CULTURAL master Apo Jaime Epi of the Obu Manubu tribe in Davao City passed away on the morning of Tuesday, February 1 at age 82.
According to Obu Manuvo Governance Office IPS Head Lipatuan Joel Unad, who has a close connection with Apo Epi’s family, the cultural master was experiencing pneumonia that was left untreated.
Unad told SunStar Davao that Apo Epi refused to seek consultation from a doctor but still had enough strength to interact when he last saw Epi.
As a cultural master, Epi was known for his contributions to preserving the music, culture, and traditions of the Obu-Manubu tribe, and most especially for his mastery of the Kulintang.
His performances always moved the audiences as he became a symbol of Davao and Obu Manubu's heritage.
"Apo Epi's influence on the cultural landscape of Davao City cannot be overstated. He was a symbol of the region's rich heritage and his presence at the Kadayawan Festival embodied the living culture of the Dabawenyos," Obu-Manubu youth leader Anna Jessa Mae Crisostomo said.
Unad said Epi also left a huge, significant influence on the youth of Obu Manubu as his talents with dancing and the Kulintang are preserved and passed on to the new generation.
"Before pa siya namatay, dako kaayo ang iyang contribution, kung unsa siya ka-importante na tao para saamoa," he said.
As per Epi's request to his family, before he passed away, Unad said the wake would not last more than three days and the cultural master would not be embalmed and put in a casket. ICM