By Redjie Melvic M. Cawis TABUK CITY, Kalinga, Jan. 20 –- Silent drill, acrobatic show, ballet performance and the Gangnam style dance craze will be new attractions in the upcoming 18th Kalinga Province Founding Anniversary and Ullalim Festival 2013 scheduled on Feb. 14-17, in this capital town.

During the Kalinga Provincial Development Council meeting presided by Gov. Jocel Baac at the Grand Zion Hotel, the body was presented with these new attractions for the festival.

Provincial Administrator Grace Kidang-Flores said that the Philippine National Police Academy particularly its Silent Drill Squad and Band has been invited to serve as performers and at the same time will be responsibility.

Flores said that the province invited the PNPA Silent Drill Squad of which 20 of the 160 cadet-members are from Kalinga. He added since Kalinga cadets have residences in the city of Tabuk, they are encouraged to host some of their fellow cadets and try to teach them how the Kalinga live. They would be hosting their accommodation and food with the help of the provincial government and the other municipal government.

Tabuk City Mayor Ferdinand Tubban said the coming of the PNPA cadets will serve as encouragement for the other Kalinga youth who could be future leaders of the province by joining the cadet corps of the PNPA or even the Philippine Military Academy.

On the opening day, students from the different schools in the province will be converging to join the grand civic parade which will be highlighted by the simultaneous dancing of the Gangnam Style dance craze with their traditional Kalinga costumes of g-strings and tapis.

Provincial and municipal o
Performances from the Halili Cruz Ballet Company and an acrobatic group at the Kalinga Sports Complex will close the four-day event.

This will be the first time that a ballet and an acrobatic show will be part of the Ullalim Festival. 'Ullalim' which means a tale, saga or story is either sang or chanted during romantic moonlit nights, Bodong and wedding celebrations or any occasion. Ullalim is the poetic expression of the heroic exploits, romance, joys and travails, and the way of life of the Kalinga from birth to death. Dubbed as the ‘festival of festivals,’ this year’s celebration with the theme “Kalinga Shines,” will be featuring the best of the six municipalities of Kalinga namely – Balbalan, Lubuagan, Pinukpuk, Pasil, Rizal, Tanudan, Tinglayan and its lone city of Tabuk. -- PIA