The Origin Of Rice

There was a time, many, many years ago, when rice was not known to our people. At that time our ancestors lived on fruits, vegetables, birds, and wild animals which they caught while hunting in the mountains or the forests. Tilling the soil was still unknown. And poultry and hog was not yet a part of their way of living.

Because our people depended on the food which nature provided and not what they themselves grew or raised, their stay in one place was only temporary. When there was nothing more to be hunted or gathered in a certain place, they would go to another region where there was plenty of food. Thus, they traveled from one place to another.

But our ancestors were proud, thankful and happy. They were proud of the things they had- their brown skin, the race to which they belonged, and the customs and traditions which they practiced. They were thankful to Bathala, their god. And they were happy in the manner of living which they led.

On a typical day, the men could be seen going to the mountains or forests to hunt, while the women and small children could be seen busily engaged in such useful tasks as fishing and gathering of fruits and vegetables. After a day’s work, all wild animals that had been killed in the hunt and all fruits and vegetables that had been gathered, would be divided equally among all the group of families which made up the balangay.

One day, a group of hunters went out to hunt deer. In their desire to have a good catch, they traveled far and wide until they reached the Cordillera Mountains. Having traveled so far, and feeling dead tired, they decided to take a rest under a big tree. It was nearing noon and all of them were hungry.

While resting in the shade of the tree, they saw, not far from where they were, a group of men and women whose features were quite different from those of ordinary mortals. The hunters realized that they were gods and goddesses who lived in that part of the mountain. All at once the hunters stood