On All Saints' Day, Philippine mountain town honours dead with fire

On All Saints' Day, a quaint mountain town in the Philippines honored its deceased with a massive bonfire ceremony. The Panag-aapoy, or "to light a fire" ritual, has been an annual tradition in Sagada for 122 years, marking the day with a fragrant, light-filled spectacle. The ceremony, directed by the Episcopal Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, involved burning over 2,000 pinewood sticks to commemorate the town's 2,000 dead.

The practice, adopted by Sagada's animist residents after Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States in 1898, was influenced by Christian missionaries who encouraged the locals to bury their dead and light candles on their graves. Menong, director of the church, explained that the act of lighting a flame, whether with candles or pine sticks, invites the presence of Christ and allows for fellowship with departed loved ones.

The tradition of burning pinewood sticks instead of traditional candles stemmed from the high cost of candles and their vulnerability to wind. Sagada's tourism officer, Maria Teresa Abad, noted that the aromatic, sap-rich pines in the region made their flames ideal for the Panag-aapoy.

The ceremony often draws visitors who wish to pay their respects, though some locals, like Cybil Domoguen, expressed mixed feelings about the growing tourist presence. This year, Domoguen and her father returned to Sagada to honor her grandparents with a bundle of pine sticks.

While the Panag-aapoy has become a significant tourist attraction, the church and local government have worked to protect the region's cultural heritage. Measures such as banning picnic mats, drone photography, and noisy tourists have been implemented to ensure that the solemnity of the tradition remains intact.