Research paper jim

PAGALILAUAN, Jimboy B., 2019 –Research Proposal
IGLESIA, Oliver D.,2019
Reyes, Bryle Eldrick P.,2019
October 28, 2019
JOYCE ANNE MARIÑAS-VALENZUELA, MAED, LPT
Research Director
This College
Ma’am:
To produce competitive instructors of the College and to have faculty researchers
equipped on research and extension and other academic engagement. We are
writing to propose our working research paper entitled “ATANG”: Investigating the
Ilocano’s manner of offering.
This research title is subject for approval, pursuant to the PAST (Performance
Appraisal System for Teachers) issued by the administration and in compliance to
the Quality Assurance and Accreditation standards Xx Research Activities.
Attached herewith is the background of the study for your perusal.
For your consideration.
Thank you.
Respectfully yours,
JIMBOY B. PAGALILAUAN, AB, BSE
Asst. Dean, CAS/Head of Department, GE
OLIVER D. IGLESIA
College Instructor/Moral Philo
BRYLE ELDRICK REYES,Rcrim, LPT
Asst. Dean/ COC
Copy furnished:

DR. ROY D. TUMANENG, FHEA
VP for Academic Affairs
“ATANG”: Investigating the Ilocano’s manner of offering.
Background of the study
1.1 Philippine traditions and cultures
A. Pregnancy and Childbirth
A woman's intense craving for sour fruits, such as tamarind, green mango or orange
is usually interpreted as a sign of pregnancy. The fruits that she eats provide clues to
the child's appearance.
The pregnant woman observes a number of practices believed to insure against a
painful and difficult delivery.
She sits on a mat and never on the bare floor, to avoid having gas pains. She always
has grains of salt with her whenever she leaves the house to ward off evil spirits who
may take away her unborn child. She does not go outside the house at night with
her hair down lest she have a snake delivered along with her baby. She is forbidden
to sit on the stairway as this is a position associated with difficult delivery. When
cooking, she must thrust the bigger pieces of firewood into the fire before the
smaller pieces, a practice said to ensure a normal delivery.
On the sixth month of pregnancy, the mother's dreams, her physical and emotional
state, the food she eats, and the fetal position are taken as indications of the child's
sex.
Only a select few are allowed inside the house while the woman is in labor. These are
the mangilot (midwife), the husband, his parents and the couple's other children, if
any. This is because of the belief that the presence of unlucky people could cause a
difficult delivery.
Walking the woman around the house to empty her water bag during labor is
supposed to ease childbirth. When a woman is undergoing extreme difficulty, the
husband either turns the house ladder upside down or massages crushed ginger on
his wife's belly.
A conceiving woman should not take her fancy on pictures, dolls and flowers so that
the child will not become dumb or on images of saints because the child will not be
able to stand but will only be rolling on the bed or floor. If a conceiving woman
takes fancy on a pitcher-type water pump, her child will be hare-lipped, and if she
eats twin bananas, she will give birth to twins. If she is fond on reading music books,

her child is likely to become a musician. Likewise, the newborn is likely to become an
accountant or a businessman if the conceiving woman has a liking for books on
mathematics.
A woman expecting a baby should not lie across the width of the bed or by the
doorway because she may have difficulty in delivery. She should not take a bath in
the evening because she may bloat. She should not eat the liver or head of chicken
lest the child will become stubborn. As soon as the baby is born, he is wrapped with
the clothes of either parent. The child is said to become closer to the parent whose
clothes he was wrapped with. The newborn child is also made to use old clothes so
that when he grows, he will not be fond of wearing new clothes which depicts
extravagance. The use of a folded newspaper as a pillow for the newborn is
supposed to make him intelligent.
The washing of clothes and the mat used during delivery is done only during the day
with proper ceremony. The clothes must not be washed in the shallow part of the
river where the current is swift and noisy for this would make the child naughty and
irritable.
After the delivery, the anglem is made. This consists of burning twisted rugs placed in
an earthen jar called bak-ka to drive away evil spirits and to make the navel of the
baby heal faster. The neonate is given ampalaya juice mixed with castor oil to expel
impurities taken in while it was still in the mother's womb. The woman who has just
delivered should not eat food that is spicy or that causes itch such as eggplant,
bamboo shoots, and camote within the period of five to six months, gabi or aba, and
peanuts up to one year. Likewise, she should not eat papaya because this makes the
child agaras (suffer from thrush).
The mother and child are made to rest in a specially inclined bed
called balitang (bamboo bed). During the mother's fifteen to twenty-day rest also
called the dalagan, the husband manages the household. The woman resumes her
housework only after she has rested and taken a full bath.
Ilocano mothers go through a process of inhaling smoke from medicinal incense
while a bowl of hot coals warms her wounds. Called sidor, this is said to relieve the
mother’s pains and reposition the displaced uterus.
B. Infancy
If the kajyanak (newborn) has physical defects, he is given a hair washing rite
presided over by a folk healer. If the defect is not healed, the family accepts the
baby's condition and views it as a sign of good luck.

The child's sleeping position is the subject of his parents' special attention because of
certain meanings associated with each particular position. It is said that if the baby
sleeps float on his belly on the floor or bed, bad luck or hardship will befall
the family. If the baby gnashes his teeth, he is said to have parasites in his body.
When the baby begins to turn around and roll, the parents are advised not to help
him, for it is believed that if they do, the baby will be too dependent on them when
he grows up. It is usually at the end of the fourteenth month when the baby is
considered strong enough and allowed to walk by himself.
C. Adolescence
Pubescence for the girl comes at age eleven when most girls begin to
menstruate. Some of the taboos which girls observe during menstruation include:
eating sour fruit which may cause blood clotting and menstrual cramps; taking a
bath or carrying heavy objects which may cause matipdan (sudden stop of menstrual
flow) which may lead to insanity or death. Girl at this stage are also asked to sit on
the 3rd step of the stairs so that she will have only three days of menstruation.
Boys aged thirteen to twenty-one voluntarily submit themselves to kugit
(circumcision) by the local specialist. The rite usually takes place near a river, a creek
or a stream. The materials used are a sharp knife or blade, a wooden mold made
from a stripped guava branch, guava brew and coconut palm scrapings. Like the
pubescent girl, the circumcised boy discards his childish games and pranks for more
adult pursuits.
D. Courtship
Courtship begins with a series of casual conversations and visits to the girl's home
where the boy gets to know the girl and her family. Long courtships are expected to
give both parties a chance to be sure about their own feelings for each other. The
boy sends love letters to the girl regularly as constant reminders and declarations of
a willingness to continue the amorous pursuit. The harana (serenade) is also one
way of expressing love. The boy asks a group of friends to join him, on a moonlit
night, in waking up his beloved maiden with love songs.
The relationship, once formalized, is carried out with utmost discretion. The girl is
expected to remain modest and chaste. Tradition strongly requires that the woman
maintain her virginity until marriage. Otherwise, she will have to face such grave
consequences as being ostracized by the community or disowned by her family. Sex
education comes in the form of stories read and told by older folk.

E. Marriage
Panagasawa or marriage to the Ilocano is but a reaffirmation of the man and
woman's gasat (fate). It is considered a sacred partnership which lasts until the death
of either partner.
Once the couple decide to marry, the boy informs the girl's parents about their plans.
This announcement is known as the panagpudno. Approval is sought from the boy's
parents since they usually spend for the wedding and provide for the dowry. When
both families agree, the date of the wedding is set either by consulting
the planetano (an almanac which lists all good or bad days for all activities), or by
communicating through the billeta, a letter sent from the boy to the girl by a
messenger. The response is also sent through the same messenger.
It is during the palalian, a meeting between both families held in the girl's home, that
the sab-ong, the sagut, the parawad and the other details of the wedding are
discussed. The purpose of the sab-ong (dowry) is to provide the couple with
something to start their married life. It may consist of a piece of land or enough
money to buy some land. The sagut is the amount of money needed for the bridal
trousseau. Borrowing a wedding gown is taboo for the Ilocano. It is regarded as a
grave insult to the families of the betrothed. The sagut provided the basis for the
Ilocano boasts that "the Ilocano groom always dresses his bride from head to foot."
The parawad is given by the groom to the bride's mother as a token of appreciation
for properly bringing up her daughter. The sab-ong is presented during
the albasya, a long, elaborate ceremony held the day before the wedding.
It is a taboo for a bride to fit in the bridal gown before the wedding because this
brings bad luck or misfortune to the couple. It is also taboo for the bride and
bridegroom to ride in the same vehicle in going to church for the wedding because
this portends bad luck. Care must be taken by the groom when giving the aras
(several one-peso coins) to the bride during the wedding ceremony. The dropping of
even only one coin brings bad luck. Only one matchstick should be used to light the
candle of the groom and bride. Those candle burns faster is believed to die ahead.
The veil sponsors should pin the veil very well, for there is a belief that a veil that falls
augurs an unsuccessful married life.
On the sinadag (eve of the wedding), another ceremony, the saka, is held. In
the saka, either at the boy's house or at the convent, the couple are ritually

introduced to their sponsors and prospective in-laws. The highlight of the ceremony
is the couple's public declaration of love for each other.
As a rule, all Ilocano weddings must be held in church. After the ceremony, all
proceed to the groom's residence for the padaya. The padaya is a lavish wedding
feast which also serves as an occasion for the renewal of family ties and loyalties. This
practice enhances community life with the involvement of the neighbors in all the
preparations. The reception is a ritual in itself as all participants observe a certain
decorum that clearly illustrates the Ilocano respect for tradition.
After the wedding ceremony, when the bride and bridegroom arrive at the latter's
house, an old maid waiting at the foot of the stair’s hands them lighted candles. Care
should be taken to have these candles lighted when being carried to the altar inside
the house otherwise, one of the couples will die young. The parents of the
newlyweds secretly advice their respective son or daughter to go up the stairs ahead
of the other. Reaching the top flight first symbolized authority in the family. Groom is
beaten in this race, he becomes ander di saya ("henpecked).
If the Upon reaching the place where the reception is to be held, both the bride and
the groom are required to enter the house together as a sign of maintaining the
balance of authority in the home and to guarantee equal longevity. Lunch for the
newlyweds begins with a dish of boiled mungo beans, a symbol of fertility. The bride
and groom take turns feeding each other in a series of pleas which ends in a
touching show of love for each other. A highlight of the celebration is
the tuptupac or the bitor. These rituals involve the giving of cash to the newlyweds
by their visitors. The gifts to the bride and groom are given and counted separately
to determine the economic capability of both families. After counting, the money is
handed to the groom who hands it over to his wife for safekeeping.
The last ritual for the day is the mangik-ikamen in which an old man and an old
woman present the dal-lot (wedding song). The theme of the dal-lot is the ups and
downs as well as the do's and don’ts of married life.
A day after the wedding, three rites are held. These are the atang, an offering given
to the spirits of the departed kinsmen and posing and mangatogangan whereby the
groom turns over his personal belongings to the bride.
F. Death and Burial
To the Ilocanos, gasat (fate) detemines their life on earth. Death to them means the
fulfillment of destiny, the inevitable. It is because of this Ilocano view of death that
they are better able to bear the passing away of their loved ones with courage and
fortitude.

The Ilocanos have traditionally believed that most of man's illnesses are caused by
spirits. Even accidents have often been attributed to the supernatural, to spirits that
could either be the aswang (witch) or the mannamay (sorcerer).
Death is often preceded by omens such as a black butterfly which enters a house at
night or during an eclipse. When a person is dying, an old woman is usually called in
to pray and attend to him. Sometimes, a coconut shell is placed under the dying
man's bed so that everyone in the room may hear the angel and the devil fighting for
possession of the man's soul. When a man dies, an atong (burning piece of wood) is
placed in front of the gate of his house. This announces a death in the family to
spirits and the living alike. The fire is left burning for the duration of the wake.
If relatives are being awaited, the corpse is embalmed for an extended wake.
Members of the household are expected to refrain from working for the duration of
the wake. Those keeping vigil recount all the good deeds of the deceased before the
group. In some towns, the family hires the services of a mandung-aw, who provides
the wailing and lamenting during the wake. Family members also do this to express
their grief anguish, and pain. The presence of young men and women at the vigil
prevents the spirits of the preternatural world from stealing the corpse.
Chores that are tabooed during the wake include cleaning or sweeping the house. It
is believed that another member of the bereaved family will follow soon if this belief
is not observed. Taking a bath or rubbing the skin with isiso (stone) will cause
scabbies. Taking a bath in the house where the dead lies in state is prohibited.
Meeting and seeing visitors to the door and accompanying them to the door when
leaving are taboo.
With the belief that there is life after death, the clothes and other paraphernalia are
buried with the dead. This is also done so that the soul will not come back for his
precious possessions. However, if something is forgotten and someone in the
neighborhood dies, a relative will place the remaining precious belonging of their
deceased to the dead relative.
Likewise, there are also food taboos like eating maninggay (horse-radish) whose
leaves easily fall off and sour food or snails called bisukol. Violation of these means
death to another member of the bereaved family.
Before the funeral, the dead man's kin perform the mano (kissing of the hand). Each
family member pays his last respects by kissing the dead man's hand or by lifting the
hand briefly to his forehead. After the mano, the women cover their faces and heads
with black veils.

Before the coffin is taken out of the house, a rooster or a hen, depending upon the
sex of the decease, is beheaded and thrown out into the yard opposite the stairs. The
sacrificial animal precedes the dead in the beyond, ensuring his safe passage and
announcing his arrival. After this, the coffin is brought out of the house. The
pallbearers are cautioned against having the coffin touch any part of the house lest
another death occur in the family. Rice is strewn all over the coffin for good luck. The
coffin bearers also guard against tarrying on the stairs, for a relative might be
possessed by the dead man's soul. The doors and windows of the house are shut
after the coffin is brought out to prevent the soul from disturbing those whom he left
behind. These are reopened only after the funeral party returns from the cemetery.
To show extreme grief of the bereaved family, the members wear black clothes and
a manto ("lack veil) which is worn by the female members of the family. Solemn
music is played during the funeral procession from the house of the dead to the
church and then to the cemetery.
After the funeral, members of the family and relatives go through the diram-os; that
is, they wash their faces and upper limbs with a basin of basi in which some coins
were immersed to ward off the spell of the evil spirit. The following day, immediate
relatives have the golgol (hair shampoo) in the river to wash away any. To show
extreme grief of the bereaved family, the members wear black clothes and
a manto (black veil) which is worn by the female members of the family. Solemn
music is played during the funeral procession from the house of the dead to the
church and then to the cemetery.
After the funeral, members of the family and relatives go through the diram-os; that
is, they wash their faces and upper limbs with a basin of basi in which some coins
were immersed to ward off the spell of the evil spirit. The following day, immediate
relatives have the golgol (hair shampoo) in the river to wash away any power of the
spirit of the dead. This is followed by the offering of niniogan (a kind of rice
cake), basi, buyo, and tobacco.
Every night for nine nights, a lualo (prayer) is offered for the dead. On the ninth
night, an umras is prepared. On a table are placed 12 plates full of native cakes and
delicacies like patupat, linapet; busi, kaskaron, baduyca; and two fried chickens. These
should stay the whole night to be distributed the following morning to the leader of
the novena prayer and to those who assisted in preparing the umras. On the ninth
day is the pamisa (feast). Before the pamisa, the leader of the group offers a
spoonful each of the cooked foods on the altar. The pamisa is again held to
commemorate the one-month and the one-year death anniversaries. On the first-
year anniversary of the dead is the waksi marking the termination of the mourning as
symbolized by the lifting of the black dress.

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.
1.2 History of Christianity
1.3 The Atang
An Atang is a traditional food offering for the Ilocanos to ward off evil spirits. The
most common Atang to ward off sickness is a rice cake or often called “sinukat” or
“sinuman” for Ilocanos. Atang may also be a harvest offering. And usually Atang for
Ilocanos are offered for their relatives who passed away, in order to commemorate
and show that they are still important and are still in our heart even if they are
already gone. This practice is usually done during and after the burial of the dead.
During the wake, prior to the burial and after it, a series of food offerings need to be
done by the family of the deceased. According to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural
Heritage Center, the first such food offering is done on the first day of the wake,
where a bunch of unripe bananas or saba and a chicken is cooked over a mini bonfire
called an “Atang.” If the deceased is male, a rooster must be cooked; if female, then it
should be a hen. Before these cooked fruit and chicken can be consumed, people
must first strike the Atang with these foods to prevent spirits from being attracted by
their smells.
On the day of the burial, in the early morning, another food offering must be
prepared. This time, the family must slaughter a native pig and small pieces of its
heart, liver, pancreas, lungs, stomach as well as pieces of meat and fat are half-
cooked and skewered on a stick. The stick must be placed in a specific spot in the
house such as the wall of the kitchen or an outside wall of the house which is shaded.
This offering however is not offered to the family to eat but may be buried or given
only to the men who slaughtered the pig.
The most elaborate of the “atang” comes the afternoon after the burial. In this atang,
most of the food is made of native glutinous rice flour which is used to prepare
sweet delicacies. According to ICHCAP, the ones who prepare these are the women
relatives of the deceased only, with the help of female neighbors. Once prepared,

these delicacies are arranged on the deceased’s bed which is usually brought to the
living room of the house. There is also an intricate ritual of laying a cross-shaped
layer of rice and five raw whole eggs before arranging the plates of rice cakes. This
last type of food offering needs to be done again, according to tradition, on the 30th
day after the death and on the first-year death anniversary.
In general, the Atang is known as a food offering that is intended to drive away evil
and malevolent spirits. It plays an important role in Ilocano culture, as Ilocanos
generally believe that there are spirits who live among us, either of the dead or of
other worlds who need to be appeased whenever they are disturbed or offended.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The study generally aims to investigate the Ilocano practice of food offering, termed
as “Atang”. and specifically seeks to answer the following questions:
1. How do the Ilocano define “Atang”?
2. What are the Ilocano traditions and beliefs in offering food or “Atang”?
3. How do the Ilocano see the significance of the practice “Atang”?
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Ilocano’s are full of beliefs, traditions and cultures that they adopt from their
ancestors which are still practiced nowadays. However, the significance of this study
is for the following;
A. SOCIAL SCIENCE TEACHERS-
B. LANGUAGE AND CULTURE TEACHERS-
C. ANTROPOLOGIES-
D. SOCIOLOGIEST-
E. SOCIAL SCIENCE STUDENTS –

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