Calling Of The Rain

"Calling of the Rain", have you ever heard of it? Well, it is a ritual performed when drought strikes in our village during summer and the absence of the rain is so much that causes a great problem to the farmers because they can not be able to plow their paddy field. There are irrigations that are made that serves as canals in order for the water from the source to flow into the paddy field. But the water from the source like creeks and rivers are not enough to supply the entire ricefields. So the presence of the rain is very important. Other farmer even stayed awake even in the middle of the night just to jeep watch of the water from the source directing to their ricefields. Sometimes in this situation, this make the farmers argue with each other.

In times like this, the elders of the Village will meet in their meeting place, called ATO. In here they are going to discuss the plan of "CALLING OF THE RAIN" . This ritual has been handed down by the ancestors down to present so this will not be forgotten.

To play out the custom, the men from the village must go the mountain named HINIBLAWAN. This Mountain top is between a two districts and is a sole wellspring of water that supports rural life in our town and different zones downstream. The work of the network relied upon agricultiral crops like corn, rice, yam, cassava and different vegetables. However, before the excursion, they should perform first the pre-essential of the Calling of the Rain which is the STANDING OF THE EGG. People Believe that if the Egg remain all alone., the excursion to HINIBLAWAN is acceptable, yet in the event that it breakdown, it is a sign that the excursion must be deferred.

When the Egg was erected, the lead elder signals the men that they may proceed. All stands with their bolos on their waist., and thier spears and with some hunters who brought their dogs and most importantly the pine torch ( a torch made of pine wood) in which they will use to light their way to the mount.

When they reach a certain place called HUYOH HUY, their resting place, the men rests in here before they proceed to the next terrain of the mountain. They need to rest because of exhaustion and they must be fully charge before they face the sacred ground where they can offer their prayers. But they can't perform in that moment even they reach the place because its too dark. It will be few HOURS before Dawn.

After few hours of sleep., the man assigned for waking up the group, signals the men to prepare for the continuation of their journey. But before everybody left the place where they have rested he must whip his hat on the ground and say " lets all leave, no one be left behind." This custom is to ensure that no spirits will be left on their way to the mount because the people believe that some unseen spirits of ancestors are still mingling with the living ones so if they forgot to call their attentions ( living), they might be left out and will still continue mingling with the dead ones.

While waking towards the lake, the leader of the pact will remind the group and forbids them to expel their wastes on the trees and bushes. They must cover their feces with dried leaves or soil. If you disobey such reminder, you may infuriate the spirits and will not let you find your way and lets you wander in the forest and will find yourself on the same spot where you left your waste uncovered. You can only find your right way not until you covered your waste.

The lake is totally covered with moss with no trace of water and is mistakenly seen as grasses. The view is spectacular and one can open his mouth with awe.

When the sun starts peeping out, it is the right time to offer a prayer. One of the men was given the task to do the ritual of scooping some water from the lake to his earthen pot and say its prayer. As they say their prayers, each one gathered ferns, wild orchids, different kind of moss and put this on their heads as ornament. Then the man who woke them up earlier strikes his signal again that its time to leave and do his whipping of his hat to the ground again.

Early morning at the same day, the Women in the village gathered themselves to the ATO for a meeting before heading to the mountain to meet up the men coming from the lake. They carry themselves with sweet potatoes and glutenous sweet on a woven basket. Later, they meet the men on the mountain nearest to the village. The women served them their foods with enthusiasm and on their way home, Everybody made a loud cry, ."RAIN COME!" for how many times.

As they descend the mountain, part of sky starts to darken and the cool breeze whips the men and women and later on, the skies are almost dark.

Upon arrival in the Village, they all proceed to the ATO where they beat their gongs and the women filled their jars with water then showered it to these men who are dancing. The merry-making will took over until evening.

The next day, the men butchered carabaos and pigs for the celebration and invited the neighboring village and the merry-making continued for a week. The rain indeed fall that made the villagers shout with joy.

(Scientific explains that the loud beat of the gongs attracts the rain just like the positive and negative charge of a battery.)