What are we waiting for?
WAITING is a thrilling event in the life of many people: we do not know for sure whether what we are hoping for will really come to us, and often we do not know exactly when it will come.
And how will it look like? Is it really as we thought it to be? Or is it something else? Are we going to be disappointed? Before, women who were pregnant were in the same situation.
Now -unluckily- it is usually the same for a lot of people, but they cannot suppress the urge ber 23 at the Benguet Sports Complex. The most notable change in the events, perhaps, is the Cultural Dance Competitions which is now a “Cultural Dance Exchange” – a significant departure from the traditional cultural contest, perhaps to promote the idea that cultural dances cannot be judged as a tournament rather they should foster appreciation absent the technicalities of competitions. to limit the uncertainty: the woman wants to know whether the child will be a boy or a girl, whether it has no serious shortcomings and preferably also on what date and in what house it will be born. And like it is at the beginning of our life also to wait for the moment of death.
Thus it will be also at the end of our life: the
Of course that distinct sub-culture of the Igorot Cowboys, institutionalized even in ordinances, will always be at the core of Benguet celebrations. Our Ibaloi and Kankana-ey uncles in cowboy boots and hats will never miss the show. To draw visitors from the capital town and other places, we are invited to visit the Foundation Day celebrations of several Benguet towns; the Municipality of Kapangan on November 18, the Municipality of Kibungan on November 21, and the Municipalities of Atok, Sablan, and Tublay on November 22. It will be a great time
tural craft-makers. Dir. Tan asked me to provide names of those who can be invited to an upcoming assembly to thresh out action plans. To mention some, I am hoping that the following will be notified and invited to that planning session; Kidlat Tahimik of the Victor Oteyza Community Arts Space (VOCAS), National Artist Benedicto Cabrera of Bencab Museum, Chit Asignacion of Tam-awan Artists Village, Laida Lim-Perez of Fiberweb, Jordan Mangusan of the Roofless Gallery, Roland Bay-an of Pasakalye Art Group, Diane Santos-Mondoc of the Baguio
waiting for the moment of death is very difficult for many, the life after, more than the dying. And also at that moment is the urge very strong. Waiting is characterized by ambiguity.
On the one hand is waiting something hopeful, waiting is carried over by the desire for what is coming. But on the other hand it is characterized by something that is lacking: something or somebody we are waiting for is not yet there. There is something else that is lacking: a presence of that person is much desired. SSCagayan drive home to our ‘ili’ and visit our friends and relatives.
I cannot deny that the Adivay celebrations hold a great chunk of my life memories – our Battle of the Bands participations, the trade fairs where I met new friends, the Canao and the long parades, the evening walks where the drunks populate the grounds shouting “Adivay!, the teenage heartbreak after an Adivay competition, the ‘offer time’ work as a grown-up professional who is part of the celebrations…those will always be the days. (Adivay! Huuu! Huuu!)
Arts Guild, Raffy and Jo Kapuno of the Gong Festival, Warren Wigan Nauyak of Asin Woodcarvers Village, Virgie Duligas of Easter Weaving Room, Lucia Capuyan-Catanes of Nardas, Rubilyn Mayat-an, Alfredo Dul-ang, Benhur and Bumbo Villanueva of Arko ni Apo Gallery, Ma. Stella De Guia of the Baguio Museum Inc. and the head of UP Baguio College of Fine Arts. I am reminded to what Baguio Congressman Marquez Mark Go said during the meeting that “those who'll compose the creative council ay dapat mga creative talaga”.