SAGADA, Mountain Province — Sagada Mayor Felicito Dula expressed hope that their community’s culture, traditions, and crafts will endure through future generations.

This as the town is celebrating its 11th “Etag” festival, showcasing the Igorots’ version of smoked ham or bacon. The process involves salting the belly and thigh parts of the pig overnight before smoking them for several days.

Dula admitted that it is ironic that they celebrate the Etag festival every February. Yet, their supply of preserved meat and meat to be preserved is not sufficient.

He said the people making “Etag” have to buy meat from outside Sagada.

He added that even though almost every household in Sagada has its pigpens, they were also badly hit by the African Swine Flu, like other places of Mountain Province and elsewhere.

They are still recovering from the scare, he added.

Dula said as the people of Sagada, particularly the older “YSagadas,” are struggling to maintain the tradition of “Etag” production, he hopes the youngsters of the town embrace the art of “etag,” making as they also continue the unique culture of the Sagada Igorots of values, dances, among others.

He said the young “YSagadas” should not forget the culture their parents taught them amidst the changing of times where modern gadgets and technology occupy almost everyone.

Sagada Municipal Tourism officer Gloria Langbayan also hopes the youth will be interested in continuing Sagada’s art of weaving. She said that the older YSagadas are doing the Sagada’s weaving.

She said that together with the members of the different weaving groups and associations of Sagada, they are encouraging the youth to learn how to weave and help boost the weaving industry of Sagada.