Tabuk City, Kalinga – After seven decades of severed Bodong or Peace Pact between Lubuagan and Lubo, Tanudan, a Sipat was performed on January 19 restoring the pact between said tribes.
According to the narrative of elders, the severance of their Bodong happened in 1949 due to some unfortunate event. The peace pact elders refused to detail the event which began the decades' conflict to avoid further disputations.
Since 1949, some lives were taken from both sides and some individuals suffered injuries.
While there were intermarriages between Lubuagan and Lubo in the past years, one of the elders mentioned this is not enough to hold ties between the two tribes. There should be a Sipat and the restoration of the Bodong.
To start then with the first step of the restoration of peace, the elders of both tribes agreed to perform the Sipat during the pre-discussion meeting at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Hall moderated by Jeffrey Uyam and Benedicto Sugguiyao who represented Kalinga IPMR Michael Sugguiyao.
During the Sipat ceremony which was facilitated by Leonardo Bon-as, one of the living witnesses of the Mount Data Sipat, Lubuagan Mayor Charisma Ann Dickpus, and Tanudan Mayor Jaedicke Rhoss Dagadag exchanged peace tokens.
‘Let’s take the time we need’ - Sugguiyao
Benedicto Sugguiyao explained that Sipat should be performed first since it is the first step of Bodong and that without it, the two tribes cannot discuss and talk.
After the Sipat, he said, the holders will inform their respective tribes about the ceremony and the Sipat they accepted.
Once the constituents of the two tribes were informed about the exchange of peace tokens, the process of Surdip will take place later wherein any of the two will first invite the other to start the talk. This process is where they discuss and address issues and concerns.
It is also during Surdip that the sipping of wine ritual will be done which symbolizes the first taste of peace. After this, the next process is going to be the formal celebration which include the formalization of the Bodong between the two tribes.
Sugguiyao reminded that this is a process and both tribes can take their time after the Sipat.
“Nu malpas diay ‘bogga’ [telling the tribe about the Sipat] haan tayo nga iru-rush daytoy proseso ta daytuy ket permanente ... Let’s take the time we need,” he said.
‘Nu agsubli ti mayat a relasyon ket pagsayaatan ti duwa nga ili’
Sugguiyao expressed that the restoration of peace benefits both warring tribes, “awan met ti makita a pagdaksan nu agsubli iti relasyon a napintas a kasta, pagsayaatan met iti duwa nga ili.”
This is why, he said, Mayor Dickpus and Mayor Dagadag had this desire to call on the elders of Lubuagan and Lubo for the pre-discussion meeting at the SP Hall this January 19.
“Inut-inuten tayo a mangbirok iti wagas nu kasatnu tayo a ma-attain diyay nasayaat [nga pagbanagan ti ili],” he conveyed.
‘It’s high time nga isimpa tayon daytoy Bodong’
Meantime, Uyam, one of the moderators of the pre-discussion, also expressed it is high time the severed Bodong of the two tribes was fixed.
“Losan tako na angangsan ket its high time a kanan da a, the greatest sacrifice ad kultura takon kinalinga is to forgive and forget, uray nu inya ti kinapait ti napaspasamak,” he said.
He then acknowledged the two mayors for initiating the start of the restoration of Bodong, “congratulations dituy nga duwa nga mayor ta napanunut da nga isimpa daytuy nga conflict.”
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