Cañao Explained

by: Felisa Daskeo

Cañao is a pagan celebration, a tradition, a ceremony, a ritual, a feast, a thanksgiving, an offering, and a peaceful holiday observed by the Igorots in the CAR (Cordillera Autonomous Region). Most of all, cañao is a kind of bonding by the people in observance of a very highly regarded event. Cañao comes in many kinds which I will discuss in my future posts.

Cañao is not just a celebration and a merry-making, the celebration is a sacred celebration by the Igorots made more sacred because it involves offering, praying and conversing to the unseen. Igorots have very high regard to the unseen spirits roaming around whom they believe have a huge part in making them successful, keeping them safe from danger and harm, keeping them sound asleep in bed, keeping them healthy, and providing them a peaceful place to live in. It is with this belief that the Igorots have made “cañao” a very important, must celebrate the event and given the highest respect.

Igorots celebrate cañao to thank their own God, the spirits of nature and the spirits of their ancestors and dead relatives. Offerings are made such as chickens, pigs, cows, carabaos, foods, and wine. This is because they believe that everything they are blessed with comes from the blessings of the unseen and calls for a celebration.

This computer age with the most advance technology has not diminished this practice of the Igorots because they are still partly rooted to the Igorot practices of a long time ago. No matter how highly educated and sophisticated an Igorot is, the Igorot culture is still running in his/her blood. 

Copyright 2016 Felisa Daskeo

The Pakde

by: Felisa Daskeo

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

Anitos – the spirits of the dead

Copyright 2013 Felisa Daskeo

The Igorot Tradition for the Dead

Igorots keep the coffins of the dead open until it is ready for internment.  The coffin is usually made by the men from wood materials around.  There are no funeral parlors so the family and the people around help each other in taking care of their dead.

 Different rituals are done from the start of the wake.  Old men have their own way of praying for the dead with the use of rice wine and meat.  The moment the men start their ritual; no one is allowed to talk or even stand up.  It is a very solemn moment and only the men praying could be heard.
 

 We call the blanket PINAGPAGAN.  This is one of the most expensive blankets for the dead of the Igorot Tribes.

The internment:  A priest blesses the dead before it is laid into the resting place.

During the wake, pig is butchered and prepared to feed the people but the most important part here is determining if the bile shows signs of a good omen for the aggrieved family or not.  Only the old men could read what the bile would indicate.  If the men sees something negative, another pig should be butchered.  This is very important since the family of the dead will suffer whatever consequences if the ceremony is  not properly done.   Silence must be observed strictly as the men are performing the ceremony.

Women are in charged of preparing the food to be served.  

Although gambling seems an inappropriate way to raise money to help the aggrieved family. It has become part of the wake.  This is where most of the money comes from.  The percentage cut from the winners is a big help to pay for the expenses incurred.  I will at least lessen the burden of the family.