ati « Valerie Caulin – freelance writer

Dungog: Indigenous Peoples Festival 2009

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

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Held every October since 2007, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts partners with local governments to hold the Indigenous Peoples Festival. First hosted in Davao City and then last year in Isabela, the Provincial Government of Capiz hosted this year’s festival entitled, “Dungog: Indigenous Peoples Festival”.

The word “dungog” means, “honor” in Visayan and through this festival, different indigenous peoples all over the country showcased their unique and culture and heritage. It was a five-day celebration with different activities starting with their parade, forums, exhibits, performances and the interactive demonstration of their daily lives along with their natural houses.

Some of the indigenous peoples who participated in that memorable affair were the Tausug, the Ati (from different parts of the country), the Mangyans, The Bagobos, the Subanen ( Zamboanga) and the Ifugaos.

Along with my toddler, he had fun visiting each houses starting with climbing their stairs made of bamboo. He might not be truly aware of what the fuzz was all about but it was a start for him to be cognizant of some social issues.

Here are some pics from Dungog: Indigenous Peoples Festival 2009

The festival was held at the Villareal Stadium in Roxas City

The main attraction to the festival were the 15 traditional houses from the different Indigenous Peoples with participants performing some dances, songs and even their local crafts and livelihood.