BAUKO, Mountain Province — As part of indigenous peoples’ (IP) rich cultural traditions of living in harmony with nature and nurturing the environment, residents of Barangay Bagnen in Bauko, Mountain Province, together with their officials, conducted a “Sapata” following a series of forest fires.

“Sapata” is an Igorot — the most preferred collective term for Cordillera IPs, especially those living in the mountains — traditional justice mechanism in which people acknowledge responsibility, accountability, or innocence for alleged wrongdoing.

In response to the recent forest fires that ravaged parts of the community’s mountains and proposed watershed, and with no one stepping forward to take responsibility, the barangay officially performed the “Sapata” with all members of the community. Rooted in indigenous tradition, the practice functions as a system of cultural accountability. It involves a formal invocation of consequences intended to penalize the individual responsible for a transgression.

While the consequences may not be felt or seen immediately, the IPs believe that justice will find its way.

Officials and elders of Bagnen led the traditional process, in which a communal curse or consequence is directed at the guilty party. This reliance on age-old rituals demonstrates the severity of the incident and serves as a cultural alternative to a formal admission of guilt.

Authorities and residents continue to call for accountability, noting that the destruction endangers more than just trees. They stressed that it puts essential watersheds and key tourism sites at serious risk.