Cordillera calling

After more than two years, the streets of Baguio City, a prime upland tourist destination known for its cool weather, were enlivened by the colors and sounds of a parade. Several groups of dancers from different different parts of the region gathered to showcase their tourism festivals on 15 October for the Cordillera Festival of Festivals Show.

According to the Cordillera Administrative Region office of the Department of Tourism, the Festivals Show was a way of proclaiming that the upland region in interior northern Luzon has reopened to tourism after the lockdowns and restrictions from the pandemic, which included bans on big social gatherings such as festivals.

Most of the tourism festivals have yet to resume, but several events have been held in the region. The Panagbenga Baguio Flower Festival returned to on-site celebration last March, but the lineup of activities and events were trimmed down, doing away with the parades. In Hungduan, the traditional Ifugao post-harvest ritual of huwah, which culminates in the tug-of-war ritual called punnuk, was still held.

The largest event was Takder Kordi, Ranniag ti Namnama: Cordillera People's Rally for the presidential and vice-presidential bids of then Vice President Leni Rodredo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan. Held on 2 May at the Melvin Jones Football Field, the event gathered around 30,000 people and was attended by National Artists Kidlat Tahimik, Virgilio Almario and Benedicto Cabrera; indigenous leaders; and officials of the three major universities in Baguio, who came together for the first time in the city's history. Considered by many as the largest political campaign rally in the city, it featured volunteer artists including Gloc-9, Rivermaya, Janno Gibbs, Jolina Magdangal, Sitti and Angel Aquino.

The Cordillera Festival of Festivals Show was considered timely because it was a demonstration that the region is ready for tourism, said Baguio City vice mayor Faustino Olowan.

"We miss having these festivals during the lockdown," he added.

Other local officials and representatives from different government agencies, led by DoT-CAR Regional Director Jovita Ganongan, graced the event.

The highlight of the event was the parade which started on Upper Session Road and ended at Malcolm Square, where a program and the showdown of dances were held. Participating contingents of performers came from the six provinces of the Cordillera Region to present their festivals, all recently crafted and inspired by local cultures — Abra's Laga Festival, Apayao's Say-am Festival, Baguio City's Panagbenga Flower Festival, Benguet's Adivay Festival, Ifugao's Gotad ad Ifugao, Kalinga's Bodong Festival, and Mountain Province's Lang-ay Festival.

Abra presented its recently created Laga Festival, which aims to celebrate Ilocano and Itneg cultures and the abundance of bamboo in the province. The name of the festival means "weaving," which may refer to the hand-woven textile traditions of the two ethnic groups. Held every second week of March in the town of Lagayan, the festival also aims to promote their bamboo products, echoing the province-wide Abrenian Kawayan Festival.

The contingent from Apayao presented a dance from the Say-am Festival, which was created to celebrate the province's foundation anniversary in February. Many of the festival's events are inspired by Isnag culture.

The group from Saint Louis University Center for Culture and the Arts represented the Panagbenga Baguio Flower Festival which became the most popular event in the region. Its main attraction is the parade of floats covered with one of the city's trade item, flowers.

On the other hand, Benguet State University Highland Cultural Dance Troupe represented the province of Benguet and its Adivay Festival, highlighting Ibaloi culture as well as the Kankana-ey and Kalanguya cultures.

While most performances in festivals are modern, incorporating or inspired by elements of traditional culture, the Ifugao group presented traditional performances including the community dance dinuy-a. They also performed the UNESCO-listed hudhud or chanted stories, although this was staged as the hudhud really is sung on the fields while harvesting rice. They promoted the Gotad ad Ifugao, the annual festivity of the province of Ifugao to celebrate its foundation anniversary in June and to provide an opportunity to display traditional Ifugao culture.

The group from Mountain Province also performed traditional dances for the Lang-ay Festival presentation. Like other festivals, the Lang-ay is in celebration of the province's foundation anniversary on the first week of April.

The Kalinga group promoted its festival which was named after the traditional peace-making practice, the bodong.

With this initiative, the region hoped to revitalize tourism as these festivals are poised to return in 2023.