PANAGMASA: Language in the Craft
Maxene Janel Batangan & Ryan Roi Domingo
This documentary presents an ethnographic exploration and linguistic documentation of the Ilokano terms embedded in the traditional making of Pasuquin biscocho, a well-known baked delicacy from Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, located on the plains of the northern Philippines. While the product itself is widely recognized for its distinct crispness and local identity, the language that sustains its production—the specialized Ilokano vocabulary used by bakers, workers, and community members—faces gradual decline. Through immersive fieldwork, interviews, and community collaboration, the film captures the everyday linguistic practices of the people behind the biscocho industry, preserving the terminology, processes, and cultural knowledge that are often overlooked or undocumented. By foregrounding authentic voices and practices, the documentary highlights how language, labor, and heritage intersect within a community’s livelihood. Ultimately, this project seeks not only to record vanishing lexical items but also to affirm the cultural significance of maintaining a living, working language within Ilokano communities.
Review #1 by Dan Henry Gonzales
This short video review offers a guided way into Panagmasa: Language in the Craft, highlighting what the work makes visible about language, labour, and local knowledge—and suggesting a few “watch-for” moments you can carry into your own analysis.
If you’re using this in teaching or research training, treat it as a model of how to move from close description (what we can see/hear) to interpretation (what this enables, values, or foregrounds), while staying anchored in the artefact itself.