Friday, October 9, 2020

Art, culture hub set in Tublay, Benguet; board member donates land

TUBLAY, Benguet -- A new culture and art hub will soon be opened in this town as an added venue for learning Benguet culture and traditions. 
    “Avong ni Tombilao” in Barangay Bay-ayan   had its soft launching on Sept. 30 where traditional rituals were performed led by a “mambunong” or a native priests.    
    The new culture and art hub was through initiative of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, the Benguet Learning Center and Nazarro family. 
     Benguet Board Member Juan Nazarro Jr. and his wife, Myrna, who heads the BLC, have transformed one-hectare of their property into a culture and art hub that is aimed at becoming a center of culture and heritage where   culture and tradition of the Benguet people will be promoted   and  for the younger generation to appreciate and learn from.
    Myrna Nazarro said the   hub was named “Avong ni Tombilao,” an Ibaloi term meaning the house of music since the BLC is a school that also promotes popular and traditional music to its students as a way to encourage the younger generation to appreciate the traditional music of Benguet as well as the Cordillera region.  
    The new hub initially has an old traditional Benguet hut which showcases the simple and traditional way of life of its people far from the busy urban areas. 
    Myrna said they envision that the area would be filled with 13 traditional huts representing the 13 municipalities of Benguet to showcase the respective towns’ products, crafts and other artifacts.  
    The hub also has a new structure which will become the museum of Benguet artifacts, musical instruments and other traditional crafts. It will also serve as a gallery for art works as they will also be partnering with artists and artisans in Baguio City and Benguet. 
     Juan Nazarro said that the art hub will be their contribution to the people of Benguet as it would serve as a venue which will be for learning of younger generations particularly the aspiring young artists and cultural performers. 
    The culture and art hub was supposed to open last May in time for the Heritage Month celebration but was stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hub will soon be opened to the public as soon quarantine guidelines  allow. – RMC / PIA  

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