---

A. I.sig.t into the Coatents of the
Bodo., Parta
BIENVENlDO M. BALWEG
The Kalinga of Kalinga-Apayao and the Gobang Tinguian
of Abra may have been despicable headhunters. But from their
iniquitous practice arose one of the most admirable social insti-
tutions that a savage people ever thought of putting up-the
bodlmg. It is no less marvelous than the rice terraces of the
Ifugao. The bod6ng1 is a peace-pact. It originated from the
desire of two tribes' either to end their enmity and establish
peace between themselves if they were at war, or, if not at
war, to assure peace, strengthen their friendship, and prevent
future wars. In the past, the bod6ng celebration was often more
than the mere stopping of wars or headhunting. It marked the
beginning of a new relationship which often proved stronger
than blood kinship so that at the consummation of the celebra-
tion,2 former enemies often wept unashamedly.
1 This term is used by the Gobang and the Mabaca. The Banaw and
other Kalinga sub-tribes call it boi6ng (j as in joy). The inhabitants of La-
cub, Liccuan, Baay, etc., in Abra ~all it bedeng. In Iloko, it is calon.
2 The celebration of the bodong proper lasts not less than two days.
People don their best attire. Work is suspended, animals are butchered;
food, especially the bodong cake inandild, is served liberally; the sugar cane
wine, basi, is served in continuous rounds. Poets and speakers are called on
to prove their mettle in the dangu narratives or discussions. The tadok is
danced day and night to the accompaniment of the gangsd (brass gong) and
the singing of salidummdy songs. The dance is interrupted only by uggayam,
ading, ullalim, or other kinds of individual's songs rendered by those who
have danced; speeches; religious rites; and meals. Including the pangpangili
or welcome and farewell parties, the bodong celebration would easily take
one week's duration.
121
de
_ _
~

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The RESEARCHER, 1:2
This paper is not interested in the ceremonial aspects of
/oIcuml",,!" 01' "1'I'Il.IIt! 1"'111
the bodong. It intends rather to investigate the contents of the
uHuully IlCIJ Illmll'tl 10 II 110111
pagta or constitution made by the elders during the bodong in
they bol!C1vn "I lIet 01 hll" r,d
order to state clearly or make conclusions about the ethical ideas
if it wurn 1101 1"1111," "11"
of the member tribes of the bodong. Some people who speak
one's a-OfltlK!lI"y, 1111110",1,',
or write about the Tinguian or Kalinga bodong are so taken up
one'K ful"UVl111 III 11111 1,"""
in its more glamorous socials and exotic ceremonies that they
who HUy", "Wtlll, I .111 11111
only mention the pagta in passing, if at alP The content of the
that," will tt'''III,Y IIll lIj;lrNI
pagta is never discussed. Yet, without the pagta there can be
thinK" IU..II, ('IUlllol lllthll'
nO bodOng. It is the most essential part. What the consecration
body I" Wlllt'Olllel III 1I11t! 1411
is in the Christian Holy Mass, so is the pagta to the bodOng. All
WI 1.1,llMIlC111 ""111"'1 til"
other parts like dancing, eating, drinking, singing, participation
accuHllI"" I!'I IIl1,
A tIIW III
in contests, etc., are secondary and only serve to counterbalance
witnOH" 1l1l,,11I.' hllli 1"'1
the seriousness of the pagta and the heated discussions, charges,
~rUdKll" IlICIi IIIIilI 11111' h III h
counter-charges, and imposition of fines that come up in the
ShU'11 1.1111 'I'lllaclllllll III
process of making it.
tho 1HlUftl lI"ov "IIIIII~ WI'I'I
Heated discussions necessarily precede the formulation of
be hlUlllCltl tlowli III'ulI,\\' I
the pagta because it cannot be finalized unless all recallable
needllll, Ih" 111'01,'1.1"11" Ill'
crimes committed by the two tribes against one another are
by prlllllJlIlllI1. "111,,,," whll
thoroughly 'cleansed'4 by due penalties, and all suspicions of
the IwrMuu III' 11.11 hllilt "11111
crimes or misconduct are cleared and settled. In a bodong being
Of nddmltlll 1.11 11111 I'" "/,1 1
contracted for the first time, the crimes spoken of are, of course,
celohrntiulUl ur III" I",d,I"1
non-legal on account of the absence of previous positive laws
lL "tudy ur UUI 1"'11,,1 01' I
to abide by. The penalties imposed depend upon the agreement
CILJ)II.IL" Itllnllllllllll," t 1111 I
of the elders who are well versed with precedents.
bunll,"T who dWfllt III till'
Strikingly in contrast with the tedious and irksome legalism
n'I'hll l'llllllWlI1 C'lIl"II"1I111111
wlIl'mlllll' 'I'hll WI""l .111 II 1rll," I
in modern democratic courts is the ultimate exercise of swift
1""0111 Ihll ""I",,, 1111, IIIII 11lI,',II,
justice and mutual trust, Once there is general knowledge that
"1'1111111\\11 lI11nllllllllll Willi 1111
one has committed the crime, he is punished right away. Elders
IIr thl' <llIhlllll 11'11111, whh'h III III
are wont to say: "Lawingdan mansilsilibanta sunudta" ('It is not
UlIlhlllllll III KIIIIIIIIII.
good to be wise to one's brothers'). In spite of the exterior show
1111 fhll Clllhllllll .111111'('1, II
of vociferoui wranglings and near-brawls, the relatives or de-
lIIythlllrlllY 111,,1 h"llllr, 111'1' I'vll
hlllllllll rUl'III. 'I'hp l'hl'lI/111', II..,
hi. h~'"t1llhl hIlVUl' 1I11101ll!
3 E.g.,
Miguel and Rosario Sugguiyao, "Kalinga Primitive Culture,"
11111 .'11'''''., I.IIl/lIl1' 'l'olll1lh,'" wi
Saint Louis Quarterly, Vol. 2, No, 2 (June, 1964), pp. 187-190.
CIIIIIII\\II IIl1n .. lwlllI 'l'hllY Wl'I'l'
'l'hllY
4 The native term madaldalusan insinuates meticulous cleansing with
Willi' '".II"C'IIIII lI,v 111/'1 .. I
water.
lhllll' 11111'111111.
122

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BALWEG:
. . . the Bod{jng PagfAi
5Cendants of accused people who cannot disprove an accusation
usually acquiesce to shouldering the fee or fine imposed because
they believe "the other fellow would not have made the accusation
if it were not true." Herein comes the importance of knowing
one's genealogy, history, and the trips or transactions made by
one's relatives in the vertical as well as lateral lines. A person
who says, "Well, I do not know" or "I cannot say anything about
that," will easily be defeated. One who has no cle:ar memory of
things past cannot enter the panel of discussants although any-
body is welcome to add something worthwhile to what are said.
Witnesses against or for the accused need not be from the
accuser's tribe. A townmate of the accused can be a strong
witness against him provided they do not harbor personal
grudges against each other.
Since the Tinguian and the Kalinga had no form of writing,
the pagta provisions were traditionally unwritten. They had to
be handed down orally from generation to generation. When
needed, the provisions of the pagta are recalled from memory
by prominent elders who were present during the making of
the bod6ng or its last renewal, as the case may be. Amendments
or addenda to the pagta can also be introduced during renewal
celebrations of the bod6ng.5 This treatise was based mainly on
a study of the pagta of the bod6ng held by the descendants of
Capitan Banganan,6 the illustrious hero of the "devils of Go-
bang,"7 who dwelt in the Abra-Kalinga boundary. Since prac-
5 The renewal celebration of a bod6ng is called dolnat, meaning 're-
warming'. The word signifies the re-heating of water that has cooled down.
From the dolnat on, the bod6ng is called balugom bod6ng, a 'new bodOng'.
6 Capitan Bafiganan was one of the acknowledged native paiigat, leaders,
of the Gobang tribe, which is now spread in two groups: Bafigilo in Abra and
Balbalan in Kalinga.
7 In the Gobang dialect, the phrase is alan Gobang. Alan, in Tinguian
mythology and belief, are evil spirits who often appear to men in giant
human forms. The phrase, therefore, signifies that Capitan Bafiganan and
his band wrought havoc among nearby people by their wars and headhunt-
ing sprees, kayaw. Together with Capitan Bafiganan is associated the name
Capitan Dafigiwan. They were the two miiigol, or heroes, of early Goaang.
They were respected by their tribes as well as by outsiders, and feared by
their enemies.
123

---

r!
The RESEARCHER, 1:2
tically the same prominent elders of Bafigil08 were designated
caught in adultery by :1
to formulate the pagtli of the many other bodiJng in which Ba,..
The intentional wCrt
figilo is a member, we find very minor variations in the pro-
actual killing. The f:1)~
visions. Many times the difference is found only in the emphasis
blood:
made on certain items. The emphasis depended upon what crimes
Ti su mugat rr..::..ty.,;r.
or forms of misconduct were prevalent between the two ethnic
(One who inf"":'C':5 j
groups negotiating for the bodimg.
The holder of the bc,d,j
As may be expected, the most important point taken up
tribe otherwise he wili h
during the discussion is always that on the killing of a human
the offended. This re:rn
being. The bodOng does not distinguish between murder and
in the pagtd but it i5 aC
homicide. Every death is to be avenged by death.
question or complain:. T
which a bod6ng holder l:
Ti pumat6y mat6y mit.
offender.10 This wa5 C:'!:
(One who kills is to be killed.)
holder because it indic~t
trol his people or 5in:p:€
was a dictum unquestionably accepted by all. It was only with
the advent of Christianity that this could be unilaterally modi-
The bloody wounc.:.!:
fied by the party of the victim. In case the offended party, due
commuted to a payrne~:
to the Christian faith, would not like to execute a killer from
never heard of again be::
the other party in a bod6ng, the penalty would be commuted
the bodong between Bai
to a payment of damages and a 'cleansing' re·paration. This
vides that
payment, however, is so enormous that unless all in the tribe
. . . Amno oo.i ~..::
help, it utterly impoverishes the kiHeI' and his immediate rela-
maka maapitan .ri :r-:,::'
tives. The amount and kind of payment is set by the elders and
si nangd6n si bodmr~.
the transaction of the payment is supervised by the holders of
(. . . If this Cc """0
the bodOng. The usual payments are cultivated fields, carabaos,
prit will be fined wi~
agate beads, money, and jewelry. There is only one instance in
field yielding two !.:~
which killing is not penaIizeg:, that is, the killing of people
This option may a150 be
8 Baiigilo is located along the headwaters of the Binoiigan River, a prin-
9 The aggrieved husband
cipal tributary of the Abra. The most renowned Baiigilo elder still living is
impunity especially if these a
Ex-Mayor Santiago Camarao, popularly known as Capitan Ago. Mter him
time stories relate of h~ba1:l(
may be mentioned Pasado Pedro Balawag, the son of the famous Dao-ayan,
of their unfaithful wi,es. and
Pasado Ponciano GumabaY,Pasado Malagan Upol, Jose Gupaal, Pasado
a finger to retaliate.
Abaoag and his brother Bayungan. A youngster who is attracting attention
for his retentive memory about the old cu~toms and traditions, his fluency in
10 The author has no ~.:1
the dang~t poetry, and his quick, incisive retorts in discussion is Crispinido
The wound was inflicted a: :J
'Pindo' Balweg. But he might have been born too late; the old ways are fast
11 The "rice field yie:~
being supplanted.
the two bodong holde~ I: ea
124

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BALWEG:
. . . the Bod/mg Pagla
f Baiigilo& were designated
caught in adultery by the husband of the woman.9
other bodi>ng in which Ba,..
The intentional wounding of a person, is as offensive as
mor variations in the pro-
actual killing. The flow of blood is to be avenged by flow of
found only in the emphasis
blood:
depended upon what crimes
:!l: between the two ethnic
Ti sumugat masugat.
(One who inflicts a wound must be wounded.)
The holder of the bod6ng has to wound an offender in his
important point taken up
tribe otherwise he will be the one to be wounded by the tribe of
on the killing of a human
the offended. This retributory action is not explicitly mentioned
;uish between murder and
in the pagta but it is accepted by all bod6ng members without
r.ge:1 by death.
question or complaint. This writer knows of a latest incident in
which a bod6ng holder had to be wounded in lieu of the actual
offender.10 This was considered very disgraceful to the bod6ng
holder because it indicated either impotence on his part to con-
trol his people or simple negligence of duty.
d by aJ. It Vias only with
=onld be unilaterally modi-
The 'bloody wounding of a person who has wounded may be
~ tte offended party, due
commuted to a payment of fine if he dies or disappears and is
e to execute a killer from
nev,er heard of again befor,e he can be punished. The pagta of
na::ty would be commuted
the bodOng between Baiigilo and Guinaang, for instance, pro-
~e:a!l5ing' reparation. This
vides that
:.a.': unless all in the tribe
. . . Amno adi mabalina makwato~ madusa dl nansugat si 't1U1k-
!" and his immediate reIa-
maka maapitan si liman uyon, sabali duan uyunana makmaka manalan
:no: is set by the elders and
si nangd6n si bod6ng.
>errL'€d
by the holders of
(. . . If this cannot be done [Le., inflicting the wound], the cul-
ro2tivated fields, carabaos,
prit will be fined with a rice field yielding five uyones, plus a rice
~ is only one instapce in
field yielding two uyones to be given to the holder of the bod6ng.ll)
is, the killing of people
This option may also be elected by Christianized tribes.
of the Binoiigan River, a prin-
9 The aggrieved husband can kill his guilty wife and her paramour with
ted Bafigilo elder still living is
impunity especially if these are caught in flagrante delicto. Traditional 'bed-
rn as Capitan Ago. After him
time stories relate of husbands returning from the hunt who kill the lovers
e son of the famous Dao-ayan,
of their unfaithful wives, and the relatives of the guilty parties do not raise
1
CpoL Jose Gupaal, Pasado
a finger to retaliate.
ter who is attracting attention
LS and traditions, his fluency in
10 The author has no permission to divulge the name in this publication.
rts in discussion is Crispinido
The wound was inflicted at the buttocks.
too late; the old ways are fast
11 The "rice field yielding two uyones" is to be divided equally between
the two bod6ng holders. It can also be sold and the payment divided.
125
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The RESEARCHER, 1:2
Serving as guide (bagnos) for enemies in time of war in
going to a town with which one's town has a bodOng is strictly
forbidden by the pagta:
Mipalit man-ibagn6s si cabusol.
(It is forbidden to serve as guide to enemies. . .. )
But if one cannot avoid doing so, somebody else should be sent
ahead to give warning to the town of destination.
. . . Amno adi maliclicanton pannangibagn6s, masapula awlid ma-
paunan um6y mangipacaamm6
r
(. . . But if one cannot escape serving as guide, somebody else has to
be sent ahead to give a warning.)
This was generally faithfully observed during the Second World
War by the surrounding territories with which Bafigilo had a
bodOng so that in spite of the rampant executions in other towns
by either the Japanese or the guerillas, no civilian was executed
in BafigiIo.12
To serve as guide for enemies is to be an accomplice in
everything they do. If no due warning was given before·hand
and the enemy soldiers kill or wound, the guide has to be sen-
tenced to death or wounding (as the case may be) later. The
principle of "death for death" and "blood for blood" is strictly
applied.. Any damage on property perpetrated by the enemy
will be charged against the guide:
No aw6,d mayamaan, madanyusan.
(Any destruction perpetrated must be given reparation.)
Strange to note, the bodong pagta is completely silent about
discouraging the practice of headhunting in general. Paradox-
ically rather, the baknang who had been to the warpath and are
known for their ability to speak and exercise good judgement,
exercise the greatest influence in the formulation of the pagta.
12 The only war casualty in Bafigilo were Sgt. Jaime Bagayao of the
famed Cushing band, who later died in action in Cagayan, and those who died
of sickness. Some Bafigilo men were physically maltreated but were not
executed.
126

---

BALWEG:
. . . the BodOng Pagte!
In some rituals of the bod6ng, the pocawJ3 or palpaliwat is in-
dispensable. Happy the man who could parallel the le·gendary
Kabbilan:
Paliwatac ton tuwo'd:
Kabbilanac dumampO,g
NabigO,t ya bummakag.
(Let me sing out my war exploitsH to the ritual jar:
I'm Kabbilan Dumampag15
Every daybreak I slay [a person].)
People who have never gone to war or headhunted do not sing
the palpaliwat except in clear jest. To attempt do so will make
a man PU-US, a cowardly man who will never be able to kill.
Next in importance to the cases of killing and wounding is
the issue on sexual violations, which include adultery,16 and
those committed by unmarried people, like premarital inter-
course. As regards the first, the pagta of the bod6ng between
Baiigilo and Guinaang unequivocally ordains:
No awo'd macabasol si daladag, madusd duan dodockola luang tu-
munggo'l USa kan didO, (lalaki kan buba-i). Sina mampalti luang di la-
laki kan mangtod si asitg kan ma-inum (basi) di buba-i un mansilbfs
man-ilint6g.
13 This is a chant wherein warriors or former warriors relate
their
war exploits. It always starts with the word paliwatac which is shouted in
order to evoke fear and awe in the audience. The miiigol, 'hero', holding a
glass of basi wine, directs his verses against a ritual object or ordinarily
against another man, standing about three to five meters away, also holding
a glass of basi and with his back turned toward the chanter.
14 The phrase is only an interpretative translation. Paliwat cannot be
translated directly. In fact, the present generation does not anymore know
what it means as a word.
15 The word dumampag is not a surname. It is only a phrase describ-
ing Kabbilan and conveniently used to rhyme with bummakag. The Gobang,
and all Tinguian for that matter, bear only personal names. Two people of
the same name are distinguished by either the names of their espouses or
by a descriptive phrase.
HI Adultery, known as daladag, or to lang, is committed when a man and
a woman both or onc of whom is marricd, know each othcr sexually.
127

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The RESEARCHER, 1:2
(Those who commit adultery will be punished with a fine of two
big carabaos each. The man shall butcher a carabao and the woman
shall cook rice and supply drink (basi) to those who come to decide
the verdict.)
There are two things. to be noted in this provis.ion. The
first is the relative heaviness of the fine. The amount of five
carabaos imposed upon the guilty parties may not be in itself
very great but considering the usefulness of the carabao in the
production of rice and hardship of raising it, the punishment
is surely not e~~to bear.
The second striking element in the provision is found in
the phras!e "will be punished with a fine of two big carabaos
each." The phrase does not specify to whom the four carabaos
will be given. For the Tinguian, it is understood that the re-
cipient will be the husband of the guilty woman. In case the
man is also married, his wife has nothing to say. She does not
get anything. This line of thinking looks at the crime as having
wrought injustice only against the marital partner of the woman
and not against that of the nian. This is clos'ely related to what
Cole sharply observed in 1907-08. He wrote:
The Tinguian recognizes only one wife, but a man may have as
many concubines (pota),17 as he can secure. Men with concubines do
not suffer in the estimation of their fellows, but are considered clever
to have won two or three women.18
However,
Unfaithfulness on the part of a betrothed girl, or wife, or
even a pota is almost certain to cause serious trouble, and is likely to
end in a murder.19
The unwritten Nabaloi Law of the Benguet, which equally ap-
plies to the Tinguian, more bluntly words it:
17 The word pota in this context should not be taken to mean prostitute.
A common synonym of it, which is the clearer, is banna
18 Fay-Cooper Cole, The Tinguian: Social, Religious, and Economic Life
of a Philippine Tribe (Publication 209, Anthropological Series, Vol. XIV,
NO.2. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History, 1922), p. 283.
19 Ibid.
128

---

BALWEG:
. . . tlw Bod(Jrlf} PaUla
I .
A man can divorce his wife ... if she lies with another man, ...
:.'..
. , . If the man has commerce with another woman, the
WUUlun (his wife) cannot divorce him because that is thecllstom of a
mon.:W
Troubles arising from premarital relations between u~
married people of ethnic groups bound by bod6ng can be settled
only by marriage. But if marriage is really impossible, the man
pays a fine and gives inheritance to the child. The Guinaang-
Bafigilo pagtd provides:
No maanakan di usan barD Bafigilo usan balasang Guinaang wenno
barD Guinaang usan balasang Bafigilo, masapula man·asawada. Amno
talagan adi mabalin, madusa di barD dual luang sina patawidan di
anak si duan uyunana makmak.
(If an unmarried man from Bafigilo begets a child from an un-
married woman from Guinaang or an unmarried man from Guinaang
begets one from an unmarried woman from Bangilo, they shall be
united in marriage. But if this is really impossible, the man shall pay
a fine of two carabaos and give a rice field yielding two uyones as
inheritance to the child.)
The option of a fine was a recent addition. It was not needed
in early times when young people could not run away from
home and elders decided marriage for them. If a young man
courts a girl and the girl agrees, the man has to marry her
under threat of fine.
The third important item in the pagta tries to solve a top
irritant in the relation of people, namely, stealing and' dis-
honesty. The same Bafigilo-Guinaang pagta binds:
No ti osan i-Bafigilo wenno i-Guinaang tacawand cabdongna, ba-
yadana di tinacawnas doblin di pat6g di tinacawna. Ipaltiyana mabutu
kan pa-inumana singgusin basi dd lallakaya nabuungan kan siya. Mang-
tod mit si sindodwampulon pisos sida duan nangd6n si bod6ng.
(If one from Bafigilo or Guinaang steals from his bod6ng partner,
he shall pay with twice the value of what he has stolen. He shall
butcher a boar and serve one chinese jar of basi to the elders called
to settle the case. He shall also give twenty pesos to each of the holders
of the bod6ng.)
20 Ernesto S. Alcantara, "Ibaloi Culture-I," Baguio Tech Journal, I, 4
(July-December, 1966), p. 18.
129

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The RESEARCHER, 1:2
Stealing is abhorred in Gobang society. To be called a thief
is to disgrace and invite shame to one's family and, in case of
stealing from one's bod6ng partner, one's whole tribe or clan.
This dread of being put to shame is better appreciated when
one remembers that the Gobang Tinguian is very much con-
cerned about what people may say about him. He cannot stand
being an object of accusation and disdain, much more being
branded with a bad name. More about this will be said below
in connectlion with hospitality. Our pagta reference also pre-
scribes that:
Mipa-uli li-o wenno pukaw ulay no anyan igaw.
(Forgotten or lost and found articles should be returned whatever
place they may be found.)
Lost and found articles may be returned either to the owner
directly or to any of the holders of the bod6ng. According to
Capitan Ag021 and Mr. Gumaad,22 the phrase "ulay no anyan
igaw" ('whatever place') means either Bafigilo or Guinaang, or
any place where a person from Bafigilo happens to locate an
article belonging to someone from Guinaang, or vice versa. The
Bafigilo and Guinaang elders who re-gathered in Bafigilo in
1966 had in mind especially Baiigilo and Guinaang folks who
might happen to work in the same mine, factory, or office;
students who study in Baguio and Manila; and soldiers who
may be in the same company.
Before modern civilization gained upperhand in the culture
of the Gobang Tinguian, merchants and strangers could leave
their things by the roadside even for days and no one would
touch them except for sheltering. A German Catholic priest of
the Society of the Divine Word, by the name of Fr. Peter
Mayers, who worked along the Binoiigan River region in the
1940's and is now serving as Rector in St. Joseph Seminary,
Abra, loves to recall, amidst news of cattle rustling presently
21 One who has given the prestige feast called punsi6n automatically
acquires the prestigious title of Capitan. Capitan Ago, whose full name is
Ex-Mayor Santiago Camarao, is the only capitan in Bangilo still living.
22 Antonio Gumaad was one of the spokesmen for Guinaang during the
renewal of the Bafigilo-Guinaang bod6ng in 1966. He was then serving as
Sanitary Inspector in the Lubuagan area.
130

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BALWEG:
. . . the Bod6ng Pagta
becoming prevalent even in upland Abra, how in one of his
missionary trips then, his mass kit with some valuables dropped
from his pack horse. Some weeks later, he was informed that
people who did not know it was his, had it in their safekeeping.
As regards cheating in strictly business transaction, how-
ever, what an American anthropologist observed among the low-
land Tinguian before 1910 is also true among the Gobang Tin-
guian. He says:
. . . Cheating is not wrong. Your ability to outwit the other per-
son is a proof that you are the smarter man.23
Allied to this equating of cheating with cleverness is negligence
in returning borrowed things. When somebody in Bafigilo bor-
rows from ta neighbor, it is usually und·erstood that the lender
will be the one to get back the instrument or furniture bor-
rowed. Some borrowers even hope the lender will completely for-
get the article so that they can gradually claim it as their own.
This is the basic reason why the Bafigilo-Guinaang bod6ng added
a
wise supplement in the pagtd in 1966:
Mipalit pinna-utang . . . .
(Incurring debts and lending are prohibited. . . .)
in order to forestall m1any hurt-feelings in business transactions
as well as petty troubles for the bod6ng holders. The prohibi-
tion is directed not only against borrowing but also against
lending, exactly in line with the proverbial "Neither a borrower
nor a lender be." In fact, the word "pinna-utang" has an active
sense. It denotes giving something to be paid later. In case of
real emergency, however, a guarantor and receipt are required:
. . . Amno talagan naskona casapulan, masapul lisibu kan man
mafigilan mabayadanto. . . .24
( . . . But if it is really necessary, there should be a receipt and
one who sees to it that it will be paid. . . . )
Binding oneself by an oath is not favored by the pagta
because the act bespeaks distrust and is never a sign of brother-
liness. It may be done between townmates but ne'ver between
23 Fay-Cooper Cole, op. cit., p. 263.
24 This is certainly a recent parenthetical
addition. The non-literate
natives in early times could speak of sacsi, witness, but not of receipt.
131

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BALWEG:
the BodOng Pagta
dally at his dying moments, is the ,assurance that after his
death, people, upon seeing his progenies, will be able to say:
"These are the descendants of so and so, who was such a good
and hospitable man." How does he know? His widely known
hospitality may mean the saving of a life or lives later, or even
the last straw in the preservation of the bod6ng. A man may
have many faults but if he is acclaimed for his ever attentive
and hospitable treatment of anyone who comes within the walls
of his house, those faults are made up for. When a man known
for his hospitality dies, visitors from far and wide come to his
funeral. A great honor indeed.
As has been said above, a Gobang man is very jealous about
his good name and therefore much concerned about what others
might say. He, therefore, sees to it that nothing shameful is
committed by any member of his family.
A frequent advice
heard in the household is "MannaknaknuinC'ayo,"25 or "Adicayo
mangilungs6p."~6This suppressive attitude of parents, however,
tends to make children very shy to new faces and visitors.
Another important matter touched upon in the pagta is the
question of asylum. An enemy of Guinaang, for example, who
happens to have a bod6ng with Bafigilo cannot be touched by
Guinaang people while he is within Bafigilo territory. To wound
or kill him would be a breach of the Bafigilo-Guinaang bod6ng,
which then would demand an usok ('reparation') for Bafigilo
of ten carabaos or ten gil6,s Chinese jarsY And vice versa. The
pagta unconditionally states:
Ti usok simpulol luang wenno simpulong gilas.
(The reparation shall be ten carabaos or ten gilas jars.)
In this connection, the lJagtfi clearly defines the metes and
bounds of the two places contracting the bod6ng.
The protection of the bod6ng intends to give, is supposed
to last forever. It ceases only when the bod6ng is declared cut
(nakpas) , which is indeed very sad.
25 "Keep yourselves morally upright."
26 "Do not put us to shame."
27 Gilds Chinese jars, though less valuable than Manchu jars (magalaw) ,
are more valuable than ordinary Chinese jars (gusi).
133

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The RESEARCHER, 1:2
CONCLUDING REMARKS
The pagta is preoccupied with the prevention of especially
four things: killing, illicit sexual relations, stealing, and in hos-
pitality. Its paramount attention is on the prevention of the
first. It seems to treat of the three others for no greater reason
that they are irritants in humian relations which can ultimately
lead to killing.
After the approval and acceptance of the pagta, any breach
of it by anyone is no more considered a merely individual crime
against another individual. It is a crin1e of one tribe agiainst
another tribe. Hence, the stiff penalty. People can say: "Nak-
naca.s di bod6ng," 'yeu [sing] are caught by the bod6ng') but
always: "Dimmocyo di bod6ng" 'You [plural] stained the bo-
d6ng').
When a bod6ng is 'stained', there 1:11'e only two alternatives:
apas or "kopas" ('reparation and penalty' or 'severance' of the
bod6ng). Once an accusation is divulged, the accuser has to pur-
sue it or he will be counter-charged for defamation. An accusa-
tion once made is practioally irrevocable, and creates a feeling
of mutual suspicion. The earlier it is cleared and settled, the
better for all hecause succeeding generations will never forget
it. Only an "apas" can still the disturbed waters.
The "severance" of the bod6ng eithe~ unilaterally or bilat-
erally, is a virtual declaration of active hostility.28 The term
"kopas" calls to mind the idea of a cord suddenly cut with a
sharp bolo. The cord of friendship and brotherhood that has
bound the two tribes is cut. Chaos and bloodshed ensues.29 No
wonder, members of a severed bod6ng could say: "It is a terrible
thing to be 'caught' by the pagta and 'stain' the bod6ng." The
parental admonition to children about to travel to other terri-
tories cannot be too often repeated: "llayyon an6Jc ta, macnaca-
y6s nit bod6ng," ('Children, see to it that you do not get caught
by the bod6ng, Le., do not transgress it.)
28 The last case of a severed bod6ng is that of the Lubuagan-Tolgaw
bod6ng in Kalinga-Apayao. Until now, it has not yet been satisfactorily re-
stored in spite of the effort of the late Congressman Duyan, who knew only
too well that if political pre-election campaigns in Kalinga and upper Abra
are safe to conduct, it is because of the bod6ng.
134

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BALWEG:
. . . the Bod6ng Pagta
APPENDIX
A List of the Bod6ng in Which Bafigilo Is a Member together
with Their Bafigilo Holders
Francisco Calagui: Bangilo-Ableg
Jose Colafig an : Bangilo-Asiga
Managmao (Mrs. Manuel Bingcan): Bafigilo-Bacooc
Alejo Da-ipan: Bangilo-Balatoc
Jose Bugnalon: Ba'i"igilo-BallayMigon
Luis Laguicao: Bafigilo-Balon
Moises Ulat: Bangilo-Buaya
Leonila "Lining" Baggas: Ba11gilo-Bunog
Eleuterio "Lingayo" Baawa: Bafigilo-Butbut
Santiago "Ago" Camarao: Bangilo-Cagalwan
Francisco Gonnay: Bangilo-Danac (formerly held by Ponciano "Mo-
lifigit" Gumabay)
Tomas Balweg: Bafigilo-Dao-angan
Guitamma (Mrs. Colafigan of Dulao): Mataragan (including Bangilo)-
Gawaan
Solomon Dayag: Bafigilo-Guinaang
Jose Angati: Bangilo-Lacub
Marciana Wagayen: Bangilo-Lubuagan
Pedro Balawag: Bangilo-Mabaca
Benigno Dagwat: Bajigilo-Mallango
Buday (Mrs. Malaga (Upol): Bangilo-Magaogao
Manuel Bulaay: Bangilo-Puswoy
Francisco "Sannadan" Paganao: Bangilo-Salegseg
Alfonso "Dannang" Gamofigan: Bangilo-Sumadel
Andres Elevefia: Bangilo-Talugao
Agustin "Doming" Bagayao: Bangilo.Tineg
Luis Gupaal: Bangilo-Tinglayan
Andres Bulaay: Bafigilo-Uma
13~

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ERRATA
(The RESEARCHER, 1:2)
P. 123, line 24: Capitan Bafiganan should read Capitan Dafigiwan.
line 29 (footnote 6): Bafiganan should read Dafigiwan.
line 34 (footnote 7): Bafiganan should read Dafigiwan.
line 36 (footnote 7): Bafiganan should read Dafigiwan.
line 37 (footnote 7): Dafigiwan should read Bafiganan.
136

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