Text and images by Noel B. Pabalate
In this modern age, old tradition and culture may only be witnessed during a fiesta. While most of our ancestors’ ways of living don’t fit in today’s lifestyle anymore, it’s fulfilling to learn a thing or two about them. And Banaue’s Imbayah, which started in 1979, is a testament to that.
I booked a ticket online two days before Imbayah. And it seemed like the last slot available was meant for me, so I could follow my family, who were scheduled to go there a day before. I was excited to finally see one of the country’s most magical places—Banaue Rice Terrraces.
Ohayami, the bus to Banaue, was an hour delayed. It kept my excitement for almost 10 hours. But seeing the 8th Wonder of the World on its festive days was well worth it.
Lacking sleep, I alternated between sipping hot brewed coffee and staring leisurely at the panoramic rice field right in front of our relative’s house, where we stayed.
But caffeine proved unnecessary, as the locals in their traditional attire, dancing and chanting their age-old folklores during the community parade gave me just the stimulation I was looking for.
During the festival, the Ifugao presenters did a ritual where three wild boars were butchered and blessed by the Mumbaki, a native shaman. They would do this to determine the amount of luck they would receive throughout the year, depending on the quality of the pig’s blood and bile.
According to Rommel Ramos, our host, the pigs would always be shared among the respective members of the barangay who did the ritual.
After the program we strolled through the set-up market. Booths lined the street, from corner to corner, toward the municipal hall. Displayed were various local produce and native products, all sold at a fair price. We also witnessed woodcarvers who exhibited their skills, the process of transforming solid wood into a masterpiece.
If you’re looking for a wide variety of local delicacies, Imbayah won’t disappoint you. Its exotic and indigenous offerings are sure to delight you. I was able to try the sour and salty ants called allaga and the tasty finger-size gachiw fish. To remove the meal’s aftertaste, I ended up savoring halo-halo with macaroni pasta.
The Imbayah festival experience won’t be complete without drinking the rice wine—literally! Rice wine is called bayah in Ifugao. Rommel brought out a bottle of bayah after lunch. In the old times, according to the locals, bayah was offered to the pagan gods for protection of the crops and for a bountiful harvest. Now, it is being offered to guests and tourists to boost the local economy. Unlike other alcoholic beverages, bayah is sweet and easy to drink. You’ll get hooked at first sip! I finished one bottle in a jiffy with my brother-in-law.
Ifugao local games were being held while we were having rice wine and nga nga session. There were familiar games like akkad or racing on stilts. Some I found a little strange, like the binawwot, an ethnic version of bowling but with pins in hard wood.
The following day, we left early for a short trip to Batad, because we resolved not to leave Banaue without a poster-worthy shot. Going there wasn’t as easy as I thought. It took us half an hour of trekking, depending on how fast, or slow, you walked, to get to the breathtaking rice terraces. To really appreciate Batad’s view, a whole day exploration is recommended, but we had so little time as we had to head back shortly to catch one of the highlights of the festivity, the exhilarating wooden scooter race, where riders wore no protection, only their ethnic garb, headdress, vest, and G-strings.
Most contenders had reached the finish line by the time we got back from Batad. Luckily, I was able to capture the last four daredevils going down the slope of Viewpoint Poblacion road. They all ended up in the gym, where everybody was welcome to test drive the well-crafted scooters. Long before it was used for tourism, wooden scooters had been a big help to Ifugao, for hauling firewood and rice crops down the hill. As an expression of Ifugao artistry, these handcrafted scooters became a big thing, drawing visitors every year.
Unlike other festivals where different vibrant colors dictate the vibe, Imbayah is festive enough with only shades of red, black, white, and yellow, laden with meaning.
“We’re doing this to showcase our culture and ritual practices, so we can also inform the new generation about it,” said Mayor Jerry Dalipog. And I agree. Capturing youngsters’ interest should really come first, income is secondary, so the ethnicity that complements the beauty of the ingenious Ifugao won’t fade away.
Indeed, from what we’ve experienced, Imbayah is more of a preservation of culture than mere merry making. It is a celebration of the true spirit of Ifugao.