By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
(I presented a powerpoint version of this during the Am-among for Health-Regional Health Summit last June 13, 2018 in Baguio City as a good indigenous practice for health and wellness.)
Igorots have developed rituals for vital events in life. And all of these are done not just to celebrate life but also for wellness, wholeness, prosperity, peace and harmony of people, families and the community as a whole. These were done by our forebears and they found it “gawis” so these were passed to the next generation and they found it “gawis” and so on so these became traditions. I am privileged, therefore, to share today one of our wonderful indigenous good practices- the tradition of Gobbao & Kidlos- an indigenous mother and child care package in Mountain Province particularly as practiced in the municipality of Sagada (where I live at present). For brevity, I will just refer to this practice as “gobbao”.
If you don’t know yet, Sagada is a small bustling tourist town in western Mountain Province, rapidly acquiring modern tastes. In this place American colonizers established the first schools, church and clinic (which later became St. Theodore’s Hospital) more than a hundred years ago. Despite all these, the iSagada (who are Igorot Kankanaeys by ethnolinguistic grouping) have retained many of their rich indigenous heritage and we thank God for this.
Gobbao is a thanksgiving, naming and welcome ceremony performed at home by a knowledgeable elder, usually the grandfather, soon after the umbilical cord of a newborn falls off. This cord off is a milestone in the life of the Igorot as it marks the passing through of a very vulnerable state of the newborn and mother (first week after birth). It’s a reason to celebrate. The immediate postpartum period is a critical period, not only for the baby but for the mother “tay ginmanos nan awak” (the body has become tender).
Children are necessary for the survival of the tribe and Igorots know well that to have a healthy child, the mother has to be well and strong. Healthy children will later become healthy adults and together, they will make a “gawis ay” (good) community.
Elders have observed that a baby who was “naigobao-an” grows up well while one who was not is sickly. The effect is observed not only during babyhood but throughout life. So even families that migrate out of Sagada practice “gobbao”.
There are many variations of this ritual and prayers as these are orally handed down and there are no books read. Generally, “gobbao” is similar to the traditional Christian baptism in form and solemnity. When the celebrant starts the “gobbao”, everybody is expected to seated and be silent. It is done early in the morning, around 7 o’clock.
During the gobbao, relatives, friends and neighbors bring gifts like rice (carried in this “kamuan”), “etag” (smoked salted pork), legumes, money, soap & other practical gifts.
The ceremony starts with a long prayer of thanksgiving for the birth of the child. However, don’t expect to hear the word “thank you” or “salamat” because there is no Igorot word for this. Recognizing the importance of a sturdy & safe dwelling place, next is a prayer for the house & premises. The celebrant then asks for the name of the child which has been carefully chosen earlier from names of relatives with good character traits. (So parents, be careful what to name your child.) It is prayed that the child will inherit these good qualities. The name comes from the family tree for identity. People will immediately know you are a relative & when the child goes to another place in the future, relatives would take care of him/her and see to it that no harm befalls him or her. Remember that in the past, we had tribal wars. And even if we didn’t, if you are new in the area, it is always reassuring and comforting to meet relatives. Prayers for the child include “ta adi masaksakit”,”ta napigsa”, “ta nalaing”, “ta makalagbo no masiken”, etc. (all for wholeness and wellness).
More prayers then are said as follows:
a)”TATAG” – the celebrant bangs a spoon against the basin to create noise & prays that the baby will not be easily startled.
b)”TUDEY” – prayer for the mother to have enough milk so the baby will not go hungry.
c)”KIDLOS” – prayer for fast recovery of strength of the mother (this is also done after abortion).
The ceremony ends with a meal for all those gathered. There is fellowship and as the women take turns holding the baby, they also coach the young mother on taking care of herself and the baby – like sitting properly to facilitate wound healing, wearing “bakget”, proper breastfeeding, drinking a lot of bean soup, not carrying anything heavy, etc. She is advised that it’s important to take good care of herself at this point or else she will have problems in the future, which is true. The men also coach the father of the baby especially on supporting his wife at this vulnerable period. These are not taught in formal school.
In the past, tobacco was given to the “dap-ay” (the indigenous government & religious and social center of the village) so that the elders will know that there is a new member of the village family. It is expected that the whole village will help raise the child properly.
The intention of the ritual is so important such that the celebrant and the concerned immediate family (the baby, parents, grandparents) are expected to stay home and “ngilin” for the day. Work and travel outside the village is restricted until the next day. This is to focus all energies on the prayers for a healthy baby and mother and a blessed home. (More next issue.) ***
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“The way of the fool seems right to him, but a wise person listens to advice.” Proverbs 12:15
