Paracelis, Barlig towns to stage cultural festivals

COMMUNITY BILLBOARD

Roger Sacyaten

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- The municipalities of Barlig and Paracelis, of the eastern municipalities of this province, will hold their respective festivals this month with authentic and unique cultural performances.

For the first time, Paracelis will stage the newly created Kakarayam Festival, following enactment town ordinance that mandates all nine barangays to participate in the newest official festival that runs from June 12-16.

For a place that hosts at least 13 tribes, some local residents voiced reservation on the ethnic term Kakarayam as parochial to Baliwons or Ga’dangs.

But according to town councilor Ernesto Gunday, the consensus prevailed for the name Kakarayam which is a Baliwon term for “coming together in festivity, a gathering for oneness and unity” for the people of Paracelis.

Municipal tourism action officer Federico Dalayday said Kakarayam means a gathering of people for enjoyment of fun and amusement.

“We invite all the iParacelis living outside of the municipality to be with us during the Kakarayam Festival. We invite also visitors to come for them to witness what is Kakarayam”, Gunday said.

June 16 is the main day of the festival when street dancing and cultural performances will be held.

Activities lined up prior to the 16th are pageant’s search for Miss Butterfly, Farmers’ Day and solidarity night, among others.

Paracelis is 53 years old this year after its formal inauguration in 1962.

Barlig, for its part, will once again stage the Fortan Festival on June 15-18, an annual event that has been a part of the yearly celebration of the foundation day of the municipality with the main day of celebrations on the 18th of the month.

Fortan is a Barlig term to mean legacy -- a showcase of cultural heritage on historical dances and traditional sports.

It is only this municipality that has three festivals with Menaliyam Festival of Kadaclan cluster of four barangays and Changyasan Festival of two Lias barangays.

The total budget for the Fortan Festival is P500,000 that will finance street dancing and cultural presentation on the 18th of the month and the proposals submitted by the 11 barangays for their respective participations.

Barlig is known for authentic cultural presentations as showcased during the provincial Lang-ay Festival.

In meeting attended by this writer, it was known that the officials and organizers were preparing for the annual municipal event.

Mayor Clark Ngaya extended his invitation to the Barlig folks staying outside of the municipality to come home during the festival, provincial folks and tourists to rekindle kinships and foster solidarity and camaraderie among families, friends, and relatives.