Societal Obligations and Ethical Values in Sustaining Communal Peace and Unity: Perspective from Sadanga, Philippines

This study examines the role of the Ator in sustaining societal obligations and ethical values that promote communal peace and social cohesion among the indigenous communities of Sadanga Municipality, Mountain Province, Philippines. Using a qualitative research design, data were gathered through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observations involving barangay officials, indigenous leaders, and community elders. The findings reveal that the Ator functions as the cultural institution that preserves indigenous systems of governance, social responsibility, and peacebuilding. It serves as the primary venue where communal obligations are transmitted and practiced through collective activities such as agricultural labor, stone wall construction, house building, wedding preparations, disaster response, caregiving during illness, funeral rites, and search-and-rescue operations. These practices reinforce mutual assistance, accountability, and collective responsibility, thereby strengthening social cohesion and discouraging behaviors that may disrupt community harmony. The study further identifies indigenous ethical principles, particularly rawa (respect, responsibility, and service), paniyew (customary prohibitions and moral restraints), and filial piety, as fundamental values that regulate social conduct and promote peaceful coexistence. However, the traditional role of the Ator as a communal learning space for young men has substantially declined due to social modernization, limiting opportunities for intergenerational transmission of indigenous knowledge. Without deliberate preservation and revitalization efforts, these indigenous practices and ethical systems face the risk of gradual erosion. The study highlights the importance of documenting and revitalizing the Ator as an indigenous institution for sustaining cultural identity, community-based governance, and peacebuilding in contemporary society.