respect, bravery, industry, and love for family. I am proud of my heritage and ethnicity.

I am an i-Kalinga, whose ancestors have carved a name for themselves in the Land of the Brave. From the fascinating view of the world-famous “Sleeping Beauty”, to the swirling waves of the Chico River, and to the fertile flat lands of Tabuk, we, the i-Kalingas, lived with pride and dignity.


Our Kalinga history spans an incredibly rich culture of nobility and integrity. In the olden days, our brave tribes fought against the people who wanted to turn our precious ancestral lands into a hubbub of modern electricity, but our ancestors protected our lands with their sweat, blood and tears – with their lives; thus we are able to maintain our ancestral lands.


This is one Kalinga legacy that we’re proud of: the courage to stand up for our own convictions. When we know it’s the right thing to do, we don’t budge an inch to do what should be done, but when we’re wrong, we take the first step to admit our mistakes and correct our misdeeds.

Although, it’s an undeniable that we fought among ourselves to maintain what’s sacred and dear to us, in the end, we opted for peace among our tribes with our “bodongs.” Because that’s what our culture is all about; it’s about maintaining peace and unity as the Kalinga people.

We also welcome change that can promote prompt interactions with our neighboring villages. We have roads now, where there were trails before, and we have safe electricity now, where there were bamboo torches before.

We try to blend with the influx of modern technology without damaging our cultural roots. We value our ancestry and culture.

I wear my Kalinga badge wherever I go. I’m not ashamed to wear it like a priceless medal and certificate of my nobility. I wear it with a song in my heart and a lilt to my steps. I brandish it like an incisive weapon to sever my fears and inadequacies.

There are countless I-Kalingas deserving of praise, and one of them is this person I’m going to pay homage to. This i-Kalinga has served with dedication as a public servant for several years, and has an unquestionable integrity that no one can contest.

He was once a faculty member of the Taloctoc Elementary School, and was eventually promoted as its principal. He moved on to Pampanga and served as a principal there too, and as a teacher, he has been known to work late hours to ensure that all tasks were done properly.

He also taught in college at the Baguio Colleges Foundation for many years.

In all his years as a teacher and a professor, he never placed his self-interest first before his duty. There was once a time that he has severely punished his own daughter for a minor misdemeanor in school in front of all the other pupils to show that not even his children are above the school rules.

His integrity, dedication to work and honesty have proven that he is a true blooded i-Kalinga; in spite of his ¼ Ilocano ancestry.

The trait that I most admired in him is his pride in his being an i-Kalinga. Whenever he was asked about his ethnicity, he would proudly state that he is an I-Kalinga. Hence, I learned from him that being a cultural minority is not something to be ashamed of.

It’s a legacy that everyone must be proud of. He participated in many activities meant to promote the Kalinga culture, and has even wrote a book that would trace his Kalinga ancestry.

He always boasted about the songs, culture and legends of Kalinga to all interested visitors, regaling them with the Legend of the Sleeping Beauty  The Bodong, and other Taloctoc folklore.

Listen to the Ilocano version of the sleeping beauty, and an anecdote as told by the subject of this post: Sound videos are courtesy of Lydia and Tess.


Conversion with relatives:
The bayanihan spirit of the i-Kalinga is demonstrated by the way that fellow i-Kalingas come together as one to console the relatives of the dead.

I personally witnessed this during his wake and interment, where the I-Kalinga’s the i–Taloctocs, and of course, the relatives by affinity, showed their compassion and respect for their elders.

Kin from the far-flung places of Kalinga came to pay their last respects to him.

The first cousins and relatives from the father side, led by Manong Rodolfo and group, the first cousins and relatives from the mother side led by Auntie Edna and group, were there to condole and console.

Most special thanks to the host family; Rene and Gina and relatives and the people of Labayug for their prayers, sympathy and help.

Pictures of relatives:

There were various contributions such as, rice, pigs, carabao, and many items that the wake and funeral can make use of. These came not only from the i-Kalingas, but also from colleagues from various professions, our non-iKalinga friends and relatives, and all those who have joined us in our hour of grief.

This shower of respect and empathy has made us bear the loss less heavily.

“Dakkol e pasalamat kanakayo losan.”

I salute this true i-Kalinga, this true i-Taloctoc, because he has not only shown how a loving parent should be but also because he has taught me how to be proud of my heritage as an i-Kalinga.

Bon voyage, Sir Manolo! Safe and happy journey to you!

I tip my hat to you, Papa! Till we meet again.


 N.B. If any of you have pictures related to this event, kindly share them with us through this Facebook account. Just click this link. Thanks.

Philippine Ethnic Igorot Costumes; The Kalinga Native Costume

Male native costume 

The “bag” (bahag) is the common costumes for male Igorots or Kalingas. It is a long woven material about 10 to 15 inches wide and 3 to 5 feet long.


Its main purpose is to cover the man’s private parts. It’s firmly secured at the waist to prevent the clothing from falling off and to ensure that it covers the male organs safely and properly.


Traditionally, there are no upper clothes for men. Tattoos are common in the upper body. The amount of tattoos indicates the male’s authority in the village.

It can also denote how many enemies he has slain with his spear or bolo. Some Igorot or Kalinga costumes include a head gear adorned with feathers, and some arm bands.

Image credit: Charles Romano Wandag (From the village of Taloctoc)

Rene (from Taloctoc Valley)

A male elder

Kiddoe a Kalinga tot

Ethnic costume during a Kalinga dance (taddok)

Ethnic Kalinga costume during a wedding dance (taddok)

A male costume in Taddok

Male Kalinga/Igorot costume during native dance (taddok)

Male Igorot playing an ethnic musical instrument

Panabenga Festival street dance

Ben in his ethnic Kalinga costume

 

Female native costume 

On the other hand, the female Igorot or Kalinga costume consists of a large rectangular woven clothing about 3 to 5 feet wide, and 3 to 4 feet long.

It’s simply worn like a skirt and secured around the waist. In the olden times, there were also no upper clothing for women, but as the modern era has come to influenced the new generation, earth colored blouses are now worn.

There are still some villages where married women go topless with the older generations. The new generation though has decided to wear upper clothing for decency purposes. However, going topless during the olden days was not considered indecent.

Men didn’t eye women with impure thoughts, and there were no cases of rape. It was like Adam and Eve existing in the Garden of Eden before Eve got tempted by the devil.

During those times, being nude is pure and innocent and not an indecent exposure. The native beads or “bongol” in the Kalinga dialect usually adorns the woman’s upper body.

The weight and amount of beads in the “bongol” indicate the status of the woman.

Richer and nobler women have heavier and multi-layered “bongols”. Here are some Igorot/Kalinga costumes:

Bongol (beads) and ginamat or tapis (woven clothe)

Ginamat/tapis

Ethnic Female costume, Image courtesy of Nats Dalanao

Female ethnic costume, courtesy of Nats Dalano

commercialized bongols

Native female Igorot costume

Female Igorot costume

Modernized Igorot/Kalinga costume

Female and male Philippines ethnic costumes

Modernized Igorot/Kalinga costume

Benguet costume

Female and male Philippines Ethnic costumes

Igorot Dance costumes

Female Igorot costume

Female Kalinga costume during a PNP officer's wedding

Erika in her native costume

The Beauty of Sagada, Mt. Province in Pictures

Sagada, Mt. Province is as beautiful as the rest of its neighboring provinces, Bontoc, Kalinga, Benguet and Apayao. It's part of the Ifugao province. It's famous for its tourists spots such as, the burial sites and underground river. Its sunset and sunrise views are also phenomenal. Here are photos captured by Cioux Casala and company, who went there for a short but fruitful vacation. Thanks for lending me the pictures, Cioux. Watch the breathtaking pictures below:

Lubuagan and Its Poignant Memories

Lubuagan holds numerous poignant memories for me because it’s where I spent my early teen years.

St. Teresita’s School (STS) was where I pursued my secondary education…the place just remains indelible in my memory because of so many "firsts".

STS is ran by nuns. Yes! And I stayed in the dormitory for girls where strict compliance of rules is implemented.

We had breakfast at 6 to 7 am, lunch at 11 to 12:30, and dinner at 6 to 7 p.m. Any late comers won’t be served any meal. We have also to consume everything that was served, whether we liked it or not.

We prayed several times a day; before and after going to sleep, before and after eating meals and any occasion the nuns deemed it appropriate to pray.

Mass was held every day and we were “encouraged to attend”.

The Holidays of Obligation were compulsory mass attendance for us…or else.

Well, I appreciate all that I have learned from that Catholic institution because it has become a part of me now.

Here’s a picture of the school, courtesy of Demetrio Buenavista. Thanks for the pic.

Tips for Capturing Wildlife on Film

Expert photographers would oftentimes say that there is no perfect formula in vividly capturing wildlife on film. This is because there are various aspects that one has to consider to get that perfect shot.  This does not mean though that photographers should abandon this tremendous challenge. The following are tips in capturing vibrant and colorful wildlife images.

Image credit: Zimbio.com

*You don’t have to use an expensive camera – It is how you use it creatively that counts. No matter how expensive your camera is, if you do not know how to use it effectively, then it is useless. Before snapping those wildlife photos, or shooting a video, familiarize yourself first with the proper functions of your camera.

*Ascertain you have different lenses when you need them – Zooming in is not always needed, especially if you want to capture the surrounding spectacular landscape. The view of the habitat of
a wildlife animal could add to the character of your photograph or film. Know when to zoom in, and when not to.

*Use different angles for your shots – A different angle can provide a new perspective for your audience. You can take shots lying down, sitting, skywards, or standing up. You can shoot the image vertically or horizontally. Your creativity will come to the picture. Think out of the box, to capture extraordinary images from ordinary scenes.

*Provide the animal some space – You can get near to shoot images, but not too near to
endanger yourself or scare the animal. Your photos should depict naturally the animal in its peaceful and natural environment. Generally, the safe distance is 15 to 20 feet.

*Use your shutter speed to vary shots – Your shutter speed can make your pictures or films unique. You can decrease or increase the speed. You can lengthen the time of exposure or shorten it to capture different photos of the same animal. Some photographers come up with amazing pictures using these methods.

*Take a handy tripod with you – Even if your hands are steady, there are shots that need a tripod. It is also better if your camera is stable on a tripod because pictures could be more vivid and clear. There are light, handy tripods that you can easily carry around with you.

*Use the camera’s continuous shooting mode – This would allow you conveniently to capture sudden moments when the wildlife around you goes extremely mobile. You have to be ready to capture those momentous unguarded moments of animal life that may never occur again.

*Capture the eyes of the animal - Make the eyes of the animal the focal point of most of your shots. These would turn an ordinary shot into a riveting one.

These are simple tips that could help anyone who want to capture the beauty and wonder of wildlife. The crucial thing to remember is that safety comes first, because animals have that natural instinct to defend themselves to survive.