Inayan and Lawa in Education

It is a general perception nowadays that side by side with more people becoming educated is the degradation of values. The Department of Education as well as other sectors had been finding ways to regenerate the “good old behaviors and attitudes” that had been practiced in the “good old years”. In fact the DepEd created Values Education as one of the subject areas. Working with other sectors in the government, like the Armed Forces and with private sectors, the government was able to launch the Moral Recovery Program.

Yet, with all these, one casual observer commented, “Why is it that the more they infuse Values Education, the more that people become greedy?” And one old woman once said, “You have all the undies and the clothes nowadays to cover yourself, yet why do more and more females get pregnant though still single? Before, we slept in the “ebgan” in groups with our suitors but no one got pregnant before her wedding.” Amusing but true.

In Sagada, they have two terms which is culturally welding them together. These are “inayan” and “lawa.” Practically these two terms mean the same though “lawa” has deeper inclinations into the traditions and ritual practices in Sagada.

The terms denote that something is taboo and should not be done. Like, “Inayan di mang-is-isik is ib-a na ay ipogaw." (It is not good to do bad things to other people.) Or, “Lawa di mang-isasaa is nagapo sin baey ay napuowan." (It is bad to bring home things from a burned house.)

“The use of “lawa and inayan” had been a great controlling factor to the people of Sagada. When a house burns down, the owners are assured that recovered things will not be brought home by anybody since it’s believed to be “inayan” that such acts will bring the same tragedy to the house where the things are brought home.

Same is true in tragedies like vehicular accidents. If other people are too vindictive to the drivers when one dies due to a lapse in judgment that may have resulted to an accident, the Isagada are not so. “Inayan, ayke way nanglayad sidi is maikkan." (Inayan, nobody liked that to happen.)

One of the growing problems in Sagada is land grabbing especially so that economically speaking, ecotourism in the place is drawing thousands of tourists every month. This, of course, helps upraise the price of land in the place and the mere fact that the Isagada are growing in number are reasons enough to understand such happenings.

Yet, “inayan” and “lawa” still helps a lot to control the greed of people. “Inayan di mang-ag-agaw is baken na kuwa. (It is ‘inayan’ to take what you don’t own.)” “Inayan di mang-iyal-alis is mohon / pegnad. (It is ‘inayan’ to change the boundary.)” And, it worked for a number of years, and it’s working to most Isagada even until these days.

“Inayan di adi men-i-wayang is daan di ib-a, ta ay mentayaw da. (It is “inayan” not to give a way for people to pass through in your property.) The right of way is also culturally imbedded. So, no one is excused. Whether you are the owner or the benefactor or the owner of the land, both are bound by the “inayan.”

“Inayan di mang-al-ala is baton di tuping di nagday ay kwan di ib-a. (It is “inayan” to take the stones of a destroyed stone wall.)” Just like in house fires, it is also considered “inayan” to get the stones from a corroded stone wall most especially if you use it to strengthen your own riprap. It had worked for generations and the rice terraces in Sagada are a noted example of such a practice. When a stone wall gives way, other people who need stones cannot just go and get the stones from the destroyed wall even if they too needed the stone too much. If they can’t help, then they are not supposed to add to the misery of the owner. The same thing applies to all stone walls which are numerous in this municipality found on top of mountains. The Supreme Being is not asleep.

Yes, the “inayan” and “lawa” are words which do not have exact translations in English or Filipino. It means to say, it is culturally imbedded in us, the Isagada, whether we are educated or not, whether we are somebody in the society or not. Having stayed out of the place for years is not a reason to forget the values of “inayan” and “lawa.”

These are some of the culture which should be retained and taught to all generations, be they digital natives or just techno-migrants. These are things which should be taught and caught in Values Education.

And, if such had been successfully practiced for years and years by our ancestors, infusing “inayan” and “lawa” with Christian values should weld people further, as unbreakable as iron, not the other way around.