2006 Heritage Month Celebration: A series of festivities
Iloilo City proudly hosts this year's National Heritage Month Celebration. In relation to this, the Iloilo City Government, National Commission for Culture and Arts together with the Iloilo City Cultural Heritage Conservation Council and the Filipino Heritage Festival, Inc. have prepared various activities for the month-long celebration. Different kinds of events featuring the rich culture and talents of the Ilonggos will take place in major heritage sites in the city.
Included in the month-long activities is the traditional mayflower devotion to our Blessed Mother, Flores de Mayo, that will culminate at the end of the month at the San Jose Church. On the other hand, Barotacnons witnessed the first ever Tamasak Festival that was held at the Casa Fiammeta in Barotac Nuevo last May 12. It was a celebration of life in the archaic plantation setting.
Komedya, a traditional theatre form, was held at SM City last May 12. A community theatre company from Barbaza in Antique performed in Iloilo City for the very first time the well-preserved and much-welcomed expression of art.
Arts, crafts, weavings, and textile designs that depict Ilonggo lifestyle were collected for an exhibit that will be shown at the SM City, Archbishop's Residence in Jaro, Magdalena Jalandoni Museum, Rosendo Mejica Museum in Molo, and Museo Iloilo. The exhibit started last May 12 and will last until the end of the month.
On every Sundays of the month, feel the Ilonggo spirit with the popular traditional narrative songs and verse forms in Composo and Binalaybay played at Aksyon Radyo, Villa Regatta, and San Jose Church facade.
An unveiling ceremony took place at Plaza Libertad last May 17 at 8:00 am. Recall the martyrdom of Ilonggo freedom fighters under the leadership of General Martin Delgado and visit the historical marker which commemorates their heroism. Delgado resisted and ended the Spanish domination in Panay on Christmas Day of 1898. Later that afternoon, at 2:30 pm, an Indigenous Culture Lecture and Performance was held at the University of the Philippines in the Visayas Auditorium. The lecture featured the pre-colonial way of living of the people of Panay. At 6:00 pm, the delegates from the Karpenko Kary Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television from Ukraine were formally welcomed in an opening program of the XXXI UNESCO ITI at the Robinsons Place Iloilo.
Manilenos experienced the contemporary Ilonggo cuisine through Ilonggo Culinary Festival at the Captain's Bar, Mandarin Hotel-Makati on May 18 to 19. On the same dates, there will be an introductory workshop on theatre followed by a conference, film showing and a discussion on the Conference Room of the University of San Agustin.
The Karpenko Kary Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television will be performing at the University of San Agustin Quadrangle May 19, Friday at 7:00 pm to end their 3-day visit.
A Heritage Forum dubbed "Save Calle Real" spearheaded by the Canadian Urban Institute will be held at the Iloilo Grand Hotel. Guidelines in preserving heritage sites, specifically the central business district will be discussed.
From May 26 to 28, the unpublished dances of Panay will be given emphasis on the 3-day seminar-workshop at the West Visayas State University of PESCAR. Meantime, a food festival highlighting the favorite Ilonggo delicacies will keep the Plaza Libertad area busy starting on the 26th up to the end of the month.
Traditional games such as pityaw, trompo,tumba patis, tubiganay, sikyo, and holens will bring excitement to Jaro Plaza in the morning of the 30th and to Molo Plaza in the morning of the 31st. The same games will be played at Plaza Libertad on the afternoon of the 31st.
The length of the historical Iloilo River will be traversed by interested visitors on a special tour, from Muelle Loney to Villa de Arevalo this coming May 30 at 8:00 am. At 10:00 am of the same day, photographs taken by Fr. Rudolf Rahmann and Dr. Marcelino Maceda in the years 1955 to 1965 will be displayed at the Museo Iloilo in an exhibit entitled "The Ati of Panay". Later on that afternoon, there will be a walking tour featuring the selected old houses in Jaro, the Archbishop's residence, and the Magdalena Jalandoni Museum. While some will be preoccupied with the grandeur of the archaic structures, some may enjoy a merienda treat of native delicacies such as bitso-bitso, moasi, bitsokoy, combo, tinanok nga mais, bayi- bayi, and bingka at Jaro Plaza.
To add spice to this year's celebration, the PNP Band and the CPU Symphonic Band will be performing their brass at the Jaro Plaza and Plaza Libertad on May 30 and 31 at 3:00 pm.
Traditional Filipino martial art, Arnis, will be performed by the Tinagan National Arts Club at the Jaro Plaza on the 30th at 4:00 pm. After that, renowned Ilonggo artists like Cynthia Patag, Jose Mari Chan, Aristeo Demavivas, and Nikki Coseteng will breathe life to the popular musical theatre form from Spain--the Zarzuela. It is a celebration of the once affluent cultural lifestyles of the Ilonggos during the 30s. This once-in-a-lifetime collaboration can be witnessed at the Jaro Plaza covered court.
A second walking tour which targets the old houses, church, convent and the Mejica "Makinaugalingon" Museum in Molo is scheduled on the 31st of May. There will also be Chinese cultural performances which include a song and dance presentation by the Filipino-Chinese community as represented by students and staff of the Iloilo Central Commercial High School and the Sun Yat Sen High School later on that afternoon at Molo Plaza. Simultaneously, a special performance of Capiz Province's traditional dance, Escutis will be performed at St. Anne Parish Convent in Molo. Authentic community group from Sigma will portray the ritual of testing the sturdiness of a newly-built house.
Later in the afternoon of the 31st, beauties clad in Designers Guild of Iloilo City creations will participate in the traditional religious procession, Santacruzan. They will be passing through the San Jose Church, Calle Real, Iznart Street, and Plaza Libertad. Right after the procession, a religious rite called Misa de Gracia will be held at the San Jose Church. This will be followed by a cultural presentation as a tribute to the Blessed Mother dubbed as Halad.
The sky above Iloilo City will be filled with colors as traditional fireworks from Villa de Arevalo will be showcased in the much-awaited fireworks display at the Plaza Libertad.
Indeed, the Heritage Month promises nothing but fun and excitement. Let us all participate and experience the great things that Iloilo has in store for us.