School of Living Traditions graduation held in Paracelis

By Luthgarda T. Fangonon 

PARACELIS, Mountain Province – The Balangao School of Living Traditions recently held its graduation rites here. Themed “Preserve, promote, and protect our culture,” rites were held here at Magawood with a total of 75 Balangao students who  completed the first cycle but only 56 attended the graduation ceremony and were confirmed graduates by Federico Dalayday, representative of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Dalayday, head of the Committee on Northern Cultural Communities and an instant keynote speaker in lieu of Ezra Kristina Bayalan, encouraged participants “to preserve, promote, and protect our tangible and intangible heritage.

There were 38 students from the municipality of Natonin and 37 from Paracelis, all from the Balangao tribe.

This project was granted to the Balangao Native Handicraft and Weavers Association, Inc. by the NCCA in 2017 with the Non-Timber Forest Product Exchange Program Philippines as source of funds.

Meanwhile, 20 children aged 8-16 and 5 adults aged 30-65 participated in Music and Arts while handicraft making involved 20 men and 5 women, and 25 women with ages 26-68 in weaving.

The second cycle of this program started this March to enhance the Balangao culture to be transmitted from oral traditions, performing arts concerning nature and the universe.

                Cultural masters for the second cycle were already identified belonging to the Balangao tribe.

Cultural masters for the first cycle were Flora Letac, Mercedes Conchaya, Teodora Bolusan, and Fidel Edchamag handled the Music and Arts while Betty Sasa took charge of weaving. Junie Kinao and Rico Kinao volunteered to teach Balangao handicrafts to the participants.

During the event, Teodora Bolusan chanted the “sogsogna”, a narrative story sang during special occasions and the children highlighted the event with the performance of native Balangao dance.

Mayor Avelino Amangyen said in his message the program should be supported so that the young generation will learn how to sustain, appreciate, preserve, and protect the culture and identity of the Balangao tribe.