Partners for Indigenous Knowledge Philippines
Strengthening and promoting Indigenous Knowledge
By Jacqueline Cariño, Partners for Indigenous Knowledge Philippines (PIKP) At the heart of Baguio City is a remaining not-so-green space located between the Baguio Orchidarium and the Children’s Park. You enter through a side street beside the Rose Garden where the bicycles-for-hire are found, until you reach a wide-open grassland, with a small thatched-roof structure by the side and a …
An effort to keep alive the ancient Ibaloy practice of growing food near the home has taken off in Baguio City. On October 28, 2021, a learning module to teach this Ibaloy practice to children and youth was tested. Activities included ba-ëng tour, artwork, storytelling and actual hands-on practice using the tools and working in the garden. Participants and trainers …
“When planting kamote, think of the rains, and avoid the rainiest days, when the worms will attack the tuber. A good time to plant is April or May. Count 5 to 6 months, and harvest before the strong storms” “Kamote and gabi are required as offerings during the Ibaloy rituals, along with one or more pigs, a big jar of …
“Flowering pechay has been planted since the early times here in Baguio. Its seeds can be saved, which is a great advantage when compared to the other varieties of pechay, cabbage and wombok, for which you have to buy seeds every time you want to plant them”. — excerpt from the book Welcome to our Ba-ëng!, 2021
“Gabi is required for the Ibaloy rituals. It is among the essential offerings when we invite the unseen spirits to join the ritual feast. The entire gabi plant, from the root to the stem to the leaves, is eaten and much valued by the Ibaloys”. “Aside from rituals, these plants are also important in our everyday life, providing nourishment for …
The traditional process that goes into making a cup of coffee ☕️ “Coffee is easy to grow and does not choose where it will grow. It will even grow well under the shade of pine trees. We just let them be, and they will survive and grow well. Even when young, around five to six years old, they will will …
Here’s an introduction shared by Manang Vicky from her lifetime experience of producing food in the Ibaloy home garden or ba-ëng.