‘Sus-uwa’ in Sagada with repainting of SMS mural, Lolita Carbon concert

HAPPY WEEKEND

Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province – ‘Sus-uwa’ is a ritual in Sagada done as part of a ‘senga,’ a cultural practice in thanksgiving of an undertaking like  construction of a house or the graduation of a child.

Sus-uwa is also observed by a parent or a sibling for a member of the family who died.

The ritual is a prayer and the setting is solemn, with no one talking, sneezing, coughing, talking, walking and even a fart is prevented from breaking out so as not to break the flow of the prayers.

A cooked part of a chicken or a pig with a bit of rice on a plate and a bowl of soup is placed on the floor. Also included is a glass/cup of wine. This will do if there is no ‘tapey’ (fermented rice wine). Although traditionally, it should be ‘tapey’.

The door is guarded so no one will come in while the ‘amam-a’ (male elders) do a monotonous prayerful incantation of good health and good luck for members of the family who did the senga and that Kabunyan (God) take care of the household members.

The sus-uwa could last for 10 minutes to 30 minutes depending on the incantation of the elders. The setting is solemn and prayerful.

Now, the sus-uwa is set to be done in reference to the “re-imagination,” repainting and re-touching of a mural originally done by artist Santiago Bose at the wall frontage of St Mary School in the 1980s.

The “Sos-owa” as it is titled in big, bold letters on a poster shall be held on March 8. With the many years that passed, the paint and the sketches of the figures weathered, withered and unrecognizable with some figures still visible at the frontage wall of St Mary School.

The original painting then showed figures of persons closely huddled together and each holding a ‘kalasag’ (shield) and standing in front of rice terraces.

There is also the picture of a woman holding a ‘labba’ (basket) and in another section of the mural, a figure of a ‘tinagtago’ (carved form of a human being) among other features.

Whatever story the mural told, other features are not so clear to see with the passing of time and the weathering of the paint. Though the message of the mural must have depicted the beliefs and cultural practices of Sagada folks who nurture and guard ricefields, waters and forests, one with the waters and the earth, fire and wind plants and animals and spirits guarding these.

We came to know the painting was and the repainting now is supported by Boy Yuchengco, son of  philanthropist-businessman Alfonso Yuchengco who donated funds for construction of the now St Mary School building after the earlier school edifice made of pine wood was burned in May 1975.  

Bose died in 2002. His artist friends from Baguio and other Cordillera artists are now doing the repainting with added features including a rainbow in the current 2020 project.  

After the “Sos-owa” in the morning to be solemnized by elders of Sagada is a concert at the ball ground with Lolita Carbon, known for her environmental and social concern songs.

The softball ground was then the site where the Asin folk band once played their most nostalgic concert one happy  night in the ‘80s and people of Sagada were treated to a groovy and euphoric moment of all sorts with Asin’s  popular Kapaligiran, Balita, Cotabato, Tuldok among other hits.

That was in the 1980s. Fast forward. It’s now 2020.  Some 40 years ago and with less other members of Asin band. Now only with Lolita and her husky voice. Must still be husky and beautiful now with the mellowing of time. Lolita comes with a reggae band called Weather the Roots and another group called Aman Sinaya.

This time, it’s a concert in the afternoon that comes after a prayer ritual to be held in the morning of March 8. Not really in celebration of International Women’s Day but a notable day because it’s a Sunday for people to rest and give thanks to the Lord.

The concert comes with an event entitled Sos-owa. Any Sagada-Igorot who knows his or her culture shall ask why ‘sus-uwa’ when the setting is a folk-reggae- concert with drums, guitar and percussion and the mood likely to be is lively, danceable and groovy.

Quite ironical to the solemn, prayerful, still and monotonous incantation of elders in a cultural ritual termed sus-uwa.

A Facebook chatbox among some Sagada folks are saying the title of the concert  ‘Sos-uwa’ may not be appropriate. They suggest it better be called ‘liwliwa’ as it is lively. Though others said ‘liwliwa’ does not come with drums and gongs as the instruments are played during a feast.

Better, others said, that it be called ‘day-eng’ meaning music.  While another said it better be called ‘sapsapit’ as it shall tell the story of a subject.  

And so the issue went on about the use of a cultural term they said was inappropriate to an event, the concert. Though ‘sos-owa’ is alright for the conduct of the unveiling of the mural ritual.

Obviously, the program held in Sagada was not conceptualized and titled by an iSagada. Sus-uwa pronounced with U's is said with puckered lips and not sos-owa with rounded O's.

Nevertheless, it’s one's option to be in a prayerful mood to watch the concert publicly held in the afternoon at the soft ball ground separate from the venue of the unveiling of the mural ritual done in the morning at the SMS quadrangle at the same day.

An event many alumni of Saint Mary School will know what the ritual is all about.