BAGUIO CITY — Cordillera cuisine and other Filipino dishes were featured in this year’s staging of the Tam-awan International Arts Festival (TIAF).
Cordillera solar artist Jordan Mang-osan, president of the Chanum Foundation, said they decided to focus on celebrating the country’s indigenous cuisine and delicacies for the ninth year of staging of the TIAF from May 21 to 26, 2019. The theme, “Flavours of the Philippines,” highlights the country’s cuisine and delicacies as the Filipinos are known for having one of the best tasting foods in the world.
Having a taste of a Filipino dish is similar to having a taste of Filipino culture. Each island and each city has its own special dish and flavour. Ingredients that are locally-sourced make each dish an original and a local delicacy is produced. Aside from ingredients, Filipino food often reflects the way of life and thinking of the people from each island, city and town.
“Ang festival na ito ay makakapag bigay kaalaman sa ating natatanging luto at pagkain pati na ang kultura at tradisyon ng mga kababayang Cordilleran at ng ibang lugar sa Pilipinas,” Mang-osan said during the Kapihan media forum launching the weeklong festival on Friday at the Tam-awan Village.
Among the famous Cordilleran delicacies is the “pinikpikan,” an original chicken delicacy whose broth is made even more flavourful with “etag,” salted piece of pork that is sun-dried.
Department of Tourism – Cordillera OIC Jovy Ganongan said that the festival shows that indeed the City of Baguio is a creative city because of the activities of the Tam-awan artists and other arts and cultural groups.
“We have leveled up from crafts and arts which are usually being featured. Now we are having traditional cuisine and this is also an off shoot of the recent Mangan Taku: Cordillera Food Fair in April in the city of Baguio which is a gathering of all the provinces together to showcase their traditional food,” she said.
National Commission on Culture and the Arts – National Committee on Art Gallery (NCAG) Vice Chairman Danilo Rayos Del Sol said the TIAF is a flagship project of the NCAG that aims to preserve and conserve the culture and tradition to the world.
It is set in May which is declared National Heritage Month and the celebration takes a prime in creating among the Filipino people a consciousness, respect, and love for the legacies of the nation’s cultural history.
The TIAF lined up activities also focused on the arts. Resident artists from Tam-awan Village Artists’ Group facilitated art workshops on basic sketching, basic photography, monoprinting, watercolour and acrylic painting.
Mang-osan lead with a solar drawing demonstration and Clinton Aniversario with a woodcarving demonstration. Roedil Geraldo, an artist guest from Bacolod conducted a terracotta workshop.
The art workshops were open to the public and local students from different schools have been invited to participate for free.
Food exhibits were also conducted simultaneously with the art workshops. Visiting artists have been invited to showcase their local delicacies.
Meanwhile, Baguio City Councilor Mylen Yaranon congratulated and thanked the Chanum Foundation and the Tam-awan Village for the nine years of promoting culture and the arts and the City of Baguio with the province of Benguet and the Cordillera region. She vowed to work for the institutionalization of the TIAF and be part of the annual activity of the City of Baguio that would also be given funding support by the city government. **JDP/RMC- PIA CAR
