FEATURE :A Law Carried by Generations: Kalinga’s “Pagta” enters history in written form

Long before laws were written in books or enforced in courts, the Pagta served as a code of justice and a guide for resolving conflicts among Kalinga communities—upholding peace without the aid of ink and paper until it was finally put into written form.

On February 9, 2026, history was made in Kalinga as elders, Bodong holders, local leaders, and provincial officials gathered at the Kalinga Sports Center in Bulanao, Tabuk City for the official launch of the codified Kalinga Pagta.

Efforts to codify the Pagta did not happen overnight but spanned decades of careful deliberation, collaboration, and persistence.

Speaking during the launch, Engr. Andres B. Ngao-i, Secretary-General of the Kalinga Bodong Council and Chairman of the Matagoan Bodong Consultative Council, recalled that the first formal effort to codify the Pagta began in 1974 under then Kalinga-Apayao Governor Rolando Puzon, who initiated a tribal convention to preserve the law beyond oral tradition.

However, the initiative was halted when Puzon was replaced by then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos, bringing the process to an abrupt stop.

Work resumed in 1982 under Governor Amado Almazan during the Kalinga Bodong Conference at BIBAK National High School, where tribal elders, Bodong holders, and Kalinga professionals reviewed a draft Pagta. Ngao-i noted that later deliberations led by former Board Member Castro Lammawin, Judge Pablo Gupaal, former Deputy Governor Jose Chaclag, and former Governor Tanding Odiem were slowed by debates on retaliation rules and political disruptions during the EDSA Revolution.

Momentum returned under Governor Lawrence Wacnang, who in 1988 tasked Board Members John Dongui-is, David Banson, Gavino Mosing, and Elpidio Tubban to organize a preparatory conference for a Kalinga Bodong Congress. This led to the First Bodong Congress in April 1989 at BIBAK National Agricultural School, bringing together elders and Bodong holders from across the province.

From this milestone emerged the Kalinga Bodong Congress, Inc., a federation representing nearly 2,000 Bodong holders, and the Kalinga Bodong Council, composed of government officials, professionals, and community leaders.

Subsequent congresses in 1991 and 1993 refined the draft, forming the foundation for formal codification. In 1995, a committee led by Board Member John Dongui-is and Judge Josephine Gayagay, with key contributions from Ngao-i, completed the codification process.

As society and national laws evolved, amendments became necessary. These were addressed during the Fifth Bodong Congress on April 2, 2002, in Luplupa, Tinglayan, where new provisions were adopted to address emerging legal concerns.

More than two decades later, recognizing the need for further updates, Governor James S. Edduba formed a Bodong Task Force in 2023 to revise the existing Pagta. From June to October 2023, the task force conducted extensive reviews and consultations, culminating in the Sixth Bodong Congress in February 2024, which ratified the amended Pagta.

Ngao-i emphasized that codifying the Pagta aims to preserve ancestral laws and peace traditions for future generations.

During the launch, provincial officials led by Governor Edduba reaffirmed their commitment to protect, uphold, and pass on Kalinga’s customary laws to the younger generation.