𝗣𝗨𝗡𝗡𝗨𝗞 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲: 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 harvest ends, a new cycle begins

Ifugao- On August 22, the communities of Hapao, Baang, and Nungulunan in Hungduan, Ifugao, gathered along the Nunhipukana in the Hapao River for Punnuk, a sacred post-harvest thanksgiving ritual that brings the rice-growing cycle to a close.

At the heart of the ritual is the 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘺𝘶𝘥𝘢𝘯, a traditional tugging game performed in the river using the 𝘱𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘥, a hooked wooden pole, and the 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘢-𝘢𝘨, a human-like figure made from rice stalks. More than a contest of strength, the tugging embodies community unity, cooperation, thanksgiving, and hope for abundance in the coming agricultural cycle. At the conclusion, the 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘢-𝘢𝘨 is released into the river, signaling downstream communities that the harvest has been completed.

Punnuk is part of the “Tugging Rituals and Games” inscribed in 2015 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity – a shared heritage tradition across rice-farming communities in East and Southeast Asia.

For the visitors who traveled from near and far, Punnuk offered more than a spectacle. It was a glimpse into a tradition that continues to live through the people who practice, protect, and pass it on.

Punnuk 2026 – a living expression of harvest, heritage, and community.

𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬?

One of the traditional meanings behind releasing the 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘢-𝘢𝘨 into the river is to signal downstream communities that the harvest has been completed, and that it is once again permissible to eat fish, shellfish, and other foods with a distinct fishy smell. These foods were traditionally avoided during the harvest season, making the 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘢-𝘢𝘨’s journey downstream not only a signal of the harvest’s end, but also of the return to customary practices and everyday life.

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