Mysterious Stones in Sagada

In the scorching Sagadan mid-morning, our group took a stroll to an agricultural village to see Dap-ay. The Dap-ay is a circular gathering place which can be found across neighbouring towns in Mt. Province. The Dap-ay serves as a rallying point for villagers as they conduct necessary rituals to celebrate harvesting season in order to ensure the productivity of good crops before the first process of a seedling grows into a primary plant. Begnas (the rice ritual) is celebrated twice a year. During large scale celebrations like Begnas, pigs would be slaughtered for bigger rituals whereas chickens are served during smaller rituals. Within a Dap-ay, a Sab-ong which consists of reed and chicken feathers are attached together to mark the end of ritualistic conducts. A distinct social hierarchy is inherent among communities within a tribe based on one's age. The older people have to gather on the upper ground of the Dap-ay. On the other hand, the younger ones are required to congregate on lower ground as a sign of respect to their elders.


During Begnas, females are requested to cook for the elders and dine separately from the men. Other than Begnas, they are welcome to join the others during the feast. The whole community including other nearby villagers and visitors are cordially invited to get together around Dap-ay throughout special occasions like Begnas. Nowadays, tourists are also welcome to experience the various festive occasions.

Back in the day, an Abong, a hut which served as the dorms for males was situated next to the Dap-ay whereby male adolescents slept there. During the olden days, the Dap-ay was a gathering place that symbolized the civil conflict among indigenous tribes in Sagada. This historical artefact was built thousands of years ago. Each stone represented a beheaded head or skull (from an opposing village) being buried underneath, connoting one's tribe victory during a particular civil war. The head was beheaded but not other human body parts simply because a head signified a seed of the spirit. Hence, during funerals, exactly 21 pigs must be slaughtered in order to appease the spirit. Furthermore, since the Dap-ay is deemed a sacred place, girls who have hit puberty are forbidden from entering inside the surrounding area.

There are 19 Barangays in Sagada. Each Barangay can have more than one Dap-ay. Dates of occasional celebration and ritualistic conducts around Dap-ay are based on different decisions made among these Barangays.

It used to be that the council of elders were consulted to impose punishment on the criminals, while the degree of punishment on criminals was based on a case-to-case basis. Now, villagers handle criminal issues in the court. Ah. Such are the modern ways these days

By Jasmine Chew