By Danilo P. Padua, PhD
There is an on-going festivities called The Serious and the Comedians’ Festival. It is being held throughout the Philippines except in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. It is popularly known as the midterm elections.
Let’s allow others to enjoy that or, God forbid, suffer with it.
A better, more relaxing, and definitely more enjoyable event is the on-going festival in the heart of the Cordillera region. It is the 18th Lang-ay Festival in Bontoc. It is coinciding with the 58th Mountain Province Founding Anniversary.
For those uninitiated, the original Mtn. Province was made up of 5 sub-provinces namely: Apayao, Benguet, Bontoc, Ifugao and Kalinga. Bontoc, Bontoc was the capital. In 1967, all sub-provinces became independent provinces, all retaining their “original” names except Bontoc which assumed the name Mtn. Province.
Am not actually a stranger in Bontoc, having been there several times. Among others, I have been a part of the team that served as reviewers of the Research and Extension In-House Review of MPSU when it was still MPSPC; served also as resource person on strawberry growing during a fruit production training hosted by the Provincial Agriculture Office in cooperation with DA-CAR; took my relatives to tourist sites especially in Sagada and Bontoc. I almost got to work there when my uncle, Mr. Gregorio Padua, was the Provincial Agriculturist of MP. He was recruiting me then.
A Kapihan sa Mountain Province was held on the 28th of March, which somehow informally started the festivities. It was attended by all heads of committees involved in the Festival and the Founding anniversary of the province, media personnel, other government officials and other interested people.
Since I was in town, I took the liberty to attend this in behalf of this paper in my capacity as columnist, and sometimes a reporter. (As many knows, ZZW is regularly circulated in Mtn Province, especially in Bontoc. Fact is, I bought a copy of this paper right there in the town).
I found new and very interesting features of the 18th iteration of Lang-ay. I must admit though that I actually attended just one of its earlier editions.
Last April 3, the Lang-ay on the street was held. It was a whole new experience for many locals and visitors alike. It’s a community gathering where everyone was encouraged to join and share food and wine in the spirit of unity and camaraderie. It’s a winner, to borrow some street parlance.
April 5, a Saturday, is the primary date of celebrations. For the first time in the festival, the street dancing was injected with drama, so it became Street Dance Drama. The eastern municipalities danced their own native dances, and so did the western and central towns. They embellished their dances with drama in a designated portion of the street to the delight of the crowds. This is not a common feature in street dancing anywhere.
Activities during this day, included the groundbreaking ceremony of the Provincial Tourism, Culture and the Arts Museum building. According to Mr. Roger Sacyaten, the provincial chief of PTCA, the proposed budget for the Museum was only PhP20.0M but it was increased to PhP40.0 M by the national government. It will be a 4-storey edifice, which will also house political history. This is a huge accomplishment. Salute to MP officials for this.
Lang-ay Festival is turning out not only as a source of fun but also a harbinger of innovation and promoter of culture and arts, non pareil.
Maybe municipalities like La Trinidad in Benguet should take a cue from this.
Why? I believe La Trinidad played even a more important role in the history of Cordillera than any other town or city in the region-at the beginning.
Before the Spaniards came, La Trinidad was already a known trading post (or a barter place), including for gold. When the Americans came, they saw L.T. as already a thriving town, but they found a raw land Baguio as a suitable place for putting up a sanatorium-for the health restoration of their officials and soldiers. As they developed Baguio, La Trinidad was just left gasping for some air.
Bontoc has only 25,200 inhabitants while La Trinidad has about 140,000 population, and more tourists are visiting it. So L.T. officials should really strive to have its own museum for the next generations to appreciate the past and make relevant improvements for the future. Look to what Bontoc had done. **
