Pinunnog as an Indigenous Meat Preservation Practice: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study among the Hanglulo Tribe in Ifugao, Philippines

Abstract

Indigenous food preservation practices play a critical role in food security, cultural continuity, and ecological sustainability. Despite growing scholarly interest in Indigenous food systems, limited studies have explored how traditional food preservation practices are experienced and understood by Indigenous communities themselves. This study examined Pinunnog, an Indigenous meat preservation practice of the Hanglulo Tribe in Amduntog, Asipulo, Ifugao, Philippines. Guided by Husserlian descriptive phenomenology, the study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews with purposively selected community members. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step phenomenological method. Findings revealed five essential experiential structures: (1) Pinunnog as embodied continuity of Indigenous foodways; (2) Pinunnog as tacit and relational knowing; (3) Pinunnog as relational and intersubjective practice; (4) Pinunnog as an ethical practice of sustenance and care; and (5) Pinunnog as lived vulnerability and intergenerational responsibility. The findings demonstrate that Pinunnog is not merely a method of preserving meat but a culturally embedded practice through which identity, social relationships, care, and cultural continuity are sustained. The study contributes to Indigenous foodways scholarship by demonstrating the value of phenomenological inquiry in understanding Indigenous Knowledge Systems beyond technical or heritage-centered accounts.