Family

CULTURAL NOTES

Richard Kinnud

Most often than not, family is translated in the local languages including ours in the Cordilleras as pamilya.  Easily, one can say that this translation is just referent to the English word.  But for sure, there is a native word for family.
    In my native Ifugao language, the word family can be translated as “himbabbale.”  The root word is “bale” which refers to a house or a home and there is the prefix “him” which means togetherness.  The infix “ba” which is a repetition of the first syllable of the root word indicates more than two people.  Thus plainly, himbabbale means a group of people living in one house or one home. 
    Living in one house does not necessarily mean they are always together in one house.  It would be notable that in olden times, children of age would not sleep with their parents.  The Ifugao native house is usually a small one-room abode.  Rarely is a “kulob” or an extra room appended to the house.  Children thus simply come home, do chores to include feeding animals raised at the yard, eat, then go their respective agamang or sleeping quarters which are usually homes of folks who live alone, then go back home again in the morning to eat, change clothes perhaps, and go to their daily chores.
    When one would marry, or had own home, he or she would be considered “limmahun,” literally meaning went out.  This indicates that the parents are no longer accountable for the basics such food and clothing.  The leaving son or daughter, though, is not exculpated of his or her responsibility to the home especially to the parents.
    Other terms related to himbabbale are himbale (husband and wife), hina’ama (father and children), hinama (father and child), hini’ina (mother and children), hinina (mother and child), hina’agi (siblings) and hinaappu (grandparent and grandchildren).  A family relate to other families as they could be from the same “tinanud” which can be termed as “himpananud” (clan).  And of course, there is the nun-aapu (kin by affinity).
    There are practices that strengthens the “himbabbale” and even the “himpananud.”  The very basic is whom to invite (maayagan) in occasions or circumstances.  Within ceremonials or rites, there are particular roles or involvement of family members.
    In the Ifugao engagement rites, for instance, which involves an animal dowry from the husband-to-be, it is ideal that the husband-to-be is not present when the dowry is presented to family members of the woman.  When warranted by the size of the dowry, the practice is to slice some portion and send it to those close relatives absent.  The dowry’s function is as medium of information.  This one, I think, strengthens families as it provides a venue for objection, and dialogue in case there are things that has to be settled before an impending marriage.
    There is also the ritual called honga or an occasion dedicated to celebrate the life of a living person.  It is considered the responsibility of children to afford such for their parents.  Aside of course from the bond between hina’ama or hini’ina, that maybe rekindled by this occasion, it will be a kind of reunion of a himpananud and the nun-aapu.
    A practice that is often watched out during a honga is the bolwa.  This is a system of sharing meat among kinfolks.  Thus the children of honoree will first get their share to include the married grandchildren if there are.  What remains of the meat will be divided between the himbale (spouses).  The split will then be distributed to the respective closest kin, first to the siblings then up to other ascendants until there is no more meat to distribute.
Bolwa is also observed in other occasions such as the “dangli” (butchered animals during a wake) for a  kin immediately after death or during a bogwa (wake after the exhumation of the remains of a dead kin).  It is thus important that one knows his or her “tonton” when attending this kind of gatherings so as to appropriately act when the meat sharing is being done.
    The translation of family to pamilya is an indication that there is change in how families are ran today as compared to when modern customs had least influence or none at all of the native ways.  One is that there are changes in how some of the ceremonies or rituals are practiced.  For instance in the engagement rites, the latest I’ve seen posted in social media is that the husband-to-be is already present.  I do not think a relative can make any objection nor put forward some issues as it would seem things are already arranged.
    Another matter is the cost associated to certain rituals that is thought to strengthen family ties.  For instance, some can be deterred to perform a honga because pigs or other animals necessary are expensive.  Some would say, “Never mind!  There is a reunion anyway to know one’s kin.”
    Will the changes be better for families?  Only time will tell!
    In the meantime, the long weekend or the leave of absence from work because of Christmas and the New Year holidays will surely provide time for us and our families.  Let this corner greet each one a Happy New Year!  May the coming year shower blessings to you, readers, and to your family members.