‘MANLILIKHA NG BAYAN’: Federico Caballero honored in traditional funerary rituals

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Federico Caballero, a revered Manlilikha ng Bayan and master epic chanter, was honored by the Panay Bukidnon community with traditional funerary rituals in Garangan, Calinog, Iloilo.

The rituals began on September 1 with the Daray and Haya ceremonies, allowing the community to gather and mourn. Preparations for Pangasi, a local rice wine, were made for later use in the ceremonies.

In the afternoon, a traditional eulogy known as Paghanduraw was delivered by a community leader, highlighting Caballero’s contributions to the Panay Bukidnon community. This was followed by the Pamalasan ceremony, where elders reflected on the lessons from Caballero’s life and legacy.

During the evening, the prepared Pangasi was distributed among community members and offered to the spirits of the deceased in accordance with Panay Bukidnon beliefs.

The rituals included Binanog performances and concluded with epic chanting that lasted until dawn.

Caballero’s body lay in repose at the GAMABA Cultural Center in Garangan until September 2. A state funeral will be held today, September 3, at 9:00 AM in Calinog town proper.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared September 3 as a day of national mourning for Caballero.

Tributes are expected from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Sen. Loren Legarda, fellow Manlilikha ng Bayan Teofila Garcia, NCCA chairman Vicente Manalo, and Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. Caballero will be laid to rest in the family cemetery in Barangay Garangan.

Caballero, known as “Nong Pedring,” passed away on August 17 at the age of 88. He was awarded the Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan in 2000 for his exceptional work in preserving Panay-Bukidnon oral traditions, the highest state accolade for a Filipino folk artist, equivalent to the Order of National Artist.

He was also known as a manughusay, or arbiter of conflicts, helping to resolve local disputes and maintain the social fabric of his community.

Throughout his life, Caballero devoted himself to the practice, preservation, and documentation of his community’s oral literature, particularly the sugidanon, a collection of ten epics expressed in a complex and archaic poetic language.

He collaborated with scholars, artists, and cultural advocates to safeguard these traditions.

His contributions are documented in the book Suguidanon, published by the University of the Philippines Press.