BONTOC, Mtn. Prov.– Residents of Barangay Samoki, Bontoc performed a ritual called ‘pa-ang’ on January 9, 2019 where in bonfires were created in the whole barangay in answer to what happened the day before where the community was covered by a thick fog coupled with the cold weather registering at 14’C. The making of the bonfires is termed by the elders as ‘chentan’.
John Engngeg, a former barangay captain, said that the ritual is already part of their culture as a people that every time thick fogs cover their community with the cold weather, they have to perform the ritual.
‘Infukaw cha san wi-it, kanan cha ay in pa-ang tako, waschin mang chenet is nan arobayan na.’ (It is shouted early in the morning for the people to build bonfires on their residential areas.)
The purpose of the ritual is to prevent whatever the thick fogs brought in like sickness (colds) to the people and pestilence to their animals according to him.
‘Nan mang angnenan tako’s chi tay adi tako ammo nan iyalin to di, panateng man wenno pisti si animal.’ (It is done to avoid what it brings like diseased to people and animals).
The elders also declared ‘tengao’ meaning rest day as part of the ritual for the whole day. Residents especially the farmers are prohibited to work in their farms. Violators of the rest day are penalized by the council of elders.
A group of women are assigned at the entrances to the barrio to watch for violators of the declaration of the ‘tengao’. During ‘pa-ang’, the life in the community is normal with the smoky environment.
This writer while going around observed a group of women bonding with each other while enjoying sipping hot ‘barako’ coffee since they are prohibited to proceed to their farms. It was quality time conversing with them as they explained the importance of the ritual.
The ‘pa-ang’ ritual is only for one day and other related rituals follow the next day. It was observed that the barangay after the conduct of the ritual was spared from being covered with thick fogs the next days. **Ferdie Cariño Castañeda
