Cordilleran culture is as solid as the mountain range where it thrives.
This was evident in the annual fifth Tam-Awan International Arts Festival organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Chanum Foundation, Province of Benguet, Ayala Museum and Tam-Awan Village.
“The festival is not only about arts but also about the culture of the Cordillera—also the culture of Filipinos,” said Fr. Harold Rentoria, OSA, head of the NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Heritage. “ We would like to promote and protect intangible heritage, and in a wider perspective, everything that we see is part of us as a community. We are all stewards of what we have and this makes us all Filipinos.”
Rentoria called on the Department of Tourism to integrate cultural heritage in tourism programs.
“What we want is to make culture and the arts as content of tourism promotions, aside from the usual resorts,” Rentoria said. “Maybe we have to encourage people to visit our heritage sites and different indigenous communities, bearing in mind that we have to give due respect to these communities.”
The festival saw foreign artists and cultural groups participating.
Slaughter of animals
Ambassador Agnes Nyamande-Pitso of South Africa said African tribes such as the Venda, Xhosa, Zulu, Pedi, Shangaan bore similarities with their counterparts from the Philippines. She noted the geometric patterns of their native clothing.
Ambassador Nyamande-Pitso added that both tribes would usually open celebrations with the slaughter of animals, like the canao of the Cordillerans which opened the Tam-Awan festival.
The envoy likewise pointed out that South Africans’ tribal traditions have been integrated and woven into their belief systems.
Igorot cultural worker Ventura Bitot talked about Cordillera mythology, specifically about Lumawig, the son of the Cordilleran principal god Kabunyan, who came down to earth with a mission from his father—to teach the people how to live in prosperity, and to the stop the tribal wars. “It is a sort of prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ, in my opinion,” he said.
Bitot said the largest flower in the world, rafflesia, could also be found in the Mountain Province.
Datu Modesto Pocol, a representative of the Manobo, Higaonon and Talaandig cluster of communities, explained the rationale of ritual practices. “Every activity has a certain ritual because that’s the will of god—whatever we need has a ritual.”
Environmentally friendly
Since the Cordillera is known for its mining potentials, a tour of the Balatoc Mine in Itogon, managed by the Benguet Corporation, was made. Benguet said it was doing “environmentally friendly mining” while also assisting the communities around the mine with livelihood opportunities and social welfare programs.
Another tour was of the Ambuklao Hydroelectric Dam in Bokod, managed by the Filipino-Norwegian firm SN Aboitiz.
“We have a partnership agreement [with the Ibaloi and IP groups] to support them,” said Michael Hosillos, VP for corporate services of SN Aboitiz. “We’re working on the establishment of a cultural heritage site in Ambuklao and Binga [dams], mainly driven by the IPs to showcase their cultural heritage.”
Another tour was of Binga, yet another hydroelectric dam in Bokod.
Delan Robillos of the NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Heritage said the NCCA could help the communities of Bokod by providing them technical assistance through grants.
“I hope that this is the start of a partnership, and a continuation of the dialogue on how we can preserve and promote cultural heritage hand-in-hand with community relations,” said Robillos.
Notable Cordilleran dances that were performed during the festival included the Ibaloi Bindiyan, or the head-taking ceremonial dance; and the Kalinga courtship dance, Tugpaya.
Tanghalang Saint Louis University performed a minimalist version of Francisco Balagtas’ awit, “Florante at Laura,” delivered in a span of just 10 minutes.
