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