THE cold breeze blowing through the Dianara Viewpoint in Banaue did not bother the three mumbakis (medicine men). They started chanting their prayers to the gods Monday night, and they drank tapuy and chewed betel nut and leaf until Tuesday morning. This ritual, which they called “Alim,” is a form of thanksgiving and a request for blessings especially during planting and harvest season. I witnessed this recently, as they performed this ritual from nine in the evening to eight the next morning.

“Hindi namin inaalam dahil yun na ang itinuro sa amin ng mga ninuno namin. Hindi pwedeng bawasan ang oras, di rin pwedeng dagdagan. [We did not ask (our ancestors) why they’re spending a long time doing the ritual. This kind of ritual was what they taught us. We cannot change it],” said Jack Yadang, 58 years old and the youngest among the three mumbakis.

Part of the ritual is this ritual is the offering of palay, chicken, tobacco, lime, wine and pig. The slaughter of the pig is the culmination of the ritual, said Yadang.

“Habang kinakatay, ino-offer namin kay Likdum. [We offered the pig to Likdum while it was being slaughtered],” Yadang said.

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By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) launched a book on legal philosophy, featuring contemporary Filipino thinkers.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said the book “Grow in Grace and Govern in Wisdom” is a compilation of readings and articles of “great Filipino thinkers” together with classical philosophers, such as Plato.

“I want our Filipino students to read about the local indigenous Filipino philosophers who have great intentions for our country, who love our country and have shown noble acts of patriotism,” said Sarmiento.

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