CULTURAL PRACTICES OF

ILOCANO IN THE MUNICIPALITY

OF ISABELA

CHRISTIAN E. DE VERA MATH 1-A READING IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

I
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Findings...................................................................................................1

a. Pregnancy............................................................................1-2

b. Courtship..............................................................................2
c. Marriage...............................................................................2-3

d. Death and burial...................................................................3-4

e. Superstitious beliefs............................................................4-5

References.............................................................................................5

Photos with descrption.........................................................................5

III

FINDINGS

Childbirth and Pregnancy

A woman's strong desire for any food,human (gigil) or sour fruits such as mango is
commonly misinterpreted as a pregnancy indication. The fruits she consumes reveal
information about the child's appearance.
 The expectant woman follows a variety of rituals that are said to prevent a painful and
difficult delivery.

To avoid gas pains, she sits on a mat rather than the bare floor. When she leaves the house,
she always carries grains of salt with her to ward against bad spirits that might abduct her
unborn child. She won't leave the house with her hair down at night for fear of giving birth to a
snake along with her child. She is not allowed to sit on the stairwell because it is related with a
difficult birth. When she cooks, she must put the larger pieces of firewood in first, followed by
the smaller pieces, in order to ensure a normal delivery.

Only a few people are permitted inside the house while the woman is giving birth. This
includes the mangilot (midwife), the husband, his parents, and any other children the couple
may have. This is due to the idea that the presence of unfortunate people will make the birth
difficult.

During labor, the woman is intended to be walked around the house to empty her water
bag. When a woman is in a lot of pain, her husband either turns the house ladder upside down
or rubs crushed ginger on her stomach.

The anglem is formed after the delivery. To drive away evil spirits and hasten the healing of
the baby's navel, twisted rugs are burned in an earthen jar known as bak-ka. To eliminate
pollutants taken in while still in the mother's womb, the neonate is fed ampalaya juice mixed
with castor oil. Within the first five to six months after giving birth,

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a woman should avoid spicy or itchy foods

. like eggplant, bamboo shoots, and camote, gabi or aba, and peanuts. She should also avoid
eating papaya because it causes

agaras in the child (suffer from thrush).

Courtship

The courtship process begins with a series of casual discussions and trips to the girl's house,
during which the male learns to know her and her family. Long courtships are expected to
provide both parties with the opportunity to confirm their affections for one another. As a
constant reminder and proclamation of his determination to continue the amorous chase, the
boy writes love letters to the lady on a daily basis. Love can also be expressed through the
harana (serenade). On a beautiful night, the boy invites a group of pals to help him in rousing
up his beloved maiden with love songs.

Marriage

Panagasawa, or Ilocano marriage, is simply a reaffirmation of the man and woman's gasat
(fate). It is seen as a sacred union that lasts till one of the partners dies.

The male informs the girl's parents about the couple's plans once they have decided to
marry. The panagpudno is the name given to this announcement. The boy's parents must give
their approval because they normally pay for the wedding and the dowry. When both families
agree, the wedding day is established by examining the planetano (an almanac that contains all
good and bad days for all activities) or communicating through the billeta (a letter sent by a
messenger from the boy to the girl). The answer is yes.

All Ilocano weddings must, by law, be held in a church. Following the ceremony,

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everyone heads to the groom's house for the padaya. The padaya is a magnificent wedding
feast that also serves as a time for family ties and loyalty to be renewed. Because neighbors are
involved in all aspects of the preparations, this practice improves communal life. The reception
is a rite in and of itself, as all attendees maintain a level of etiquette that exemplifies the Ilocano
respect for tradition.
Death and burial

Gasat (fate) is how the Ilocanos define their existence on this planet. To them, death signifies
the completion of their destiny, the unavoidable. Because of this Ilocano perspective on death,
they are better able to cope with the death of loved ones with courage and fortitude.

The Ilocanos have long believed that ghosts are to blame for the majority of human ailments.
Accidents are frequently linked to the supernatural, to spirits such as the aswang (witch) or the
mannamay (sorcerer).

Death is frequently heralded by omens such as a black butterfly entering a home late at night or
during an eclipse. When a person is dying, an elderly woman is frequently summoned to pray
for him and care for him. A coconut shell is sometimes placed beneath the dying man's bed so
that everyone in the room can hear the angel and the devil battle for control of the man's soul.
When a person passes away, an atong (burning piece of wood) is set in front of his house's gate.
This notifies ghosts and living people alike of a death in the family. The fire is kept going during
the wake.

Clothes and other mementos are buried with the dead in the idea that there is life after death.
This is also done to ensure that the soul does not return in search of his prized goods. If, on the
other hand, anything is forgotten and someone in the area dies, a relative will give the
deceased relative's leftover valuables.

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Similarly, there are food taboos such as eating maninggay (horseradish) with quickly falling
leaves, sour meals, or bisukol snails. If these are broken, another member of the bereaved
family will die.

The kin of the deceased do the mano before the funeral (kissing of the hand). Each family
member pays his respects by kissing the dead man's hand or bringing his palm to his forehead
for a brief moment. The women cover their faces and heads with black veils after the
mano.Before the coffin is moved out of the house, a rooster or hen is beheaded and thrown out
into the yard opposite the steps, depending on the sex of the deceased. In the afterlife, the
sacrifice animal goes before the dead, assuring his safe journey and announcing his arrival. The
casket is then carried out of the house. The pallbearers are warned not to let the coffin contact
any portion of the house for fear of a second death in the family. For good luck, rice is thrown
on the coffin. The coffin bearers also avoid loitering on the stairwell in case the dead man's soul
takes possession of a relative.

Only when the funeral party has returned from the cemetery are these reopened.The
members of the bereaved family wear black garments and a manto ("lack veil"), which is worn
by the female members of the family, to indicate their deep grief. During the funeral procession
from the deceased's home to the church and subsequently to the cemetery, solemn music is
performed.After that Every night for nine nights, a lualo (prayer) is offered for the dead

In spite of the influence of modernization, traditional beliefs still persist among the Ilocanos.
These play an important role in keeping family relationship as well as community relationship
intact.

Superstitiouse beliefs

The Ilocano has a complex system of ideas and practices that he uses to interact with

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the world. These ideas and traditions, which his forefathers developed and cultivated,
guide him through life's stages. However, it's possible that many of these ideas and practices
are losing favor among today's Ilocanos.

REFERENCES

De vera, A, F (2021).Traditional Marriage of Ilocanos, Curtship, Death and Burial, Beliefs of

Ilocanos.

https://www.ilocanopeople.com/ilocano-culture

PHOTOS WITH DESCRIPTION

1. It happened on september 25 on saturday at 7 p.m.

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