Eastern Mt Province towns hold festivals

By Roger Sacyaten

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Three festivals transpired in three three eastern municipalities of the province on June.

With  common goal of preserving culture, Barlig, Paracelis and Sadanga towns staged their festivals coinciding with celebrations of their respective municipal foundation days.

Paracelis had its 2-year-old Kakarayam Festival last June 12-16 themed: “UmilingaAgkaykasa para itiPangdur-as ken Kappia.”

In June 8, 2015, Municipal Ordinance No. 2015-002 was enacted giving birth to Kakarayam Festival, meaning a gathering of the people, residing in and out of Paracelis, to come together and foster kinship and community ties, Mayor Avelino Amangyen said.

Last June 16-19, Barlig staged Fortan Festival as it celebrated the 51st foundation anniversary of the municipality.

The theme for this year was: “Ammay ay Finortan, Salemnan”, which means to sustain the good inheritance.

Vice Mayor David Osborn Fomocod said the occasion showed “the determination of the people of Barlig to sustain our ancestral domain, ethnic identities and culture despite the rapid changes due to modern technology”.    

Mayor Genesis Changilan urged his constituents to unite and work together with elected officials to make the municipality progressive and a better place to live in for incoming generations.

Natonin Mayor Mateo Chiyawan was the replacement of the Undersecretary Falconi Millar of the Dept. of Tourism who did not make it to the occasion as guest of honor and speaker.

Chiyawan urged tribal groups of the municipality to unite as one and foster their common identity as people of Barlig rather than opting to identify their tribal origins as iLias and or iKachakran. Barlig has three clusters of Kadaclan, Lias, and Barlig Centro.

The municipality stages three festivals every year; Menaliyam Festival in Kadaclan every April 19-20 and the Changyasan Festival in Lias every April 28-30.

Sadanga also held its  9th Fvegnash Festival last June 24-25 in celebration of the 54th foundation anniversary of the municipality themed: “Gawis ay Kultura, NabalorKa, Unod chi Ungung-a, FomwegannaVatawa”, which Mayor Jose Limmayog said meant “valuing our noble, constructive and advantageous culture which could be passed on to  the next generation for a prosperous community”.

Vice Mayor Joseph Apopot said the event was an opportunity to nurture trade, tourism and agro-industrial development in the community.

Various events and activities were conducted during the festivals of municipalities in commemoration of their respective foundation anniversaries.

The Provincial Tourism Office personnel assisted in documentation of the festivals as well as the tourism assets of the municipalities.

(For more pictures and details on the festivals “like” official facebook page, by searching: Mountain Province Tourism Office)