Sitio Iday: Of beautiful mountains and music
Sitio Iday
* A very different landscape from wide and open rice land, the area can be describe as a " trekkers'' paradise" and is well worth a stop on any tour in the province
SOME 337 hectares of grassy meadows make up Sitio Iday, located high in the boundary villages of Canauili and Panilihan, 15 kilometers from the poblacion of Janiuay.
Surrounded by mountains and hills, the area composed of 167 households and populated by 888 peace-loving people headed by Brgy. Capt. Rogelio Vendor Sr., offers a perfect recreation setting for boundless outdoor activities popular among backpackers, campers and hikers. The area was the former site of the Boys Scouts of the Philippines national Jamboree in 1969.
Although the place makes travel a bit difficult due to its ruggedness, the peaks above the frontier of the sitio offers superb scenery and excellent opportunities to experience scenic natural beauty. A very different landscape from wide and open rice land, the area can be describe as a " trekkers'' paradise" and is well worth a stop on any tour in the province. It also forms one the most striking skyline on Iloilo.
Lolay Dance
Sitio Iday is brought to bloom by Mt. Iday. With its slightly less dense forest, it is the best viewing area to see the beauty of the mountains, more beautiful than we can find in other areas and this has made the sitio as the tourism center in the area. Mt. Iday is one of the least known mountains in Iloilo. It may not be the highest mountain in the province, but it is beautiful, wild and remote. It allows dedicated trekkers to escape the crowds for epic, solitary adventure, all over the course of a day getaway. They will appreciate the climb as well as the range's natural history
The community's unique culture offers the charm of yesterday as ritual practices in the area take a multitude of forms and take place on any number of occasions, reflecting the intentions that motivate the practice. The ritual tradition of Pangabi-abi performed by a male babaylan, is best understood in terms of the community's intention to appease spirits, invoke protection from the unseen to ensure safety for their visitors. The core of this ritual is the fundamental belief that there exists a delicate balance between man and nature, and the spirit world.
Music and dances are also common attractions in the area. The people take great pleasure in the old-time mountain music and dance that reflects the community's own heritage. Dancing and playing music was a friendly past time shared by family and neighbors. Persons who initiate and lead the music and dances are those who hold the collective knowledge of the village, a role that commands the highest respect in the area.
Rondalla
The sitio enjoys live traditional music from Iday Rondalla, an all-male musicians of the Agrida clan known for their wide repertoire using their stringed instruments to tunes from simple folk songs to the modern and contemporary music as well as Filipino and foreign classics. Composo is also practiced and a popular form of entertainment performed by Lola Leticia Malco.
Leonida Berbal began dancing as a child. Performing the lolay dance became her lifelong adventure and was sort of a trademark to the 87-year old grandmother. It is said that her father would pay as much as two sacks of rice per child for a year of dance training during the weekends from a certain Mr. Carias of barangay Madong. The lolay dance favors a low, smooth feminine step accompanied by the swirling of the arm and wrist. Within that framework, the dancers give a free rein to individual expression.
Whether you are looking for an active and fun outdoor adventure or a romantic escape to discover a beautiful culture, Sitio Iday is well worth a stop on any tour of Iloilo.