Mountain Province gears for founding day, Lang-ay fest

By Roger Sacyaten

BONTOC, Mountain Province – The foundation day and main activities of the Lang-ay Festival will be held on April 7, the founding anniversary of the province themed: “Advancing development through history and culture”.

The activities, including the minor ones, will span the weeks from March 30 to April 7.

The steering committee agreed commemoration of the foundation day will be simultaneous with the holding of the street dancing and cultural presentations of the Lang-ay Festival.

Johnny Co, Provincial Administrator, said for this year, commemoration of the foundation anniversary will be strengthened with the celebrations brought about by the Lang-ay Festival”.

It was learned this was also the intent of the provincial ordinance on institutionalization of the Lang-ay Festival which has been altered during the time of the late Gov. Leonard Mayaen.

Provincial ordinance no. 76, Series of 2005 is entitled “An ordinance to institutionalize “Lang-ay” as an annual cultural festival in Mountain Province to be part of the celebration of the Mountain Province Day.”

Then Gov. Maximo Dalog Sr. conceptualized the Lang-ay Festival as the coming together of Mountain Province folks to partake of indigenous foods and drinks to foster solidarity among families and promote kinship among communities.

This has been the tradition since the first staging of the festival in 2006 up to 2010 when the then new administration of Governor Leonard Mayaen took over.

The foundation day and the Lang-ay Festival were separated as the festivities created by the latter were not allegedly conducive to the solemnity of the former.

The Lang-ay Festival was then once clustered into the eastern, central and western parts of the province with each cluster represented by one municipality as performers.

Then the private sector was engaged to manage the festival in partnership with the provincial government in 2015 and 2017.

The festival was cancelled in 2016 due to the death of the late Gov. Mayaen.

It was to be a prelude to the privatization of the festival as then Gov. Mayaen believed that the private sector is more innovative and proactive in conducting the various activities.

“This year, we will see a real celebration of the foundation day; a display and convergence of solidarity and revelries among our people”, said Co.

The activities will commence on March 30, 2020 with the conduct of mass and the wreath laying honoring the past dead governors of the province with their families.

On April 1, 2020, the opening ceremonies of the Lang-ay Festival will be done with the ritual of the Tekwab or Tukab and the opening of the Agro-trade fair which will run through up to the 8^th or beyond as it is holy week.

The other days are open for activities to be sponsored by agencies, non-government organizations, or companies.

On April 7, 2020, the Street Dancing and Chanting of the Lang-ay Festival precedes the main program of the Foundation Day with the Cultural presentations included as main activities.

The Indigenous Games will be conducted in the afternoon and the Gangsa Night will be done in the evening of the same day.

The culminating activity will be capped by the awarding of prizes of the street dancing, chanting, and the cultural presentations, among others.