Laji and Palo-palo

Palo-palo: An Ivatan Traditional War Dance

A brief background:

Palo-Palo is considered as a folk dance or ethnic dance before but later termed as a kind of a war dance due to the story it depicts between the Spaniards (Christians) and the Ivatans (natives).
According to Mr. Gaudencio Veracruz, now 86 years old, and one of the performers of it before, the dance started way back in pre-war times. It originally started specifically in Brgy. Kayvaluganan in Basay (Basco) where it was first performed in the town’s feast, with the late Messrs. Pedro Agsulid and Macario Viola as two of the pioneer dancers and trainers. The pioneer participants range from 25 years old and above, but later on younger versions of participants were formed through the elementary school pupils. Other elementary schools in the province adapted the dance and competitions were held among the schools of the different municipalities in the province. From then on, this palo-palo dance flourished and has become a part of every town feasts program.

Costumes, prop and music:

            Two groups perform the dance. One group represents the Spaniards or the Christians and the other group represents the Ivatans or the natives. Before, the group representing the Christians wore white long sleeves, white trousers and black shoes while the group representing the natives wore white long sleeves, black trousers and black shoes. Later on, red neckties and waist bands were added as accents on the Christians’ costumes. As years went on, additional features of wearing white feathered hats for Christians and brown feathered hats for the natives were also done. Though, a big alteration was done in their costumes when these Basco dancers participated in the festivals in and outside the country. The Christians fashioned a satin colored-combination of white blue and yellow long sleeves paired with a yellow pedal-type trousers, white knee socks, black shoes and an Ivatan-crafted flat-top hat. The native group, on the other hand, crafted a real kind of native attire using “avutag” bark (a tree found in Batanes) as their shirts with matching ‘skirt-type’ with slits on both sides and skin-tone cycling shorts inside them for its pair instead of the usual trousers. They also wear a sandal-type of footwear instead of black shoes and a native pointed-type of hat.
            The two groups dance to the tune of a violin and a drum before. Later on, the drum was replaced with a harmonica in combination with the violin, but the tune is continuously preserved or maintained up to now.
            A pair of baton or two sturdy sticks is use by each participant in the dance which is hit with one another and also on the pavement. This is the only prop they use for the whole duration of the dance.

Mechanics of the dance:

The dance is composed of three parts. The first part shows the resistance of the Ivatans or the natives to accept or submit to the Spaniards in terms of religion and civil government. The second part depicts the natives’ acceptance already of Christianity which is called the ‘bakkal’ part, while the third part portrays the good camaraderie established by now between both sides. Each group has its own leader called the “Manangat” who always leads the striking of the sticks and simultaneously done by the respective members of both groups. In the earlier years of performance, the dance included certain participant called the “Lukayo” who is dressed colorfully and different from the main participants and who does his own moves. Sometimes, aside or instead of a ‘lukayo’, a dressed “Higangga” or “higante” who walks on long stilts participates in the dance to add color and joy to the performance. However, in recent years, the participation of this “higangga” or “lukayo” slowly diminished and is now entirely absent during the present performances.