Festival of 'native games' in Mt. Province
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 06/23/2009 6:41 PM
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MT. PROVINCE - To keep their own brand of Igorot culture alive, residents at Barlig municipality in the Mountain Province host a one-of-a-kind festival once a year, featuring all kinds of native sports, music, and traditions.
At the "Fortan Festival," now on its fifth year, games like tug-of-war and arm wrestling are given local flavor, not only because they are christened with names like "eenat" and "sangkor" respectively, but because the participants, both men and women, don their traditional costumes of intricately woven G-strings or "bahag" in vibrant red, black, and white thread.
Children also participate in "fiawat," "chinaray" or "sus-uwat" ball games.
Fortan, in Barlig language, means "inheritance" or "heritage," a fitting description for a relatively young fiesta celebrating local tradition.
"Before we will forget our customs and traditions, we better celebrate it every year," said Barlig Mayor Magdalena Lupoyon.
She said that the festival teaches young Igorots to love their culture.
Other highlights of the festival include the display of woven handicrafts like the "pasiquing" and the "bilao" or rice winnowing container, local dances and rituals that incorporate harvesting and hunting themes, as well as the "entom," an indigenous way of cooking food by roasting fish or vegetables wrapped inside thick banana leaves. Report by Harris Julio, ABS-CBN Northern Luzon.
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