BAGUIO CITY – In its 12th year, the Baguio Gong Festival saw around 37 groups perform at the Melvin Jones Grandstand this Sunday, October 6, 2024.
Organized by the Indigenous Peoples for Arts, Culture and Empowerment, Inc. with the theme “Gongs for Peace: A Harmony of Heritage and Ancestral Reverence,” the celebration kicked off with a Gong Walk, where various performing groups played their gongs in different tunes and arrangements.
Absalom Toyeng, one of the organizers of the event, gave a brief background on the history of the Baguio Gong Festival.
In Toyeng’s speech, he highlighted that the promotion of “Kanana-Kanu”, an independent film directed by Jocelyn Banasan Kapuno, sparked the birth of the Baguio Gong Festival. The promotion of the film had its cast going out in their cultural attire to play the gongs and dance to its rhythm through a Gong Walk.
“These young minds thought of an activity where they could invite more people to join, learn the different dances, the beating of the gongs, and appreciate the differences of every cultural group based in Baguio City, nearby places, and even other groups in the Cordilleras to share the skills, talents in the different cordillera dances, music, and chants,” Toying said.
On October 2022, the City Council approved a first reading on a proposed ordinance designating October 29 as Baguio Gong Day and institutionalizing the Baguio Gong Festival as a yearly event of the city government. Authored by Councilor Lilia A. Farinas, proclamation No. 486 declares that the festival is an event to honor and remember the wisdom of the ancestors through the sharing and exchange of cultural customs from the various provinces in the Cordillera.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong emphasized the importance of the youth continuing the practices of their cultures.
“For the past years, we’ve been doing this and it reflects our culture and heritage. It is actually a reflection of the spirit of our indigenous culture today, and I’m really glad that our young people continue to take the lead in celebration of our Gong Festival,” Magalong conveyed.
The program consisted of cultural performances from approximately 37 groups and community dances from the provinces of the Cordillera. Before the start of the performances, gong players gathered in circles to bang their gongs together for the Unity Gong.
“It feels very fulfilling sa amin as indigenous youth na makapag-participate sa mga activities na ganito and we are very grateful po na mayroon kaming platform para i-practice ang aming kultura, at hindi itong tuluyang mamatay,” said Jana Yapyap, a member of the Paggawisan Tako Am-In (PAGTA) performing group.
Handiong Kapuno, one of the organizers of the festival, expressed that they were fortunate in this year’s celebration because of the good weather and the huge number of participants from the Cordillera. He likewise shared the organizers’ hopes of reaching a wider audience for the festival.
“For the next festival hopefully kayat mi nga aramiden nga international metlang isu nga ag-invite ti indigenous people metlang from other places, siguro nu haan nga fortunate ti budget, baka ditoy Philippines first, dagitoy kabsat tayo dijay Visayas and Mindanao- dejay ti goal mi ditoy Gong Festival, for all indigenous people kuma,” Kapuno shared.
A set of Indigenous Games will be held on October 13 as part of the celebration. By Heleina Taeza and Rachelle Quilling
