The study will provide the Mangangatang an opportunity to share and present the Agpaanod culture of Ilocano’s. The study will provide leaders of the society with specific information on Agpaanod ritual so as to help them in facilitating the conduct of supernatural events.

1. “Belief and Practices of
Agpaanod Culture at
Yeban Norte, Benito
Soliven, Isabela”
Ethnographic research

2. Table of contents
Chapter 01
• Introduction
• Statement of the problem
• Conceptual Framework
• Significance of the study
• Scope and Delimitation
• Definition of terms
Chapter 02
• Review of related literature
• Review of related studies
Chapter 03
• Research method
• Research locale
• Selection and description of the respondents
• Sampling
• Data gathering instruments
• Step by step process in data gathering

3. CHAPTER I
HOME

4. “ Beliefs and practices of
Agpaanod Culture at Yeban
Norte, Benito Soliven
Isabela”

5. Introduction
For the ilocano’s, gasat (faith) determines their life earth.
Death to them means the fullfilment of destiny, the
inevitable. It is because of this Ilocano view of death that
they are better able to bear the passing away of their loved
ones with courage and fortitude.
Ilocano have traditionally believed that most of man’s
illness are caused by spirits. Even accidents have often been
attributed to the supernatural, to spirits that could either be the
ghost or Mannamay.

6. According to Anonymous (2017), Agpaanod is just a
dream of a person in different place and in that dream it
seems like it is pointing out that this Agpaanod culture of
Ilocano will stop the chain of deaths and a mysterious person
will come and he or she will facilitate the Agpaanod to stop
this phenomena.
The Agpaanod culture is one of the cultures of Ilocano
and for them it is one way of casting evil spirits that can put
people lives at risk and it is also refers to an offering in
which it is connected on supernatural events including
consecutive deaths of people.

7. The Agpaanod culture is common in every person’s mind buy
do not really know what is its origin, what is the reason behind it,
why this culture exist, what could it provide them. Agpaanod has
a huge effect on the beliefs, culture, and how they live in a society
knowing the fact that is rarely observed know.
The researchers conducted it for the reason that students are
confuse on what is the real purpose of conducting this so called
Agpaanod ritual which is a kind of ritual for appeasement and
what is the connection of this ritual to the residents beliefs and
practices in performing the ritual

8. Statement of the problem
• How does Agpaanod affect the supernatural events and beliefs of the
residents?
• How does the residents and the Mangangatang (healer) conduct Agpaanod?
• What are the attached beliefs and practices of Agpaanod culture?
• What are the experiences of the residents in conducting the ritual.

9. Conceptual Framework
According to Tom Gillespie (2016), chain of deaths is
caused by some hungry spirits and the way to cast those
spirits is to initiate or facilitate an appeasement ritual and
prepare an offering that consist of cooked rice, a cup of
any liquor, three different bowls of beans, meat, and
money. In that way, they will protect their selves from the
hungry ghost.

10. AGPAANOD
SUPERNATURAL EVENTS
BELIEFS PRACTICES

11. Significance of the study
• The residents of Yeban Norte, will be given essential information about the
relevance of Agpaanod to the residents belief and practices.
• The study will provide Youth specifically at Yeban Norte with necessary
information on why they need to conduct Agpaanod ritual.
• The study will provide the Mangangatang an opportunity to share and
present the Agpaanod culture of Ilocano’s.
• The study will provide leaders of the society with specific information on
Agpaanod ritual so as to help them in facilitating the conduct of supernatural
events.

12. Scope and Delimitation
• This study focuses on the reasons behind the beliefs and
practices of Agpaanod culture at Yuban Norte, Benito Solvent.
• The data gathering tool was administered on June 22-August
19, 2017 at Yuban Norte Benito Solvent.
• This study limited to the understanding of beliefs and practices
of the residents towards Agpaanod at Yeban Norte, Benito
Soliven and its connection to the supernatural events and
activities of the residents.

13. Definition of Terms
To ensure accurate understanding of the
study the following terms are hereby
operationally defined.

14. Research Terminologies
• Beliefs of the residents of Yeban Norte
-Belief refers to their feeling of being sure that something exist or that
something is true.
• Practices of the residents at Yeban Norte
-Practices of living according to the customs and learning of a culture
and to do or perform often rituals like Agpaanod.
• Agpaanod ritual
-Refers to the terms of Ilocano which is an offering to protect oneself
from supernatural creatures and to avoid supernatural events and activities.

15. Research Terminologies
• Appeasement ritual
-Cure the illness caused by some supernatural creatures and put them to peace.
• Mangangatang (healer)
-Refers to the person who can initiate and facilitates a ritual for appeasement.
• Supernatural events and activities at Yeban Norte
-Refers to a scenario wherein it is unable to be explain by science or the law of
nature.

16. CHAPTER II

17. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

18. Talado is a kind of ritual used to cast away spirits that
causes illness, and heal a sick person. According to the
Mangangatang (2017), TALADO is used to cast away
spirits that causing illness to a person. This ritual is also
used to heal a sick person. If a doctor can’t determine
the cause of the sickness of a person even many
examinations was conducted, and if the person cannot
be cured by medicines anymore, this was the time that
the patient will undergo this TALADO.

19. Mangangatang will do this ritual, by using plate, water mixed
with alcohol, and corn or rice grain, this things help the
Mangangatang to know the cause of sickness and he will know
what is the way of healing the patient by throwing the grain of
corn to the plate having a water mixed with alcohol, the
Manganagtang see the corn if it will stands, if the grain of corn
stands, this indicates that the cause of the illness is positively made
by a supernatural creatures and then he will asked the spirits if
what offer he wants to receive as an exchange of healing the
person. Usually the Mangangatang offer an ATANG to the place
where the supernatural creatures lived. The ATANG serves as
Peace Offering to the spirits so that he will not bothered the person
anymore, and the person will be cured.

20. Balsa that is used by mangangatang to stop the cases of spirit
possession. According to Sammy Placido (2017), this type of
ritual is used to stop spirit possession in a particular place. The
Mangangatang we interviewed is the one who initiates this ritual
in the cases of spirit possession at Benito Soliven National High
School. The Mangangatang used balsa as a tool to help him stop
this phenomenon. The Mangangatang says that he carry the
balsa while walking around the whole area of the school to call
all of the spirits inside the area, the Mangangatang communicate
to the spirits, he talked and call them all while reciting a ritual.
After that, he put the balsa in the river so that the spirits will go
away. After he initiate this ritual, spirit possession in the school
stop.

21. The balsa that is used to heal a sick person. According to the
Mangangatang (2017), this kind of ritual is only used if a person cannot be
cured anymore through the used of medicines, and if the person feels that
he will not be cured anymore, that’s the time that the patient will consult
the Mangangatang to undergo this ritual. This ritual is used by
Mangangatang to know the reason of his illness and to know how the
patient get it. Usually, Mangangatang finds out that the illness was caused
by some Supernatural Creatures or “MANNAMAY” , they cursed their
victim and make them suffered seriously that can lead to death if they will
not resolve it. The Mangangatang will cast out those Supernatural
Creatures or MANNAMAY through the used of ritual and the balsa, after
this ritual was initiated by Mangangatang , he will put the balsa on the river
or they will hang it on the top of the tree. Hanging of balsa on the tree is
very rare to witness because the common we see is they put the balsa in the
river. After they do it the patient will be cured.

22. As stated in the article of Tom Gillespi (2017), entitled
“Rituals to appease and protect oneself from hungry
Supernatural Creatures”. in making ritual to appease
there are rules that needs to be followed (eg. No one is
allowed to touch the atang or offer except the
Mangangatang to make the ritual become successful). The
ritual truly help lots of people suffering supernatural events
specifically to those community who experience some
phenomenon caused by bad spirits, that this rituals serves
as their protection for the harm or bad effects of spirits to
them.

23. Igorot concept of Cursing; Marny Balisong (2005), when igorots
experience sickness, they always attribute it to the anitos’ activities. The act
of the gods are considered either as a cursed or judgment. When they
offended spirits or anitos they believe that they bring sickness as a kind of
cursed. The only way to counter such affliction is to appease the anger of the
spirits or anitos sacrificing animals to them. In this ritual the Manbunong
carefully observes the bile (apdu) of the sacrificial animal’s liver, the organ
most commonly inspected for signs or omens. If the bile is partly covered by
the liver, it is a sign that a spirit called Tomongao, does not yet release the
afflicted person. So the Manbunong orders to offer more chickens or pigs
until the desired bile is finally obtained. Traditional Igorots believe the god
has the power to bring curses. So they are very careful in avoiding the spirits
in any forms. Appropriate avoidance and appeasement will protect them
from unfavorable occurrences. Butchering and offering of animals for gods
and spirits restore a normal state of their life.

24. Their concept of healing. Healing is one of the prominent in the
igorots life. When a part of the family sick, normally they did not go
the doctor but they do consulting the Manbunong. Mansip-ok, who
is gifted in discernment. The Mansip-ok is the one who analyzes the
information about what the person did at the past, and the Mansip-ok
tries to determine the cause of the illness, mostly, the spirit of the
relatives can cause the sickness. The mansip-ok prescribes the cure
or specific animals to be butchered in the ritual for the sick people to
be cured. As they perform the ritual, the Mansip-ok persuades the
anito or spirits to leave the person. As the Mansip-ok prays, the sick
person simultaneously plucks wing feathers out of the chicken and
put them inside the small hut for the spirits to follow. After this
procedure, the chicken is singed, sliced, cooked and eaten.

25. Review of Related studies

26. CANAO: THE HEART OF THE CORDILLERAN
CULTURE; This study was conducted by Rubylena Bolinto
(2013).
CANAO is a socio-religious ritual where chickens, pigs,
and carabaos are butchered and they will make this
butchered animals as an offer to the spirits to stop causing
sickness. This CANAO ritual was initiated by Mansip-ok to
heal the sick person because these serves as a way to
appease spirits that causes sickness to a person.

27. There are different types of CANAO related to illness:
SEPADAKAN- The purpose of this is to cure those person who
get sick because of SAPILOY, a spell cast on plants to guard them
from being stolen. If a person encountered this SAPILOY they
are get sick it is because they bothered the spirits living in that
particular plant, the spirits who lives in the plant is the one who
guard it from any danger. If a person tried to steal or cut the plant
the spirits will throw the spell or cursed the person suffered from
illness. Usually the Mansip-ok butchered a chicken and the
pasterns of pigs, he will used these as an offer to appease the
spirits or to the SAPILOY to forgive and stop causing illness to
the person who tried to steal the plant where he live.

28. NABAO-IT- This is done to cure a sickness caused by the
TIMMENGAO (ghost inhabiting the mountains). The
sickness exhibits the symptoms of malaria and asthma. To
cure this illness, the relatives of the sick person have to
collect all the things wanted by the TIMMENGAO as told
by the Mansip-ok. After they collected all the things
needed, they will take it to the edge of the barrio, they will
get ashes to drives away the anito saying that everything
asked for is already given, after that the TIMMENGAO
leaves the person and then he will be cured.

29. CHAPTER III

30. Presented in this chapter are the
descriptions of the research method used,
research locale, selection and description
of respondents, data gathering instrument,
data gathering procedures and data
analysis employed in the investigation of
the study.

31. Research Method
Sage (2000), explains that qualitative method seek answers to
question that stress how social experience is created and given
meaning which suits to the method used by the incident ended.
The research aims to study the past incidents of chained of deaths
at Yeban Norte, Benito Soliven, Isabela, to know how Agpaanod
Ritual played a big role to stop the phenomena. In which the
researcher seek answers about the questions on their mind to get
the deepest information about the Agpaanod Ritual, and to know
how it acts as a tool in resolving this incident. The researchers
must gathered those answers to those people who inloved and
experienced it and those Mangangatang that is expert on it.

32. The researchers also used Ethnographic Method which is a
part of Qualitative research and defined by Saunders (2003), as
the investigation of a culture through an in depth study of the
members of the culture it involves the systematic collection,
description and analysis of data for development of theories
cultual behavior. As an Ethnographic Research focused to study
the Agpaanod Ritual that used to stop the Chained of deaths at
Yeban Norte, Benito Soliven, Isabela. On the other hand the
researcher must select those residents who have a deep
knowledge about Agpaanod Ritual that will act as their source of
information especially the Mangangatangs who is expert in terms
of this things, in order for the researcher to have a systematic
collections of information.

33. Research Locale
At present, Yeban Norte is one of the progressive
barangay of Benito Soliven, but even they are now on the
age of of progressing, their belief in supernatural events
and creatures are still strong, and they are also believe in
some Appeasement rituals, especially the Agpaanod
ritual.
The research will be conducted at Yeban Norte, Benito
Soliven, Isabela because we want to study the past
incident of chained of deaths for us to know the
connection of Agpaanod ritual in this phenomena.

34. Selection and Description of the Respondents
The ideal key informants of this study are the
Mangangatangs and selected residents within the
Barangay. The researchers choose Purposive sampling as
a tool in choosing their respondents. Purposive sampling
is determining the target population those to be involved
in the study. The respondents are chosen based on their
knowledge of the information desired.

35. Purposive sampling is the most effective
sampling method that is appropriate in our
research. In this sampling technique, the
researcher will relies on their own judgement
when choosing the best and accurate member
of the population to participate on the study.

36. The research study focused on the beliefs and
practices of the residents towards Agpaanod culture at
Yeban Norte, Benito Soliven, Isabela. The research is
ethnographic,thererefore, we choose purposive sampling
because we based much more on their knowledge, that
help us to know the best respondents for the study.
Mangangatangs and selected residents are chosen to be
the main target audience because they are the one who
have deep knowledge about Agpaanod Ritual.

37. Data Gathering Instrument
The researchers use interviews and observation as methodology
in data gathering.
Interview is used in data collecting, because in this study the
researchers must meet their respondent face to face, so that they can
be able to gather information clearly. The researchers must
interview their selected residents and mangangatang as their main
respondents because they have lot of knowledge about the focal
point of the study, in which they are using semi-structured
questionnaires that they can able to add some impromptu questions.
The researchers treat their respondents as a friend to have a normal
conversation so that the respondents may feel that there is no gap
between them, by that their respondents will clearly elaborate their
knowledge.

38. Observation, is considered also as one data collecting
instrument because, they collect information through the
senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. The
researchers must observe during the actual initiation of
the agpaanod ritual, so that they can experience the way
they are initiating it, so that they will know the role and
importance of this ritual in resolving the chain of death at
Yeban Norte, Benito Soliven, Isabela, they must record it
through their mind or any devices in order for them to
document it and it serves as their evidence to avoid bias.

39. The following is the step by step
process in data gathering:

40. 1. The researchers must communicate first to the
local authorities of the barangay to asked
permission to conduct the research study in their
place. The researcher must explain the purpose of
the study and the importance of it to avoid conflict
or barrier in conducting the study.

41. 2.The researchers should be ready
on the things to be needed in data
gathering, they should ready on the
things needed in interviews and
observations and they must ready
themselves.

42. 3. Before the interview the
researchers must locate or know first
all the place of the Mangangatang
through the help of local authorities.

43. 4. The researchers must be participated
in the actual initiation of the ritual and
they must also used gadgets like smart
phones to document the study to be
presented as their evidence.

44. RESEARCHERS:
King Dharylle Etrata Jeremy Halog
Justine Tacac Rizza Mae Reyes
Kurt Mc Gil Pamittan Keithleen Shaira Quesada
Jomuel Viernes
Jay Paul Maleta
Femar Balbin
Rickson Palattao
John Ryan Lutrania
Marjobie Edroso