BONTOC, Mountain Province – The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), in coordination with the provincial government, motivated the participants in this event with a higher note in local music and indigenous dances.
Last February 26-27, 2025, some One Hundred (100) participants trooped to the Governor Leonard Mayaen Sports Complex here to participate in the training-workshops for music and playing of bamboo indigenous music instruments under the baton of Professors Joey Soliman, Jr and Benicio Sokkong, NCCA personnel.
The preliminary activities included the opening prayer given by Roger Sacyaten, the Pambansang Awit led by Judith Nguslab, and the Welcome Remarks given by Provincial Administrator John K. Likigan who expressed appreciation to the personnel from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for choosing Mountain Province as the site of the National Arts Month celebration.
The main training-workshop lectures were given by the NCCA personnel in the persons of Professors Jose Soliman Jr. and Benicio Sokkong. The former took care of training the singing of the choirs while the latter was in charge in the playing of Bamboo Musical Instruments.
After the lectures in the morning, the workshops were conducted in the afternoon and the morning of the next day with the participants eagerly expecting to learn how to sing and play the Bamboo musical instruments.
Professor Joey Soliman was emphatic in guiding the participants to properly sing the national anthem and local pieces of music at the venue while Sokkong was with the participants who chose to collaborate with the indigenous musical instruments at the Provincial Plaza so as not to disturb the other groups.
The playing of bamboo instruments gave opportunity to the participants and public enthusiasts to witness different scenes other than the usual “pattong” ushered in by gongs.
One participant from the teachers’ group commented that learning in the music especially the singing of the national anthem is very crucial. “We have been in the profession for so long but have never learned the proper beat of the national anthem”
In the afternoon of the second day, a rendition of indigenous music was rendered by assigned groups with Indigenous musical instruments, including an orchestra.
Another participant from the students’ group said that “the impact of playing the bamboo instruments is so great as it could provide an alternative to the beat of gongs”.
The governor expressed appreciation to the NCCA personnel for coming to teach our constituents. “We have been supportive for the promotion and advancement of the Culture and Arts in the province”.
The provincial government has extended financial resources to bankroll the two-day event.
Participants in the training-workshop were the teachers and heads of schools in the province in-charge of MAPEH and IPED, students of the various high schools in the capital town and those from the Mountain Province State University (MPSU).
During the closing program, Governor Lacwasan handed out the tokens to the resource persons from the NCCA. The participants were promised to be given Certificates of Participation.
He said that the provincial government is supportive to undertakings such as this.**Roger Sacyaten with Jessa Mae Tiw-an
