LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, (PIA) – – Incorporating indigenous traditional practices in infrastructure development promotes and allows Cordillera cultural heritage to flourish and as a means to maintain Cordilleran identity.
University of the Philippines Cordillera Studies Center Director Rhea Abayao, in her talk during the recently held Cultural Summit, put forward a challenge in infrastructure development that cuts across culture to promote heritage.
Abayao suggested that conceptualization of infrastructure development should be sensitive to cultural property and may not necessarily conform to the usual modern practices. Such inherent cultural property reveals and enriches Cordillera identity.
To name two of the practices are the traditional way of rip-rapping or “kabite” in the local dialect which may be revitalized or the construction of a “dap-ay”, a structure where people meet together, that may be built in the cities if there is a need for it, said Abayao. This also may apply in building residential houses with a touch of traditional architecture.
In allotting a budget and design of infrastructure development, Abayao further suggested that the aspect of Cordillera traditional practice should be looped in.
Abayao viewed that infrastructure development should ensure that cultural heritage will be a part of the conceptualization to implementation so that it will live on even in modern times.
Former National Commission on Culture and the Arts Chair Felipe de Leon Jr. who was a speaker in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Multisectoral Forum in Benguet recently said the Cordilleran expertise in various fields promote the region’s ethnicity within the Southeast Asian perspective of culture of sharing.
De Leon Jr. appreciated the traditional way of doing rip-rap in the Cordilleras which should be adopted. He broached the idea of having it be incorporated in the school curriculum to preserve it as an indigenous skill and practice. ** PIA Benguet
