Kabayan town celebrates 3rd ‘Killing’ festival

KABAYAN, Benguet–Aside from the famous century old-mummies and Bendian Dance (community victory dance) of Kabayan, this Benguet town has another pride it can boast to the rest of the world and that is its celebration of the “Killing festival.”

The Indigenous Peoples of Kabayan, Benguet together with the municipal government give tribute to migratory birds Siberian Rubythroat named by locals as “killing.” These Killings are red-necked birds from Siberia which arrive in Kabayan and remind the rice farmers to prepare the land for planting.

Killing birds produce sounds by chirping so loud before and after a weather disturbance or a typhoon. These birds has become part of the Ibalois and Kankanaey ethnolinguistic groups of Kabayan and other parts of Benguet as their existence is a very important factor to their agricultural cycle.

The festivities coincide with the 119th foundation anniversary celebration of the Kabayan LGU. In honoring the killings, the IPs of Kabayan imitate the movements and the sounds of the birds through dance presentations.