Judy Cariño-Fangloy
It all started with a promise, first between us and Sir Pablo Khayog, then principal of Alejo M. Pacalso Memorial National High School. We reached an agreement that we would work together to produce a storybook to be used in the Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd) of the school. Next came the promise between us and the teachers who would play a key role in gathering and writing stories for the book. These promises were formalized in a Memorandum of Agreement between the school and the PIKP-TFIP partnership, signed and witnessed on May 7, 2018. Though there was a change of leadership from Principal Pablo Khayog to OIC Myrna Cholin and finally to Principal Luis Igualdo, the project stayed on track because of the MOA.
A key to coming up with these agreements was uniting on how we view Indigenous Knowledge (IK) as a valuable body of knowledge, which must be nurtured and inherited by the generations to come. Participants to our discussions and workshops expressed mixed feelings about IK, on whether the traditional beliefs and practices are still worthy of being written about, or if it would be better if they are just be allowed to fade away and die out in these modern times. Some expressed concerns that the indigenous rituals and beliefs were in direct contrast to their Christian faith. Not all the questions and doubts were answered in the first meeting, but at least these were brought to the surface and examined by each participant. These discussions were started in an orientation meeting on March 14, 2018, then deepened in a three-day workshop for teachers on research and documentation of indigenous knowledge on April 25-27, 2018.
What followed was a time of discovery. Memories were dug up of stories that one heard in childhood, and experiences with grandparents and community elders. Comparisons were made about how life was back then and how life is like now. People became more sensitized to the value of IK in everyday life and in solving problems. Archives of the school papers were also unearthed and stories from these were chosen to be part of the book.
Then came the writing and rewriting. Some teachers and students readily wrote their stories. But for others, it took time for them to discover what it was in IK that they valued, and that is what they eventually wrote about. For others, they had stories to share, but they doubted their ability to write, and needed coaxing and support until their stories were finally written. Some stories were a collaboration between the story source or narrator, and the documentor/writer. All these who worked together on a story were properly credited.
The celebration of Linggo ng Wika in August 2018 was an opportunity to get the students involved in the project. We launched a story-writing contest, and the students were invited to submit stories on lessons from the wisdom of their elders. Many joined the contest, and many stories were submitted, some of which were selected to be part of the book.
There was continuous monitoring and reminders about the deadlines for the submission of stories. The stories first came in trickles. As the stories came in, the book started to take shape and chapters of the book were agreed on. To fill in the gaps, stories were identified that needed to be written and be part of the book. Then stories started to come in waves, until we had collected one hundred stories.
When the final deadline came, and all stories were submitted, it was time to put it all together. Editing was done on each story. The sequence of stories in each chapter of the book was finalized. Meanwhile, illustrations were also being done for each story. We then gathered the missing elements, like the notes of the songs and translation of stories and phrases in the local languages. Authorship and sources of the stories were confirmed. The schwa was inserted in accordance with Kankana-ëy orthography. The lay-out of the book was then worked on and the cover was designed. With these, the book was registered at the National Library for the copyright and the International Standard Book Number or ISBN.
Finally, the book was ready to be brought to press. And then a period of waiting.
The book Daddad-at ëd Itogon is a good example of how the indigenous practice of binnadang works. The job may seem huge, but with the help of the community, the burden is shared and miracles happen. The book is the fruit of the efforts of the teachers, students, elders and members of the community in partnership with PIKP and TFIP, and with support of Voice.
Now that the book is out, what had remained unwritten for generations has finally been written and published. It is a proud testament to the wisdom of our ancestors, to be treasured and passed to the young.
Kudos! for a job well done, and happy reading, everyone!