Igorotak: Love of Nature

Thank God the giant mall SM stopped cutting trees at the Luneta Hill, Baguio City! With the city residents, environmental groups and even the local Catholic Church protesting, they cannot but do otherwise. Let’s hope SM won’t resume its project or, at least, revise it, that is, not to touch the trees anymore. In the meantime, Sunday Masses at the mall have been suspended, because of the lack of an ambience of peace and reconciliation between SM and the local populace.

In any case, we have to go back to basics – love of nature! Why? It’s because nature belongs to God. In fact, one way we can perceive God’s love, goodness and beauty is through nature. Our part then is to be stewards of nature, caring for it for God’s glory and the good of all peoples.

Love of nature is very much a part of Igorot culture. We have legends about pine trees, waterfalls, rocks, other plants and animals. One interesting legend is that of the “Bridal veil’s Fall” at Twin Peaks along Kennon Road. It’s the story of a girl named Sam-it who lived with her cruel stepmother at the Bued River Canyon. She was so unhappy! One day, she went to a nearby brook to fetch water, and a young man happened to go there to drink. They soon fell in love with each other, and decided to be husband and wife. This would not be possible though, for Sam-it’s stepmother objected to their plan. So, they decided to ran away, and the only way out was to climb down the canyon wall to the river below. They gathered long forest vines and tied them together to make a long strong rope. One moonlit night, they gathered their belongings and hastily climbed down the rope. Suddenly, the cruel stepmother detected their escape and diverted a torrent of water to follow them and drown them. Luckily, they were able to make fast their escape and reached a banca below. The torrent of water, falling down the canyon wall, looked like a bridal veil (for a modern Igorot). Sab-it now lived happily with her husband in a faraway place.

Reflecting on this story about a waterfall, it shows how nature, for the Igorot, can reflect the joy and strength of human love. Nature can also reflect the triumph of good over evil.

Many of the plants in the Cordilleras are medicinal. Our ancestors have been using them to cure several illnesses, like the eucalyptus, the guava, sweet potato, papaya, ferns. There are still more plants in these mountains to be discovered and studied. God has been so good for giving us all these plants for our welfare!

We have to love nature, taking care of this gift of God. Nature teaches us ancient Igorot wisdom. Properly developing nature, we can live happy and decent lives.