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Sagada residents to temporarily stop “ikik”

Due to rising expenses, not bird flu

SAGADA, Mt. Province (Oct. 28) — While the local government unit of this municipality passed a resolution temporarily prohibiting the traditional “ikik” or catching of migratory birds due to bird flu virus, residents claim they will temporarily stop the “ikik” due to expenses incurred related to the practice such as high prices of kerosene and other related expenses.

When members of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) here passed SB Resolution No. 48 – 05, prohibiting all forms of bird hunting while the bird flu is a potential threat, some residents saw it as a government move to address the virus problem. Other residents welcomed the resolution not as a virus-related issue but as a result of the present economic crisis.

Affected with crisis

Expenses related to the “ikik” have tremendously increased due to prices of oil and goods as an effect of government policies, a resident claims in an interview with Nordis.

Bakolong Dapliyan, in his mid-30s from Sagada claims: “Isnan kinaligat di biag id wani, mayat no maisaldeng nan ikik ulay maid bird flu virus. Nangina nan kerosene ay fuel dat kulang nan maala ay koyat is kasukat nan bannog, puyat ya fuel.” (Due to the present economic crisis, it is good to stop the “ikik” even without the bird flu virus. Bird catch is not enough to compensate the effort, sleepless night, and prices of kerosene used in the activity.)

Bakolong claims that a group’s (minimum of two) average catch per night are 60 birds with an equivalent value of P300.00. If these birds are sold, which is not usually the case, each would get P150.00.

He approximates the expenses to be at least two-hundred pesos (P200.00) a night which include the gas lamp’s kerosene and mantle and P150 to P250 unrealized income the next day when he fails to work.

“Ikik”

“Ikik” is a traditional activity of catching migratory birds by the residents of Sagada. The birds from European countries like Siberia and from Asia migrate to the Philippines, including Sagada due to cold weather and scarcity of food during this season.

Ikik is commonly done during the last week of July to early December, adds Bakolong, who had been engaged in the activity since he was a teenager.

At night during these months, residents go to high areas like Mt. Ampacao, located in south central Sagada, and Mt. Langsayan in northern Sagada. Their lantern is lighted within a short distance from established poled nets. The gas lamp’s light attracts the birds and they are drawn and caught into the nets. The residents called mangikik engage in smoking or drinking gin to counter the cold night weather, added Bakolong.

Ikik is an activity engaged by the youth more as an adventure rather than livelihood. It has become a part of the Sagada culture.

Government has tried to stop the activity as they claimed bird catching does not discriminate bird species, including those considered endangered, but to no avail.

“Adiyak mamati ay makatayaw nan nasasakit ay koyat ay umdan isna. Nan wada bird flu na et waay natey da isnan baybay, isunga nan umdan isna et healthy da, (I do not believe that a sick bird can fly and reach our area. Those with bird flu may have died in the ocean and those that reach our area are healthy birds.),” ended Bakolong. # Arthur L. Allad-iw for NORDIS

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