BONTOC, Mtn. Province – The 16th Lang-ay Festival has been opened with a civic parade of the provincial and municipal officials, provincial and municipal employees, representatives from national line agencies, private sector, civic and women’s organizations.
“Tekwab” and “salibongbong”, a performance of ritual to start the festival, with the offering of a pig and prayers of thanksgiving for the past and incoming blessings for the province.
After the Lang-ay Prelude was a program for the opening of the Agro-Industrial Trade Fair that saw Dir. CAMERON P. Odsey as Guest of Honor and Speaker. During his message he mentioned the multi-million programs funded by the Department of Agriculture – Cordillera Administrative Region.
Congressman Maximo Dalog, Jr., in his message, honored past leaders as a way of citing the commemoration of the 56th Foundation Day of the province. He also alluded to the cultural heritage of the province as depicted by the Lang-ay Festival which was a brainchild of his father and namesake way back in 2005.
Since then, it spawned the birth of municipal festival in the ten municipalities of the province.
Board member Angel Moises Tamang, Chairperson of the Committee on Coopertiv4es, NGOs, POs, and Trade and Industry, declared the opening of the Agro-Industrial Trade fair. A ribbon cutting followed the program.
MEANWHILE, other events to be waited for in the coming days within the Lang-ay week are the Search for Mr. and Ms. Mountain Province that will have its pageant competitions on April 2 and 3. Coronation night will be on the 3rd of April.
Lang-ay on the Street will be in the afternoon of April 2, 2023. Congressman Dalog extended his invitation to the public during his speech. “Umali kayo ta makiLang-ay Tako”, he quipped.
It was learned that a program will highlight the event with the snacks of indigenous foods and early dinner of watwat then a concert of local talents will while away the night.
But a concert by Fr. Marcial Castaneda will be held earlier at the Provincial Plaza in the night of March 31 dubbed as Lang-ay Marcs Songs.
Thanksgiving mass and wreath laying and candle lighting at the governors’ memorial monument on April 3 will set the tone of honoring the past governors of the province.
Tribal dinner with the provincial governor will be on April 4. It will be a dinner welcome for the municipal delegates who will be participating in the street dancing and cultural performances the following day.
The Street Dancing and the Cultural Showdown performances will be done on April 5, the culmination of the festival.
In commemoration of the 56th Founding Anniversary of the province, the following were invited: Senators Imee Marcos and Christopher “Bong” Go, DOLE Secretary Bienvenida Laguesma, and PBGen. David Peredo, Jr. of the Regional Office of the PRO-COR.
Atty. Joseph B. Sagandoy, Jr., Deputy Presidential Legal Officer and who traces his roots in this town, will be the Guest of Honor and Speaker.
To cap the 16th Lang-ay event, a Gangsa Night will be conducted in the night of April 5 where all the municipal contingents will converge at the provincial plaza for a simultaneous beating of the gongs. Prizes of the earlier competitions will be announced.**Roger Sacyaten