Origin of the Kalinga Axe

[Nonoy Tan]

I suspect that the use of the term "Kalinga" (for the Kalinga axe) started no earlier than the mid 19th century (likely during the American occupation 1898 to early 1900s). During this period, the area of Northern Luzon which now includes the province of Cagayan (home of the Ibanag) was erroneously believed to be home of the Kalinga peoples. This error, I believe may have been due to the fact that knowledge of the indigenous peoples living there was scant, and "Kalinga" was used as a general word to refer to those peoples living in that area. Later, after extensive study, we now know that the area mentioned are home to many other peoples.

The mention of the term "Buneng" (refering to the axe) by the Ibanag in the 17th century is interesting. I believe that "Buneng" comes from the word "Buneg" - meaning river. Ibanag (or i-buneg) means something or someone/people from the river. The Ibanag people occupy the northern Luzon areas close to the large Cagayan river.

It is through these large waterways that goods acquired through trade from traders (e.g. China, Japan, Borneo, etc), goods such as iron, were bought, transported and sold by the coastal (sea) inhabintants to other coastal (riverine) peoples, and thereafter to peoples living inland or the mountains. Such was the trading network. The riverine coasts were magnets for early Filipinos to reside due to this trade. It was also logical to have blacksmiths in these coastal (sea and riverine) villages work iron to produce weapons for sale.

Thus, it seems probable that the "Buneng" Axe was so called because they were made those villages, i.e. villages along the "Buneg", e.g. Cagayan river or its secondary waterways.

My 2 cents