The Ibaloi people used salt and herbs combined with the action of fire to embalm corpses.

Kabayan – a town in Benguet province, northern Luzon island, Philippines is home to the majority of Ibaloi people – an ethnic group with a unique culture of the Philippines. The Ibaloi people are known around the world for their practice of embalming their dead.

This custom was practiced by the Ibaloi long before the Spanish colonialists invaded the Philippines. Embalming was carried out in a lengthy ceremony and was reserved only for high-class members of the community.

The Ibaloi embalming technique is based on the use of salt and herbs combined with the impact of fire. This process can take up to 2 years.

Once completely dry, the mummy was placed inside a coffin made of pine wood and buried in a natural or artificial cave dug deep into the rock.

This practice ended when the Spanish colonized the Philippines and imposed Catholicism on the indigenous community. Since then, the caves containing the mummies have been abandoned for a long time.

After being rediscovered in recent decades, many caves have been infiltrated by ancient tomb robbers. Tourists are also a factor that causes mummies to be damaged and lost.

According to statistics, on the slopes around the town of Kabayan today there are more than 200 caves and 15 of them contain mummies. In addition, there may be many other caves containing mummies buried in the heart of the mountain.

The Philippine archaeological agency has actively cooperated with international organizations to research and preserve these mummies. Many management measures have been put in place to protect mummies from negative impacts from humans.

Currently, the Kabayan mummy caves have been recognized by the Philippine government as a national heritage, symbolizing the unique culture and beliefs of the Ibaloi tribe, in need of special preservation.

This relic has also been submitted by the Philippines to UNESCO for consideration for World Heritage status