The Tagbanua are among the first people to live in the Philippines. But only a few of them exist today. They live deep in the valleys of Palawan or close by the sea, far from the big towns. In this way, they have kept their old ways of believing and of doing things. Certainly, they have kept their belief in the spirits all around them.
The Tagbanua believe in spirits who live in trees, in mountains, in the sea. They believe in good and bad spirits. They believe that there is a spirit who is the most powerful of all. They call this all-powerful spirit Magindusa. Like many other ancient peoples and like our own people of today, the
Tagbanua believe in an afterlife. They believe that when a person dies, he passes into the spirit world.
But the Tagbanua do not wait until then to live with the spirits. Their day-to-day lives relate constantly to the spirits. When something wrong happens, they think that the spirits are displeased. When something good happens, they take it as a sign that the spirits are pleased. Because they believe that spirits can make their lives happy or sad, the Tagbanua are very careful always to keep in the spirits’ good graces. This they do by offering the spirits food, gifts and prayers.
Most of the Tagbanua are farmers who grow corn and rice.
Like other Filipinos, they regard rice as all-important because rice is their daily food. And then also the Tagbanua love to make rice wine. No Tagbanua celebration is complete unless there is rice wine. Each family has a secret of making good rice wine, which Tagbanua keep in dark earthen jars.
Because the Tagbanua like rice wine, they think the spirits, too, enjoy rice wine. Unfortunately in the spirit world, there is no rice wine. At big celebrations – and the biggest celebration is a thanksgiving for the rice harvest – the Tagbanua invite the spirits to drink with them. This celebration of sharing rice wine with the spirits is called Pagdidiwata.
After the rice harvest, the Tagbanua gather in the house of the babaylan, the one who talks to the spirits. Usually, the babaylan is a woman. She is the special one who offers gifts and talks to the spirits. And when it is time for the spirits to drink the rice wine, she drinks it for them.
The babaylan prepares for the ritual with care. She covers a little table with red cloth. On the table she puts several plates containing the offerings; among them are betel nut and new rice and two fattened chickens. Beside the offering lies a kris, a large double-edged sword with wavy blades. On the table also rests a carved wooden turtle, because the Tagbanua believe that the turtle is the ferry of the spirits. Four lighted candles stand on the table, which rests on a newly woven mat.
In the center of the room, the babaylan hangs a bamboo swing. She makes very sure that it will not fall. When the spirits begin to speak through her, she sits on the swing. Sometimes she swings with great force. If the swing breaks or falls, the spirits would be most displeased.
Last of all, the babaylan dresses herself in ritual Tagbanua costume. At her waist she tucks strips of palm leaves gathered with a circle of little brass bells. On her belt is a large kris in its sheath. She wears a hood which completely covers her eyes. For the Tagbanua believe that they should never look into the babaylan ‘s eyes when the spirits are in her.
Soon the people of the village arrive for the ritual. They crowd into the room, pressing close to the table of offerings.
Brass gongs play. Drums of iguana skin beat. Pagdidiwata begins. Before the votive table the babaylan dances – gracefully at first, then more and more violently. She tosses her head, she jumps, she skips, she flies and leaps. The gongs and drums beat wildly – then stop. Only the brass bells at her waist ring in frenzy. Round and round the table of offering she dances. From her belt she takes the kris. Gongs and drums begin to beat again, loudly and furiously, for the evil spirits who may have come must be exorcised. Dancing, drumming, running with the kris, Pagdidiwata takes on fervor.
When the babaylan is certain that only the good spirits remain, she sits on the swing and begins to chant. The spirits speak. There is a hush.
At the end of her chanting, which may last the night long, since the spirits may have many messages for the people, the babaylan takes the chickens and offers them. Now the spirits are ready to drink the rice wine. The babaylan sips from the wine jar, warming the spirits within with the new wine and drawing them close to the Tagbanua mortal world.
At this signal, the celebration erupts joyfully. The people chant, dance and drink. Those who are sick plead with the spirits, through the babaylan, for a cure. Under the spell of the spirits, the babaylan dispenses potions and medicines made from herbs.
On and on the frenzied chanting and dancing go until at last, weary in body and down to the dregs of the rice wine, the people return to their homes. The babaylan, by light of day, is an ordinary woman, until she drinks the rice wine for the spirits at another Pagdidiwata.
MGA KAHULUGAN SA TAGALOG
Tagbánwa: pangkating etniko na matatagpuan sa gitna at hilagang Palawan
Tagbánwa: tawag din sa wika nitó
