Homecoming- An Ibaloy Story

When I was 16 years old, my father gave me a small Japanese instamatic camera so i can document the life of my clan who are Ibaloys-the other indigenous community who occupy Benguet in Northern Luzon,Philippines. I did not realize that I was actually documenting traditions,rituals and lifeways that are no longer strictly practiced today. I was born in the city and grew up there but I did not feel too left out from being an Ibaloy because my father made sure we would attend each funeral of important elders of the clan,wedding celebrations of cousins and other relatives and be exposed to the everyday lives of my clan who mostly made their living from the land. From then on, I made sure that I could travel to different parts of Benguet to photograph the changing ways of the Ibaloy. I still travel and shoot what I find in the sometimes remote places in Benguet. It is a life-long and continuing project for me. All Photographs by Kat Palasi. All Rights Reserved @ 2007.

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Apolonia Bodong… The youngest br… Relatives, neig… Waiting for the… The wooden coff… Pig meat is th… Youngest brothe… Tired feet peep… Aplolonia Bodon… Baayan,Tuiblay,… Anas Bodong, 86… Pig meat is ser… Lorenzo Bodong,… Ibaloy wakes ar… Going down to t… Making the coff…

Keywords benguet ibaloy rituals traditions igorot farming