Philippine Traditions of Honouring the Dead

Written by Dimple Paz, Edited by Jovie Galit l Photo Credit: Durant Funeral Services

The Philippines is home to diverse religions, indigenous communities, and regional traditions. Some groups have practices similar to what is commonly known as Undas, while others do not observe it at all. According to an article by Michael Bueza in Rappler, here are some ways Filipino religious groups honor the deceased. In this article, we will also explore various cultural and indigenous practices around honoring the departed across the Philippines.

Catholicism

Filipinos in the largely Catholic country often celebrate All Saints’ Day or Undas (Filipino term for All Souls and All Saints Day) by gathering with relatives and visiting the graves of their dearly deceased. For some, Undas is observed as a 3-day celebration from October 31 to November 2.

During this time, cemeteries are often packed with people toting flowers, candles, and food to remember the dead. Graves are cleaned up and repainted. Masses are held for the departed souls. Traditionally, on these days, Filipinos pay their respects to their deceased relatives and loved ones.

Islam

Dr. Manuel Sapitula, a sociologist of religion and associate professor at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, explained the execution of visiting the graves of loved ones in Islam. He noted that while this is considered an honorable act, there is no specific day assigned for it.

Dr. Sapitula foregrounded that Muslims engage in prayers for the deceased, highlighting that the Prophet Muhammad himself visited graves and prayed for those who had passed away during his lifetime. Among Filipino Muslims, especially the Moros in Mindanao, there are more complex customs for commemorating deceased family members. However, he pointed out that these practices can vary widely, as there is no systematized approach conformed to all Muslim communities.

Christian denominations

Substantially, Protestants celebrate All Saints’ Day, but the practices can be different, including in numerous churches. For example, some congregations follow the Filipino tradition of visiting graves, while others honor their deceased members by reading the names of those who passed away in the past year. Protestants generally believe that every Christian is considered a saint, and they do not uphold the concept of purgatory.

In contrast, the Eastern Orthodox Church observes All Saints Sunday on the first Sunday following the Pentecost, which occurs 50 days after Easter. Additionally, this Church commemorates the dead with its version of All Souls’ Day across several Saturdays throughout the year.

Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) 

The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) does not observe All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, or Halloween, as these are not supported by their interpretation of biblical teachings. According to the INC, the Bible states that “the dead know nothing” and therefore will not benefit from prayers or offerings made by the living. The INC also rejects the concept of purgatory, believing instead that the dead will rise only on Judgment Day, at the second coming of Jesus Christ.

The Isneg People

The Isneg people of Apayao often bury their loved ones under the family home’s kitchen. After being wrapped in a mat, the deceased is placed in a casket containing items such as water, food, and weapons needed for a smooth transition into the next world.

The Caviteños

As death approaches, individuals select a special tree, and a small hut is built at its base for them to live in until they pass. Upon their death, they are buried upright within the tree trunk. The symbolism reflects that just as trees provide life to the tribe through fruit and firewood, individuals, in death, return their life to the tree. Moreover, the B’laans of Southern Mindanao also utilize trees in burials.

The Palaweno Community

For the Palaweno community,  there was a tradition that those who passed were interred in Manunggul jars—stone or clay vessels adorned with figures symbolizing the soul’s journey to the afterlife. These jars feature anthropomorphic figures on their lids, often depicting two souls in a boat, steering paddles, wearing headbands, and folding hands across the chest to signify passage to the next world.

The Kankanaey 

In Sagada, the deceased are placed in wooden coffins attached to cliffs or caves—a tradition once common but now reserved for prominent community members. The bodies are positioned in the fetal pose within the coffin, reflecting an ancient Philippine belief that individuals should leave the world as they entered it.

People of Benguet

The People of Benguet leave the body of a person who has died outside the main door of their home in a chair, blindfolded for eight days. They use ropes to tie the arms and legs together, so the body remains in a seated position. A ritual called bangil is performed by the elders on the evening before the funeral. A bangil is a recitation of the deceased’s life, almost like a biography that is chanted. Friends and family members lead the deceased towards heaven by hitting bamboo sticks together.

The Ilocanos

For many in the Ilocano regions, people refer to their funeral and burial customs as pompon, or burial rites. When a person passes away, their spouse prepares his body in a special outfit herself, believing he may send messages from the afterlife. The body is then placed in a coffin at the center of the house, with a log called an atong burning in front of the home for the duration of the wake. Chanting and crying rituals show respect for the deceased and ensure their safe journey to heaven.

For Ilocanos in the northern part of Luzon, there is also a practice called Golgol. The Golgol ceremony is a cleansing ritual practiced by the Ilocanos often in the northern part of Luzon, often performed the morning after the burial of a loved one. Family members gather at a river or seaside to perform the ritual, which includes burning rice stalks, pouring water mixed with vinegar over each person, and symbolically discarding their clothes in the water to signify purification and renewal.

Sulod in Central Panay

In Central Panay there is an ethnolinguistic group called Sulod. This group buries the dead in beautiful garments with jewelry, spears, and ritual plates for their journey to the afterlife. People of significant roles in the community are interred in coffins with carvings. After several months, they remove the dead’s bones, wash them and wrap in black cloth. Then the relatives place the bones or suspend them from the eaves of their houses. They also practice tree-trunk burial for important people wherein they wrap the corpse in mats and store them in tree hollows in standing position. Ordinary people are buried in the ground.