A Memoir of the Banaken-Kelayan Roots



Kelayan Lacdagan Banaken

The progenies of the Banaken family should have carried or used either Inginga, Nasibod, Lapayag, the Ilocano term for “inga” or even Bangcoog as the last name being the name of Inginga’s father. However, in earlier times it was the practice for the offsprings to use the given name of their father as their last; hence, the name Banaken as our last name. Among the second generation of the Inginga clan, only Kidsolan Inginga and Canuto Inginga of the Dionisio Inginga sub-family used the said last name. All others used the names of their father's like Palangdan, Dionisio, Banaken and Klete.

Banaken had six (6) siblings by the names Palangdan, Baungot, Dionisio, Klete, and Dalocnan, the only female. On the other hand, Kelayan who was the offspring of Lacdagan and Dayespan had three (3) siblings namely Awisan, Pette Libayan who was not able to bear a child.

The Banaken couple never went to school since the establishment of schools took place only when they had their own family. They were farmers with palay and camote as their main products. They had no source of income except for daily wage earning from time to time. More often, with the scarcity of cash at that time, they were just paid ten (10) bundles of palay. In order to sustain the needs of the family, being the head and bread winner, Banaken had to go the lowlands and do manual labor in exchange of salt and other basic needs. Basically, they had lived their lives through modest means. But thou humble their lives have been, they were imbued with sterling character allowing no perversity to disturb their family. Both were strict in values development, Banaken was strict to discipline while Kelayan commanded respect and influenced the woman folks who evidently possessed leadership. She is also a balladeer that no one among her children inherited. Banaken inherited a little of Spanish features but more on the part of Baungot and Dionisio. He died at his prime age unable to see Alipio, his first child to graduate at Trinidad Agricultural High School. Alipio Sr. was in fourth year high school when the World War II broke out. Kelayan died in 1983.

Despite difficulties in life, they had the strong desire to see their children acquire education. In stark contrast to the prevailing belief that education is harbinger of “tangla or matangla” a derogatory term for a dysfunctional life ways. All of their children really owe them much gratitude.

The couple reared five children namely Alipio, Francisco, Bartolome, Juanita, and Jose. Dacwag, the sixth and next to Jose died in his early teen while the seventh, Helen died in infancy. The siblings were also known and called by their igorot names. Alipio was called Wapawap and Bangcoog; Francisco was called Golgolan, Lakisa, Logangis, and Tibanggal; Bartolome was called Bandol, Oyto and Gedeng while Jose was Cayat, Mengek and Babate.

Providentially, the Banaken couple supported Alipio through high school at Trinidad Agricultural High School now Benguet State University who chose to take up the Special Normal curriculum which was offered to address the strong demand for teachers in the Cordilleras. Ideally, those to teach in the elementary level should be graduates of 4 year training in education. But this special program was offered to meet the acute demand for teachers in the highlands

Golgolan barely finished the primary grades. He got married during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Bartolome finished his elementary education after the liberation period and enrolled also in Trinidad Agricultural School and took up the Special Normal curriculum. Juanita had barely got to first year but she had stopped due to lack of financial support. Our mother, Kelayan being a widow cannot afford the needed support.

Consequently, poverty thwarted the strong desire of our mother to see her children got educated. She only did not get widowed; she was advancing in age. Jose, in the later part of his elementary education had to stay with the childless Til-adan couple. Initially, he enrolled at Kayan Holy Rosary High for first year but eventually he had to quit and went down to Manila as a self-supporting student in the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). While working at BPI, he pursued his college education and remained in the bank until his retirement.

Very evidently, the Banaken-Kelayan couple desired their children to acquire education not having been influenced by prevailing sentiment during their time that material wealth is much preferred to education. A prominent belief then that labor brings forth wealth while education was a waste of time. If this zeal for education would prevail among every progeny of the Banaken Family, I cannot imagine the wonders it will bring to our family. May they rest in peace!

 

BARTOLOME L. BANAKEN SR.

Edited by: MBP