Ibaloy Festival activities slated

By Jho Arranz

BAGUIO CITY  -  The Ibaloy Festival was launched at the Baguio City Hall multi-purpose hall last Monday with the theme “Sustaining our heritage, taking pride in our Ibaloy identity.”

Feb. 2 marks the opening of the Ibaloy Festival with a cultural parade at the city’s thoroughfare followed by a Diyaw Ritual at the Ibaloy Heritage Garden, Burnham Park. 

Feb. 8 will be the Debon Ritual where the children will realize the solibao, kimbal, kalsa, pinsak and tikitik instruments, and the tayaw and bendian dance. They will also learn the proper way of wearing the Ibaloy costumes as well the constructing the bangkilay (ceremonial structure).

The Kapi Ritual will be held on Feb. 9.  During this day, a forum on the history and cultural heritage of the Ibaloy will be realized.

There will be an Indutsek Ritual on Feb. 15, 16 and 22.  The people will learn to appreciate the Ibaloy language arts like Ibaloy poetry reading, proverbs, riddles, Bahdiw and Asbayat chants, and story telling.  There will also be a demonstration on planting and cooking sweet potato, preparing of tafey (rice wine).  The Benguet cowboys and cowgirls will enjoy horseback riding and roping cattling.

On Feb. 23, the Ibaloi Day will have the Dawit and Sedpang Ritual.  Songs, dances and chants by the communities will be showcased.  There will be an Ibaloy concert and the Souvenir program cum Coffee Table Book will also be launched on the said special day.

During the entire festival, both will be available for everyone to learn, enjoy and experience the Ibaloy culture like tonton (making genealogies) and amtaen tayo’y Ivadoi (learn the Ibaloy language).

Jackson Chiday, President of the Onjon ni Ivadoy Association, Inc. said “the festival aims to sustain the Ibaloy heritage in Baguio City as part of building a strong sense of nationhood and pride in being indigenous Filipinos.”

The city council passed Resolution No. 395, series of 2009 declaring February 23 as the celebration of Ibaloy Day in the city and institutionalizing it as a regular activity of the city government through Ordinance No. 09, series of 2013.

Rosella Bahni stressed the importance of passing the Ibaloy culture to the next generations so that they will be able to know what their culture is and be able to appreciate it. 

All the activities will be conducted at the Ibaloy Heritage Garden, Burnham Park.