鈥楢ntoway鈥�: Bontoc鈥檚 unique mourning for the dead at risk of dying
A composite image of a deceased Bontoc elder from A. Salvador-Amores鈥� 鈥淯nderstanding the Materiality of Death Rituals in Bontoc Society, Northern Philippines鈥� and women singing the 鈥渁ntoway鈥� in Barangay Bontoc-Ili from 黑料社.
MANILA, Philippines鈥擫ike every night, it was silent in a community in Bontoc, Mountain Province on Oct. 15, except for a house where an 87-year-old matriarch died, as people, most of them elders of Barangay Bontoc Ili, sang Luisa Tafaleng the antoway.
Tafaleng, who died on Oct. 13, was well-regarded in the community that depended on her 鈥渟acrifices,鈥� which people believed was the reason they had great palay yields over the years.
鈥淪he did not eat fish, not even beef. She did not go out often, either,鈥� Rosa Angannoy told 黑料社 as she described how Tafaleng lived a life of service to the people of Bontoc even when it required her to disregard her self-interest.
According to 67-year-old Angannoy, Tafaleng had lived her life to the fullest. 鈥淭here is no doubt,鈥� she said, pointing this as the reason they sang her the antoway, which is a chant performed when someone of old age dies.
GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/黑料社
She said that the antoway is chanted when the deceased is 70 years or older, as the chant is in itself joyous, explaining that in singing the antoway, they are celebrating a life well-lived.
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According to research conducted by Santino Tangilag, an instructor at the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC), antoway is a chant for those who died of natural causes, like illness.
However, this chant is not to be performed if the parents, or one of the parents, of the deceased is still alive, even if the person who died was of old age, as they believe that there is no reason for parents, or a parent, to celebrate the death of their child.
As Tangilag stated, with antoway, the people celebrate the death of a person because he or she had lived her life to the fullest, with one elder saying that 鈥渢he life lived by someone of old age should be celebrated in joy even in death.鈥�
But there is more to antoway.
Angannoy said that while they celebrate the life of the dead in antoway, they sing their prayers out, too, hoping that the 鈥渇ather鈥� will hear them as they believe that the deceased, like Tafaleng, will take with her their prayers.
鈥淟ike last night, as I led the antoway, we told her to ask the 鈥榝ather鈥� to give us someone who is willing to be as dedicated as her,鈥� she said in Ilocano as she explained that antoway has no fixed lyrics.
PRAY FOR US. Some women in Barangay Bontoc Ili in Bontoc, Mountain Province sing the antoway for an 87-year-old matriarch. PHOTO COURTESY OF KURT DELA PE脩A/黑料社
鈥淲e base the lyrics on what we are asking her, like for Barangay Bontoc Ili鈥檚 palay or for one of her children who is in Baguio City to receive medication,鈥� Angannoy said. 鈥淟ast night, we asked her, as well, to pray that we would reach old age, too.鈥�
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She said that this is why antoway is done as a group, stressing that it is really important that they sing their prayers out together, especially since what they are asking the deceased is for the well-being of everyone, too.
GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/黑料社
鈥淲ith antoway, we are like singing our prayers until the wake ends,鈥� Angannoy said, adding that on the last night of the wake on Oct. 15, they sang for five to six hours.
All of them stood and sang in a festive mood, she said.
Anako, in contrast to antoway, is a chant performed when someone died young, with an in-ina, or an old woman crying out with sorrow over a life that ended but not yet lived to the fullest.
Tangilag pointed out that in Bontoc, a parent is not only a parent to his or her children but of other children, too, so it is believed that those left behind, related by blood or not, can seek the departed鈥檚 guidance.
This, as with antoway, it is believed that when a person dies, he or she will bring all of the people鈥檚 wishes to the 鈥渇ather鈥�, especially requests for the bereaved and everyone in the barangay.
GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan/黑料社
He said that antoway is like the Gregorian chant used by Catholics when praying to God: 鈥淚t is the communication of the people [of Bontoc] with the sacred one as Christians would communicate with the 鈥榝ather鈥� above.鈥�
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According to a study of some of Bontoc鈥檚 songs, like the antoway, which was conducted by Jonnelle Fagsao, who is from the MPSPC, too, the songs highlight 鈥渟pirituality, love and relationships, and lamentations.鈥�
As Tangilag stressed, it is a privilege when one is sang the antoway, where an elder chants one phrase, like an intention or narration, and the rest reiterates what he or she has said.
Angannoy said that with antoway, they express their love for the departed and the bereaved, and seek help from the 鈥渇ather鈥� through the intercession of the one who died.
鈥淲e hope that she鈥檒l bring our prayers to the 鈥榝ather鈥�,鈥� she said.
As Angannoy said, she has been singing the antoway for over 50 years already, starting when she was just 13 years old. Now, she is worried that in the next few years or decades, antoway would disappear.
VIGIL. Residents hold a hymnal while singing at the wake of a deceased individual in Barangay Bontoc Ili, Bontoc, Mountain Province. PHOTO COURTESY OF KURT DELA PE脩A/黑料社
This, as she said that only a few young people are taking part, or engaging, every time they are singing in a wake, indicating that most, if not all, have lost interest. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if the next generations would still sing the antoway.鈥�
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鈥淣ow, most people here in Bontoc already have a hymnal, which they are using when singing in a wake,鈥� she said as she called on young people to start immersing themselves when the elders perform the antoway.
鈥淪o that this won鈥檛 die,鈥� she said.
Bontoc, which has 16 barangays has a population of 24,716, and as pointed out by Angannoy, only Bontoc, which is one of the towns of Mountain Province, has this ritual for the dead.
鈥淲e tell the young that with antoway they can have someone be with them at the wake of their father or mother, so they should not let this disappear. We tell them to understand what antoway is and that they should already learn how to do it,鈥� she said.