Celebrating indigenous creativity and weaving different stories at Dayaw 2026

Traditional dances, music, crafts, food and rituals demonstrated the Philippines’ cultural diversity within the historic walls of Intramuros as Dayaw 2026: National Indigenous Peoples Month Celebration gathered culture bearers from across the country from 13 to 15 October.

Following celebrations in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, and Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ (NCCA) Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts (SCCTA), in partnership with the Foundation for Lingap Kapampangan Inc., brought the festival to Foro de Intramuros in Manila.

Beyond the performances and demonstrations, the gathering asserted the continuing place of indigenous knowledge and traditions in national life — a concern that SCCTA head and T’boli community leader Reden Ulo underscored during the welcome dinner.

“We are celebrating Dayaw not just as a celebration. It is a commitment, a commitment to honor our roots, to protect our cultural heritage, uphold the dignity and the rights of all the indigenous peoples, and to ensure that our voices, our knowledge, and traditions continue to thrive in the next generations to come,” he said.

Anchored on the theme “Pagkamalikhain ng Katutubong Filipino: Pinagtibay ng mga Pagsubok, Umaalab ang Bagong Pag-asa” (Creativity of the Indigenous Filipino: Strengthened by Challenges, Rekindling New Hope), Dayaw 2026 gathered 243 delegates — traditional leaders, culture bearers, practitioners, performers, educators, youth representatives, and community members — from more than 40 ethnolinguistic groups including the Ivatan, Ibanag, Isnag, Bugkalot, Ga’dang, Ifugao, Balangao, Ilocano, Pangasinan, Ibaloy, Kankanaey, Kalinga, Kapampangan, Ayta of Central Luzon, Dumagat Remontado, Tagalog, Bikolano, Waray, Ati of Western Visayas, Panay Bukidnon, Boholano Cebuano, Romblomanon, Pala’wan, Tagbanua, Hiligaynon, Akeanon, Jama Mapun, Cuyunon, T’boli, Subanen, Teduray, Erumanen Manobo, Bagobo Manobo, Mandaya, Meranaw, Blaan, Sangir, Kamayo, Manobo, Agusanon Manobo, Talaandig Manobo, Mamanwa, Higaonon Manobo, Maguindanao, Iranun, Tausug, Yakan and Sama Banguingui.

For NCCA chairman Eric B. Zerrudo, indigenous creativity extends beyond the making of art to the ways communities sustain their cultures amid change.

“Ang pagkamalikhain ng ating mga katutubo ay hindi lamang makikita sa kanilang mga likhang-sining. Nasa paraan din ito ng kanilang pamumuhay, sa pagpapanatili ng kanilang mga wika at tradisyon, sa pangangalaga ng kanilang lupang ninuno, at sa paghahanap ng mga paraan upang manatiling buhay ang kanilang kultura sa gitna ng pagbabago (The creativity of our indigenous peoples is evident not only in their works of art. It is also reflected in their way of life, in preserving their languages and traditions, in caring for their ancestral lands, and in finding ways to keep their cultures alive amid change),” he said.

The celebration opened with a parade through Intramuros, with delegates wearing their traditional attire. Zerrudo, Intramuros Administrator Joan Padilla, Ulo, and festival director Arwin Paul A. Lingat led the opening program.

Dayaw 2026 also featured the 19 Schools of Living Traditions currently being implemented in the country. A flagship NCCA program, the Schools of Living Traditions is inscribed on UNESCO’s Register of Good Safeguarding Practices and supports the transmission of cultural knowledge and skills of indigenous communities.

Joining the celebration were eight Manlilikha ng Bayan, or National Living Treasures: T’boli chanter Rosie Sula, Ilocano chanter Adelita Bagcal, Higaonon Manobo mat weaver Marife Ganahon, Blaan mat weaver Estelita Bantilan, T’boli brass caster Bundos Bansil Fara, Ilocano gourd hat maker Teofilo Garcia, Mandaya textile weaver Samporonia Madanlo and T’boli textile weaver Barbara Ofong. Visitors had opportunities to meet and interact with these masters.

Ulo paid tribute to the cultural masters, leaders and artists who sustain these traditions. “You are the guardians of our living heritage. You are the teachers of our history and the inspiration for the youth that honors our diverse identities,” he said. “May your knowledge continue to guide us, your traditions continue to flourish, and your voices, our voices continue to be heard and respected.”

The three-day program brought together a crafts fair, traditional performances, fora, cooking and craft demonstrations and presentations of community practices, including rituals and healing.

Dance and music presentations included the Tausug pangalay; the Teduray lilang-lilang te kawing; the T’boli madal tahu ne madal tahaw; pandang-pandang of the Ati of Iloilo, Capiz and Guimaras; the Iranun war dance sagayan; the Bikolano Pantomina de Catanduanes with sabwag and pasabit; the Bugkalot tagem; and the Ibanag Mascota dance. Also featured were komposo of the Ati of Antique and Aklan; the Sama Banguingui pagpansak; the Cuyunon balitaw; kubing playing and the buwa-buwa dance of the Agusanon Manobo; the Kalinga tongatong, ferngifang, urfit and tongali; an Ilocano dance inspired by the dinaklisan; and the Higaonon Manobo courtship dance pig-agawan.

Weaving and craft demonstrations showcased Meranaw langkit, Subanen sapyay, T’boli t’nalak, Pala’wan tingkep and begyas, Akeanon piña and bariw, nito crafts of the Ati of Guimaras, Ivatan vakul weaving, pusô pouch making of the Hiligaynon of Capiz, and Waray tikog mats, among others.

The culinary demonstrations offered another way to encounter the communities’ traditions. These included Ivatan vunung with kasasu, taruy and mayutahes; Cuyunon buti-buti, combo and lauya; Kapampangan putung babi; and Mandaya dishes cooked in bamboo tubes, such as l’lulot na manok, l’lulot na pasayan and pyaigis na baboy. Other specialties were sinarsa from Sibuyan Island, Romblon; Isnag sinursur; ginataang suso of the Ati of Antique; and Tausug tiyula itum.

Traditional healing presentations included hilot, or massage, of the Ati of Iloilo, Capiz and Guimaras; Erumanen ethnomedicine; and Bugkalot betek, towaw, kolat, getek and gopa.

Visitors also witnessed presentations of community customs, rituals and games. Among these were the pogpanubad-tubad cultural prayer of the Ata Manobo of Malabog; the Mandaya pag-awas sang katigam, or transfer of knowledge; the Isnag say-am thanksgiving; furugwey, the wedding rites of the Balangao; and Yakan tanyak-tanyak, the traditional makeup of brides and grooms. The program also featured the Ga’dang games torsi, garug, and dongul, and blessings for a newborn by an Agusanon Manobo balyan, or shaman.

Alongside these presentations were talks and discussions on indigenous knowledge and creative practice. These included “Ugat at Likha: Pagtatagpo ng Dunong Katutubo, Samahan, at Paglikha;” “Mula Pamantasan Tungo sa Katutubong Pamayanan: Pagpapatatag ng Malikhaing Industriya” by Beverly Macayan Bautista; and “Sa Bawat Likha, May Salita: Ang Kuwento ng Katutubong Malikhaing Sining sa UST” by Anna Marie Bautista.

The range of activities gave substance to Ulo’s reminder that the country’s identity draws from many communities and histories.

“The story of the Philippines is incomplete without the stories of the indigenous people, our courage, creativity, wisdom, and unwavering spirit,” he said.

He also stressed that safeguarding culture requires participation beyond the communities themselves. “This celebration reminds us that our cultural preservation is a shared responsibility. It is a call on government institutions, cultural agencies, our educators, our artists, and every Filipino to work together in creating spaces where indigenous cultures are respected, celebrated, and meaningfully represented.”

For Ulo, the challenge was to carry the celebration’s intentions into everyday action.

“As we celebrate Dayaw, let us move beyond appreciation toward genuine understanding, from recognition towards meaningful action, and from cultural pride to a deeper commitment to safeguarding our shared heritage,” he said. “Indeed, when we honor our indigenous people, we honor the soul of the Philippines.”Blurb: The festival brought the Philippines’ different traditions to Intramuros through music, dance, crafts, food and rituals, celebrating indigenous creativity while calling for greater commitment to cultural heritage and Indigenous rights.