Lang-ay fest events set; visitors assured of treats

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Tourists are expected to converge in this capital town this week for the 106th staging of Lang-Ay Festival, an event highlighting culture of the province with organizers saying excellent performances have been prepared.

The festival will highlight the 47th founding anniversary of Mountain Province April 7.

The street dancing will follow the civic parade on April 7 while cultural presentation of the performing groups will be at the Eyeb gymnasium of the same day to provide visitors and local residents superb entertainment during the province’s double celebration.

According to Provincial Tourism Officer Designee Francis Degay, their will only be   four performing groups from tribal clusters with one to represent the Balangao tribe of Barlig, Natonin and Paracelis; the Bontok tribe of Bontoc and Sadanga; the Aplai tribe comprising the municipalities of Sabangan, Sagada, Besao, Bauko and Tadian and the fourth performer will be from the provincial government employees.

Relative to this, festival consultant and trainer Ventura Bitot said Mayor Anthony Wooden of Tadian volunteered performers to represent the Aplai tribe will come from his municipality.

Meanwhile, Degay said Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey and Sadanga Mayor GabinoGanggangan agreed the municipality of Bontoc would represent the Bontok tribe.

For the Balangao tribe, Barlig Mayor Clark Ngaya agreed that performers would come from his municipality. 

Bitot enumerated the mechanics for the street dancing and cultural presentation. According to Bitot, the cultural presentation must coincide with the province’s theme: “One People, One Heritage, One Direction”.

In addition, each performing group is given seven to ten minutes to perform at the Eyeb gymnasium.  

Moreover, performances must be choreographed with indigenous music, dances, and movements depicting socio-economic life of the people of Mountain Province. Bitot added that costumes and attires of the performers must be indigenous. However, indigenous dances included in choreography must not be altered in respect to steps, costumes, and musical rhythms.

Also, every performing group must have a float that would artistically display agro-industrial products of their community.

Meanwhile, Degay said that the provincial government will give cash prize to the chosen group performers. 

For the past celebration of Mountain Province Foundation Day (Lang-ay and Cultural Festival) , the street dancing and cultural presentation were done with the participants that represented the ten municipalities of the province and some public and private schools in the capital town.

The provincial government sponsored all the expenses for all the participating groups, consuming much of the budget allotted for Lang-ay Festival. 

Governor Leonard Mayaen initiated that selected groups of clusters will do the street dancing and cultural presentation so that other fund for that purpose will  be allocated to tourism development in the province.

With this, Mayaen said that two million pesos from this year’s Lang-ay earmarked budget of four million pesos will be allocated for the construction of one public toilet worth one million pesos each in front of the Sumaguing Cave in Sagada and in Poblacion, Natonin.

The suggestion of the governor was unanimously approved by the heads of offices of provincial government considering that the proposed project is still in support to tourism development of the province.

Meanwhile other activities for the one-week celebration of Lang-ay are the conduct of agro-industrial trade fair, medical mission, Farmers Forum, Youth Summit, Provincial Tourism Summit, Search for Miss Mountain Province and some sports events.  –With a report from Dexter A. See