Inagta

Meaning: A ritual dance offering by the descendants of the

Dance Culture:
Place of Origin:
Ethno Linguistic Group:
Classification:
Agta to a patron saint.
Lowland Christian
Siaton, Negros Oriental
Negrese
Ritual Dance

Background / Context:

Inagta is a performance-based tradition that includes ritual, folkdance,

plucked string music and oral literature particular in the town of Siaton, Negros
Oriental. It is traditionally performed by a group of male performers on
December 6, the feast day of San Nicolas de Ban, the Patron Saint of the town,
as part of the religious procession in front of the Catholic church and in the
image of the Patron Saint. Likewise, it is also performed in the homes of some
residents of Siaton before and after the procession. According to Constancio
Dawl (resource person), the performers believe that by fulfilling the vow of their
forefathers, sickness and calamities could be avoided. Moreover, many people
believe that through the Inagta ritual, the patron saint can protect them from
katalagmanor or harmful spirits. The evident in this ritual are the criticism of the
Christianity and traditional animist beliefs.
The dancers of Inagta claim to be descendants of the Agta people,
offsprings of mixed marriages. In Barangay Datag, Teodoro Kinkito, Jr., the
current leader of the Inagta dancers, said they continue to perform the tradition
from their forefathers, as to recognize their ancestral heritage and identity.
The Agta dancers are all males who wear leaf hats made out of the three
binunga leaves pinned together by pieces of sticks. The characters wear
different costumes and carry symbolic items to signify their role in ritual:
a. Pangulo: He is the leader of the performers who initiate the verses to be
sung or chanted and dictates the movements of the dance sequence or
patterns. His leaf hat is more elaborate than the rest, almost mimicking a
“Papal hat”. He also dons symbol of authority such as the shell necklace and
anklet, sundang-sundang (sword) and the waist belt made of snake bone.
b. Pangabaga sa Pangulo: Assists leaders, dancing with the sword, pana (bow
and arrow).
c. Baye-baye: A male dancer impersonating a woman by wearing a long skirt
and bandanna. The character is supposed to represent the women of the
tribe.
d. Pulis-pulis: A dancer that maintains discipline during the performance,
whenever dancers fell out of the line and made wrong action. He carries a
batuta or police baston.
 e. Bata-bata: Supposed to represent the Agta child, this is a wooden sculpture,
painted black, wearing sinamay shirt, black trousers and black cloth wrapped
around the head. The sculpture is carried on the shoulders by a young
dancer.

Dance Properties:

Costume:
Toppers: The dancers wear long sleeves shirt made of
sinamay (abaca material).
A sarf of any matching color for the neck, tied in
front.
Pants: Loose pants of light material, any color.
Accessories: Leaf hats; necklace, anklet and belt
Props: (sword), bow and arrow, batuta, wooden sculpture
(representation of the Agta child)

Music: 2/4 and 4/4, composed of three parts: A,B & C.

Count: One, two to a measure in 2/4 time.
One, two, three, four to a measue in 4/4 time.
Formation: The ritual of Inagta is based on the principle of “following the
leader.”
Dancers move in circular formations.

Steps / Movements Particular to the Dance

A sequence of steps imitates the movements of animals such as monkeys, tikling
or long-legged bird, crow, frog and snakes. The local terminologies for the dance
steps are:
1. Libot-baki – the dancers do the frog jumps in any direction.
2. Inuwak – the dancers mimick the movements of cows walking on the ground.
Position: Both hands and feet on the floor supporting the body (face up).
3. Inuwak step – while in inuwak position, travel forward with the feet leading.
4. Hinalas – dancers join hands and imitate the slithering/gliding movement of the
snake.
5. Binaklid – body movement with the arms folded in the back.
6. Panamilit or pag-adyos

Step R in place and swing R arm forward, L arm backward (ct.1), step L in place
(ct.2). Step R backward and swing R arm backward, L arm forward (ct.1), step L
in place (ct.2)................................................................................................. 2 M

Suggested Dance Sequence:

ENTRANCE
Music A
The Pangulo enters first followed by the rest of the dancers executing walking
steps with the trunk slightly bent forward and slight bouncing of the body. Swing arms
alternately forward and backward. They may enter from different areas of the
performance area....................................................................................................16 M

Transition 1
The Pangulo leads the group in praying to San Nicolas. They do sign of the cross in half
kneeling position and shout “Viva Señor San Nicolas!”

I
Music A
Face audience.
(a) Execute Panamilit steps in place four times....................................................8 M
(b) Take eight running steps forward. Arms overhead, cross R hand over L and L
hand over R alternately on every count...........................................................4 M
(c) Repeat (b) moving backward..........................................................................4 M

II
Music A
Face audience.
(a) Dancers execute eight running steps forward and clap hands in front on every
count..............................................................................................................4 M
(b) Repeat (a) moving backward..........................................................................4 M
(c) Take eight running steps in place with knees slightly raised in front and clap
hands under R and L knees alternately on every count. Bend trunk slightly
forward..........................................................................................................4 M
(d) Repeat (c) turning right in place, finish facing audience..................................4 M

III
Music A
Face audience.
(a) Execute Panamilit steps in place four times....................................................8 M
(b) Take four hop steps turning left in place, with R knee bend on front so that heel
is touching the L knee. Arms hang loosely at sides.........................................2 M
(c) Repeat (b) starting with R foot and turning to the right. Reverse position of the
bent knee.......................................................................................................2 M
(d) Repeat (b) and (c)...........................................................................................4 M

IV
Music A
Play twice.
 (a) Dancers form a single circle and execute sixteen running steps moving
clockwise. Hands holding the waist of the dancer in front when doing the
movement. Finish in the line formation facing the audience...........................8 M
(b) Execute Panamilit steps four times in place....................................................8 M
(c) Slowly go down to assume inuwak position....................................................4 M
(d) Cross R leg over the L knee and make slight bouncing movements of the body
on every count (2M). Change position of the legs and repeat (2M)..................4 M
(e) Assume Libot-baki position (4M) and execute Libot-baki steps moving sideward
right (2M) and sideward left (2M)...................................................................8 M

Transition 2
Music B
Face audience.
(a) Face obliquely right and raise arms overhead with palms facing front
(cts.1,and,2,and), reverse position of the hands turning inward (cts.3,4).........1 M
(b) Repeat (a) three more times alternately facing obliquely left, right, left..........3 M
(c) Face obliquely right (cts.1,and,2,and), clap hands over head (cts.3,4)..............1 M
(d) Repeat (c) three more times alternately facing left, right, left.........................3 M

V
Music C
(a) Dancers perform spontaneously any of the dance movements found in the
dance.............................................................................................................8 M

VI
Music A
Play twice.
(a) Dancers perform the Hinalas part of the dance.............................................32 M

VII
Music A
(a) Dancers execute Likot-baki moving around the circle......................................8 M
(b) Dancers execute Inuwak moving around the circle..........................................8 M

VIII
Music A
(a) Execute sixteen running steps moving around the circle.................................8 M
(b) Execute Panamilit steps four times going to line formation and facing
audience ..............................................................................................................
.........8 M

FINALE
Music B
(a) Repeat transition 2.........................................................................................8 M
 (b) Repeat transition 1

Dialogues (to be done after Transition 2)

Pangulo: Ako, pangullo sa kaagtaan. Gikan pa kami didto sa bukid.

Nilugsung kami dinhi para sa pagsimba sa among mahal nga Patron nga
si Sr. San Nicholas! Among mangluluwas.
Matuod nga agta?
(Answer: Matuod)
Bata-bata: Agta akong mama, agta akong papa, kitang tanan agta.
Matuod ba mga agta?
(Answer: Matuod!)
Baye-baye: Ako baye-baye sa kaagtaan, uli ko sa amo kuha ug ko saya.
Pare-pareha ra man gani. Kabalo mo nganu?
(Answer: Ngano?)
Kay ako raman gud usa.
(Answer: Ahhhh)
Matood ba mga bata?
(Answer: Matuod!)