| Buklog | |
|---|---|
| Country | Philippines |
| Domains | Social practices, rituals and festive events |
| Reference | 01495 |
| Region | Asia and the Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2019 (14th session) |
| List | Need of Urgent Safeguarding |
 Threats: Deforestation, diminishing participation, diminishing youth interest, insufficient financial resources, intolerance, loss of cultural spaces, loss of significance, population influx, rural-urban migration | |
Buklog is a cultural tradition from the Philippines in the form of a thanksgiving ritual practiced by the Subanen people who live on the Zamboanga Peninsula, the southern part of the Philippines. This ritual system is carried out as a form of gratitude to the spirits for positive life experiences, such as abundant harvests, recovery from an illness or calamity, or recognition of newly appointed leaders.[1]
Buklog is carried out by involving three elements, namely humans, nature and the spirit world. This tradition is usually led by a timuay or village head, and facilitated by a balyan or local religious leaders. During the ritual, the village head and the villagers will ask permission from the spirits around him to collect various materials from the forest. Then, they make offerings to invite the dead spirits to join the feast. Also, it was followed by a dance on top of a raised wooden structure called a 'buklog'. This activity creates a sound that is believed to be the voice of the spirits.[1][2]
Buklog is believed to originate from a folklore that was developed by the Subanen community hundreds of years ago. This story was first popularized by Thimuay Imbing, a tribal leader in the 1800s and then passed down to later generations until finally, the legend persisted, especially among the balyans.[3]
- ^ a b "Buklog". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ "Buklog, thanksgiving ritual system of Subanen, inscribed on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of Urgent Safeguarding". ncca.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 2021-06-12. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
- ^ Imbing, Thimuay Mangura Vicente L.; Viernes-Enriquez, Joy (1990). "A Legend of the Subanen "Buklog"". Asian Folklore Studies. 49 (1): 109–123. doi:10.2307/1177951. ISSN 0385-2342. JSTOR 1177951.