Reminiscing the Taloctoc that I knew..

Taloctoc is a barangay of the Municipality of Tanudan. It requires about 2 hours hiking to reach the Poblacion- Mangali and a 5-hour hike to reach the Municipality of Tabuk or Lubuagan. The beautiful community can be reached by foot either through the municipality of Lubuagan or barangay Naneng of Tabuk.

 It is a laidback village of hospitable and warm people of the Kalinga tribe. I grew up imbibing the culture and tradition that molded me to what I am today - an ikalinga.

I remember growing up in Taloctoc. There was only the catholic church below the foot of the mountain that people go to when the priest who visits once a month is around and the grade school that I attended.

There are no amenities, no stores, no cinemas, no electricity, recreation facilities except for a basketball court found in the school premises, neither were there any kind of entertainment of the modern world. Nothing that you find in an urban area but nature surrounding you. It was truly a laidback community.

Taloctoc is traced by the Tanudan river like a necklace and surrounded by mountains in all sides. It is a valley in between mountains with a beautiful river flowing freely for a long stretch of rice fields until it merges with the Chico River at barangay Naneng.

The people live by tilling their own lands and the mountains nearby called "UMA" that means "kaingin".  The kaingin practice is done every summer (March to May), because this is the most appropriate season for kaingins.

Labor is done thru "innabuyog" - meaning "bayanihan" to help each other clean and prepare the kaingin and plant it with rice until the rice crop is harvested. Summers are the happiest time of my life because of two things: every summer it’s either I stay in Taloctoc or I go to Baguio City. Either way, it was always fun for me.

 It is also the time when relatives, kins and many people visit the quiet village to see nature, mingle with people and learn their culture. I am lucky that I got to meet a lot of people from different places with varied purpose, education and culture. I was always a when there are visiting dignitaries because my parents were both people who have large hearts and they love to entertain.

On rainy days the rivers gets high  and isolates the place from the rest of the world. People are transported into the barrio using a raft made of bamboo (“pataw” – village dialect) when the water is high held by at least 5 men on its ends to balance and keep it from capsizing. The river gets cruel at times and quiet on summer time and when it is quiet, people enjoy its serenity and blueness.

On a summer when I chose to stay in Taloctoc, I join the grown- ups go to the kaingin and contribute whatever I can. My grandad would ask me to fetch water from the spring and with a gallon I would run down the cleared area of the kaingin and bring home fresh water.

I used to get scratches all over my feet and hands as I stumble on tree roots along the way, but these were nothing compared to the joy I feel for being with nature. (I am wishing I can enjoy that once again).

In the day time, I wear a straw hat to keep the raging sun rays from scorching me while bringing water to those tilling the mountains including my grandma and grandad. I can feel the heat and wind on my skin but I loved it all.

I would spend my summer in the mountains with my grandad and grandma. I enjoyed  taking a bath in the undiluted spring water of the mountains in the early evenings and later watch the stars as they lace the skies with their beautiful glow. On a sunset, you can hear the sounds of the forest, and in the night the stillness of the Earth.

Before sundown, I go up the highest peak of where I am and view the vast tracks of lands and mountains that inspired me... the miracles of life.

In summers too, folks from the place would organize a fishing activity. This is done by changing the path of the water in the river to free up a part of it. The fishes that are in the freed- up part are left with little water to sustain them and that is when the people start picking these up.

If by coincidence I am at the river when that happens, I use to go and pick some fish too. The folks would say, that’s maestro’s daughter, let her be. They would even fill my container and send me home. My dad would say “do not do that again, it’s not proper” but I loved getting my feet wet catching fish in a shallow water.

I am a Baguio born but a taloctoc-bred kid until I was ready to move out to continue my studies. I am an Ilocano-Kalinga and Bontoc mix but an Igorot nevertheless. I left the village when I was 12 and never returned to this day. It was not because I didn’t want to but circumstances made it difficult for me.

It was such a nice experience to live with simple people. I grew up in an environment untainted by modern development.