Many people provided us with rich data which no historical book could have provided. We give thanks to:
1.Mrs. Rita “Khinay” Khayad – Ina Khinay, as she is popularly known, is a premier resource person in this project. She explained the traditional way of doing the local ritual mangmang where pinikpikan is the main dish served. Her detailed explanations enlightened the team on the importance of pinikpikan in many Bontoc rituals.
2.Mr. Luciu Feckleng –Lakay Feckleng is a local butcher who specializes in making salted meat (inasin/etag). His ideas on this process gave the researchers insights on the significance of salted meat to make the true pinikpikan dish.
3.Mr. Allan Ganga – Mr. Ganga also gave information on how good salted meat is made. His sharings corroborated with Lakay Feckleng's.
4.Mrs. Josefine Malafu – Mrs. Malafu is a local restaurateur who talked about the advantages and disadvantages of cooking pinikpikan in a restaurant.
5. Lakay Yango - Lakay Yango demonstrated the actual ritual of mangmang to the researchers.
6. Mr. Darryl Calngan - Mr. Calngan is an Araling Panlipunan teacher at Mt. Prov. Gen. Comp. High School who enlightened the researchers on the significance of the kapya and the different readings of chicken entrails which are very significant in the mangmang.
7. Dr. Penelope Domogo - Dr. Domogo is the province's Health Officer who provided the team with information regarding the nutritional content of pinikpikan. She was also the one who encouraged the team to delve on the cultural significance of the dish.
Books
1. de Villa, Jill Gale et. al. 1988. People of the Philippine Cordillera Photographs 1934-1956. Makati: Devcon I.P. Inc. pp. 120-121
2.Provincial Government of Mountain Province. 2010. The New Mountain Province.
Baguio City: Zoom Printing Press.
Credits
Special thanks are given to the following for helping the team through the project process:
1. Tangilag family of Omfeg, Bontoc, Mountain Province
2. Eddan Agwilang of Lanao, Bontoc, Mountain Province
3. Rain Tangilag of Bontoc Ili, Bontoc, Mountain Province
4. Kristine Wali of Bontoc Ili, Bontoc, Mountain Province
5. Jedric Pangket of Samoki, Bontoc, Mountain Province
6. Kriszel Pacdaan of Caluttit, Bontoc, Mountain Province 7. Yango Family of Bontoc Ili, Bontoc, Mountain Province
Retracing the origins of our local dish, pinikpikan, seemed easy. Or so we thought. But it was only when we embarked on the project that we found out how complicated and deep-rooted in our culture the dish is.
Following our project plan, we set up interviews with key resource persons whom we thought would give us a more in-depth understanding of the native.
We first met with Dr. Penelope Domogo, Mountain Province Health Officer. We asked her on the nutritional value of the chicken dish. She said there was nothing really intriguing about the dish when it comes to its nutritional value. She said it was a good source of protein. If the dish is added with greens, then the vegetables provide some vitamins and fiber.
At this note, the good doctor suggested that the team is better off looking into the cultural importance of the dish. According to her, perhaps the best thing that the dish is known for is not found on its flavor or nutritional value but on its key role in keeping family and community ties together.
This was a refreshing twist in our venture. But since this was not originally in our project plan, we had to do away with the draft.
Armed with the usual as well as modern gadgets for journalists – pens, papers, and digital cameras, we went in search of people to interview. This quest led us deep into the cultural heart of Bontoc – Bontoc Ili.
This barangay still performs a lot of cultural rituals and is fiercely protective of their customs and traditions.
Where there was a ritual being done, we asked permission to document it. We then asked series of questions from the Bontoc elders who usually initiated the rituals. The resource persons provided us with rich material about the dish and its local significance.
Then, we also managed to interview the local restaurant owners on how popular the delicacy is in their menu. We also talked with a local butcher who specializes in making salt meat - a key ingredient in the local dish.
Afterwards, the technical aspect of the project was done – writing, editing, creating the video blog, uploading videos.
All in all, it was a fulfilling project. Behind the distinctive taste of pinikpikan, we found out its special ingredient that makes it a standout food in our place – familial love.
This documentary shows a collection of videos about pinikpikan, which for many years stands out as the most popular dish in the Cordillera. A unique Igorot dish, it is seasoned with our age old tradition that reflects our indigenous culture.
The Bontoc people believe in the supreme being they call Kafunian and the anitos (spirits) of their dead ancestors and relatives, so they practice many rituals generally called mangmang. Pinikpikan is therefore often served in different occasions such us:
Mangmang. It is done by a family as a means of thanksgiving after the plowing and planting season.
Ap-apey. A ceremony conducted in all the rice fields planted with palay praying to Kafunian for fruitful harvest and to drive away pests.
Am-among. It is done by all families to strengthen family ties among clan members.
Tengao. This is the rest day. This time, chicken is sacrificed at the papattay,a sacred area in the community.
Lesles. It is a thanksgiving ritual done by each family to signify the end of all minor rituals after the planting season.
An original pinikpikan dish consists of native chicken and salted meat or etag. The combination of these gives the dish its distinctive flavor.
In the past it was considered taboo to cook pinikpikan without any reason. But with the passing of time, any home or restaurant could prepare pinikpikan for consumption.
Now pinikpikan has evolved to become an in-demand native delicacy for many Igorots.
Thru this video blog, our team would like to share with you the essence of our local dish, the pinikpikan. Sometimes, people from other cultures who come to visit our place frown on and even shun this dish.
Though we understand their initial reactions, we believe that it is also high time to shed light on the significance of this dish in the life of the Bontok people. We would like to share the historical and cultural importance of this popular dish.
We hope that as people take a swallow of the pinikpikan broth and a bite of the chicken meat, they would remember that the dish they are relishing is not ordinary- it's recipe has been handed for many generations, it's a dish that has passed the test of time, it's a dish that has strengthened the bonds of men.
Bontoc is located at the heart of Mountain Province- one of the six provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). The town’s boundaries are: to the North is Kalinga; to the south is Ifugao; to the East are Lepanto and Abra; and to the West is Isabela.
Bontoc has a generally mountainous and hilly topography – a feature which is essentially beneficial. The surrounding mountains protect the town from the bashing of strong typhoons. Throughout the rainy season, Bontoc more often escapes the wrath and destruction of weather disturbances.
The municipality has a moderate climate which supports the growth of its major crops: rice, sweet potatoes, legumes and some fruits.
One of the landmarks of Bontoc is the Chico River. This river system, which passes through three provinces, is a major water resource. In Bontoc, the Chico River is used for irrigation, domestic activities and for amusement.
Bontoc is home to the Bontoks, a people originally known to be the fiercest of the tribes of the province. In modern times, however, the municipality has welcomed other settlers from nearby towns and provinces as it slowly grows into premiere economic zone in the Cordilleras.
Age old cultural structures and practices could still be observed in many communities today even when the present generations embrace foreign religious and secular convictions and principles. Essentially, how the people manage to keep their culture intact despite the entry of religion and the fast pace of development makes them different from their lowland brothers who gradually lost traces of their past.
COACH: Glynnis K. Ngeteg
