By Zenia B. Ananayo, originally posted in 2009
Out of various factors which control agricultural production, weather is the only factor over which man has no control (Verma:1998). Virtually, weather condition determines the failure or success of crops. It affects plant growth, influences development and spread of plant diseases, as well as soil integrity. Thus, in managing farming activities, weather forecasting is an indispensable tool. Knowledge of the onset of rainy or dry season as well as adverse weather conditions helps farmers prepare thereby minimizing crop destruction and loss.
In most of indigenous communities where modern technology is unavailable, farmers base their weather forecast on various indicators such as astronomical, environmental, biological, and socio-cultural phenomena including religious beliefs and practices. By inferring relationships between these indicators and weather conditions, farmers are guided in planning agricultural activities and devising adaptive coping mechanisms best suited to the anticipated climatic conditions.
In Ifugao, farmers have, since time immemorial, relied more on environmental, plant and animal behavior, rather than on astronomical factors, in making critical decisions concerning agricultural tasks. Activities related to terrace construction, maintenance, and rice cultivation depends heavily on the recognition of successions of observable environmental changes. By carefully observing weather and climate patterns as well as plant and animal behavior, adaptive measures were made to appropriately cope with changing conditions that are otherwise detrimental to their crops. Through many decades of observation and experience, the wisdom gained became a significant body in the people’s indigenous knowledge and valuable heritage.
Currently, however, much of the knowledge has vanished because of the effect of education, modernity, cash economy, and christianity. At present, there are very few Ifugaos who are knowledgeable on these weather indicators, hence, this study.
WEATHER CONDITIONS IN IFUGAO
As characteristic of weather conditions in the tropics, Ifugao experiences two distinct seasons, the dry and the wet. The rainy season starts in the latter part of June and ends in February the following year. On the other hand, dry season begins in March and ends in May. During the months of November to February, the climate is very cold; whereas the hottest days are experienced from March to April.
In the local vernacular, rainy season is called inudanan while the dry season is termed inugawan. When the weather is uncertain, it is referred to as ngoldayon. Meanwhile, types of rain that come during wet season have been classified by ancient Ifugaos as: bayuhibi (rain shower), dondonyag (having sunshine while it is raining), and dumalallu (when hail accompanies heavy rainfall). Often, thunder (kidul) and lightning (kilat or kodyam) accompany heavy rainfall.
THE WEATHER INDICATORS
Inasmuch as traditional weather indicators are still the major source of weather and climate information for farm management in rural areas, understanding the local people's perception on climate and weather changes, plant and animal behavior, astronomical and meteorological phenomena is essential.
1. Plant and Tree Indicators
The Ifugaos, in the earlier times, have recognized that some plants and trees are more sensitive to changes in atmospheric conditions than others. Some bloom or bear fruit during the rainy season while others during the dry season.
Before the onset of the rainy season, the bilau (arrow cane grass) and hanil begin to bud and come into full bloom (bumuyyako) several weeks later. When rainy days set in, mushrooms sprout along bushy areas while the Pulut shrub, Binul, Gutmu, and Dogwe trees start to bear fruit. At this time also, the sunflower blooms. Its mature leaves and flowers are used as fertilizer at the rice ponds.
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Arrow cane grasses bear flowers preceeding the rainy season
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Gabgab tree in full bloom during dry season
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During the dry season, the Kallawag vine and the Butgi shrub come into fruition. Similarly, the Luhung, Adawe, and Gabgab trees bear flowers. It is rare for the bamboo, Bikal vine, Anao, and Bitbitkin to bear flowers. When they do, old folks observed that an impending prolonged drought (dopal) is coming. A scientific explanation could be that falling humidity associated with the beginning of the dry season triggers the flowering response noted (Baki:2006).
2. Animal Indicators
When sensing an upcoming rain, ants move fast in multitude in storing food to avoid famine. Scientifically, odors become intense than usual when rain develops because air density drops (Galacgac and Balicasan:2009). Since ants have good sense of smell, they sense the upcoming danger, hence, the urgency in their movement.
During rainy season, the bakkako grasshoppers mature and multiply as rainfall allows the development of succulent and ample vegetation for grasshopper survival. Meantime, frogs emerge and croak to cope with the humid air caused by rain. However, when toads croak after a rainfall, this indicates a dry weather the following days (Gordon:1977 in Galacgac and Balicasan:2009).
Among birds, the Pippiwong gather and become noisy when rain is forthcoming. At the later part of the rainy season, the Hiyot, short legged Habu, Tiwad, and Killing arrive. Soon, the Uhib arrives. The arrival of this bird signifies an impending omen of heavy rainfall and typhoons. Insects are also abundant during rainy season as there are plenty of fresh leaves for them to eat.
The Pippiwong take refuge in their nest during a heavy rainfall
At the onset of the dry season, dragon flies swarm and the Dudun grasshoppers turn up. Farmers catch them for food. Then, when farmers prepare their swidden farms, the Al-aladog birds arrive. They go to freshly burnt swidden farms and play with the ashes. At this time also, the Buliklik (eagle) hovers around looking for a prey. The appearance of this bird signals a good weather for several days. Moreover, the Buding (maya birds, Lonchurra spp.) arrive and feed on the maturing grains of rice in the pond fields. The farmers have to set up scare crows or watch over the rice fields to drive the birds away. According to Welty (1982; in Galacgac and Balicasan:2009), birds can detect infrasonic frequencies caused by changes in barometric pressure, hence, often affecting their behavior. Their movements in the sky, arrival or disappearance, and certain sounds or cries are believed to communicate the type and characteristic of the upcoming weather.
----to be continued---
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WE IMPART
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