Ang Huling Panday,' dokumentaryo ni Kara David | I-Witness
Aired (June 22, 2024): Hindi lang sa Hagdan-hagdang Palayan kilala ang Ifugao. Mayroon din silang yaman at tradisyon na pinanday nang matagal na panahon. Isang sining na minana pa mula sa mga ninuno na humugis ng kasaysayan. Pero sa pagkaunti ng nagpapanday sa kanilang komunidad, mabuhay pa kaya ang kultura nilang ito?
Transcript
00:00The foundation of the ancient civilization is fire and steel.
00:17It was built on the foundations of the first weapons, tools, and inventions.
00:24But as time passed, the ancient tradition continued.
00:40In a remote place in the heart of Banaue Rice Terraces, this sound can be heard every day.
00:49At the home of Father Himanggo, the last rice terraces of Kambulo.
00:54We are now going to Barangay Kambulo here in Banaue.
00:59This is where you can find one of the oldest rice terraces in Ifugao province.
01:05In other words, the centuries-old tradition of rice terraces is still alive in this place.
01:14In addition to their rice terraces, which was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO,
01:21the ancient people of Ifugao were also known for their courage and bravery in the battle,
01:27using their steel weapons.
01:32That is why in ancient times, steel weapons were one of the most important members of the culture of the Cordilleras.
01:43This is where Father Himanggo's house is located.
02:01Good morning.
02:03I am Father Himanggo.
02:05Are you Father Himanggo?
02:07I am Kara.
02:09Thank you.
02:12How are you?
02:14I am fine.
02:15Are you strong?
02:16I am medium.
02:18Where do you work here?
02:20We work here.
02:22Here?
02:26Where is the fire?
02:28We put the fire here.
02:31Oh, you put it here.
02:33Like this?
02:42He was buried by Usok, or Himanggo, in Ifugao.
02:48This is the country of Pedro Pinayan.
02:51He has been a bandit for more than 50 years.
02:54His hair is white and one of his eyes is bulging,
02:58but he continues to make knives, knives, and weapons.
03:05He has been a bandit for a long time.
03:10He was forced to work here.
03:15He was forced to work here.
03:19He was forced to work here,
03:24so he was forced to work here to earn money.
03:31Tradition is inherited from our ancestors.
03:37Due to the ability of the Panday or the forge of steel,
03:41its shape is historical.
03:44Steel for agriculture,
03:47for war,
03:48or for hunting.
03:49All of these cannot be used by the ancient Filipinos
03:53if not for the existence of our communities of the Panday.
03:59Tatay Himanggo was only 14 years old when he learned how to forge a knife.
04:04He even reached a time when the community looked up to his ancestors
04:09just like him when he was making weapons.
04:13But this quickly changed when the youths lost interest in forging knives
04:20and Tatay Himanggo was the only one left.
04:24So when you were young, were you fond of forging knives?
04:30Yes, I was fond of it.
04:35I used to do that.
04:38There was only one Panday here.
04:41There was only one there.
04:43My son wouldn't let me forge a knife.
04:47Why?
04:48I don't know.
04:49He couldn't do it.
04:51He was afraid of the fire.
04:55According to Tatay Himanggo,
04:57the quality of the knives he forged were of a first-class quality.
05:04But his work was not a joke.
05:06To forge a knife like this,
05:09you have to endure the heat of the fire every day for three weeks or more.
05:16These are the materials that the Panday use here in Banaue
05:20to make forging tools.
05:23This is actually scrap metal.
05:26This is what you see underneath jeeps,
05:28or what they call molye.
05:30Who would have thought that this piece of metal
05:34could become an art piece like this?
05:40It's beautiful, right?
05:42This is the Hinalong that Tatay Himanggo made for three months.
05:46Tatay Himanggo,
05:49double-edged blade.
05:52It's an ancient tradition that has been passed down for a long time.
05:58It's beautiful.
06:08Despite the modern times,
06:10Tatay Himanggo continues to use ancient tools.
06:17The steel used to forge this piece of metal
06:20is heated several times in the fire.
06:26Unlike other forging tools that have a wooden handle,
06:31the forging tools of the Ifugao are made entirely of steel,
06:35from the handle to the handle.
06:39The steel used to forge this piece of metal
06:42is heated several times in the fire
06:46Is it hard to forge?
06:48Yes, it's really hard.
06:50Why is it hard?
06:51It's hard because of the fire.
06:53And you have to look for the right tool.
07:01You have to look for the right tool.
07:04You have to spend a lot of money.
07:07You have to spend a lot of money.
07:08You get hurt.
07:09Yes, I get hurt.
07:11There's no stopping the forging of steel until the blade is sharp.
07:17The longer it is forged, the more polished it becomes.
07:40The longer it is forged, the more polished it becomes.
07:50It's well-formed.
07:53It's well-formed.
07:55It doesn't get damaged.
07:58It's long?
07:59No, it's not.
08:00But it can be seen that it's good.
08:03It's not just a copy.
08:05The process is called quenching, which is when the iron is straightened.
08:14The iron is tested in the furnace to make it stronger and stronger.
08:22After this, they will hold a rod that will be used as a handle.
08:27Tatay Himanggo is meticulous with her knives.
08:32Each one needs to be tested to see if it is as strong as a Kalabaw.
08:37What I have here is a Kalabaw.
08:41It is said to be even stronger than wood.
08:44We will test if the blade of Tatay is really okay.
08:49If it is not well done with a Kalabaw, it will jerk and it will tear.
08:54This is sharp.
08:56Yes, it is sharp.
08:59Would you like to do a straight cut?
09:02Yes.
09:04The blade must be firm.
09:07Yes.
09:09It's a sharp blade.
09:12Yes, that's what I meant.
09:14See?
09:15Yes, it is.
09:17It's still straight, right?
09:19I'm the only one who makes it.
09:21I'm the only one who makes it.
09:23It's still straight.
09:25It didn't turn.
09:31Because of technology,
09:33there are many new ways
09:35of making itak now.
09:37And usually,
09:39there are more and faster ways to make it.
09:41But it doesn't
09:43follow the old style
09:45of Tata Himanggo.
09:47It should be beautiful.
09:49There are many people
09:51who want to make it.
09:53And it suits them.
09:55They just need to remember
09:57how to make it.
09:59They will be happy
10:01when they make it.
10:03So,
10:05it should be beautiful.
10:07It should be beautiful.
10:09It should be easy to make.
10:11Even if it's hard for you?
10:13Yes.
10:15It doesn't matter.
10:17It's still beautiful.
10:19It's still beautiful.
10:21It's still beautiful.
10:23It's still beautiful.
10:25It's still beautiful.
10:33Compared to other itak
10:35that can be bought in markets
10:37and souvenir shops,
10:39these knives are different.
10:43They are handmade
10:45and made according to the old tradition.
10:51Each panday has its own style
10:53of making a blade
10:55or its itak.
10:57But there are ways
10:59to know how precise
11:01the panday is.
11:03If you buy a knife
11:05or itak in Ifugao province,
11:07you will immediately find
11:09that the handle should be made of steel.
11:11That's the standard of Ifugao province.
11:13It means that it's made of steel.
11:15From the blade to the handle,
11:17it's made of steel.
11:19There's no risk of the blade
11:21being removed from the wood.
11:23What they do is
11:25they wrap it with cotton
11:27and this itak,
11:29look at it,
11:31the cotton handle is very fine.
11:33It's beautiful.
11:35Right between the handle
11:37and the blade,
11:39this is called the heart of the itak or navel.
11:41You can also see here
11:43how good the panday is
11:45because it's very symmetrical
11:47and the workmanship is very precise.
11:49Of course, look at the blade.
11:53You will see if it's straight
11:55and not curved.
11:57Even here, if it's straight
11:59and symmetrical,
12:01the workmanship of the blade.
12:03This blade was made by Father Himanggo.
12:05He said that the secret
12:07of his itak
12:09is that he carved the whole itak
12:11from the ground.
12:13That's why it's very strong
12:15and smooth.
12:17Not just the edges,
12:19it's very strong and smooth
12:21up to the inside of the blade.
12:23It's really different
12:25when it's handmade
12:27or the workmanship
12:29of these itaks
12:31is very different.
12:37In this store in Banaue,
12:39you can find some
12:41of Father Himanggo's
12:43most beautiful works.
12:45Each one is strong
12:47and beautiful
12:49no matter how long
12:51these blades are.
12:53The works here
12:55are fully handmade.
12:57It was really
12:59a lot of patience
13:01as mentioned by Father Himanggo
13:03that the blade
13:05is not just finished
13:07in one day
13:09or two days.
13:11He gave it a lot of attention
13:13and time.
13:15I can see
13:17the sacrifice of a panday.
13:19I want to preserve
13:21our Ifugao blades
13:23for the next
13:25generations
13:27so they can see
13:29how
13:31an Ifugao blade
13:33looks like.
13:37For Father Himanggo,
13:39the carving of the blades
13:43is not just
13:45a means of income
13:47or work.
13:51It's a piece of art
13:53that is a part of their culture
13:55and a part of their tribe.
14:13Father Himanggo
14:15is now 70 years old.
14:19If he can't pass on
14:21his skills of carving
14:23panday,
14:25he will just
14:27preserve the
14:29old tradition.
14:31Until when are you going to
14:33make Itakat Kuchilio?
14:35In total,
14:37I will just do it
14:39one by one.
14:41I can't do it all at once.
14:43I can only do it
14:45five at a time.
14:47I don't know
14:49if I can do it
14:51in one year.
14:59Conrad is the second
15:01son of Father Himanggo.
15:03When you were young,
15:05did you dream of becoming
15:07a panday like your father?
15:09No, ma'am.
15:11I didn't dream of becoming
15:13a panday because I saw
15:15it was hard.
15:17I didn't have anyone
15:19to help me.
15:21That's why I dreamed of
15:23becoming a panday.
15:27According to Conrad,
15:29aside from being hard to become
15:31a panday,
15:33there's another reason
15:35why many young people
15:37don't want to become panday.
15:41For us,
15:43being a panday
15:45doesn't mean
15:47that everyone
15:49looks up to you.
15:51It's like,
15:53you're just a panday.
15:55It's hard to make money
15:57and make a living.
15:59They look down on you.
16:01Yes, they look down on me.
16:03If panday used to be
16:05important to their ancestors,
16:07with the advent of modernization,
16:09their talent
16:11was gradually lost.
16:15So instead of continuing
16:17what his father taught him,
16:19Conrad went to Manila
16:21to learn from others.
16:29But a few years later,
16:33when he found out that
16:35his father's body was getting weaker,
16:37Conrad went home
16:39to continue
16:41the legacy
16:43that his father passed on.
16:45In my job,
16:47I can make a lot of money.
16:49But I also want
16:51to give something back to my father.
16:57I want to give something back
16:59to my father.
17:01Why is it important for you
17:03to give something back to your father?
17:05I don't want to lose
17:07what he started
17:09as an artist.
17:11At least we can learn from him.
17:15To this day,
17:17Conrad continues to praise
17:19the talent of panday.
17:21He hopes that
17:23one day,
17:25the legacy of their ancestors
17:27will be valued again.
17:29What do you feel
17:31when you do that?
17:33You said earlier
17:35that you were being spoiled.
17:37That's all.
17:39That's how it is.
17:41There's no problem with that.
17:43Even if that's how they see me,
17:45it's still important.
17:47I will do what I want.
17:49Of course,
17:51no matter who it is,
17:53they don't want to lose
17:55the tradition of our ancestors.
17:57I don't want to lose it.
18:01Because it's important.
18:05But is there hope
18:07for the long life of our ancestors?
18:11After Conrad and his father,
18:13will there be
18:15a next generation?
18:37In a small place
18:39in the town of Aguinaldo,
18:41a familiar sound
18:43can be heard every morning.
18:53But when I entered the place,
18:55it was not an old man,
18:57but a young panday
18:59that I saw.
19:01I was surprised.
19:03At the age of 14,
19:05Eric was the youngest panday
19:07in the town of Aguinaldo.
19:09He only learned
19:11last year,
19:13but he was already able
19:15to make simple knives
19:17and knives.
19:19Is it hard to be a panday?
19:21It's hard.
19:23My hands are like this.
19:25I can't get in.
19:27I can't get out.
19:29It's hard.
19:31I can't get in.
19:33It's hot.
19:37My eyes are hot.
19:39Your eyes?
19:41Your eyes are hot.
19:43Yes.
19:45I can't put my hands in.
19:47It's hot.
19:51I can't reach my hands.
19:53You can't reach your hands.
19:55Yes, ma'am.
19:57Of course, it's painful.
20:01So what do you do when you get stuck like that?
20:04Of course, I don't do anything but endure.
20:10According to Eric's father, they have long forgotten how to earn their living.
20:15But when the pandemic happened and no one could leave the house,
20:20they were forced to look for a way to make a living.
20:27The Tagaritos brought back the old tradition, no matter how hard the work is.
20:32Why do you need to help your father with farming?
20:36So that I can save money.
20:40Why?
20:42For what money?
20:44For food and to help me with my studies.
20:52Now, Eric's entire family is in the business of farming.
20:58Eric and his father are the farmers.
21:03His mother is the milkman.
21:09Compared to the works of his father, who has been working for many years,
21:14the work of Eric's father is not simple.
21:18But he also buys it from markets and souvenir shops.
21:26Aside from Eric's family,
21:28the interest in farming in the neighborhood of Alfonso Lista is slowly returning.
21:37Eric's father, who is 80 years old, grew up in a farm.
21:41But instead of farming, he chose to farm.
21:45When he lost his livelihood, he was forced to return to farming.
22:16Now, his children continue to do this.
22:20Soldiers and police officers are the ones who usually order their children to be taxed.
22:38Conrad continues to teach and help his father.
22:42He hopes that through his teachings,
22:45the culture of his ancestors will continue to live on.
22:54But is it enough to pass on knowledge in order to continue the old culture?
23:03Conrad's father, who is 80 years old,
23:07he hopes that through his teachings,
23:10the culture of his ancestors will continue to live on.
23:15Before we left Ifugao,
23:17I asked Eric about his dreams.
23:21I was surprised by what I heard.
23:24What is your dream in life?
23:27I want to be a police officer, ma'am.
23:28Why don't you want to be a policeman?
23:30Why do you want to be a police officer?
23:32I want to be a police officer.
23:34How do you do it?
23:35When you're in school, how do you use it?
23:38When you finish school, you should have a dream.
23:43Because it's hard to be a policeman.
23:47You can't dream of being a policeman?
23:49Yes.
23:52I remember what Conrad told me.
23:55Even if he wants to continue what his father started,
23:58if his view of them remains low,
24:02is there still a chance to pass on the old culture?
24:15At first glance, it's easy to think that these are just ordinary knives and forks.
24:22But more than being strong and sharp,
24:25each master's work carries an important history.
24:33A culture nurtured by fire.
24:37A tradition that has been passed down for a long time.
24:42A treasure that has been passed down for many generations.
24:51It's a waste if we don't cherish it.
24:56It's a waste if we let it be forgotten.
25:03It's a waste if we don't support the last signs of our society.
25:13I am Kara David, and this is Eyewitness.
25:25EYEWITNESS
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