Lang-ay fest ends with street dancing by folks from Mt Prov towns

By Roger Sacyaten

BONTOC, Mountain Province - The highlight of the16th Lang-ay Festival here was held Tuesday with street chanting and street dancing parade by participants from towns of the province performing indigenous dances complete with native attires and beating of gongs.      
    To cap the 16th Lang-ay Festival, a Gangsa Night was held Wednesday night, April 5 where all the municipal contingents converged at the provincial plaza for simultaneous beating of gongs.
    The festival was earlier opened with a civic parade of the provincial and municipal officials, provincial and municipal employees, representatives from national line agencies, private sector, civic and women’s organizations.
    “Tekwab” and “salibongbong,” a performance of ritual to start the festival was earlier held with the offering of a pig and prayers of thanksgiving for the past and incoming blessings for the province.
    After the Lang-ay prelude was a program for the opening of the Agro-Industrial Trade Fair with regional Agriculture director as guest of honor and speaker.
    During his message he mentioned the multi-million programs funded by the Dept. of Agriculture – Cordillera Administrative Region.
    Rep. Maximo Dalog, Jr., in his message, honored past leaders as a way of citing the commemoration of the 56th Foundation Day of the province.
    He said cultural heritage of the province was depicted by the Lang-ay Festival which was a brainchild of his father and namesake in 2005.
    Since then, it spawned the birth of municipal festival in the ten municipalities of the province.
    Board member Angel Moises Tamang, chairperson of the committee on cooperatives, nongovernment and people’s organizations, and Trade and Industry officials, declared the opening of the Agro-Industrial Trade fair.
    The Search for Mr. and Ms. Mountain Province with its pageant competition was held on April 2 and 3.
Coronation night was April 3.
    Lang-ay on the Street was held April 2.
    A program was held highlight the event with snacks of indigenous food and early dinner of watwat then a concert of local talents will while away the night.
    A concert by Fr. Marcial Castaneda was held earlier at the Provincial Plaza in the night of March 31 dubbed Lang-ay Marc’s Songs.
    Thanksgiving mass and wreath laying and candle lighting at the governors’ memorial monument on April 3 honored past governors of the province.
    Tribal dinner with Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan Jr. was April 4.
    It was a dinner welcome for municipal delegates who participated in the street dancing and cultural performances the following day.
    Street dancing and cultural showdown performances was done on April 5, the culmination of the festival.    
Cordillera police director Brig. Gen, Gen. David     Peredo, Jr. attended events.
    Lawyer Joseph B. Sagandoy, Jr., deputy presidential legal officer who traces his roots in this town, was guest of honor and speaker.