Ifugao Mumbaki and Bulul

The Ifugao way of life is integrated with nature and the spirit world. Ceremonies revolve around the agricultural calendar and highlight customs and beliefs. Stages in the rice cycle are marked by different rites -- from petitions of bountiful harvest to thanksgiving, all presided over by a mumbaki. The narrative of the terraces cannot be separated from the culture of the Ifugao.

Ever-present in rice-cultivation and healing ceremonies, the bulul is constantly in a squatting position with its arms crossed over bent knees and its face, plain and expressionless. It is perfectly poised to watch over the fields, granaries and the people who toil on the mountains, appearing to understand the changing seasons and the passing of centuries. It waits and watches in silence, endlessly and ever patiently, transcending time itself.

The rice tradition of Batad was the subject matter of the pilot episode of Islands Insider, a series we produced for the National Geographic Channel over a decade ago.