Field Observation of Environmental and Cultural Soundscape of Batanes 1. Introduction 2. Environmental Soundscape of Contemporary Batanes

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1 Field Observation of Environmental and Cultural Soundscape of Batanes Activity Report of Regional Project in Batanes, the Philippines April 5-16, 2010 Motohide Taguchi 1. Introduction This report briefly introduces the results of my field observation as a participant of the API Regional Project in Batanes, the Philippines.The observation was conducted onthe environmental and cultural soundscape of Batanes to know about current situation of Human-Ecological Balance (API Regional Project theme) in there. 2. Environmental Soundscape of Contemporary Batanes This section introduces and examines environmental sounds found on site activities in Batanes from April 7 to 13, The field observation was conductedin a very short-term and only through my outsider s view.therefore it lacks an insider s view and the comparison between sounds in summer (March to May) with relatively gentle weather and in typhoon season (July to October) with hard wind and rain. Nevertheless, it may be said that this report is significant to grasp the acoustic environment of contemporary Batanes. Table 1 in next page shows my observation sites in Batan and Sabtang Islands and the sounds found in those sites. The sounds written in boldface mean those having clear dominance in each site. The small letters (from a to s) in the table mean as follows: Natural Sounds: a. sea waves, b. rain, c. winds, d. insects, e. frogs, f. birds (Dachiwu, Piywek) Human Related Sounds: g. chats, h. voices of street vendors, i. voices of shop clerks, j. cars/jeeps, k. motorcycles/tricycles, l. airplanes, m. community events, n. music played by audioequipment, o. music and voices from the advertising vans of candidates for election amplified by audio equipment i,p. small domestic animals (dogs, chickens), q. big domestic animals (pigs, waterbuffalos), r. boats, s. community labor to repair a cogon roof. In Batan Island, three sites in the human settlements (Basco 1, Basco 2 and Diura) and two sites out of them (Racu a Payaman and the mountain path near Diura) were chosen. Similar to other local towns of the Philippines, in the town center of Basco, there are many shops, local government offices, a church, the public-square with a stage along the street, and the sounds of urbanized environment (h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o) are dominant.another important characteristic also similar to those towns is the over-presence of amplified sounds. From shops, houses and the advertising vans, popular music and voices amplified by audio equipment noisily comes out to the street (n, o). In the communityevent held at the public-square on April 12 ii including a bingo game, rock music performances and so on, whole sounds from the stage were amplified loudly and reached the outskirts far from the town center (m, n). Although it is not sonoisy in Basco as in big cities like Metro Manila, the over-presence of urbanized sounds is going on certainly. On the other hand, natural sounds (a, b, c, d) can be heard just like the modest background of urbanized sounds. Unlike the town center, in the outskirts of Basco, besides urbanized sounds, the sounds of various living things (d, e,f) can be heard due to the existence of woods and rivers around the houses.the amplified sounds from shops and housesare not soloud as in the town center. The small fishing village of Diura is surrounded by the sea in front of the range of houses and the

2 woods or the hill with low trees at the back of them. In here, besides gentle sounds of domestic animals (p, q) and other human related sounds (g, j, k), natural sounds (a, b, c, d, f) also can be heard often. However, even in Diura and the outskirts of Basco, natural sounds are still like a background of human related sounds. Racu a Payaman is the communal pasture land placed on the hill. Near the pastureland, there are road and mountains with short trees, while there are tall trees along the mountain path near Diura. Unlike the other three sites, in these two sites, there is the clear presenceof natural sounds from the sea (mainly a) and the mountain (mainly d, f). The voices of Piywek(ZosteropsMeyeni, Lowland White Eye)and Dachiwu (smaller than Piywek, with black wings) are dominant among birds voices. Sounds Natural Sounds Human Related Sounds Place Batan Basco 1 (Town Center) Basco 2 (Outskirts) (a, b, c) (d) (a, b, c) (d, e, f) Living Sounds Human Voices (g, h, i ) Transportation (j, k, l) Amplified Sounds (m, n,o) Human Voices (g) Transportations (j, k, l) Amplified Sounds (m, n,o) Music Rock (m), Practices(m) (Laji*/Pop) Bands Diura (small fishing village) Racu Payaman Mountain Path (near Diura) Sabtang Centro Savidug Chavayan a (a, b, c) (a, b, c) (a, b, c) (a, c) (a, c) (a, c) Human Voice (g) Transportations (j, k) Living Activities (p, q) Human Voice (g) Transportations (j, k, r) Amplified Sounds (n) Living Activities (p) Human Voice (g) Transportations (j, k) Amplified Sounds (n) Living Activities (p, q, s) Human Voice (g) Transportations (j, k) Amplified Sounds (n) Living Activities (p, q) Table 1. The Sounds found in Batanes Laji* (Traditional Folk Song) Traditional Band Music*

3 In Sabtang Island, three sites of the small villages on east coast (from north to south, Centro, Savidug, Chavayan) were chosen. In these sites, traditional cogon houses are still dominant and they are closely surrounded by natural environments such as mountains, the woods, and the sea. The most important characteristic in these sites is the peaceful coexistence of human related sounds (g, j, k, n, p, q, r, s) and natural sounds from the sea (mainly a) and mountains. The latter sounds clearer than in Diura and the outskirts of Basco. The popular music amplified by audio equipment from houses (n) can be heard also, but it gently comes out to the street in low volume and becomes a part of this coexistence. To sum up, it is possible to point out following situations of the soundscape ofbatanes. In Batan Island, in the small village like Diura, besides human related sounds, natural sounds can be heard often, while in the town center of Basco, the urbanization appeared as over-presented amplified sounds and motorized transportation sounds which are driving away natural sounds from there. Out of the human settlements, there is the clear presence of typical sounds from the sea (mainly a) and mountains (mainly d, f), while these sounds in the human settlements are like the background of human related sounds even in Diura. However, in SabtangIsland where the villages are very small and close to the nature, there is the peaceful coexistence of both types of sounds with equal presence. These situations show some steps of the change of acoustic environments by the urbanization. With the progress of the urbanization, human living sphere and natural domain has beendivided little by little. In acoustic environment, the invasion of amplified sounds and motorized transportation sounds symbolizing the urbanization has made this division clearer. As a result of this process, a town having similar view and soundscape with other urbanized towns has emerged. This kind of change happens in everywhere in the world with the progress of the urbanization, and makes lots of towns filled with same kind of urbanized sounds found in the town center of Baso. To compare with acoustic environments in the big cities, Batanes still have better balance between human related sounds and natural sounds. As a result of the observation, this section proposes the importance of following issues. 1. To keep the balance between human related sounds and natural sounds (especially in the town center of Basco). 2. To keep the diversity of acoustic environments 3. Cultural Soundscape of Contemporary Batanes (1) Traditional music as a media of collective memories This section introduces and examines two types of traditional music found in the field observation in SabtangIsland as cultural soundscape and a media of collective memories of the community. (They are writtenin the table 1 with *.) The word collective memories in this article means various historical and cultural memories of the local community such as traditional ways of life, natural environments, socio-cultural exchange with outsiders and so on.duringthe field observation, unfortunately there were no community events including traditional music performance. However, in those events, traditional music is still performed. Due to this situation, traditional music can be considered as a part of the cultural soundscape of contemporary Batanes. A. Traditional Band Music in Chavayan iii

4 This traditional instrumental music can be considered as one of the Western style traditional music of the Philippines due to its simple structure based on diatonic scale and the tonality, peculiar to Western music. This report calls this music as traditional band music for convenience, because it has no specific name. Although there are some groups of this band music in several places of Batanes, at present in Chavayan, there is only one group playing this music and only one craftsman to make and to repair the instruments. Table 2 shows the instrumentation of the group and musical role of each instrument. As harmonic instrument, the guitar is used by some other groups with or without ukulele. The use of these Western instruments in the band which were introduced to Batanes in Spanish period [Hornedo 1997: 36] (officially from 1783 to 1898) iv shows long history of Ivatancontacts with Western culture. Since old time until now, this music has been played in some community events such as wedding ceremony, town fiesta, fiesta of patron saint and so on. v Instrument Musical role Name of Musician (age) vi Jose Habana (64) Violin Melody Jun Gabiro (53) Ukulele Harmony Mariano Gecha (69) Snare Drum Rhythm Domingo Gecha (69) Bass Drum Table 2. Instrumentation of the group in Chavayan The instruments for this music has been made and repaired with local and imported materials as seen in Table 3. vii This table shows what kinds of materials have been familiar with the Ivatan, and their relationship with outsiders. Part of instruments Bow for violin Body Skin for drums Strings Local material to making or to Imported material repair Abaca Lauan Skin of water-buffalo Finished product Table 3. Example of local and imported materials to make and repair the instruments In Batanes, both abaca and lauan are popular products widely used to make daily products such as a native head gear for women called vakul made of abaca fibers. The water buffalo is also widely used for farming and carrying. This table also shows that these convenient materials for them have been used not only for daily life but also their cultural activities to accept and localize Western instruments. On the other hand, the importation of strings shows that the Ivatan has traded various things with

5 outsiders since old time. Their relationship with outsiders can be seen also in the repertoire of the group. When I asked them to play some pieces, they played local piece and famous Ilocano piece ManangBiday as an example of fandango Filipina. (Filipino dance piece) This reflects longterm relationship between the Ivatan and Ilocanos such as the history of Ilocano migrants from Cagayan Valley area of north Luzon to Batanes. Picture 1. Members of traditional band in Chavayan (left) andan instrument maker,romicastelliero (60, right) B. Laji in Savidug Lajiis a sung tradition of folk poetry of Batanes. Due to the same reason as the traditional band music, it also can be considered as one of the Western style traditional folk songs of the Philippines. viii I interviewed with FilomenaHubalde (86), the only one carrier of lajiin Savidug style, and record three laji songs that she knows in the afternoon on April 9 and 10 at her house in Savidug. The lyric of one of them clearly reflects both traditional life style and environment in Batanes. Here it is introduced in detail. AnuKadaudaungKo (When I Look Down) ix (Original lyric in Ivatan) x anukadaudaungko du tukun din Valungot tauri a diumasungay u anak nu munamon sidwan (abang) xi ko na siya nu masen a sahakeb dahuran ko na siya du mahungtub a duyuy udiyan ko na niya a payrakurakuhen a di chu a pabel sayi su madahmet a chirin du kahawahawa ko niya u kaichay nu anak nu munamon ============================================= (English translation) When I look down from the hill of Valungot, I see the lovely child of munamon. I am going to scoop water by using a net set as fine as a fine-toothed comb to put it into a deep

6 coconut shell that I will bring home to raise (the child of munamon). I will not use any harassing-words, so she will not experience painful feeling as child of munamon grows up. Munamon is a beautiful small blue fish living near the coral. Unlike in other region of the Philippines, this fish is difficult to find in the sea near Batanesdue to hard conflicts of ocean currents. It is this natural environment of the sea around Batanes that realizes the metaphor of monamon as an ideal woman. In the lyric, some names of traditional daily goods as follows appears: a net set for fishing (sahakeb), a fine-toothed comb (masen) and a deep coconut shell to bring water (duyuy). For example, the net set shows Ivatan traditional way of catching fishes and the coconut shell shows their use of natural materials around them for daily goods. Thus, these goods show the traditional way of life in Batanes having close relationship with natural environments. Picture 2.Laji singer, FilomenaHubalde (86) The lajitradition can be found not only in Savidug but also in other communities inbatanes and each of them has its own melody. Notation 1 in next page shows the melody inherited in Savidug. Not only the song AnuKadaudaungKo but also other lajisongs in Savidug are also sung in this melody. xii Thispiece of Savidughas textual variants in Basco, Mahatao, Uyugan (2varianats) of Batan Island [ibid. : 47], and Itbayat Island [Setoguchi and Yamada 1972: 97-99]. xiii Except one variant each in Uyugan and Basco, they are sung in different melodies from each other. xiv Same as lyrics, the

7 laji melody of Sabtang has its variants in Ivana (2 variants), Mahatao(Batan) and Sinakan (Sabtang).[Hornedo 1997:65-76, 334] Among them, the lyric for the melody in Sinakan is textual variant of SinavungKaParuNyinuy, one of laji songs which Hubalde knows, while others have different lyrics. It can be assumed that close distance between Savidug and Sinakan is one of the reasons of this case. The distribution of textual and melodic variants shows that the lyrics and the melody of Savidug were originated in somewhere in Batanes and widely spread throughout the province, and mutual connections of communities in the province since old time. Due to non-fixed relation between the lyric and the melody, it can be assumed that they spread not together but individually. Notation 1. Melody of the laji songs in Savidug (Example: AnuKadaudaungKo ) 4. Cultural Soundscape of Contemporary Batanes (2) Past and present situation of

8 traditional music This section examines past and present situationof traditional music mentioned in former section. The most important change in current situation is the decrease and aging of the carriers. As a cause, it is possible to point out the diversification of amusements such as TV and radio. When the members of the traditional band in Chavayan were still young, there were some other groups in the community. However, now they are the only one existing group in there. And now the community only has one craftsman of the instrument. Although they still have traditional occasions for the performance, there is a possibility that the community will lose this music in near future. The laji also has the same problem. As a cause, it is possible to add that the classical words and poetic expressions used in laji became difficult to understand for young generation. Hornedo mentioned three kinds of traditional performance occasions of laji. : (1) marriage-related event, (2) the celebration of other important or happy events, and (3) Death. [ibid. : 115] But according to FilomenaHubalde, although she grew up in Savidug, she didn t know at all about laji until Inthat year, a barangay captain at that time asked her to be a council member of the barangay and to join a song contest held in Centroas a representative of Savidug. That was her first time to learnlajiand she learned it from the barangay captain within three nights. Then she joined the contest and since that time she has been joining this kind of contests and festivals to sing laji. Now, there are many occasions like this such as the song contest held as a part of Batanes Day event xv. These events are held by local government and so on. From her experiences, it can be assumed that this change of performanceoccasions from traditional one to modern setting has a long history. In this kind of situation, recently, the Department of Education, Division in Batanes with local teachers has been trying to collect lajisongs through writing down the lyrics and notating the melodies, to teach it as one of their teaching materials in the school. Teachershave visited the carriers sometimes with or withoutstudents to know more about laji. xvi This project opened the possibility of new type of transmission of traditional music different from traditional oral transmission, and has made young students sing in the contest. But at the same time, in spite of their efforts, this project still lacks enough engagement of the carriers. Unlike laji,for the traditional band music, they still don t have this kind of project. The second section pointed out that as a result of the urbanization, the environmental soundscape of the town center of Basco became similar to those ofother local towns of the world. This kind of tendency of world homogenization can be found also in the cultural soundscape of Batanes. There are still some occasions to perform traditional music. But the traditional music is in the process of becoming marginal, while amplified pop and rock music widely spread in the world has become dominant as contemporary cultural soundscape. The efforts of the local government, the Department of Education and schools to introduce laji to wider audience can be considered as important trials to change this situation. If they can involve more people including the carriers, more types of traditional music including traditional band music, it will be a great movement to preserve rich cultural tradition of Batanes. As a result of the observation introduced in sections 3 and 4, this section proposes the importance of following issues.

9 1. To keep the diversity of traditional music as a parts of cultural soundscape 2. To know about collective memories expressed in traditional music 5. Lessons on Environmental Issue Confronting the Region Learned through my Field Observation The examinations in former sections show that the Batanes is not the exception of the world and Asian tendency of homogenization of environmental and cultural soundscapes.although the urbanization is important, we should also consider how to preserve those of our own.and these examinations also show that traditional music can be seen as a media of collective memories of the community. To know well about this tendency and natural or cultural environment memorized in the traditional music in Asian region are important for us to think about ideal soundscape in our region. For the regional product, I plan to make an article comparingtheenvironmental and cultural soundscapesofbiwako and Batanes. I believe that my article can add interesting view from soundscape to see the problems about Human-Ecological Balance in our region. Finally, this report ends with recommendation for future site visit design. Maybe the activity plan ofsabtang research group was not decided in detail before the site visit. But the flexibility in it enabled me to encounter the traditional music of Batanes that I didn t know at all before and to have a different perspective of environmental issues in Batanes. In future site visit, it is better to make the plan with flexibility by which participants can have their own views to see the site. Bibliography Hornedo, Florentino H Laji: AnuMaddawKa Mu Lipus: An Ivatan Folk Lyric Tradition. Manila: University of Santo Tomas Publishing House. Setoguchi, Shigetoshi; Yamada, Yukihiro Itbayat Folk Songs with Notes.Kochi DaigakuGakujyutsuKenkyuHoukoku 21 Jinbun Kagaku (5). [Research Reports of the Kochi University 21 Humanities (5)]:

10 i Our on-site activities were conducted before a nationwide election. ii This event was organized by HOPE (Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections), the task force consisting of the police, the local government, and the Batanes Chamber of Commerce. iii This small section is based on the interview with local musicians mentioned in Table 2 and instrument maker mentioned in Picture 1 in the morning of April 10 at Chavayan. iv Officially, Batanes was under Spanish domination from 1783 to But contacts by Spanish- Dominican missionaries had started before that period. Their first recorded contact with the Ivatan was on [ibid. : 16-17] v For example, the fiesta of Chavayan is on August 23 and that of whole Sabtang is on April 27. vi The age of each carrier of traditional music written in this article is that of the time of my interview during the filed observation. vii There are also some exceptions. For example, the bass drum and the violin now used in their group were bought in Manila. viii Although Hubalde slaji melody and those introduce by Hornedo [ibid.: 65-76] doesn t have whole seven tones, basically they are based on diatonic scales (major and minor) and harmonic structure. But there are some exception like examples from Itbayat and Uyugan [ibid.: 66, 75]sounds modal or have unclear tonality. ix This report uses the beginning words of the lyric as the song title for convenience, because laji songs have no specific title. x Our tour guide for the field observation insabatng Island, Rogers V. Amboy helped me to write down the text and to make English translation of it. Then some adjustment for problems were done by the author based on the recording of the song and the way of writing Ivatan text introduced by Hornedo[ibid. :x-xi]. xi In my interviews and recordings, when FilomenaHubalde first sung this lyric, she used the word abang. However, when I asked to read the lyric slowly for writing it down, she used the word sidwan. xii This is the case of Savidug which I knew from FilomenaHubalde. However, Hornedo mentioned that most of lajisingers use more than one melody for several different laji lyrics, while there are some singers using only one melody. [ibid. :65] xiii This means not the lyric in Savidug is original but lyrics of these places are all variants of same lyric. In here, for example, Uyugan (2 variants), means Uyugan has two variants, while other places have only one. xiv The melodies for these textual variants are introduced in [Hornedo 1997: 72, 91] (Mahatao and Uyugan) and [Setoguchi and Yamada 1972: 97] (Itbayat). There is no information of the melodies for others. xv There were practices by local children for this contest on April 12 (laji) and April 13 (pop song) at the stage of public-square in the town center of Basco. xvi About this project, I had interview with following staffs of Department of Education, Division inbatanes on April 13 at their office in the town center of Basco. Elda B. Lechuga, Imelda I. Rodriguez and Jaime G. Castilio