The hudhud is chanted among the Ifugao only during four occasions: the harvesting and

weeding of rice, funeral wakes, and bone-washing (bogwa) rituals. Dating back to as early as
before the seventh century, the hudhud was comprised of over 200 stories with about 40
episodes each. The language of the chants, almost impossible to transcribe, is full of
repetitions, synonyms, figurative terms and metaphors. Performed in a leader/chorus style,
the lead chanter, munhaw-e often an elderly woman recites an introductory line to set the
tone, and then this is taken up by a chorus of women the munabbuy to the end of the
phrase. This cycle is repeated until the end of the episode. It may take days to complete a
story, depending on the situation. The hudhud is a celebration of Ifugao heroes, heroines,
wealth and culture.
The hudhud is chanted among the Ifugao only during four occasions: the harvesting and
weeding of rice, funeral wakes, and bone-washing (bogwa) rituals. Dating back to as early as
before the seventh century, the hudhud was comprised of over 200 stories with about 40
episodes each. The language of the chants, almost impossible to transcribe, is full of
repetitions, synonyms, figurative terms and metaphors. Performed in a leader/chorus style,
the lead chanter, munhaw-e often an elderly woman recites an introductory line to set the
tone, and then this is taken up by a chorus of women the munabbuy to the end of the
phrase. This cycle is repeated until the end of the episode. It may take days to complete a
story, depending on the situation. The hudhud is a celebration of Ifugao heroes, heroines,
wealth and culture.
The conversion of the Ifugao to Christianity weakened their traditional culture. The hudhud is
linked to the manual harvesting only of tinawon or indigenous rice. The few people who know
all the epics are now old, and young people are not inclined to learn and practice this
tradition. But with support from organizations including the National Commission for Culture
and the Arts (NCCA), the hudhud is increasingly being appreciated by the younger Ifugaos
today.
Bringing more cultural pride, this Ifugao tradition had also received an accolade from the
United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In 2001, it won the
title of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity given to 19
outstanding cultural forms of expression from the different regions of the world. In Asia,
UNESCO honored six masterpieces, among them, the hudhud chants of the Ifugao of
Northern Luzon.
In 2001, UNESCO proclaimed the Ifugao epic hudhud as one of the 19 masterpieces of the
oral and intangible heritage of humanity. This study aims to promote greater understanding
and of appreciation, and interest in the epics, highest form of oral literature. The analysis is
anchored on E. Arsenio Manuels theory of the Philippine ethno-epic. A descriptive-qualitative
method was used in this study. Immersion, observation and random informal interviews in
Ifugao (Kiangan, Asipulo and Lagawe) were employed in gathering and validating data. The
narrative structure and characterization of the epic heroes were determined through textual
analysis. A contextualist approach in the analysis of the text was utilized to validate the
identified Ifugao culture that is still practiced today. The epic reveals the beauty and legacy of
the great ancestors of the highland that need to be protected and preserved. This study helps
in the preservation of the sacredness of the tradition. Likewise, it also proves that the hudhud
is not just used as mere tourist attraction of the local government units and Department of
Tourism for economic growth in the hudhud areas. It will also attract more scholars, local and
international, to understand and preserve the rich and dying tradition.