RESEARCH DATA:

A distinctive dancing bu’lul from Kiangan, Ifugao is said to have its origin from the ballihong ritual. A prestige ritual to honor the kadangyan (affluent class) child where a male or female child is “married” to a bulul which stands as the spouse( salvador-Amores, 2018). The purpose of this ritual is to get the favor of the gods, to secure the child’s social prestige and attain desirable manly or womanly attributes (Lambretch, 1981). The concept of mana-li-kadangyan for the male (to be wealthy and skillful) and mandikit (beautiful), mabla (fair) and wadwada-an (rich) for the female.