LAGAWE, IFUGAO- – Aguinaldo recently bagged the top prize of the Gotad ad Ifugao street dancing competition sponsored by the provincial government.
The event was participated by five towns. This upland Cordillera province has 11 towns.
Aguinaldo, a farming town of nearly 21,000 inhabitants in Ifugao’s second geographical district, bested Kiangan and received Php 100,000 prize for the feat. While the Php 80,000 prize went to Kiangan.
Host Lagawe, Lamut and Banaue took the third (Php 50,000), fourth (Php 30,000) and fifth (also 30,000) rankings, respectively.
Participants performed primarily at a section of the main highway situated at barangays Poblacion East and North of the capital town. Main program was held at the Don Bosco High School gymnasium.
Mayor Clemente Talusig led the powerhouse Aguinaldo delegation. About 80 highly-inspired, strong-willed students of the town’s public high school-garbed in shiny, colorful attires comprised the Team Aguinaldo contingent. Jhay Lamingo and John Garcia acted as trainers. The street dancers conducted a rigid three-week training program at Damag Elementary School. Interestingly, most of them competed for the first time.
“It is an honor for Aguinaldo to be adjudged as the champion of this prestigious event,” Talusig told the ZigZag Weekly in an exclusive interview.
“It is a great honor for me to receive the award and I vow that I will continue to work hard for the benefit of our beloved people and Aguinaldo,” he added.
The street dancing competition is easily considered as the centerpiece occasion of the annual Gotad festivity.
Vice Mayor Ricky Uchayan also graced both the actual competition and awards rites. He and Sangguniang Bayan secretary James Frederick Dulnuan provided invaluable assistance to the vibrant members of Team Aguinaldo.
The support and participation of Mayor Talusig contributed to the Team Aguinaldo’s resounding success. Town folks also expressed their gratitude for his countless inputs and meaningful insights gathered and adopted along the way in capacity-building efforts.
“My success is due to my constituent’s cooperation. I must reciprocate somehow their strong and outpouring support. This mantra led to the vision for social responsibility propelled by the belief that spreading blessings to the people, most especially the underprivileged, could spark a catharsis of change,” he asserted.
In a great sense, there’s a lot to understand and appreciate for Ifugao folks in undertakings as this one.
The event is a fruitful one, especially for LGU bigwigs- who stand to gain valuable knowledge on how to access resources for development and how better to use them to improve the lives of the people.
Undoubtedly, Team Aguinaldo’s performance made the grade: high marks for being brilliant, sensitive and breathtaking.
By precedence, Team Aguinaldo earned the birth to represent Ifugao in next year’s Festival of the Festivals for the Cordilleras- likely to be held in Baguio City.
What’s next? It’s time for honing skills. Waste no time and diligently prepare for it thus, be a genuine innovator of interpretation. Think of giving out a great unforgettable performance on a bigger stage.
Winning is determined by no external forces. It doesn’t matter how hard anyone is rooting for you, or how much rivals dislike you. Your fate is in your hands and how well you play the game. Plain and simple!
A deep sense of urgency in resolving the controversy on live music and AI-generated one should surely contribute to a deeper understanding of what is at stake with respect to all contending issues. At the core of the problem is the unhealthy image of divisions within Ifugao people. Better leave it to an evaluation of a non-Ifugao person. Then outcomes have to be guided towards intellectual enlightenment and enhancement of social cohesion.
Shocking may be a strong term to use, but no word could be exactly describing the reactions of partisan folks in the ensuing Aguinaldo vs Kiangan word war exchanges. The narrative was a bad idea considering its childish content. But what made it utterly worse is the fact it betrays the lack of understanding the sheer meaning of the word “solidarity” among ethnic folks.
Meantime, a new episode for Team Aguinaldo street dancers is just beginning. Reaping with boundless opportunities: of youthful folks, of resonating voices, of promising lives. Imbued with clear and passionate love for street dancing, keep up your winning ways even amid challenging times and conditions! **By Anthony A. Araos
