Encounter with a mun-anap

Jeremy Gawongna


MAYOYAO, Ifugao-- I grew up hearing stories of locals in my hometown Mayoyao who approached a mun-anap (clairvoyant) when their valuables were stolen. I was then a skeptic about it, doubting the accuracy of the information from her.

Later, given the opportunity to work on a project in a non-government organization in line with the transmission of indigenous knowledge from the elders to the youth, we did not include such traditional means of having contact with the supernatural. We focused more on land and resource management, traditional architecture, engineering, hydrology, and traditional rice cycle.

In one of our educational tours, the digital camera lent to me by the NGO was stolen. I left it inside the room where I would sleep. It was inside my bag that I placed at the very corner of my bed. I turned off the light, closed the door, and left without locking it confident enough that no one would enter.

When I went back, I wondered why the light was turned on. I was surprised to see the case of the digital camera on top of my bed. No camera was inside it! I checked my bags and every corner of my room but I was frustrated to have found nothing.

I went to the room of my cousin, woke her up and asked if she saw someone enter my room. At first, she was just nodding her head but later, she said she did see the guy who entered my room. I immediately noted her description of that guy. I asked her to get up and recognize the guy from the people outside. Unfortunately, she did not find him. She recalled her companion also saw that guy. In two days, I eventually came up with a prime suspect with the help of my cousin’s companion.

Setting aside my skepticism was a turning point for me whose orientation since childhood paid no respect to indigenous ways and means. With the desire to explore possibilities, I submitted to my friend’s suggestion to go to a mun-anap. She instructed me to list the names of the suspects. I did it but included some non-suspects to test the mun-anap’s credibility.

Our way to the mun-anap’s house was no big joke. Using the NGO’s car, we passed through a narrow and rugged road that snakes up a mountain. After almost an hour, we found a concrete middle class house. The house was surprisingly in the middle of nowhere. A woman came out of the house and my friend went to meet her. I was just observing and later learned that she is the mun-anap. She was kind enough to offer us coffee.

My friend informed the mun-anap about our purpose. She first spent some time telling stories then later, she went to get hapid, a leaf mixed with betel nut for chewing. After performing a ritual silently, she enclosed it with her wrist and blew it. Later, she requested for the list of suspects. She stared at the list and began to whisper words that I could not understand. Her hands were shaking and the pupils of her eyes went up and down repeatedly while staring at the list. I was worried she might not find the name of the thief in the list.

The mun-anap eventually pointed her finger to one of the names listed but it was not that of the prime suspect’s. My heart trembled but later, I sighed when I heard her say that the person she was pointing at was nervous but not the thief. I recalled witnesses claiming that he slept in my room for a short while because he was drunk.

Finally the munanap pointed her finger at the prime suspect’s name and confirmed that he was the thief. Tears rolled down my eyes realizing that the information was accurate. Had she pointed only at the prime suspect’s name, I might have still doubted the information (Pwedeng tsamba lang!). What convinced me was that she was able to pinpoint the name of the drunken guy who slept in my room. That guy might have been nervous for fear of suspicion.

The mun-anap continued performing a ritual then later referred us to a mumpfuni/mumbaki, an Ifugao native priest. We went to see a mumpfuni/mumbaki whom my friend used to consult. I asked him not to harm the suspect but rather merely bother his conscience. While performing the ritual, I received a text message from the prime suspect requesting me to make a phone call to him to talk where and when we could possibly meet.

Two hours after the ritual, I received another text message from him assuring that the digital camera will be returned to me as soon as possible. Time came when I met the prime suspect. I saw him sitting on a bench fronting the gate of Saint Mary Magdalene Cathedral in Lagawe, Ifugao. I approached him and spent some time listening to his lengthy explanation. Tired of listening, I asked if he has the camera. He brought it out from his pocket covered in a fine plastic bag. I took hold of it and checked immediately if it was functional. It was working! The memory card was also intact!

Sometimes I ask if everything that transpired was coincidence. I was then working for a project in line with indigenous knowledge yet here comes a real situation that drove me to meet real indigenous knowledge holders dealing with the supernatural phenomenon. It seems the situation was telling me that traditional practices are not something to scorn but should be given a chance.
Regarded by Christians as pagan practices, these have low level of social acceptability. And look!

After confronting the mun-anap and the mumpfuni/mumbaki, the prime suspect requested me to meet him in front of Saint Mary Magdalene Cathedral. Perhaps, Mary Magdalene also interceded for the return of the stolen camera! Is the whole situation telling me that there are meeting points between the traditional and Christian beliefs?

One thing for sure, the experience convinced me more of the existence of a Supernatural being watching over the whole of humanity