Tons of foreign and local visitors have discovered Bukidnon, palanggas, primarily due to its tourism potentials. One of these is Bukidnon’s rich folklore and traditions. It has seven ethnic tribes, each of which boasts of a unique culture. It also has a fabi cool and reinvigorating climate. Its many natural attractions–mountains, lakes, springs, waterfalls, caves, and vast virgin forests attract foreign and local tourists alike.
Mt. Kitanglad, an extinct volcano with a peak of 2,955 meters above sea level, dominates the Bukidnon plateau.
The Kaamulan festival began with folk dance, mimicry and folk music, both vocal and instrumental. The ritual Pananghid was performed a day before the arrival of hundreds of participants in this year’s super colorful festival. This was performed by ritualists at the Kaamulan grounds. It is believed that the ritual takes away unpleasant experiences along the way to the festival area and if there is trouble in the place where they come from, they do not carry these with them.
Needless to say, we were all completely amazed over the popularity of the Kaamulan Street Dancing, which is no doubt the topmost crowd drawer in the festival’s history. The event has two categories–the indigenous or pure ethnic presentations which has representatives of 14 municipalities and two cities as participants, and the Battle of Champions which has representatives from three municipalities and one city as participants.
For the ethnic participation, super dedicated Gov. Joe Zubiri encouraged the different municipalities to bring to the city of Malaybalay the original ethnic groups in their indigenous clothing and best accessories. The indigenous street dancing, palanggas, was absolutely spectacular. It was a fabi, one-of-a-kind presentation that showed unique performances of the province’s different ethnic tribes. The different groups were received special awards for their superb performances.
An Evening of Bukidnon Dances was a part of the dances performed during the street dancing. This was done onstage the night before the competition. Capping the presentation was the Inagong where everybody danced to the beat of indigenous instruments.
In this year’s festival, the indigenous communities all over the province converged to share sports skills they inherited from their ancestors, would you believe? Among the skills which were showcased in contests were fire building; utilizing local materials; rice pounding and winnowing; spear throwing; stilt/body carrying. There was also a human tug-of-war and a bamboo cannon contest.
Then the fabi ethnic dance clinic was held right apres the street dancing, where the ethnic groups themselves taught tourists and guests their dances. This real fun affair took place on the streets where we danced non-stop to the beat of the agongs, bantula and other ethnic instruments. The Kaliga was performed at the end of the affair. It is the highest and most sacred of rituals and prayers for the Bukidnons. It calls for unity and strength for the people and for a peaceful and fruitful co-existence between peoples of different religions and cultures. This ritual starts at twilight of the appointed day and ends at sunrise the next day.
This year’s foundation day celebration was definitely the grandest of all. Thousands of tourists flocked daily to the capitol grounds to witness the fun entertainment and activities organized by the provincial government under new governor, Joe Zubiri, no less.
The next day came the super entertaining trade fair, the eye-catching garden show, and the yummy food fest. The trade fair showcased a wide array of items–souvenirs, accessories, RTWs, handicrafts, agricultural machinery, plus, plus. Bukidnon’s beautiful plants and flowers were showcased at the garden show which was really something else! So much so that world-class architect Conrad Onglao and gorgeous civic-oriented beauty Susan Reyes and moi went bananas buying flowers and ornamental plants all afternoon. The food fest presented the region’s tasty fare. It was designed to cater to the food requirements of local and foreign tourists.
The unbelievable, electrifying Rodeo 2002, meanwhile, opened with a bang. There was an eye-catching parade participated in by bull riders, horse riding cowboys and their muses, which delighted the thousands who jampacked the grandstand and on the ground. We were all thrilled by the bull riders wrestling, lassoing, and attempting to ride the bull. We all went wild shouting and applauding those adrenaline-pumped cowboys performing breathless feats, palanggas.
A rodeo barn dance was held that night where Miss Rodeo 2002 was chosen from the muses of the different competing hacienda teams. This was won by a Cowgirl beauty from the town of Libona.
Gov. Zubiri shared his plan with the crowd: To make the province of Bukidnon the rodeo capital of the country, with the city of Malaybalay as the annual site of the competition. This elicited enthusiastic applause.
A livestock auction was held at the grandstand together with the bull ride and the spectacular horse fighting activities. Here, the public had the chance to watch live animals on sale. Needless to say, the horse fights were incredible. They had two male stud-horses competing for the mare who was on heat. It was amazing to realize how much animal instinct is also found in humans (even if horses sometimes seem more civilized!). The horses fought with their hoofs and bit each other. We humans today get a gun and shoot the other. Oh well!
The festival’s success was obvious in the support and cooperation that the municipalities gave to the fantastic leadership of Gov. Zubiri. This was seen in booths constructed by local government units and displays at the agri fair.
One of the festival’s highlights was the coming together of Bukidnon’s visual artists who presented paintings with contemporary themes and those inspired by Bukidnon’s ethnic culture. These were displayed at the Provincial Training Complex at the Kaamulan grounds. The venue was opened by no less than the governor’s wife, ultra glamorous art enthusiast and social worker, Vicky Fernandez-Zubiri who had the whole place falling in love with her.
The Tala-Andig tribe from Bukidnon’s central region displayed original work in the form of soil and pigments obtained from their multi-colored soil. These were used to interpret primordial forms on canvas paintings.
To add more color and sounds to the exhibit, popular ethno-musician Waway Saway played a variety of indigenous musical instruments at the exhibit area.
The exhibit displayed works of professional caliber done by Bukidnon’s emerging talented young artists. Gov. Zubiri’s support of this project has encouraged loads of artists to display their artworks. It has also enhanced the development of visual arts in the province.
The next day, for the very first time, the City of Malaybalay became the site of the First Kaamulan Off-road Challenge held at the Kaamulan grounds. The riders drove through a rough course amidst pine trees uphill and downstream. Around 35 riders with high-powered vehicles from all over the country participated in the competition. The off-road track was natural but rough and difficult. For next year, Gov. Joe Z. promises a more interesting and exciting challenge with a new site at the back of the Kaamulan grounds.
Meanwhile, the First Kaamulan Invitational Shoot Fest was held at the Philippine Army 403rd Brigade shooting range. Shooters from all over the country participated in this two-day event. So far, this has been the best shoot fest in Mindanao.
Motor riders from all over the country also joined the people of Bukidnon in their celebration. Difficult obstacles were set at the rough tracks of the grandstand’s oval. Here, thousands of people enjoyed watching the motorcycles exciting fly through a gamut of obstacles.
Sports events highlighted the foundation day celebration. The most exciting of these was the invitational basketball games where tourists and locals alike were privileged to watch players from Visayas, Mindanao and Luzon. There were several foreign players who have been playing in the big leagues in Manille who jetted to Bukidnon to watch the games. What made the games more exciting was the grand prize of a cool P150,000 for the champion. And to the absolute delight of the people of Bukidnon, the team from the City of Malaybalay won the grand award.
On the eve of the 85th Foundation Day celebration which was the end of the two-week festival, there was a concert of different Manille artists led by vibrantly sultry, talented singer Geneva Cruz who had the crowd in the palm of her hand. This grand concert was held at the open space in front of the Capitol grounds where a huge crowd filled the entire area. Apres the concert followed a colorful 10-minute long fireworks. The successful concert and spectacular fireworks was made possible by no less than dynamic, popular, young Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri of Bukidnon’s Third District.
Earlier that Sunday morning, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo spent the day at the festival grounds visiting several communities and organizations. She even slipped into an ethnic tribe costume while there to the delight of the townfolk, palanggas.
One of the reasons behind the super success of this year’s Kaamulan 2002 was, without any doubt Gov. Joe Zubiri’s sincere love for his provincemates (which moi personally witnessed as we walked the streets where the people–especially the ethnic communities–would rush up and mob him wherever he went, palanggas). The governor was all praises over the presentations of the different indigenous tribes, many of whom had set foot on the City of Malaybalay for the first time. Gov. Joe is assisting Bukidnon’s indigenous people’s dream of preserving, promoting, and protecting their culture in the midst of technological advances.
According to Gov. Joe Z., this year’s Kaamulan celebration was a "way of showing gratitude for all the many blessings the province has received." He had previously guaranteed to make this year’s celebration the grandest and most memorable. And believe me, Gov. Joe Z. definitely succeeded! Bukidnon is truly blest, palanggas.
Already, many of moi pals and gangmates are making preparations and plans to attend next year’s grand, unbelievable festival in Bukidnon.
This is one happening that Tourism’s hotshot dynamic Secretary Dick Gordon must include in his Wow Philippines campaign, palanggas, because the Bukidnon Kaamulan Festival is truly wow!
What a fantastic week that was, palanggas!