Philippine Islamic art and heritage and works of Mindanao artists were the highlights in the inaugural Budayaw Festival, a biennial celebration of cultures of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) held recently in General Santos City and Sarangani province.
An exhibit, “Muslims of the Philippines: History and Culture,” was mounted at the atrium of SM City General Santos showcasing the rich—sometimes troubled—history of Islamic groups in the country mostly located in the Sulu archipelago, southern Palawan, Maguindanao and Lanao provinces.
Curated by Marian Pastor Roces, the exhibition features rare artifacts of various Islamic ethnic groups such as the “sunduk” or carved grave markers of the Tausug, “panolong” or carved beam protruding the traditional Maranao house called “torogan,” “talam” or the Maranao food presentation trays; mythical Maranao Sarimanok fowl, brass containers called “gador,” and bamboo xylophone of the Tausug and Sama called “gabbang,” and “saputangan” tapestry of the Yakan of Basilan.
It also features old photographs of Mindanao, surveys of the 1,000-year history of Islam in the country, traditional attires, and a story of Sulu Sultan Paduka Batara (also Pahala), who reportedly traveled to China 600 years ago on a friendship mission.
Art exhibit
In the nearby Veranza Mall, a collaborative art exhibit was mounted featuring works by artists from Malaysia, Brunei, Mindanao and Palawan.
Among the 22 artists who participated were Raymond Tangiday with his sculpture “Once Upon a Pre-Colonial Time”; Michelle Lua with “Maria Santisima” sculpture and other works; Chester Mato with “Synergy,” Mariano Cataque with “Kulentangan,” Oscar Floirendo with “Words of Mass Destruction,” Joel Geolamen with “Kabilin,” Brunei’s Faisal Hamdan with “Who we are,” and Malaysia’s Gerald Goh with “The Prayer for Peace.”
Goh’s work in particular, a praying woman, was inspired by the events in Marawi City, a tribute to the besieged city and other places in the world suffering from terroristic activities.
Also exhibited in the same venue is the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) paper craft series by Ryan Arengo. It features various landmarks in the Philippines such as the Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque in Cotabato City and Manila Metropolitan Theater.
Meanwhile, “Balay Balay Ta!” was an interactive exhibit of the three dimensional models of the Maranao Torogan, an NCCA-supported socio-educational enterprise aimed at heritage preservation and employing members of various indigenous peoples in Davao City.
Architect Gloryrose Dy said the Balay Balay 3D Architecture would like to promote and preserve the rich precolonial architectural heritage of the various ethnic groups in Mindanao. –CONTRIBUTED