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06.12.08Panagwawagi: An Isneg Celebration
It’s a bit of a challenge to find news stories written about our Isneg brothers and sisters as well as stories on the Cordillera boundary towns so I’m thrilled when I came across this story by Floy Quintos.
Floy writes about the Panagwawagi Festival in Dumalneg, a town located between the Cordilleras and the Ilocos. Read it here.
But here’s an excerpt:
For Cordillera heritage, one must go to Baguio, or Sagada or Banaue. But Ilocos Norte?
Why not? We must remember the northern tip of the Gran Cordillera mountain range rises from the foothills of Ilocos Norte.
The mountainous jungle fastness bordering Ilocos and Cagayan Valley are home to the Apayao, just as the eastern ranges of Ilocos Sur and Abra are home to the Tingguian. Where does the Ilocos’ culture end and Cordillera’s begin? Or do they gradually meld together, here in these mist-covered foothills?
It’s good to discover the diversity of the peoples of the Cordilleras, no?
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05.02.08Scooter Race in Banaue
Here’s a pretty cool scooter race in Banaue. When was the last time you did something as fun as this? Maybe we should all join the race next year, no? What do you think? Thanks, to Art Tibaldo for alerting us on this video.Related story from the Inquirer after the jump.
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04.23.08Governor Baguilat Denies Banning “Moma”
From Sunstar: The betel nut chew or more popularly known as “moma” in the local dialect was never barred from being used as the traditional chewing gum in Ifugao.
Ifugao Governor Teddy Baguilat Jr. issued the clarification after some expatriates who attended the recently concluded International Igorot Consultation (IIC), asked why the Provincial Government is banning a tradition known to be practiced not only by Igorots but also by lowlanders.
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04.16.08Igorots/iCordilleras in Switzerland
The BIBAK group in Switzerland perform during the Philippine Independence day. Video courtesy of igorotland.
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04.11.08GMA News Video: Lang-ay Festival 2008
Here’s a video report from GMA News on the recently concluded Lang-ay Festival. The video itself isn’t very good (it’s blurred in some parts) but it features an interview with Governor Maximo Dalog, the wedding of Dave and Janice Gulian in Sagada, and some shots of our favorite Anglican priest, Fr. Ben Solang.
Related: Lang-ay 2008 Video
Video source: GMANews.TV
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04.08.08Coming Up: IIC-8 in Banaue, Ifugao
Good luck to my good friend Philian Weygan and the rest of those organizing and joining the International Igorot Consultation this 12-15 April 2008 in Banaue, Ifugao. Visit Philian’s site for the schedule of activities or program overview as well as a backgrounder on the IIC.
Photo shamelessly stolen from Philian’s site.
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04.08.08Lang-ay 2008 Video
Here’s a photo collection (in video format) of the recently concluded Lang-ay 2008 festival in Bontoc. Video courtesy of Rafael Manuel Jr.
Since, you will be watching a lot of the peoples of Mt. Province in the video, maybe this is a good time to talk a little bit about them. According to the National Statistics Office the population of Mt. Province is broken down as follows:
Applai: 2,947
Balangao/Baliwon:18,886
Bontok/Binontok: 2,510
Ibontoc: 17,234
Ilocano: 6,968
Kalinga: 2,468
Kankanai/Kankaney/Kankanaey: 72,694
Other Local Ethnicity: 16,197
Other Foreign Ethnicity: 22
Not Reported: 413Total Mountain Province Population (Year 2000): 140,339
Apparently, because Kankanaeys compose a slight majority of the population, the NSO ridiculously dubbed Mt. Province as “Home of the Kankanais”. Hah, maybe we should encourage our Bontoc and Baliwon/Balangao activist-friends to make “sugod” the NSO to change their ill-advised title/description for Mt. Province. What you think, Layad?
Anyways, Applai is a Kankanaey sub-tribe so they should be included in the Kankanaey total. The Bontok/Binontok and Ibontoc are, of course, one group and should not have a separate count. Meanwhile, in case you are wondering, the Balangaos/Baliwons are from the eastern part of Mt. Province particularly Natonin and Paracelis.
I hope the NSO made a breakdown of the 16,197 who are listed as “other local ethnicity” but maybe they’re busy spending all their time coming up with trying-to-be-catchy-but-actually-silly titles like “Home of the Kankanais”.
Hala, let’s make sugod na the NSO so it will change that ridiculous title with an inclusive one.
