Sagada Etag fest set Feb. 2-5

by Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -This year’s Sagada Etag Festival will be celebrated with exciting events from Feb. 2-5 by constituents from 19 participating barangays of this tourist town, guests and visitors.

Opening of “etag” (smoked meat) booths shall be observed on the first day of the festival along with the opening of the art gallery. The first SagadaEtag Festival was held Jan. 29- Feb. 2 last year to promote ‘etag’ and coffee Arabica.

Vice mayor Richard Yodong who chairs the executive committee of the festival said the activity furthers the promotion of local products including ‘etag’ and coffee and affirm culture as a guiding framework to community development and Sagada as a tourist destination.

The Church of St Mary the Virgin along with the community shall observe the ceremonial Presentation of Christ at the Temple and Purification of the blessed Virgin Mary which happens every Feb. 2 in the Christian calendar.

The celebration of the Holy Eucharist shall be done morning of Feb 2 followed by a bible quiz bee and a choir festival in the evening of same day.

A bike race coordinated by Paul Ballola and AlwynPiluden shall commence at Sagada Poblacion in front of the Community Coop store.

The bikers, around 150 of them shall proceed to Danum Lake on to Lazig hill to Langsayan Ridge and finally to northern Bangaan barangay. The bike race aims to promote environmental protection.

The race sees action on Feb. 4 with send-off ceremonies by Department of Tourism Regional Director Purificacion Molintas.

An art exhibit shall specially show paintings from Sagada’s visual artists including James Wandag, David Fowler, Eugene Magsino, and Janet Eason including works of Sagada potters Lope Bosaing. SiegriedBangyay- Rogers, and Tessie Baldo.

Coordinated by artist David Fowler, the art items shall be displayed at the fourth floor of the newly inaugurated municipal building.

Street dancing participated in by delegates from the four zones of the municipality shall see action morning of February 4. With fiesta theme , ‘Cultural identity, the Strength of our Community’, other cultural shows follow thereafter.

Indigenous games shall also be observed afternoon of February 5 at the community basketball court. Sanggol (arm wrestling), tulsi ( finger wrestling), tinnampaksiupu ( leg spanking) among others shall be played by delegates from the four zones of Sagada. Aeta archers shall be showing enthusiasts how to shoot with bow and arrow.

The National Commission on Culture and the Arts will sponsor most prizes in the cultural presentations and indigenous games.

The Baguio City National High School Rondalla and Rambak Cordillera Performing Arts shall be performing at the community court night of Feb. 3. The performances shall be followed with a literary- musical contest among elementary and high school students.
Search for Miss Sagada shall be done at St Jo Café conference hall eve of February 3 coordinated by Bernard Makellay and Divine Sibayan. Search for Miss Gay Sagada also follows eve of February 4 at St Jo Café Hall.

A quiz bee participated in by elementary and high school students shall be conducted at the Saint Mary’s School Quadrangle.

The above day activities will be done simultaneously with ball games and other sports including a muaithai tournament and a basketball shoot out and plotting game sponsored by SMART Telecommunications.