THE ORIGIN OF DACUDAC
Once upon a time, there was a man in Leseb who had a golden teeth and was looking for a job together with his son. They searched their place for a job but they couldn’t find one.
Enteng: Ayeh pay na ay magay mainapan si paki poldiyaan mo.(sigh is there’s no job for us in here)
Juan: Aw manpay, unta et ad man inap si odom ay ili si paki poldiyaan(your right, let’s go to other place to find a job)
so, they decided to go for nearby towns but still they couldn’t find one, however there is someone who had tell them about a far place called Pilipil situated at Cervantes, Ilocos Sur that might have a job for them.
Enteng: Ayo pay nay kana aanap ta yan magay maanapan ta ladta mo (we’ve been searching since earlier yet we can’t find a job)
Juan: Aw manpay, ngom anusan ta ladta adi ay man anap ta way iyat tay matago(your right, but let’s be patient because that’s how life is)
Enteng: yan man ibbay ta kod ununa ay nabbay ak ay kana dadad an ay ( let’s rest first before we continue, I’m tired)
Juan: aw kod kaiman (yes let’s do that)
When they are resting a stranger asked them if they are finding a job
Pedro: Ay man an anap kayo si ubla? ( are you searching for a job?)
Juan:aw yan ay way ammom et isa (yes we are searching for one do you know where we can get a job)
Pedro: wada, wada din manpapaubla od Pilipil pay ad basta kaoy kayos di et wada. (Yes, you can find a job at Pilipil just go there and ask)
Juan: aw salamat ngalod ta umoy kami no maka ibbay kami (thank you four the information, we will go there finish resting)
The night came and they decided to go there in the next day so they go home and got to sleep. The morning came and they started their journey to Pilipil. They traveled for a quite long time and they got tired and coincidentally they found a cave and decided to rest there. The both of them have rested and decided to continue their journey, soon time passed and they arrived at Pilipil.
Juan: yan unta kod manlekod no wada san paki ublaan sina ay kankanan da ay( let roam around here to find the job they’re saying)
So they started to look for a job
Enteng: ay angkol ay wada et d ipaubla yos sa? (Uncle do have a work for us there?)
Panday: Ubla? Wada pay adi mankabiti koma sin igid di payow aydoy dan doy mag magday asak lagbuan dakayos 500 si osay agaw( job you ask? Yes you just need to stone wall the ricefield because the land got soft and it is falling I can pay 500 per day for your work)
The offer was good so they accepted it. The man noticed the golden teeth of the father and he liked it so he offered to buy it but the father.
Panday: Ni mayat san gold ay bab am ay sana mo ay laydom sat lakuak sa? (Your golden teeth is so pretty can I buy it?)
Juan: aga adak ilak lako na tan importante nan sakon( No I cant sell it because it is important for me)
The man got upset and decided to leave the father and son to work, and after some few days the father and son finished the job and go to the man for their pay the man gived them their pay.
Juan: ay boss nay nalpas mi san kabiti ta alan mi kod lagbo mi (Boss we just finished the work can we get our pay now?)
Panday: ah ah aw adi nay din lagbo yo ay ngom mayat san inamag yo tan?(Yes you can get it but did you do your job properly)
Juan: mayat kayman nangkararagda haha( of course we made it very sturdy haha)
However the man still wants the golden teeth but he knows that the father won’t give it up ,so he planned something and he offered them wine
Panday: Nay di wine muna ad ta iinoman tako asi yo sumaa(Do you want a wine? We should drink first before you go home.)
Juan: et aw ad kayman(Yes let’s do that)
so he decided to drink with him but time passed and the father got drunk and the man continued his plan. He called his other townsfolk warriors and said that the father and son is evil and that they should kill them the warriors got convinced at the man’s story and got into action they killed the father and beheaded him they got the son and decided to torture him.
Panday: kakailyan tulong din duwa ay pinaublak et wadan balbalakan day lawlawa(Help me the two men I hired is planning something against me.)
They took the blood of his father and they made the son drink it and after some time they tied him to a tree and they rejoiced and drinked wine, the night came and the warriors and the man got drunk and the son decided have gotten the chance to escape. He ran all the way to his village(Leseb)
Enteng: tulong! Tulong! si ama et pinso da ed pilipil tulong!!(Help! Help! My father got killed at Pilipil help!
The son told the incident to his fellow villagers upon hearing this his fellow villager got mad and they decided to avenge the father so, they gathered their warriors and prepared their weapons to wage war on the people of Pilipil.
Kapitan: ayeeh pay san inyat das kailyan ay sana mo! Untako manbaos!( let’s get revenge for our country men they deserve to die!)
So the next day they trekked the way to Pilipil, the son is leading the way and he was followed by the vengeful warriors of Leseb. Soon they arrived at Pilipil and killed all they can kill.
Kapitan: laban kakailyan! Ibaos tako san inyat das kailyan tako!(Lets fight kill them all lets get revenge)
They beheaded the warriors of Pilipil and stucked them at their spearheads and they decided to go back . On their way home they stumbled the cave the father and son rested at they also decided to rest there and perform a ritual of the called “dacudacan” that involves the playing of gongs and drums, the stomping of feet and shouting “dacdacudac” which means victory. At that time a couple who’s looking for a place to stay passed them they saw that the place was good for living so they decided to stay there. When they asked the name of the place to the warriors of Leseb they decided to call it Dacudacan to commemorate their victory. Soon the couple who stayed at the place soon have children and after time passed the population grew, and later the place Dacudacan became adopted as Dacudac later on.
By: Clarce Loy-ong
