People have their practices to be proud of. Yet, some would prefer to imitate the cultures of other people than to love and enrich their own culture. Some of their cultures are being forgotten, resulting to the natural death of some of its components.

Based on the research of Cherry Anne Laza, a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Development Communication, titled “Keeping the Fire Burning: The Case of Guedayan Dap-ay as an Indigenous Communication Institution in Lubon, Tadian, Mountain Province,” dap-ay is a place to rest and be with others when work is done; thus, social interaction occurs. 

Also called ato in Central Mountain Province, the structure of dap-ay is made up of cogon grass as its roof, stones or bamboo strips as its wall, and wood and stone slab as its floor. According to kaigorotancountry.blogspot.com, it is usually built under the shady branches of big trees. It has also two divisions, the front yard which is used as venue for conflict resolution and ceremonial gatherings, and the hut itself which serves as the sleeping quarters for male teenagers. 

Kaigorotancountry.blogspot.com is a blog site where articles on Cordillera culture are featured. It is also known as the Baguio-Sagada-Cordillera Travels. 

According to Prof. Gigy Banes of the Social Sciences Department, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), each dap-ay in Mountain Province is headed by an amam-a (elder) or council of elders who acquired their positions through their wisdom, good judgment, experiences, and good leadership.

Dap-ay’s Role in the Society

Years back, the dap-ay played an important role in the community. If a boy reaches his teenage years, he must start to sleep at the dap-ay for him to learn.

Kaigorotancountry.blogspot.com also stated that the amam-a goes at the dap-ay at night to exchange stories with the boys about current events, experiences they had, perception of their future, and opinions on the present relentless issues. Thus, the youths hearing from their stories gain wisdom and understanding of the realities of life, the hardships and obstacles that they will encounter in their daily lives. It is also in the dap-ay where they are molded to become mature and reliable men in the community.

Yet, in the dap-ay, even though men are not taught to read and write, they are trained with the skills, knowledge, and attitude needed to live successfully. 

Accordingly, there are two main usages of dap-ay, as a socio-political institution and a legislative and judicial center.

Socio-Political Institution

The male members of the community organize meetings at the dap-ay. Issues happening in the community are presented and discussed during meetings by the amam-a. For instance, if the month of the new cropping year approaches, the amam-a from the different dap-ay meet together to strategize what crop should be planted and ask each family or clan if they are ready to plant the crop. If they are not, they will postpone the planting period until everyone is prepared.

This shows the fairness of the community and the unity of the Kankana-ey tribe of Mountain Province. 

Banes added that in front of the dap-ay, the males performed ceremonies and rituals. Examples of rituals done in the dap-ay are the begnas of the Applai Tribe, a ritual for giving gratitude to Kabunyan for the bountiful harvest, and the manerwap of the i-Bontoc, a ritual begging for Kabunyan to send rain to their fields.

Conflict Resolution

To settle disputes between two conflicting tribes, dap-ay serves as the courthouse of the community. Serving as judges, lawmakers, and law interpreters, the amam-a of the two tribes meet in their dap-ay to resolve the problem. 

For instance, if something is stolen, the amam-a summons all the villagers at the dap-ay. They do the “Trial by Ordeal System” to determine the culprit. 

According to Banes, the said trial is the oldest way of the Kankanaey ancestors and even Filipino ancestors to determine the criminals. The amam-a let the people stare directly at the sun; the first one to surrender is the perpetrator. Also, the amam-a let the suspects get the rock immersed in a pot of boiling water; the hand with the most scar is the one who committed the misconduct or offense. In the end, the one adjudged guilty of the crime is either charged to repay or changed the thing s/he stolen.

Moreover, to stop bloody war among Igorots because of some unprevented disputes, the amam-a called the conflicting tribes and employed the tong-tong system of solving disputes or conflicts and serious consultation in a manner of sincere talking with each other to solve conflicts. 

In addition to this, there is a unique feature of the dap-ay among the Kankanaey inhabitants of Mountain Province which differentiates them from other provinces – the principle inayan or lawa. 

Inayan is a law that means “it is bad to do”. When an amam-a says it is inayan, it means you must not do it. Such as when amam-a said that “inayan nan mangaka-kew,” it means that it is bad to steal, defined Banes. 

As stated in an article at the kaigorotan.blogspot.com, it is a fact that dap-ay is still present today however, some dap-ay centers are abandoned or it is not being used always.

But still, with respect to culture, community folks protect their dap-ay especially those found beside their barangay halls because they continuously consider this as the root of their governance. 

The presence of dap-ay molds the society and well-being of the Kankanaey of Mountain Province. The society is able to live in peace and harmony as the villagers cooperate in the dap-ay gatherings because they are afraid to the consequences impose by the amam-a. 

Silence and unity reign in their hearts because they are bound and guided by the indigenous law of inayan. As said by Lamaire Pimo-on, instructor of the Social Sciences Department, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), some parts of Mountain Province are successful in bestowing their meaningful cultures to their children. 

According to Pimo-on, if dap-ay is not be passed on to the next generation, Kankanaey people of Mountain Province will forget their history and cultures especially the salient roles of dap-ay in molding their identity and society.