More Fun Stuff: Bagbagto

On September 15, 2006, in Culture and Tradition, by bill bilig

This is a song I learned from my high school Practical Arts teacher. I don’t know what teachers call the subject these days but during our time, Practical Arts is where we learn stuff like carpentry and gardening. I’m not quite sure how this song relates to either carpentry or gardening but I’m glad our teacher taught it to us. I appreciated him then but I have a much higher appreciation for him now.

I’m also not quite sure if the song means something. I think it’s just a play on words and the words themselves might not mean anything. I say “might” because I don’t know all the Cordillera languages and “Bagbagto” just might mean something in Ifugao or Ibaloi or Kalanguya or Isneg.

I also don’t know what this song is for. (Ha ha, for someone who wants to present Igorot culture to the world, I’m totally clueless on this one.) I can’t recall if our teacher explained it to us but I’m not a good listener at times. Anyway, the song goes like this.

Bagbagto, bagbagtolambik
Tolambik, tolambawikan
Bawikan, bawikallanay
Kallanay, kallanapunay
Napunay, napunayagta
Ayagta, ayagtakumpa
Takumpa, takumpayyaaw
Payyaaw, payya-astibaw
Astibaw, astiballangaw
Ballangaw, ballangawistan
Gawistan, gawistannabu
Tannabu, tannabugaoy
Bugaoy, bugapappayos
Pappayos, pappajutiken
Jutiken, jutikameg-eng
Kameg-eng, kameg-iyungas
Iyungas, iyu assa-as
Assa-as, assa-as binyas

I think there are different versions of “Bagbagto”. In fact the last lines above may not be correct but that is how my faulty memory remembers them. The idea is to go back to the beginning but I can’t remember the words that should lead us back to “Bagbagto”. Anyone who knows the right words out there?

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12 Responses to “More Fun Stuff: Bagbagto”

  1. Anonymous says:
    October 7, 2008 at 2:44 pm

    Hi, Bill!

    I’m so surprised that you remember the lyrics (and their spelling, too) very well; a proof that your memory is not faulty.

    I wonder where I can get the meaning of this song. Some said that the tongue of the said song is already extinct. Other than an Ifugao’s children’s chant (obviously because the lyrics are mnemonically arranged so that they’re easy to remember) about stone-throwing, I’m very curious about its meaning, ‘coz it surely reflects the culture of the Ifugaos in general.

    By the way, this song is beautifully (and challengingly, hehehe) arranged for the choir by Sir Nilo Alcala and it’s the contest piece of this year’s Voices in Harmony 2008 high school choir competition.

    And Practical Arts is known nowadays as Technology and Livelihood Education.

    Thank you very much, Bill.

  2. mae says:
    January 11, 2010 at 8:54 am

    WeLL THAts GREAt!_At LEASt YOUv’e StiLL reMeMbER IT!jeJE!_But AS I reMEMber iT, IT kinDA GOES thIS wAY…

    Bagbgato,Bagbagto lambik
    Tulambik, tulambawikan
    Bawikan, bawikalanay
    Kalanay, Kalana Punay
    Napunay, napunayagta
    Nayagta, nayagta kumpa
    Takumpa, takumpayaaw
    Payaaw, Payaaw timbaw
    Atimbaw, Atimgawistan
    Gawistan, Gawistanabu
    Tanabu, tanabugaay
    Bugaay, Bugaay madum

    _jejE!JusT gUEssiN_I JUst reMEmBEr iT tHAT wAY!nGeeKS!jeje!

  3. maganda says:
    June 28, 2010 at 8:05 am

    maganda promise

  4. Aira says:
    June 30, 2010 at 9:51 am

    Thank you for this! I totally praise your good memory! I needed this for homework and am still trying to find 2 more songs: Pipiyogo and Dayakos. Anyway, thanks again!

  5. robert ursal says:
    July 27, 2010 at 10:39 am

    all crmcians our homework is this..
    just copy the two of them because that`s all correct…

  6. robert ursal says:
    July 27, 2010 at 10:43 am

    section: virgo

  7. Rica says:
    July 27, 2010 at 11:05 am

    Bagbagto, bagbagto lambik
    To lambik, to lamba wikan
    Bawikan, bawi ka lanay
    Ka lanay, kalanay kalanay punay
    Napunay, napunayagta
    nayagta, nayag takumpa
    Takumpa, takum payao
    Payao, payao timbao
    Atimbaw, atimgawistan
    Gawistan, gawista nabu
    Tanabu, tanabugaay
    Bugaay, bugaay madum
    Bagbagto, bagbagto lambik
    To lambik, to lamba wikan
    Bawikan, bawi ka lanay
    Ka lanay, kalanay kalanay punay

    That’s probably what I know ;)
    Thanks for putting that up!

  8. Dan Henry says:
    February 7, 2011 at 8:36 am

    The meaning of Bagbagto is a stone throwing dance..they use mud and stones

  9. mats says:
    May 26, 2011 at 6:53 am

    Dr Pungayan wrote an article on the meaning of bagbagto…

  10. krishie says:
    June 23, 2011 at 11:22 am

    thanks I totally needed this for my assignment and recitation………….

  11. TruBlue says:
    July 6, 2011 at 3:49 am

    The “real bagbagto” as I’ve witnessed during my primary studies at All Saints Mission in Bontoc was menacing at best. Teenagers from the Samoki side of the Chico River and the other teenage warriors on the Bontoc side were zinging river rocks to each other. The distance between the warring pricks was at least 100 yards, maybe less. Your only defense was to have an eagle eye to monitor where those river rocks are coming from and dance around sideways/backwards in order not to be hit.
    Believe this was a yearly ritual.

  12. Pio M. Sian, M.D. says:
    December 11, 2011 at 10:36 pm

    I was just toying on the first three lines on a song my mother sang when I was a baby, 1941. She was not Ifugao, she probably heard it from some friends or help. I was amazed there was a real song elsewhere.
    Bless the computer and not all lullabyes are Brahms.

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