The Carillon Issue No.5 Year 2021 - Museo Kordilyera

Scan the QR code to experience the UP Carillon magazine cover photo in Augmented Reality.

In celebration of UP Baguio’s 60th Foundation Anniversary, The Museo Kordilyera is the featured Cover Feature Story for the 2021 issue of The Carillon. On the Cover Photo, a mannequin of the elite kadangyan class in the Kiangan culture area wears the gammit type of wrap-around skirt, which features symbolic motifs such as rice and mountains. To secure the skirt, a finely woven mayad (belt) is used. Scan the QR Code on the 2021 UP Carillon Magazine Cover to experience the mannequin in Augmented Reality for iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Kadangyan – The Ifugao Upper Class

What the hermano and hermana mayor are to fiestas in lowland towns, the kadangyan are to large-scale Ifugao feasts in the Cordilleras. The kadangyans are easy to recognize – they have the most rice land and the biggest headcount of water buffalo and other livestock. Their clothes and accessories also distinguish them from the middle and lower classes.

Binuhian (headcloth & loincloth)

Predominantly black with a wide stripe of red in the middle, binuhian is worn by the male kadangyan, the elite of Ifugao culture. Embroidery or shells are the usual embellishments added into the handwoven cloth (Lambrecht 1958,21).

Duco (pouch bag)

With its fringes and embellishments, the duco is similar to the bultong bag worn by Ifugao men, although it has no brass handle. During an uya-uy, an Ifugao wedding feast, female kadangyan use the duco to hold a sacrificial chicken while dancing.

Pango / Pangaw (necklace)

The pango, also called a pangaw, are glass beads encased in gold. Numerous beads are strung together and worn by Ifugao men and women as a status symbol of the kadangyan class.

Dinumog (necklace)

Made of gold-plated brass, the pendants of the Dinumog represents the horns of the carabao. Wearing a Dinumog signifies one has sacrificed numerous carabaos to the gods.

Ginuttu (shell belt)

Gradually decreasing in size, the buttons that form the belt are carved from giant clams (tridacna gigas). The Ginuttu serves as a sword belt and is worn over the loincloth, with the end hanging loose on the left side. On one end of the belt hangs the portaika (wooden sheath) which holds a bolo (machete). A centerpiece of the belt is a buckle called upod, also made from shell. Its use is limited to certain occasions such as weddings and funerals (Maramba 1998, 126).