This village is still a home to authentic Bontok tribes. Although most residents are now living the modern way, there are still some people who practice and wear the icons of their traditions, mostly the elders.

Another interesting feature of this village is the presence of three sacred grounds called Dap-ayan, Kabingwilan, and Patpatayan. I learned that many residents here still believe with supernatural powers and elements of nature that determine the fate of their community.

Dap-ayan, as I said, is one of the three sacred grounds in Alab Village. During those days where the Bontok tribal society is still the prevailing system, dap-ayan or ato used to be the venue of many important social and community activities.

This sacred ground is a place where members of the tribe practice their customs and traditions often delivered in the form of singing, dancing and playing of gongs (gansa) in honor of their gods. It was mainly a paganistic ritual which does not jive with the Christian point of view.

In this place, the people gather for ceremonies before bringing their sacrificial offerings to the patpatayan, another sacred ground located at the top of a mountain in Alab Oriente.

Notice those wood carving at the photos above. These wood carvings represent the headhunting culture of our Igorot brothers. Tribal wars were rampant before for the sake of maintaining the integrity of their tribe and ancestral domains. Each wood carving of a human face represents a person killed. The more wood carvings made, the more persons were headhunted. 

It is weird how killing other people is integrated with the sacredness of this ground. Well to date, gone are those days of headhunting and these carvings are now just marks of the past. 

The dap-ayan is still used until now for their rituals but the way they do their ceremonies is no longer as similar or authentic as the ways of the past. The people here have embraced the modern world and this sacred ground is no longer considered as sacred to some extent as it was before (Notice some garbage at the last photo above).

The next sacred ground in Alab Oriente Village is the patpatayan. Patpatayan is located at the top of the mountain. It is a sacrificial altar for the people of this village.

This sacred ground is a place where the people believe to have an effect to their health. The villagers offer animals here for the gods in exchange of good health and cure to their illnesses.

I was not able to capture a photo of this sacred ground that's why I am showing you a photo I took from the brochure.

Kabingwilan (Virgin Bamboo Forest) of Alab Oriente

If the patpatayan is believed to have effects to the health of the villagers, kabingwilan, a thick bamboo forest at the center of the village is believed to have effects in the condition of nature and environment.

No one in the community is allowed to cut any bamboo here since it is considered as a great crime. Something bad will happen if the bamboos here are cut or altered. People believe that the kabingwilan is the reason for some weather disturbances and to stop it, the villagers have to offer pigs or chickens.

These are the three sacred grounds in Alab Oriente, Bontoc, Mountain Province but the marks of the ancient civilization is not over yet.

The search isn't over yet

It requires hiking and trekking. Some parts of the trail have stairs but that just accounts for the 25% of the whole trail. I climbed a mountain and trekked to deadly paths just to satisfy my curiosity.

I need to get a guide (photo above is my guide) so that I will not be lost in the trail, and of course, to be able to locate the important points and for security purposes. To be continued...

Bontoc #TownExploration Series

Do you want to discover Alab Village by yourself? Hit me an email at edmaration@gmail.com and I will give you the name of the guide including her contact number and more details. Also, you can contact me in my facebook page and twitter if you don't have an email on which I doubt.