I'waks Coping in a Changing World, Part 1: Dr. Del Rosario et al

The I’waks: Coping in a Changing World 

Fe Yolanda Gatan Del Rosario, Ph. D.Darwin Don M. Dacles, Ph. D.

Mr. Leonard Clemens L. Cadoy, MPASaint Mary’s University, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

Website: smu.edu.gov.ph

STATEMENT OF PURPOSEGenerally, the aim of the study is to document the ethno-

ecological adaptation of the I’waks and see how these adaptive strategies have changed or been sustained overtime. Specifically, the study sought to shed light on the following:1.Describe the I’waks of Nueva Vizcaya;2.Locate the I’waks in their culture centers;3.Describe the I’waks’ immediate environment in relation to their adaptive strategies;4.Document the practices/steps involved in the I’waks’ system of cultivation;5.Note the underlying changes that have taken place in the practice across time and;6.Explain the importance of such a technology in their over-all survival as a people.

Methodology and Sources of DataIn documenting the I’wak practice of shifting cultivation, the

research team followed a multidisciplinary approach namely:

1.The tools of historical and anthropological research – These two methods were extensively used. The historical method which entails the systematic collection and evaluation of data to describe, explain, and understand events in the I’wak’s past while the anthropological approach necessitated a study of their local knowledge of shifting cultivation since part of the people’s response to certain needs was an appreciation of their economic activities and organization.

In the course of tracing the necessary background information about the subject of the study, the team discovered at least three major works:

(1)A study which traced the I’waks past was written by Jesus Peralta (1982);(2) An unpublished thesis written by Rayda Joy Castillo-Calanse (1999) about some ethnographic information and life cycle of the I’waks and; (3)A study done by Ramos, Bonifacio V. (2003) on “The Abong: A Witness to the I’waks simplicity, Tranquility, and Accord with Nature”. All of which are considered to be primary sources, inasmuch as the information were obtained first hand from key informants.

Tracing reliable secondary sources however, was more tedious since this entailed pouring over documents written by Spanish chroniclers and friars. Fortunately there were entries in Blair and Robertson’s The Philippine Islands, William Scott’s translation of the work of Fr. Francisco Antolin, Notices of the Pagan Igorots in the Interior of the Island of Manila, and Felix Keesing’s, The Ethnohistory of Northern Luzon, but these were far and between.

2. Oral History - The team also used the methods of oral history particularly to validate information taken from secondary sources. This was necessary particularly since there are several versions to the origins of the I’waks as a people. Oral history also provided information heretofore unknown. Central to this was using accounts from practitioners, or those who are directly involved in the economic activities.

3. Informal retrospective interview - Cultural bearers especially the elders were crucial in resurfacing knowledge about practices in the past so that their continuities and discontinuities in their strategies may be determined. Informal interviews were thus done not only with cultural bearers and gardeners but everyone who showed interest in the unveiling of their culture.

In the choice of people to interview, primary consideration was given to the elders for their knowledge goes far back to when they were adolescents up to the time of their rootedness in their culture centers. Their willingness to be interviewed was important since they were made to understand that they were co-researchers and their informed prior consent had to be sought. 4. Focus group discussions - FGD’s helped gather data more systematically. This allowed the team to clarify confusing information derived from written sources or to counter check ambiguous ideas from individual interviews. These were then audio-taped, transcribed, and later interpreted.

FGD in Li’bawan

FGD in Amelong-Labeng

FGD in Alang Salacsac

FGD in Tuyungan

FGD in Buyasyas

5. Photo-Video Documentation - Since a mere description of the indigenous knowledge and systems of the I’wak will not suffice, the team also used photo-video documentation throughout which required a certain degree of participant observation. Following a three-day ocular inspection that took place in December, immersion into the community took place sporadically in January and February, and intensively in March.6. Data Transcription & Inductive Reasoning – The information taken from various sources was transcribed. After the transcription, the researchers relied heavily on inductive reasoning and creative interpretation to reconstruct and arrive at objective conclusions. 7. Authentication & Revalidation - The team then returned to the various culture centers to present the output to the people for comments and revalidation. While the paper reflected the values and interests of the clients, the results and processes were highly qualitative.

Implementation  The research team first solicited the approval of the Local

Government Unit of Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya and the people concerned (I’wak elders) in the proposal to conduct a qualitative-descriptive research regarding the I’waks’ adaptive strategies. Taking this as a jump-off point, the research team conducted the following activities:

1.Identification and processing of possible sources of information about the I’waks through the local NCIP;2.Ocular inspections of I’wak culture centers and photo-video documentation for geographic profiling and initial consultation with cultural bearers and masters in the culture centers for the peoples’ informed consent and participation according to IPRA law;

Buyasyas ocular inspection by the researchers: Via Calitlitan from the South

3. Collating, cataloguing and transcribing of existing data about the I’wak people;

4. Participation in the first I’wak congress on February 25 – 26, 2011. This activity paved way for the research information dissemination at large of the aims of the research;

5. Adaptive strategies documentation was conducted. As early as December, 2010, the data gathering instrument was already crafted by the research team, underwent validation from the University Research Center, revised cognizant with several suggestions of the examining panel and again edited to include other items as seen relevant by the cultural masters & bearers.

6. Consolidation of initial data and writings by the group was done.

7. The third immersion activity - on March 22 – April 2, 2011 (living with the people to document their day to day activities in order to draw out with them the necessary data for the research was done.

8. Fourth Immersion activity happened on April 25-26, 20119. Consolidation of all data and writing stages happened in April

and May of 2011

Participation in the First I’wak Congress (February 25-26, 2011)

During the night, the I’wak elders of Buyasyas shared their history (oral), indigenous knowledge, systems and practices to the researchers during the focus group discussion

Immersion Activities (Living with the I’waks in the various culture centers)

Dr. Yolanda Fe Gatan – Del RosarioDr. Darwin Don Mallo Dacles

Mr. Leonard Clemens Lamsis Cadoy

The I’waks: Coping in a changing world

Kayapa: Home-bastion of the I’wak People

Today’s generation of the I’wak people would find themselves at large living in the upland political territories of the Municipality of Kayapa. Kayapa, the home-bastion of the I’wak people is a 3rd class municipality, situated in the western portion of the Lone District of Nueva Vizcaya, found in Region II, Northern Luzon, Philippines.

Nueva Vizcaya Map relative to its location in Northern Luzon & Kayapa Boundaries

Kayapa relative to its distance from the provincial capital and the country’s capital

326.99 kms. away from Manila and 66 kms. away from the

provincial capital

Kayapa has an approximate area of about 78,459.69 hectares, which is basically agricultural. It has an altitude of 4,300 feet above sea level and 9,630 feet above sea level on top of Mount Ugo and Mount Pulag, the highest mountain peak in Northern Luzon that touches Kayapa.

Boundaries of Kayapa

North - Province of IfugaoWest - Province of Benguet

connected via the Ambuklao Road

South - Municipality of Sta Fe

Southeast - Municipality of Aritao

East - Municipality of Bambang

Northeast - Municipality of Ambaguio

Kayapa

The Municipality is politically subdivided into 30 Barangays;

As a tourist destination, Kayapa is one of the summer capitals of the Province of Nueva Vizcaya due to its Baguio-like cool breeze, panoramic view, climate and “flower gardens”.

It is also one of the vegetable bowls of the province.

I’wak Culture CentersPeralta (1982) describes, “the I’waks are extensively

dispersed in the general distribution of more than 2000 plus within the area of the Agno river to the west; highway 3 to the east, approximately 5 kilometers into northeastern Pangasinan; and the mountain trail from Aritao to Baguio in the northern perimeter.

The area includes southern Nueva Vizcaya, northern Nueva

Ecija in Lising & Capintalan, and northeastern Pangasinan in Sta Maria”.

Most Iwaks then crowded the southern area of Nueva Vizcaya. Today’s concentration of the Iwaks is found in several sitios of Barangays Besong, Alang-Salacsac (Bileg, Lower & Upper Bolo, Landing & Alang) Kayapa Proper West (Tuyungan & Li’bawan), Amilong-Labeng (Poblacion, Cawayan, Sayuding, Saguipat), Ansipsip (Dumolpos), Buyasyas, Kayapa (Talnag, Mataba, Parago) and Buyasyas, Sta Fe (Kapangan, Bocaog).

AlangLower Bolo

BilegLanding

Upper Bolo

I’wak Culture Center

Brgy. Alang-Salacsac

Kayapa Proper WestTuyungan

Li’bawanAmilong-Labeng

AnsipsipDumolpos Besong

Buyasyas, Kayapa

Buyasyas, Sta Fe

Talnag

Pob.Cawayan

SayudingSaguipat

Parago

Mataba

Kapangan

Bocaog

- Sitiosa - Barangays - Researchers’ Trail

IWAK HISTORY AND ORIGINFor many centuries, scholars and writers were baffled by stories

surrounding the presence of a unique moorland ethnic group living deep in the Cordillera and Caraballo Mountain Ranges of Northern Luzon, in the Philippine Archipelago.

Alang-Salacsac

Amelong-Labeng

Sitio Li’bawanKayapa Proper West

Sitio Tuyungan,Kayapa Proper West

Buyasyas, Kayapa

Buyasyas, Sta Fe

The trail-quest for this identity riddle started from obscure Spanish documents which were very few, fragmentary, and to the extremest level, none at all.

This ethnographic inquiry had eluded the best investigators of those times, not until dedicated researchers made extensive and systematic effort to unveil the mystery which ultimately opened other anthropological opportunities for and on behalf of this tribe.

Peralta (1982) posited that one of the reasons why earlier investigations failed to unravel the identity of this people was “ because of the wide array of names that were being tagged to these old mountain folks”.

Generations of Spanish historical recorders would discuss a wide variety of tribes like the Yguats, Dumanggi, Alegueses, Alagueses, Gumangi, Jumangi, Jumanguis, Aua, Awa, Oak, Alagot, Yumanggi and Dangatan – when, in reality, all of these appelations are actually applicable to but one generic tribal name called I’wak.”

The I’waks of old ItuyThe I’wak existence was

first revealed in an old Spanish document in November of 1591, taken from the expeditionary report of Pedro de Sid to the town of “Tuy” or “Ituy” an old Spanish administrative unit (today’s Southern Nueva Vizcaya)

The territory of Ituy consisted of what we know today as the municipal territories of Sta Fe, Kayapa, Aritao, Dupax Del Norte, Dupax Del Sur and Bambang.

As in other chronicles, the Spanish were taken aback by the richness of the people who adorned their bodies with gold as part of an elaborate bodily ornamentation, which when the former asked where the source of gold came from, some tribesmen responded, “Yguat, Panuypuy and Bila villages living behind the mountain range.”

The inhabitants of those villages showed the village of Bayaban near Y’guat, close to the Igolotes where the goldmines were located.

In 1594, a brief description was made on the valley of Dumanggui (another I’wak name) describing a settlement in that place.

In 1635, a Spanish Friar Tomas also made mention of the Alegueses (another I’wak name) living along the ridges in the vicinity of lower Kayapa valley (pampang).

In 1637, another report was made of the same nature.

In 1739, a Dominican priest recorded that in the summits and ridges overlooking Ituy, the Dumangguis were living in some 30 villages.

Those of the Awa also numbered about 20 villages.

Antolin (1970) enunciates that at the time, the most common term for these inhabitants was the Owa or Oak.

Antolin also made mention of a Father Herrera in 1755, who, on his way to Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya from the Province of Pangasinan passed through the mountain ranges near the Igorots of Awa, using what is still known today as Villaverde trail.

Father Cristobal Rodriguez of Dupax strengthened the claim of the Iwak presence in Awa/Aua when he took the opposite direction in going to Pangasinan via the Awa river.

In the same year, another account from a Dominican priest, Lobato narrated that in order to reach the town of Aritao from Pangasinan, they had to cut across mountain ranges occupied by fierce Igorotes at Awa (formerly Awa river, now Sta Cruz river).

They arrived at sitio Burubur when suddenly the Awa (I’waks) appeared and a fierce battle was fought.

After the battle, the chronicler mentioned that they had counted 48 Awa villages (dwellings) in rugged crags with hardly any place to graze cattle or flat grounds suitable for farming.

The old Spanish - trail mentioned in many Spanish chronicles that connected the old administrative region of Ituy with Pangasinan is still visible from Mt Cabo.

From this vantage point, the researchers had to stop before making a final push into the old I’wak settlements of Amaya-an, Busnog & Cagumbawan to the southwest and retrace one’s footsteps again into Mt Cabo and then travel northeast again into Mt. Tugew...

Mt. Cabo: The Trail going southwest into the old I’wak sites of amay’yaan, Cagumbawan & Busnog

Old Spanish trail

Spanish Trail

Mt. Cabo: The Trail going northeast to Mt. Tugew

The Spanish logbook showed interesting entries about the tribe’s frugal and simple ways. Chroniclers observed that the I’waks were taro roots (gabi tubers) cultivators/eaters, which they planted on the slopes of the mountains, that suggest a slash and burn type of agriculture or shifting cultivation. Taro is still cultivated today in the I’wak culture centers and forms part of the peoples’ diet. It is planted in “bineng” (swampy areas) or where there is abundant supply of water

Malumbres, writing early in the 20th century says that the “Igorotes of Kayapa were diligent workers growing taro, sweet potato, beans and cabbages upon the slopes. Some of them were also dedicated to the extraction of gold from the Ambayabang river. Their main commerce was with other towns of Nueva Vizcaya and with Pangasinan.

A mission center was estalished in 1894 (Mission de Santacruz) at Pingkian then later in 1898 at Bisong. (Keesing, 1962). To date, these two places still exist.