"I was surprised even more how rich the culture of Abra is. Very rich. Very unique. Their identity and culture make Abra a very interesting province to love and take care."

[BANGUED, ABRA, PHILIPPINES]▬ The night was young. The festive ambiance continues to draw crowd. The Abra Gymnasium is the place to go this point of time. A lot of children and young people gathered around the gymnasium with their beautiful traditional costumes. Inside the gymnasium, spectators are waiting for the start of the cultural night. You will notice that this event was well-prepared. The stage is sophisticated. The event was shown live on the giant screens inside and outside the gymnasium.

[BANGUED] ▬ KIDS WEARING TINGUIAN TRADITIONAL COSTUME

Prior to the start of the cultural night I observed what's going on around. I am seeing many Tinguian people representing proudly their sub-tribes. I know how hard to reach some of their villages but they're all here with one purpose - to showcase their beautiful culture and heritage.

Armed with dances and rites they inherited from their ancestors, I know this will penetrate my soul. I don't want to appear OA but whenever I see cultural rites and dances depicting the identity of the people, I have this tendency to cry because I treat traditional dances as a pure form of love of the people's culture and heritage whenever they do it.

[BANGUED] ▬ SOUVENIR PHOTO OUTSIDE THE GYMNASIUM PRIOR TO THE START OF THE SHOW

I took the opportunity to see the cultural dancers up close. They all looked beautiful. They have this batek placed on their heads. Some male performers are wearing the baag too. There are also Ilocano performers. You know, Abra is the land where both the Ilocanos and Itneg tribes live in harmony.

[BANGUED] ▬ A YOUNG GENERATION OF THE BEAUTIFUL ITNEG PEOPLE

I photographed them after asking permission. The female Itneg young people all looked beautiful with their costumes. I was somehow happy to see that the culture continues to be practiced by them. Kawayan Festival has become a medium to showcase this for the world to know.

I went inside the gymnasium and waited for the show. The first performers came. I thought it would just be an ordinary cultural show. It was extraordinary! How come I underestimated this? Shame on me!

The lights on the stage set the house on fire. Lively. Colorful. State-of-the-art production was revealed by the lights and sounds I was witnessing that time.

[BANGUED] ▬ THE START EVEN GAVE ME GOOSEBUMPS

[BANGUED] ▬ REPRESENTING THE ITNEG CULTURE

[BANGUED] ▬ REPRESENTING THE ILOCANO CULTURE

[BANGUED] ▬ INDUSTRIOUS ILOCANOS ILLUSTRATED THROUGH DANCE

[BANGUED] ▬ THIS IS THE SAKUTING RITE FROM DOLORES TOWN

[BANGUED] ▬ SAKUTING DANCE ILLUSTRATES THE WAR OF FAITH BETWEEN THE ILOCANO AND ITNEG PEOPLE IN ABRA. THE TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE EVENTUALLY ACHIEVED UNITY WHEN THE TRIBES WERE CHRISTIANIZED.

[BANGUED] ▬ THIS GROUP PERFORMS ILOCANO CULTURAL DANCE.

[BANGUED] ▬ THIS GROUP MADE THE STAGE COLORFUL.

[BANGUED] ▬ AN ILOCANO COURTSHIP DANCE

[BANGUED] ▬ THIS GROUP USED PROPS VERY WELL

[BANGUED] ▬ A TINGUIAN COURTING AN ILOCANA

[BANGUED] ▬ LIFE IN THE FARM SHOWN IN ART

[BANGUED] ▬ PERFORMERS FROM BUCAY TOWN

[BANGUED] ▬ TINGUIAN DANCE MOVES

[BANGUED] ▬ A TRIBAL RITE

[BANGUED] ▬ TINGUIAN FEMALE DANCERS CARRYING EARTHEN JARS

[BANGUED] ▬ GRACEFUL MOVES

[BANGUED] ▬ THEY DANCED WELL WITH THE JARS

There are many groups who performed. Some came from Abra's far-flung municipalities. There are courtship dance, sakuting dance, tribal rite and dance in asking rain from the gods and many more.

I was surprised even more how rich the culture of Abra is. Very rich. Very unique. Their identity and culture make Abra a very interesting province to love and take care. ▬ to be continued...

[UP NEXT] ▬ WE WOKE UP VERY EARLY FOR THIS. WHAT'S THIS?

► ABRA MARCH 2015 TRAVEL SERIES

We woke up early because we heard that there is an interesting place in town that closes early too on the same day. So what we did here? Hang on for Part 7.

___________________________________________________

► FOOTNOTES, DISCLAIMERS, ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ETC

[1] This experience was made possible through Vice Governor Chari Bersamin who invited us to witness the Abra Kawayan Festival. With me is fellow travel blogger Estan Cabigas of langyaw.com.

[2] The map I used below is courtesy of Eugene Villar on Wikipedia.

Source:
[1] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APh_locator_map_abra.png
[2] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ph_locator_abra_bangued.png
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