IP festival blasts with dignifying activities
ROXAS CITY – Various interactive and participative activities for the Dungog: Indigenous People’s (IP) Festival on October 2 to 6 at the Villareal Stadium here were laid down by the festival organizers during a general preparatory meeting last September 17 to discuss the details and updates of the national event.
Provincial Tourism Officer and festival director Alphonsus Tesoro delivered the presentation before provincial government officials and employees, representatives of national government agencies, business and academe sectors and partner organizations.
The five-day festival consists of opening and closing programs and rituals, cultural performances, showcase of IP traditional houses, interactive demonstrations of IP’s way of life, series of fora on various IP issues and concerns, traditional games exhibition, interactive workshops, and a solidarity night with the IPs, among others.
“We will do away with the usual ribbon cutting during the welcome rites as a traditional Capiceno hospitability will be adopted in greeting the visitors that would highlight with an Escotis dance to be participated in by the guests and participants,” Tesoro explained.
Escotis involves jumping, hopping, stamping and bucking movements while the music of the dance goes faster and faster towards the end so that the dancers almost collapse, but still laughing and enjoying its exhibition of skills and endurance.
“We are making a history because this will be the first time to gather various IP cultural groups from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” Tesoro stressed.
The nationwide celebration aims to create a deeper understanding and appreciation of the arts, culture and tradition of the 110 ethno-linguistic groups nationwide to celebrate the richness and diversity of customs and traditions of cultural communities as well as foster deeper cultural understanding on the role of IP/cultural communities in eco-tourism and cultural education.
The festival coincides with the province’s hosting of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that will be attended by 60 to 80 delegates from various ASEAN countries.
“These ASEAN delegates will have a chance to join with the festival participants,” Tesoro added, noting that the organizers had set a day for the convergence of IP and IPR experts.
The upcoming events that will be an opportunity for the province to showcase its tourism potentials will be covered by international, national and local media. (with reports from Dungog ‘09 Publicity and Promotions Committee)