Advisories & News
Press Release
“KULTURA AT WIKA: A WEBINAR ON PHILIPPINE INDIGENOUS CULTURE”
2021-09-06
PR-2021-48
28 August 2021, Toronto, Ontario – Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, in partnership with the Katutubo Exchange Philippines, and in celebration of Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa, National History Month, and the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, presented yesterday 27 August 2021 via Zoom “Kultura at Wika: A Webinar on Philippine Indigenous Culture”.
Before the actual webinar, a 10-minute music video of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) titled “Filipino Ako, Filipino Tayo” was presented. The song, composed and arranged by Roy del Valle and lyrics by Nelson Cruz, was made for the 2014 Sagisag Kultura II Project by the Advertising Foundation of the Philippines. The video featured historical places and attractions in the Philippines, national heroes and renowned Filipinos, national celebrations and occasions, and Philippine natural and man-made creations and arts of Filipinos. A tourism video from the Philippine Department of Tourism was also featured.
The webinar was formally opened with Consul General Orontes V. Castro introducing Ambassador Rodolfo D. Robles who graced the evening’s event with his Welcome Remarks. Ambassador Robles commended Toronto PCG for collaborating with Katutubo Exchange Philippines, a volunteer cultural organization of indigenous youth and cultural workers that advocates the promotion of indigenous cultural heritage and cross-cultural understanding, on the conduct of the webinar. Ms. Nastasha Alli moderated the online presentation.
The webinar is Post’s event celebrating three landmark observances in the month of August namely, Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa (National Language Month), Buwan ng Kasaysayan (National History Month), and the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples which was celebrated globally on 9 August 2021.
The three resource speakers of the webinar were Dr. Edwin V. Antonio, Ms. Anastacia B. Viola, and Mr. Rogelio Icdang Batongmalaki. Dr. Antonio, Founder of KXPH and Head of the National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities, gave a brief introduction of the organization. He also conducted a workshop on Baybayin, a Philippine historic script widely used in Luzon and other parts of the Philippines prior to the Spanish colonization, and did a demonstration of writing Baybayin. Dr. Antonio likewise gave a presentation on national living treasures, indigenous games, textiles and attires.
The featured National Living Treasure was Magdalena Gamayo, National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ (NCCA) 2012 Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan awardee who recently turned 97 years old on 13 August 2021 and has been weaving inabel for 80 years now, learning the craft at age 15 by watching her aunts work at the height of World War II. Ms. Gamayo, a master textile weaver from Pinili, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines made a pre-recorded presentation of the Inabel fabric, one of the many prides of the Ilocos Region. According to the NCCA, “there are no better artists who exemplify the best of Filipino “abel” (Ilocano word for weave) weaving tradition than Magdalena Gamayo.”
The second speaker was Mr. Batongmalaki who lectured on the indigenous culture of the Obo Manobo of Cotabato in Southern Philippines. The Manobos are concentrated in Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Misamis Oriental, and Surigao del Sur.
The third and last speaker was Ms. Viola who presented the Ivatan culture of Batanes, a chain of small islands at the northernmost point of the Philippines. Ivatan’s culture has been largely influenced by the climate of the province. Since the province is often times exposed to severe climatic disruptions such as typhoons and drought, the Ivatans have developed numerous successful ways to protect their food supply and way of life.
The beautiful, colorful and informative video presentations of Mr. Batongmalaki and Ms. Viola on the indigenous cultures of the Manobos and Ivatans amazed and inspired the viewers and made them want to learn more about and visit the Philippines.
An Open Forum moderated by Ms. Nastasha Alli followed after the lectures of the three speakers.
The webinar was formally closed by Consul General Castro who thanked everyone who attended the online event. He also thanked Dr. Antonio, Mr. Batongmalaki and Ms. Viola for the very informative and inspiring presentations and expressed hope for more collaborations on projects in the future. – END
National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) 2021 Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Awardee, Magdalena Gamayo (third row, right photo, photo by Ilocos Norte Government) who just recently turned 97 years old was the featured National Living Treasure at the webinar.
