Binay graces ‘Begnas di Bauko’ festivities

BAUKO, Mountain Province -- “Begnas di Bauko,” an event launched by the municipal government to promote this town as an eco-tourism destination with rich cultural traditions was celebrated here 13-15 March 2014.

Vice President Jejomar C. Binay was guest of honor and speaker during the opening day of the 3-day festivities on Thursday which sought to  revive the town’s rich culture and traditions and promotion as an ecotourism and adventure destination in the Cordillera.

Mayor Abraham B. Akilit said activities provided residents and visitors with an overview of the rich culture and the 73 identified tourist destinations equally distributed in the 22 barangays of the nearly 18,000-hectare municipality.

The theme of this year’s festivities was “Gameng ya kataguan aywanan, tawiden ya sumyaan di sasayangdan (Nature resources and livelihood, legacy and prosperity for the next generation).

It aimed to inculcate to present and future generations importance of preserving resources of the municipality for benefit of generations.

“We want Bauko to be known worldwide as a rich haven of natural resources, culture, traditions and ecotourism sites which could be explored and developed but not to be exploited,” Akilit said.

According to Akilit, with the fast changing socio-political, economic and cultural situation in the town, wherein the role of the “ato” as the center of the socio-political leadership in the village has been relinquished to that of a mere geo-political subdivision of the “ili” or barrio, “begnas” is still one of those being performed as part of their cultural practices and its performance has become more of a token festivity, the form and substance transformed to highlight the merry-making activity. It has become a showcase of indigenous attires with their different remodelled designs.

However, Akilit said consultations were already done with elders of barangays familiar with conduct of the “begnas” so  the municipal government will fully execute the appropriate steps and rituals, including animals to be butchered, to provide the youth and visitors something to appreciate and value being one of their major cultural practices.

“Our relationship with our homeland has been changed; the land is now considered a commodity. The commodification of our land passed to us from our ka-apuan (forefathers) opened the floodgates for the privatization of our communal lands by some scrupulous residents by declaring these portions of lands as their own,”Akilit said.

Akilit said the local government will try its best to work out for the immediate cancellation of the declarations made by scrupulous individuals on huge portions of the watersheds which are the major source of abundant water supply not only for the people living in the municipality but also for those in the lowland communities.

To prevent destruction of the view of scenic mountains in  different barangays, Akilit said he wanted the municipal council to immediately pass an ordinance limiting height of buildings to be built to only three storeys, thus, the town’s comprehensive land use plan of the municipality which contains such limitation is now under review by the provincial board. -- Dexter A. See