Cordillerart

CONT ENTS 03 THE 06 ART AND ITS 07 FORMS CORDILLERAS The Cordillera Region is not only The Cordillera Administrative known for its scenic views but Region is the homeland of the as well as its rich art deposits, Cordillera indigenous people, such as literary and visual arts collectively referred to as the traversing the entire mountain “Igorots”, meaning “people of region. the mountain.” ESSENTIAL 04 THE TRAVELS ARTISTS In order to complete the full Cordilleran experience, Cordillerans who has left heir festivities from different regions names in fine arts, crafts, of the Cordillera Administrative publishing, design, and Region are presented. production. May it be traditional or contemporary.

WHERE IS CAR? The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) of the Philippines consists of the provinces of Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province and Apayao. Baguio is the regional center. The Cordillera region encompasses most of the areas within the Cordillera Central mountain range of Luzon, the largest range in the country. The region is home to indigenous cultures of different tribal ethnicity such as the Igorot, Kalingan, Ifugaos, Kankanaeys, Illian, Baliwon and many others spread in isolated communities in the various parts of the region. Despite differences in tribal ethnicity, the Cordillera peoples have commonalities in costumes, music, dances and even customs. In the central part of the Cordillera Mountain Range, rice terraces abounds - from Ifugao to Mountain Province, famous of which is the Banaue Rice Terraces. The UNESCO Heritage Site declared five clusters of rice terraces in various towns in Ifugao. Other hidden rice terraces can found in Natonin, Mountain Province. Scenic terrains of cornfields can be found in Paracelis, Mountain Province, a town next to Natonin. THE CORDILLERA PEOPLE A big bulk of the Cordillera population is composed of closely-related indigenous peoples. Collectively, they are popularly known as Igorot. Often they are also grouped into a number of ethnic or ethno-linguistic identities, such as Apayao or Isneg, Tinggian, Kalinga, Bontoc, Kankanaey, Ibaloy, Ifugao, and Bago.

ARTISTS He is a native of Barlig, Mt. Province is the only Filipino to be included in the list of the 40 Contemporary Great Masters of Portrait Painting 2019 book published by Diverti Editions, the publisher of Pratique des Arts Magazine based in France. Cablog works are quite of extraordinary beauty. Most of his artwork is a revelation of Barlig culture and tradition that was told and lived by his ancestors. His love, dedication and interest to the \"Ofok or \"Ob-ofok\" which means the past oral stories from the great elders of Barlig are unfolded through his beautiful and unique paintings. Popularly known as “BenCab” is widely hailed as a master of contemporary Philippine art. Primarily figurative, Cabrera’s work often depicts women and occasionally men in swirling, bundled fabrics and capes.

Chawi is the oldest weaver from a village known for their traditional Kankanaey weaving skills passed on from generation to generation to this day. Luck was on Chawi’s side. Fondly called Manay by her fellow weavers and close friends, Chawi was able to land a weaving job at Easter Weaving, a famous textile business in Baguio City that had been established in 1908. Ben-Hur Villanueva is a Filipino sculptor, painter, educator, lecturer, and art entrepreneur based in Baguio City. Ben-Hur has traveled the country giving seminars, art workshops and therapies and spearheading art-related activities. According to him, every individual has his own artistic inclinations and propensity be it from the several types of Arts and that person has the right to enhance and utilize it creatively. Popularly known to the world by her native name, Apo Whang-od, is known as “the last and oldest mambabatok” in Kalinga and is a part of the Butbut tribe. Apo Whang-od’s hand-tapped tattoo technique called batok dates back to thousand years and is said to be more painful than the machine tattooing system.

ART IN THE CORDILLERAS CORDILLERA WEAVES In the Cordilleras, many believe that the Itneg and Gaddang were among the first to take up weaving. The Ifugao, Bontoc, Kalinga, and Kankana-ey, according to some research, may have started weaving only in the 18th Century. The handwoven textiles of the Cordillera tell stories of identity, economics, and social change. WOOD CARVING Woodcarving did not have its roots in the city of Baguio. Folktale had it that wood-carving was linked to the Ifugao religion and not for ornamentation. Wood-carvings of God statues along with animal images along with buybuy was on top of the sopping lists of local tourists, TRADITIONAL TATTOO The ancient art of tattooing is inspired by tradition throughout the Cordilleras. For the traditional Cordilleran, a tattoo is earned through bravery and courage while the women see it as an expression of beauty. VISUAL AND LITERARY ARTS Local art historians trace the blossoming of art most especially in the city of Baguio in the 70s—whether it be visual, literary, and performing arts. The city plays host to local and international art festivals which have until now put Baguio City and the Cordilleras on the art map of the country and the world CULINARY ARTS Cordillera is a culture-filled city making it home to exotic ethnic dishes. Pinikpikan is a chicken dish that is rooted in the native ritual of reading signals from the gods to determin one’s course of action. Etag is salted meat that is cured and aged underground in an earthen jar. Pinuneg is a native blood sausage composed of minced pork and innards mixed with cooked rice

PANAGBENGA FESTIVAL The term “panagbenga” comes from a Kankanaey term meaning “ a season for blossoming.” Cordillerans LANG-AY showcase their creativity by building giant flower floats which are then paraded on the streets of Baguio. Along FESTIVAL with this is a lively, colorful, and cultural street dance The Lang-ay festival in performed by the locals. Mountain Province is celebrated every 7th of April. This is a week long agro-industrial trade, tourism, and cultural fair with tribal dances and songs. Lang-ay is a native term that describes the tradition of the people of Mountain Province to celebrate festivities, share happiness, foster family solidarity, hospitality and nurture friendship all with a toast of home brewed-wine. ULLALIM FESTIVAL Ullalim festival is held in Kalinga which is celebrated every 14th of February. It is a celebration of the founding anniversary of the province and the peace acts called bodong. It is the poetic expression of the heroic exploits, romance, joys, successes as well as tribulations, and the way of life of the Kalingas from birth to death. The festival highlights the weaved clothes exhibits, world-class coffee beans, and other products of Kalinga.

IMBAYAH FESTIVAL UImbayah is a celebration of Ifugao culture, rice harvest and planting. It was derived from the Ifugao word “bayah” which means rice wine, signifying nobility and high stature in the community. The festival is based on an old ritual celebrating the ascendancy of a commoner and his family to the ranks of kadangyans or the Banaue elite. Imbayah festival activities include lots of Ifugao games. MATAGOAN FESTIVAL Matagaoan festival is an annual occasion held every June 24th to 26th in Tabuk City, the capital of Kalinga. It is a social celebration that exhibits distinctive societies, customs of the different indigenous networks of Tabuk City. It is also a celebration of Indigenous melodies, moves, and rhythms.

REFERENCES Benedicto Cabrera. (n.d.). Buy, Sell, and Research Contemporary Art Online: artnet. https://www.artnet.com/artists/benedicto-cabrera/ Ben-Hur's profile. (n.d.). Arko ni Apo. https://arkoniapo.com/ben-hur-villanueva/ Biol, K. (2016, September 23). Imbayah festival: Witnessing the Ifugao’s cultural pride. Tripzilla Philippines. https://www.tripzilla.ph/imbayah-festival-ifugaos-banaue/1176 BusinessMirror. (2019, November 29). Eliza Chawi and the art of cordillera weaving. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/11/30/eliza-chawi-and-the-art-of-cordillera-weaving/ Carling, J. (2001, October). The cordillera experience. Asia Society. https://asiasociety.org/cordillera-experience Cordillera administrative region. (n.d.). Wikitravel - The Free Travel Guide. Retrieved March 16, 2021, from https://wikitravel.org/en/Cordillera_Administrative_Region (n.d.). Cordillera Peoples Alliance. https://www.cpaphils.org/ Cultural baguio | Themed baguio recreation | Go baguio! (n.d.). Go Baguio! Your Complete Guide to Baguio City, Philippines. https://www.gobaguio.com/cultural-baguio.html#.YFBb- Z0za00 Fernando, C. (2020, January 4). Panagbenga: The baguio flower festival that everyone’s been talking about. ZenRooms Blogs. https://www.zenrooms.com/blog/post/baguio-flower- festival/ Igorot artist from Mt. Province chosen as one of the 40 best portrait painters in the world. (n.d.). WowCordillera. https://www.wowcordillera.com/2020/03/igorot-artist-from-mt- province-chosen.html. Matagoan festival. (n.d.). HelloTravel: Book Tour Packages | Holiday Packages & Travel Planning. https://www.hellotravel.com/events/matagoan-festival Ullalim festival Ullalim festival in Kalinga which is celebrated every February | Course hero. (2020, March 11). Course Hero | Make every study hour count. https://www.coursehero.com/file/p3j4bloe/Ullalim-Festival-Ullalim-Festival-in-Kalinga- which-is-celebrated-every-February/ Villanueva, C. (2018, September 14). Baguio crafts & folk arts. Baguio Creative Hub. https://creativebaguio.com/baguio-crafts-folk-arts/