THE OFFICIAL LITERATURE OF THE

PANAGSALUKAG FESTIVAL
OF GATTARAN, CAGAYAN

Penned by
FERDINAND BULUSAN
Assistant Professor III | Batanes State College

The Panagsalukag Festival is the official festivity of the Municipality of

Gattaran, Cagayan. It celebrates the industriousness and diligence of the
Gattaran people as a community. It also depicts the rich cultural heritage and
religiosity of the townspeople, especially in farming, the main livelihood of the
major chunk of the community since its conversion as a town.

THE HISTORY

The town of Gattaran in Cagayan North province is a first

class municipality. According to the 2015 census, it has a population
of 56,661 people. Gattaran's historic spots and tourist landmarks include the Lal-
lo and Gattaran Shell Middens, Magapit Protected Landscape, Maduppaper
Caves, the Mapaso Hot Spring and the Tanglagan Falls whose warm and cold
waters meet and flow together on one bed to become the Dummun River.
Another attraction of Gattaran is Bolos Point, a wildlife sanctuary.

In the place where Gattaran lies today were three former ecclesiastical
towns: Nassiping, Dummun, and Gattaran proper. Nassiping is the oldest among
the three, founded on June 15, 1596 with Santa Catalina as the patron saint;
Dummun was founded on May 24, 1598 and Gattaran, May 20, 1623. Since each of
these towns had few inhabitants and had only one priest to administer to their
religious needs, they were merged for ecclesiastical convenience into one
municipality in 1877 by virtue of a Diocesan Order from the Bishop of Nueva
Segovia (Lallo). Fray Francisco Suejos, O.P. was the first Gobernadorcillo.

During the Spanish regime, the natives grew spiritually; but with the
Americans, they grew educationally and the inhabitants assimilated a more
sophisticated lifestyle. Under the Commonwealth Government, the first
Municipal Mayor was Melencio Adviento, who begun the construction of the
present municipal building. The building was finished during the term of the next
mayor, Atty. Hipolito Mandac. The municipal building was inaugurated in

PANAGSALUKAG FESTIVAL OFFICIAL LITERATURE 1

September, 1941. Four months after its inauguration, World War II broke out, the
Japanese Forces occupied the town and all records, cadastral titles and others
were confiscated by the invading forces.

With the coming of the Americans, the whole province was liberated from
the Japanese forces. The first election of the Republic in 1947 made Delfino Liban
the mayor. The administration marked the building of roads in the barrios,
improvements of streets and others.

In 1950, the barrios of Gattaran to the west of the Cagayan River was
separated to form the town of Lasam.

THE CONTEXT

The festival celebrates the traditions of the Hispanic and post-hispanic era
up to the early years of the New Millennium. It highlights the activities of the
Gattarenio farmers, who are the main reflections of simplicity and diligence of
the townspeople. With Gattaran as mostly agricultural land, it is said that this
farm festival is done during November—the time when everyone is gathered to
thank the Almighty for the bountiful harvest, through its patron St. Catherine of
Alexandria.

Dubbed as a farm festival, the Panagsalukag Festival showcases the

practices and of the Gattaran farmers in all seasons up to the festive moment
during the harvest. However, it is in the activities of the farmers that Gattaran
prides the diligence and industriousness of its people.

The literature, therefore, is seen through the lens of a typical male farmer.
Because the context dates back during the patriarchal timeline of the country,
when the society followed a male-dominated family, the literature is written in
the eyes of a male farmer. Nonetheless, the role of women in society is also
highlighted in the literature. Informants were 70-to-80-year-old native Gattaran
people, who have ventured into farming in the town.

THE LITERATURE

This historical timeline is started at the land preparation. This happens

during June and July. A typical Gattarenio farmer shows his industriousness and
diligence to work [kinasalukag] as early as 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. Before
the rooster crows, the Gattaran farmer has already got up for the farm. He
prepares for farming by drinking a cup of hot coffee. Bound for the farm to untie
and feed his carabao, he wears his payabyab [salakot], labig/an-nanga/anahaw

PANAGSALUKAG FESTIVAL OFFICIAL LITERATURE 2

[coat for protection], pants made of flour sack [hand-sewed cathca], and his bolo
with its typical Ilokano scabbard. Most of the time, he is barefooted in going to
the farm.

At 5:00 to 6:00 in the morning, as early as the sun rises, he does the land
preparation through his arado, padulang, or paragos [sled]. At 10:00, he stops for
a while and takes his late breakfast, usually brought from the house. He continues
his land preparation, and during the lunch break, he is brought by his wife or a
young family member of his lunch. He does his siesta, thereafter, under the
shade of a tree in the farm or inside his kalapaw [hut]. He goes home at 4:00 or
5:00 in the afternoon.

The night before transplanting starts, elders say a prayer and do some
rituals. This is influenced by the strong Hispanic beliefs and religiosity of the
people. Elders usually put eggs inside the “sarukang,” say a prayer, and leave it
on the farm. Others usually sacrifice diket [glutinous rice], tobacco, piper betel
[gawed], and bitternut [buwa] to the unseen beings.

Also, when drought comes, the farmers cling onto their sturdy religiosity
brought about by the Catholicism through the Spanish. In one late afternoon, they
usually gather for the prosisyon and pray to San Miguel for the rains to come.

During the planting and transplanting seasons sometime in August to

September, the female farmer does the pulling of seedlings while the male does
the planting. The female farmers are usually sitting on bangkitos [small wooden
chairs]. In transplanting, they usually do the “wardi-wardi” method.

When the reaping season comes, beliefs are usually practiced. They
usually tie five pieces of rice stalks or straw with their grains and dangle them
over the kitchen hearth. This is called the kikdulan. It is believed that when
people do this, it is faster for the grains in the farm to get ripened, ready for
harvest.

The reaping season is mostly collaborative and sequential. It is colored

with enjoyment and fun. With the use of the scythe, the woman farmers are
usually in line for the rakem. Male farmers do the tying using the banban and pile
up the tied rice stalks at a certain portion in the farm. The rice stalks are them
pulled by the carabao and stocked in a simple rice barn. Afterwards, lump of
fresh carabao dung is prepared and dried for the “taltag.” While the place for
the “taltag” is prepared, the harvested rice stalks are sun-dried.

When the place for “taltag” is prepared, the keeled grains are separated
from the stalks. Specific rhythm and movements are observed in this process.

PANAGSALUKAG FESTIVAL OFFICIAL LITERATURE 3

The hulls are taken off from the grains through a collaborative or partnering-
system using the huge mortar and pestle. Mostly women, they do the switching
rhythm of pushing the wooden mortar downward. Other woman may also be in a
corner to take off or ultimately separate the hull from the grain by the use of
winnower. The rice or polished grains are put inside the “burnay” [clay jar].

THE FESTIVAL

After the harvesting season, people would usually dine together in a

jubilant affair. It starts by thanking the patron, San Isidro Labrador, through a
mass on a Sunday. Usually in the month of May, this week-long celebration is
held. There is an overflowing food in every barrio. At night, a show called
zarzuela is watched by the villagers. Musicals are also apparent. Instruments
played during this celebration include gangsa, gitara, banduria, violin and
banjo. It also ends with a “prusisyon” around the village in preparation for
another year-round of farming.

PANAGSALUKAG FESTIVAL OFFICIAL LITERATURE 4