"Why, Father?"

Our rich culture, beliefs, and traditions have their roots in our indigenous ancestors. Over time, many of these have gradually faded away, one of which is the traditional Ilocano practice of dung-aw. This film aims to introduce and document the current state of this unique form of eulogy.

I was introduced to dung-aw at a very young age. I often witnessed people weeping and delivering messages at funerals and cemeteries, but this particular eulogy was unique—the message was sung to the deceased. Whenever I witnessed a dung-aw, I felt a mix of emotions: fear due to the strange melody and sound of the dung-aw, sincerity in the message, and a strange amusement that I couldn’t quite explain. Over time, I noticed that the tradition was slowly disappearing, becoming a subject of mockery among the younger generation of Ilocanos. It is disheartening to think of it as a dying tradition.

There came a time when I no longer saw or heard dung-aw at funerals in our province. This prompted me to develop the concept for "Bakit Papa?". I wanted to introduce the audience to the unique and rich tradition of Ilocano funerals, which is a stark contrast to the modern eulogies we have today, and to highlight the painful reality that this sacred tradition is slowly fading away and becoming a subject of ridicule.

As a queer, I have also experienced the exhausting nature of societal norms, particularly from my father. It felt like a significant part of myself was being buried, a loss I had mourned for a long time. However, I am now gradually unearthing these aspects of myself and my identity that were buried by those around me and the people I love. Through this story, I want to portray my experience of how my father buried my sexuality and how an Ilocano identity was forcibly imposed on the character of Balong.