THE CLAMOR OF KALINGA

Taloctoc, Kalinga Dishes

2012-05-02T00:39:00.000-07:00

Taloctoc, Kalinga dishes are as simple as the lifestyles of the old folk. I am speaking about the early 70s when I was still a child in Taloctoc.

Of course life has changed nowadays and town life had caught up with the younger folk. When I grew up though, this was how we cooked some dishes:

Vegetables:

Boil water
Cut the vegetables into cubes, and place them all in the pot
Cover until cooked

Meat:

Boil water
Cut meat into cubes, wash and place in boiling water
Cook until desired tenderness

This is generally the method used for all dishes. No condiments are added whatsoever.

Try doing this and you would taste the natural and genuine flavor of what you are cooking.

I, however, prepared salt and pepper mixture, with meat because it is also a blast when you dip the cooked and tender meat in salt and pepper as you eat.

This explains why most people then had longer life spans. The food was our and unadulterated without toxic nitrites and harmful coloring reagents that could make you sick.

Try cooking a dish at home, especially if these are fresh products. Simply boil them and drink the broth; you’ll find out a unique taste you may never have tasted before.

Kalinga Song

2012-04-17T01:04:00.003-07:00

Ay ay,`salidummay,
salidummay diway
Amman tako annosan
Amman tako annosan
Dong dong ay salidummay,
isinali dumma-ay.

Ay ay,`salidummay,
salidummay diway
Mangan tako losan.
Mangan tako losan.
Dong dong ay salidummay,
isinali dumma-ay.

Amazing Bird Sanctuary in Tabuk, Kalinga, Philippines (Video))

2012-03-15T20:01:00.005-07:00

A beautiful bird sanctuary is found in Talaca, Tabuk City, Kalinga and is featured here in this video taken by Nats Dalanao and company. Thanks Nats for allowing me to feature this in my blog.

Panagbenga Festival 2012 Pictures

2012-03-07T06:24:00.009-08:00

Igorot Native Costume, Phiippines

2012-03-01T19:18:00.004-08:00

Igorot Costume, Phiippines

2012-02-16T03:11:00.003-08:00

The Igorot costume is colorful and simple, but it denotes incredible design and style. This adorable tot here is wearing a g-string, which is sufficient clothing for males in the mountain provinces, especially when the weather is warm.

The Kalingas' (Head Hunters)

2012-02-04T22:36:00.010-08:00

By: Evelyn Trinidad

Kalinga pronounced as kalingga means headhunters. The people of Kalinga are referred to as Ikalinga (meaning, from Kalinga.) The Kalingas are composed of the Tinglayans, the Lubuagans, the Tanudans, the Pasils, the Balbalans, the Pinukpuks, and the Tabuks. All of the people from these places are called Kalingas or ikalinga. They have a distinct culture and body features that are noticeably different from the other tribes of the Cordilleras.

In the olden times, headhunting (kayaw) is a way of life. Tribal war then, was the way to survive. It was tribe against another tribe. The rule then was survival of the fittest tribe. The tribal wars are triggered by almost anything that a certain tribe believes was an affront against his tribe or his culture from the mundane to the most serious errors.

Every tribe has its own sets of leaders (pangats) and brave warriors or head hunters (maingor) that led the tribe into war when needed.

The Kalinga peace pact (bodong) groups are classified according to their ili, or tribes or sub-tribes. The bodong was conceptualized as a means of institutionalizing some basic peace process between tribes. A bodong is established between tribes through the selection of bodong holders from among the leaders (pangats) of each tribe.

The selection is done by each tribe, provided the pangat is willing to be a bodong holder. When holders from each tribe have been identified, the holders will meet to set the time, date, the pledges of each holder for the expenses to be incurred during the rites and venue of the finalization of the bodong.

The sealing of the bodong is done through a ritual where carabaos and pigs are butchered as offering. The bodong serves as a court to amicably settle differences between tribes when crime against a tribe is committed by another tribe for which a peace pact was made. If a tribe was affronted by another tribe in which there was no peace pact forged, then a tribal war may ensue.

That is the time the head hunting is practiced. Head hunting is a noble thing to do and it signifies bravery (ingor). The victory of a tribe during a tribal war is the head of an enemy. Bringing home a head is noble and a symbol of bravery.

The men are expected to become maingors and accepted as belonging to the warrior class that is respected and revered. Being part of the kayaw (headhunting) is a man’s ticket for an opportunity to get the woman of his choice as a wife.

Although ikalingas are known to be head hunters, they are actually peace loving people. They are lovers of merriment and they display all their songs during rituals and rites such as weddings and deaths. They use these songs to express their emotions, such as the salidummay, the dong-dong-ay, the oggayam, the ading, the wasani, the paliwat, the owawi, dandanag and ullalim.

The people of the province of Kalinga are warm and hospitable. They also pride themselves with the many natural beauty spots found in the locality. If you want to experience their warmth and hospitality, visit Kalinga via Tuguegarao, Cagayan or via Bontoc, Mt. Province.

The first place you will reach if you go via Bontoc is Tinglayan, the home of the “sleeping beauty”. If you take the Tuguegarao route, you touch base first with the City of Tabuk.

N.B. Nowadays, headhunting is no longer a common practice in Kalinga. But tribal wars still exist in some parts of the province, and "bodongs" or peace pacts are still observed.

You can read a personal experience of Headhunting here.

For more about (bodong) Peace Pact read the Bodong Experience.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Evelyn Trinidad is connected to the DILG, Baguio as its City Director.

Evie, as friends call her, is a genuine peacemaker, being a bodong holder and an active participant in the development of the countryside and the City of Baguio.

She continues to pursue her vision of peace and devel0pment for the minority people of the Mountain Provinces.

You can read more about "Local Governance and Administration" in her blog.

Kalinga Native Dance, Taddek

2012-01-27T05:55:00.000-08:00

Kalinga Costumes, Kalinga Dance, Taddok

2012-01-22T23:54:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Igorot Woman in Her Native Costume

2012-01-20T20:57:00.000-08:00

Kalinga Male Native Costume

2012-01-16T15:25:00.000-08:00

Taddek: Ethnic Costume, Kalinga Native Dance

2012-01-11T04:06:00.001-08:00

Ethnic Costume: Male Kalinga, Igorot G-String

2012-01-10T05:06:00.000-08:00

The Philippine Ethnic Costume

2012-01-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

Kalinga Native Dance Costume, Filipino Ethnic Costumes

2012-01-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

Igorot Products in Baguio Market

2012-01-01T00:13:00.000-08:00

Baguio Products come in a variety of colorful trinkets and gewgaws. They also are inexpensive mementos.

Panagbenga Festival

2011-12-31T01:40:00.000-08:00

Kalinga Dance - Taddok

2011-12-28T09:04:00.000-08:00

Kalinga Male Native Costume, Igorot Male Costume

2011-12-25T22:23:00.000-08:00

The male Kalinga native costume is very simple. It consists of a woven, long rectangular cloth which could be used to cover the male private organ. There are no upper clothing.

Feathers could be worn as a head dress and beads or “bongol” can add “glamor” to the Kalinga male native costume.

In the olden days, tattoos were worn by proud warriors. The more tattoo a male had, the more prized heads, he had cut off. It is a proud symbol of bravery and courage, in the olden times.

Image credit: Bryan Elevado

Kalinga Costume and Igorot Costume

2011-12-23T17:04:00.000-08:00

Kalinga Costume
Image Credit: Bryan Elevado

Igorot Costume
Image Credit: Bryan Elevado

Kalinga Costume, Kalinga Women

2011-12-20T21:45:00.000-08:00

Kalinga Costume and Kalinga dance

The Beauty of Kalinga - Clear, Flowing Stream

2011-11-27T00:49:00.000-08:00

Brook in Boundary of Tabuk and Tanudan
Image Credit: Nats Dalanao

Common Taloctoc, Kalinga Greetings and Their English Translations

2011-10-29T23:44:00.000-07:00

Common Taloctoc, Kalinga Greetings/Sentences

Umma Ayam? -Where are you going?
Umma ngadon no - What's your name?
Umma idon no -Where do you live?
Laydok sika - I love you.
Mangantako - Let's eat.
Umalikat na - Come here!
An-amos tako - Let's take a bath.
Intakkon - Let's go!
Umma igaw no - Where are you?

Remembering the Kaingin in Taloctoc

2011-09-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

Kaingin at Dupag Naneng,the kaingin in Taloctoc looks the same
Image Credit: Nats Dalanao

I have worked as a young girl in the kaingins of Taloctoc. When young girls my age were used to the climb every morning and the descent every afternoon, I was not. So I stayed behind with my grandparents at the kaingin in a small hut just enough for us to sleep and eat.

I have loved the early mornings when I woke up while the sun was still shyly peeping from the rim of the world. I would pick up my bamboo container and fetch water from the spring located further down the slope. I felt like a boy, carrying the bamboo container on my young shoulders.

After this chore, I went mushroom hunting, savoring the rejuvenating, and morning breeze playing on my face. I would stand up at near the highest peak of the denuded forest and look down upon our village Taloctoc. It gave me “power” to be able to observe the village from above like some Norse Goddess looking down upon her people.

It was so peaceful and tranquil; I had wanted to capture that moment forever in my heart. But time ticked and life went on.

By then the gentle sun would be happily beaming from behind the clouds. Give it a few hours, and it would be fiercely beating down upon us, relentlessly, so I had to hurry. I would scurry back to the hut and get my gears and get ready for another day of labor at the kaingin. Those were the days…

Kalinga Song

2011-07-31T03:48:00.000-07:00

Kalinga Song by Jovie Sag-al
Video credit: wilson1234896/YouTube

Kalinga songs have character and great melodies.

Here are more videos of Kalinga songs.