The Lang-ay festival is Mountain Province’s main crowd-drawing activity to attract more foreign and local visitors to visit the province and contribute to its robust tourism growth. The festival was named after the Kankanaey term lang-ay which means getting together and feasting on wine and food to thank Kabunian for the bounty of the earth. Mountain Province has been known for its tourist attractions such as scenic Sagada, the Maligcong rice terraces, the Mainit hot springs and the Mount Data plateau. With the support of concerned government agencies that worked together with the local government units and the private sector, various tourist spots have been uncovered that is attracting visitors year-round to different parts of the province.
In the early 1900s, Mountain Province was the mother province of the sub-provinces of Benguet-Lepanto-Amburayan, Bontoc, Ifugao, and Kalinga-Apayao before it was subdivided into four independent provinces by virtue of Republic Act 4695 popularly known as the Division Law that took effect in 1967. Bontoc retained the original name Mountain Province, which made it as the only province in the country with an English name while the other independent provinces were Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao, and Benguet.
Significant growth in the province’s tourism industry was spurred by some infrastructure developments in various inter-municipal, inter-provincial and inter-regional road networks drastically reducing travel time and making the province accessible to everyone. Infrastructure development by the national government still continues in left out areas, particularly various roadlines linking urban centers and those leading to still undiscovered tourist spots around the ten municipalities.
Aside from its scenic spots, improved roads, peace-loving and hospitable people, Mountain Province is also known for its rich culture and history. Numerous cultural practices are conducted year-round to propitiate spirits and express gratitude for bountiful harvests, to celebrate the various phases of the agricultural cycle, to organize teams among community members to help in times of need, to call for the coming of the rain, among others that often bring home locals to their hometowns. These are sometimes made part of local government efforts to attract visitors.
Mountain Province joined other provinces in organizing local festivals to promote tourism development in the countryside. The province’s peculiar terrain does not augur well for industries that need adequate space but it could its inherent natural attractions could jumpstart major economic growth in the various areas of the province.
The Lang-ay festival was previously incorporated as one of the highlights of the province’s founding anniversary. Former local officials saw reason in separating the festival from the celebration of the province’s founding anniversary because of the importance of celebrating the birth of the province separately so as not to be overshadowed by other major events.
The successful conduct of the 13th Lang-ay festival last week only shows how our people and officialdom have advanced in the hosting of this major event. The active involvement of the private sector in the organizing of the Lang-ay is indicative of citizen empowerment in Mountain Province by getting their acts together to successfully stage a festival of such a great magnitude. It does take an intelligent leader to be at the forefront to make every activity a success.
We believe it took the local leaders the best in them to motive people to do things right for the successful staging of the twin celebrations of Mountain Province: its golden founding anniversary and the Lang-ay festival. We were delighted by the significant number of domestic and foreign visitors who arrived in the province and joined the various highlights of the founding anniversary and the Lang-ay festival. Let us also credit the people who love Mountain Province who constantly promote the activities of these two major events in social media. Social media has become a major communications channel which can promote such events. Barangay and municipal officials should be congratulated and encouraged to continue with their commitment to showcasing the best that they have in terms of cultural performances, agro-industrial initiatives, and products. But most importantly, for supporting their constituents in owning the festivities with their sacrifices.
There is always the dilemma of highlighting one’s cultural forms without commercializing it. Mountain Province constituents are known for their vocal criticisms but they are also great co-operators. In concerns like the Lang-ay festival, a history of local participation and commitment should be part of the tradition of the festival. Thus, we are saddened by attitudes intended to belittle these events just these people are not in power. It is better for these critics to put forward their recommendations in the proper forum especially during the planning and evaluation states in a most constructive way. The current leadership is strongly encouraged to get inputs from a wide range of the constituency, especially among the common folk, to build ownership of the events.
We are sure local officials are used to criticisms, like being branded as stupid. Being in public office, it is best to simply shrug these off and take these are inspirations to work further for the welfare of the greater majority of the people of Mountain Province and we will remain behind you.
