ADIVAY

Adivay is to pay one a visit, have fellowship with, keep someone company, have fun, and/or the coming together of (Ibaloy dictionary, 2011).  Adivay happens in weddings, ritual feasts, wakes, festivals, etc. where people stay in groups and share a good laugh over their jokes, stories, and anecdotes, they talk about genealogies, tease each other, discuss social issues or current events, join in the bah-diw, dance in the Tayaw or Bendian, sing songs, play games, etc.    Adivay brings people together.  It strengthens relations among relatives and the community. 

When somebody visits a sick friend or a relative whom he hasn't seen for long while, it is also called adivay.  My mother used to say, "Nak ka adivayen si auntie Mahaysha." and she would bring balat (bananas), pangshan (pineapples) or pising (gabi leaves) with her.

With the advancement of communications technology and with the "busyness of life" however,  people rarely visit each other and make adivay.  Relatives and friends are now just a text or phone call away and adivay also taken a new form - conversations on facebook.  When in a good and/or funny thread, an Ibaloy would comment, "Mapteng adivayan jo'd jay a." (You have a good adivay here).  There are fewer and fewer canaos being hosted by families as well, it being expensive and for others, it is against their faith.  

To give the Benguet people more opportunities for adivay, the Benguet Adivay festival is held every November and the municipalities hold their own Adivay festivals as well.  I-Benguets abroad also synchronize their Adivay fest to that of Benguet's back home. Clans also stage reunions for relatives to meet at least once a year or once in two years and make adivay.   This way, the best practices in the Ibaloy culture remains among the Ibaloy children (I hope).  Kalejo, man-aadivay!