Tinoc Agricultural Cycle

The following is the traditional agricultural cycle of the Kalanguya communities in Tinoc, especially in eight barangays, namely; Poblacion, Impugong, Ap-apid, Gumhang, Tukucan, Luhong and Danggo.

a. Hippawa and Hihhudun Wine (early part of October)

It is the first job of rice field owners to work in groups to clean, clear and repair eroded irrigation systems in preparation for the whole planting season. As a practice, men do this.

b. Lamon ni Hapnakkan (about November)

Women clean and prepare the rice paddies for the planting of rice (rice seeds).

c. Liak tan Pehed's Hapnakkan (about the last days of November)

After the rice seedbeds has been cleaned and prepared, men prepare and fix dikes, and repair collapsed stonewalls.

d. Hih-hapnak (about December)

Each rice field owner, usually the women sow the palay seeds on the prepared rice paddy. The farmers will only bring out the preserved rice called binantol from the rice granary for sowing when it is full moon. When this
is followed, it is believed that the seeds to be sown will grow robustly.

e. Block

A ritual performed if the seedlings are big and robustly growing. One chicken is dressed and offered to the gods of harvest to make the seedlings plentiful when they will be transferred or transplanted.

f. Hillamon (about the whole month of December)

It is the general cleaning of the entire rice field. Women agree to help one another through the ubbo (mutual help) system. They prepare the rice fields by cleaning and weeding stonewall dikes and slopes.

g. Hippitew di Payew (later part of December until January)

This is general preparation of the rice field where men meet and schedule their work through the ubbo system. Men fix dikes, and repair eroded and collapsed stonewalls. They also cultivate the soil then allow water to flow in every paddy to prepare it for planting.

h. Hibgay (later part of January)

Women are responsible for transplanting the rice seedlings to their ice fields. This is a continuous activity until every rice field had been planted. Rice field owners will inform women in the neighboring sitios to help in their work. Afterwards, they identify and schedule the next work for the ubbo system.

During the planting season, rice wine is prepared in jars to be used for ritual celebration after planting.

i. Hibgay (about February to March)

Planting season is over. Women have been mainly visiting and checking the rice field water or irrigation.

j. Hikkulpi (about March)

After the planting season, men agree and gather in each household to drink the wine prepared during the planting season. This is called kulpi whereby the mabaki (shaman) prays to the gods of harvest to let the newly planted rice grow robustly and bear plenty of grains.

During the kulpi, tipsy men chant native songs called baltong. Chickens are also offered to the gods to let their plants grow robustly. After the kulpi, one to two days is set aside for all the men to go fishing in the river to catch udingan (fish) found in rivers.

k. Hij-uma (about the later part of March)

After the two-day fishing, men will again agree to help one another to prepare their kaingin for Sweet potato plantation through ubbo or daj-ngah.

Usually, the kaingin is maintained for two to three years depending upon the fertility of the soil before another site is started. The old kaingin is not abandoned but it is planted with tiger grasses, which are made into soft brooms for sale.

l. Ti-eggew (about March to June/dry season)

When planting season ends, the people have many activities because it is also the crisis period. After clearing the hillside for kaingin, some men go to other places to earn for additional family income. Some engage in small barter trade. They only go home before harvest time.

m.                   Dam-ah/Latang (about April to May)

When the first thunderstorm or monsoon rain comes, nobody yet will work in the rice fields or kaingin as a form of respect to the rice and sweet potato plantation.

n.  Hikagawkaw tan Hilba (early part of May)

Women are responsible to remove weeds around the rice seedlings and the slopes of the rice field through the ubbo system.

o.  Hiw-waklit (month of May)

Men and women clear the surroundings of the rice field to prevent wild rats from entering the rice field plantation.

p.  Hij-adug (May to early June)

The farmers protect the rice plants from the maya birds otherwise hundreds of maya birds will attack and eat the matured grain. On the first installation of the bayon (a structure to drive away maya birds), the owners of the rice fields guard the dikes so as not to permit animals and people to pass for the duration of one day. If observed, this is believed to prevent maya and all destructive elements from entering the rice fields.

q.  Kaltod

A ritual performance believed to protect the palay from pest especially when the palay in the rice field are bearing grains.

r.     Hij-ani (harvest time, about June to July)

Harvesting is a common work for men and women wherein they help one another using the ubbo system. During the harvest season, the family who owns granaries prepares chicken and pigs, to be butchered for the henge. These animals are offered to Kabunyan to make the harvest plentiful.

s.    Nabunyagan ni Pagey

It is a ritual performed before the start of harvest especially by rice field owners who have wide rice fields. Ten chickens or more are to be butchered depending on the reading of the bile by the “mabaki”. Four chickens are offered to Kabunyan in thanksgiving and to ask plentiful harvest. One chicken will be offered to the “bibiyaw” (evil spirit) so that they will not give obstacles for a good harvest. One chicken is to be offered to all cruel spirits not to give annoyance or trouble during the harvest. One chicken is to be offered to pati believed to be the god of all tools and materials used for the harvest, to see to it that these are used properly and that no injury happens. One chicken is offered to wigan, believed to be the god who is in charge of the entire rice field, asking him to maintain the fruitfulness and quality of the rice field. One chicken is offered to iddaya, god believed to be the giver of palay, thanking and asking him for a continuous plentiful harvest.

Other chickens are being offered to “nangketey” (ancestors) of the couple. The bile of the dressed chicken is critically, studied by the “mabaki” to determine and fulfill the declaration of the unseen spirits and gods.

All butchered chickens are cooked. After the food is cooked and prepared, the mabaki will idulem or call first the “agmatibew” (unseen spirits) or “nangketey”, with prepared rice and meat before the people begin to eat.

t.     Toldag

It is a ritual performed before the dried bundles of “palay” are placed inside the granary. This is done to prevent the “palay” inside the granary from being stolen by people or destroyed by worms.

u.   Huj-ken ni Kintib

This is a ritual performed before the storage of the dried palay in the rice granary. One chicken is offered to Kabunyan. The Mabaki implores to Kabunyan to guard and make safe the rice granary, free from pilferage and would be enough for the family consumption until the next harvest.

v.   In-apoy

Before the owner of the rice granary starts withdrawing “palay” from the granary, he has to perform the “in-apoy”. Four chickens have to be dressed and to be offered to the gods of harvest to make the “palay” not easily consumed. The “in-apoy” is performed from time to time as the needs arise.

w.Luat ono Lukya

This ritual practice is just similar to the other ritual performances asking the "Kabunyan" for safety especially of the "Alang" (rice granary). One chicken is used for the purpose.

x. Adawey (about August to September)

It is the time for women and men to clean and prepare kaingin, it has a short period of dry season about fifteen days that allows cut trees and "ronos" to get dry and burned Afterwards for a new kaingin.

y. Pekdel

The "Man-ili", a community or group of related people believed that this ritual, must be performed especially when they experienced famine in a certain year. The community people will agree to perform the "Pekdel", offering a big pig, asking "Kabunyan" to make sweet potato tubers and "palay" harvest plentiful.

Sources:

Content: From the research of Ancestral Domain sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP)