1. HANS FREYZER B. ARAO - Graduate of Doctor of Philosophy, Education Major in Educational Management, Cagayan State University Andrews Campus, Philippines.
Ibanag prayers are beautifully crafted form of devotion that conveys a real meaning of how one can uplift his/her spiritual upbringing. These are the forms of prayers wherein it was inscribed by the folks using their dialect to understand well by the one reading or using it. Ibanag prayers usually derived and are accounted for from a tradition being done by the people in a certain place. It captures their habitual way of portraying their beliefs through forms of prayer. Generally, this study aimed to analyze the Ibanag prayers that can be heard in the province of Cagayan which can serve as bases in developing instructional material for literature in educational institutions. Specifically, it aimed to find out the themes embedded in the following prayers, types and methods of rendition of the prayers. The development of instructional materials in local literature and proposed in the educational institutions would help improve and enrich curriculum particularly in contextualization and indigenization of curriculum. This study focused on the analyzation of the hispanized Ibanag prayers sung and heard in the Province of Cagayan particularly in Tuguegarao City and Solana where Ibanag communities can be found. Thematic analysis was employed to the translated Ibanag prayers to extract the themes embedded to it. The four Ibanag prayers were identified based on the following criteria (a) They should be unpopular and not frequently sung in church; (b) No musical notation done with them; (c) Copies of the prayers were obtained from the elders and Minakkantorit or chanters, and (d) The community members should be familiar that the prayers exist. The study employed a qualitative type of research, the translation of the Ibanag prayers was done by a native Ibanag who is an English language and it was validated by another native Ibanag and English language expert. Result of the study showed that the four translated Ibanag prayers namely; Acquimallo, Afu Dios Ama, Dasalat Tam Y Santo Rosario, and Gozos ni San Roque reflected themes of forgiveness, request, invitation, and empathy respectively. The Ibanag prayers are rich repository of the Ibanag culture. They articulate the Ibanag minds – how they see life and death; their social values, consciousness and relationships as well as their hope of redemption from everyday struggles. Hence, parallel studies must be conducted not only along with Ibanag prayers but also in other contemporary Ibanag cultural practices to ascertain emerging discourses and narratives about Ibanag identity and cultural integrity.
Ibanag, Prayers, Instructional Materials.