The Dead Become Gods

As the people celebrating the day of the dead go to the cemeteries to do so, a good number of Ibalois do not.  This is because they did not bring their dead loved ones to the cemeteries, or they brought home from the cemeteries the bones thereof.

Because of this, they do not contribute to the heavy traffic in the Central Business District, or Baguio (Ba-giw).  They also do not form part of the crowd in the cemeteries. 

This is because the non-christian Ibalois of old did not believe that the dead are unconsciousness.  To them, the dead have become gods.  Enkirios ira, as some say it.  Or enkishiyos ira, as others do.

The younger Ibalois who have become Catholics do still believe in the old concepts.   That is why they still keep their dead in a special place inside their houses, or under their floors, or in their front or back yards. 

Some of those who brought their dead to the cemeteries bring home the bones thereof, especially when they dream that their dead loved ones  are in need of shelter, or blankets, or other things that they enjoyed while alive as human beings.

And because of their act of bringing home the bones of their loved ones, or their not bringing to the cemeteries the remains of their loved ones, they have waived their rights to free burial at the cemeteries reserved for them.   (I actually do not know how many community cemeteries are free to the Ibalois.  I am just certain of one cemetery, i.e. the Loakan Community Cemetery which was reserved in the early 1900s on representation of the then Consejal Tagley also known as Tagdi and other elders of the old Loakan for Loakan Ibalois and where they are not supposed to pay fees).

Today, the Loakan Community Cemetery is filled with the remains of many non-Ibalois who have gotten into the place and are now enjoying free burial that was supposed to be for the Ibalois of Loakan.  The area earlier reserved even got over-filled so that a portion of the adjacent lot got included in the cemetery area. 

The original cemetery area, and the addition are parts of the land owned by the late Chacchacan (Shakshahan) and/or his ascendants in the native concept.  The areas were supposed to be for the Ibalois of Loakan who are the relatives of the late Chacchacan.  

B.T. Pistola

(Authority to repost given by Author)

Published:
Volume 1, No 13
TNT, Baguio City, Philippines
October 12, 2014
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