By Brian Campued
Every year on All Saints’ Day, a hillside cemetery in Sagada, Mountain Province goes ablaze on the cusp of night—but instead of candlelight, scores of small bonfires brighten the field along the tombstones and crosses in a solemn observance of “panag-apoy”.
Meaning “to light a fire,” the sacred practice of panag-apoy is the locals’ way of remembering and honoring their deceased loved ones during Undas.
According to Sagada Councilor Raynold Davis Dapliyan, residents light “saleng” or fatwood from pine trees on Nov. 1 “to give warmth to our dead loved ones.”
“They want to be close to their dead [loved] ones by building a fire and have a bonfire with them. Because we believe that they are still there,” Dapliyan said.
The purpose of this day, as with the ordinary lighting of a candle on tombs during Undas, is for the people to come together and commune with the dead—reminiscing about their lives and having a quiet moment of reflection.
While most Filipinos observe All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day as a celebration and family reunion, for the Sagada community, the panag-apoy is a cultural practice that is not meant for tourism.
The tradition of panag-apoy begins by holding a Mass in the afternoon, when a priest would bless the pine twigs that would later be burned at nightfall. The cleric would then go around the graveyard to utter prayers for the dead.
By the brink of dawn, the flames that once illuminated the solemn night would be extinguished and the cemetery would probably go back to its somber state.
But so long as there are people who remember, the fire will continue to burn, making sure that those who have departed are never forgotten. (with report from Valerie Jane Taguba/PIA Cordillera)