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The Sagobay is a Tinguian ceremony documented in Abra and neighboring areas.
Historical accounts describe it as being connected with rice culture as well as protection against illness. When an epidemic appeared in a nearby settlement, village elders could call a council to determine what offerings and resources were needed.
A striking feature of the described ritual was the creation of a barrier around the settlement using bamboo or rattan.
A specially constructed fence was placed at an entrance, symbolically restricting the movement of harmful forces into the community.
The ceremony could involve pigs, rice, basi, and contributions from members of the village.
Sagobay provides an unusual example of how traditional disease-protection beliefs were E×ρréššed through collective community action and ritual boundaries.
© NCCA — TALAPAMANA / Fay-Cooper Cole ethnography