Tam-awan Village: A View of Cordillera Culture and Heritage

Tam-awan Village is a reconstruction of the Cordillera villages for many individuals who would like to experience the way of like in the Cordillera region. It is located in Pinsao, Baguio City Proper which is a good location—given that there are many individuals who have not been able to go to the Cordillera interior.

 

The Tam-awan Village project started in started in 1998 by Chanum Foundation by first reconstructing the Ifugao houses. Now, the village has 7 Ifugao huts and 2 Kalinga houses using the original materials in making these huts.

Tam-awan Village also became an avenue for art workshops and exhibits by various artists in order to have a deeper sense of meaning and appreciation for the Cordillera people.

It was a cool morning when we arrived at the village and was very much enthralled by the beauty of the place. It was a very different atmosphere as compared to the Baguio City Proper. It was filled with lush greenery and the strong houses of the Ifugao and the Kalinga properly complimented the soft evergreens that filled up the village.

It was also very proper that one would situate art, for one could actually breathe in, observe, and marvel at the various works that are placed on the village. One can truly feel the Cordillera magnificence and one can marvel at its splendour, with such a village that is merely situated in Baguio City.

Dictionary.com defines culture as:

–noun
1. the quality in a person or society that arises from a concernfor what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners,scholarly pursuits, etc.
2. that which is excellent in the arts, manners, etc.
3. a particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certainnation or period: Greek culture.
4. development or improvement of the mind by education or training.
5. the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social,ethnic, or age group: the youth culture; the drug culture.
6. Anthropology . the sum total of ways of living built up by agroup of human beings and transmitted from one generationto another.
7. Biology:
a.the cultivation of microorganisms, as bacteria, or oftissues, for scientific study, medicinal use, etc.
b.the product or growth resulting from such cultivation.
8.the act or practice of cultivating the soil; tillage.
9.the raising of plants or animals, especially with a view to theirimprovement.
10.the product or growth resulting from such cultivation.

And one can definitely see these elements in the Tam-awan Village. It is a venue for one to properly give justice and absolute appreciation to the culture of the Ifugao, the Kalinga, and the rest of the Cordillera region. It is an avenue for one to excel in art, through the various workshops that are held there. And lastly, it is a venue of renewal: a renewal in perspective for those who have never experienced or don’t have the luxury of time to be able to experience a real Cordillera experience, then this is the place for you.

Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad Valley, Benguet

    

Baguio, as the Summer Capital of the Philippines, is truly one of the best vacation spots to go to in the Northern part of Luzon. Aside from its cool climate, Filipinos and tourists visit Baguio for its breathtaking vista and rich cultural heritage. Baguio is indeed known for its fresh vegetables and lush strawberries. And as people would say, a trip to Baguio will not be complete without visiting the strawberry farm. It is certainly one of the must-go places where tourists/visitors and buyers would have the chance to experience picking the strawberry themselves.

               

Baguio’s sweet strawberries, renowned as the city’s claim-to-fame, are consumed for a wide variety of products. Here in Manila, we would often see and hear a man shouting “taho” while passing by the sidewalk. It’s sort of the same thing in Baguio but taho vendors are not as many as the ones here in town and instead of just “taho”, they say “strawberry taho”. So what makes their product unique? Obviously, it’s the ingredients they utilize in making taho. The one that we typically eat here in Manila is made out of tofu, arnibal, and sago. But in Baguio, it’s a different thing. They use authentic strawberries and strawberry syrup as opposed to the usual brown-colored arnibal – very extraordinary! Apparently, this is just one of the strawberry-made products in Baguio. They also offer strawberry-flavored goods such as polvoron, ice cream, chocolate, and other more exceptional foodstuffs that can only be found in the North.
 

             

Our stay in strawberry farm was undoubtedly an out-of-this-world experience. Even without the actual strawberry picking, we can say that we were still able to gain a lived experience from it through bargaining (which we don’t normally do here in the city since it is our Mother or kasambahay who often does the buying of goods in the market).  We’re truly grateful that we had the opportunity to go down to the strawberry field, buy fresh strawberries and take pictures from there. And if ever we’ll be back, we’re surely going to visit this place again and strawberry picking will definitely be on top of our list! It is unquestionably a spot in Baguio that visitors like us should not miss.  ;)

Sining sa Kordilyera

The art in Cordillera shows the lifestyle of the people through the different forms of art. Our first destination for the day was the Baguio State University, where we saw the different local dances of the Northern regions. It was not the usual national dances we saw because of the unique arm and hand movements. The dances show their way of life because there is a story line incorporated in the dance. The dancers also showed other talents since their music was not pre recorded. They played their own instruments for the music, which served as the accompaniment for the dance. Both elements, the music and the dance, did not overpower each other, but rather one complimented the other to create a beautiful performance. There were also some parts where the dancers would sing and chant, and one could really see the emotion portrayed which is happiness. The performance was astounding because we could see how the dance group prepared for it and it was also great to see how they enjoy doing what they like to do best. It was a very humbling experience to share this experience with them, since it was a very intimate performance. We had fun with them, and at the same time we learned a lot about their culture.

SIKOPIL A51 with the BSU dancers

Another destination about Sining sa Kordillera was the BenCab museum. When we went to the museum, we saw how the Cordilleran artists put their thoughts and feelings on canvas and the other mediums of art. This museum not only shows the works of Benedicto Cabrera, more commonly known as BenCab, but also other masterpieces by local artists. The first work of art that we saw was the one on Sabel, as shown in the picture below.

It was about one of BenCab’s inspirations, Sabel, a taong grasa that was seen in most of his paintings. It is very interesting because of the mystery that surrounds it and how BenCab was inspired to do works of art about her.

Another painting of Sabel

There were also artifacts and tools such as the bulols, weapons, utensils and other things that showcased how the tribes in the northern region lived before. Even though we cannot see how they lived, these things can give us an idea of their lifestyle.

 Some of the Bulol rice gods displayed in the museum.

The museum also houses contemporary works from local artists. They cover different themes from daily Filipino life to revolutionist themes and the like. In our tour of the museum, we were able to see the talent of Filipino artists as we saw how art has evolved in the Philippines. From the intricate and detailed carvings of tribal artifacts to the different mixed media sculptures and paintings, we were truly amazed at what ingenuity the Filipino people have.

After looking at the different galleries, we were greeted by the breathtaking view of the mountains and the fields. It was the perfect time for a photo op, and of course, we couldn’t resist.

Overall, our visit to the BenCab museum was very enjoyable. We learned a lot from the local art and we also got to know the Philippine culture a lot better. We were awed at the magnificent view, since it was totally different from what we are used to here in Manila. The Bencab museum was unlike any other museum because it not only included arts and sculptures, but more importantly, it captured the whole essence of the cordilleran culture in both its ingenious location and the nature that surrounds the place.  

Makabagong Sundalo (Modern Soldier)

Soldiers. Army. Navy. Military. Air Force. Armed Forces. 

We all have definitions for these words. The common descriptions are defenders, guardians, protectors of the country. Soldiers defend us from threats of other countries, terrorist attacks, and insurgencies. But those definitions have been our connotation of soldiers since way back in the early years where war and political instability have been constantly present. Certainly, times have changed so much already; although political crises are still ever present, today's setting is totally different 50 years back. Along with the array of changes in our society, the concept of "soldier" has evolved as well.

The question is now:

What is the modern soldier? 

The modern soldier still is fundamentally the same as the traditional soldier. They still are defenders and guardians of our humble from every possible threat to disrupt our society. But the soldier today has added functions and duties to his repertoire. Entering the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio (PMA) is a one of a kind experience. When you are inside the vicinity, it feels like you are on a different country; it is hard to imagine that this ravishingly neat place is in the Philippines. From the cleanliness and quality of the facilities to the colorful trees and plants to the historical iconic landmarks and works. Viewing and just being within the perimeter of these structures; one can feel honor and pride for our country's armed forces.

But what does honor mean for our soldiers today? The Armed Forces of the Philippines have been battered recently of fraud and corruption issues. How do they keep the honor in their profession intact despite all of these? It is also a common notion to the people that soldiers are "puppets" of the government. They will do whatever their superiors ask of them, no matter the consequences. True you might answer but it is in fact no - for the modern soldier. In a talk that Major Jo-ar Herrera gave he said that they would confront their superiors when the plan is destructive to the society. If they feel it is heavily wrong, they would stand up for their case however high the position of their superior is. This statement of his does not readily assure us that they would do just that; but those are strong words nonetheless and it came from a sincere and gallant official. It only tells us that as long as there are officials and soldiers like him, our country is in good hands. 

Also included in his talk is the dominant theme in the modern soldier concept:

PEACEMAKER. 

The mandate for today's soldiers is to be peacemakers. They do not only fight for their country; they fight for the peace in their country. It is said in a UN peace campaign that "peace, like war, must be waged." And that is the true duty of our soldiers today. When before their only focus is to defeat the enemy, now they have to win the peace also. Peace is a quintessential factor for a developing country like ours. When there is no peace, there will be no development. The armed forces are focusing their talents to enforce peace in our country. Major Herrera mentioned that the armed forces wins this peace through partnership of values: being truthful, committed, people-oriented, selfless and a global thinker. They build partnerships and networks with several organizations to help promote peace amongst different communities in our land. They risk their lives in missions to hostile territories to negotiate with the rebels. They exhaust all peaceful means in order to make truces and to stop the hostility. When one thinks of soldier, the object that automatically comes to mind is the gun. We have associated armed forces with artillery and firepower but as Major Herrera puts it into words their value: "it is better to win the enemy without bullets".

The modern soldier has indeed evolved from the traditional soldier we have been accustomed to growing up. It has been molded to fit our new society that loves peace and wants nothing to do with bloodshed, corruption, and injustices. Today's soldiers are built and equipped to handle and keep those things away from us. Despite the bad image that has been tainted to them, we must have hope in our soldiers. We must love, trust and respect them. Respect and trust are of utmost importance in a healthy relationship - and in the way the things are going in the Philippines, we are going to need a mighty robust one with our armed forces.