AUTHENTICITY | Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, street-dancing troupes in colorful costumes attracted crowds to Panagbenga, or the Baguio Flower Festival. But scholars say these performances blur the line between authentic yet protected traditions and style and choreography that are simply influenced by Cordillera culture. (Photo by EV ESPIRITU / Inquirer Northern Luzon)
BAGUIO CITY, Benguet, Philippines 鈥� Performances with lavish costumes during tourism-related events like this city鈥檚 crowd-drawing Panagbenga (Baguio Flower Festival) should be properly labeled as 鈥渋nnovations鈥� to distinguish them from authentic and ritual-based cultural traditions that must be protected from commercialization.
That was one of the recommendations offered by Cordillera scholars during a public consultation on the proposed creation of a Baguio Culture and Arts Council last week.
Cordillera dances and unique festival garments are showcased during community festivals to entertain tourists, a feature of a creative economy that generates income for the city but is often criticized as 鈥渃ultural bastardization.鈥�
Diverse
This is because many people are unable to separate genuine traditional performances from choreography 鈥渢hat was influenced by authentic traditions,鈥� so tourism event organizers must make the extra effort to explain the difference, said professor Jimmy Fong, dean of the College of Arts and Communication at the University of the Philippines Baguio, during the forum on Sept. 8.
Baguio is the 鈥渉ome of culturally diverse ethnolinguistic groups鈥� who have their own distinct community guidelines regarding their traditions that must be respected, so regulations against cultural misappropriation have become necessary, said Lucia Balwayan Ruiz, author and cultural literacy advocate, who led the consultation.
Some of the city鈥檚 more than 360,000 residents come from the , which was formed in 1987 by then President Corazon Aquino following peace negotiations with rebel priest Conrado Balweg.
The Cordillera is among the regions hosting a large cluster of indigenous peoples (IP) groups. The region is composed of the provinces of Benguet (including Baguio City), Abra, Ifugao, Apayao, Kalinga and Mountain Province.
The proposed culture and arts council was not meant to regulate cultural activities, said the measure鈥檚 author, Councilor Vladimir Cayabas.
CULTURAL SHOWCASE | One of the performances during the 2019 staging of the Baguio Flower Festival features glimpses of family values among Cordillerans. (Photo by EV ESPIRITU / Inquirer Northern Luzon)
Awareness
鈥淚t aims to level up awareness and appreciation of Cordillera culture and the need for its preservation. It promotes culture and arts literacy 鈥� like [showing the average Filipino] the difference between authentic indigenous rituals and exogenous cultural practices,鈥� Cayabas told the Inquirer.
But he said the council might enact a separate ordinance that would respond to cultural offenses.
Some of the consultation鈥檚 participants complained about entrepreneurs in the city鈥檚 parks, who rent out 鈥淚gorot costumes鈥� which tourists wear for their souvenir 鈥渟elfies.鈥漅uiz said the term 鈥渃ostume鈥� to describe the 鈥渢apis鈥� (wraparound skirt) and 鈥渂ahag鈥� (G-string) was offensive.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 wear costumes; this is our attire,鈥� she said.
In fact, these garments were the equivalent of 鈥渆veryday work clothes鈥� in the past when farmers tended to their mountainside gardens, or when women carried their harvests to the closest community market, said Fong, an Ibaloy from Benguet.
He said some 鈥減urists鈥� falsely ascribe ceremonial functions to the native attire, which adds to the blurring of Cordillera-inspired entertainment and genuine cultural expressions.
In promoting true Cordillera culture, Fong urged scholars and the city council to first 鈥渜uestion our ideas of what is sacred, authentic and original.鈥�
鈥淲e have not really preserved all that is traditional at this point. Do you know the colors of the Benguet cloth, which is now black and red, was originally indigo but we no longer make the traditional indigo dyes?鈥� he said.
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