by: Felisa Daskeo
What is PAKDE?
'Pakde' is pronounced as (pak - duh).
What is PAKDE?
'Pakde' is pronounced as (pak - duh).
Pakde is a community affair of the Igorots which is purely cañao without any dancing and playing of gongs. Opposed to the Begnas to which neighboring people are invited, entry of visitors is strictly prohibited during the celebration which could be extended to as many days until the bile of the pig says so. The pigs butchered are not to be cooked but are equally distributed to every household. It has to be known also that the cost incurred has to be equally shared by each household in the community.
Pakde is performed before rice planting season which is aimed at invoking the blessings of the spirits for the healthy growth of the plants. The celebration prohibits going to work in the fields although house chores are allowed.
The Pakde is still celebrated up to now by the people in the Mountain Provinces. The traditions and practices are still being celebrated even to this modern day. I’m sure that the anitos are happy looking at the people who still believe in their existence. As an afterthought, I still believe in our traditional customs and still talk to our ancestors who were long time dead.
My old folks used to teach us that the spirits of our ancestors are still mingling with us and that we should always talk to them and offer them some food specially if we received blessings. In short; we should share our blessings with them.
To help the readers understand the article better, definition of words is added below.
Cañao – a feast celebrated by the people in the Mountain Provinces
