BAGUIO CITY – The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) underscored there are no excuses by the Metropolitan Theater and the choreographer in the wrong portrayal of Igorot women wearing the G-string during a recent online presentation.
Ethnographic Commissioner for the Cordillera and Region I Gaspar Cayat pointed out that for organizers and choreographers of the controversial show to claim that this in the name of neo-Lumad and in respect of the indigenous peoples (IPs) all over the archipelago is misplaced because modernizing the culture and heritage is already a taboo among IPs.
He pointed out here is no such thing as modernizing the culture because the present generation is having a difficulty in passing on to the future generation the proper way to wear their attire, the proper steps in the performing traditional dances, among others, that is why there is no room for modernizing culture and traditions just to justify an evident wrong portrayal.
The NCIP official asserted that the G-string is exclusively worn by the males while the ‘tapis’ or woven skirt is also exclusively worn by the females and that there is no way for these attires to be interchanged for the sake of justifying a choreographed performance that tend to undermine the actual practice of the culture and traditions of Igorots.
For his part, NCIP-CAR regional director lawyer Atanacio Addog claimed that the portrayal of culture and traditions should be done in the mindset of indigenous peoples and not in the perception of art because it is difficult to play with age-old cultural practices that have been passed on through generations.
He stipulated that the agency is awaiting the formal response of the Metropolitan Theater and the choreographer on this issue for which an appropriate rebuttal will be provided before measures can be undertaken to force the organizers of the show to correct their wrongful use of the G-string.
According to him, organizers of such theatrical events should try to consult the concerned IPs when trying to include culture and traditions in their events so they can get the proper advise instead of relying on representations by certain individuals who do not actually understand the essence of indigenous culture and practices.
Addog revealed that instead of trying to look for possible ways to defend an obvious mistake, organizers must make the necessary measures to apologise to the Igorots and correct the wrong impressions they created in the dance they showed online.
The NCIP-CAR official stipulated there is nothing wrong in portraying the culture and tradition of indigenous peoples, like the Igorots of the Cordillera, provided done with the proper advise, consultation from and respectful of the concerned indigenous peoples as there are no acceptable excuses in the commission of mistakes in the use of the attire or the steps in the dances, among others, as the culture of IPs are grounded on certain meanings and contexts.
He questioned why similar mistakes are being committed in the presentations of culture and traditions of the IPs when these had been subjected to criticisms in the past.