Dance Bik-Bik Sag-sag Meaning To say goodbye to the dead Dance Culture Place of Origin Central Kalinga Ethnolinguistic Group Kalinga Classification Ritual Background / Content Dead man is sat on a sayachi death chair as women who are covered in wide red blanket urge the man to avenge while holding burning twigs to drive…
Dance Bumbuak Meaning Dance Culture Highland Cordillera Place of Origin Ethnolinguistic Group Gaddang Classification Courtship , Mimetic Background / Content In 1987, a relatively small tribal community was stumbled upon by traders, introducing the Gaddangs to this busy world and the world to them. Before their “discovery” they happily tilled their fields, cared…
Dance Takiling Meaning Dance Culture Highland Cordillera Place of Origin Tanudan, Western Kalinga Ethnolinguistic Group Kalinga Classification Ceremonial, Festival Background / Content Takiling recreates the return home to the village of a group of headhunters after a kayaw or head-taking. Successful warriors called minger are bestowed with gifts of feathers (lawi), beads (bongor) and…
Dance Dinuya Meaning Dance Culture Highland Cordillera Place of Origin Banaue, Ifugao Ethnolinguistic Group Ifugao Classification Festival Background / Content A canao or a grand feast is held by the rich and powerful kadangyang or chieftain of the Ifugao, when the fields are cleaned and grains are stored away. The men must dance as…
Dance Uyaoy Meaning Grand Festival Dance Culture Highland Cordillera Place of Origin Mayaoyao, Ifugao Ethnolinguistic Group Ifugao Classification Festival Background / Content The rice terraces of Banaue are known as the 8th wonder of the world. Built by the sturdy hand of the Ifugao around 22,000 years ago, the terraces is home to hundreds of…
Dance Paypayto Meaning To jump / Happy Break Dance Culture Highland Cordillera Place of Origin Mayaoyao, Ifugao Ethnolinguistic Group Ifugao Classification Festival Background / Content The Ifugaos who stunned the world with their achievement, the marvelous famous rice-terraces the 8th wonder of the world – also excel in other wonders including the preservation of extraordinary…
Dance Ragragsakan Meaning To celebrate; merry-making Dance Culture Highland Cordillera Place of Origin Lubuagan, Kalinga Ethnolinguistic Group Kalinga Classification Social Background / Content The Kalinga borrowed the beautiful word ragragsakan from the Ilocano, which means merriment. The biggest occasions for a ragragsakan in a Kalinga village are two, the homecomingsof successful headtakers and the culmination…
Dance Bendian Meaning To celebrate a Headhunt , Harvest , well-being , victory Dance Culture Highland Cordillera Place of Origin Benguet Ethnolinguistic Group Benguet (Ibaloy , Kankanay) Classification Festival Background / Content The “”Bendian/””Bendayan”” festival celebrated by the Benguet, Ibaloy and Kankanay is always big and extraordinary, participated in by the community. To celebrate the…
Dance Idudu Meaning Lullaby Dance Culture Highland Indigenous Community Place of Origin Penarubia , Abra Ethnolinguistic Group Itneg Classification Occupational Background / Content The Philippines has a few matrilineal societies, the Itnegs of Abra Province among them. Women in this group enjoy equal if not more rights than their menfolk, but when household and field…
Headhunting is Kalinga’s most reveared tradition, outdating pre-historical accounts of other traditions to maintain peaceful relations and security amongst several kalinga “ili” or village clusters, peace pact or “bodong”.